The Reality of Bad Joints

It's too nice a day (the sun is blazing but the humidity's down) to stress over stupid things like pain and suffering. Okay, I'm kidding. I woke up with a sore elbow and all I'd been doing was sleeping! I suspect that yesterday's Deadlifts didn't do my right elbow any favors, and it's annoying to realize that Leg Day has adversely affected a major "Not Leg" joint. But let's face it. It's damn well impossible to do nearly anything without elbow involvement. Hence, I've decided to delete Deadlifts from Leg Day. That and the fact that B also tells me that she's never gotten anything from doing them either. Hmmm.

Image from ChrisScheelGolfFitness.com:

It isn't just golfers who get this injury

However, my glutes are a wee bit sore, but the good type of sore that means you actually worked those muscles. Must be the Squats. Or the 7.36 miles. Or both. But my knees are OK so I'm keeping both the mileage and the Squats. Now I just need something to replace the Deadlifts with (sigh).

Today I only did 30 min of cardio (3.37 miles) and concentrated on Push Day: pecs, delts and triceps. Well, not so much triceps because there's elbows involved with that (sigh). I get 3 sets of 10 reps at 135 lbs on the Smith (yay!), do my standard killer delt routine (very little resting with 3 supersets of front and lateral dumbbell raises, 3 additional sets of lateral raises, followed by 5 sets of rear inclined or bent over raises, all with those lovely shiny chrome plated 15 lb Beauty Bells). This takes about 15 minutes. Then Decline benching because damn, I'd really like to fill out the lower half of my pecs. Don't need any height on them, just depth.

I toy briefly with the idea of knocking out as many pushups as I can. Granted it's been months since I tried that, and I got to 50 but the last 5 really really hurt. Depending on where you place your hands, it's either your triceps or your pecs getting the workout. The further apart your arms, the less your tricps are involved. Closer together concentrates all the pressure on them. Turning your hands in or out also changes where in your arms you feel it. And never do "girl" pushups from your knees. Pushups is a whole body workout (keeps your core firm like planks), and doing them from your knees defeats the purpose. Plus, it's killer on your knees, and I got problems enough with them already! Sometimes I can feel my right knee cap on the verge of floating out of position and I don't want to imagine how painful it'd be to have a dislocated knee cap.

The scale in the locker room reads 106.4 (the same as yesterday). My home scale consistently reads 2 lbs lighter but that's usually after I've peed a hundred times since coming home (all that water makes its way out at some point, usually sooner than later). I'm thinking I'm going to have to find a therapist or a sports doc to consult about this elbow, because the one thing I absolutely do NOT want to do, is stop working out.

Cardio is My Drug

M screamed as she got on the scale.

"Is the scale lying to you?" I called from the other end of the locker room.
"Gawd I hope so! It says I put on 3 lbs over this long holiday weekend! I'm all bloated and fat!"

M teaches zumba classes at the gym 3 times a week. There's no way she's gotten fat over a long weekend.

"It's just water weight. 'Specially if you ate salty food all weekend long. It'll be gone in 2 days," I tried to reassure her.
She pinched her skinny jeans shut to zipper them, "Gawd, I hope so!"

I'm pretty sure of it. The scale dropped a pound for me today (106.4) and although that's heavier than last Wednesday, it's lighter than yesterday. Gotta take good news where you can find it!

Today's a Leg Day and I did 65 minutes of cardio (7.36 miles) and went heavier on Squats and Deadlifts. I use the Smith machine (my crutch) because I lift solo, and it helps to keep my back straight. No point in risking injury! 5 sets of squats with 105 lbs (bar plus 30 lbs on each side = 45 + 60 = 105 lbs) at 15 reps makes the lower quads (muscles immediately over my knees) feel a bit warm and tingly. Not sure if this is good or bad, but it's not pain per se. Then I do 5 sets of deadlifts which I really hate and I still don't know if they're doing anything for my glutes and hamstrings or not. I go slightly lighter with these (bar plus 25 lbs each side = 95 lbs). Seated leg curls (6 sets), abs, and stretching end my workout. I'm soaked, and my clothes are starting to reek. Time to shower!

I'm pleasantly surprised to feel a touch of soreness in my back. I haven't upped any of my back exercise weights so this is also puzzling. Maybe I'm finally doing the exercises right? Or it was those half dozen or so chin-ups and pull-ups from two days ago. Yeah, the timing is right on that: 2 days before you actually experience soreness from a new exercise.

I am eating more, thinking (hoping) that it's actually translating into muscle, but I don't really think you can feel your muscles growing any more than you can feel your fat melting away — or at least I was pretty oblivious to that for the last year or so! I feel so good I literally float out of the gym — and back to the car to suck down my protein drink because suddenly I'm starving! But as long as I do my heavy-breathing, drenched-hoodie cardio, I'm good for the rest of the day. It's that endorphin thing y'know. Cardio is my drug!

Equilibrium

I got to the gym and B was already on the cross-trainer. I haven't seen her since she wrecked two of her wheels hitting a pothole on the main road around here. B likes to talk and since I hadn't seen her since last Thursday, I felt obligated to listen, which meant my iPod was on low, and I wasn't going very fast on my 30 minute cardio trek. Finally L came by to chat, and she and B went off to a different cardio station. That left me less than 20 minutes to make up for lost pacing and mileage. Crank up Titanium (Bulletproof) and I'm off to the races and finish my cardio with a respectable 3.15 miles.

It's bloody hot outside and I'm thankful that the gym has good air conditioning and I can wear my hoodie until it's drenched. It's so hot that I'm having doubts about going to kickboxing tonight. I don't think slow-motion ceiling fans and open windows are enough. Today is a Pull Day, a back and biceps day. I do rows and pull-downs, biceps curls, reverse grip barbell rows and the infamous 21s. I skip the close grip pull-downs since my right inside elbow is still tender. Doing chin-ups yesterday on my husband's newly installed chin-up bar probably didn't help at all. But I wanted to see if it had a small enough grip and was positioned narrow enough for me to do pull-ups and chin-ups. It is. I'm pleased.

My husband said, "You make it look so easy."
"What are you talking about? I could only get 6 of each type."
"Yes, but you just pulled yourself straight up and down with your legs extended perfectly still. None of that wiggling and flailing and struggling to get yourself up the bar."
"Ahhh."

I don't tell him that wiggling makes the movement harder, and that all the pros at the gym (and on Ninja Warrior on G4TV) can pull themselves up with perfect control of the rest of their body. My husband is pretty strong, but he's also pretty big. And not in a good way. He needs to lose some weight. If he were lighter, he'd find it easier to do pull-ups and chin-ups. I think he ought to do more cardio but the treadmill is broken. I want to get him a treadmill for Father's Day or his birthday. He suggested something we could both use, so that makes the treadmill a cross-trainer elliptical instead.

He also mentions the Big Green Egg ceramic grill and I know he'd really rather have one of those than another piece of exercise equipment. Yes, we're both "foodies". He bought a meal plan book to go with his new workout system in our garage gym. It calls for a lot of small meals and foods we don't normally eat. I think he should just adjust his portion sizes down a bit and stop snacking instead. But it's hard to tell other people what to do. You can only suggest. And lead by example.

I get on the scale today and it reads the same 107.4 as yesterday. Wow, that doesn't usually happen. Of course, I don't usually have an ice cold beer with dinner either, but last night I did. I'm not worried. I remember weighing 107 in HS and thinking it was too much because I was still having trouble fitting into the size 5/6 dresses my mother insisted I wear. Of course dressmakers have let out their seams to make everyone feel better about themselves (so that 5/6 is probably now a 3/4). My clothes fit great now (I like them a bit loose). And cold ice cream on a hot day seems like the perfect dessert.

Golfer's Elbow and Other Ailments

I guess you can find just about anything on the Internet including my elbow problem and its solution. I just found a web site showing me how to fix my own elbow problem. Click here. I'm definitely trying this as I am a big proponent of pressure point therapy (remember, I'm a very knotty person!) and deep tissue massage.

I've been doing this stretch and massage for a few days now. It feels good but only time will tell if it actually benefits my elbow. I have such problematic tiny overly flexible joints. But I can still work out and I do. I just work around the problems and I think I'm making great progress.

Compulsive or Just Dedicated

There's probably not much difference between being compulsive and being dedicated. For instance, today is Monday and I started packing my gym bag last night so I could head out this morning without forgetting too many items. Except today is a Holiday. The 4th day of the long weekend marking the beginning of the Summer Season. This and the blistering 90 degree weather probably explains the fact that the gym parking lot is so crowded I've had to park across from the cinema. I'm hoping all these people are either taking a class, or have gone to the flicks to escape the heat.

This long weekend has made me antsy and I can't wait to get on a cardio machine and hit that blissful zone. Yes, I'm a cardio junkie. I punch in 45 minutes and reach 5.0 miles, feeling much calmer and much happier. The gym is crowded. There are new faces. I'm wondering if they've suddenly realized summer is here and they can't hide behind their clothes anymore.

I had to buy new shorts yesterday and I've learned from experience to try everything on first. Sizes are all different in different stores. We were in EMS and I snagged two pairs on shorts on sale. Size 0. I try them on and they mostly fit, or at least they fit better than any of my other shorts at home. The shorts are a bit big in the waist. Room for expansion after a big dinner I tell myself. While I'm in the fitting room, I notice in the full length mirror that I can see my quads. Not clearly, but there is a sort of stringiness to my legs that I'm not familiar with. I'm sort of stunned.

There is a huge difference between intellectually knowing something (book learned) and actually knowing something (seeing it with your own eyes and understanding it). My thighs are smaller. I knew that my pants fit differently but looking down at my thighs doesn't tell me that they're smaller. It's suddenly looking in the mirror and seeing how much less they are. And all along I've been telling myself that my workout clothes are getting baggy because they're getting worn out from every day use! So I've been lying to myself. Funny how the mind likes the static even when change is occurring on a daily basis.

I do an abbreviated workout today because it's very crowded, and besides, my son and husband are home and I'd like to spend some time doing something fun with them. So I only do some flat bench presses, a full round of delts (shoulders) because I truly believe delts make all the difference in whether you look good in sleeveless shirts or not, cursory triceps and a full set of abs. I'm sweaty and breathless as I head to the shower. The scale reads 107.4 lbs which is less than the 108 last Monday. I feel pretty good. Yes, I'm compulsive. But this has also become a lifestyle and it's the only reason that I've managed to progress this far. I'll be back tomorrow!

How Much is Too Much?

It's Friday and although the gym parking lot was scary crowded (what rock star landed here and who forgot to tell me?), the gym itself wasn't. It's Friday and instead of slacking off because I'm tired and it's the "end of the week" (puleeeze, the week doesn't end for moms), I actually work out harder because damn, it's gonna be at least 2 days before I get back in here, so I'd better make this workout count! Sick, right?

I drop my son off in the Kid's Room (children must be 13 yrs old to use the facilities) with his iPad and DS games. He's fine as long as some teething toddler doesn't try to bite his arm, or drool on him. Then off I go to drop my stuff in a locker, plug in my iPod and I'm off to the races...

Cardio feels pretty good even though I've noticed some soreness, probably from those squats I did Wednesday. Sore hamstrings also threw me yesterday when I tried to bench heavy. Apparently my whole body contracts when I push hard, including my legs, and at the zenith of a heavy rep, my hamstring nearly cramped up. It was all I could do to force myself to relax that specific muscle and NOT drop the weighted bar on my chest!

30 minutes of cardio has no magic numbers for me anymore and I'm finding it hard to remember exactly how much mileage I've done even though the display is prominently lit. If I was really concerned, I'd be the guy who spends more time inputting numbers into his iPhone app during a workout than actually working out. (You know who you are!) But I'm warmed up and ready to rock'n roll. Or should I say, Row. Rowing is a great exercise. It builds up those amazingly useful back muscles the latissimus dorsi, usually known as lats. I'd like stronger, more impressive lats. I'd like to chin myself easily, and I'd like to have a nice athletic shape in and out of my clothes.

I want lovely V-shaped lats!

 I do 3 sets of 12 reps of cable rows at 90 lbs. Then I do another 3 sets of half the amount of reps for 105 lbs. The theory is that going heavier for fewer repetitions will build strength and size, whereas, going for repetition builds endurance (a different type of strength). I want the best of both worlds: tightly-packed muscles that can go the distance.

My sore elbow appears to be "golfer's elbow" (a type of tendonitis) and  the neutral grip seems to exacerbate the problem so no close grip pull downs today. Just regular plain ol' vanilla pull downs. And reverse grip barbell rows that seem heavier than the 50 lbs they are. I baby my elbow and skip the inclined bench dumbbell curls and go straight to 5 sets of regular dumbbell curls, followed by 3 sets of 21s. 21s were made popular by our original Conan the Barbarian, Arnold. Oddly, 21s don't bother my elbow either, but boy do they make your biceps look nice in the mirror! I'm finally getting rid of that dimply fat that sits between the bottom of the bicep and the inner elbow. That'd been really bothering me for a while!

I step on the scale and it wavers for a second before settling on 105 even. I do it twice just to make sure. So I'm a skosh heavier than yesterday, but lighter than I was last Friday. I think eating the extra protein meal is working but of course, it's probably too soon to tell. Today I get home and I feel hungry even though I've had my vanilla Ensure in the car. I blend up a small ripe banana, about 8 ounces of orange juice (yeah, I know — super high sugar content) and a scoop of strawberry flavored whey protein mix. I should probably substitute either water or fat-free milk for the OJ but I have OJ in the fridge and it's open so it's not going to keep, and what the heck, it's probably not going to make me fat. At least not today.

I joined an "over 40 online community" some weeks ago to see what information they might have on health, nutrition, working out, etc. When I mentioned my plan to increase my protein, a nice woman (retired nurse) started to caution me on all sorts of potential health hazards that too high a protein intake can cause — like kidney damage. I remember this well from the Atkins craze. I do drink a lot of water. And I try to eat a variety of foods, whole grains, leafy green veggies and fruit. But I'm not a saint, or a masochist. I eat ice cream. I love plain ol' blue corn tortilla chips. Hell, I had a fistful of cashews last night before I went to bed. And we're having lobster tonight, and maybe even clams with white wine and garlic sauce. So how much is too much?

IPod Dependency and Other Addictions

I had a great workout today: 30 minutes of cardio to my favorite heart-thumping songs (only 3.37 miles), decent but not spectacular weight room exercises (it's a Push Day) and my standard stretch warm down. So why was it so good? Because I felt as if I had lots of energy all throughout the entire workout. I had my iPod plugged into my compilation Shape.com cardio mix and the beat kept me motivated and energized. Yesterday I had one of the podcast downloads from RunHundred.com but it wasn't as inspiring.

Contrast this to B who forgot to charge her iPod last night and consequently had no music to set her pace. She left halfway through the workout because she just "wasn't into it" today.

I've only forgotten my iPod once, and that was hell. Sartre was right when he said, "Hell is other people." I got sandwiched between two people who proceeded to have a flirtatious conversation while I was lying on a bench in between them. Talk about uncomfortable. All I kept thinking was, "Get a room already!" Of course, she ended the dialogue with, "Well, I guess I'll see you in church." Yup, married. To other people. I still see them at the gym. They still flirt. To the best of my knowledge, they're still married. To other people. A lot of people meet at the gym to work out together, take a class together, kibbitz, have coffee. It's a social place. Unless you're there to work out.

I hear that gym romances are the source of a lot of marital problems. No kidding. I noticed that the 3-time winner of the Women's Fitness contest has a different name now. I think she got divorced, which is sad, because in YouTube flicks of her earlier workout routines, she mentions how she and her husband had started the gym where she regularly trains. Later, I noticed that her trainer is not her husband. I haven't seen anyone I'd want to work out with. Not even my friend B. Even with her iPod, she socializes too much for my tastes. I don't talk a lot. I want results!

That's probably another reason for me not to even vaguely consider Fitness Competitions. Even though I'm making great progress, I'd probably need to find a trainer who knew about contest preparations, etc, and most of the folks I've witnessed at the gym are folks I don't really want to know. Because either they have no idea what they're doing, all they do is chat, or they're giving off some freaky vibes, and yes, I'm a big proponent of paying attention to people's body language.

I'm the first to admit that I'm playing this all by ear — I'm just doing what works. If after a month, I'm not getting results, I change the routine. So far, it IS working. I'm not "dieting" or doing anything crazy, and I'm continuing to lose weight and put on a bit of muscle. Everyone is different so I find it difficult to advise anyone, except to say  

• "Do cardio until you get good and sweaty. Do it every day (or as much as you can)" and  
• "Lift weights to build muscles because muscles burn more calories and, as a woman, it's damn near impossible to get big and bulky even if you lift lots of weights and lift heavy."

Today I sucked my water bottle dry even before I got to the stretch down. Quite a bummer as I refuse to drink from the water fountain (it's nasty). When I got on the scale today, it read 104.8 which is lighter than my goal weight but heavier than I was yesterday. I don't want to start metabolizing my hard earned muscles so I'm considering upping my protein intake in the afternoons. 25 grams from the Ensure High Protein is great, but perhaps I need to supplement that with a protein drink later in the day. Or eat more eggs. Some websites suggest athletes consume 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. For me that's roughly 71 grams a day (105 lbs = 47.6 kg x 1.5 = 71 gm).

There are online retailers and actual stores (like GNC or Doc's Nutrition) that carry assorted powders and mixes. A1Supplements.com was recommended on a (currently inactive) blog called Geezercise. My only problem with Richard Sullivan is that while he rants about the high amount of cholesterol in the GNC Whey Protein (70 mg per serving), he has no problem eating nitrate-laced hot dogs several times a week. I guess we have to choose our poisons.

So now, not only do I get a bit antsy when I can't work out for more than a weekend, but I need to eat more protein. And drink a ton of water. And I can't drink alcoholic beverages on a "school night" because it makes me feel like a slug during cardio. Gosh, I'm such a "fun" person!

However, I am a steadfast believer that some of us do better postponing "breakfast" until later. We can go to the LA Times article about "nighttime fasting fostering weight loss". If we take this argument to its logical conclusion, then by postponing breakfast, I've extended my fasting time. It worked for my dad when he needed to lose a few pounds. It works for me. But it probably won't work for everyone.

Whoops!

I'm learning to love "humpday". Taking that old adage to heart, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger (and the remix is a great cardio song via Kelly Clarkson), I've modified it a bit to embrace the things I hate doing because they're hard. Like cardio. When I started working out last year, I did cardio first because I knew that if I didn't get it done first, well, I'd just be too tired to do it after lifting weights (the fun stuff). So I do cardio first, when I have the energy to do the thing that I hate (because I'm not good at it).

What's odd is how that has now become the thing I look forward to in the morning, probably because:

1. I've gotten better at it.
2. The endorphin rush is amazing but you have to get there to experience it.
3. Getting sweaty and limber gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you can beat your own scores (in my case, mileage).

So today is a Leg Day which gives me the excuse to do more cardio than usual. I do a 45 minute and a 15 minute workout on the Precor cross-trainer, the first a gentle hill, the second a quick set of intervals. 4.86 miles + 2.24 miles = 7.1 miles. WaHoo!

My cotton hoodie is drenched and I feel great considering I skipped cardio kickboxing last night. Something I ate yesterday didn't agree with me, and I spent the evening with a rather upset belly. Which meant that I didn't drink as much water as I usually do either. There's no soda in our house, not even diet soda which I think has the unfortunate effect of making you thirstier. We drink a lot of water flavored with a few ounces of fruit juice. I know fruit juice is suppose to be highly caloric and there's too much sugar in it, but if you only toss 2-3 ounces of cranberry or whatever mixed fruit juice into a 12-14 ounce tumbler of water, well, I don't see the harm.

Today's a Leg Day and I do a good half dozen sets of squats on the Smith machine, increasing the weight until I've got a measely 105 lbs (bar + 3 ten lb plates on each side). My knees are a tiny bit sore so I don't go any heavier. Afterwards, I do a half dozen sets of deadlifts with 95 lbs (bar + 2 tens and a 5 lb plate each side). I hit the seated leg curl machine twice for a total of 6 sets of 15 reps at 75 lbs. Because I've got short limbs, I've adjusted the seat and leg roller to their shortest settings. It's still a bit awkward and I have to brace myself against the handles that lay over your lap so I don't pop out when I curl my legs back under the seat. Really, I could use a seat belt for this station.

I'm pretty much done at this point with the exception of abs, and because I do abs every day, I do the torso rotation machine, twisiting sit ups and lower ab kickouts. I stretch out on the mat off to the side and eventually head off to the showers because even I can tell that my clothes reek — it isn't just guys who get stinky when working out hard!

Whoops! I get on the scale and I'm not prepared for what it tells me. 104.2. I check the scale again. What the? Here I am thinking that I missed cardio kickboxing last night and I should be heavier, and here this scale is telling me that I'm lighter. I haven't even finished all the water in my 1. 5 liter bottle today (well, there's probably two mouthfuls left)! I don't think I'm losing muscle mass so I'm hoping it's fat. Maybe I really ought to consider eating breakfast in the morning... if only it didn't make me want to hurl when I do cardio. I'm not prepared to get up an hour earlier just to eat. Dilemmas...

A Trophy Inside My Head

B mentioned the other day that perhaps I should consider competing in one of those bodybuilding shows. Images of freaky, steroid-pumped she-males immediately popped into my head.

"No way! Those're dudes!"
"What about Fitness Competitions?" B persisted.
"The Master's Class is for the Over 40 Crowd and there's a lot of women who are just in their 40s. I can't compete with them."
"No, no. They have categories!" B insisted.
"Yeah, like Over 50?" I was dubious.

Still am. Not sure I want to compete in some Geezer Show. B tells me (after I've showered and dressed) that I look like a 10 year old. And I'm okay with THAT.

For a lot of people, getting up on stage and showing off that great body is the ultimate motivating factor. For me, well, I think I'd get stage fright. Plus, I'm not a gymnast so I don't have all those great moves like handstands, etc. although I've been working diligently on my splits during my stretch routine.

Right now, my motivation is all the envious and sometimes admiring glances I get when I work out. Today, the gal from the gym's child care room asked me repeatedly how much weight I'd lost, and commented enviously about my arms. I said, "Wow, everyone remembers what I used to look like, except for me!" Because I've been so focused on my Magic Numbers for so long that I didn't actually see the weight fall off, or my clothes not fit anymore. It was as if one day I stopped looking at the scale and the calendar, and suddenly noticed Hey, my damn pants are too big! So I got a big fat golden trophy inside my head right now.

Today's a Pull Day and I'm mindful of the fact that I'm taking my son to tae kwon do this evening and meeting my husband for cardio kickboxing afterwards. Because I can't jump around doing jumping jacks and sprints during the "warm up", it 's not that much of a cardio event for me but I enjoy the kicking and punching just fine.

Today's a Back and Biceps Day with 30 minutes of cardio (3.37 miles) and 15 minutes of stretching. I add a set of hammer curls after biceps just to work the forearms a bit. My right elbow is still bothering me during the most mundane of movements and I'm not sure what else to do for it besides laying off the neutral grip pulldowns (palms facing each other). But I'm absolutely fascinated by my forearms' new vascularity since I've always had trouble giving blood when I was heavier because I had tiny veins that move (nurses know what I'm talking about). Now I'm too light to donate blood (the cutoff is 110 lbs for the Red Cross) but damn if I've got great veins now! Of course, my husband thinks this is icky. Meanwhile I'm trying to decide whether this is a result of fat loss, or some slight muscle gain in the forearms — perhaps pushing the veins to the surface? Or if this sort of exercising actually enlarges blood vessels? I doubt if google will give me the answer.

I am reminded of my high school AP Biology course which had us dissecting fetal pigs to learn muscle groups. What a waste! Not only do fetal pigs not really have much in the way of discernible muscles, but the little piggies are all stiff from soaking in formaldehyde. Can anyone say carcinogenic agent? Breathing the fumes and handling the tiny little bodies? I always thought we'd learn the names and functions of the muscle groups much better if the teacher would just use images and videos of bodybuilders. Hopefully AP Biology has changed since I took it some 35 years ago.

Let me scream "WaHoo!" quietly

I've resigned myself to weighing more on Mondays than on Fridays, and at 107.6 lbs I'm not disappointed. Although I've forgotten (and this is why it's good to write things down) that for the past 2 Mondays, I've weighed in at 108 even. So today's actually better!

 And it's getting even better. 30 minutes of cardio (after two days of being a spud) and I've got 3.27 miles down. I'm warmed up and the Smith Machine is free so I get adventurous, toss caution to the wind and decided to lift what I can lift. Which basically means, do a warm up set or two, then toss 45 lbs on each end of the bar and see if I can't get more than 8 reps. I get 12! That's a full set. I get 3 sets (the last 2 reps were kinda breathless but they still count). I'm ecstatic! That's 135lbs! WaHoo!

Above is an image I pulled off the internet from ShapeFit.com showing bench pressing with a Smith machine. For a different video and description of this exercise go to this link at bodybuilding.com.

A few tips on bench pressing:

1. Make sure you are properly positioned so that your feet are flat on the floor, and your head and shoulders also lay flat on the bench. Do not raise your head or shoulders during this exercise! If the bench is too high off the ground, lay 25 or 35 lbs weights flat on the ground under your feet to give you a level base.
2. Make sure your arms are spaced shoulder's width apart and that you have a comfortable grip on the bar. Use gloves or neoprene grips for better control.
3. Remember to breathe! Exhale as you push the weight up, and inhale as you control the bar's descent. Count out loud if possible to help focus. 

Abs and shoulders (delts) come next with 3 of front dumbbell raises, supersetting with 3 sets of lateral raises. Then 3 sets of lateral raises solo. Then 6 sets of inclined bench rear delt raises. My shoulders are kind of tired now, but the Decline Bench is open so I hop on that to do a few sets. I'm not expecting much though since the shoulder muscles do play a role in supporting the bar as you raise it up over your chest. I get a few sets in, maxing out at a wispy 95 lbs and call it quits when the guys next to me turn on the floor fan. The blast of cool air is distracting and I'm too annoyed to do anything except leave the station.

Instead, I go and do more abs, then triceps, and finally, my stretch routine as a cool down. I'm parched. 1.5 liters sometimes doesn't last past triceps and I'm wondering how to put on a little more size, i.e., what and when to eat more. I'd like to get stronger, maybe a tad bigger. Definitely more defined. As always, there's more research to be done!

Abs Inspite!

I got to the gym a little late today because I had to stop off at the dentist for an adjustment. As we age, our teeth move out of alignment, especially mine because I have such a small mouth and protuberances called torus mandibularus that make everything very crowded. I've resigned myself to losing my once perfectly straight teeth (I never wore braces as a child), but the discoloration is a bit disconcerting. So, I'm resorting to (sigh) bleaching.

Mirror shots can be distorted

According to the body fat web sites, Asians in general have higher body fat contents due to porous bones. One web site claimed that tests showed Asian bones floated. (So why do I swim like a rock then?) I wonder how this affects teeth, and bleaching agents. I guess I'll find out in the next few weeks.

30 minutes of cardio (3.34 miles) later and I'm blissfully knocking out twisting situps and lower ab kickouts with a few sets on the "torso rotation" station. Lately, I find that when I overeat, I'm extremely uncomfortable because my stomach muscles are so tight that there's no expansion room! It's quite an incentive to eat small portions! Almost like wearing a girdle made out of your own body!

This is also the lightest I've ever weighed as an adult without feeling deprived, or like I'm trying too hard. Now I can state that having lost all this weight isn't a matter of self-control or will power or mind games anymore. It's become a lifestyle, so now it's easy. What a relief! Really!

Almost a 6-pack! No, that's NOT cleavage. Those're pecs.

I remember my parents nagging me about being too chubby as a teenager, and not "feminine" enough, as if I had any control over whether I developed a bustline or not. High school was a constant battle with my parents for independence as well as self-esteem. I'm just not a "girly-girl" (no kidding, eh?) and being stuffed into tiny princess-seamed dresses which I could only fit into if I didn't eat for a few days, didn't help me develop a healthy relationship with food. NOW however, I feel as if I can eat whatever I want as long as I exercise, and I find that I'm just not all that interested in a lot of foods. Just the ones that taste REALLY good! Like arugula. I love arugula. Bitter things to balance out the sweet, like honey and licorice.

Today was a Pull Day so I did my standard back and biceps work out. I even remembered to do the new Bent Over Reverse Grip Barbell Rows. I had to start with the 40 lbs barbell because the 50 lbs was in use, and the 45 lbs Olympic bar (the ones on the bench press uprights) are too long and unwieldy for a small person to balance. Five sets later at 16 reps, the bar I want is finally available so I do another 5 sets with that one for 15 reps. The last 3 reps for the last 3 sets are a difficult, but because I'm bent over and the back is vulnerable in this position, I move very slowly, and deliberately, so as to avoid injury.

The only thing that's actually sore today are my glutes, and I reckon it's been two days since Leg Day, so that's appropriate. I'll definitely have to add Squats to my leg routine on Wednesdays.

No Closer to an Answer

Today's a beautiful sunny crisp Spring day. Today's also a Push day and I've decided that if I don't start pushing my maximum weights again, I'll lose strength. Not that that's ever happened. Muscles and muscle memory is surprisingly resilient.

I get on the scale at home this morning. 103.2 lbs. Hmmm. This continuous weight loss wasn't part of my plan. But I don't want to stop doing cardio either. I've cut back to 30 minutes so I'm only doing 18+ miles a week (still doing a double on Leg Day) instead of 25, but perhaps I need to rethink this. Lifting heavy might be the only thing that's keeping muscle mass on me -- otherwise I'd really look like a cardio junkie -- all sinewy skin and bones. My husband's told me that he doesn't like skinny chicks that look (to steal a line from SpongeBob) "all icky and corpsey". Too many hard angles.

I'm not used to having such a "boney butt". It makes sitting on hard things, well, rather uncomfortable. However, what I used to blame on a prominent coccyx (tail bone) is actually a caveat to be extremely vigilant about one's underwear and exercise pants. I'm talking about seams and tags! Things that chafe the delicate skin below your hips when you're doing outrageous sets of twisting sit ups. Shame on companies that sell "yoga" pants, etc that have major massive double-stitched seams right up the seat. I thought thongs were unpleasant, but developing a tail bone callous is definitely worse. Other observations include the fact that my navel has become very shallow, and my knees have odd protuberances I'd never noticed before when I was heavier.

I get on the scale at the gym after my workout and it reads 105.6 which is sort of what I was expecting. B points to my empty 1.5 liter water bottle and frowns. I shrug. I'm starting to lift heavier this week. It's the best I can do, and I'll just see what happens next.

When Numbers Lose Their Magic

Today's a Leg Day in spite of my having gone to cardio kickboxing last night. I do 35 minutes on the LifeFitness cross-trainer and another 30 minutes on the Precor. They have different programs and the motions are different. Altogether though, I clock in 6.38 miles and I feel pretty good in spite of the rather disconcerting number the gym's Body Fat meter gives me this morning.

Apparently I'm a whopping 26% fat. Wow. I feel like a stick of low cal margarine (it's still fat!) and I can't imagine how I'll ever get to 20%. Actually I don't really care what the number says, I just want to be able to see my abs when I flex them. I figure that'd be around 17% body fat but perhaps my assumptions are wrong. How low do I have to go to see something interesting?

The trainers explain to me that if you're dehydrated your body fat readings can be off, and conversely, if you're "over-hydrated" as well. Well, hell, how does one know for sure then without submitting to the immersion test (where docs measure the volume of water you displace after submerging you completely in a tanker of water after you've expelled ALL the air out of your lungs). Egads! I read online about a new x-ray machine test that costs $300 to determine body fat accurately as well. I guess I'm not THAT interested.

I've read about how doing a few quick measurements of one's hips, waist, wrist and forearms and body weight can be plugged into a Dave Draper equation at LiveStrong.com. But what if you don't fall into normal body measurement parameters? I have child-size wrists (bracelets fall right off) and forearms, and I'm one of those "not very interesting" body types -- that is to say, there's not a huge difference between my waist and my hips. I don't have big hips, and I don't have a tiny waist. But I dutifully plug in the numbers and voilà, it's 26.7%.

Really?! I've dropped over 22 lbs and put on muscle in my back, chest, arms and stomach, and it's 26%?! Over a quarter of my weight is fat? Today I'm either 105 or 103 lbs depending on which scale you believe (the gym scale reads heavier but that's right after my work out and 1. 5 liters of water). And I feel defiant! I'm not going any lighter -- I'd need to have all my clothes tailored!

Of course, if you search hard and long enough you can find anything, and I've discovered another web site with a body fat calculator where you punch in other measurements: age, weight, hips, thigh, calf. And the magic number is Ta-Da: 22.5%. I can deal with this. This number is OK. Go to http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html to check it out. 

Today's a Leg Day and after a good stretch and some faux side kicks, I do 4 sets on the seated leg curl. I get 15 reps at 75 lbs. Unfortunately, the Romanian dead lifts with a pair of 10 lb plates on the Smith machine still don't feel like much. Contracting my glutes as I straighten up helps me feel the movement better but I'm not convinced that it's a very effective hamstring exercise.

I do a set of pistol squats and after 6 reps I decide I'd rather do something else. Anything else. Boredom kicks in and I decided, what the hell, I'll do squats on the Smith machine, starting light with just the bar (45 lbs) and then adding a pair of 10s. I do 5 sets for 15 reps, going slow and steady. I wrap my towel (I always carry a hand towel with me to put between me and whatever bench I'm using) around the neck/shoulder pad before I squat. I can feel the lower quads over my knees, and a bit of my glutes. Here's my work out schedule:

Tomorrow I'll know by what's stiff and painful whether squats are something I'm adding to my routine. I'm bored again so back to the seated leg curl for another 3 sets. In between, when stations open up, I do sets on the side rotation machine, and twisting situps, and lower ab kick outs. Those always guarantee a nice slightly breathless warmth and I'm giddy with moisture. Honestly, if I work a body part and I'm not sweating, maybe I'm just phoning it in. I'd like to ban Sleep Exercising. I'd also like to ban Station Chatting. If you're on a station for more than 5 minutes and the only thing that's moving is your mouth, get off the machine and let someone else use it.

I Must Still Be a Newbie

I did 3.33 miles on the elliptical and did a "Pull" day. I'm still feeling pretty good but tired from yesterday's "Push" day because I've decided to throw caution to the wind and do both Decline and Smith machine benching. Today B told me that she thought my arms looked good. They're never going to be any bigger though -- genetic predisposition leads me to believe that they'll always be 13" biceps.

Not too scrawny, even at 105 lbs.

However, I'm suppose to go to cardio kickboxing today after my son goes to tae kwon do. I'm tired. I'm concerned about getting my HW submitted tonight to a class I started last week. I haven't even thought about it! I'm obviously NOT managing my time well.

And I still feel like a Newbie at the gym because I can't make myself drop down to a "one body part a day" routine. B does "one a day". The bodybuilders and fitness competitors I read about online do "one a day". But because I'm making good progress, I think I'll stick to this modified routine for now. I haven't managed to make an appointment to determine body fat yet. I have this suspicion (because Asians carry a lot of body fat under the skin, giving us that smooth non-muscular look) that I'm actually fatter than I appear. Or am I just playing mind-games with myself? Of course, that's what motivation is -- mind games.

I liked the article in the NYTimes Science section today about why Americans are obese. Because there's too much food! I had to laugh! But other extremely interesting observations are made...

Redirect or Repurpose?

 I found out today that the trainers at my gym (Gold's Gym) can use a device to determine body fat. I can do it tomorrow morning before I work out. As long as I don't eat anything for at least two hours before testing. I never eat anything before I work out anyway. Usually just a cup of coffee with half & half and a spoonful of sugar.

This weekend my husband told me he thought my goal weight was too low. What?! I'm AT my goal weight. I've been at it for the past 3 weeks, and I feel very comfortable at this weight. I haven't cut my hair since New Year's and usually I'm uncomfortable when my hair gets too long. It makes my round face look even rounder. But not now. I think I look pretty good. I'm even willing to entertain the thought of letting my hair get a tiny bit longer before hacking it all off again.

My dilemma is how do I maintain myself, and perhaps put on a bit more muscle. Or should I just concern myself with strength? And the big question persists for me, will having additional muscle mass be good for me in the long run? I've already increased my flexibility, stamina and strength, but I think I can improve on all of it. How critical is muscle mass to this equation?

A Change in Tactics?

Yesterday was Friday, a "Pull" day so I concentrated on back and biceps after a 30 minute cardio jaunt. I feel a lot better and have been listening to different cardio podcasts I purchased from RunHundred.com. For just $10, you get 10 different cardio mixes put together by a professional DJ. It's a good deal! Plus Shape.com has monthly free cardio downloads. I've picked up a nice collection from them.

I'm now at the point where I can start to feel the difference in my thighs. Literally. I run my hand over the top and I swear I can feel muscle movements in a striated way. I attribute this development purely to non-impact cardio, a good 25 miles a week during the winter. Now I'm down to 18 miles. I don't work calves because I'm "blessed" with "bulldog legs" (yes, a gang of ghetto teenage guys once called that out to me as they passed by) which is another southeast Asian body trait. I can see the hearts in my calves from the back and they measure 13" so no additional size required.

From www.workout-routines-that-work.com

At some point I will get brave enough to ask the nutritionist/spin trainer at my gym to determine my body fat percentage. I'm just hoping to get away without having to sign up for any sort of "package". (I'm notoriously non-social, don't employ trainers or buy supplements. My gym probably hates me. No, I'm kidding. My workouts are apparently too intense, and I get puzzling looks from some of the guys. Well, at least they stay out of my way.)

Then I'll face a dilemma I never thought possible: do I lose more body fat ('cuz dammit, I really wanna see that 6-pack!) or should I work on building more mass. Photos are suppose to add 10 lbs to your image so I'm shocked to see how scrawny I appear in my own pics. Looking back on my weight loss (a painfully slow 1-2 lbs a month because I was also building muscle), I'm loathe to give up my cardio. It just feels too good. I'm an endorphin junkie.

So I just have to eat more. But more quality food. Body builders call it "eating clean". But I don't think I can deal with eating 6 small meals a day centered around protein and vegetables. I'm too lazy, and heck, I have a life! That's why I drink the Ensure High Protein in the car after every workout. 25 grams of protein and it doesn't make me ill! When I get home after running errands (grocery shopping, post office, bank, etc.), I might eat a bowl of instant oatmeal. Or fry an egg or two and have it over rice or toast. Or eat a bowl of Kashi high protein cereal. Before getting to laundry and dishes! And having to meet the afternoon school bus.

I'll credit an interview I read with TV's Dr. Oz who, as I recall, claimed not to be very interested in food, for planting a thought in my head. He only ate because it was necessary and he preferred powders and concentrates. Now I absolutely LOVE food, but I've grown pickier over the years. First because I can't process a lot of things anymore (lactose, peanuts, apple skins, etc.), but also because I figure that if I'm going to eat it, it has to taste good, and it has to be good for me, ie, not make me ill or fat. Except for dessert. Because I WILL eat dessert. I will eat ice cream, and not that gross artificially sweetened stuff. Real ice cream with real sugar. So I do the cardio, so I can eat the ice cream. So far it works for me.

Just how much does 1.5 liters weigh?

The weight reading changes depending on where I put my home scale, always nudging itself lower and lower. This is silly. I'm just going to rely on the gym scale, and it gives me a higher reading (oooh, a whopping 106.6 lbs). Of course my friend B's complaint that I've just sucked down 1.5 liters of water during my workout echoes in the back of my mind so I have to find out exactly what that translates into weight-wise. Turns out it's not an insignificant 3.3 lbs. Point to B. On the other hand, what difference does it make since it's all relative, and I've been weighing myself this way since I started in March 2011.

I got up this morning and did a chest/delt/tricep workout. But I always always start out with cardio to warm up and get all the stiffness (kinks) out of my system. The gym's virtually empty, at least until the Zumba class lets out. Then the din and cackling is so loud I have to crank up my iPod just to hear myself count. I'm still only pushing 85% on the Smith machine today (115 lbs instead of 135). Then shoulders.

I just love doing delts because I can actually see all the muscles flexing in the badly lit mirrors. It's very satisfying to be able to say "I wanted shoulders and I got shoulders."

Non Sequitur Note: I remember Gladys Portugues way back in the 80s, and how Brian Moss (Better Bodies Gym) taught her to hold her dumbbells as if she were pouring pitchers of water. He's actually uploaded onto YouTube an old VHS tape made in 1982. I've attached the link here. And there's quite a few websites and blogs with images and videos from Better Bodies. This one is particularly good: http://80smuscle.blogspot.com/2011/06/brian-moss-muscle-opera.html

Brian Moss                               Gladys Portugues

Then I see that the Decline bench is vacant and I do a half dozen sets there although I normally do heavy (Smith) and decline on different days. It'll make up for a paltry tricep workout since I'm skipping tricep press downs today. There's something about some of the creepier guys at the gym which makes me get creative and substitute exercises so I can avoid a station. Not that I think I'm in any danger. They're just creepy.

My legs were a bit sore from yesterday but not where I expected. Lower quads, or the muscles just over my knees seemed to have suffered the brunt of yesterday's exuberance. Hamstrings? If I contract them, I can feel a little soreness. And my butt's (glutes) always seem sore during the week. But soreness doesn't mean growth because my hip measurement's shrinking.

I know I should do lunges and squats for hamstrings, but that'll wreak havoc with my knees. I need to do more research. Meanwhile, I'm amused by the NYT article today about Boomers solving their midlife angst with skateboards!

Not PrinceSpaghetti Day...

Wednesday, goes the old commercial, is prince spaghetti day. Two weeks ago, before I got sick, Wednesday became my leg day. Never mind that I don't work legs except for the 30-45 minutes on the Precor Elliptical Cross-trainer at my gym, and the stretching, and side-kick hops I do every time I go to the gym. Today is Leg Day, and day 4 of antibiotics for the nearly completely banished sinusitis.

But when I get to the gym, the ellipticals are all occupied so I hop on a Life Fitness Cross-trainer for 30 minutes. 3.11 miles and I've busted a decent sweat at the 20 minute mark. I want more. Oh heck, it's a leg day anyway so what the hell. I hop on the now vacant Precor machine and go for another 30 minutes, and another 3.12 miles. I feel really good now. Sweat is streaming off my face under my hoodie.

No calf exercises for me!

I go to the stretch cage and make the unfortunate discovery that grey workout pants are bad for sweaty girls, especially those with sweaty joints. Ahem. I pull my black tank top down to my thighs while I stretch and do a series of faux side-kicks. Tap tap tap. Then off to do abs: side twists, twisting situps, lower ab kickouts. 4 sets of seated leg curls and then off to the free weights.

 The Smith machine is empty and I use the 45 lb bar to execute some slow and easy bent over deadlifts. Deadlifts are suppose to strengthen the lower back and hamstrings.

Here's a link to how the exercise should be done:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-deadlift

I add 20 lbs to the bar and do 5 additional sets, then do 2 sets of pistol squats. I love pistol squats but I'm pretty sure they're hard on the knees, if only because I'm pretty much sitting on my heel at the bottom position. These squats work both quadriceps (front thighs) and hamstrings, as well as engaging your core (balance) body muscles.

Here's how a pistol squat should look (I googled it and pulled the image off the web):

from www.youtrain.me

I'm still feeling pretty good so I'll see how much my knees are complaining tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's the Wednesday Leg Workout and no, I don't do calves (here in the northeast, winters can be fierce and I need to be able to fit into my boots!):

Hallelujah antibiotics!

I just got back from my morning workout and feel pretty good albeit not 100%. I've been taking a course of antibiotics since Sunday for the stubborn sinusitis. I can tell I'm winning though!

Once again I only did 30 minutes on the elliptical and eeked out a paltry 3.16 miles. Today's a back and bicep day so I did sets of rowing, pull downs, close-grip pull downs, lower back press, and of course, practiced my side kick combinations and did a good set of abs (lost count after 100 reps). Either the gym is warmer today or I'm working more efficiently because I busted a decent sweat and it felt good. After a few sets of bicep curls (inclined and straight seated), I sheepishly remembered a new exercise I'd added only two weeks ago: reverse grip barbell row. Those jokers commenting on this exercise in the bodybuilding.com forum are right though, you can really feel your lats when you do this exercise. No need to state the obvious: do the form slowly and strictly for 4 sets of 15 reps.

Since I don't have any pictures or videos of myself doing this movement, I've added a link to the bodybuilding.com site to show you what this form should look like:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/reverse-grip-bent-over-rows

And here's a photo of why I'm so intent on working back. As I wrote earlier, I don't think you should see your ribs from the back!

I'm a bit dismayed at seeing my ribs from this angle. Egads!

Here's the new Tuesday/Friday workout:

The 70% Workout

I actually went to the gym yesterday (Monday) morning and did a mild 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (translates to 3.12 miles). While I didn't get that wonderful endorphin rush from cranking it for 5 miles, I felt mildly flushed and warm. Only the specter of extended productive coughing kept me from trying harder. I kept my sets and weights moderate and didn't get tired. I bench pressed on the Smith machine, worked delts and triceps with the same weights, but less actual sets just to ease into things. Sadly, abdominals winded me enough to precipitate some mild coughing. I just have to bring more tissues.

Here's the Modified Monday workout:

High Hopes

It's Sunday night and I'm looking forward to getting my butt to the gym tomorrow after I put my son on the school bus. Never mind that I haven't been able to shake my head cold. The doc I saw last week assured me that I'd be better by the weekend, but if I wasn't, he'd sent a Rx for antibiotics to my pharmacy. I'm not better. And as much as I'd like to rely on zinc, vitamin C and chicken soup, a week's too long to blow gobs of pea soup out of your head. I'm certainly not worried about being contagious -- neither my son nor my husband have even a sniffle.

My husband assures me that I won't actually be as weak as I fear. I'm concerned I won't be able to even do a pushup. Last time I tried, I managed to squeak out 50, although I admit the last 5 were really hard. I've got my gym bag packed and the alarm set. Keeping my fingers crossed and my hopes high!

Why do it?

I know some of you might be wondering why I'm pushing myself so hard when after all, I'm middle-aged and probably should have other priorities. But one of the things that bothers me is that I wonder if I'll live as long as my grandmother (she lived to be 93) and be healthier. Yeah sure, us tail-end Baby Boomers automatically assume better health and living through modern science and technology, but my own parents didn't live to see old age (my mom just shy of her 70th birthday and my dad at 73). And I know genetics plays a part in how healthy you are, and how old you'll live to be, but I've got a young child. I'd really like to see him grow up and perhaps have his own kids. How old will I be when he does that? And will I be able to take care of myself? I'm not talking about aging gracefully and quietly. Oh hell, Dylan Thomas comes to mind with the infamous:

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I'm 52 years old and I figure I got another 30-40 years if I'm lucky and I take good care of myself. My hair cutter told me that once she hit menopause, it was really hard for her to lose weight and keep herself the shape she wanted to be. (Men just don't have that issue, never mind all the infomercials for male menopause products.) I figure, let me do this now before my body starts making it really hard for me to accomplish what I want. We're all lead to believe that we can postpone our destiny so we have children later (I didn't even try to have my son until I was 44, figuring if it was meant to be, it'd happen, and it happened a lot quicker than I thought it would), marry later, do everything later, thinking we'll have time to get to it.

So I'm always surprised to read the obits of people my age or slightly older, or egads, younger. But I'm a firm believer that you have to make time to exercise, to do enough cardio to condition your body for a long life, to build muscles (and bone density) so that you have a body that is strong enough to support a life of independence. Nothing pains me more than to hear some of my guilt-laden friends worry about caring for their ancient ailing parents. I think I'm actually lucky that my parents died before they got too old or too infirmed. Old age is only a blessing if it's coupled with good health.

The Big Push

Today would've been a leg day in my new routine, but as I am still sick (aarg!) with a positively heinous sinus infection, I'm staying home until I can at least leave the house without feeling like my head is slosh full of thick pea soup.

When I get back to the gym, I'll start with my all out favorite: A Push Day. That's basically bench press for chest (pecs), arms (triceps) and shoulders (deltoids), followed by some lighter dumbbell work because arms and shoulders can handle a lot of work.

I've been told that I do a hard workout. All I know is that I'm used to going to near-failure, and since I don't use a spot (someone to help me if I fail), I'd rather go with more repetitions (and feel a fatigue burn) than go heavy (and potentially destroy my joints or ligaments). Keep in mind that I'm a petite (4'11.5", 106 lb) middle-age (52 yrs) mom, and I spent the last year shedding 20 lbs.

I hope I haven't maxxed out size- or strength-wise but it's totally up to one's genetic capacity.

For us small ladies, we don't tend to show huge muscles in the pectorals region, but they do make a difference in our appearance, adding depth to the chest especially from the collar bone down, and let's face it, it's a big ego boost to be able to knock out effortless pushups. It's also a big ego boost when you can bench press more than your body weight, and no, you don't have to look like a power lifter to do that. Trust me!

I admit it's a bit difficult to both lose weight (fat), and increase lean muscle mass which is only apparent when your endurance and strength improve. I've hit a plateau with my Smith machine bench press: I can only get 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions at 135 lbs. So I will continue to bench this at least once a week until I can get 3 full sets of 12-15 reps before I up the weights. I will also continue to do Decline Bench Presses (to build fullness in the lower pecs for us smaller gals). If you're "well-endowed", then Inclined Bench Presses might work to add fullness, but with smaller busted women, that just leads to a really weird profile, and no, I've never considered "augmenting", although, when you lose a lot of bodyfat, well, we small ladies do get a lot smaller.

But so often I see women who seem afraid to use barbells, afraid to lift heavy, afraid to get sweaty (egads, are you wearing makeup to the gym?!), afraid to look as if they're exerting any effort at all. Sorry, but why exactly are you here?

Original Recipe

Here's a chart with some details to my workout routine for the last 6 months. My apologies if it's hard to read — next time I'll be more specific and the chart will be smaller. I'm about to modify my routine though, in order to accommodate more of a leg workout, and to maintain my new weight. I'm also hoping to put a little size on my back (lats). But of course, joint issues are my weak links so I'll have to just see how well I can adapt.