Okay. I was a bad girl last night. But I just couldn't HELP myself.
I ran. Less than 24 hours away from my doctor's appointment, and I ran.
And my knees were really okay. No real pain during the run at all, and only a little bit walking down the stairs to let Sophie out afterwards.
My hips, however, are somewhat of a different story. They are TIIIIIIGHT. And achy. I keep stretching them, but nothing gets it QUITE right.
Really, I don't regret it. It felt freakin' awesome. I was just going to do some short intervals, a'la Oxygen - 5 minute warm-up at 6.7, followed by five two-minute sets of 90 seconds at 7.0/30 seconds at 8.6, with a cool-down at 6.7 and then a short walk. But I just felt so good to be running...so I kept going, at an easy pace, for a total of 3 miles in something like 27:15 or thereabouts.
After that, it was on to pull -- back and biceps.
- lat pulldowns, 3x8 at 75lbs
- dumbbell bicep curls, 3x8 with two 15-lb dumbbells
- renegade rows, 3x8 on each side with 15-lb dumbbells
- preacher curls, 3x8 at 45lbs
I can definitely feel myself getting stronger, especially with the dumbbell curls. Even last week, those 15lb dumbbells were a CHALLENGE, where I was making ridiculous faces just to complete the last couple of reps and was not at ALL sure it was going to happen. This week -- well, I wasn't worried about actually completing them. But I probably still made the faces.
I'm feeling those renegade rows in my abs today for sure. I tried that as a replacement for both my usual 45-second planks and single-arm rows with resistance bands. I think next time, I'll go up to 20lbs, or do more reps, because -- while they weren't exactly EASY -- they should have been more difficult.
We also got an email from our HOA that gave me mixed feelings. First, the YAAAAY: they expect to have our new gym open and running by the end of March! THAT is exciting. Our current gym is in a one-bedroom condo, and is sort of lacking in both space and equipment. When 8 people are at the gym at once, like last night, that place is jammed to the gills and it's hard to get anything done.
Then, the BOOOOO: in order to relocate the existing equipment, the gym will be closed for TWO WEEKS starting on March 15. GAH! Depending on how I'm feeling and whether I've gotten the OK from my doctor (and physical therapist! hopefully...) to run, I might buy a one-month pass to the Philadelphia Sports Club downstairs. I don't really love the idea of taking two weeks off of lifting completely, but if I can run, I might be able to squeak by with just a set of dumbbells and some of those free Jillian Michaels videos on demand.
Such is life. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Showing posts with label pull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pull. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wow.
This week was AB-SURD.
Things kept blowing up at work, all week. I could recap, but honestly just don't want to. It was a lousy, lousy week -- I went to the gym Monday and then didn't go again until yesterday.
Blech. But things are looking better. I have to go in for a while today to finish up reviewing a bunch of documents that I should have reviewed earlier this week, but couldn't get to because, you know, things kept blowing up. Once I have these reviewed, I should be back on track -- thank god.
The gym felt AMAZING yesterday:
- 30 minutes on the (stupid) elliptical, random program, level 10
- bench press, 3x8 at 75lbs
- tricep dips on bench, 3x8 at body weight, straight legs
- shoulder press, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
- bent over lateral raise, 3x8 with 10-lb dumbbells
- straight bar tricep press-down, 3x8 at 45lbs
- skullcrushers, 3x15 with 20-lb dumbbell
Today, I'm debating going for a run. I know, I know -- I'm so stupid. I have an appointment on Tuesday to get my knee checked out and, hopefully, get started with some PT. I really, really, REALLY want to run this stupid race. But give me a week without really working out and I start to get stir crazy!
Things kept blowing up at work, all week. I could recap, but honestly just don't want to. It was a lousy, lousy week -- I went to the gym Monday and then didn't go again until yesterday.
Blech. But things are looking better. I have to go in for a while today to finish up reviewing a bunch of documents that I should have reviewed earlier this week, but couldn't get to because, you know, things kept blowing up. Once I have these reviewed, I should be back on track -- thank god.
The gym felt AMAZING yesterday:
- 30 minutes on the (stupid) elliptical, random program, level 10
- bench press, 3x8 at 75lbs
- tricep dips on bench, 3x8 at body weight, straight legs
- shoulder press, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
- bent over lateral raise, 3x8 with 10-lb dumbbells
- straight bar tricep press-down, 3x8 at 45lbs
- skullcrushers, 3x15 with 20-lb dumbbell
Today, I'm debating going for a run. I know, I know -- I'm so stupid. I have an appointment on Tuesday to get my knee checked out and, hopefully, get started with some PT. I really, really, REALLY want to run this stupid race. But give me a week without really working out and I start to get stir crazy!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Still Basking
in the glow of my new track light. I know, I know...but really, I didn't set the place on fire. That's huge to me.
Saturday night's gym session was...OK.
I started with pull -- that went very well!
- lat pulldowns, 3x8 at 75lbs
- one-arm standing row, 3x8 with two resistance bands looped around that ever-so-useless hamstring curl machine (seriously, does that thing fit ANYONE'S body properly?)
- dumbbell bicep curls, 3x8 with 20lb dumbbells
- preacher curls, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
Then...I moved on to legs. I don't know what it was -- maybe that I wasn't wearing my knee sleeve this week? -- but I came close to pulling a hamstring during my second (or maybe it was third? Can't remember -- I should really blog closer to the event!) set of lunges. It just ain't worth it, you know? I abandoned that after two abortive attempts at resuming, and attempted to move on to deadlifts...but once again, OUCH with the hamstring, and I just wasn't going to push my luck. I did complete the following, which felt great:
- squats, 3x8 with two 20-lb dumbbells
- 1.5 (or maybe 2.5??) sets of 8 lunges on each side with 10lbs total weight
- 3x15 calf raises on a platform (heels below level) with a 20-lb dumbbell
- 3x15 calf raises on the floor with 105lbs, using the preacher curl machine
Even though it wasn't the most phenomenal, sweat-inducing session of all time, I managed to feel it in my poor butt on Sunday morning. I intended to hit the gym for some cardio and abs, but PhillyGuy (who was quite impressed with my electrician skillz) and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to rearrange our bedroom. Which took a LOT more time than I expected, but man it looks good.
I'm more than ready to get back to it tonight, though. Even though I have actually managed to lose a few pounds, I'm just feeling...stuffed today. As in, my rings are super-tight since I'm clearly retaining water for some reason, and I don't remember this particular pair of pants feeling tight before, and now I'm wondering why I didn't make time for the gym in the morning yesterday instead of taking Sophie for a walk to get coffee. These feelings are silly and hopefully inaccurate (well, the part about the pants, anyway -- my rings are def tight!) and fleeting. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Saturday night's gym session was...OK.
I started with pull -- that went very well!
- lat pulldowns, 3x8 at 75lbs
- one-arm standing row, 3x8 with two resistance bands looped around that ever-so-useless hamstring curl machine (seriously, does that thing fit ANYONE'S body properly?)
- dumbbell bicep curls, 3x8 with 20lb dumbbells
- preacher curls, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
Then...I moved on to legs. I don't know what it was -- maybe that I wasn't wearing my knee sleeve this week? -- but I came close to pulling a hamstring during my second (or maybe it was third? Can't remember -- I should really blog closer to the event!) set of lunges. It just ain't worth it, you know? I abandoned that after two abortive attempts at resuming, and attempted to move on to deadlifts...but once again, OUCH with the hamstring, and I just wasn't going to push my luck. I did complete the following, which felt great:
- squats, 3x8 with two 20-lb dumbbells
- 1.5 (or maybe 2.5??) sets of 8 lunges on each side with 10lbs total weight
- 3x15 calf raises on a platform (heels below level) with a 20-lb dumbbell
- 3x15 calf raises on the floor with 105lbs, using the preacher curl machine
Even though it wasn't the most phenomenal, sweat-inducing session of all time, I managed to feel it in my poor butt on Sunday morning. I intended to hit the gym for some cardio and abs, but PhillyGuy (who was quite impressed with my electrician skillz) and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to rearrange our bedroom. Which took a LOT more time than I expected, but man it looks good.
I'm more than ready to get back to it tonight, though. Even though I have actually managed to lose a few pounds, I'm just feeling...stuffed today. As in, my rings are super-tight since I'm clearly retaining water for some reason, and I don't remember this particular pair of pants feeling tight before, and now I'm wondering why I didn't make time for the gym in the morning yesterday instead of taking Sophie for a walk to get coffee. These feelings are silly and hopefully inaccurate (well, the part about the pants, anyway -- my rings are def tight!) and fleeting. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Afternoon Run
Time to catch up on a couple days' worth of workouts!
Rewind to Saturday -- I spent most of the day out at King of Prussia, hoping to buy tons of stuff, but in reality, leaving with just one thing:
The Peyton large business tote, in camel -- I got the last one they had in stock! I've been looking for a carry-all for my work stuff for a while now. Something that fits my lunch, a small clutch with the essentials, and some papers, for those nights when I'm bringing home a handful of stuff, but not enough to justify bringing a whole redweld. LOVE HER.
By the time we got back, I had started to get hungry -- but it was only 3:30ish, so PhillyGuy suggested we do the gym first and then focus on dinner.
That night was 20 minutes of intervals (5 minutes at 6.7mph to warm up, 5 intervals of 90 seconds/7.0mph, 30 seconds/8.6mph, 3 minutes at 6.7, 2 minutes walking at 3.8 to cool down) followed by pull:
- Lat pulldowns, 3x8 at 75lbs
- Single-arm row, 3x8 with two resistance bands looped around one of the machines
- Dumbbell bicep curls, 3x8 with 20lb dumbbells
- Preacher curls, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
- Planks (aka the devil), 3x45seconds
We followed that sweat-fest the best way possible: with takeout from Pietro's. When we lived closer to Rittenhouse, we probably went to Pietro's once a week, at least. Despite all of those visits, I hadn't tried the pizza, ever -- so I ordered one with fresh mozzarella, mushrooms and roasted peppers. And enjoyed every. Freakin'. Bite.
Today the office was closed. I had a few things to do, but not too much, so I took advantage of the late start and started the day by taking Sophie for a walk to get a latte, then enjoying breakfast (peach Chobani, granola, blueberries and 1/2 a banana) on the couch while watching Saved by the Bell (Valentine's Day clip episode!).
I did about 4 hours of work, some of it over lunch at Marathon (matzoh ball soup -- PERFECT day for it), and then high-tailed it home to take advantage of my open afternoon to get outside for a run. It was probably 35 degrees or so -- I wore a tank top underneath a fleecy tech hoodie and my favorite Lulu Lemon cropped tights, and it was perfect. I dropped my stuff at the gym first before heading out -- I took it slow and ran along 24th to the Schuylhill River trail, looped around the Art Museum and headed back for a total of 3.91 miles.
According to the Garmin:
Mile 1: 9:47
Mile 2: 9:39
Mile 3: 9:35
.91: 8:57
Total: 37:59
GOD, did that ever feel good. Didn't go for distance or time -- just wanted to get out there, you know?
Headed back into the gym for push:
- Chest press, 3x8 at 70lbs
- Tricep dips on bench, 3x8 with body weight, straight legs
- Shoulder press, 3x8 at 45lbs
- Bent over lateral raise, 3x8 with 10lb dumbbells
- Straight bar tricep pushdowns, 3x8 at 45lbs
Now I'm hanging out deciding what to have for dinner. Sophie's extra-quiet, staring at me from the top step -- probably wondering the same thing. My big plans for the evening involve watching House and doing our taxes. Don't be too jealous!
Rewind to Saturday -- I spent most of the day out at King of Prussia, hoping to buy tons of stuff, but in reality, leaving with just one thing:
The Peyton large business tote, in camel -- I got the last one they had in stock! I've been looking for a carry-all for my work stuff for a while now. Something that fits my lunch, a small clutch with the essentials, and some papers, for those nights when I'm bringing home a handful of stuff, but not enough to justify bringing a whole redweld. LOVE HER.
By the time we got back, I had started to get hungry -- but it was only 3:30ish, so PhillyGuy suggested we do the gym first and then focus on dinner.
That night was 20 minutes of intervals (5 minutes at 6.7mph to warm up, 5 intervals of 90 seconds/7.0mph, 30 seconds/8.6mph, 3 minutes at 6.7, 2 minutes walking at 3.8 to cool down) followed by pull:
- Lat pulldowns, 3x8 at 75lbs
- Single-arm row, 3x8 with two resistance bands looped around one of the machines
- Dumbbell bicep curls, 3x8 with 20lb dumbbells
- Preacher curls, 3x8 at 42.5lbs
- Planks (aka the devil), 3x45seconds
We followed that sweat-fest the best way possible: with takeout from Pietro's. When we lived closer to Rittenhouse, we probably went to Pietro's once a week, at least. Despite all of those visits, I hadn't tried the pizza, ever -- so I ordered one with fresh mozzarella, mushrooms and roasted peppers. And enjoyed every. Freakin'. Bite.
Today the office was closed. I had a few things to do, but not too much, so I took advantage of the late start and started the day by taking Sophie for a walk to get a latte, then enjoying breakfast (peach Chobani, granola, blueberries and 1/2 a banana) on the couch while watching Saved by the Bell (Valentine's Day clip episode!).
I did about 4 hours of work, some of it over lunch at Marathon (matzoh ball soup -- PERFECT day for it), and then high-tailed it home to take advantage of my open afternoon to get outside for a run. It was probably 35 degrees or so -- I wore a tank top underneath a fleecy tech hoodie and my favorite Lulu Lemon cropped tights, and it was perfect. I dropped my stuff at the gym first before heading out -- I took it slow and ran along 24th to the Schuylhill River trail, looped around the Art Museum and headed back for a total of 3.91 miles.
According to the Garmin:
Mile 1: 9:47
Mile 2: 9:39
Mile 3: 9:35
.91: 8:57
Total: 37:59
GOD, did that ever feel good. Didn't go for distance or time -- just wanted to get out there, you know?
Headed back into the gym for push:
- Chest press, 3x8 at 70lbs
- Tricep dips on bench, 3x8 with body weight, straight legs
- Shoulder press, 3x8 at 45lbs
- Bent over lateral raise, 3x8 with 10lb dumbbells
- Straight bar tricep pushdowns, 3x8 at 45lbs
Now I'm hanging out deciding what to have for dinner. Sophie's extra-quiet, staring at me from the top step -- probably wondering the same thing. My big plans for the evening involve watching House and doing our taxes. Don't be too jealous!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
PhillyGirl Actually Runs!
Last night was a good, good night. I don't know about the rest of you, but this week just CRAWLED for me. I can't even tell you how excited I was to be able to get home last night, hit the gym, have PhillyGuy grill us up some pork chops, and spend the evening hanging out, eating well, and playing with Sophie.
The gym was fantastic. On my schedule was thirty minutes of steady-state cardio, followed by "pull:" biceps, back and abs. I really, REALLY wanted to run -- it had been a long week, and it's been forever since I've been able to run. I gingerly stepped onto the treadmill, cranked it up, bit my lip and hoped for the best.
One minute went by...no knee pain. Two minutes...no pain. As soon as I hit a quarter mile, I knew I was good to go, and I was just thrilled about it. I did the first 10 minutes at 6.7mph, second 10 minutes at 7.0, and back down to 6.7 for the last ten minutes. Alas, can't tell you how far I went in that 30 minutes (though, mathematically, it should have been something around 3.4 miles), because I accidentally jabbed the emergency stop button about 21:20 into it...soooooooo annoying.
Pleasantly sweaty, I moved on to weights:
- Lat pulldown, 3x12 at 70lbs
- One-armed row, 3x12 each side with two resistance bands looped around one of the machines
- Dumbbell bicep curls, 3x12 with two 15-lb dumbbells
- Preacher curls, 3x8 with 40lbs
- Planks, 3x45 seconds each
It went well. I'm sore today, in a good way.
I had been looking forward to our grilled pork chops all day. Unfortunately, however, as those of you in the area know, it was a balmy 17-20 degrees last night by the time we got back from the gym around 8. Grilling anything was NOT in our future. Instead, I got out the 2007 Cooking Light cookbook that generally just gathers dust and looks pretty on my kitchen counter, and made Pork Medallions with Porcini Mushroom Sauce.
I improvised a little -- I used fresh baby portobello mushrooms instead of dried and cooking sherry instead of the Marsala wine, but MAN did this come out well. We had thick grilling chops, so I sliced them in half width-wise to make sure they cooked. By the time they cooked through, the sauce had reduced down more than it was supposed to, but I think that really made the dish. So, SO flippin' good.
Today we're heading out to my lil' bro's house for a housewarming party -- he bought his first house back in September. It should be a good time -- they're having a bonfire outside, which is always a great thing.
Happy weekend everyone!
The gym was fantastic. On my schedule was thirty minutes of steady-state cardio, followed by "pull:" biceps, back and abs. I really, REALLY wanted to run -- it had been a long week, and it's been forever since I've been able to run. I gingerly stepped onto the treadmill, cranked it up, bit my lip and hoped for the best.
One minute went by...no knee pain. Two minutes...no pain. As soon as I hit a quarter mile, I knew I was good to go, and I was just thrilled about it. I did the first 10 minutes at 6.7mph, second 10 minutes at 7.0, and back down to 6.7 for the last ten minutes. Alas, can't tell you how far I went in that 30 minutes (though, mathematically, it should have been something around 3.4 miles), because I accidentally jabbed the emergency stop button about 21:20 into it...soooooooo annoying.
Pleasantly sweaty, I moved on to weights:
- Lat pulldown, 3x12 at 70lbs
- One-armed row, 3x12 each side with two resistance bands looped around one of the machines
- Dumbbell bicep curls, 3x12 with two 15-lb dumbbells
- Preacher curls, 3x8 with 40lbs
- Planks, 3x45 seconds each
It went well. I'm sore today, in a good way.
I had been looking forward to our grilled pork chops all day. Unfortunately, however, as those of you in the area know, it was a balmy 17-20 degrees last night by the time we got back from the gym around 8. Grilling anything was NOT in our future. Instead, I got out the 2007 Cooking Light cookbook that generally just gathers dust and looks pretty on my kitchen counter, and made Pork Medallions with Porcini Mushroom Sauce.
I improvised a little -- I used fresh baby portobello mushrooms instead of dried and cooking sherry instead of the Marsala wine, but MAN did this come out well. We had thick grilling chops, so I sliced them in half width-wise to make sure they cooked. By the time they cooked through, the sauce had reduced down more than it was supposed to, but I think that really made the dish. So, SO flippin' good.
Today we're heading out to my lil' bro's house for a housewarming party -- he bought his first house back in September. It should be a good time -- they're having a bonfire outside, which is always a great thing.
Happy weekend everyone!
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