STS CHECK IN ....DISC 4

[Shadow]

Another great workout, Cathe ! I find the more of these I tackle, the easier it is to not only be prepared, but also to select my weights.

The bicep work was definitely a challenge - as were those bow and arrow pulls . I definitely appreciated the evil giggle you gave us on the second side - it was just what I needed to pull it out .

 

[measuredoak]

Cathe, I did EVERY LAST ONE of those push-ups from my toes today, EVERY ONE!!! And I have you to thank for that, I have never been in better shape in my life, and it's only going to get better!

By the way, I've never done more than 20 consecutive push-ups from my toes. I feel like SuperWoman!

Yea, high five for you. Okay, after disc 4 maybe a low five, but that's awesome.

 

[Massaging Mom]

Sandra...
Good Morning DOMS! It's funny cuz it's true! Honestly, I thought I didn't work myself hard enough. I dropped my weights in the middle of reps. I thought it was due to being sick for so long. Glad to hear disc 4 was tough on you too. Anyhow, I woke up this morning with bicep/chest/shoulder AND triceps (right above the elbow area) DOMS! Those stagger push-ups recruited my weak triceps.

Traci...
on the brain cells dying during the workout! I don't recall you warning me about the bicep bands!!!! Not very nice of you either!

Cathe...
Soooo sorry to hear your son has strep throat. I thought I had that too while I was sick. But, my daughter, who is familiar with strep, told me that it was just mucous stuck to my throat. (She was sick with the same cold too.) Hopefully, your son's antibiotic has kicked in and he's back to his normal self. For a boy, I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Wendy

 

[FiddleFit]

Hi Wendy! I've become the Worst Check In Partner Ever, haven't I? Are you getting over that awful cold? Are the Swanettes?

I've been sitting here this morning, trying to amp myself up to do LowMax, as per the STS Cardio rotation. I finally realized the reason for my procrastination is because my shoulders are so tired! I don't want to do raise them over my head and swing them around. I'm wishing I could get swaddled like a mummy and left to just sit here, napping the day away.

Did you get your leg massage? I'll bet you did

Sandra

 

[Ffte]

What if you tie the band to the middle of the bar and step on it with one foot? If the knot does let loose at least it can only potentially snap you on the legs and not in the face. I'm guessing that wraping around and tying the knot on the opposite side your on would give you best results (since if the knot let loose it would probably snap away from you.)

Otherwise I'm guessing you can just up your weights by a percentage.

 

[fitvix]

Yesterday was disc 4 for me. Let me tell you - I noticed the increase in weights that we did! My biceps were bulging and it felt great! BTW, I hate the overhead shoulder presses. The side leaning lateral raise is always really awkward for me as well - not sure if I have shoulder issues or what??

Today I have slight DOMS in my chest, shoulders and biceps. Its great to only have slight doms when the doms in my legs this weekend was honestly unbearable! (Can I say OUCH??)

Looking forward to tomorrows Back and Tricep work...

 

[Pearlstrand]

Was that 124 push-ups?

Or did I miscount? Well, it was a lot, but I got through them.

And I increased my weights this week, too. It's like magic -- I was able to increase the weights over last week's weight for every exercise, so I'm not worried about next week.

It's hard to imagine that we'll be lifting so much heavier by the time this is over, but seeing is believing!

I'm looking forward to my day off (from exercise) tomorrow. I really do need a break!

Cathe, thanks for the extensive info on melatonin.

 

[SassyLady7]

Hi Everyone,

I did Disc 4 on Sunday; it started out easier to me than Disc 1. I managed to make it through the drop-set push-ups on my toes The rest of the workout seemed challenging, but doable. But something about the preacher curls always exhaust my biceps! They were pretty much kaput after that, so I lower my weights for the remaining bicep exercises from that point on. Once it was over, felt mildly sore & the DOMS really kicked in on Monday.

I must say the editing is seamless! It is hard to tell that some footage from from Disc 1; it really seemed like a different work-out, just with some of the same exercises.
I really am loving STS. Love the extended stretch which I usually do 3 days/wk. And the Abs are great too, although I haven't done all of them yet.

Take care all & see you on the Disc 5 check-in!

 

[auntiebev]

Hi everyone. I did Disc 4 yesterday morning and those barbell front presses just about did me in. Between that and the barbell curls with the band - oh my! I did love the bow and arrow with the band though.

Still loving every minute of STS. I try to preview each one the day before and then get my equipment set up so I'm all ready to go at 6am the next morning.

Bev

 

[larks mom]

Cathe, I saw you said you are taking sublingual melatonin for sleep........I have suffered with insomnia for years and am interested in trying it. Could you tell me what dose I should start out with ? Any suggestions on brands ? THANKS for any help. I've tried everything and wake up most mornings between 2 and 3 no matter what , and am lucky to get 4 or 5 hours of sleep !!!

Becky

That's me exactly, Becky. I think I only sleep well 1 of every 7 days. Makes those tough STS days even harder. I don't want to resort to pills, but a full week of 6-7 hrs of sleep would be ever so nice.

 

[MsTara]

Hello, all!

I completed disc 4 yesterday and today my shoulders are revolting against STS. I was thrilled by this though, as the first week DOMS were non-existent in some areas. Good God, the bicep work, specifically the barbell with band attached--that was nuts! Made it through though.

I'm doing my best to get myself ready for cardio tonight, but my body is telling me not to. Ha, should be an intersting workout tonight!

--Tara

 

[MsTara]

That's me exactly, Becky. I think I only sleep well 1 of every 7 days. Makes those tough STS days even harder. I don't want to resort to pills, but a full week of 6-7 hrs of sleep would be ever so nice.

Make me, number 3. Sometimes I go through spurts of it. I'll sleep well for two weeks and then the next two weeks is awful, if I sleep at all. I've been known to go 48 hours before even going to bed. I'm scared to death of pills, though.

I have taken the Advil nighttime and it works. It just makes the next day pretty bad, as if I can't wake up the entire day. Makes me feel like I'm in a haze.

--Tara

 

[bceogirl]

Larksmom & Tara,


Ugh! I know how you feel . Isn't it awful to sit up half the night while everyone else sleeps? Then the next day you don't have the energy or clarity that you need to get through the day.
I'm just so frustrated.
I'm hoping Melatonin might be the answer. I am also researching 5-HTP too.

For tonight, I will do what I always do......drink my cammomile tea, spray my pillow with lavender, turn on a fan (for white noise) , make sure my room is completely dark, take my Estroven PM......... and sleep for 3 or 4 hours. Five if I am wildly lucky. I hope you guys have better luck.

Becky

 

[Burning2]

Cathe,
I hope you don't mind me posting even though I am doing the Six month rotation. I did Disc 1 again today and I could not do as many pushups on my toes as i did the first time around. I was dissapointed. I finished working out four hours ago and I am feeling the soreness already. I will be doing disc 3 tomorrow because I will be going out of town on Friday. I'll be back.

Veronika

 

[MsTara]

Becky,

I, too, sleep with a fan on. I have a ceiling fan, but I actually use a small white rotating fan for the noise. I've even got my fiance hooked on the fan when we moved in together.

The last time I slept well was the month of December. I was asleep by 10:30 p.m. and woke up at 6:30 a.m. The best I've ever felt in my life! Now it's back to the same old thing. It's hard to fall asleep, don't sleep for long, and I'm back up at 6:30.

I can't even laugh at your ritual because I have one, too. If you know anything about Melatonin let me know. I'm interested in it.

Hope you slept well.

--Tara

Larksmom & Tara,


Ugh! I know how you feel . Isn't it awful to sit up half the night while everyone else sleeps? Then the next day you don't have the energy or clarity that you need to get through the day.
I'm just so frustrated.
I'm hoping Melatonin might be the answer. I am also researching 5-HTP too.

For tonight, I will do what I always do......drink my cammomile tea, spray my pillow with lavender, turn on a fan (for white noise) , make sure my room is completely dark, take my Estroven PM......... and sleep for 3 or 4 hours. Five if I am wildly lucky. I hope you guys have better luck.

Becky

 

[morningstar]

Okay, I don't know what's going on, but this one was really hard for me. Not the chest work or the push ups, those were fine (did 'em all off my toes) but I went to failure a number of times with the biceps and shoulders. Maybe I was just being too ambitious with the weights, maybe lack of protein, maybe an issue with a reactive hypoglycemia episode I had jsut before starting the workout, I'm not sure. I just couldn't get my s**t together and I actually went to complete muscle fatigue. By the end of the workout, my form completely sucked, and that is unusual for me as well. I did give it everything I had, though! I'll tell ya, when the push ups seem like the easy part of the workout, that's weird! Next week I have 182 of the suckers - I counted! I will feel like superwoman if I get through those on my toes!

 

[morningstar]

Hi Dani...way to work it tonight! For chest fly's try going slower. Do the reps to a 4/4 count (ignore my count). Also if you think you can go heavier, go up by around 3 or so pounds along with this slow count. Okay , so do 6 reps at this 4/4 count right into regular tempo reps for 10. See if that works!

I agree- it wasn't until I did Slow and Heavy that I really learned how to feel chest flyes and presses in my chest and to not have the focus be on on my arms.

 

[chrismeyer]

Just finished Meso 2 Legs (disk 2) so far I am LOVING Meso 2.....Yea Baby!!

 

[krassymira]

I finished up Disc 4 about 45 minutes ago. It was another tough one! Oh, the push-ups. They were tough. I did the first 14 on my toes. The set of 12 were done mixed toes and knees. At this point, my DD asks why I am not doing REAL push-ups. I finished the drop sets on my knees...barely.

I can already feel the back of my shoulders. Probably from the band bow-and-arrows. Those were deceptively tough! I liked your mean little "Cathe giggle" during the pulse-15. I DEFINITELY wanted to rest between the sets!

Thank you Cathe for the tip on grabbing the band from the side so the fingernails don't go through the band. I never could figure that out.

I finished up the push-up 21's with my hands on the steps so that my body was at about a 45 degree angle. I may try that for the boot camp push ups next time.

I also did Yoga Abs after Disc 4 (per the Cardio rotation). I really enjoyed this workout. My abs are still sore from weights and plates on Saturday so it was nice to do a little easier (ha-ha!!).

I can't wait to hear how everyone else did.

Carrie

Wow, that is a great suggestion for the boot camp style push ups - to do them on the stairs! I'll definitely try that next time!
I finished disc 4 two days ago and since it looks I am the only poster recently I forgot to check in, but now I am. I did all the push ups, they were hard, so I did them on my knees, but I did all of them. The bow and arrow was tough, really, who knew. And overall I liked the workout a lot. Hard but doable. I am sweating profusely with STS, dont know why, since these are just weights. And the DOMS were not as crazy as the first week, which is great.

 

[mlmccauley]

I finished up Disc 4 about a half hour ago. Disc 1 and 4 have been really tough for me! Ack, the push-ups. They were tough. I did the first 14 on my toes. The set of 12 were done half and half. The rest were done on my knees. Yowsers! Will the push ups ever get easier?!?! I was able to up my weights from Disc 1 to Disc 4 on the other exercises - its just those darn push-ups that don't seem to get any easier - and those core push-ups - fugghedaboudit!

Maria