2012 | Day 101: A Beautiful Mess

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Always remember to tell the person that you love the most that you love them. Life is too short in this day and age." - Laria Corney

For the complete Motivational, review Those You Love | WPM Women.

TRAINING

Monday

HIIT Skip:
a. 4 min easy
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec rest
c. 2 min easy

Shoulders/Hamstrings (30 sec recovery between supersets):
SuperSet A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 10, 9, 8, 7
2. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet B -
3. Rear Delt Flyes 2 x 10
4. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet C -
5. BB Military Press 4 x 10, 9, 8, 7
6. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet D -
7. Plate Hammer Raises 2 x 10
8. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet E -
9. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 4 x 10 per side
10. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet F -
11. DB Lateral Raises 2 x 10
12. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet G -
13. Stiff-Legged DB Deadlifts (DB to touch floor) 4 x 10
14. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet H -
15. Swissball Leg Curls 2 x 12
16. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions

Post-Weights Cardio:
Recline Bike 20 min @ 102-106 rpm

Stretch 20 min

Didn't get to sleep until just after 0230, and despite waking to my 0330 alarm, the one hour was not enough from the stress and upset of the last few days, so I allowed myself to go back to sleep, eventually rising just after 0800, giving me between 5-6 hours of broken sleep...Both shoulders were painful on waking, twinging throughout the day, and left wrist had to be strapped up again. I almost put off this training session until Tuesday (but didn't since the next two weeks are CRUCIAL), because my head was pounding almost from the time I woke, and I felt like I was going to fall over, even sitting down (long before training was even a consideration), experiencing vertigo in spurts throughout the day...Done late at night, finishing not long before midnight. NOT a good session! Started out with skipping, deciding to do HIIT in this mode instead of using the treadmill - the treadmill may have been kinder on my lower legs and knees to be honest, since I felt like I was crushing my lower legs with almost every revolution, like I was landing very heavy on my feet, which was interesting (and a little disconcerting, considering skipping plays an important role in my resistance sessions)...Anyways, ignoring the niggles in my mind, I started on my weights. From the very first set of Behind-the-neck BB Military Press I knew it wasn't going to be one of my better sessions, but still tried to push through - same weight as last week but reps were very much lowered, "stopped" not by the pain in my shoulders, but because my left wrist was "giving out". Skipping was a gritting of teeth and angry expression. Rear Flyes were extremely painful and AWKWARD, and I had to pause for a second from the eighth rep on each set to "settle" my left wrist. BB Military Press was similar, although for my third set, I probably COULD (and should) have done an extra rep. Plate Hammer Raises were very painful not just on my left wrist, but biting deep into both shoulder/biceps' tendons, making each rep an effort not to just throw the plate down on the floor in frustration (yes, it was THAT kind of session). Not in the most tolerable of moods, I headed over to the DB rack for Single-Arm Lateral Raises, selecting the same weight as last week, but not managing as many reps, my right side ok for the most part, but my left wrist in agony, the effort visible on my face with each rep. Started experiencing vertigo after my second set, vision blurring, and I had to REALLY concentrate on my skipping and then hold onto a bench between my supersets. Stayed with the DB and the same weight for Lateral Raises, hoping that TOGETHER would be better than single on my left wrist, and it was a little easier, but not really. With the light-headed dizziness plus in-and-out vision, I took the "safer" route of doing Stiff-Legged Deadlifts on the FLOOR (with DB), deliberately doing less reps here (they're not really important and I don't need that many reps, only doing them to continue to help "balance out" my quads). Finished off with Swissball Leg Curls, really focusing on the exercise. Was definitely relieved once my last set of skipping was completed...Didn't even want to sit on the Recline Bike, but I did, because post-weights cardio has become essential to my conditioning, legs moving slow, pain in the inferiomedial aspect of my LEFT knee (the knee which had, surprisingly, been giving me the most issues during my resistance session and having to be favoured)...Back in my room, showered, did my stretching, took six scoops of RecoverPRO, and went immediately to bed, passing out not long after...

2012 | Day 93: I find everything I thought I lost...

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." - Khalil Gibran

For the complete Motivational, review Losing Everything | WPM Women.

TRAINING

HIIT Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 24 x 20 sprint/10 sec easy
c. 4 min jogging

Shoulders/Hamstrings (30 sec recovery between supersets):
SuperSet A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 12, 10, 8, 8
2. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet B -
3. Rear Delt Flyes 2 x 15
4. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet C -
5. BB Military Press 4 x 12, 10, 10, 8
6. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet D -
7. Plate Hammer Raises 2 x 15
8. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet E -
9. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 4 x 12 per side
10. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet F -
11. Plate Lateral Raises 2 x 15
12. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet G -
13. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (on bench, reaching down 6 inches with the BB) 4 x 12
14. Skip 4 x 100 revolutions
SuperSet H -
15. Swissball Leg Curls 2 x 15
16. Skip 2 x 100 revolutions

Post-Weights Cardio:
Recline Bike 20 min @ 110-113 rpm

Stretch 20 min

NO sleep last night - could NOT sleep at all, my mind wandering restlessly...Got up at 0330 and started preparing myself for the day...Felt pretty great heading out for my HIIT Run, no aches in my knees, which was surprising, but awesome. Little light along the highway this time, so I ended up doing my sprints one and then turn, then another, turn, over the same road, up and down a rise, until I had done what I needed to, running back to the hotel. Left shoulder (and left wrist) was the only thing that irritated me - still aching a little from hitting it on the Elliptical handle last night...Looked forward to my weights. Same weights as last time on all exercises, but MORE reps, despite the shooting pain through both shoulders (more on that later), so STRENGTH is up a little, which is nice (or maybe my body just needed to do SOMEthing the last couple of days and only have it a SINGLE training, instead of am AND pm sessions?) Anyways, it was the POSTERIOR LATERAL aspect of my LEFT shoulder that burned during Behind-the-neck BB Military Press, becoming sharper with each consecutive set. Rear Flyes were done a little more slowly than usual, the pain in my left shoulder still prominent. NO issues with knees during the skipping in SuperSets A or B. ANTERIOR delt/biceps tendon on my RIGHT side caused issue during BB Military Press, but able to manage it better than the pain experienced during Behind-the-neck BB Military Press. Plate Hammer Raises started off strong, but reps got slower for the last three on each set. Right knee started niggling during skipping of the second SuperSet C, but disappeared during the skipping on SuperSet D, LEFT knee aching instead - all very odd. Pain in BOTH shoulders during Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises, starting with my right side first each time, since my left shoulder was in more pain than my right. Pushed our 12 reps from the 10 reps of last week though, even though the last two reps on the last set for each side was a GRIMACE. Got quite light-headed and dizzy after the skipping for SuperSet E. Used plates instead of DB for SuperSet F, doing them a little more quickly than usual, tempo 1-1-1, trying to make it intense but also hoping to minimize pain experienced - anterior and lateral delt definition good during; shoulders are definitely looking better. Increased the pace of my skipping in SuperSet F. Did more reps with the Stiff-Legged BB Deadlift - easy enough; I never use a heavy weight with this, focusing instead on the STRETCH, and next week I might see how low to the floor I can reach standing on a bench (used for Flat BB Bench Press). Feeling my left hip niggle a little during the skipping after each set of the former. Last but not least, finished off my resistance session with Swissball Leg Curls, keeping my hips high, rapid skipping pace after each set. Vascularity EXCELLENT throughout the ENTIRE session...Was rather surprised when I got on the Recline Bike re post-weights cardio and found myself EASILY able to maintain a pace of 110 rpm or more withOUT any issues with either knee. Welcome - maybe the hot/cold spa/pool on Saturday night did some good after all...My left wrist has been aching ALL day, the same way it did just before last August, which is NOT good, so I will be watching it...I WAS going to go for a 7-mile Run tonight, but have not been able to sleep at all during today, and just want to go to bed early (after I finish posting this, actually) and let myself DRIFT AWAY...

OTHER NOTES

EBF's Recompadrol will be available again in ~8 weeks (better yet, hopefully by the end of APRIL)! Just to make you all aware if you purchase some and the labels are different that they HAVE had a label CHANGE - updated to match the current brand logo, with the next run being done having 400 bottles still with the old label and the rest with the new, all to be with the new label after that.

Day 346: Behind the Curtain

Training

HIIT Cardio:
a. 4 min easy
b. 12 x 40 sec effort/20 sec easy
c. 4 min easy

Gym - Shoulders (30 sec recovery between supersets/trisets):
Superset A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 8, 7, 6, 5
2. Lateral Raises 4 x 15, 12, 10, 8
Superset B -
3. Seated BB Military Press 4 x 6, 5, 4, 3
4. Hammer Raises 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Triset -
5. Clean and Press 4 x 10
6. Single-Arm Lateral Raises 4 x 10 per arm
7. Seated Rear Raises 4 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio 20 min.

Stretch 20 min.

Comments

Sleep - Time and Quality: Need to change my sleeping schedule.

Stress: Unbelievable!

Endurance: Great.

Strength: Added 5 pounds to my main lifts from last week.

Quality of Training: HIIT was good - but really need to start running on the indoor track again . . . Resistance training hurt, but dug my heels in and gritted my teeth and kept going . . .

Body Composition and Look: Still sitting at 10% bodyfat.

Day 312: Starting out as best I can

Quote of the Day

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

Music Video of the Day

OneRepublic - Say (All I Need)

Training

HIIT Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy
c. 4 min jogging
d. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy
e. 8 min jogging

Gym - Arms:
Superset A (3 min recovery) -
1. Close-Grip Pull-Ups 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
2. Alternate Bicep Curls 4 x 20
Superset B (1 min recovery) -
3. Dips 4 x 6
4. Straight-Bar Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 12
Triset (1 min recovery) -
5. Close-Grip BB Bicep Curls 2 x 8, 6
6. Alternate Hammer Curls 2 x 20
7. Flat Close-Grip BB Bench Press 2 x 6, 8

Post-Weights Cardio 20 min.

Stretch 24 min.

Comments

Sleep - Time and Quality: Barely slept at all. Woke with a sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach, that took a few hours to dull and still hasn't gone away.

Mood/Aggression: Honestly, I'm too tired and drained to care anymore.

Energy: If I have to do something, I do it. Otherwise, I don't feel like doing anything, especially feeling nauseous and with my stomach the way it is.

Mental Focus and Clarity: I am mentally drained, and I can't afford to be.

Stress: I don't know if it's ever been much higher than this.

Joints: I could hear and feel my elbows clicking during my push/press movements, and my knees went through stages throughout my run of niggling.

Endurance: Got to pick this up quite a lot.

Strength: This week is 'baseline' weights, for me to make comparisons to in weeks to come, since I haven't been focused on strength for the last few months.

Pump: Triceps got more of a pump than biceps, and by the end of Superset B, the pump in the former was PAINFUL.

Vascularity: Veins through anterior delts and biceps good.

Quality of Training: HIIT Run was not the best. I pushed my body as hard as I could. I felt like I was running funny (probably was). Overall was very slow for the distance covered . . . Resistance training was a brief 30 minutes, but I know I WORKED . . .

Recovery: Fine.

Eviscerate Smolder Notes: The burn marks from the daily use of a perpetually scalding wheatie on my stomach during August and September have now gone, five weeks after starting use of Eviscerate Smolder/Flawless.

Other Notes: I think my body needs a detox and a week off ALL supplements - I'd probably feel a lot better for it. But, this is going to have to wait until the end of the year.

Question of the Day

What would you hold onto once you had it, that you would never ever want to let go of?

Day 219: Nothing but Slaughter!

Training

HIIT Cardio:
a. 4 min easy
b. 24 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy
c. 4 min easy

Gym - Upper Body (30 sec recovery between supersets):
Superset A -
1. EZ Bicep Curls 4 x 15
2. Incline Dips 4 x 15
Superset B -
3. Military Press 4 x 15
4. Lateral Raises 4 x 15
Superset C -
5. Push-Ups (on fists) 4 x 15
6. Supinated Close-Grip Lat Pull Down 4 x 15
Superset D -
7. Ab Rollout 4 x 15
8. Bicycle 4 x 15 per side

Post-Weights Cardio 20 min.

Stretch 20 min.

Comments

Sleep - Time and Quality: You'd think I'd be able to fall asleep like that (clicks fingers) with the way I've been feeling and the lack of food over the last few days, and then training and working hard yesterday, but no . . .

Mood/Aggression: Better. I know that I CAN do this. I'm not going to let some stupid nausea beat me! . . . On another note, my bike and textbooks and stuff has arrived, which has me smiling (FINALLY!) . . .

Energy: NOT being able to use stimulants would definitely see me in serious withdrawal . . .

Mental Focus and Clarity: Wide awake and alert.

Appetite: Neither here nor there today, and not going to get much of a chance to eat come work time.

Endurance: Excellent.

Strength: This session was not about strength (as obvious from my reps), but more treating it like a brutal HIT session.

Pump: Yes, sir, most definitely! Arms and anterior delts were BURNING!

Vascularity: Good.

Quality of Training: HIIT was good . . . Resistance session was very productive. Painful, but productive. It felt good to be able to thrash myself again (and resistance training always helps improve my endurance/fitness)! . . .

Other Effects: I still feel nauseous, but it's not the crippling I-want-to-be-sick nausea of the last few days (about bloody time!) . . . Body temperature is slightly elevated . . . And thirst is prevalent . . .

Day 118: Killing Legs

After my afternoon walk yesterday, I was shattered, passing out on the couch two hours before I planned on going to bed . . . Sleeping for 14 hours! Woke feeling like crap, but got myself ready to head into another day . . .


pm


Cardio 20 min.



Abs/Hamstrings (1 min recovery between sets/supersets):

Superset A -

1. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises/Curls 4 x 10

2. Deadbugs (on bench) 4 x 10

3. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts 4 x 10

4. BB Good Mornings 4 x 10

Superset B -

5. Weighted Rope Crunches 4 x 10

6. Plank 4 x 1 min



Post-Weights Cardio 20 min.



Stretch 20 min.



Pre-weights cardio was fine . . . Pain, pain, pain, during resistance training - right from the first superset. Hamstrings were stretched and painful to the max, and were screaming by the end of the first exercise. Abs continued screeching through Superset B . . . Post-weights cardio, surprisingly, was done at a high pace, legs feeling fresh (interesting) . . .



Energy through the rest of the day was fine. Even went for another afternoon walk.



Still on the carbohydrate bandwagon, with an insistent craving for pancakes, of all things.



Despite that, mood is good - probably in part that my baby sister is visiting for a few days. Great to see family, especially when my immediate family is spread out all over the world!



I am noticing that adding post-weights cardio back in is making a difference - I noticed that when I first started doing it as well, especially re progress with fat loss. Definitely makes it more manageable . . .

Day 114: The Big Groups

Woke late - as I have been (but only because I'm not going to sleep before 4am). Didn't feel as bad as yesterday, which is interesting, considering that I didn't do anything on Thursday and yesterday training was an intense full-body session . . . Anyways, well rested, took a little more time to prepare today before training . . .


pm



HIIT Cardio:


a. 4 min skipping


b. 24 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy


c. 1 x 1 min effort



Stretch 20 min.



Back/Chest (1 min recovery between supersets):


Superset A -


1. Close-Grip Pull-Ups 4 x 10, 6, 6, 6


2. Flat BB Bench Press 4 x 6


Superset B -


3. Bent Over BB Row 4 x 6, 5, 4, 3


4. Push-Ups (feet on bench, hands on medicine balls) 4 x 8


Superset C -


5. Close-Grip V-Bar Seated Row 4 x 8


6. Incline BB Bench Press 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6



Just as I was about to go outside for a HIIT Run, it started raining - right up until last year, I couldn't have cared what the weather was like and just gone out in it regardless, but now, if it's wet, I do my cardio indoors; so I improvised, skipping instead. Made it an effort . . .



Then it was time for the gym. Back and Chest are two body-parts that I do not really need to work on, so I just train to maintain what I have, with heavy weights and lower reps. I DO have to be careful though re back, since pull-ups and bent over rows add mass there, much like even thinking about squats adds mass to my legs. Anyways, training was intense. I was breathless, my heart beating hard between supersets. My left wrist - in fact, both wrists - ached, which is NOT a good sign, especially since they have been in quite a bit of pain of late (so very not cool). Pump was achieved, and vascularity started looking more decent as the session went on, my body heating up like I had a fever or something. Relieved when the session was over, and it was time for a shower and breakfast . . . I am shattered . . .

Day 113: Full-Body Assault

After not falling asleep until the early hours of morning, but sleeping deeply, I woke - feeling shattered, as I have spent the last few weeks waking. But how I feel is irrelevant, with a motivated and disciplined desire to get back into shape (as I deem it) and recover as quickly as I can. So, I went training . . .


pm


Cardio 20 min.


Full-Body (1 min recovery between supersets):

Superset A -

1. Hanging Straight-Leg Curls/Raises 4 x 10

2. Weighted Rope Crunches 4 x 15

Superset B -

3. Weighted Dips 4 x 10

4. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 10

Superset C -

5. BB Military Press 4 x 10

6. DB Lateral Raises 4 x 15

Superset D -

7. Bent Over BB Row 4 x 10

8. Push-Ups (feet on floor, hands on DB) 4 x 10

Superset E -

9. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (on 4-inch box, BB to floor) 4 x 10

10. Lying Leg Curls 4 x 15


Stretch 20 min.


It was hard to breathe during training, my chest feeling tight, like I was being starved of oxygen. I heated up quickly, feeling feverish, and my body beginning to feel exhaustion from the effort I was making. Several times during resistance training, I had to sit down and lower my head, to gather myself, or I might have fallen over. Left the gym glad that post-weights cardio was NOT a requirement.


Mood has been decent today. Training again - regardless of how I feel during training - is making me a little brighter, more positive, and eager to return to normal (as normal is for me).


In the meantime, outside of training, life is steady, busy, and I need to learn to slow down and not try and do everything at once. But hey, it's all about learning, prioritizing, working towards a goal . . . I have a dream, and I'm NOT letting go!

Back in the Saddle: Day 111

I can sleep now - finally! Although 10 hours is a far cry from my usual 4-5 hours, at least I AM sleeping. And even though my sleeping patterns are all over the place, I am learning to adapt, until they get back to what I WANT them to be.



Training is getting started and done first thing, so that's another start. It's still taking quite a lot out of me, even the bare minimum that I HAVE done the last three days, and I am finding it hard to keep my motivation up as I get into it, especially as my body just feels like a complete dead weight, as if I am pushing around a bus. I am thankful that I do not have to force myself to do more right now - at least, not THIS week, anyways. But, it MUST be done . . .



pm



HIIT Run:

a. 4 min jogging

b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy

c. 4 min jogging

d. 4 x 40 sec effort/20 sec easy

e. 4 min jogging

f. 1 x 1 min effort/1 min easy



Stretch 20 min.



Arms (1 min recovery between supersets):

Superset A -

1. Weighted Close-Grip Pull-Ups 4 x 15, 12, 9, 6

2. Weighted Dips 4 x 8

Superset B -

3. EZ-Bar Biceps Curls 4 x 10

4. Flat Close-Grip BB Bench Press 4 x 8

Superset C -

5. Incline DB Bicep Curls 4 x 10

6. Narrow-Stance Push-Ups (feet on floor, hands on DB under chest) 4 x 8

Superset D -

7. DB Zottoman Curls 4 x 10

8. V-Bar Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 8



Feeling everything I am NOT used to feeling during HIIT . . . Finding it better doing my stretching after cardio, before resistance training . . . Resistance training was something else today. Adding weight to my Pull-Ups and Dips made them harder, and I was using slow movement during the eccentric phase of the exercise/s. Vascularity was high, and only got better as the session progressed, strong lines on the top of my skin - a feat, since I am the palest I have ever been right now, and my vascularity is far more noticeable when I am darker and more golden. Pumps were excellent, as always during an Arms' session. I was seeing stars from my second set of Superset D - an indicator of the effort I was putting in. Left the gym pleased with my session, and ready to carry on the day . . .