Stephanie's Battle Log

[steampunk_fanatic]

Hi, I'm Stephanie. Calling me by either my real name or username is fine!

 

I've been trying to lose weight for a bit in the start of summer by doing cardio, which included hikes and trail runs. While I did lose a few pounds, I had no idea what those pounds were (whether they were fat, muscle or just water). I didn't want to become scrawny so I switched to strength training after a month, and did bodyweight exercises as well as experimenting with dumbbells (which belonged to my younger brother). I trained every day for a few days, but realized I needed rest days. So I started training every other day. I did dumbbell deadlifts and dumbbell squats for a week (20 lb per dumbbell). Now I've ditched free weights because I don't have anything heavier nor do I have money for monthly gym membership. My workout now consists of only bodyweight exercises. I don't have a pull up bar at home, but I can go to the playground at my old elementary school to train for pull ups and other exercises.

 

I also do kung fu every week for four hours. It comprises of lion dance and sanshou (Chinese kickboxing). I want to get better at kung fu, and sanshou in particular. I'm not very strong and I don't want to end up as a punching bag in sparring matches so I'm taking up strength training on my own. I'm also doing a bit of flexibility exercises for my hips for mobility as they are super stiff right now.

 

I get a lot of motivation and information from reading fitness articles on websites like Nerd Fitness and the Art of Manliness (even though I'm not a man). I also have the ebook "Convict Conditioning" by Paul Wade, which I use for exercises.

 

This is my battle log where I will be tracking my workouts. I'm still playing around with my workout routine so each exercise I do is not set in stone yet, though it will definitely comprise of calisthenics.

[steampunk_fanatic]

Yesterday

 

1) Vertical Pulls                                 3x40

2) Shoulderstand Squats                  2x25

3) Jackknife Squats                          3x40

4) Wall Push Ups                              3x50

5) Knee Tucks                                  1x10

6) Short Bridges                               2x25

7) Horizontal Pulls (inverted rows)   3x10

8) Half Pull Ups                                1x1

 

I'm removing shoulderstand squats from my next workout because they hurt my arms and I haven't figured out how to do it without the pain.

 

 

Today

 

1) Short Bridges                               2x25

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today (July 22, 2015)

 

Warm Up: Jog three laps around soccer field.

 

1) Wall Bent Waist Hold 30 seconds 3x

2) Inverted Rows 3x10

3) Half Pullups 1x1

4) Hanging Knee Raises 2x10

5) Full-body Squats 2x20

6) Knee Tucks 2x15

7) Short Bridges 2x25

8) Knee Push Ups 1x10

9) Half Push Ups 2x12

[Aluado]

Hello, Stephanie!

 

First of all... Yay! I found another pokemaniac! (As you can see, I love pokémon too, hahahaha!)

 

I really liked reading your story. You're very committed to become healthier, I can see! I wish you success in your trainings and look forward to your results! However, let me ask you... how about your diet? Or, if you don't like this word, your eating habits? You know, 80% of everything is what you eat...

[steampunk_fanatic]

Hi Aluado!

 

Yeah, Pokemon is awesome! (been a Pokemon fan since elementary school ;A;)

 

Actually, my current diet at the moment needs a lot of work. Thanks for bringing that up! I was limiting my calories to 1200 for about a month during the time I did a lot of cardio with the hiking and trail runs. Then I stopped counting in July because I wasn't sure if it was really helping me.

 

My current approach is just to eat whole foods for meals and eat until I am full (and eat no further after that). While I am able to avoid processed food for meals, I have been snacking on a lot of junk food recently, including soda, chips and ice-cream. I also don't drink enough water and have been indulging in Tim Horton's iced capps and Starbuck's lattes too many times per week. Though I do feel like my strength is slowly building up, my weight has not changed (probably because of all that junk food consumption). It might be a good idea to post all the junk food I consume in this battle log so maybe I'll think twice before consuming it. Okay, that's what I'll do from now on!

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Junk Food:

1) Hong Kong Style Iced Coffee Milk Tea x1

 

 

Today's Workout:

 

1) Supported Squats 2x15

2) Wall Bent Waist Hold 30 seconds 1x1

3) Full Pushups 1x8

4) Vertical Pulls 2x40

5) Knee Tucks 2x25

6) Short Bridges 2x25

 

I can't go for a run today because my heel and my achilles tendon are sore from jogging last time. Yesterday I got out of bed and had trouble walking down the stairs and while they are a bit better today, I'll just lay off the running for a bit longer. I think it's because I'm not used to running in Vibram Fivefingers. I also sort of went easy on the squats and did supported ones instead of full body ones.

 

Lastly, since I didn't go to the playground today, I couldn't work on my deadhang, inverted rows, or hanging knee raises. I replaced the inverted rows with high reps of vertical pulls, and since vertical pulls are way easier, I tried increasing the speed without compromising form to make the workout slightly more challenging.

 

EDITED:

 

I ended up going to the playground today. I'm just going to add to my workout. I also did some running because my heel stopped hurting after my first workout at home.

 

Cardio: Barefoot running (no barefoot shoes nor foot gloves) two laps around soccer field.

 

Strength Training:

1) Inverted Rows 3x10

2) Half Pullups 2x1

3) Hanging Knee Raises 1x8

 

Okay, I attempted ten reps of hanging knee raises but my last two didn't have such a good form so really I only successfully did eight.

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Junk Food:

1) Instant Noodles

2) Popsicle

 

I know this is an excuse but because I have a midterm tomorrow and I'm cramming, I opted for something that could be prepared quickly.

 

Today's Workout:

1) Full Pushups 1x8

2) Incline Pike Pushups 3x8

3) Plank 30 seconds 1x

4) Half Pullups 3x2

5) Hanging Knee Raises 1x8

 

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I wanted to exercise.

[steampunk_fanatic]

Yesterday's Workout (July 29th, 2015):

1) Bench Dips 3x8

2) Pike Pushups 3x8

3) Plank 60 seconds 1x

4) Half Pullups 3x2

5) Hanging Knee Raises 3x8

6) Short Bridges 3x10

7) Deep Squats 3x8

8) Inverted Rows 3x8

9) Wall Bent Waist Hold 30 seconds 1x

 

Cardio: Uphill hiking 1 hour

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Workout

 

1) Pushups 4x20

2) Pike Pushups 3x8

3) Plank 60 second 1x

4) Half Pullups 3x1

5) Hanging Leg Raises 3x4

6) Short Bridges 3x50

7) Deep Squats 4x20

8) Inverted Rows 3x10

9) Wall Bent Waist Hold 40 seconds 1x

 

Cardio: I ran around in the parking lot. I also did 10 burpees and 20 tuck jumps. I was training for around two hours.

 

I tried a full pullup today with a grip where one hand uses a supinated grip and the other uses a pronated grip. It failed because I could only get up to my nose over the bar. I did it twice with the same result. I tried to push myself harder today so I added more reps.

[steampunk_fanatic]

Yesterday's Training:

 

1) Inverted Rows 3x10

2) Half Pull Ups 1x2

 

Yesterday wasn't really a formal training day for me so I just worked on my pull exercises.

 

Today's Training:

 

1) Squats 3x20

2) Half Pull Ups 3x1

3) Pike Push Ups 3x8

4) Flat Straight Leg Raises 3x20

5) Push Ups 3x20

6) Inverted Rows 2x20

7) Plank 60 seconds 1x

8) Short Bridges 2x25

 

Misc: Ground kongs, burpees, quadrupedal movement, sprint, jogging

[steampunk_fanatic]

Morning Training:

 

1) Close Grip Pull Up 1x1

2) Inverted Rows 3x20

 

Finally got my chin over the bar

 

 

Night Training:

1) Plank 60 seconds 1x

2) Pike Push Ups 3x8

3) Short Bridges 2x25

4) Squats 3x20

5) Leg Lifts 3x20

6) Push Ups 3x20

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Training

 

1) Inverted Rows 3x20

2) Pike Push Ups 3x10

3) Military Push Ups 3x10

4) Hanging Knees to Elbows 1x2, 1x1

5) Glute Bridges 3x25, 3x20

6) Leg Raises 3x20

7) Plank 1 min 3x

8) Deep Squats 3x20

9) Lunges 3x10

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Workout

 

1) Deep Squats 3x20

2) Pike Push Ups 3x10

3) Leg Lifts 3x20

4) Glute Bridges 3x25

5) Military Push Ups 3x10

6) Inverted Rows 3x20 (close grip), 3x10 (shoulder-width grip)

7) Plank 3x 1 min

8) Bridge Hold 3x 20 sec

9) Lunges 3x20

[steampunk_fanatic]

Today's Workout

 

1) Deep Squats 3x20

2) Pike Push Ups 3x15

3) Leg Lifts 3x20

4) Glute Bridges 3x25

5) Military Push Ups 3x10

6) Inverted Rows 1x20 (close grip), 3x10 (shoulder-width grip)

7) Plank 3x 1 min

8) Bridge Hold 3x 20 sec

9) Lunges 3x20

 

I also practiced my parkour rolls on asphalt and attempted to do vertical wall runs.