Big O, Ike, and myself worked Chest and Triceps today. It was an awesome workout and with the three day break, I was able to do more... at least early in the workout. We started on the dreaded bench press and I can see some improvement. I'm not about to get cocky though, because Ike was putting up over 300 lbs and Big O was pretty close behind him. Taking the weights off and putting them back on for these guys is hard work all by itself. It would be easier if we had an additional person who wasn't doing so much weight so we could workout out in two groups of two. Unfortunately, nobody I know that lives nearby is willing to go to the gym as consistently as we do. Having an even numbered group would speed things up as well.
Our tricep sets were good as always and I went to failure on one of the exercises. It is strange that in weight lifting failure is sometimes a good thing. After the workout was over, Ike and I decided to run the 2 miles back to our apartment complex. It was a struggle for Ike who hasn't run in years. He also has to carry an extra 100 pounds compared to me, which I can only imagine as very difficult over long distances. He has a good attitude and will probably improve very quickly if we continue to run.
I'm due for a photo or video next post. To avoid boringness, I have attached a video of my favorite bodybuilder, Ronnie Coleman. I admire all these professional bodybuilders for the hard work they put in over very long periods of time, but the thing that I love about Big Ron are his catchphrases. My personal favorites are:
-"Light Weight Baby!"
-"Ain't nuthin' to it but to do it."
-"Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to [insert whatever he is doing here, i.e. 'lift this heavy ass weight' or 'do these lunges']."
-"GOTTA GET GEEKED!"
As a side note, Big O's catchphrases are:
-"Big Boy's Got It!"
-"Give me sport!"
When I get big, maybe I'll think of a couple... Yelling out these things wouldn't be as cool while rocking out with the 25lb dumbbells..
-J
7.07.2009
J: Update...
Yo... We haven't been able to work out for three days in a row and I feel bad about it. I've been staying active through running, softball, and ab work at home, but nothing can replace the feeling of doing a workout at the gym...
We should be hitting it hard tomorrow, and I'll post up afterward.
Peace,
J
We should be hitting it hard tomorrow, and I'll post up afterward.
Peace,
J
7.05.2009
J: Day015 - Back and Biceps
We decided to go to the gym and work out back and biceps on July 4th. Despite my expectations, there were quite a few people lifting weights and upstairs doing cardio. Apparently, "fitness takes no holidays."
Anyways, the workout went well and Big O introduced some new exercises from his book. The sets we did were deceptively difficult. I found myself much more tired after some of the back sets than I would have thought possible. It is a bit strange working out the back when not doing so on machines. The set of back extensions was especially grueling:
According to the above video, the exercise requires a bent back, but we kept ours straight throughout. There was no pain involved, just a bit of a lightheaded feeling and fatigue afterward.
July 5th we took off and I just rested. I remain sore from previous days and hopefully this day off will help me hit the gym hard tomorrow morning.
Until then,
J
Anyways, the workout went well and Big O introduced some new exercises from his book. The sets we did were deceptively difficult. I found myself much more tired after some of the back sets than I would have thought possible. It is a bit strange working out the back when not doing so on machines. The set of back extensions was especially grueling:
According to the above video, the exercise requires a bent back, but we kept ours straight throughout. There was no pain involved, just a bit of a lightheaded feeling and fatigue afterward.
July 5th we took off and I just rested. I remain sore from previous days and hopefully this day off will help me hit the gym hard tomorrow morning.
Until then,
J
7.03.2009
J: Day014 - Chest and Triceps
Big O's Big Workout Book
Even though the book is titled and geared towards men, I'm sure women would find the information inside very valuable.
Forgot to mention that yesterday we didn't go to the gym and I stayed at home and worked abs... It has been a while since I last did that and the workout was very difficult for me to complete. I may start doing three times per week...
7.01.2009
J: Day012 - Shoulders
Yo. I was planning on putting another video post up, but for the sake of variety and the need to not be late for work this morning, I'm going with straight text...
This morning Big O and I worked out shoulders. Shoulder days are a lot of fun, but the challenge lies in the fact that we only work out one muscle group. We haven't worked out legs in over a week, but even in that workout the upper legs and lower legs seem to have different excersices which allows the resting group to recover. Shoulders might have similar groups, but I feel as though my energy level drops throughout the course of the workout. Hopefully more time in the gym will add endurance so I can continue to do the highest quality sets for the duration of the hour.
The most difficult excercise was a type of shoulder fly movement that I found very challenging (coming near the end also did not help). Rather than standing straight up and flying straight to the side or straight forward, we went into a bent over posture and did shoulder flys straight up... Not sure if it is a different muscle alltogether, the different posture, and/or fatigue, but I was only able to do about 60% of what I use for the other two types of shoulder fly motions.
Another cool machine we get to use on shoulder days is the cable cross machine. It looks like some sort of medieval mechanism, but it is very simple to use. From what I've read and observed in terms of how often people used it, it seems to be much more useful and versatile than the Smith Machine:
It's Day 12 already and I am about due to weigh myself and get my unofficial body fat percentage from my scale. Maybe I'll throw a photo in as well for the next post...
-J
This morning Big O and I worked out shoulders. Shoulder days are a lot of fun, but the challenge lies in the fact that we only work out one muscle group. We haven't worked out legs in over a week, but even in that workout the upper legs and lower legs seem to have different excersices which allows the resting group to recover. Shoulders might have similar groups, but I feel as though my energy level drops throughout the course of the workout. Hopefully more time in the gym will add endurance so I can continue to do the highest quality sets for the duration of the hour.
The most difficult excercise was a type of shoulder fly movement that I found very challenging (coming near the end also did not help). Rather than standing straight up and flying straight to the side or straight forward, we went into a bent over posture and did shoulder flys straight up... Not sure if it is a different muscle alltogether, the different posture, and/or fatigue, but I was only able to do about 60% of what I use for the other two types of shoulder fly motions.
Another cool machine we get to use on shoulder days is the cable cross machine. It looks like some sort of medieval mechanism, but it is very simple to use. From what I've read and observed in terms of how often people used it, it seems to be much more useful and versatile than the Smith Machine:
It's Day 12 already and I am about due to weigh myself and get my unofficial body fat percentage from my scale. Maybe I'll throw a photo in as well for the next post...
-J
6.30.2009
J: Day 011 - Back and Biceps / Smith Machine
DRE seems to be momentarily missing in action... I haven't talked to her since she chewed me out (this is typical) for not commenting on her posts. Hopefully she comes back! -J
6.29.2009
J: Day010 - Chest and Triceps
Here's a photo of the Smith Machine:
P.S. - Why does YouTube ALWAYS pause my videos when I look stupid?
6.22.2009
Day004 - After Workout
Today was my fourth consecutive day of working out and my triceps are very sore as are my calves. I am starting to wonder how this will effect my abilities when I actually try to use my muscles in other activities. I have a softball game tomorrow evening and wonder if I'll be able to move and throw normally... Guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes.
We worked out back and biceps today which allowed me to use some of the machines I've been wanting to get on. Like the previous two workouts, I tried to pace myself and save some energy for the final sets. This is a difficult thing for me to do because I want to get everything out of each set and sometimes might push myself too hard too early. Everything went about as well as I can expect given my experience level and, unfortunately, I needed some spots on the last two exercises we did (21s and Preacher Curls). While I went to failure on my last set of Preacher Curls, I was happy with my general effort and look forward to continuing the work tomorrow.
I still haven't gotten my camera back, but will probably do so today after work... There is something to be said about those who write out their thoughts, but I'd much rather just turn on my camera and talk. Hopefully the next entry is in video... and hopefully DRE posts something in the mean time! If not, I might have to change the name of the blog.
We worked out back and biceps today which allowed me to use some of the machines I've been wanting to get on. Like the previous two workouts, I tried to pace myself and save some energy for the final sets. This is a difficult thing for me to do because I want to get everything out of each set and sometimes might push myself too hard too early. Everything went about as well as I can expect given my experience level and, unfortunately, I needed some spots on the last two exercises we did (21s and Preacher Curls). While I went to failure on my last set of Preacher Curls, I was happy with my general effort and look forward to continuing the work tomorrow.
I still haven't gotten my camera back, but will probably do so today after work... There is something to be said about those who write out their thoughts, but I'd much rather just turn on my camera and talk. Hopefully the next entry is in video... and hopefully DRE posts something in the mean time! If not, I might have to change the name of the blog.
6.21.2009
Day003 - After Workout
I just got back from the 24 hour fitness center near my apartment. Big O and I just worked out our shoulders as promised and my expectation of intensity was met in reality. While the specific exercises were completely different, I applied the lesson I took from Day 1 and tried to pace myself with the entire workout in mind.
The two exercises which were the most difficult for me to complete today were the shoulder press and shrugs. Shrugs seemed to look very simple while I watched Big O complete a few as examples. However, I found it difficult to not rotate my shoulders back and put my chest out. Doing so apparently doesn't isolate the shoulders like going straight up and down does. The latter motion is less natural and took some getting used to, but it feels like something that I will pick up on. Shoulder presses were difficult simply because I haven't developed my arms to the point where they can steadily handle weight...especially above my head.
Working out three consecutive days in a row has been a shock to my system. It has allowed me to sleep better than I usually do and given me a goal each day. However, it has also caused difficulty getting into cars or putting shampoo on my hair because of soreness... Hopefully it goes away after I become acclimated to lifting weights. I should get my camera back tomorrow morning at work, so my next post will likely be in a video format...
The two exercises which were the most difficult for me to complete today were the shoulder press and shrugs. Shrugs seemed to look very simple while I watched Big O complete a few as examples. However, I found it difficult to not rotate my shoulders back and put my chest out. Doing so apparently doesn't isolate the shoulders like going straight up and down does. The latter motion is less natural and took some getting used to, but it feels like something that I will pick up on. Shoulder presses were difficult simply because I haven't developed my arms to the point where they can steadily handle weight...especially above my head.
Working out three consecutive days in a row has been a shock to my system. It has allowed me to sleep better than I usually do and given me a goal each day. However, it has also caused difficulty getting into cars or putting shampoo on my hair because of soreness... Hopefully it goes away after I become acclimated to lifting weights. I should get my camera back tomorrow morning at work, so my next post will likely be in a video format...
Day002 Recap / Day003 Before Workout
I left my camera at a friend's place, and didn't get it back last night like I planned... so no video for Day 2. My friend/trainer (Big O), and I worked legs yesterday and it went a quite bit better than our Day 1 workout. I was still intimidated by going to the gym and being surrounded by guys who are all substantially stronger than I am. It may be my disdain for being poor at something (I'd rather just avoid the situation) or taking part in an activity outside my comfort zone.
The workout itself was intense as I expected. Before the workout, I was most apprehensive about doing squats. This is something I saw football players doing while I was getting weighed back in my cross-country days and always thought that it would be very difficult. With the encouragement and good advice of Big O, I was able to go through the motions. Although it was difficult and completely new to me, I felt like it was wonderful for working out the legs and I can see myself improving over time. Hopefully I will be able to improve my form for all the exercises we do, but I want to focus most on those which utilize free weights as there is no guide other than muscle memory.
Since I don't have my camera, I feel a need to add some additional form of media other than plain text to this post. Attached here is a photo I took a couple of days ago to show where I was when I started this whole process. As you can tell, I didn't know where to look or whether to smile or not, so I went with a blank stare off into space look:
Perhaps when I begin to notice changes in my general shape I'll add another photo...
Later this afternoon I'll be working out shoulders with Big O. I have no idea what kind of exercises we'll be doing and I assume the workout will be intense. Expect a report after we're through...
The workout itself was intense as I expected. Before the workout, I was most apprehensive about doing squats. This is something I saw football players doing while I was getting weighed back in my cross-country days and always thought that it would be very difficult. With the encouragement and good advice of Big O, I was able to go through the motions. Although it was difficult and completely new to me, I felt like it was wonderful for working out the legs and I can see myself improving over time. Hopefully I will be able to improve my form for all the exercises we do, but I want to focus most on those which utilize free weights as there is no guide other than muscle memory.
Since I don't have my camera, I feel a need to add some additional form of media other than plain text to this post. Attached here is a photo I took a couple of days ago to show where I was when I started this whole process. As you can tell, I didn't know where to look or whether to smile or not, so I went with a blank stare off into space look:
Perhaps when I begin to notice changes in my general shape I'll add another photo...
Later this afternoon I'll be working out shoulders with Big O. I have no idea what kind of exercises we'll be doing and I assume the workout will be intense. Expect a report after we're through...
6.19.2009
6.18.2009
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