My first day at the YMCA!

I had Resistance Training Orientation with Richard, who's wife has Scleroderma, too. That was nice because he really understood some of my concerns ... He says I have good instinct for proper form and tempo.

The plan is to workout at the YMCA Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Lift weights, then do a low level cardio / flexibility class.

Sunday, Monday and Wednesday I will do WAP 1-3 miles without weights. I'll keep my heart rate around 60% per Dr. Chen's recommendation. Friday is farm day, so I'm not doing any type of formal exercise.

Cybex Machines
(1 set, 12 reps for orientation; numbers refer to plates)
Chest Press - 2
Seated Row - 5
Shoulder Press - 2
Bicep curl - 2
Tricep press - 2
Leg press - 6
Leg extension - 4
Hamstring - 6
Hip Abduction - 3
Hip Adduction - 5

Ab Machine - 25 reps
Crunches on Balance Ball - 10 reps

{1 liter of water during, 1 after and 1/2 Advantage Bar during 45 minute break; not ideal, I know, but better than nothing}

One hour Water Walking class

{Then I really needed the 2nd 1/2 of the Advantage Bar!}

Switching that because the water is too shallow at 3'. Maybe I'll use the main pool instead; I can use the open swim time to do my own water walking.

I'm signing up for a class T & Th called 'Ai Chi' - water tai chi! How cool is that!

My timing was less than perfect ... the gym is closed for cleaning until the 21st. I'm thinking of trying another branch to keep my new knowledge fresh.


Need to Do ...
* Find a portable LF protein supplement (needs to be cheap and palatable)
* Find out how much those plates weigh
* Arrange for less baggy gym wear
* Get my own combination lock so I don't have to worry about a key

Sunday
1 mile recumbent bike, 20 minutes

Monday
3 mile WAP, no weights
Rebounder 10 minutes

I'm not in the swing of logging activities here, yet ...

Let me catch up:

Tuesday
Bike 45 minutes

Wednesday
WAP 3 mile
Bike 10 minutes

Thursday
WAP 3 mile

Friday
WAP 2 mile
WAP 1 mile

Saturday
Rebounder 30 minutes
Bike 10 minutes

Sunday
WAP 3 mile
Bike 40 minutes

Monday
WAP 3 mile
Bike 30 minutes
Rebounder 10 minutes

I just learned by water tai-chi class has been cancelled for summer at the YMCA. It does mean I can use the weight machines at a less busy time, so that's a blessing. I plan on using the open swim time to work on flexibility and water walk afterwards.

Be back later today with Cybex weight report ...

Current Routine

M W F Su
WAP 3 miles
Rebounding 10 minutes

T Th Sa
Rebounding 5 minutes

Cybex Weights
(As of 6/22/04 - I'll report increases when I finish my current training card)

Chest Press
25 x 12
37.5 x 8
50 x not with good form

Seated Row
50 x 12
70 x 8
90 x 1

Shoulder Press
25 x 12
37.5 x 1

Bicep Curl
30 x 12
40 x not with good form

Tricep Press
20 x 12
30 x 3

Leg Press
120 x 12
140 x 1

Leg Extension
40 x 12
60 x 1

Hamstring
70 x 12

Hip Abductor
50 x 12
70 x 6

Hip Adductor
90 x 12
70 x 6

Ab
60 x 12

Lat Pulldown
50 x 12
70 x 4

LifeCycle
6/24: 15 minutes, 3.5 miles
6/26: 30 minutes, 7.1 miles
6/29: 39 minutes (not sure about mileage since I did two fitness tests)

Water Walking / Stretching Out
6/22: 30 minutes
6/24: 15 minutes
6/29: 15 minutes
6/26: 15 minutes

Hi Monika, am I reading your log correctly? You are doing 30 lbs on triceps and 40 lbs on curls? Wow! I'm impressed. Glad to see you started a gym log, too!


This one is definitely perspective - I think the easy way out is doing this stuff at home.

Sure we can hit a plateau. It can happen to anyone at any time, I'm sure... even if we haven't been doing it very long. I suspect a plateau when we are new at this isn't the same as when you are experienced, though. We probably don't know yet how to push ourselves as hard as the more experienced people do. I mean, I'm not yet grunting and making noises like I hear some folks do to push through that last rep or 2.

I think Built's onto something with doing more sets & fewer reps at the old weight to push through a plateau, and then moving up to the new weight. I haven't yet tried that, but it sounds like a good way to go. Lifting longer at lower weights has to prepare you to be able to lift the higher weights.

One thing I notice in your routine is that you are still doing a lot of cardio. From everything I've read, you don't need quite that much when you are lifting. A lot of folks don't even do any, but I suspect you are like me and actually like the way it feels. (Can you believe I'm saying that? )

I don't see any reason to do the 3 mile WAP... it's just too long. 30 minutes in the 2 mile is plenty from what I've learned. I'm actually even cutting that back by skipping past the stretchy band part (I have the express version which uses the band, not weights). And I may drop it down to the 1 mile, although I don't feel like that one gets my heart rate and breathing up high enough. I think the harder we go with the weights, the less cardio we'll need... but I'm not there yet, so can't say for sure.

I know most people consider the WAP a cardio workout, but for me, at my weight, it's really cardio and strength training. Especially in the lower body. I mean, those knee lifts are killers with this much weight still in my legs. It still amazes me how much that WAP training has strengthened the muscles in my legs... The tops of my thighs are really getting hard. So, as I increase the lower body training with the weights (once I get there), I plan on reducing the WAP usage.

Hope this helps, some!

Just a note to say I skipped last Saturday's gym workout, then Sunday and Monday's WAP routine. I'm back on track now.

The suggestions made by Built and Dianne are working. I'm feeling *sore* everywhere after adding more sets and holding a few extra seconds at muscle failure. Yea! I'm almost done with my gym card, so I'll be updating my weight stats soon. I've made some progress in a few areas.

I've also changed around my post-weight "cardio" workout. Sometimes it's just 40 minutes on the bike, sometimes I add an extra 20 on the treadmill.

Always at 60% max heart rate, which translates into ~3 MPH, 3% incline on treadmill and ~14 MPH, level 5 (1-20) on the bike.

The main pool has been out of commision for my formal stretching sessions, so I've been doing them in the jacuzzi.

Good: The warm water seems to facilitate stretches.
Bad: It's hard to get to some areas in the shallow water. Plus, the guy in the incredibly tiny speedos who seems to live at the edge of the pool, watching everyone. And no, he's not the lifeguard.

I've filled my first yellow Training Record card at the YMCA. Here's where I am as of today. {increase, decrease}

Cybex Weights

Chest Press
30 x 12
37.5 x 5

Lat Pulldown
50 x 12
70 x 7

Seated Row
55 x 12
70 x 8

Shoulder Press
30 x 12
37.5 x 3

Bicep Curl
25 x 12
35 x 5

Tricep Press
20 x 12
30 x 8

Leg Press
120 x 12
140 x 8

Leg Extension
40 x 12
60 x 3

Hamstring
70 x 12
80 x 5

Hip Abductor
50 x 12
70 x 8

Hip Adductor
90 x 12
70 x 6

Ab
60 x 12
60 x 9

LifeCycle
7/19: 40 minutes, level 5, 115 HR

Treadmill
7/19: 20 minutes, 2.5 MPH, ~5.5 incline, 115 HR

Stretching Out
7/19: 10 minutes in jacuzzi (main pool not available)

1: yogurt
{WAP 3 mile}
2: small pork chop, cottage cheese
3: beef jerky, celery
{trampoline ~ 5 minutes}
{mow lawns ~ 45 minutes}
4: steak, steamed broccoflower, butter
5: steak, raw cauliflower, caesar dressing
6: Atkins cereal, CarbCountdown milk
{bike 10 minutes}
7: (Pre-bed) steak
8: (Midnight) steak

1519 kcal
32 net carbs

Notes
Felt good yesterday, pain levels low, sleep deep if short, morning stiffness lasted longer than usual. Small bites of beef keep me feeling full and warmer than pork/fish/fowl. Yogurt is tasty, but I won't buy it again - too much sugar. I like having one 'real' meal (#4) to share at the table with Mary.

Plan for today
Gym workout, more calories. In my haste to post my weights here, I threw away my 'cheat sheet' for the Y, so I'm going to have to remember seat positions. No biggie, I'll figure it out.

1: steak, yogurt
{weights, bike 40 minutes, treadmill 15, swim / stretch}
2: tuna salad, celery
3: cauliflower, broccoflower, tomatoes, caesar dressing
4: steak
5: tuna salad, celery
6: Atkins cereal, CarbCountdown milk
{trampoline ~ 5 minutes}
7: (Pre-bed) steak, PB
8: (Mid night) PB

1711 kcal
35 net carbs

Notes
What a waste of peanut butter! I prefer it as a treat, not something I swallow when I'm half asleep. Speaking of sleep, not enough and kept waking up anxious. Typical stiffness / pain.

Plan for today
Drink extra water! Get off my butt and do WAP. It's going to be a scorcher, I don't want to WO during the hottest part of the day.

7/22
1: steak
{WAP 2 mile}
2: tuna salad, celery
3: cauliflower, broccoflower, caesar dressing
4: steak
{bike ~ 5 minutes}
5: taco salad
6: cottage cheese
{trampoline ~ 5 minutes}
7: (Pre-bed) taco salad
8: (Mid night) steak

1524 kcal
128 protein
19 net carbs

Notes:
Wasn't feeling so great today ... took it a bit easy.


7/23
1: tuna salad, celery, broccoflower
{farm chores, shopping, etc.}
2: tuna salad, celery
3: cottage cheese
{lots and lots and lots of housework}
4: steak
5: taco salad
6: chicken salad
{weights, bike 40 minutes, treadmill 13, stretch}
7: Advantage PB bar
8: (pre-bed) PB

2471 kcal
180 protein
27 net carbs

Notes:
Lots of calories (larger portions, not just a bite or two) and lots of activity.

Pushed myself really hard at the gym - I found going later (6:30) meant that it was practically deserted so I could spend lots of time on each machine without worrying I was holding someone else up. I used enough weight to go to failure each set - never made it to 12 reps, yet was able to increase weights (1 pound) for each set. I was rubbery and tuckered out enough to use my emergency Atkins bar to "Pump Me Up" on the way home. I need to find a way to bring some cottage cheese with me to the gym, since sometimes it takes me 1+ hour to get home. Maybe one of those 1 cup thermoses for soup?