Tuesday, 7/6
I'm revamping my workout plans. I need to focus on core and lower body since I'm still pretty big in that area. My arms and shoulders are looking ok...well, except for the batwings.
I'm still going to do the 2 mile WAP for cardio. And even though it has some resistance work in it, I'm just not going to count it as part of my strength training.
I picked up a good book, "smart girls do dumbbells" by Judith Sherman-Wolin and will use that as my guide. I may also add some things from BFL. I'm going to start slow for some of these. I'll work up to 3 sets at 12, 9 and 6 reps before adding more weight. I think limiting to 3 sets will work for me since I don't want to spend too much time. I know BFL has you do more sets, but I'm trying to balance everything I need to do.
Front squats, 1 set, 5 reps, no dumbbells. My weight is still enough resistance to start with. I hurt myself once going past parallel doing these, so will go slowly on increasing reps and weight.
Plie squats, 1 set, 10 reps, 5 lb dumbbells. Have to watch the knees on this one...
Reverse lunges, 1 set, 5 reps, no dumbbells. My knees aren't that great, so I think this would be better than regular lunges. With this one you balance with a chair, so I think that would help prevent me from going too far. Again, I'll go slowly on increasing reps and weights.
Deadlifts, 1 set, 5 reps, starting with 5 lb dumbbells.
Standing leg curls, 2 sets, 12 reps, ankle weights. These look the same as kickbacks to me (which I've already been doing as part of the WAP), so should be fairly easy to add. I only have one set of ankle weights, can't remember if they are 1 or 2 pounds per ankle. This book doesn't say weights are required, but I don't see the advantage of doing them without weights. Kickbacks have always been easy for me...maybe it's because of carrying all this excess weight all these years. I'll have to see if I can get higher ankle weights for these.
Side leg lifts, 3 sets, 10 reps, ankle weights. Will have to get higher ankle weights eventually.
Standing bent-over rows, 1 set, 10 reps, 5 lb weights. Not really sure what weights to use, so will start small.
One-arm rows, 3 sets of 12, 9 and 6 reps, continuing on with the weight level I've been using.
Seated forward flyes, 1 set, 10 reps, 3 lb dumbbells. Will start slow since I haven't been doing these before.
Dumbbell side bend, this is for obliques, 3 sets of 12, 9 and 6 reps, starting at 5 lbs.
---Still need to find out if ab work will help. I've had 2 surgeries (C-section, gallbladder out) where the ab was cut. The scars are about 6 inches long, straight up and down, dead center, one above the waist and one below. Also can't lay on the floor to exercise due to
BPPV. Will seated crunches really help or will I be wasting my time?
shoulder press, as I have been doing. I may change this to a seated shoulder press to reduce stress on the knees as the weight goes higher.
Upright rows, 3 sets of 12, 9, 6, starting with 3 lb weights. Haven't done this one before, so am not sure what weight to start with...
Bent-over kickbacks, as I have been doing.
Seated one-arm curls, switching to seated curls to reduce stress on the knees with the heigher weights.
2 arm overhead extensions, switching to 2 arm to ensure stability with the higher weights.
Side latteral raises, 3 sets of 12, 9, 6 starting with 3 lbs.
I still need to research the order in which to do these. I want to first do the exercises that are hard for me and are compound before doing the ones aimed at the single muscles.
So I went ahead and just added the 20 lb set. Tells me I'm still not up to the point where I'm hitting the wall. 
With the squats you can always use a ball ( 
- be very careful with the deadlifts. I have hurt my lower back doing them and never do them anymore. Make sure your weight is light. I know others like this exercise, but it really screwed up my back, maybe since I am older. 
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