Yesterday I did a slow, gentle 40 minutes on bike just to be doing something on an "off" day.

Today -- 25 minutes on weights, followed by 45 minutes cardio.

Sumo deads -- 3 sets, last 2 sets with 7 more pounds on the bar than last time
Front squat -- 3 sets, last 2 sets increased reps from last time
crunches -- 4 sets, 15 reps in first two, 20 reps in last 2, total up 10 from last time
Mil. press -- stayed the same
Triceps press -- did 3 sets instead of two
Rows -- increased weight on first set

cardio -- 45 minutes, 9 miles -- after the first 15 minutes I kicked the resistance level up one mark and did 5 minutes/1 mile at the higher level. It was tough.
Then I went back down to my usual level til I had about 10 minutes left, kicked it up again for a couple minutes, and back down for the end. I'll try to increase the amount of time I can do on that level gradually.

Listened to Best of Queen, Vol. 1. Good for riding! And hey, gotta love "Fat Bottom Girls!"

Ok, I reek, gotta go bathe the stank off myself.

Lene'

If I said "yea!" - would I be telling on myself.. rofl..

Just dropping by to see how you are doing, lené... It looks like you're doing great!

Here's to keeping it up! And cheers!

Thanks, J.K.!

I won't tell on you about the FBG, ok?

Guess this is the place to note, I'm considering switching from 3 all-body work outs a week to a split schedule -- still MWF, but doing upper body on M & F one week, with W being lower body, then the following week having M & F being lower and W being upper. I think I'd like to be able to do more moves per target area per w/o, but if I try to add many more moves doing full-body in one w/o, I think I'll overdo.

Specifically, I feel like I want to work my lower body harder (adding SLDL and calf raises) and even more so, work my upper body harder by adding DB chest presses, flyes, and bent-over DB raises to what I already do. But I think I'd burn out if I added 5 more moves all during one w/o. So...

Also, am torn about my cardio. I know I want to do it after weights, but how long a session of cardio should I aim for at that point? And do I help or hinder myself by doing the 45-60 minute relaxed-to-moderate cardio on my non-lifting days? I do enjoy doing it a lot, but don't want to screw myself up somehow.

Crap. Feels like the more I figure out about things, the more I realize I don't know what the hell I'm doin' after all.

Well. The one thing I *do* know is that no matter what, I'm surely better off eating what I eat now, and getting the exercise I get now, than I was just a few months ago.

Lene'

Hi Lené -

My .02 on this is to do some moderate cardio after you lift (20 minutes fast walking or some such) and longer cardio on non lifting days, with at least one day totally OFF every week.

As you become more muscular and leaner, you'll probably want to switch this to 4 lifting/light cardio days and 2 cardio days, and then over time drop the post-lifting cardio. But until then, probably stick to what I've suggested above.

This isn't based on anything I've read, just based on what my own body has done in response to various levels of activity at various levels of "fatness".

Hope that helps some.

Good luck! And I think you'll like the splits.

Hi, Built!

I think I'll like the splits, too. More focus than full-body, I think.

The advice on cardio is pretty much like what I do now, except I do 40-45 minutes after weights, at moderate speed with some longer bursts of higher intensity. I'll cut that back to 20-30 minutes, and maybe try to do a steady intensity that is just enough to get all sweaty and slightly breathless but not sucking wind -- that sounds like moderate to me. LOL And I'll keep the 1 hour light-intensity rides on my non-lifting days,then. (I'm glad -- I do like 'em.)

Thanks!

Lene'

Did upper body today, plus abs (which I plan to do on both upper and lower body days, anyway.)

did all moves with db today, various sizes. I need to get some heavier ones, though, as I dislike the ones I have that use plates -- I don't like the bar poking out so far at the ends.

did crunches, bench press, flyes, arnies (thanks Built!), bent-over raises, rows, skullcrushers (I love those -- tough, but I love 'em), and incline db curls. Since this was my first time doing this routine, I won't know if I've improved til next week. I do know it kicked my butt.

followed this with 30 minutes on bike -- did the first 25 minutes at as peppy a pace as I could handle, then did the last 5 minutes at a bit slower pace, to cool down.

god I love this, I don't know why, it isn't even like I'm any good at it! And when I was growing up and was the slender-but-wimpy girl who couldn't do *anything* right in gym class except climb that frigging rope all the way to the ceiling of the gym (and I did like doing that, fun), I would have thought you were *nuts* if you'd suggested someday I'd love to lift weights and ride a bike and get all sweaty and sore.

now off to grab a shower, then have a bowl of cottage cheese with some Udo's oil and some walnuts in it, and *then* a cup of coffee, dammit!

Lene'

Lené -

This is awesome! Good for you!

Thanks! I appreciate your words of encouragement, and your advice. I know I've got to just grit my teeth and keep on trying, but it does help to have someone who gives a pat on the back or a kick in the fanny once in a while.

Speaking of fannies, my legs are a bit sore yet, and today was just upper body. They were still a bit achey when I woke this morning, from working out on Wed., and then doing the bike for cardio got 'em going again. I like the recumbent, because it does seem to be easier on my knees, and the saddle seat is a *hell* of a lot easier on the ol' ass, but I do find that this style bike seems to work my thighs (esp. my quads) way more than it works my bum or hamstrings. I assume that once I'm in better shape, it will stop being such a thigh workout and be more just for cardio, but either way, I like feeling my legs burn. I'm such a weirdo.

Gotta figure out a better way to get protein and fat after w/o. I like the cottage cheese, but the Udo's is kinda nasty, and I need something that will disguise its taste a bit better. I really want to keep using it, as I need those EFA goodies, but the flavour is a pisser. Wonder if peanut butter would be a good protein for this? If I can't come up with something better than cottage cheese, I'll just eat it and to hell with it.

Lene'

Just a quick note of my workout today -- we have company, so I don't have time to jabber.

I lifted, lower body w/o today.

did squats, 3 sets, increased my reps
did sumo deadlifts, 3 sets, increased my reps
did sldl, 3 sets, new move -- wanted these to hit my hams, but didn't feel them there?
calf lifts/raises/whatever they're called, 3 sets, new move
crunches, 2 types, 6 sets, increased reps

cardio, 30 minutes at fairly high intensity

still love the squats and deads, but wish I could figure out something that really hits my hamstrings and butt more. The others seem to mostly be hitting my quads and inner thighs more.

Not sure if there are any moves that I "should" include in this lower body w/o... will have to look into this more. The bike really hits my quads hard, too (I think because it is recumbent; suspect a traditional style bike would hit the butt more.)

ok, gotta go for now...

Upper body and cardio today --

DB flyes, used my biggest db, ugh!
Arnies, increased weight
Upright DB rows, new move
Skullcrushers, increased weight
Standing DB curls, new move, used my biggest db
DB bench press, stayed the same

cardio, 30 minutes fairly high intensity on bike

Heh, back again. I'm not going to go into the whole sob story, but will say that due to illness, injury, and other annoying bullshit, I'm starting over in worse shape than I was in before.

*BUT*, I started on October 16, the day after my 46th birthday, barely able to do a slow 20 minutes on the recumbent ex. bike. Now, three and a half weeks later, I can do an hour at a moderate pace, or half an hour at a "push myself and get all red in the face" pace. I haven't added weights to the routine as yet, because to be honest, just riding the bike results in sore legs -- at this point, that seems to be as much strength training as it is cardio.

I've been tracking my diet and my workouts on another site, but since I've started coming back here, I'll go ahead and start using the gym log and journal again. The more places I can find to write all this down, the more I'll be placing an emphasis on it, I think. It'll be like writing those motivational statements people use, what're they called? You write them out daily and it is supposed to help you actualize your dreams? Damn, can't think of the word right now. But that's the basic premise behind my writing not only on this site, but on the other site, and in my journal on the computer, and using pen and paper to write in a notebook before bed. (I'm overdoing it, aren't I? LOL)

Ok, today --

Doing an hour at a moderate pace on the bike, followed by a short walk up to the voting place to get my vote changed by the damned electronic monster. <g>

adding -- I actually did 40 minutes at moderate pace, then went ahead and did the last 20 minutes at a more strenuous pace, getting red in the face and drenched with sweat. Just in time to greet Jeff when he gets home from work. What an erotic greeting. LOL