New month - new workout program. I am going to do a full-body workout program 3x/wk this month. Cardio on alternating days.
So Monday morning 45-min on the elliptical and then in the evening
Smith squats 5x12@ 65, 85, 95, 105, 115 lb
Bb military presss 12@bar, 3x12@ 55lb
Bb curls 12@bar, 2x12@50 lb
seated cable row12@70, 3x10@85 lb
[crunches 4x25@BW
hyperext 4x12@5 lb]
leg press 4x10@ 250, 265, 280, 295 lb
pressdowns 3x12@25 lb

today 30-min on the step mill and 20-min incline walking on the treadmill

Today (commencement):
10-min stepmill then
[Db standing sh press 20@10lb, 20@12.5lb, 15@15lb, 15@17.5lb
wide lat pulldown 4x15@55, 60, 65, 70 lb]
[Db upright row 4x15@15lb
straight arm pulldown 4x12@25, 30,30,30lb]
[Db lat raise 4x10@10lb
squat row 4x30@40,45,50,55lb]
[cable curl 3x15@50,55,55lb
cable pressdown 3x12@30,35,35lb]
Db conc curl 3x15@15lb
[chins, dips to failure]

yesterday was PhD hooding so I didn't have time to record my workout which was:
10-min elliptical followed by
Bb deadlift ff 3x12@95, 115, 125lb
[wide leg press 4x12@250, 265, 280, 295lb
leg ext 4x12@75, 80, 85, 90lb]
[leg curl seated 3x12@85lb
walking Db lunge 3x19ea@12.5lb]
Smith squat 7x12@65lb
calf raise3x30@90lb
hyper ext with Db reach 3x12@ 5lb

Tuesday was chest, tris&abs:
10-min stepmill
shoulder was bothering me so I didn't go crazy on the incline chest press 3x12@25lb
flat Db press 3x15@25lb
pec deck 3x12@55, 60, 65lb
[tricep pressdowns 3x8@55lb
Db kickbacks 3x12ea@12.5lb]
[full situps 3x15@BW
bicycles 3x20@BW]
[mntn climbers 3x50ea@BW
crunches 3x25@BW]
hyperextensions 3x12@5lb
captain's chair straight leg lifts 3x12@BW

today cardio only:
30-min elliptical
30-min step mill

Saturday was my weekly rest day. Sunday I walked 50-min before church. Today was back, delts, and bis:
(1-arm Db row 3x12@30,35,40lb
Wide grip lat pull downs 3x12@70lb)
(cable rows 3x12@70,85,100lb
Db lat raise 3x12@10lb)
(Db cable curl 3x12@20,22.5,22.5lb
Seated legs in 3x12@bw)
Db incline curl 3x8@20lb
Chin ups to failure
Pushups to failure
Seated calf raise 3x30@90lb

10 min stepmill before
10 min stepmill after
20 min treadmill walking on incline

Leg day!
10-min on the stepper then:
leg extensions 3x12@85lb
Bb squats 3x12@135 lb
Bb sumo deadlift 3x12@135 lb
[leg press cable 3x12@250, 265, 280 lb
seated leg curl 3x12@70, 75, 80lb]
[full situps 3x15@BW
roman twists 3x15@7.5lb
butt lift with reach 3x12@7.5 lb]

cooled off with 10-min incline walking on treadmill

Today was nearly a non-starter. I was beat yesterday and overslept. That said the notable thing is that I got up as usual and went to the gym. See it's a "habit" and being a habit AND a priority, it is just something I do. Period. There's a lesson there worth thinking about. It has a great deal of positive power and could just change your life. See over ten years ago I was a morbidly obese couch potato. I joined WW and then Curves and one thing just led to another and before I knew it I was working out regularly.
So what do you want to do that you aren't currently doing? Name it. Value it. AND make it a habit.

OK so moving on...today was cardio day for me so to spice it up I did 30-min intervals on the elliptical (while reading Iron Man my favorite magazine) and then 15-min on the step mill followed by 15-min incline walking on the treadmill.

A few years back I saw this amazing lady - shoulders like boulders and abs to-die-for. Of course I asked her and she said two words: kettle bells. It took me a while to get there but I eventually came around and though it has not happened overnight I have noticed that my shoulders are finally taking shape and all I can say are two words: kettle bells.

So what did I do today? kettle bells

Moves worth adding to your training whether you use kettle bells or not: kettle bells swings, kettle bell squat/upright rows, kettle bell squat presses, and the infamous Turkish getup.

Up and at 'em! Woke up and went to the gym and did 10-min on the stepper followed by:
incline Db press 4x10@25, 30, 30, 30 lb
Db flat press 2x10@ 30lb, 2x8@35 lb
pec deck 3x12@45, 50, 55 lb
[cable pressdown 3x20@40, 45, 50 lb
cable curl 3x20@40, 45, 50 lb]
woodchoppers 3x15ea@40 lb
cable ab curls 3x30@80, 85, 90 lb
Db kickbacks 3x12ea@10, 12.5, 15 lb
sitps 2x25@ BW

left shoulder was a bit fussy this morning, noticed it last week too so I decided not to "press it" (bad pun)

Sunday was rest day - walking only.

Today:
10-min on step mill then
[shoulder press 4x20@15lb
wide grip lat pulldown 4x12@70lb]
[upright Db row 4x20@15lb
straight arm pulldown 4x12@25lb]
[bent over Db lats 3x12@10 lb
cable row 20@70lb, 2x12@85lb]
[close grip bench press 3x12@55, 60, 60lb
Db conc curl 3x10@15lb]
[glute lift 3x12@10, 15, 20lb
butt lift & Db reach 3x12@10, 15, 20lb]

I am not one of those folks who dread or put off legs. Just happens on the four day split i am following right now today was leg day. So i was up at six and off to Marino to do it!

10 min step mill
(Cable leg press 4*12@235,250,265,280 lb
Leg ext 4*12@85,90,95,100 lb)
(Db swing 4*20@20,22.5,22.5,22.5
Seated leg curl 4*12@75,80,85,90)
(Full situps 4*15@bw
Buttlift w Db 4*12@10 lb)

Yikes! It has been a while since I last posted. Training is going well. Today I did kettle bell in the morning and step mill HIIT in the evening.

Tuesday two transformers blew at a neighborhood hotel. This led to a loss of electricity for the whole area. That evening a thoughtless student in my apartment building lit a candle and caused a fire on the third floor. This caused a flood on the second floor (sprinklers). As a result not only did I have no electricity but no heat and water as well. Many in my building stayed with friends but I didn't have that luxury so I spent my week Tuesday through Thursday in the dark. One good thing is my fitness habit so I woke up Wed, Thursday and and Friday and went to the gym to work out and get a hot shower. The hard part was that the loss of electricity meant no restaurants, etc. in the area and no ATMs. No harm, no foul. We finally got electricity Friday morning at 2:37 am I was never so happy because Thursday night it was cold!

Rough weekend. mom was sent to the ER Friday evening – and good thing she had in fact suffered another stroke. I don’t think things would have turned out as well as they did if not for mom’s cardiologist. Her pcp and the ER guy she saw last Monday BOTH attempted to pass off her symptoms as inner ear problems. Dr. Young had requested that mom get an MRI and the technicians right away saw she had bleeding in the region of the brain associated with balance. Mom was released last evening.
This was mom's second stroke. Different region from the first. I have learned alot from our experiences. First: there's only a golden 3 HOUR window during which the doctor's can truly make a difference in terms of the outcomes. When in doubt trust yourself and take your loved one to the ER. Symptoms aren't necessarily those portrayed in the popular media. One type of stroke (the kind mom had this time) often presents as nausea and vertigo. The second major type often presents as slurred speech, drooping of the face on one side, inability to coordinate or move limbs on one side. The person may just drop over unconscious. WHEN IN DOUBT take your loved one for IMMEDIATE medical evaluation and BE INSISTENT in making sure that they get the RIGHT diagnosis. As I hope my story above illustrates even trained medical personnel OFTEN struggle with a correct initial diagnosis of stroke. THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL set of symptoms!!!! In my mom's case she had already had one so that made them look a bit more closely when we insisted. Please share this information with your loved ones.

I am pleased to share with you the results of my stair climb Saturday at One Boston Place on behalf of the American Lung Association. I finished in 10:12. Overall I came in 223/560 and was 11/42 in my age group – not bad for a fifty-one year ol’ broad LOL! Best part of the event though was meeting so many inspiring folks who came from all over to support this worthy charity. Fire fighter teams came from across the state and as far away as Maine and New Hampshire to compete in full gear (that’s 70+ pounds of added weight folks!). There were the very young and some more mature folks – a 70-year young lady from Hull- former fire-fighters, and folks who have and are battling various forms of lung disease. I also met a lady from Uganda who was the first woman from her country to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro. She works for the Museum of Science and her daughter is an NU student studying physical therapy in Bouve! Pretty cool! Hoping to train with her for next year’s event!

Nailed it! Today was my day! Climbed One Boston Place for the American Lung Association. DId better than I expected 10.12 - not as fast as I would have liked but I finished strong and passed quite a few folks men and women - all ages on my climb to the top. I walked and I wasn't weasing like most of the others Best part is I made a new friend and a training partner for next year's event! LOL! Should find out how I did overall on Tuesday.

Now I gotta think about my next training challenge.