amysuds’s BodyBlog

Snow that is…we just got another 6 inches last night of the heaviest wet stuff ever. Today was supposed to be my rest day. I really needed it too after this tough week. Anyhow, I shoveled for a long, long time. I guess I need to watch t.v. again so I know what the heck is up with the weather. I had no idea snow was coming…so I got a nice back burning workout and tomorrow is upper body day. LOL…I am in for fun tomorrow!! It’s all good, I think things happen for a reason I just wish they would wait til my hubby was home to help me!

Just a quick message to my friends regarding comments. I usually am pretty good about writing back. But I am VERY behind with pm’s….. like almost 2 months behind. I may have to shut it down for awhile. With my training almost 3 hours a day now, I am struggling to keep up here. It is also spring sports time..kids are active in baseball, softball and gymnastics. So their activities will be my priority for the next couple of months . I will keep up with my workout journal here in the forum. That will be the best way to find me for now. So please don’t think I am ignoring you if I don’t write back. I will do my best!!! 

Recently I have received a few questions from friends regarding what mistakes I have made in my fitness journey. So I made a list and here it is.

1. Doing cardio only and not lifting weights

2. Following a nutrition plan consisting of foods I don’t like

3. Not being consistent with workouts

4. Following someone else’s workout/nutrition plan and assuming I’ll have the same results

5. Changing the workout routine too frequently

6. Eliminating carbohydrates from my diet and expecting to gain muscle

7. Using the number the scale reads to judge progress

8. Not eating meals because I was too busy

9. Pigging out at night because I was too busy to eat all day

10. Not preparing a few days worth of meals in advance

11. Not taking rest days

12. Not keeping a daily workout journal

13. Thinking I could achieve all my goals alone with no help

14. Being too chicken sh*t to compete

Well that is what I can think of right now. I am sure I have more to add another day

Six weeks left until comp. I actually have a pretty decent amount of food in my nutrition plan..but GEEZ! I haven’t been this hungry since I was pregnant I think. It’s that relentless kind…doesn’t go away with glasses of water or chewing gum. I am praying for strength, I need it to get through these weeks. I have a feeling that my body just wants to grow. My muscles are begging for more food…all this lifting heavy and then I throw them just enough food to keep me going. I am not looking for cheat meals, I want like 3 or 4 more healthy meals a day   Meanwhile, my brain is like WTF are you doing miss Amy?? I think I need to get outta this house today and away from the kitchen.

I have been taking a ton of training notes over the past 8 months. Everything I do and notice I write down. This way, I can figure out what variables are working or not. As far as my upper body, I really think by using rest/pause during those sets and then doing extra reps makes a big difference. For example, with my shoulders….if I am doing 20lb lateral raises and get to 12 reps, I stop for 5 seconds, then go for a few more reps before I finish the set. If I do that, I really feel the pump and heat in my shoulders. For some reason, just doing standard sets and increasing the weights doesn’t give me that burn because I do less reps, or more reps if I drop the weight. It must be putting the small muscles under tension longer and I think I am achieving growth from it. I just started doing this with some of my back exercises, hoping that the fibers are slow twitch and will respond the same way as I go further with training. Today, I used rest/pause with lat pulldowns. I was using 85lb and had to stop at 12 reps. So I stopped,counted to 5 and busted out a few more. I really felt it in my lats. I am also stretching the muscles I am working in between every set with upper body.

Now comes the lower body. For me, this is a totally different workout. I don’t try to push the reps, just stay on the planned amount and try to increase the weight. I can feel the burn pretty much right away with most of the exercises. I vary the tempo, last leg workout I used 4-2-4. The last reps I hold at the top til I can’t take it anymore. As long as I do some sort of final exhaust…like jump squats or walking lunges, my legs respond well. The final exercise is very important for me …I have alot of fast twitch fibers in my legs and they fail quickly, so I need that extra total burnout at the end of the workout to call upon all the less utilized fibers to pitch in

I am enjoying the challenge of finding the most effective stratagies for myself. Once again, we are all very different and I am determined to make the most of my workouts. I encourage everyone to keep track of this kind of information. It will help you!!

We just can’t get a steady thing going. I am struggling BIG TIME to complete my planned sessions. They are typically 15 short intervals or basic variations and it takes me so long to catch my breath, I am not starting up the next sprint when I am supposed to. Therefore, the philosophy that HIIT is tougher but takes less time for cardio sessions doesn’t apply to granny here in IL!  LOL…..I feel like I am failing with these. But I will keep trying…I am waiting to see my body change like the 99% of people I read about here that swear by them.

She just happens to be a great friend of mine. Congrats to Lea-Ann…aka momsinthongs here on the site. Lea-Ann worked her buns off to prepare for this comp. I have the utmost respect for her hard work and dedication. Not to mention, she is as humble as figure competitors come and I admire her more than she knows just for that. Thankyou Lea-Ann, for always giving me so much support on my journey in fitness. Please stop by and say CONGRATS to momsinthongs! She deserves it…check out this physique!!

http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/momsinthongs/

I am currently in the planning stages of my own site. I have some great things planned…a members only area, even a store with some surprise items for sale.  So I will keep my friends informed. Thinngs are busy but it will be worth it!! YAY!!

Is the time I woke up today! YIKES! A total of 13 hours sleep last night. My husband was kind enough to take the kids out for awhile and let me sleep in. I thought it was about 9 when I woke up, I had to do a double take at the clock. So I guess this tells everyone how training is going. I worked my butt of again this week. I am currently still on a strength/hypertrophy program from my trainer Layne. I lift HEAVY 5 days a week. I also am doing cardio everyday, sometimes more than I am even planned to do. But this week I burnt the candles at both ends all week long and was exhausted. Unfortunately, I wasted most of my Saturday. But it was nice outside so I did my cardio there. I did walk/run/sprints around the block for 45 minutes in the dark. I feel really good now!! So I am hoping I wake up early tomorrow…got stuff to do!! Train hard everyone!!

I went to the gym this morning and I have been a member about 4 days now. So far, my main objective is to use their stepmill everyday. The past couple of days it was great…nice and quiet there. Then there is today…I decided to do my back/chest workout there and then my cardio after. So I start my back stuff…rack chins, lat puldowns etc. Then the first lady starts asking me questions in the middle of my reps. I look at her like she is a moron…I have a Olympic bar weighted up for rows, I am bent over and she wants to know how to get rid of the tire around her midsection. Why does stuff like this always happen to me? So I put the bar down and answer her question…which turns into a 10 minute ordeal. I continue my workout and here comes some other people with questions. So I stop again…meanwhile, the personal trainer lady working there gives me the dirty looks and starts her show off session in my face. So now by the time I finish weights…there is a crowd of women on the treadmills…and the stepmill is right smack in the middle of those. So I start on the stepmill, listening to all the latest town gossip, watching everyone stroll at 2 or 3mph…..I am really annoyed..I can’t even hear the music they play in the gym over these people. So I put my towel over my head completely and worked out like that. I wish I had an ipod today…I would have taken Barry Manilow for 45 minutes over that noise anyday. I am going to roll quarters now and go by me one at Walmart before I go insane!!