Sophie's Log

[Sophie]

this is my week off from lifting. i did a lot of walking at the county fair and will be going to fair almost every day this week. i am also going to do cardio, maybe jump rope or my cardio glide. i also have ballet DVD's to try out.

will be on and off during the week.

[Sophie]

Getting anxious about getting back to the gym now. I am bored out of my mind. It will be interesting to see how much I am able to lift after a week off. I look forward to working out at my college gym. I went to see what all machines we had and it was basically empty. AWESOME!!

[Sophie]

I survived my week off!! Resting has never been one of my strong points. It felt great to get back in the gym. Used my college gym today and since it's summer, it was practically empty. No sounds of weights, no grunts from guys doing deadlifts, nothing. Eerily quiet. I didn't really like it.

Anyway, it was a leg day. It was interesting to say the least. I didn't really lose any strenth. Now I need to work on my cardiovascular system. Cardio is later in the day though.

Monday 50 mins

Glute Kickback - 70-20-20-20
Hamstring Curl - 45-20-20-20
Alt. Leg Press - 110-20-20-20 (more than my body weight!!)
Adductors - 50-20-20-20
Abductors - 50-20-20-20
Cable Calf Raises - 187.5-20-20-20
Vertical Knee Raises NA-20-20-20
Side Bends - 10-20-20-20

I look forward to the upper body workout tomorrow. It should be intersting.

[Sophie]

Upper body definitely lost some strength. I didn't decrease my weights really, but I struggled more than I did before the week off. It was still a good workout. Changing things up a bit keeps in interesting.

Tuesday 50 mins

Smith Bench Press (including bar)- 35-8 45-8-8
Flys - 10-8-8-8
Rear lat. Pulldown - 37.5-8 50-8-8
Assisted Chin Up - 34-6-6-6
Front/Lateral Raises 5-8-8-8
Curls - 15-8-8-8
Concentration Curls - 20-5-5
Wrist Curls - 15-8 17.5-8-8

Does anyone know if the bar on the Smith machine is actually 45 lbs or if it's counterbalanced so it doesn't really weigh much of anything? I know at one gym I was at, my friend could pick up the bar using two fingers.

Another question, what can I do in order to not strain so much on the lateral and front raises?? I've been doign this exercise forever and I'm still struggling at the end of every set. I haven't increased the weight as I struggle a lot at the end. Suggestions?

[narcsarge]

Originally Posted by Sophie

Does anyone know if the bar on the Smith machine is actually 45 lbs or if it's counterbalanced so it doesn't really weigh much of anything? I know at one gym I was at, my friend could pick up the bar using two fingers.

On our Smith it is counter balanced. The apparatus on weighs 15 pounds and is clearly marked on the side of the machine.

Originally Posted by Sophie

Another question, what can I do in order to not strain so much on the lateral and front raises?? I've been doign this exercise forever and I'm still struggling at the end of every set. I haven't increased the weight as I struggle a lot at the end. Suggestions?

Try laying off the laterals for a week or two and just do military presses. This usually helps me break through a plateau.

[Sophie]

Wednesday 40 mins

Glute Kickback - 70-20-20-20
Hamstring Curl - 45-20-20-20
Alt. Leg Press - 110-20-20-20
Adductors - 50-20-20-20
Abductors - 50-20-20-20
Cable Calf Raises - 187.5-20-20-20
Vertical Knee Raises NA-20-20-20
Side Bends - 10-20-20-20

I looked at the Smith machine today and the bar is 15 lbs so I'll readjust yesterday's stats accordingly.

Next week I am going to start doing my vertical knee raises with ankle weights on. It's getting too easy.

[Sophie]

No gym today. We had awful weather here and a possible tornado as well. I'm glad I have dumbbells.

Thursday 50 mins

Bench Press - 15-10-10-10
Flys - 10-8-8-8
Lying Row - 15-10-10-10
Pullover - 10-8-8-8
Front/Lateral Raises 5-8-8-8
Curls - 15-8-8-8
Concentration Curls - 15-10-10
Wrist Curls - 15-10-10-10

[Sophie]

I didn't go to the gym Friday or Saturday. Friday I did do ankle weights, which is kind of lame considering they only weigh 10 lbs each.

Saturday I didn't do anything. I wasn't feeling well.

I really can't wait until college starts so the gym's hours are more condusive to lifting. They are only open from 7-1pm on Friday and 9-noon on Saturday. This makes getting there hard since I do not drive and my aunt gets off at 4 pm.

Grrrrr

[Sophie]

Monday 44 mins

Glute Kickback - 90-15-15-15
Hamstring Curl - 50-15-15-15
Alt. Leg Press - 130-15-15-15
Abductors - 60-15-15-15
Cable Calf Raises - 187.5-15-15-15
Vertical Knee Raises 10-20-20-20 - 5 lbs ankle weights on each ankle
Side Bends - 20-15-15-15

would have posted last night but my motherboard on my PC died. i'm at my college library on my laptop. don't knwo when i will have a computer again.

[Sophie]

still no computer. at public library. hopefully i'll get it tomorrow.

[Sophie]

computer is back, finally. i had to reinstall everything yesterday and today which was a pain.

i'm taking a mini-break from working out. my energy has been super low lately so i'm taking a 3 day break, tomorrow being my third day. i'll start updating again on monday. so glad to be back.

[Sophie]

I'm back, and man did I do a lot of working out today.

I started off my day with about a 15 mile bike ride to go to my high school's band camp for a visit. I stayed there for about three hours and it was looking like rain so I left.

On my way back, 2 miles out, it started raining and one of the band parents and her daughter came back to pick me up. So I only biked 17 miles in all. It took about 2 hours. Not bad for 5 of those being on a US 36 around sharpe turns and hills.

Then, I went back to the gym and lifted for my upper body. There was NO WAY I was going to do legs after all that biking.

Monday 55 mins

Smith Bench Press - 50-10-10-10
Flys - 12.5-8-8-8
Rear lat. Pulldown - 37.5-8-8-8
Assisted Chin Up - 34-6-6-6
Military Press 15-8-8-8
Curls - 12.5-10-10-10
Concentration Curls - 17.5-10-10-10
Wrist Curls - 15-10-10-10

I also did about 20 mins of stretching. I feel much less tired today even with all that exercise than I have on other days with no exercise. There are so many great reasons to work out.

[Sophie]

Tuesday 42 mins

Glute Kickback - 90-15-15-15
Hamstring Curl - 50-15-15-15
Leg Extension - 50-15-15-15
Adductors - 60-15-15-15
Abductors - 60-15-15-15
Cable Calf Raises - 187.5-15-15-15
Vertical Knee Raises 10-15-15-15 (used a weight instead of ankle weights. didn't work as well)
Side Bends - 20-15-15-15

Legs weren't sore from biking yesterday, which is good. I'm biking back out to band camp again tomorrow. We'll see how that treats me.

[Sophie]

i didn't do anything but sleep yesterday. i was completely exhausted.

[ktinspired]

Originally Posted by narcsarge

We moved to Sw Florida. South of Tampa! Whole different world down here.

Ya it is a different world here than there. Just noticed we were neighbors...
St pete in da hiz-ous! ok if i ever do that again shoot me

[Sophie]

didn't get to the gym today. i did get some biking in though.

[ktinspired]

Hey sophie...sorry for posting that crap yesturday in your journal. I wasn't thinking about what thread I was in.

[Sophie]

Monday 48 mins

Smith Bench Press - 50-10-10-10
Flys - 12.5-8-8-8
Rear lat. Pulldown - 37.5-10-10-10
Assisted Chin Up - 34-6-6-6
Military Press 15-8-8-8
Assisted Dip - 34-8-8-8
Curls - 12.5-10-10-10
Concentration Curls - 17.5-10-10-10
Wrist Curls - 15-10-10-10

[Sophie]

Monday 48 mins

Glute Kickback - 70-20-20-20
Hamstring Curl - 50-20-20-20
Adductors - 60-20-20-20
Abductors - 60-20-20-20
Cable Calf Raises - 187.5-20-20-20
Plate Loaded 45° Leg Press - 140-20-20-20
Side Bends - 10-20-20-20
Vertical Knee Raises - 10-20-20-20

Changing up the routine again. Put the reps back up to 20 and decreased the weight a little for today and hoping to increase the weight on Wednesday as well as use the Smith instead of the cable for the calf raises.

First time I didn't the 45° Leg Press and it was okay. It will take some getting used to. Starting out light so in case my legs give out I won't be flattened like a pancake.

I finally bought straps to help me with the calf raises so that made the bar a little easier to hold to.

[Sophie]

Tuesday 54 mins

Smith Bench Press - 55-8-8-8 (over half my body weight)
DB Flys - 12.5-8-8-8
Rear Lat. Pulldown - 50-8-8-8
Plate Loaded Row - 40-8-8-8
DB Front/Lateral Raises - 5-8-8-8 (can't seem to lift more than 5lbs on this one)
Assisted Dip - 34-8-8-8
DB Curls - 15-8-8-8
DB Concentration Curls - 10-12-12 (working on better form)
DB Reverse Wrist Curls - 5-8-8-8 (is a killer)