Okay, I'll admit it. When I was trying to think of a title for this post, Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" immediately leapt into my head. What is wrong with me?

The fact of the matter is, I just decided to LC today, and I decided to do it in an effort to lose the fat that's covering up all the muscles I'm toning up from working out. I took a HUGE leap of faith at the end of January, and paid a full year of gym membership in advance. Mostly because I'm so cheap, I know I'd never pay almost $400 for something and then not use it. If they charged me monthly, it somehow wouldn't hurt so badly, psychologically speaking, to lose $35/month as to have it all lumped together and to think of it as $400. But that's not to say I'm not overweight. I'm 'fluffy' as my friend likes to say about herself, but LCing is more about defluffing myself so I can see what all my hard work is doing.

I have titanium plates in my arms and legs from an accident awhile back, and I just now got sick of not being to climb the stairs or get out of the bathtub like a normal person. Since my goal is strength rather than weight loss (and I know that sounds weird for a chick to say), I've been lifting M-W-F and doing cardio on T-T. It's working out pretty well for me. I can carry things up the stairs now! My very large cat is no longer afraid for me to pick him up, lol.

I don't know if it's the rod in my femur or the fact that I let myself get so weak (long story that I'll save for later), but I'm finding that I cannot use the elliptical or the exercise bike with no pain. I can't really run, either, so I'm ramping up the incline on the treadmill to make up for that fact. I either use the treadmill for my warm-up on lifting days or walk for about 40 minutes on cardio days. I'm quite proud of the fact that, in about 50 days, I've gone from walking at 2 mph on a level 5 incline for 15 minutes to 2.7 mph on a level 8 incline for 40 minutes. I know I definitely can't run. That's not muscular pain I feel in my knee when I try.

Anyway, I am totally loving the lifting thing. It took about 7 weeks, but, with the help of various websites and lots of trial and error, I think I've hit on a weight workout that should do me for the next couple months. I know you've got to switch things up every few months with lifting, but I hope I can stick with this for more than a week!

Hi Pokey Bug!!!

I just read your other intro, too. Welcome to the forum, thanks for the lovely visit to my gym log, and I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a bad accident.

Your cat is gorgeous, btw. But WOW, I can't even imagine how big he must be!! My cat is 9lbs, and I think she is FAT! And heavy!

I also have a Weimaraner... and she only weighs 50!

Anyway... I say, stay away from the dreaded elliptical!! I went back to the gym this month with no pains or aches anywhere, and being really out of shape, I thought the elliptical would be the best choice; that I could go at my own pace, that it would be low/no impact, etc etc.

Before that, I had a knee that hurt me ALL day, every day, for almost A YEAR AND A HALF, ... EVERY single step I took. It finally just stopped in October... and within 3 DAYS of being back at the gym this month and just doing like 20 min on the elliptical with NO resistance whatsoever.... I almost couldn't walk on it at all!! YIKES, right??

So yeah... I say, good choice in staying away from that!

I'm glad you started a gym log.... I'll be back to see you again soon!!!

xxx

No working out for me today, mostly due to my own laziness. I missed Thursday, because my 4 yo was sick. They tend to frown on leaving your child at the nursery when she's been vomiting, go figure. So, I was planning to make it up today, although Saturday and Sunday are my scheduled days off. I meant to get up and go this morning, but... Did I mention I'm lazy?

honeypie, thank you for letting me know I'm not the only one who can't use an elliptical. They're so popular at my gym, I was feeling like a total wimp for just using the treadmill.

Trying to make up for being lazy yesterday, I went to the gym today. Skipped church, but went to the gym. Nice priorities, huh? Truth be told, my husband was vomiting this morning, so we stayed home from church. I didn't get to the gym until after 2:00, so I wasn't skipping worship to work out. Plus, I spent all my sauna time praying, doesn't that count for something?

Anyhow, I had a great workout, and I found that I love the gym on Sundays. I may switch to making Th-F my days off from the gym. That might work better for my schedule, since Thurdays are my daughters' gymnastics day and Friday is a half day at school for them. I was always rushing to get any chores and my workout done in time to do their stuff, anyway.

Right now, my days are divided betwixt cardio and lifting, and every other lifting day is the same, so I'll just outline my workouts here and use my abbreviations from now on. Did I mention I have a tendency toward being lazy? Today was a Lifting B day.

Lifting A:
Neck exercises stolen from Callanetics - 10 per side
Full Crunch - 4 sets of 20
Treadmill - 15 min ~ 2.7 mph/8 incline
Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 10, 2 x 10 lbs
Lat Pull-Down - 4/10, 40 lbs
Bench Press - 4/10, 2 x 10 lbs
Biceps Curl - 4/10, x 10 lbs
Triceps Kickbacks - 4/10, 2 x 6 lbs
Step-Ups - 4/10 per side, 2 x 12 lbs
Squats - 4/10 on Squat Press, 0 lbs (for now)
Leg Curl - 4/10, 45 lbs
Calf Raise - 4/10, 60 lbs
Treadmill - 15 min ~ 2.7 mph/8 incline

Lifting B:
Neck - 10 per side
Full Crunch - 4/20
Treadmill - 15 min ~ 2.7 mph/8 incline
Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 10, 2 x 10 lbs
Bent Arm Dumbbell Pullover - 4/10, 2 x 6 lbs
Bench Press - 4/10, 2 x 10 lbs
Hammer Curl - 4/10, 2 x 10 lbs
Triceps Lift - 4/10, 2 x 6 lbs
Leg Extension - 4/10, 40 lbs
Leg Press - 4/10, 70 lbs
Leg Curl - 4/10, 45 lbs
Calf Raise - 4/10, 60 lbs
Treadmill - 15 min ~ 2.7 mph, 8 incline

Cardio:
40 min ~ 2.8 mph, 8 incline

I wanted to post more 5 seconds ago, but I try to avoid uber-long posts. That's just a 'me' thing, I guess. But I've got some brilliant stuff to talk about, lol! I didn't check my mail yesterday, but I saw I had a small package in the box when I came home from the gym. I got my PUL bag!

I spent about a week trying to figure out how to pack my dirty gym clothes and towels to take home, and I couldn't find anything to suit me. I have a bag with separate compartments, which is fine if I'm just going home after I work out. But, some days, I have a ton of stuff to do. Living in GA, I don't want to leave smelly gym clothes in a hot car come summertime. I was going crazy trying to figure out what to do, until I remembered when my kids were babies.

I'm not a tree hugger, but I am cheap, which is why I drive a used Prius and why I put cloth diapers on my kids when they were babies. As I was trying to figure out how to contain the smelly gym clothes, it hit me after about a week of worrying about it that I used to have the same problem with diapers. And I used PUL bags to avoid stinking up the car. So, I got on eBay, ordered a PUL bag with a zipper to match my gym bag (I'm such a girl, sometimes), and it's the perfect size to fit my towel and my clothes. And it's so stinking cute, I can't help but love it!

I had a decent workout at the gym, though I had some trouble with my bent arm pullovers. My form just felt off, KWIM? I also had trouble completing a few of my other sets, which I take as a good thing, since I just upped my weight on many of my exercises. I feel like I am truly working to exhaustion, wimpy though I'm sure I look to an outsider.

I think it sounds like a very cool thing for a chick to say. I've been lifting seriously since September and it's the best thing I ever did for my body, and that includes low carbing. Best of luck to you in your fitness endeavors!

Lovely day at the gym today. Great Cardio session, spent some quality sauna/prayer time and got to test my new PUL bag as I ran a bunch of errands. (I am a lucky SAHM.)

I swear I was not checking out other chicks in the locker room, but I noticed a lady who was probably in her late 50's there. In absolutely stellar shape. Flat tummy, nice legs, etc., and I thought to myself, I want to be like her when I'm her age. What an inspiration!

I always check out ALL the ladies in the locker room. I mean... I try to pretend I'm not.... but I can't help it!

I have NO idea how people go in their and just mind their own business. Must be when they're happy with their bodies.

Because I look SO awful.... I like to make myself feel WORSE,... by looking to see how good everyone looks, compared to me! HA!

Yeah, but don't you have those moments where you see someone who's your size and it makes you feel better? That's what I live for, those "If she's doing it, I can, too" moments.

And look at all the weight you've lost already. You're probably down a few sizes by now. That's got to make you feel good.

Haha.... I am in the EXACT same size pants as when I started. For real.

Been a couple days, and I've got big news about my workout. Thanks to a couple very nice people from this site's suggestions, I've figured out some flaws with my workout plans, redone one of my workouts. Haven't figured out a second one yet, because I frankly haven't had the time to sit down and think about it. Heck, I didn't even have the time to do more than 30 minutes of cardio today!

Anyhow, my singular new workout is: Shoulder Press, Lat Pull-Down, Bench Press, Concentration Curl/Kickback, and Squats. As a bonus, I think Seejay has provided some much-needed help with my Squat issues. I'm not doing as many exercises or as many reps, but I'm feeling optimistic about things. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Another day, another workout. Good one, I'm loving Sundays. I've practically got the gym to myself!

Lately, I've been getting a little frustrated with my gym. And it's not my gym so much as it's me. I just can't seem to make the time to work out on weekends, and they're closed when I do have the time. Like, after 8:00 pm. That's on me, but I passed an Anytime Fitness the other day. I gazed a bit wistfully, but it's not really close enough to my place to be convenient. *sigh*

Still working on my workout plans. I'm loving the bent arm dumbbell pullovers, so I'm glad to have figured out a way to stick them back into my workout. Still working on the squats, too. Figured out that what I'm trying to learn is deep squats versus parallel squats. Amazing what the internet can help you figure out, huh? So, I've got that in mind for the next time some well-meaning guy tries to correct me. I'm envisioning him replying, "Oh, sorry." Or something like that. A girl can dream, right?

Thinking about my schedule for this week, I went ahead and lifted again today. Even though I technically shouldn't have. But I decided I should have done just cardio on Sunday, so I wanted to get myself back on track for my activities this week, so I did what I did. And it won't be a big deal unless I let it become a habit.

On the plus side of the equation, I think I finally figured out the trick to squatting! I've been worried about keeping my back perpendicular to the floor, when I should really be worried about keeping my back in a straight line while my legs are squatting even if that means I bend at the waist a little. I have no idea how to phrase what I've figured out, but I did some really nice squats today. And I feel good about that.

So proud of myself. I just realized that I've only had one hiccup in working out since January 18th. And it was just that, a hiccup. So, I'm feeling rather zen about this whole getting-in-shape business.

I've reinvented my workout yet again, lol. Maybe that's why I've failed to get bored thus far. Whatever it takes, I guess. I've decided to workout arms and shoulders odd days and chest, legs and back on even days. And abs every day, in case it'll help. (I'm not shooting for washboard abs, but it is making my clothes looser around the waist, so I'll take it.) It means I'm working out six days a week, rather than 5, but I spend much less time in the gym this way. I think this is how I'll do things this summer, when the kids are out of school. I only get 2 hours max in the gym nursery, and my 6 yo gives me a tongue lashing if I leave her there two whole hours, so I'm hoping this will work until at least August.

And, crap. I'm out of time!