I Can Do Better

Tonight was deadlift night. Here's what I did:
RACK PULLS:
95lb x10
135lb x10
185lb x10
135lb x10
95lb x10
••••••••••
CHEST PULLS / PUSH UPS:
60lb x10 / x10
80lb x10 / x10
100lb x10 / x10
••••••••••
GOOD MORNINGS:
Bar x10
55lb x10
65lb x 10
••••••••••
10 minutes on the treadmill, various inclines and speeds.
••••••••••
I know that I haven't lifted in a while, but I really need to up the intensity level. Once again, I'm feeling that I could give a little more; try a little harder. Tomorrow is our rest day, but I still may do the treadmill.

There's Always Some Weird Pain

Tonight was the first night back on our 4 day split. Monday is bench day, so here's what I managed:
BENCH:
Bar 1.5 rep from top x10
Bar 1.5 rep from bottom x10
65lb x8
75lb x4
(85lb x10 / 45lb DB row x5 ea.) 5x
••••••••••
CHEST FLIES:
(15lb x15) 4x
••••••••••
SEAL ROWS:
(30lb x10) 4x
••••••••••
30 minutes on treadmill. Pre-programmed routine of hills and speeds. incline went between 3 & 6 and speeds went between 3mph & 4mph. I changed the speed, however, for the last 4 minutes and kept it at 4mph. The last 30seconds I upped it to 5mph and then at 10 seconds I upped it to 6mph.
••••••••••
I was happy to be back on the program and then my friggin shoulder decided that an old injury would pop in for a visit. I pulled my shoulder years ago doing stupid things with a kettle bell and I think the month of swings and things aggravated it or something. There isn't a lot of pain, but enough to be naggy and annoying. I hadn't planned on heavy weight tonight anyhow, so it's all good. I threw the treadmill in as a finisher because It'll help get rid of these extra pounds that need to go. All in all, it's good to be back!

I Haven't Done Squat

This past Monday i had my post-op follow up at the doctor. Everything is good and she gave me the all clear to do light exercise, but still no heavy lifting for another couple of weeks. I had jumped on the treadmill a couple of times and did one of the pre-programmed workouts. It goes up and down hills, sppeds up, slows down, etc. It's pretty good and it may be low impact, but it gets your heart pumping for 30 minutes. But I've been missing the bar. So tonight I decided I would squat. I did and aside from being out of shape, everything felt pretty damn good. Here's tonight's work. 

**Side note: you'll see something that I'm calling "coach's choice" I'll explain that at the end of the notes.**

••••••••••

BACK SQUATS:

(Bar x10) 2x

75lb x 10

85lb x10

Coach's Choice Bar x 1 minute

••••••••••

GOOD MORNINGS:

Bar x10

••••••••••

JUST FOR GIGGLES:

30lb DB curls x5 / 30lb DB OH Press x5

45lb DB OH Press x2 right side, FAILED on left side

25lb zottman curls x5

••••••••••

The curls really were just for fun, but it illustrates a definite imbalance in strength from one side to the other. Now that I know I can squat without issue and move without discomfort, I'm thinking it's OK to get back on my 4 day split like I was doing. OK, so now for "coach's choice". Basically, your partner is your coach. They tell you "high", "low" or "medium" and that's where you squat to. So if they start by saying low, then you go all the way to bottom. If they then say medium, then you only come half way up, etc. You don't move until they tell you to, so they can have you pause for as long as they want. It's fun and it's a good finisher. 

Tonight was testing the waters and I'm pleased. Now I can get back to a program and get my fat ass back on track. As it stands now, I need to drop about 25lbs. Totally doable.

What's Your Problem?

There are times, I swear, that I'm stuck in a video loop. I face the same issues, the same setbacks, the same hurdles. And every time I face those same obstacles, I plop down, defeated and wonder what I'm doing wrong. I'm not kidding, I'm an idiot. If I could pop out of my body and face myself, I'd tell myself the same thing, "you're a fucking idiot, you know."
Then I'd get pissed at myself for being a jerk, storm off in anger, and come back in 10 minutes when I realized I was an idiot, and then apologize. (refer to older posts when I warned you I was neurotic).
So I thought it may be helpful to make a list of problems and a list of possible solutions, or at least pathways to solutions. Sometimes, it can be helpful to write things down and make them "real", as opposed to just gauzy thoughts that fade away as soon as your mind turns. Here is my list of problems and solutions. I'm totally winging this right now, so forgive me if it's disjointed and sloppy. I don't even know if I'll have solutions to all the problems. This will be a work in progress, let's say.
PROBLEM - Overweight
SOLUTION - Cut out junk and most processed carbs. Definitely up the vegie intake as well as lean protein. Chicken, chicken, chicken!
PROBLEM - Not working out
SOLUTION - Get back to 4 days a week lifting. Granted, there was a medical excuse just recently, but that's not an issue anymore. Also, I need to be much more disciplined at maintaining the intensity level of my workouts. I have a tendency to ease up on myself lately and I HATE that!
You know, that's really all I've got right now. Those are the two biggest problems with my life. Now, they're very much oversimplified here, but that's OK. I'm calling myself out. The only person I have to  hold my feet to the fire is Frank, but he's like me so sometimes we tend to fall into the same detrimental patterns. At the end of the day, all I have, really is me. Maybe setting reminders on my phone would help too. And maybe reminders to eat good. Honestly, eating poorly is a bigger problem for me than training. I'm a food addict, fo' sho'.
Well, 2 problems identified and 2 solutions identified. I'm still food prepping on Sundays so that good options are available quickly in the fridge. This week I fell short on snack options though, so I went right back to junk. Of course I felt like crap and felt guilty, which made me depressed, which made me want to eat me. Of course. 
I guess that's enough for now. 

Band Aid Brigade......Again

It was 12 days ago that I went in for my day surgery. I went in thinking I was losing an ovarian cyst. I ended up losing the cyst, the ovary and the fallopian tube. I had quite a bit of discomfort directly following the surgery. The next day, I felt pretty good so I thought it would be a great time to go buy chicken food. You know, the 35lb bag of chicken food that was exacly 25lb more than what I was uposed to be lifting. Needless to say the rest of that day and the next I was fairly sore. Still only had to take 2 of the 800mg ibuprofen that they had given me. I decided to stop being an idiot and rest. Who would have guessed that was the best course of action? Anyhoo.....the pain left, the glue filling my bellybutton fell out, the glue holding my skin together flaked and peeled away (all except some annoyinh little "string" that's sticking out of my left side), and I'm feeling well. So tonight I decided to start back into some light, very light, weight training. I haven't gotten the official OK, my appointment isn't until next Monday, but I'm getting sore from being stagnant. Tonight we benched. Here's what I did:
BENCH:
[bar (full rep x10/ 1.5 rep x10)] 
bar x20
INCLINED BENCH:
(bar x10) 3x
And that was it. See, I didn't go all crazy (a couple of people had expressed concern). It felt good. I can't say I really wanted to do more. But what I did didn't cause any issues. The only time there was any hint of anything being different was when I first got into the bench position and scooted my butt back, there was a very slight pull on my right hand side. I'm pleased. I'm going to keep the weight at minimal amounts and stay away from anything that stresses the core too much. Definitely no squatting or deads until I get the official OK. But upper body should be fine.

(That pic is my property. Wanna use it? Pay me and I'll let you ;) )

All Protein Powders Are Not Created Equal

I've used protein powders on and off for quite awhile now. I've always used them in conjunction with weight training and always as a supplement. When I got away from regular training, I also backed off on the protein - there was simply no need for it. Protein shakes seemed to always be in the realm of "body building bros" and most people were uneducated as to just what they were, myself included. These days, I see more advertisements for all manner of supplements, especially protein powders, but I also see more people confused as to just what the hell they're supposed to be doing with it. And it doesn't help that there are so damn many versions and brands of protein powders. It's confusing as hell.

This past week, I was given a tub of plant-based protein powder from a co-worker. I decided I would give it a try and give my own review and thoughts on it. Now, bear in mind, I'm no expert! I'm not a nutrionist. I'm just a schmoe trying to schlep my way through the fitness life. All that in mind, here we go!

Orgain Organic Protein is the powder I was given. The flavor was Creamy Chocolate Fudge.

I used the suggested serving of 2 scoops in 12oz of water. I just used a spoon to mix, no blender or shaker container. My thoughts? It was gritty and tasted like artificial chocolate cardboard. So, you know, just as expected. How did it make me feel? I drank it at breakfast and within an hour I was feeling hungry again. It didn't feel satisfying at all. I say this because this type of protein powder isn't really meant as a muscle gainer. It has an ok amount of protein, but nothing to really write home about. It's low-calorie and also contains a decent amount of fiber. This is the type of protein powder that I would say is more suitable for a meal-replacement to help lose weight. But because it doesn't give me a satisfied feeling, I'd definitely find it hard not to snack.

The protein powder I had currently been using was GNC Pure Isolate

When we adjust the amounts to equal out the serving sizes between the 2 brands, the GNC powder has nearly twice the amount of protein. In one scoop, there's 25g, as opposed to 10.5 in the Orgain powder. It has slightly less carbs, 3g as opposed to 4.5g. However, there's no fiber and the calories are almost doubled at 120 calories per scoop. So the GNC powder is best used as pure muscle-building supplement and definitely not a way to lose weight

Another caveat with protein powders is that the liquid you mix them with, along with any added ingredients, can pack on the calories, fat and carbs. So you have to be carfeul! It's very easy to fall into the trap of making "healthy" protein smoothies. You forget to add in all the extra carbs from that hefty plop of yogurt. Oh, and you used fruit juice instead of water? Yeah, you might as well have just used soda. That's why, even with healthy supplements, it's extremely important to use the correct measurements and keep track of your macros.

At the end of the day, it all just boils down to knowing what the hell you're looking to do. Is weightloss your goal or is your goal to gain muscle and mass? Once you know that, then you can narrow down your search of the proper protein powder and use it correctly and honestly.

Stick To The Plan

     Yesterday I had some minor day surgery. It sucked, but it's over and I'm down one ovary. Now it's time to heal and recover and it's looking like it may be a couple of weeks before I can truly get back to lifting. As of right now I have a 10lb weight restriction. To be honest, it's not bothering me that I can't work out right now - I'm friggin sore. 
     This may actually be a good opportunity to work on bettering my diet. I can't eat crap and not train because that's just asking for weight gain. There is no secret to losing weight. Calories in have to be less than calories burned. There has to be a caloric deficit. While the theory may be straightforward, the practice is where the struggle comes in.
     I'm going to spend some time while I'm at home to go back through all of my recipes and set up some menus. I'm definitely a person that does much better when I'm just following directions! After I get all the recipes figured out, then I'll be doing shopping to make sure we have enough. I can't tell you how many times I've done grocery shopping and half way though the week I'm out of healthy foods. That's when I turn to quick, easy, junk. Planning is super important to succeeding. You've got to have a clear vision of what you want your trajectory to be. You have to have some idea of what the bigger picture is, what you're goals are and how you're going to make it all happen. The only way to do that is by putting some time aside to write stuff down and plan it out!