Lou's becoming an athlete mini challenge

[LouCarJo]

So, very excited to see this mini challenge - I have been getting ready for 6 Jan to do my first challenge, but now it looks as though I can start sooner and do a little warm-up!

The main challenge is going to be all about trying to convince myself that I *can* do this - I've been lifting since April but have been getting disheartened recently and questioning whether I am just not very sporty.

So, by the end of this mini challenge I'll aim to have done 7 Starting Strength style sessions, with 15 minutes of intensive conditioning following each one. I'll be happy if I have nailed 50kg for squat work sets, 80kg for deadlifts and 30kg for bench press - I'm pretty much there for all of them, and it's my mind more than anything that's holding me back. Or just getting impatient and not resting enough between sets before trying again (and failing).

I should be helped as I get to use my new home gym from Christmas day :-). No more travelling to get to the gym only to find all the space taken up by lots of generally rude and intimidating gentlemen... Only slight hiccup is that I've caught a cold and am currently holed up in bed with a temperature :-(. So I may have to backload the sessions, but I reckon 7 is still doable even if I write off today and tomorrow.

[Lady Eleventy]

This is my first challenge too, more power to you, fellow noob. I am a puggy hobbit with a dream to an Assassin, I know what it's like to question your sportiness but just because we weren't born atheletes doesn't mean we can't become them. You can do it!

[LouCarJo]

Hey, thanks! The sportiness will have to start tomorrow as for today I'm still feeling ill and we've also just had a storm overnight that's meant the trains are down so I couldn't get to my current gym even if I wanted to! I'll be accountable to you now though to make sure I do something tomorrow! Have just seen your intro, and will go now and comment on it separately.

[LouCarJo]

Today I used my new home gym for the first time. Back squat: 20kgx5x2, 30kgx5x1, 35kgx5x1 and 40kgx5x3. Deadlifts: 20kgx5x1, 40kgx5x1, 60kgx5x1 and 70kgx4x1. I just couldn't get the last rep (and I only just managed to avoid an accident at 60kg...). No bench press yet as bench not yet assembled! So to finish off I did 50 sit ups with 5kg medicine ball and 50 Russian twists with the same weight. Followed by 15 minutes mobility. So-so overall, given I still don't feel great.

[Lady Eleventy]

How are the russian twists on your back? I have had trouble executing them properly in the past.

Continue the good work! May sportiness follow you throughout your week  

[LouCarJo]

No weights today - my parents were visiting. We did however go for an hour-long walk with their dog, so not a complete write-off. I have a time slot earmarked tomorrow afternoon for more weights - after some festive shopping and before a birthday party.

@LadyEleventy - no, they don't hurt my back. Not sure what it is I do/don't do though to mean that they are fine. I found that two weeks after I started squatting, all back problems went! (Though I still find sitting for any length of time painful.)

[Lady Eleventy]

Hmm, I guess I just haven't done enough squats. I will try to do more before I add Russian twists into my routine, thank you for the advice Sitting only starts hurting my back if I slack on my posture. 

 

Keep up the good work!

[LouCarJo]

I did my stuff, but a bit disheartened with how it went. Back squats: 20kgx5x2, 30kgx5x1, 40kgx5x1, 42.5kg fail, 41kgx5x2 then fail again :-(

Deadlifts: 40kgx5x1, 60kgx5x1, 75kg fail, 71kg fail :-(

Still no bench and the bar felt too heavy to try OHP.

In a bit of a grump and because I didn't feel like I was done, I then did 50 kettlebell swings (16kg) and then 50 back squats just with the bar and slow down and hold before coming back up.

Done a bit of foam rolling already, going to finish off later.

[LouCarJo]

Went for an 8k run today, which was all good till I fell over in the mud... My knee is now pretty sore, which might put paid to much leg work for the next few days. The best laid plans...

[LouCarJo]

So, I have barely moved for the past 48 hours as I can't bend my knee. It's all cut and bruised and swollen. Making the most of the enforced rest - and realising how tired I actually was. Eating well though, and using the time to plan the January challenge. And I hope to be back to some kind of lifting within another day or two.

[LouCarJo]

Yesterday I did 3 sets of: 45 second dead hang, 5kg dumbbell overhead press, hammer curl and bicep curl, 3kg dumbbell kick backs and lateral flies. I need to find more upper body workouts, as my knee still won't bend fully and remains pretty sore.

[LouCarJo]

Final workout for this mini challenge: back and shoulders (my knee still won't move much; it feels numb to the touch, as if it were frozen :-(

3 x superset of 10 straight legged deadlifts (20kg bar), 45 second dead hang, 10 underhand grip barbell rows (20kg bar), 3 x superset of 12 x 3kg dumbbell over the head (no machine lat pull down alternative), 12 x overhand grip barbell rows (2kg bar), single set 3 x 10 dumbbell shoulder press (5kg dumbbells), 3 x superset of 10 side lateral raises (3kg dumbbells), 10 upright rows (3kg) and 10 bent over lateral raises (3kg).

I'm resigned to my exercise being all chest, arms, back, shoulders for a while yet... At least I can now just about move myself about.

So 4 workouts done over the holidays, plus 1 longish run (which caused all these problems...). No bad, considering. Proper challenge will go up tonight.