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  I change the workout on a weekly basis to ensure that no muscle group is getting hit the same way twice. In most cases I “superset” the exercise. For example after completing a set of Lateral Raises, I immediately begin Front Raises, then rest 90 seconds and repeat. For those curious few with too much free time on their hands, here is a sample:

Monday – Shoulders & Back – November 18
3 sets of 12 reps

Shoulder Press – 50/70/90/100lbs.
Upright Row – 40/50/60
Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 10/10/10
Dumbbell Front Raises – 7.5/10/15
Barbell Bent Row – 70/70/80
Seated Row – 60/70/80
Rear Deltoid – 10/10/10
Assisted Chin-Up – 120/110/100
Lateral Raises – 30/45/75
Rear Deltoid (Back) – 75/60/60
Pullovers – 75/90/110
V-Bar Row – 35/45/45
Chest Press – 95/95/95

Wednesday – Legs – November 20
3-4 sets of 12 reps

Leg Extensions – 30/45/105/120lbs.
Leg Press – 225/315/405/495
Leg Curl – 30/40/50
Lunges – 50/50/50
Leg Extensions (Hammerstrength) – 55/65/65
Calf Raises – 45/55/60 (20 reps)
Ball Squats – 15/15/15 reps
“Wall Sits” – 3 sets to muscle failure

Friday – Chest & Arms – November 22
3 sets of 12 reps

Ball Pushups (hands on balls) - 19/15/15 reps
Ball Dips (legs on ball) – 15/15/15 reps
Incline Press – 50/70/90 lbs.
Biceps – 35/45/55
Dumbbell Chest Press – 40/42.5/45
Dumbbell Bicep Curl – 17.5/20/20
Decline Press – 95/105/115
Pec Flys – 60/75/90
Barbell Bicep Curls – 40/50/40

posted at 12:37 PM

  The legs, I keep reminding myself, are among the largest muscles in the body, and by that calculus they are, in effect, engines of fat burning. (Larger muscles require more energy, which they get from fat, etc. etc. etc.) I keep reminding myself of this while I'm gasping on the floor, heaving for breath, fighting back exhaustion-related panic after my latest set. Squats, enemy mine, I shall vanquish thee.

Leg exercises are the price I pay for chest and arm exercises on Friday. Or as I like to call Friday: "big money day." Makes no sense, I know, but it's one of those cocky, hip euphemisms that one is expected to toss off when one is strapped into a medieval apparatus.

There were two small rays of light in an otherwise miserable session. The first is that I now require straps when doing deadlifts. Straps are basically burlap ropes that I use to lash myself to the bar in the way that a sailor might lash himself to a mast to keep from being swept overboard in a storm. In my case, the weight I'm lifting has exceeded the strength of my forearms and I now require a boost. To the uninitiated this may seem like silly nonsense, but for me it's a big deal. Straps are "big league". (Actually squatting 500 lbs is "big league" but for purposes of motivation, I've broken the "big league" into manageable, bite-sized chunks.)

The second is that I made a baby's step worth of progress on squats. The staff at the gym have allowed me to take a half-step back when doing squats and ruled that my form is sufficiently good enough that I'm not stressing my lower back. What this means is that I feel like I have control over the weight instead of being constantly on the verge of slipping and falling backwards. That makes the squats do-able. The downside of that is that they (literally) kick my ass - especially now that I've upped my sets to 4.

The staff also has me trying out "duck walks" which is something that drill instructors do to punish recruits in boot camp. Basically it involves walking 20 paces in a squat position with your legs kicking out to the side as if you were a Cossack dancer. There's a deserted hallway near the water fountain where I do this routine. Anyone with a shred of pride (read: most of the men at the gym) wouldn't be caught dead doing this in front of a crowded gym full of their peers. I'll stock up on pride once I've got the results part taken care of so.....more duck walking for me.

To give you some indication of what I'm going through, last night I had trouble getting dressed in the locker room: my legs were shaking so much, I thought I was going to collapse. This morning I feel like I've been shot in the thighs. Gah!

posted at 10:05 AM

  Gave myself an adult-sized "time out" today at work. My attitude had gone from grouchy to hostile and that's not acceptable. Better that I should correct it, rather than have it pointed out to be a boss or co-worker. It comes as no surprise. When I get locked into a never ending round of meetings, my boss starts communicating in bullet-points rather than sentences and my laundry covers the bedroom floor like a patchwork quilt - a mini melt-down is never far behind.

I've lost all the weight that I gained during the holidays which puts me back at square one: 5'10" and 207 lbs. If I don't find some time to start adding cardio to my daily workouts, I'm never going to lose the weight. It's that simple. Problem is, there are so many other things I want/need to do on a daily basis other than be at the gym. For instance, I want to do more volunteer work with the Arlington County government, or fold laundry, or run to the store or take in a show. I miss (believe it or not) the 6 am workouts. Those were fairly easy to work into my schedule and once out of the way, I could focus on other things. It's just too darned cold right now (17 degrees + wind chill). I don't know how the pro-choice protestors are managing. My skin was raw just walking to lunch.

It's leg night tonight at the gym which means I won't be good for much of anything later tonight and tomorrow. Hence my frustration continues.....
posted at 11:26 AM