Cort Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 My Nerd Fitness One-Year Anniversary So I've been lifting heavy for about a year now, and while I've noticed a definite increase in muscle mass and strength, it is becoming increasingly apparent that I am sacrificing speed and agility. (I cannot be so old that I can't even play a game of softball without straining something.) I think it's time to take a look at the routine and tweak some things. Despite my aversion to running, I actually found myself missing it today. Sure, I can squat and bench a lot more weight now than I could a year ago, so walking up the hill to get to my car should not leave me feeling winded (right?). That said, yesterday I went ahead and ordered my first new pair of running shoes in over a year. I intend to start small and gradually increase my time/distance/speed to get my overall fitness level back where it needs to be. I’m not going to stop lifting, but I might need to rearrange a few things. Starting Stats (One Year Ago): Now:30yo Female 31yo Female5’6 tall 5’6 tall142lbs 145lbs LiftsSquat: 65 Squat: 155Bench: 65 Bench: 115OHP: 45 OHP: 75Deadlift: 110 Deadlift: 207.5Row: 35* *Pull-ups: 4 *When I started Wendler's 5/3/1 program I stopped doing rows and focused on pull-ups. I can now do up to 4 in a row from a dead hang, which is good enough to pass the new Marine Corps PFT standards for females. Measurements Calf: 14.5†Calf: 14.75â€Thigh: 23†Thigh: 23â€Hip: 36†Hip: 37â€Waist: 32†Waist: 32â€Bicep: 10.5†Bicep: 11†relaxed, 11.5†flexed Kind of hard to believe my measurements are almost the same as they were a year ago considering how much different I feel. Interesting. First two pics are from January 2013 (pre-lifting) Second set of pics are from September 2013 (3 months into lifting) Third set of pictures are from July 2014, three pounds heavier and one year after starting heavy lifts. It will be interesting to see what my 2-year anniversary looks like. Until then, I have some fields to trod... 1 Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Sheep's log: July 12 3pm (Hot and sunny with a 75% chance of sprinklers!)Walk/jogged 1.76 miles in 20 minutes 39 seconds (11:44 minute mile, whoo! that was a slow one)Situps alternated with stretching: 25, 25, 25, 25Pullups: 1, 2, 1 Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Chris-Tien Jinn Posted July 12, 2014 Report Share Posted July 12, 2014 Congratulations on the major changes in a year!! Quote Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin "We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less." - Kurt Hahn STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14 The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft) Link to comment
Cort Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 13 0900 - 81degrees, sunny, with a 10% chance of sprinklersWalk/jogged 1.82 miles in 20 minutes 4 seconds with a 11min. flat mile. Progress. (Note to self, running during heavier sprinkler activity is way more fun.) Tomorrow starts a new lift cycle. I'm still doing 5/3/1 but I haven't yet figured out how I want to try and juggle heavy weights with running. Suggestions are welcomed. In other news, my husband reminded me I'm going to night shift this week... so yeah, that always screws me up for at least a week or two. But on the plus side, nights tend to be less busy, which means more time available for me to hit the gym at the hospital during my shift (silver lining). 1 Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Congratulations on the major changes in a year!! Thanks Chris! Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 My husband recently started Wendler's "Beyond 5/3/1" program. While I am kinda sorta somewhat familiar with it simply because I've witnessed some of his workouts, I just sat down to read about it tonight as I was trying to find a way to incorporate more cardio without losing my lifting regimen (I'm currently using the basic 5/3/1 program). Looks like Beyond 5/3/1 might be just the ticket. (Insert spouse remark "I told you so" here.) Yes dear, you were right, I just wasn't ready to overwhelm my brain with a new program until now. The new program will have me doing two heavy lifts per day, three days a week (MWF). The three days in between lift days (TRS) are for "weighted vest walking" (aka, my new running/sprint interval days) and the final day is a day off. Each day also includes DeFranco's Agile 8 which is supposed to increase mobility, flexibility, etc. So I just spent the last half hour putting together my new program for Week 1. The program design is based on calculating a percentage of my 1RM. Since Wendler is a big proponent of starting "too light" I am using last week's numbers to calculate my percentages, even though they probably aren't true 1RM numbers. This way I have room to "grow slow." Tomorrow will be Week 1: Day 1. Should be fun! Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Malcore Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Great! Quote With great size comes great responsibility. My 5/3/1 Year project. Lifting Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 14 - Week 1, Day 1 of Beyond 5/3/1 Agile 8 (which was not fun, BTW)Box jumps: 5, 5, 5Squat: 65x5 95x5 110x3 125x3 140x5Bench (60 second rest b/n sets): 80x5 80x5 80x5 80x5 80x5Pull-ups: 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Wendler calls for 50 reps, but I'm not there yet)Side bends: (10# plate) 2 sets of 25 per sideTriceps: (standing BW dips using the side of the power rack) 10, 10, 10Note to self: it's freaking hot outside between 1100-1200. Don't do that again. Also, this took substantially longer than my old workout, so budget time wisely. I thought about throwing the old pull-up assistance bands on the rack for some more reps, but I pulled my R bicep yesterday (sadly, during softball practice) so I decided to lay off anymore. Just doing the tricep dips was also aggravating, which is why I kept it at 10 per set. Icing it down again now. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Had another softball game last night, during which I yet again aggravated my right bicep/tricep/and elbow. Throws hands up in the air - I give up! I am officially too old for this shit. Slept 12 hours last night and woke up with a sore right arm, sore left side, and sore left leg. And I can't be sure whether it's all related to my new workout yesterday or if it's just from softball. Probably both. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 15 2000: 80 something degrees with a nice breeze, chance of sprinklers 30% Broke out the old C25K app and did 2.11 miles in 24:56 (11:49 average pace) using the week 3, day 1 walk/jog intervals. I'm actually kind of glad I'm moving over to night shifts this week because running after dark is way preferred to early in the morning or midday to avoid the heat. Plus there are fewer spectators to ogle at my slowness. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 16 Agile 8 (Hating the groiners BTW, but I think they're good for me)Overhead Medicine Ball Throw x10 (8# ball)Deadlift 95x5 115x5 145x3 165x3 185x7OHP with 60 sec rest between sets 55x5 55x5 55x5 55x5 55x5Curls: 3 sets of 10 (15# each arm)Back raises (BW) 3 sets of 10 Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 July 17, 1930 - still too hot and humid, not enough sprinkler action, and feeling like crap as I try to transition to nightsUsing Week 3: Day 2 of C25K - 2.03 miles in 22:32 (11:05min/mile) Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Malcore Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Good Great job! Those 60 second rest sets are insanely difficult. Quote With great size comes great responsibility. My 5/3/1 Year project. Lifting Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 18 1930 - not too hot, but still humid with 75% chance of mosquitoes Agile 8Standing long jump 3 sets of 5Squats (60 sec rest b/n sets) 45x5 115x5 115x5 115x5 115x5 115x5Bench 45x5 55x5 75x3 85x3 100x7Pullups 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 (11 total) I was so sapped after the pull-ups, combined with the fact that I still needed to shower and get ready for work, that I skipped the remaining assistance work (side bends and triceps). As far as the Agile 8 goes - I think I'm starting to see some improvement in flexibility, specifically evidenced by some decreased discomfort with the mountain climbers and improvement in the groiners (frog jumps). The groiners are definitely my least favorite and I really struggle with doing all 10 without stopping to readjust my arms/feet/something. The only exercise I still find odd in the Agile 8 is the back-roll into a V-sit. I'm not even sure I understand what this is supposed to be doing because I don't feel anything being stretched when I do these, I just feel silly. Maybe that was DeFranco's plan all along. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Sheep's log: July 19 1830ish - Dog walked 2 miles. No phone, no tunes, no GPS, didn't time it. Just a pleasant evening stroll through the sprinklers. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Wufkar Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Totally missed the jump to the new long while I was out of town. HAI! That progress is fantastic. I absolutely understand the running thing, I'm having to put some cardio back into my life because there's a hole. Quote Current Challenge: Wufkar Stops Making Excuses ------------------------------------------------------ Link to comment
Cort Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Totally missed the jump to the new long while I was out of town. HAI! That progress is fantastic. I absolutely understand the running thing, I'm having to put some cardio back into my life because there's a hole. Thanks! Yeah, and to think I probably wouldn't have noticed much of a change if I hadn't taken any pics or kept a log along the way. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 21 - Week 2 of Beyond 5/3/1 Agile 8Med ball (8#) throws x15Deadlift (60 sec b/n sets) 155#x3 155#x3 155#x3 155#x3 155#x3OHP 45#x5 52.5#x3 60#x3 67.5#x6 (PR for reps)Barbell Curls 45#Bar x5 35#x10 35#x10BW back raises, 3 sets of 10My agile 8 frog jumps continue to progress. Using the bar for my curls was too heavy, had to back down to the EZ curl bar, which I doubt I'll use again because the angle hurts my wrist. Will probably stick to dumbbells from now on. Now, time to nom on some homemade parmesan chicken strips with cucumber/tomato salad... Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 22 2300 - cool with a slight breeze, chance of sprinklers 0% Ran 2.03 in 21:24 It's been a good day and I got my new running shoes this afternoon, so I was feeling good going into this evening's run. I jogged the first 1.5 with no stops in ~15:38ish, I can't remember exactly. Then walked for a few minutes because I ran past a hedgehog and wanted to see if I could go back and find it, but alas, it eluded me in the dark. I've never seen any hedgehogs out here, so I was all like "neato!" At first I was afraid I was running up on a skunk because all I could see was a dark hump mulling around in the grass. Then I thought maybe it was an o'possum, but finally when I got close I could see plain as day that it was a hedgehog. I can say this with confidence because it looked exactly like one of my dog's old squeaky toys. Carefully walked my way back off the field and onto the jogging path and ran til 1.9, then walked a few seconds, then picked up the pace for the last 0.08. Split pace 10:32 - not bad. I need to re-download the Rocky soundtrack for when I finally get back down to a sub 10min mile. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 23 Agile 8Box jumps 3 sets of 5Squat 65x5 100x5 115x5 130x8Bench (60 sec rest b/n sets) 80x5 80x5 80x5 80x5 80x5Pullups: 2, 2, 2, 1 (failed on 2), 1 (horrible form), 1BA: 3, 3Side bends with 10# plate: 25, 25Triceps (iso): 15, 15 Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 25 *The plan for July 24 was to use the gym to run during my night shift. However, we actually had some legitimate emergencies and I had a fair amount of collateral work to do as well, so I never made it. I'll try to make up for it sometime before the week is over. Agile 8Overhead med ball (8#) throw x10Deadlift 95x5 95x5 135x3 155x3 185x6OHP (60 sec rest b/n sets) 55x5 55x5 55x5 55x5 55x5Dumbbell curls 15# - 3 sets of 10BW back raises - 3 sets of 10Feeling pretty weak today. Those 185 deadlifts should have gone up way easier than they did. I also stayed late at work this morning, didn't sleep great, and set my alarm to go off early so I'd be sure to have time to lift before work. Once my alarm went off I saw a text from my boss saying I could come in late tonight, but I was already awake so there was no going back to sleep. I also haven't eaten yet today. So there's that. Anyway, not too worried about it. Weak weeks happen, just gotta keep swimming. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 26 Not feeling too hot, traded in the 2 mile run for a 2 mile dog walk which might as well be a "weighted" walk since he was being completely mulish on his leash tonight. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 28Agile 8Standing long jump 3 sets of 5Squat (60 sec rest b/n sets) 115x5 115x5 115x5 115x5 115x5Bench (warmed up with bar) 70x5 82.5x5 95x7Pullups: 2, 2, 2, 1, 1; 1BA: 3, 3Side bends: 2 sets of 25 per side with 10# plateTriceps (iso) 3 sets of 15 per sideMy pullups have left something to be desired over the last 2 weeks. I can't tell if I'm just having a slump or if it's because I'm doing a lot more in my workout and I'm just more tired than usual by the time I get to the pullups. Overall - I'm still feeling pretty tired/weak/out-of-sorts. I need to go find my shot in the arm... Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Sheep's Log Add-on: July 28 Walk/Run intervals at work on the treadmill tonight to make up for missing that cardio session last week. 30 minutes, 3.5km. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
Cort Posted July 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Sheep's Log: July 29 Intervals on the treadmill at work - 4.5km in 35min. Quote Human WarriorNon nobis, Domine. Sed nomine tuo da gloriam.Warrior: Battle Log | Old Battle Log | #1, #2, #3, #4First Warrior/Ranger Battle Log Link to comment
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