ElJay

@iamcalledjosh - Right now we are in serious save mode. Spending on non-essentials is really limited. Perhaps down the road we can, but for now, even second hand is gonna be too pricey for us. LOVE the idea though. It's adding in the cost of plates right now that could be a killer.

Hi all, I am lucky in that a recently got a new job. Downside is, I have to change my schedule a bit, and getting to the gym to do stronglifts type workouts won't be able to happen, due to childcare availability. Currently my lifts are around: Squats: 130lb Bench: 90lb Barbell Row: 105 OHP: 65 Deadlift: 155 I've been doing Stronglifts 3x5 and love lifting heavy, and so am so loathe to not get a lot of gains, but want to make sure to keep a good & challenging strength routine going, and am looking for some ideas. If I have a detailed/outlined plan, I'll stick to it. Something more loose? I'll likely not get in as much, I know me. What I do have is: Pull Up/Chin Up bar attached to a doorframe Adjustable dumbbells that go from 5-50lbs each, with 2.5lb increments up to 25lbs, then 5lb up to 50. Bench Reebok step So what's out there for a plan I can follow that you guys and gals like?

At the track workouts, we regularly do a slow mile, then warmups with leg swings, high knees, butt kicks, and then...bleacher climbs. First round, squat jumps up the steps. Then lunges up the steps. Then squat jumps up the benches! Cool down we always do some sort of pilates/yoga moves for flexibility and abwork.

Done at the track last night! Did it in a reverse ladder, long distance, shorter, shorter, shorter still, sprint. So much fun! 6.5 miles in all including 3 miles warm up.

I tried 14 rounds of everything from clomid to IUI to IVF. We ultimately are unexplained and started trying in our late 20s, but decided to adopt. I'm happy to answer any tx questions or just give hugs

Massive applause. That's a huge mental change, I get it!

I'm down by three! I'm gonna do a last PRETTY PLEASE VOTE and then back to my usual scheduled chaos

I was just coming here to recommend Chi Running. Also, go onto youtube and look for videos that highlight "Forefoot Running" position. I'm just working on moving that way now - after running for 8 years now, it's hard to change, but I'm glad I am.

Love the goals (I'm totally watching everyone who trains for tris - I'm gonna go for one next year, I think). Totally all gel together - especially the drop ceiling. As a wife of a man who does projects like that, we do really appreciate it.

I should check out "Eat like a dinosaur" - my kids pretty much eat whatever we give them, but having another tool in the arsenal never hurts!

Absolutely jealous on the oly tri. It's a long term goal for me. I can ride on a cruiser type bike, but no clue how to use gears and such. I have done the Merrell Down & Dirty - I loved it, got scraped up all to hell, but well run. Funny story - it was one of the first cold mornings of fall when I did mine a few years back. Starting gun went off, I took one step - calf TOTALLY popped. It was like being shot with a bb gun. I had traveled 300 miles for the race, and it was a mud run that I knew I'd get banged up at anyway, so I gutted it out, since it was the last run of my season. Dumbest move, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Have a blast!

That is totally my favorite feature! I do that too, after a run, to make sure I'm hydrating enough in summertime!

Thanks everyone!

Thanks Suzie!!! I have to say, dropping back on my last workout made a WORLD of difference for me. I was able to get down nice and low in my squat, and even have a bit of DOMS going on today. Better form is going to make me stronger where I need it most, my hamstrings. The weights don't lie, and there is no room for pride here. There's no cheating when it comes to strength, and I'm glad I'm going about the challenge without a specific number goal this time around. And yeah, negatives are HARD. They didn't feel bad when I did them at all, but wow, do I feel them today. I came so close to getting the next weight on my OHP, and failed with all of my efforts on the last rep of the last set. It's close though. Getting my miles in which is always tough in this heat, I'm definitely feeling the increase in terms of fatigue... ...which leads me to step one in dropping some coffee. I figure cold turkey is just dumb, even one day a week. I was on the ramp up to a second round later in the day, not in any mindset of reducing until the challenge came along and I was figuring out my goals. I bought some decaf today, so tomorrow I'll try it out, and see if I get headaches or anything from the reduced caffeine (since decaf is not actually caffeine free, after all). On my level up my life, I've been trying to make more time out of my morning routine, tough with the weird camp schedule, but that gets better when he goes back to his usual program hours next week. I realized that I had an extra 15 minutes one morning this week and cleaned the bathroom. I'm much better already about dishes and keeping the kitchen clean. Next week, my plan is to make a schedule for what rooms get attention which days, so I can do a little each day and not need to spend a whole lot of time in any one sitting. On a shameless self promotion bit - thanks to everyone who supported me in the last challenge. On week 4 into 5 I was really having a hard time as I realized I wasn't quite getting my food right to keep my energy going, but you all believed in me, and I kept powering through. I'd love it if you could vote for me to win! Go scouts! http://www.nerdfitness.com/community/showthread.php?13572-Pick-the-Winner-of-the-Last-Challenge!

Mission accepted and completed, commander!

Whoa. Me? *looks around* You all are the badasses. I am proud to be representing the scouts - because we all worked our asses off!

I actually agree - Medhi is a total blowhard and I actually read SS as well, and love them both. I just like having the SL App on my phone during workouts - geekery wins!

My schedule is pretty tough, I'm an unlikely but maybe, depending on the day and time. When are people thinking?

Oh that would be SO dangerous for me. I have the bladder of a small hamster.

Thanks! It's still a chinup from standing, so not even a deadhang yet, though I think I can kip my way up from a deadhang. I looked into NROL, but decided on Stronglifts 5x5, since I had a good base to start from already. Theoretically the progression allows for enough rest each week, and I do need to miss a day here and there for travel, which absolutely helps. The other limiting factor is that lifting is not my primary goal exercise, and so I know that the effort I put forth in running will slow the gains I can make in lifts, simply from resources available, bodywise. I definitely take a "down" week with running every few weeks. The common wisdom I've read is that while your muscles repair and catch up in 48-72 hours, your skeletal system needs a full month, so one week of every month, I back off the miles a bit, and come back the next week fresher. I'm gonna see if that tactic works with lifting as well, based on absolutely nothing so far

I realized it was so weird once I switched over to measure my bicep, but yay for measurement freaks? Goals are slightly differently oriented versus last time, and all the old work still stands in terms of trying to level up, but it should be a fun one to try from a different angle.

The last challenge was my first challenge. I had just started Stronglifts, and things were still easy there. I had been training all winter and spring for goal races that were on my schedule at the beginning of the challenge. This time, setting goals is a bit tougher. Things I know going into this challenge I'm at the start of week 6 of 16 training for my next half marathon. This is one I've done twice, and runs right by my house. I'll be running 25-35 miles/week in support of this. I have finished 23 StrongLifts workouts, and I'm starting to fail on the 3x5s...often. I also have noticed my form slipping a bit. I'm not getting into my squats as deep, and I couldn't even lift the bar on my deadlift day last week, when I was able to get a PR the week before. I think a good move will be to actually back off the weight about 20% where I have a bit of form issues, and continue to go from there. Lifts where it's just plain old hard (CURSE YOU OHP!), I'll keep going as planned. Diet is just plain hard. I know we have a few family events going on, and my resolve on the road is not the best. That being said, I need to be kind to myself, otherwise I'll swing too far one way or the other. My goal is going to be around fueling my machine to move. I am trying to get a job with my old company from my pre-kid era, which I was able to do from home. No idea if I will get a position. If I do, I don't know what my role will be, when it would start, and for how many hours per week. That could mess with my plans, but I have to keep my life moving and leveling up, so until things change in this area, I'm gonna keep trucking. Starting Values: STR - 6 DEX - 7 STA - 9 CON - 4 WIS - 5 CHA - 5 Starting Measures: Weight: 144.3 lb BF%: 31.3 Waist: 28.75" Hips: 37.75" Navel: 34.0" Chest at Ribcage: 31.5" Right calf: 22.0" Right thigh: 14" Left Bicep: 11" Goals: Run 1 Mile Race in under 7:07: DEX 4 This race is on my schedule, and the time comes from my time trial at the track at the beginning of my current training program. While I have done many races at longer distances, this will be my first mile race distance. Drop one morning of coffee per week: CON 3 As the weather gets warmer, it's probably a good time to start cutting back on coffee. I didn't start drinking it until my late 20s, and now drink it more to feel full and avoid snacking. That's a bad habit to start. We will see if cutting back will help me sleep better, and I figure cutting back slowly will allow me to cut back more and more days as challenges go on, without adverse issues. Do EITHER one pull up any way I can get it OR three consecutive chin ups from dead hang: STR: 4 I have a chin up bar in my laundry room doorway, and from standing can do one chin up, a surprise I found out in my last challenge. A pull up may be stretching it, so I'd love to actually get to chin up from a dead hang, and do more than one at that. Level up my life goal: Spend 15 minutes/day and one hour per week cleaning the house: CHA 4 Financially, we've had to drop our occasional cleaning service, so I'm it! We've gotten better about getting our older son to clean up his toys as the baby gets more mobile, which has gotten us in a mindset of being tidier ourselves. Now it's time to see if I can be a better housecleaner than our housecleaners! Start of Challenge Pictures

I'll play devil's advocate for a sec, because for some of us, calories will add up. I am an active runner and lifter, and I find if I don't eat enough carbs, I get mega grouchy. So I do count calories on myfitnesspal, but try to use it for information, not restriction. If I eat paleo, I tend to not get enough carbs in, but if I don't track, it's too easy to get too many. So it's a fine line, but one I'm learning to walk without driving myself insane.

We got one a year ago! I really do like it, and it integrates with Runkeeper, which is kinda fun. Husband and I each have our own setting and what not, and it links right into their website...

I love that you posted this topic. It's a fantastic way to start practicing for maintenance levels. I've actually backed off calorie cutting for a bit this and last week to see if I can find a maintenance level for food while I am intensifying my workouts. I'm pretty active during the week (at least with workouts, if not the day itself) and I am finding it will be easier to drop some calories here and there once I find out what I need for right now, which is down about 12lbs from 6 months ago, when I wasn't paying much attention at all.