Lifting like girls

My friends! Today I did Steptastic Live (2/5/15). Normally Roz can trust my Live recommendations but she thinks I'm batty for this one. Since I truly am batty, I don't mind. There's just something about this one that I adore. Good steady state.

Roz, stay warm! Is there much snow to go along with the cold, or just inhumanely low temps? Terrific sweat sessions! You work your shoulders in everything you do, all those heavy lifts, etc, so makes sense you've got to pace yourself with those gloves! High Energy Kickboxing Live is a fun one! Do you like the pants Cathe wears in some of these KB Lives, the pants with the flappy dangly things from the sides? They really bother me for some reason. Maybe I'm just too obsessed with my Active Weah leggings. I think it's the dangly things. A shallow concern, no doubt. Just wondering if I'm alone. Stay warm, my dear!

Justine, cold over there too? Sitting by a fire with a yummy adult beverage sounds like the ticket. I struggle with shoulder hunching and rounding when I'm lifting in my heavy zone too. I think I'm a sloucher in general which doesn't help. I was excited to see the Tony Gentilcore podcast. I'd gotten behind so I haven't listened to that one yet. Must catch up! Are you having fun with your stepson and his girlfriend?

Karen, HoCo? I get it. It's a love to hate it thing. Love the results, hate (dread?) the workouts. You're such a warrior!

Lib, rest up! Antibiotics can be brutal on the body. Definitely helpful when needed, but they zap you. Sending healing vibes.

Tom, hey friend. Is today a better day for you?

Make it a good one, Commandos!
 
Good morning ladies! I am going to take my " much more knowledgeable" friends advice and deload for awhile. I tried to do a little circuit of bwt stuff and even quit on that. Maybe some "light time" will help mentally and physically! Karen, glad you got a little R&R in, sounded fun!! Thanks for the advice Commando Sisters! Have a great day all!.......( post script..I posted this yesterday but it didn't go, anyway I am starting deload this morning, will ck back.
 
Hey again Commando's! I survived deload and it felt good to do stuff! I combined shoulders and legs for deload day 1. Started with 5 sets of strict press 45 x 8 65 x 8 85 x 8 65 x 8 45 x 8, side laterals 20s x 8, then just used a 10# plate and did 2 x 8. Rear delt flys 30s 3 x 10. For legs I did 6 x 10 bar only deep squats, reverse lunges, 3 x 10 (bar only), glute bridges, 205# 3 x 15, and single calf raises 3 x 30 (unweighted) I didn't put a lot of science into this, just tried to not get near failure on anything. For my more scientific friends this may be like "nails on a chalkboard"!!lol I was too lazy to look back on Nia's stuff and calculate! I have meetings in Kansas City today and tomorrow. Where I am staying does have a gym, lighter dumbbells, but since tomorrow is arm day, it may not get a lot of use...but I will probably try ( cause I'm NOT too bright!!) Have great ones all!!
 
Tom, deloading and it feels so good, isn't that how the song goes? Who needs science? Just get a good, friendly muscle burn going and it's all good!

Justine, I love AOLIH. One of Cathe's only low impact cardios that has zero dread factor because it doesn't feel like endless squats and lunges.

Today I did Blast, Barre, & Bands Live (11/19/15). This is the best way to do barre, as you get the chihuahua legs while still getting a good huff + puff workout with the blasts.

Good evening to all!!!
 
Hey everybody, workout A yesterday. 15 minutes TGU. 15 minutes goblet squat, and one arm rows. No finisher. Today was HoCo Get Rolling. Only 20 minutes, but a great workout.
Although this KB program leaves me breathless, I think I'm going to follow Justine's lead, and add in a little more cardio. I'm thinking of starting a running program, when it warms up a bit, outside. There was a time when I ran at least three times a week. It's been a while, so it may start out as a shuffle. Between now, and then, I will re-think it at least 15 times, then do something entirely different. Every day is a surprise.
Glad to hear about everyone's success. We are successful, just doing something, right? Take care, everyone. You're the best!
 
Couldn't sleep so decided to workout......at 330 am......mesocycle 2, week 3, day 1.....disc 19......

No coffee, not holding my breath.
Coaching mediation for another 20 hours, starting this afternoon. Then another 16 hours next weekend on restorative justice. Then I think it's Spring break.....don't get all happy, it means catching up on a ton of writing, research, taking a prep GRE exam, and two tours that are almost two hours away. Then the boys have spring break, but I have 40 hours of civil and family mediation training. Then it lightens up! Finally!!

Starting to feel better.....I think......

Sounds like everyone is doing well. Miss you all
 
Lib, you make me feel like a complete slacker. How do you do it all? You deserve the BEST results, both from college and form working out, since you put so much in. I seem to remember disc 19 being a brute....

Although this KB program leaves me breathless, I think I'm going to follow Justine's lead, and add in a little more cardio!

Something I never thought I'd see written!!
Gotta say though, Karen, I'm enjoying a bit more cardio. Endorphins I guess?

Lisa, my thoughts exactly on aolih (which keeps getting altered to aioli, altogether more delicious!). Quite a few of the low impact DVDs leave me with an aching low back- too many lunges at a speed where I can't brace my core effectively enough.
Any workout that has a pink song in the warm up gets my vote, however.

Tom - too right doing whatever you feel like for deload. I'm due one next week, and I'm going to be a complete rebel and do 'other stuff'. Basically I miss some of the more fun metabolic workouts that I used to do obsessively. (see, I swing from one extreme to another). I think they'll also do my waistline some good. I'm definitely bulking up, and it's certainly not all muscle :(

Roz, you back to 100% now??

Squat day today, 4x12 at 65kg. Ok depth, but nothing spectacular. I'm determined to get the depth before I go up in weight. Mind you, I have Glute doms, which didn't help.
I managed to up my weights on all the accessory exercises, so I was pretty happy with the workout. I'm looking forward to the next phase of HTS- lower reps start to figure a little more. Yay!
 
Hi everyone!
Hope everyone's doing well.
Lib, wow, you sure are doing a lot! We certainly recognize it -- I hope those in your environment do, too -- and give you the back pats, high fives, etc., you have earned!
Justine, did you say aioli? OK, I'm grabbing my XTrain set now...
Agreed about the low impact/low back thing. It's all the bending, I think!

OK, my attempt at getting online is being thwarted so must wrap up...

Tom, glad you're deloading and it feels good.
Karen, keep us posted on your running exploits! More HoCo? I'm experiencing vicarious dread (sadly, I don't think I can experience vicarious abs).
Lisa, great work, as always!! Saw the most recent cycle Live and remembered you and your DH got a spin bike late in your last pregnancy, right? Have you given it a -- um -- spin yet?

Yesterday was second week of squats, totally brutal. 3x8 at 180#. Wasn't that my max like 6 weeks ago? Front squats (my own masochistic addition), RDLs, walking lunges, and RKC planks.
Today was bench (3x8 95#), one arm DB rows, and a giant set of DB lateral raises, skullcrushers, and alt DB curls. Then the first ~30 mins of Rock It Sock It Live -- love it, loving my new pink gloves!
Quote from DD: 'I want to feel those gloves and see what they feel like. [touches them] They feel so pink! Someday I will be big and they will be a little size for me.' :D

OK, must run, she's attemping step-ups on her play chair...
Hugs and High Fives,
Roz
 
Lib, the weather in your area sounds gorgeous today! Enjoy that sunshine amidst your crazy busy life. I think all the Commandos agree that you are one of the hardest working women around. Nice work on disc 19 today! Did you ever get that replacement disc issue resolved with customer service? I remember one night in grad school when I couldn't sleep and so I decided to go to the gym to do cardio, get it done with for the day. It was like 2am and my DH thought I was nuts, but he came with me and worked out too! Good thing our gym was open 24 hours a day!

Roz, yowza! Yesterday's squat day was certainly brutal! Oh front squats, ,why must you torment us so? Today sounded MUCH more fun! I just want to give your little princess a big hug and fist bump. What a cutie! Of course she's right, they're so pink and thus just so perfect. My DD1 is obsessed, too! ;) Yes, we got a spin bike at the tail end of DD2's pregnancy. I've done a couple of the Live cycles, but I can't get myself to finish. I still enjoy cycling, but I do prefer the dark, sweaty, loud group fitness cycle class. I know, ew. But it's true. I'm thinking there will come a day when I use the spin bike more and will cherish the cycling Lives. In the meantime, my DH likes the bike so it's all good!

Justine, doesn't everyone snack on a roasted vegetable panini with garlic-basil aioli during AOLIH? I thought that's what the water breaks were for. I had a 'meh' weights day too today. Metabolic stuff is so great. It's just the best of both worlds, the weights and the cardio.

Karen, picking my jaw up from the floor as I'm reading about the running! Who am I kidding? You're a power house. There isn't anything you haven't done or can't do. I love my cardio, so who am I to judge? ;) Do you think you'll be loosely following that training schedule you posted about in OD? (I can't remember her name at the moment)

Tom, hope your meetings are going well!

I did RWH Back Biceps Shoulders today. I noticed something sneaky during the simultaneous alternating hammer curls at the end. Cathe says she's going for 15s but she's really using 20s. This is not the first time such devious weight changing has been afoot. There are other videos where, if you catch the camera angle just right and at just the right moment, you can see that Cathe's lifting heavier than she says. Not sure if it's accidental or purposeful. I don't care because she just rocks. She is so strong!!!

TGIF to all my buddies!
 
Sounds like all is well in Commando land! Great work everyone! I really didn't do much, it was arm day and the place I stayed had dumbbells, but couldn't do much. They only went to 45's, and did some bench and ohps, then some pushups and crunches, Roz. that squat w/o does sound brutal! Those are long,heavy sets! Karen, running sounds awful, but would be kinda fun, however I think it would beat my joints to smithereens!! I am morally 0pp0sed to cardio (not really, think I will do more as I am able to gain weight) Justine, I have "thutt doms" from my 45# bar leg day!! You and Roz deserve them, me, NOT SO MUCH!! Lib. isn't Missouri weather GREAT!!! (sometimes) I agree that you are one busy lady, and hearing your schedule makes me glad I'm retired!! Lisa, I've decided to reverse Cathe's ploy....I'm going to tell ya'll I'm doing WAY MORE than I am and see if I can get away with it!! Keep "huffin and puffin" everyone, keeps me motivated!
 
Well, this morning was really a ADHD w/o! I have NO idea where it came from. It was a sorta 100 rep challenge. I alternated pushups/single calf raises x 40 x 30 x20 x10 then seated knee ins/bicep short isos (which don't bother) x 40 x 30 x 20 x 10. I tried to do ab wheel roll outs, but couldn't do "em". I am off to see some college friends in Nebraska, and take in a small college basketball game...always fun!!! Hope the weekend is wonderful for all my sisters!!!
 
I want vicarious abs too!!!!

Lisa, I hadn't noticed Cathe secretly upping the weights. I'll look out for that... Although I usually try to do in kgs what Cathe does in lbs, so I hope I don't notice her going higher!

Tom, funny w/o , but obviously just what you needed. Have fun in Nebraska.

Deadlifts today- 20 singles starting at 87kg and getting to 102kg. I was supposed to do hip thrusts as well, but I cheated and did glute bridges with an embarrassingly light weight (57kg). Lots of mobility drills, especially hips, so I'm feeling all stretched.

I hope everyone's having great weekend. Xx
 
Hi everyone!
Lisa, interesting that you feel kinda 'meh' about the spin bike for home workouts. I don't have one, but I can imagine feeling the same way... maybe kinda stuck in place? ;)
Great work on RWH BSB -- those workouts are really killer. That sneaky Cathe -- ever modest! :)

Justine, amazing work on HTS. Sounds like such a great/healthy program.

Tom, glad you're deloading! Sounds like you're still getting good workouts in, though!

Hi, Lib and Karen!

Yesterday was warm so I just got out and walked for ~90 mins! It was sooooo great. (Justine rolls her eyes at my chump walk...)
Today was deadlifts, conventional 227.5# for 3x8, then BB good mornings, step ups to a chair (with BB), weighted planks, and I added in the chinups from tomorrow shoulder workout because my lats always feel fried after DL day and I can't enjoy them on OHP day the following day. Maybe walking again this afternoon if it's warm enough.
Oh! I added on S&H legs (no warm up, only one set of static lunges, only two sets of DB plie squats) as a 'finisher'. Ha! I used a 115# BB for those tempo squats and they were killer, but I think will help with getting out of the 'hole'. I paused for a count or two at the bottom.

Gotta run, I'm being summoned by a tiny voice!
Roz
 
Justine, you're building amazing and healthy strength with HTS!
This morning was overhead press (67.5# for 2x8 and 1x9) then a tri-set of bodybuilding moves (front raise, tri pressdowns, and hammer curls). I sandwiched it between the first/cardio portion of Athletic Training Live (Lisa, GREAT rec!) and the second/compound weights portion. Did the first bit of core work but stopped when she hit the frog situps (about 6 mins from the end). Those don't work for me and my neck.
Great workout!
Yesterday I got to go for a walk again, hoping to do so today, too. We're in high 40s/low 50s, so nice, but hey, planet, what's going on?!
Have a great week, everyone!
Roz
 
Oh yeah, one more thing... I'm still actually kinda enjoying the cutting process. Things are slower now that the first 7 or so lbs have come off, and I'm hungry sometimes, but RP (Renaissance Periodization) is great. A week or so ago, I ended up buying their Auto Templates. I'm glad I did. I prefer it to counting everything on MFP, that was just a headache.
I will say that I'm seeing the importance of calories for recovery from training! I mean, I'm happy with the work I'm doing, happy with my progress on squats, but I don't have that 'super strong' feeling when training. Some days it's more 'ugggghhhh...' not total dread, but less pep in my step.
But, as they say in the RP literature, cutting is temporary, it's not supposed to be all fun and it's not sustainable -- that's the point. It's a temporary situation to attain a goal.
Not sure how much longer I'll cut. Feeling pretty lean and I don't want to dip so low that my body hates me. I'm not there yet, though. Enjoying the (difficult) process for the moment. If it gets to be a pain, I'll stop. We'll be going away in ~3 weeks so I may go until then unless I start feeling icky, etc., earlier.
 

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