Ectochicks 3/10

AKirkland

Cathlete
Hey ladies,

Guess I'll start us off again this week. I'm still working on a Slow and Heavy rotation - trying to get my strength back up to where it was before. Here's what my week looks like:

Sunday - SH Legs and Shoulders
Monday - SH Chest and Back
Tuesday - SH Bis and Tris
Wednesday - off
Thursday - Power Hour
Friday - Bootcamp
Saturday - off

Hope everyone's recovering from their injuries and the Girl Scout cookies. :7 I was lucky, ours were delivered to my husband's office and he just kept them there.

Angela
 
Hi Angela,

I'm hanging in there with the BFL group so I'm also working on building strength! Last week I took 2 rest days instead of the one but on the other days I worked out really hard. Didn't help that it was TTOTM - which had me tired daily. But I found out that if I go ahead and change into workout clothes and start fiddling around with my barbell and plates I become motivated to workout. I get a little spark! :)

But here's the plan for this week:

Sun- CTX UB
Mon- CTX LL plus cardio (20-30 min)
Tue- Cardio
Wed- PUB
Thu- PLB
Fri- Rest
Sat- Cardio (hopefully a long run)

My cookies have arrived here at work but fortunately the four boxes belong to my 3 children and one for my mom. And even better I don't care at all for the cookies they chose!

Hope everyone has a great week!
Angie
 
It definitely helps if family members order stuff you don't like. My hubby likes the ones that have coconut in them and they don't tempt me at all.

I work out after work, too. I just hurry home, change clothes and start dragging out the workout equipment. I don't even think about it - it's automatic.

Actually, I usually look forward to working out when I get home. I have a very sendentary job where I usually sit in front of my computer all day. I'm ready to get up and move around!

Angela
 
I am always amazed and so impressed that you guys can work out in the afternoon or even more incredible the evening!! If I don't get it in in the morning, I'm mentally shot. The really neat thing is, dh is being diligent to work out in the mornings with me now, problem is we share a barbell and I DON'T want to discourage him. I want to get a troylite and this is a good excuse. $49.95 is a good deal, but I'm not ready to fork up shipping yet at 20 more bucks. Does anyone know if you can get one of these from a "chain" sports store??

Last week went great, It was just one of those awesome workout weeks, I did all that I planned and more. This week I can already tell, the energy just isn't what it was last week. Have any of you noticed this cycle? I seem to have one awesome week and then 2-3 moderate weeks. I read about this somewhere, and all I can remember was that one week of the month was a really hard push and then the intensity dropped for the other 3 weeks (not a complete drop, just a little less intense) Could this be a normal thing? Just curious.

This week more of the same, only difference was I added in Cathe's new ab stuff in place of the old and I did S&H legs on Friday and added the stability ball leg work from PLB prior to S&H Legs. I liked this. Funny thing.....I thought the PLB floor work was sooooo long when it came after PLB, but it seemed so short when I put it first!!!! Blessings to all you ectos!!!

Briee
 
Angela - those are the Samos, the ones I'm talking about! x( If I walk in the door and change right away versus stopping to cook dinner for the gang I'm okay. I sit all day at work too and I have a 50 minute drive home - that ride can sort of lull you into a trance! :)

Briee - you're not alone I have one week where I am full of energy, 1 week where I can barely keep my eyes open. I skip workouts or substitute shorter workouts because I can't stay awake past 8:30. Pretty sad when I don't walk through the door until close to 6:30. Then I have the other two weeks that are so-so energy wise. I should try to figure out my pattern so that on the off weeks I can be sure to take an energy supplement, especially during the sleepy week! :)



Angie
 
Hey, were missing a couple here....Julie, Robin, have you been transformed into mesomorphs or something?????? Where's that cute tush of Julie's????

Briee
 
I'd like to know how many ecto's are using IMAX 2 in their rotations. Where are you squeezing that in, before or after leg training? My legs are sore from Leaner Legs Monday night. :eek: I could barely do cardio last night, so I quit but I'm sure the wine right after work didn't help much either! }( But even this morning, my legs are still talking to me! I think I need to either replenish my creatine supply or find another recovery drink. Any suggestions?

Thanks for you advice!
Angie


BTW - I didn't attempt the cardio until a couple of hours after the wine! ;)
 
Hello,
I am Ecto too but has not joined in yet. I usually do I-Max2 two or three days after the heavy legs training. I found that this is easy on my legs. I do Bootcamp, Cardio & Weight or rest in between them.
 
Here I am!

:) x( :-( :p It's Julie, don't holler at me anymore. Just kidding.

I'm still unable to walk without a limp and a brace, but am doing much better. Last week I did two Aqua-Jock inspired pool workouts and it felt so good.:9 Aqua jogging still doesn't feel good yet. Monday I found I could use the recumbent bike at the club so I did a few minutes of easy intervals.:7 Otherwise I'm hanging out with S&H

Monday-S&H shoulders, PS floorwork PS SLA abs, ME abs
Tuesday-Biceps/triceps, S&H Planks, CTX kickbox abs
Wednesday-Chest, PS Floorwork, PUB abs/core
Thursday-Back, ME and BC abs
Friday-PS Chest/shoulder/tricep plus a couple abs, Leg press machine, hamstring machine, aqua
Saturday-PS Back/bicep

Briee, I think you're right about things being cyclical. I notice after I have an awesome week I get sickx( .

Later ladies!

Julie
 
RE: Here I am!

UGH!! I'm having a bit of a motivation problem and I don't even have a good excuse like and injury, illness or vacation...and apparently those don't even work for you guys, anyway!!!:p I just can't seem to do anything this week. I did 2 mile walk/run on Toaster (my treadmill) on Monday...but nothing since. I know my problem. We took DD3 out of her crib and put her in a toddler bed in the same room as her sisters a few weeks ago. She just won't go to sleep in there, unless I sit in there with her. Otherwise, she stands at the door and cries.:-( So, I'm staying up later with her and not getting up in time to workout before the gang awakes. I really have a hard time motivating myself to workout once the day has started. Plus, I feel grungy cuz I can't bath till I've worked out. ;( ;( ;( *whine*sigh*gripe*moan*complain. And without workouts, my eating STINKS!!!! Plus, I was doing a rotation with Amyfit, working out twice a day. I just couldn't keep up with that.

OK, enuff of my pity party. I'll be back next week.

Waves to all you Ecto Amazons!!!!
 
Hey Robin!

Weren't you the gal who used to be shy and made the comment when you first appeared on Cathe's site as not being able to express things in words right???? You have COME out of your shell girl. I LOVE to read your posts! Sorry to be a "PEAR" dropping in on you ectos! Just wanted to say Hi to you ALL! BTW Robin, hope your DD gets used to her new environment SOON!
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
RE: Hey Robin!

Oh, Debbie, you must have me mixed up with another Robin. I haven't seen a shy day since High School...altho, *some* folks may say I don't know how to express myself worth a darn.:p

Just so you know, Debbie, I LOVE to read your posts. You always have something uplifting to say and I notice those things. Now, stop bragging about being a 'PEAR'!:*
 
RE: Ha!

Debbie......howdy girl, how nice to see you visiting the ecto site, can we have a major "celebration/get together/kind of party" when you reach 2000 posts :) :) :) ???!!!! And one more thing, that pear shape body thing, where does one find out about those kind of body types....I never really understood this terminology, but am trying to visualize this. I'd say that I'm kind of an upside down stick of celery except after the Florida trip in which my backside grew a little bit making me an upside down stick of celery with lady bugs on either side about half way down the stick.

Julie, man girl, I can't believe all you are doing while sporting a brace and a limp. You are an inspirtation. My greatest fear is to break my leg or something, I've never really been injured other than a knee pain a while back.

Robin, you are too funny, I do hope your DD adjusts quickly. Being up at night with kids takes everything "right out of you". Also, 3 body parts per week is a little much, but I am guilty of trying to hit my shoulders, biceps and triceps 3 times a week or as often as I can.

Monday - S&H bis and tris and shoulders
Tuesday - LL
Weds - S&H chest and back
Thurs - CK
Friday - S&H legs and PLB Leg floor work (stability ball work)
Saturday - Upper body CTX (and I do sometimes slow some of this down to go heavier)

I'm liken this and this week I tried to add some of those super slow sets in...like on Wednesday I added super slow sets of all S&H shoulder work after Chest and Back I tried to do 16 counts up and 4 counts down and only 6-9 reps....these were killers!!! But I'm really interested in what they will do for my muscle growth and definition. They take a load of concentration, but then again you only do one set instead of three sets. It's a nice change and I plan to add these in on appropriate days so I can hopefully hit certain areas 3 times per week. I think you need to remain flexible and listen to your body. Plan on lifting S&H to cover 3 parts like every 8 days of so, if you need to extend further out due to pain (or just plain tired) then do it. Maybe hit the parts of choice 3 X per week the first week then two the next and then back to three??? Just some thoughts.

Briee
 
Hey Briee!

Oh my gosh, you don't need to understand the "BODY" terminology! I LOVE your description MUCH better! Ha! Too, too funny. LOVED the lady bugs! I'll see if I can find the info on the different body types. Supposedly most people are a combo. Not even sure which type I am. (Ecto, endo, meso, etc...) I just know my body flares out a bit as I go down just like a pear! But, then again, my mid-section has decided to start flaring too. x( Guess maybe, I'm part apple, part pear!!!! Oh boy! Guess I'm a lil' fruity! BTW, THANKS for bringing up my number of posts! I don't seem to notice the number for awhile and then all of a sudden, I see it, & I get all nervous thinking I'm going to beat Cathe out some day! YIKES!You'd think this was the "Ask Debbie" Forum! Just wanted to say Hey! Thanks for letting me drop in on you Ectos!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
RE: Hey Briee!

Robin,

What's the routine for your older girls? And how much older are they? Maybe you could try storytime a little earlier to get her prepared or even have one of her big sisters read to her. Maybe she feels like an outsider in there for the moment. If so, that'll pass soon enough and you'll be running in there asking them to cut out the giggling and get to sleep, there's school tomorrow! :)

Or what my girls loved, actually the younger one the most, I bought a bunch of stories on tapes. Tape and book sets! But at night Ashley would put the tape player on her night stand and listen to her favorite story while in bed. If your older two don't mind, let her set something up right there on the floor since the bed is so low and play it quietly. Or if they'd all enjoy it, take themout shopping to pick out three tapes (one each) and they can alternate listening to tapes each night. This great for the weekends too when you're trying to get things done but need the littel one to entertain herself. She can pull out her tape and the book and "follow along". She'll think she's reading the book herself after a while, she will have heard the story so many times!

Just a suggestion! Oops, just came to mind! Books on CD's. I forget those exist sometimes. But they definitely weren't in existence when my kids were your daughters' age! :D :7

Hope you find a solution or she adjusts soon! I know what it's like to be to drained to workout. It makes you even more miserable to miss that precious time pumping iron and releasing stress all at once! Yeah! :7

Angie
 
Briee!

Question: Are you one of the "super-skinny" ecto's who have trouble with getting too thin while doing cardio? Cuz all I see in there for cardio is Cardio Kicks, correct?

I'll tell you, I'm doing very little cardio for three weeks and well, the word "balloon" comes to mind. I've never felt so fat in my life. On the plus side, I have never added so much mass so quickly. It seems the theory about muscle gain and fat loss through cardio being opposing goals for a body and difficult to achieve *together* is true when you take it to this extreme.

Debbie, you're such a hoot! Pear, apple, how about some grapes?:*

Have a great weekend!

Julie
 
RE: Briee!

Julie, I'm trying to think of an answer here. I can't say that I've done cardio ever 5 days a week. I guess years ago I used to teach aerobics, sometimes 12 classes a day, and I never saw any muscle development so I'm not thrilled with cardio. I was thin then. Now after 5 babies, and weighing as much as 160 (I'm 5'2 and A HALF), I've had to work to get back to my prepreg weight. It took about a year post preg to get back to 118, but once I started lifting, everything changed!!!! This last baby it took like 2 months to get back to 102 pounds and this was primarily through lifting and mega clean eating. I had to eat clean to avoid other health problems that occur while nursing. Anyway, I ate extremely low carb, somewhat high protein, no sugar for the past 10 months. Now I'm done nursing and eating more normal and higher carb and immediately I've put one 8 more pounds. So I guess this tells me that I need to eat clean to keep those last pounds off, which to be honest I really don't care that much about. The last 3 days I've cut the carbs again and I'm seeing if I can loose a couple of the pounds, but I'm not stressing it. I'm primarily focused on building muscle currently, thus the heavy lifting and cardio like CK is my treat on Thursday. (CKs just so much fun!!) I was doing cardio tapes before being introduced to Cathe and I didn't see any changes in my shape, so I just can't get too excited about cardio. My body has done a complete shape change with the heavy lifting. My hips are much smaller again and my shoulders are building a tad of muscle which is hard for me to get in that area. I wouldn't say that I easily stay skinny, because it comes on pretty quick when I eat wrong and don't exercise. Once those fat cells accumulated from being pregnant, they just want to jump right back in. I would say this is what works for me, and were all different, finding that combination that works for you is the key and I guess I'm not helping much now right????? Sorry. I do think you're right about the strength gain/fat loss theory!!

Briee
 

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