Carolyn’s bodybuilding adventure

Started week 3 workouts for heavy duty to failure….did shoulders and back today!  I feel myself getting much stronger and I have been able to increase my weight on the last set.  I also feel my endurance has improved because I feel pretty good afterwards…not dying! LOL!  I find I can push myself alot harder and that the muscle-mind connection has improved greatly..I am able to visualize the muscle that I am working much better and get a good contraction during the 2 warmup sets…In addition to changing to 6 weeks of heavy duty to failure, I have also switched up the elliptical for the recumbant bike…been doing hill profiles on level 10 for 15 minutes during my lunch break.  I feel this works the upper thigh/quad and adductor a bit more then the elliptical.  I have been doing 4 cardio work outs per week.  Keeping it to under 15 minutes, so that my body will stay in fat burning rather than fat storing mode!  Seems to be working, when I took my stats yesterday, I was pleased to have knocked a 1/4 " off my upper thigh and my waist.  This week I will continue to eat clean (stay away from the pecans and cashews that I love at work!), continue with 4 cardios and my heavy duty to failure work outs!  Overall, I feel stronger and leaner!

….okay the saga continues….I was happy when I took my bodyfat, especially in my upper quad/thigh area.  This area has always been a "trouble"spot for me.  I attribute it to the years I rode horses 365 days a year since I was 10 years old.  seems like I just built up the adductors.  Usually my procedure is to measure 3 x’s and then take the average…so I went down to 10.5%…..and my thigh actually came down .25!  I am liking this heavy duty to failure!  I have been able to increase my weights each session!  whoo-hooo, I like that!

Today I did legs…I read a great tip on the "figure athlete" website…they said if you perform some jumps, jumping jacks, etc…before doing squats, you will actually be able to work the muscle better.  I tried it this morning and it seemed to work well…was able to really get that mind-muscle connection! 

So I took my measurements this morning to see if I was making progress with my new routine….i felt leaner and tighter all over, my pants where fitting me looser, so I had hopes that it would show in my measurements and bodyfat %’s.

So I have changed up my workouts to a Heavy duty to failure routine…I am doing well with it and I have already had some good strength increases!  My focus over the next couple of months is going to be my legs….i am very strong, can hack squat 300# pretty easily, but my legs continue to carry most of my bodyfat.  So I have changed up my elliptical with the recumbant bike on hill setting  4 x week and really hitting the legs heavy 2 x week..I have felt pretty sore after working them!  I think I am beginning to see some leaning out in the upper thigh….I will take measurements this saturday to see if it is changing a bit.  I have eaten super clean this week and feel leaner all over!  Have had great energy for the gym and have not felt tired!  I will do this routine for 6 weeks and then re-evaluate it.