Parce que..... they just never hurt like anything else does. I have to lift heavy to get them to hurt and lifting heavy puts stress on my wrists. They're such little tiny muscles compared to the others, I guess it's mostly a 'mental thing'. I also have yet to find a combination of exercises that really hits home with me. A few BodyRx workouts left me acheing, but after the first 2 weeks it was back to the same old same old.

I know I love doing triceps and shoulders (and now back too) because of the visible results I am seeing. I might try to fashion up a workout that is just biceps (remember the old David Letterman Shows? Just Lamps ) and pummel them for 45 minutes once a week or every 10 days

Les I'm there already. Back tonight then straight cardio Friday. Maybe a little on Saturday and Sunday (travelling day) will be 'free day' - Or not. Doesn't matter much; living in a hotel I sleep more hours and I workout less, not even taking the lifting gloves with me this trip.

Cheers,
Nat

Literally.

PM workout:

15 minutes warm up cardio - mod intensity (really wanted to do HIIT but restrained myself, maybe tomorrow)

Back, which consisted of:

wide grip barbell rows drop set, 7 sets various reps, to failure
12x45 lbs (warmup)
8x95 lbs
8x85 lbs
10x75 lbs
10x65 lbs
12x55 lbs
14x45 lbs

decline EZ curl pull overs 3 sets, 10 reps, static contraction
10x30lbs, HLR4 10secs
10x30 lbs, HLR4 10 secs
9x30 lbs, HLR4 5 secs (ouchies)

Wide grip lat pull downs supersetted with reverse grip pull downs 4 sets, 12 reps, all at 50lbs

Gee, seemed like a lot more at the time! Followed up with some serious stretching, glutamine, creatine, whey protein and rockets!

Cardio for the rest of the week as per the countdown to the Ball regime.

Nat

WHOA! The new picture is amazing. Your hard work is definitely paying off!

Have fun at the Xmas ball!

-Michelle

Yesterday was cardio; 40 minutes a.m. and then 30 minutes of HIIT in the p.m. (45 second intervals for 15 minutes with 5 min warm up and 10 min cool down). Felt wonderful.

Today I'm planning some cardio shortly - should be a day off but I suspect there will be many of those next week. I'm also going to get in a little circuit training and some mod intensity cardio tomorrow before I have to close my suitcase and head out of here. I want to take full advantage of this fat burning period - and give myself a little breathing room for tonight (I do plan on enjoying something from the wall 'o desserts ) Michelle, I am going to have a blast, thanks !!!

Nat

Nat,
I wanted to say that you're looking very thin. I haven't been around much. I have been working my plan pretty faithful. Holiday gatherings are the only exceptions. You have changed a lot. Wow! I am very impressed. Good for you! Keep up the good work. Maybe after the holidays I will post more. I am noticing some definition(slight). My legs and calves are really firming. up. My calves used to be almost all fat. Now they are really getting muscular. I am not exercising them at all except the treadmill. I have a bad knee. So what a plus that is to see results pretty good ones just from walking fast.

Well I managed a few workouts in Halifax last week, but not many. I'm pretty sure if I'd been wearing one of the pedometer thingies I'd have logged about 4x the normal amount of footsteps in one day, though. Feet were so sore I had to ditch the dress up clothes and wear jeans and sneakers every other day just to be able to make it around the hotel!

I'm back home, 10 hours of sleep under my belt and feeling like the old me. Workouts today:

9:00 am. 40 minutes cardio on empty stomach
5:00 pm. 10 minutes cardio warm up followed by:

Modified upper body workout - chest, shoulders and triceps. Worked the muscles in isolation first to prefatigue then did the compound moves. Different feel to it, but great results - I could barely turn the wheel of the car this evening when I went on The Rotisserie Chicken Run!

More cardio tomorrow, perhaps some legs - depending on time available. Major crunch time now; one 'official' BFL week left, but 2 1/2 weeks until New Years, so I will soldier on. Will do some measuring and reporting at week 12 though, once TOM had packed up and left!

Nat

Little bit of cardio today; 20 minutes guerilla type, 12 minutes of intervals at 30 seconds and the rest warm up / cool down. Lots of running around today and some DOMS, tomorrow will be a 2x workout (as will most of the week).

Nat

5:45 am. 40 minutes moderate cardio, empty stomach
5:30 pm. 5 minutes warm up (after 10 minute walk home in the nice cool air from the hot, hot tanning bed ) then LBWO:

Quads (supersetted): 3 sets each, pyramid style, 10 reps each
Sumo Squats - 45lbs & Regular Squates - 45 lbs
Sumo Squats - 65lbs & Regular Squates - 65 lbs
Sumo Squats - 90lbs & Regular Squates - 90 lbs

Leg extensions, squeeze and pause, 2 sets
12x70lbs
12x90lbs

Glutes and Hammies
lunges, 2 sets
8x65lbs (each leg)
8x65lbs (each leg)

Hamstring curls, toes pointed, 3 sets
12x70lbs
12x60lbs
12x55lbs - cheated for 4 extra reps by flexing feet then pointing for ecentric

Calves
barbell two legged raises (supersetted) 2 sets each
toes out and toes in
20x65lbs (out) 20x65lbs (in)
16x65lbs (out) 14x65lbs (in)

single calf raises no weight, one set, 'til failure (each leg)

15 minutes stretching and cooldown then 40g carbs, 20g protein, glutamine & creatine - hope to not be in too much pain Wednesday, I have yet another Christmas luncheon

Nat

As in hobble, hobble, hobble. Using the handicapped washrooms and having a hell of a time getting in and out of the car - I did Christmas shopping tonight. What a fool!

The workout:

5:50 am. 40 minutes moderate cardio, empty stomach.

That's it. Stuff to do and too much pain to do anything else this evening. More cardio tomorrow, a Christmas lunch and probably back and biceps tomorrow (a big probably )

Hobby

Eating was off today due to yet another Christmas dinner / lunch (steak, veggies & shrimpies ) so today was cardio day.

5:50 am. 40 minutes, mod intensity, empty stomach
6:00 pm. 30 minutes, mod intensity, empty stomach w/ 15 minutes intensive ab work thrown in just for the hellovit!

Nat

Just wanted to thank you for your suggestions in my gym log. You sure do know your stuff. I checked out the fitsite link and it looks like it'll do good at explaining the exercises you recommended. You are awesome!!

Robin

BTW - I love your new picture...You are a very pretty woman!

a.m. cardio - 5:45 am. to be exact - 40 minutes, no food, then....
p.m. lifting - 5:20 pm. to be exact again. Back, tris and bis.

Downed some chicken & rockets (what a combination) and gulped some creatine & glutamine. I've been sucking on zinc lozenges like they are candy since yesterday - two people at work are coming down with colds. My hand are chapped from all the washing - hate that antiseptic soap, but I'm pulling out the big guns. Cannot get sick for the holidays - mom's health is precarious and since she's been put back on Methotrexate we can't go near her if were contagious

===============
Robin, glad the links helped. Fitsite is my fave; the guy at exrx.net does the moves too fast!

N

great work out Nat. I'm doing the early riser thing as well as silly as it sounds I've gotten great energy for the rest of the day from it


CJ

Hi Nat,

Thanks for droping by, and whishing you back a great holiday and great new year.

Wa'il

Well this marks the last week of 2002 and the last week of my 5th Challenge. The time has flown by. I'm planning on doing my measurements soon but not until I've taken full advantage of this fat burning cycle. So this week to date:

Monday:
40 minutes cardio, a.m., empty stomach

Tuesday:
35 minutes cardio, a.m., empty stomach

Wednesday:
45 minutes cardio, a.m., empty stomach - this one was hard

Thursday:
40 minutes cardio, a.m. empty stomach - this was fun!

Planning on lifting in about 90 minutes.

Nat (snot pot no longer)