Just a quickie update from the world's least regular blogger!

Well, last time I remember writing, I had just started the Stronglifts program.  I've been following this pretty regularly (and my blog is a good example of how consistent I can be when I really put my mind to it... really, it is!).  So, I'll give a bit of an update about this and whatever else pops into my head.  And I have a photo montage to upload, which is probably the main reason I've popped back here!

The lifts I do with Stronglifts are squats, overhead press (OHP), deadlifts (DL), benchpress (BP) and row (which is actually a pendlay row, and not easy!).  My progression (or not) for these are as follows:

Squats - each session I do 5 sets of 5 reps. 
Starting weight - 20kg (the olympic bar).  Current weight - body weight

 

(from http://cheezburger.com/3908076032)



So, what happened was this.  I built up to 32.5kg, but I noticed that my form was shit, so I deloaded back to 25kg.  And it was still shit.  So, I showed my Crossfit Personal Trainer, and she noticed how I was losing control of the squat before I got anywhere near parallel, so I've dropped right back to work on building up the muscle and neuro connections to get it right.  So I got stronger and then crapped it!  But I don't give up, I will beat the squat!  Here's my dodgy squat, before it got dodgier!

OHP - again, it's 5 sets of 5 reps

Starting weight - I couldn't lift the olympic bar to start off with!  So I started with a weighted bar of 17kg.

Current weight - 20kg, ie the bar!  Yay...

It's really hard! You wouldn't think it would be so hard to get a bar over your head, but it sure is!  I think it's because I'm just a wuss in the rest of my life - desk job, don't lift things much at all... Anyways, there's been progression.

DL - 1 x 5 (1 set of 5) for these

Starting weight - 30kg (I had to balance the weights on top of a couple of other weights to get it high enough off the ground to be in the right spot!

Current weight - 60kg.  Oh yeah, I feel so badass about that!  I'm hoping to be able to lift the equivalent of my bodyweight by the end of August.... I'll let you know how I go with that one!

BP - 5x5

Starting weight - 20kg (ie the bar) I could lift it in this move, just not the OHP

Current weight - 30kg for 1x5, then 1x3.  Then I had to deload to 27.5kg... I'll just keep trying to build up to manage the 30kg for the whole session.

Row - 5x5

Starting weight - 25kg.  Again, with the weights sitting up higher.  This time, I used the legs of a step (from step-aerobics)!

Current weight - 35kg.  I've had good progression with this one.  And the DLs.  They've both steadily increased without problem.  So far!  And here's a video of me doing these - cool, huh! 

Anyways, I started this program on 18th June, but I had visited the gym for a few weeks before I was brave enough to start the program.  I did some program that they gym dude put together for me a few times, but I was really aiming to do Stronglifts.  I suppose the first couple of weeks was getting over my fear of the gym.  And it worked!  I know to go early and I'll have the place pretty much to myself.  And that makes me happy.  No waiting for the squat rack or bench :)  Not that I'm a bad sharer or anything.... LOL.

So, here's my update pic, showing some progression in my physicality.  I can't see alot of change, but there's a little bit.  Some change in the back, under the bikini top line, and a bit in the belly.  Strangely, I've put on 2 kilos in this time (grrrr), which can't all be muscle.  I think I can see this in my thighs?  What do you reckon? 

Other stuff in my life... Well, we went to Darwin.  It was pretty fun.  And we had lots of yummy food and saw awesome things and rode the bike and had a flat and waited 4 FUCKING HOURS to be picked up by the bike hire peeps, made friends with Blahblah the black cockatoo, and other cool things like this:

We spent an evening in Canberra at the Hyatt as a special treat.  I took my OH to see Bernard Fanning, and we had to indulge in High Tea since we were in such a posh place:

And finally, I bought a really really cool hat:

That's it from me.  I hope to catch up with you sometime soon.  I'll keep you up to date with my progressions, particularly those evil squats!

Stronglifts and me

Wow, it's been a very long time since I posted here. So much has happened, so much blubber has been lost, so many km run, ridden, flown, driven, kayaked and walked over.  I'm not even going to bother updating on all the details.  If anybody reads this and is interested, you can find out the gory details on my weight watchers blog - A Noodle Do and a Noodle Don't. I moved over there for blogging because it guaranteed me some readers! But now I don't care about that, I'm not following the WW system and it's time to keep track of my new focus and new adventures.

I've been interested in weight training for ages, but kinda been too chicken to get started on it. I have eased myself into it, I suppose, as I've been receiving Personal Training over the last couple of years from trainers who follow the Crossfit philosophy.  First trainer worked from her garage and it was not so scary. She wasn't gung-ho about Crossfit, just used weights and that style of exercise.  Then she moved town and I was all alone again.  So I faced my fear of gyms and checked out he new Crossfit gym nearby. As I was nervously talking to the owner, I said "I think I know you", and it turns out I used to teach her! Yay! Not so scary.  And I've since out (from experience) that she's a better fitness trainer than she was a Child Studies student! Double yay!!

So, my strength and fitness has been improving from these weekly sessions of Crossfit Personal Training and now I'm ready for the next step.  It might make sense to start doing the Crossfit WODs (workout of the day) but I just like my gym focus to be all about me. The competitive nature of Crossfit freaks me out, and I am not ready for this yet, so I've been researching and googling and came across the Stronglifts 5x5 method of training. The writing style of the guy who promotes it shits me to tears - he's such a Neanderthal - but the program just makes sense.  And I found a group on My Fitness Pal that supports each other in developing strength from this program...  So 4 weeks ago, I started it.  Of course, being me, I can't follow it exactly.  It's supposed to be 3 days a week, but I only have 2 days I can do it - there's no way I'm giving up my PT, she flogs my arse and it's fun ;).  So I do SL (Stronglifts) 2 mornings a week before work.  Oh, and I have already had 2 weeks off as I'm just back from a holiday on Darwin.  I might post some pics of it another day, if I remember that I've come back to this blog!

I took some pics of me before I started at the new gym.  It's just a daggy small, local gym, with old equipment and mostly used by class attenders.  At the time of the morning I go, there are 3 people, so no meat-heads to intimidate me.  And nobody to spot for me, but at this stage, there's no issues there! I aim to lift heavy, but for now, I'm lifting the bar (20kg) and a smattering of weights, but nothing substantial.  But I will get there...  Anyway, back to the pics.  I've posted them below, and I hope to keep track of any developments or change in my strength and body composition by taking bi-monthly photos.  I hope I can see change.  I really want to retrain myself away from focusing on my weight on the scale (which can be so negative and fluctuates heaps depending on the weather, time of the month, water retention, how much food I've been eating- haha- and stuff) to how much I can lift.  And hey, I'm 47, I want to make sure my bone density is nice and thick to keep me upright for another 40 or 50 years.  Or until the zombie apocalypse when I'm sure to be infected early on.  I know I'll trip over or walk bang into the open choppers of a passing zom.  It's just how I roll!