Carrera0816’s BodyBlog

What is the problem with reracking your weights? You removed them from the rack!! Why can’t you put them back? The room isn’t that large and the rack isn’t so far away that one can’t take the time to put the weights back. How much energy does it take to carry 10 lbs of weights anyway? It’s mostly those little 3 and 5 lb weights. They weren’t found on the floor!?! Well, then again, maybe they were but that is no reason to do exercises and just get your sweaty self up and walk away. YOUR MOTHER DOES NOT WORK HERE! There are weights planted all over the room just like live flowers. It’s like everyone is rich and thinks the maid will or should get the friggin’ weights! The same goes for exercise mats and those dad-gum stability balls. Everyone goes to get their own mat and ball, after a while there is no where to step because you are either sliding on mats or tripping over big a$$ed balls! Ok. I am not a fan of stability balls. . . BUT, I think everyone should be curteous and have respect for other users or just use one that’s already out that the previously rude person didn’t put back. (** Big SIGH **) With that being said. . . GOOD NIGHT!

Today’s workout was pretty cool. I do upper body on Monday because a huge class in the main room hinders a good leg workout in the large workout area where I do lunges and squats. I’m slowly but surely working to make it happen by the summer. I haven’t decided on a contest but I have just given myself 6 months to get in good basic shape. I think that’s attainable.

I went skating for two hours tonight. TWO HOURS STRAIGHT. I just think that’s a soooo much more exciting cardio workout than a treadmill, aerobics, or elliptical or bike. I usually wear 1.5 lb weights while skating. They threw me off balance for a while but I seem to be used to them and they no longer feel as if I have anything on. I think I will graduate to whatever size is next. I think wearing the weights while skating is going to help a lot toward lower body toning.

Question?? Why would one bring his or her phone into the gym and proceed to talk for at least :45 minutes of the hour they are there? Can’t they do that at another time - - in your home, car, at the mall,etc.? I think it’s awesome to pay for a gym membership and then just show up and sit on the phone? What’s that about? I’ve seen people get on machines and then call or answer a call and talk while sitting on the machine. Don’t they know they are taking up space? I think it’s rude, ill mannered and selfish. . . and I guess talking on the phone while at the gym is physically draining because there is always that ubiquitous water bottle from which they are continuously drinking . . .

I got into my comedy routine and didn’t write anything about my workout. New week…new goals. My shoulder hasn’t been spooking me lately so I’ve decided to start increasing  the weight. I had been doing upper body one day alternating with lower body. I like total body workouts. I’m going to do at least two total body workouts per week and do one upper body and one lower body the other two days. I will see how that works out. So far, the only real change I’ve seen is in my lower body which I was concentrating on until my shoulder got better. I will take pics tomorrow. I have noticed more streamlining in my hips and thighs. Yes! the cottage cheese is leaving slowly but surely. I actually make a commitment to do lunges and squats. I like walking lunges better than just standing still alternating legs. I seem to keep my balance better. I just can’t overdo the lunges and squats because my knees will and do remind me that they are 42 years old. Also, I have been wearing my leg weights to work and still wear them skating. I have a sit down job at a place with a very relaxed dress code so no one knows I’m wearing them unless my pants are too short and they show when I sit down. Seeing as to how the restroom and breakrooms are not near my desk and the parking situation is horrible (we’ve estimated it is at least a three block walk from the lower parking lot to the front door.), I use these as small exercise opportunities…  I was thinking about increasing the weight on those too. It is supposed to be very cold tomorrow but I did get the idea to go to the local stadium and run the stairs a for about 30 minutes to see how that worked out. I think this will be a nice addition to leg workouts once it gets warmer and daylight lasts longer. . .

I believe water bottles are all the rage. It’s fashionable to be seen with a cute water bottle sipping intently as you go about your routine. Some people bring in plastic milk jugs full of water.  Some people use an empty water bottle to carry their water. Some people bring water in a 1 liter soda bottle. I wonder if they drank the all soda to get the empty bottle they now use for water?? Anyhoo, I marvel at the women who walk to the weight rack, do two sets of five reps with a 5 lb weight, rerack the weight and take this huge swig of water as if they’ve done something. They proceed to move from machine to machine doing one rep of 10 on everything and they make sure to hydrate.  I know  how drinking plenty of water is VERY important. I’m really glad they are hogging the machines and not the free weights otherwise they’d be in my way and I’d be despising instead of surmising. Hmmm…

I was talking to a young lady who was working with a "personal trainer." He left her on the treadmill and went to work out other patrons. . . she plodded on and stopped a couple of times but still didn’t quit altogether. After finishing, we talked. She had on one of those plastic sweat suits. . . she was waiting on her trainer and he came in in a heated rush talking about how he was so busy with the other two or three patrons he was exercising. My point about personal trainers: Why pay someone who is rushing from person to person like a chicken with his head cut off? If I pay, I want to be the only person holding the attention for my session. . . PLUS, he had a pack of cigarettes hanging out of his pocket. I have a problem with a "Do as I say and not as I do" mentality. How can you counsel me on healthy living while still smoking cigarettes?

I said I was going to take off Thursday and Friday. I ended up working out Friday and Saturday (today) and will take off Sunday. I don’t like to do leg exercises on days when I may go skating…

Anyhoo, I am having trouble eating 5 or 6 times a day even if it’s small meals. I have a habit of not eating after 7PM. That came from my original weight loss routine of not eating late at night. Usually, when I eat late, it doesn’t digest and I don’t get to go to bed. I can’t lay down on a stomach with food in it. It’s simply uncomfortable. The same goes for exercising. I don’t like to eat or drink then do exercise. Sometimes I can literally hear the liquid moving in my stomach if I drink too much. I eat too much and I’m simply sluggish and lazy. I often go skate on an empty stomach and do 1000% percent better. Othewise, it just takes too long to get started. Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do? When I do eat, I try to eat good quality food. Also, I try to have a small protein shake before bed just so I can have something in my system. It’s not a full one and I sometimes add banana and oatmeal so it has some "weight." The water thing is also killing me. If I drink 6 or 7 glasses a day, I don’t go to bed at night getting up every hour going to the bathroom. And I stay bloated. I know that excess protein will do that (and cause running to the bathroom) but what is a viable alternative? Looking for advice. I know it’s important to eat when working out in order to gain lean muscle. I also know I won’t see results in one or two weeks of working out but I do think I should eat so as to not just lose weight. I am down to 134 from 142 from my original start of exercise in November. That’s 8 pounds. Should I be going the other way? I’m 5′9".

This is the end of week 2. I’m taking off tonight and Friday. I had a good workout yesterday — well all week for that matter. The squats and lunges are a lot easier. I had started a working out before this two weeks and they are coming a lot easier. I have gotten up to a 30# barbell to make things a little more challenging. I complained about cottage cheese thighs in my progress photos. Well, I can see it melting a little. Also, the bottom of my legs are losing that chunky straight look. This is definitely an incentive to keep up the leg work. I hate I didn’t do more close ups right when I started because I would like to see the progress. I should have perused more progress photos before I started. My upper body is leaner and has less fat so, I don’t think it will be as hard to see some progress. I had avoided leg work because I was taking the path of least resistance. When I injured my shoulder, leg work was all that was left until I got better if I wanted to keep committed to exercising. Well, I think I’m at 95% and ready to add more weight to my arm workouts and keep on with the lower body as well. I also think 3 hrs roller skating with leg weights helps too. I use my roller skating sessions as a combination cardio/leg workout session.

I must say. TODAY WAS A GOOD WORKOUT DAY!!!

I went in and did all I had planned to do. I have had problems with my shoulder. That started about two months ago.  I hurt my rotator cuff. I took two whole weeks off from any upper body work. I cut the weight I was lifting in half (it really wasn’t much to begin with but it is a lot if you can’t lift it) and basically started over. I have been slowly increasing what I lift all the while looking for any signs of discomfort. I now usually don’t stop altogether, I just go do something else that will cause me to lift in a different way.

Well, today, I did everything I sat out to do with increased weights and am pretty much back to where I started. Now I guess I can  start  back to building on that.  Or, could it be the creatine I’ve been taking? Hmmm…

Either way, today was a good day. I was very satisfied.