kymberg’s BodyBlog

Today was shoulder day…my last on this workout. I did a smith machine military press first…and my numbers were 60lbs heavier than when I started on November 17. Granted, I only got 2 reps at 120..but, I got them. I got 5 at 110..5 at 100 and 5 at 90. But, because it’s my last week, and my workout guru is bored with my program…I had to do a set of 50 reps….50 lbs burned me alive by the time I had 25..I unloaded 5 lbs and made some of the ugliest faces in my life while I got thru those last 25 reps.

I could not believe the burn!! I was afraid to move my arms for a little bit for fear of them disintegrating!!

The Arnold Press was a big joke…I failed on every set. By the time I got to my 50 reps with the 5 lb weights and was making that same god-awful face, I’m sure the young ones at the gym were questioning the old lady’s ability to be over in that section.

The posterior delt machine was better. In fact, I hit the 200lb mark for 5…180 for 5…160 for 5 and got my 50 with 80lbs…I was thrilled.

My arms are so spent that I told my trainer I was going to go ahead and dress for tomorrow while I could still lift my arms over my head…that was right after I told him to kiss it…but it was the heat of the moment, and he said he forgives me.

Today is my last week on my first program with 6Pack99. He’s already sent me the new workout and I’m excited to start a new one, but this week my gym is closed for a couple of days..and last week it was closed for 3…so I’m finishing up and posting my heavy numbers to see how I progressed.

Today was Chest/Tris. Since November, I have increased my weight on Pec Dec by 20 lbs, Incline Chest Press by 20 lbs and Bench Press by 10lbs.

I am now able to do weighted dips on the dip bar, and my tricep press has increased by 35 lbs!!

Wow! I’m so thrilled with my progress.

Oh, and just as a little muscle shocker, Adonis told me to add 50-100 reps at the end of every exercise using as much weight as I could…fortunately my mom’s ADD kicked in and I remembered it as 20!! OMG!! That KILLED me. Tomorrow I have NO excuses and will have to do the 50…That which doesn’t kill me, right?

I had the Neatest experience in the gym yesterday morning. It was my Saturday Morning Workout. Loaded up the kids…stopped and got them McDonald’s…cause it’s their cheat day!! and I have to bribe them not to complain that they have to get dressed on their off day…and off we went to the gym!

Saturday mornings are usually like the AARP convention at my gym…only the seniors get up by 9 am and are ready to exercise. So I usually have the leg press and the smith machine to myself…a great day for my leg workout.

I first did my smith machine squats…wrote down the numbers and realized I was on HEAVY leg day…which meant I was suppose to work at a level where I could only get 5 reps…oops! I was going for 12.

So, I did my warmup on the sled and started putting the plates on. I had loaded 7 plates and had to go break up a fight between my son and my daughter. When I came back, a couple of guys were hanging out around the sled asking if the other one had loaded the plates…as I approached, one of them asked me if I was going to use the equipment and would I like for him to unload it for me. "No thanks." I said.

"You realize that is 315 pounds you have on there, plus the weight of the sled?" he inquired. To which I replied "Yes." and sat down…

By then, a crowd had begun to form to see if I could do this…OMG! The pressure. So I pushed off, removed the guards…sent up a prayer and slowly lowered my knees to my chest….I pushed so hard I shot the sled up to the top where it clanged…OMG! I could do this! And I did …for 8 reps.

That’s when It got good. They added another plate for me while I recovered…and I got 6 reps…2 more plates and I hit my 5!

What a rush! I love 6pack99…I NEVER knew I was as strong as I am. The confidence lifting heavy gives me is almost as nice as seeing my muscles bulging!!

Private Messages are a great thing…

I’ve passed on recipe ideas, gotten great workout tips, supplement information, found my new fitness guru, made a friend or two, and received many encouraging messages.

Every once in a while, you get one of those PMs that you aren’t expecting…and although, I’m 40 years old and have been around the block (more than once, I might add), I’m still a little shocked that someone would ask or say some of these statements.

So, in order to clear the record, I am going to answer some of these Private Messages in a Public Forum.

First of all, my favorite position is Quarterback. If you are not talking about football, it would be guard in Basketball, pitcher in baseball and Spiker in Volleyball.

The things that make me wet are sweating on the treadmill, swimming pools , when my kids spill their drinks across the table and rain.

For those of you who claim to want to turn me around, I REALLY hope you are a traffic cop, because that would be the ONLY one I would do that for because where I’m headed is much more important than where I have been.

I do not show my face because I am shy and this is a bodybuilding site, so for my goals it is not important for you to see or comment on my face. Anyway, it’s old and wrinkled and you wouldn’t like it anyway.

As far as "working" anyone out…I really appreciate that some of you would like an hour alone with me…but I am sure there are plenty of qualified trainers at your local gym who would do a sufficient job.

Yes, I am 40. No, I have not lied about my age. Really, I am the birth mother of 3 kids….Okay, actually, I like all the ones in this paragraph…so don’t stop!

Now that we have these answers published, I wish everyone a good night…and productive week…and continued success on their bodybuilding endeavors.

I remember times in my life when I really felt like I had arrived…

5 years old…heading to school with my Holly Hobbie lunchbox

7 years old…when I got to skip backwards dressed as an elf at my school Christmas musical

10 years old…when I got my first black-eye playing volleyball with a 14 year old sixth grade boy!!

12 years old…getting to wear high heels and hose for the first time

14 years old…when I had my first real kiss

15 years old…when my dad started letting me wear make-up (strict family, I know)

16 years old…my first date

18 years old…when I moved to the dorm

21 years old..when I moved away from home and got my first job

and 40 years old….did my first tricep dip on the dip machine, my first shrug on the hack squat, my first hanging leg raise from the chin-up bar and today, when I barbell curled 65 lbs twice!!

See, you are never too old to feel as if you’ve just arrived…you just got to keep trying new things! Life is a GREAT journey.

I feel like such a kid..I was up at VERY late last night taking pictures of my newly popped abs! Yes, they still have loose skin that I wish was not there…but the abs are definitely showing and I AM SO THRILLED!!

You may not understand my glee…but as a mother of three children that watched her stomach extend out past her feet 3 different times this is BIG STUFF!!

Thank you my brilliant trainer who introduced me to the crunch machine…and the oblique machine…and told me to work them like any other muscle group!!

I hate to cover them up with a shirt…I guess my kids’ principal will be glad I did…

You guys have a great day…I know I will.

I’ve realized something in the past few weeks…we ALL need a plan.

I’ve been faithfully tracking my workouts for 4 weeks now and it has made such a difference. Yesterday morning, I didn’t want to work legs…but I had my plan, I had the obligation of reporting on that plan to my highly muscular trainer, and I had already filled in my first numbers of weights I was suppose to be lifting …so I went ahead with it.

And today, with my legs sore and my completed sheet in my notebook, I realized that all the motivation and intent in the world are not gonna make me succeed…it’s sticking to the plan!

The plan! If you don’t have one…GET ONE!

I’ve been working with a lady for a few months and the first few weeks were great…she was so motivated. Determined to replace her bad habits…wanting to change her body…ready to have a new life.

Over the last few weeks, I have seen her grow more and more despondent. Her eating habits are back to being just as bad as before she started and today she actually refused to do her time on the treadmill…What’s up with that?

So I asked her…

Seems two weeks ago, when she stripped down and told her "dear" husband to look at her transforming body…he did the "dear" husband thing and told her that he wouldn’t care if she weighed 300 pounds…he would love her anyway.

Now, I’m sorry if I am stepping on toes here…but that is NOT what a woman who is trying to transform needs to hear. What a DE-motivator!! That is just saying that your efforts are wasted and don’t matter!!

I know he was trying to be supportive and affirm his love…but praise her for what she has accomplished!! Appreciate it! Affirm your love for her hard work and drive…MOTIVATE her to continue.

I was so freaked that I dragged her into the bathroom…put her in front of the mirror and asked her if she wanted to look like this the rest of her life? Her husband is probably blogging about what an idiot I am at this moment…oh well…

It happened while working biceps today.

Pushing myself as hard as I could go, I enlisted the help of my front desk gym guy. Please spot me on the lift and let me work the negative..I asked. So I loaded up my 45 lbs and started lifting….and I got 12! 40lbs and I got 12 again! 35 and 12 again…he NEVER had to spot me…but he did brag on me alot which caused me to pick up those 30 lb dumbbells for my hammer curls…

As his words about me being the fittest woman he knew rang in my ears I started lifting…and IT happened!! A VEIN…the MOST BEAUTIFUL VEIN in the world popped out on my shoulder and ran ALL the way down to the crook of my elbow!! BEAUTIFUL!!!And it stayed there!! It’s STILL there! 4 hours later!!

I emailed my wonderful, lovely trainer and told him how excited I am…he told me of the vein that popped out on his beautifully sculpted abs right before competition…OH MY!! Can this mother of three dare dream of the day??? He says I can…Don’t you love a "Can Do" man???