I have used up my current trainer sessions and I'm on my own for a little while. Need to save the money for the holidays and I'm not real keen on the idea of going out on public transportation in workout clothes through the Chicago winter so all signs point to TAKE A TRAINER BREAK! But of course that does not mean take a break from training!

I am grateful to Zak for showing me a harder way to train. I can push myself even further than I did before. I do six sets of every exercise and I work progressively harder until I am totally FRIED! I think I did a good job today and I hope I will be feelin' it tomorrow. I think for the coming weeks I will do a weights workout Saturday or Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Alternate days do kettlebells, abs, or 500 Challenge as I choose.

Over the summer I got REALLY sick of eating meat. I need to have high quality protein and maintain a high daily intake as long as I am doing weights workouts. I am consuming lentils and brown rice or quinoa every day and drinking three protein drinks, sometimes four. With the arrival of the cold weather I will probably return to regularly having soup.

My boss is on vacation this week and I want to use the time to really focus on selling for myself. I have a goal of being on the phone for at least four good solid hours each day this week. Set other things aside, don't let anything get in the way of getting this done.

To do:
Daily--make general structure models for broker use
Display ad for GA.com and SHer.com
Re-vamp home page for SHing.com
New AG.com article, make question list for DD
Write or call all food show contacts  ¶ 6:30 PM 0 Comments

  This Week's Challenge: The 500 This is a big one! I'm not even sure I can do it at all! I subscribe to the emails of a London-based gym and they're great. I wish I could visit the place! Check 'em out and sign up here: Kettlebell Union The owner also has another website for his personal training and it includes really great exercise information and instruction you can sign up to use online: Greg Brookes personal site

I received an email with a video link for what looks like an amazing bodyweight workout! I am going to give it a try starting tomorrow. It's supposed to take about 20 minutes.

The 500 Challenge

It looks to be an interesting combination of exercises that will alternate in strength and cardio intensity. Doing 50 of any of these will be challenging but TEN NON-STOP??!!!! This IS going to be a challenge!! I will modify the workout only very slightly. I'm sure I cannot do 50 push ups so to provide the upper body/chest work, I will do as many push ups as I can (probably 12-15) and then finish the balance with bent-over rows with 30lb dumbbells. That's actually much lighter than I can do for bent-over rows but I've never attempted 50 in one set before.

For the "Y Squat" I will substitute a slightly different exercise my trainer has me do: A supported deep squat.

Will I be able to do this challenge even once without stopping???? I'm actually pretty sore today from yesterday's session with Zak. He had me do a pretty strenuous set of deadlifts. I never know just much I'm lifting but he kept telling me to load up more plates. I lose track and I'm not sure what the bar weighs. I will let you know how I do tomorrow!!!!

Oh you know what, it isn't "Summer Boot Camp" anymore. I guess it's time to work on the WINTER CHALLENGE. I certainly enjoyed my Saturdays downtown this summer.  ¶ 5:55 PM 0 Comments

  Morning workout for this week:

Ten Turkish Getups with 20lbs
15 minute step up/jump rope routine
45 seconds step ups on the bench/15 seconds jump rope hard as I can
6 sets: 5-8 push ups/10 tricep pull downs with band

The step up to the bench is pretty high. I need to count how many I am doing in the 45 second interval. I may change the routine to stepups by a count and jump rope by time.

Pretty strong on the getups this morning!  ¶ 9:16 PM 0 Comments

  My goal this week is to do a morning workout every day. That will require getting to sleep early enough each night to be up at 4:15am. I need to at least be in bed by 9ish and winding down.

Base morning workout: 10 Turkish Getups/15 minute jump rope routine

Tuesday and Thursday: weights. I'll plan out a workout  ¶ 9:19 PM 0 Comments

  I had a pretty good week but I feel like the wheels are still spinning. Trying to change things up!!

At work I have gotten some big projects behind me and I can focus on something new that's for me as opposed to working on firm-wide projects. I've been doing extensive research and homework and learning a lot. I feel good about what I'm doing. Ask me again in a month and let's see how it's going!

I've changed my diet pretty significantly. Carbs are supposed to be so bad but I think I'm eating low glycemic foods. Steel cut oats, lentils and beans, quinoa, steamed veggies, yams, salad. Protein drinks. I just can't deal with eating meat right now.

I have finally come up with a good jump rope strategy. I wanted to get started this week but I found myself running a serious sleep deficit. That is a big problem and obstacle for me. I need to get enough rest and I'm not really AND I can't get up early enough to do a morning workout. I am determined to get in bed early enough every night this week. My jump rope routine will be 15-minutes of 45/15 second high-intensity intervals. I will work my way up to longer intervals.

I'm going to need to do my own weights workouts. Today I easily benched 80lbs with the barbell but I have a difficult time benching 40lb dumbbells. I have access to a fully-stocked weight room but I do not have a spotter. I'll give it a try but carefully of course! Zak works me until my muscles are completely fried. I have to be able to push myself that far with six sets of exercise pairs.

Done as just one exercise with rest interval:
bench press: at least 80lbs
deadlift: at least 150lbs
bent over rows: at least 50lbs
turkish get ups: at least 20lbs

bench press followup: incline dumbbell presses at least 20lbs

pairs
tricep pull downs (cable machine pull down from overhead)/tricep push downs (cable push down from waist level)

leg extensions on machine, not sure of weight. 20 reps should be very difficult/push ups 5-10 per set

I can duplicate glute extensions somewhat with the bosu. I'll try it. check out cable machine in gym for glute pull/combine with a swiss ball abs exercise

step ups/swings need to move up to a 60lb kettlebell

squats-sumo squats-dumbbell squats/shoulder press: at least 15lbs

Job One: SLEEP!!!  ¶ 8:16 PM 0 Comments

  Work continues to challenge my time and schedule. Plus I may have to forego working with my trainer for awhile. So I'm on my own! I am working to institute his routines into my own workouts. He always does brutal SIX round sets of two exercises. Today's workout:

step-ups, glute pulls: 15/15-6

bench press, tricep pulldown: 15/15-6
30lb-35lbs

deadlifts/bent over rows: 10/15-6
35lbsx2/35lbsx2

If I want to get in the PAIN ZONE I have to get in six sets....

Kettlebells and abs tomorrow.  ¶ 11:23 AM 0 Comments

  My quads and glutes are VERY sore today. I did six sets of deep squats yesterday, standing on blocks with a 44lb kettlebell. The soreness didn't bother me when I was working out this morning; maybe the Turkish Getups contributed to it! I'm trying to decide what I want to do tomorrow. I like a weights workout on Thursdays and I am enjoying how great I feel all day when I get up and get in a good workout first thing. It's taken me awhile to get used to that but it now sets the tone for my day.

Doing really well with my diet except that I'm sure I'm not eating enough vegetables!  ¶ 4:15 PM 0 Comments

  Excellent morning workout I feel great! Trainer tomorrow then Wed Thurs Fri I will do the stairs, Kb swings and squats, and an abs superset. if I add pushups I have to manage arm and shoulder fatigue. I will plan my abs sets tonight.

Wednesday
plank rows 10lbs/Swiss ball crunches

Thursday
Reverse crunches/Swiss ball jackknife

Friday
bicycles/hanging leg lifts  ¶ 7:10 AM 0 Comments

  I struggled through the week with a serious sleep deficit. I kept on track pretty well with my diet. I don't always eat everything I should. I'd have the protein and I just didn't feel like having any salad or vegetables and I need to improve that. I did feel pretty strong though! I benched the 45lb dumbbells which is the max weight of my adjustable PowerBlocks. It was not too long ago I couldn't handle 35lbs. I can easily do three sets at 45lbs. This isn't about just getting better at something with practice, I have to be developing more muscle mass! I've been able to swing 54lb kettlebells single handed. But I need more practice on that Turkish Getup on my left side!!

Tomorrow is cheat meal day! I will try not to feel guilty.  ¶ 7:08 PM 0 Comments

  A week later and oh man I have really been struggling! My work schedule has been extremely demanding. I was at a trade show all weekend and preparing for it the week before. Plus I finished a whole website for my company in about two weeks. I still have two extremely large projects looming over my head and it gets to feeling very overwhelming.

I am doing pretty good with my diet. Setting up my day's food the night before is working, being mindful of the times I need to eat is working. I am eating beef once a day; I just can't handle chicken for awhile!! Oats for my carbs in the early morning only. Salad and high fiber vegetables at one to two meals.

I was a little low energy at my training this morning and my knees were very sticky!

My Early Morning Workout for the next three days:

10 Turkish Getups, 5 on each side. 20lbs.

15 Sumo squats & 20 one-hand swings, 3 sets. 40lbs.

10-15 dumbbell curls 20lbs & tricep pulldowns with the band, 3 sets

5 push ups & 10 reverse crunches, 3 sets

Get out on the stairs for one lap of The Tower in INTERVALS, climb as fast as I can!  ¶ 9:45 PM 0 Comments

  I've developed a negative attitude about the stair-climbing cardio because it's just so darned monotonous! But it's the perfect cardio, I need to do it!! Instead of dreading four laps of The Tower I'm going to do one to two and add in about a half hour of kettlebell/abs work. So this morning I started out with four sets of swings (my heaviest kettlebell is not heavy enough anymore) and ten Turkish Getups with 20lbs. They are still a bit of a challenge, especially on my left side where I am a bit weaker and less coordinated. Three sets of planks lifting 10lb dumbbells and alternating with push ups, just because!

I was intending to do two laps of The Tower but I ended up doing just one. I started out climbing really fast. And I just kept going. I climbed really hard. It started to get to me in the 40s but by then I could talk myself into maintaining the pace, I was so close to the top. I think I did it in about 7 or 8 minutes! I was as sweaty as I am after three laps and really, really winded which I never am. So that was something a bit different. I'm thinking maybe I will see if I can get faster and faster and add in more floors as I improve. Gotta change it up SOMEHOW!!! I will continue to do a weights workout at home on Thursdays.  ¶ 8:31 AM 0 Comments

  My first week on this program did not get off to a good start. I had a HELLACIOUS work schedule including a day trip out of town and that never fails to throw me off severely. I am feeling hunger more often which confuses me a bit and I am experiencing some severe carb cravings that I found quite bothersome. I had trouble managing my energy level this week as I ended up running a serious sleep deficit that had me completely wiped out by Thursday. I made it out to the stairs only ONE MORNING last week and I am upset about that!!

I am working to bring everything back under control. I am home today and trying to convince myself it's OK to take the day off from working. I put in a full day at the office yesterday to get one project finished so that I could start a new one. TOMORROW. It's very difficult for me to set it aside. It's a gloomy gray day in Chicago and I think I should just poke around the house and do little, low-energy things, lay around and waste time, play Mafia Wars, go for a bit of a walk, whatever I want to for a break. I have such a hard time letting go of things, even for a day.

I am a bit sore across my chest today which is something new. Yesterday my trainer had me do a lot of "floor presses." Lay on the floor instead of a bench to do presses so that your range of motion is limited. Maybe that's what did it?

I have perfected crockpot steel-cut oatmeal after much trial and error! You know that stuff's hard to make but it's so great! Who has time to cook oatmeal for a half hour in the morning! I have a tiny crockpot from Target. Ten bucks, it's a quart and a half or something I think. Half-cup of McCann's steel cut, 2 cups of water. Crock it for four hours. I put it on a timer to be done and switch off at the time I will be ready for breakfast. It's more than I want to make but smaller quantities did not work well. This is the minimum quantity that's gotten the correct results. I add in a scoop of vanilla protein, a scoop of Benefiber, Sweet n' Low, cinnamon and a splash of milk as the powders thicken it up. Great, freshly made and super low effort!  ¶ 12:31 PM 0 Comments

  Plan for September I like the beginning of a new month. I'm obsessed with such details, we know this. I feel a need to have a particular plan so I've come up with this for September. Twelve weeks at a time gets very tough so I like the idea of focusing on being very compliant for one real good month and worry about what comes after LATER!

My primary goal remains to develop muscle mass that will raise my metabolism and re-shape my body overall.

#1: Don't weigh at all. In fact, I've removed the batteries from my scale. When I finished my Twelve-Week Program, I weighed 171lbs, the lowest I've weighed in a while but STILL in the 170s where I've been since 2006. I still carry a lot of flab in my butt and thighs and while only surgery can get rid of some of it, I can definitely focus on improving my musculature overall. I am more comfortable relying on how I feel and how my clothes feel. Watching the numbers jump around really messes with my attitude and motivation so I just won't go there!

#2: Give the BodyBugg a break. I started really obsessing with numbers. Going to let that go for awhile. I found the greatest value of the BodyBugg to be how it showed me the results/impact of activities and calories. This definitely gave me direction and put things in perspective for me. I learned just how much certain things can add up to work for or against me.

#3: Continue with the Powerlifting training on Tuesdays and Saturdays. A weights workout at home on Thursdays. Climb stairs Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Abs and kettlebell workouts as I might choose to do on those days as well. TAKE SUNDAY OFF!!! I need to recognize the value of recovery time.

#4: Diet. I will combine elements of high-protein, carb cycling, and low glycemic index diet plans. I will continue to eat pretty much the same thing every day. It gets to be a drag but it works and it's easy to time-manage. Five meals a day in a carb cycling pattern.

M-T: Low
W: Med
Th-F: Low
S: Med
Sun: High

Base Plan: Low Days

Meal #1
Oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla protein

Meal #2
4 Egg whites, 1 yolk

Meal #3
Meat protein, serving of vegetables

Meal #4
Protein drink

Meal #5
Meat protein or a protein drink, green salad

Medium Days: Add 1/2 cup brown rice to Meal #3 or earlier
High Days: Medium Day plus add a serving of vegetables to Meal #5

Continue all vitamin supplements plus three fish oil capsules every day  ¶ 11:05 AM 0 Comments

  Day 7, Week 12 LAST DAY Today is the end of my Twelve-Week "Boot Camp" summer diet and exercise program. I've seen my body change significantly, especially my back and shoulders. My clothes have taken on clown pants proportions. I've climbed probably about 10,000 floors of stairs. I've lived in a near-constant state of soreness. I've become capable of lifting a barbell weighing nearly as much as I do. And I'm certain I've exceeded what would have been my lifetime quota of chicken and eggs.

I have eaten some kind of protein meal every three to four hours every single day since June 4. Damn I'm sick of chicken.

This has been an amazing experience. It was extremely difficult but I was very determined to be as compliant as I could be. I was not perfect though I did try; ultimately I found the rigors to be very tiring. I felt tested in many ways. Tested to keep getting out of bed at 4:15am to endure a cardio routine I grew to hate for its monotony and love for how amazing I felt when I was done. I was tested to trust in a process that seemed antithetical to beliefs so deeply ingrained they are nearly instinctual. This diet program was not about deprivation. I HAD to eat. More than I could even stand. So much that I often had to force myself to keep eating, little by little "grazing" over periods of time to get it all down. So much that I began to long for the relief of NOT eating and feeling empty. I got up every morning and I boiled and scrambled eggs. I broiled chicken and grilled steak. I weighed it and measured out the permitted condiments. I counted out baggies of exactly 16 almonds. And when the scale numbers did not go down but my clothes became loose and the extension of my physical abilities began to accelerate, I was compelled to persist. In some ways, I felt like I didn't understand what was happening. I just knew I'd committed to follow it through to the end so I did.

Truths I knew but which became reinforced and proven over this past summer:

The most critical elements to achieving fitness goals are consistency, consistency, and consistency. And being consistent. For a long time. A really long time. Like three months at least.

To develop new muscle you must lift until you're hurting and eat protein every three hours every day.

What am I going to do now? I have paid for training sessions through October so that's not ending. But for right now? Tomorrow is Carb Fest '09. It's likely to last about 10 minutes. Once I stick a big chewy bagel in my face and it gets settled in my gut like a brick, all my starchy carb fantasies will be a distant dream. After NOT EATING for awhile and indulging in the limited treats I still enjoy, I believe next Monday I will start a low glycemic index diet. I'd like to see how vegetarian I can be while still maintaining a high protein intake to support my on-going weight lifting.

And I will get back out on the stairs.  ¶ 8:03 PM 0 Comments