Squat

Saturday morning- squat day.

Actually let's back up to Friday. I am at Roy's and we re training shoulders, I have no energy. I think it's a culmination of really hard training everyday, and three of those days it's twice a day and it's been a long week. 

I am supposed to be doing German Volume Training, barbell shoulder press with 70 pounds. I did it on my own Tuesday, there is no reason why I cannot do it here with Roy, I have him to spot me so that makes it even easier!

He lowers the weight. I feel sort of like a failure, but he is explaining that we really need to de-load soon, I have been training way too hard for too long.

I look at him between sets and tell him: "At some point, there will come a time when the weights cannot continue to go up every single week you know."

He laughs and says: "Yea, but that's not for a long, long time!"


After I finish my 100 presses, and then my leaning lat raises (4 sets of 12 on each side, and I am supposed to be hitting a count of about 70 seconds for each set), I ask him what I should do for Saturday. I know it's still GVT- squats, but what weight?

120 pounds

100 squats

10 sets of 10

all the way down to the ground

90 second rest in between

I know I say this a lot, but I really don't see many people squatting low. Did you know that performing squats "half assed" (ha ha) is easy? If you don't squat all the way down, you don't hit the glutes nor the quads where you need to and you are not performing them correctly, so it's easy to do them that way! 

I can do it, it's almost my body weight, but it's still doable, and he seems to think I will just keep increasing weight.


Saturday I arrive at Gold's Gym at opening, 6:00 a.m. One thing I like about GVT is that it is a fairly quick workout, you do the 100 reps and maybe one other exercise to exhaust the muscle and poof! Done!


I like doing GVT squats, I get into a zone, I think you have to actually. I know people stare, and I don't mind people staring, it actually helps me continue. They are thinking that I am an absolute crazy beast. I talk to myself, I have to, it's the only way I can continue after the fifth set. I shake my head, I tell myself it's light, I have to convince myself I can do it.


I make my hash marks on the paper after each set. When I make the seventh, I think "only three more sets left, easy!" and then I realize it's not easy, it's hard as hell, but I won't quit, ever.


The feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration when I have finished that last squat, the 100th squat of the day, the 200th squat of the week, is nothing I can really describe to you, but it keeps me coming back for more.


I finish with four sets of leg extensions, sweat dripping down my back, now so wired I really don't even need coffee.


I am ready to tackle the day.

Quads

Saturday is quads again, I have been "over training" for several weeks, hitting hamstrings twice a week and quads twice a week. Soon, I will change that and go back to one quad day, one hamstring day and then a combo leg day (both quads and hams).


This over training has resulted in my legs being sore in one place or another constantly, and I mean all the time. Seems I get a moment when they start to feel OK, then I hit them all over again.


Saturday I arrived at 6:00 a.m. opening and warmed up on the treadmill, then stretched. I walked down towards my favorite power rack and as I got there Alan stuck his face in mine and says "Are ya deaf!!?" He had been following me trying to get my attention, but my music was way too loud. He was going to San Francisco and wanted to know the name of a restaurant we had talked about.


I then started in on my squats. I noticed that both of my quads were bruised, odd. They both had bruises in just about the same location. I couldn't figure out why.


I warmed up quite a bit, 45 pounds, 65 pounds, 85, 95, 115 and finally started in with 135 pounds, 10 reps. I am concentrating on maintaining the same strength in each leg as I rise up from the squat, I have been "shimmying" as one leg is stronger than the other, and I get partially up then veer to the left and then up, an odd movement and not desirable.


I actually think I may have conquered it today! But we won't find out till Roy watches me from behind on Wednesday.


I finished 3 sets and moved to the Leg Press. Again, several warm ups and then 4 sets of 10 reps at 450 pounds (plus the weight of the machine).  I know I should be able to do more on this, but it is only the second week I have used it, and haven't used it in ages since before this. 


Then up to the Leg Extension. Again, not something I typically use, and I may start using it before squats, I haven't decided yet. Warm up then 5 sets of 10 reps at 110 pounds. I am actually seeing more muscle and definition in my quads, I am super excited!


I have a busy day with my brother planned, so need to get some cardio or conditioning done now, I will not be able to do anything later. Saturdays the entire Basketball Court is taken over by men playing.....basketball! Can you imagine? So I really cannot go use the facility, I decide to hit the stairstepper for 20 minutes.  I forgot how boring it can be, at least on the stairmill my feet move! But they were all full so this is all I could do.


8:05 and I am done! Home for coffee and breakfast of 1 cup egg whites scrambled, 1 whole fried egg on top and a small serving of steel cut oats with peanut butter....


In the shower I figure out why I have bruised quads, it's the Donkey Calf Raises. The 3 plates hanging down between my legs. The chains from the dip belt hit right where the bruises are. I have got to change my calf training on Monday.

My Baby Got Back (squats)

Yes, I am talking "Back Squats"...Roy has changed the quad training and we are doing Back Squats now, and the thing is, my glutes thrive on Back Squats, they get huge, even bigger than they already are!


So while Back Squats, especially "duck foot" will target the outer sweep of my quads, my glutes will also grow, and grow and grow!


It's OK, and actually it's great- I like a big, firm, round butt. It is necessary for women to do exercises like this, especally women who have the "pear shape" syndrome (which I don't), as so many of them carry so much excess baggage here.


Back to the squats though- he has me with a wide stance, but not as wide as I used to use, and the feet are flared out "duck foot", so that when I squat down, the knees will follow the feet and flare out instead of straight in front.


Wednesday we started and he had me barefoot, another "challenge" I did my squats then lunges, lots of lunges.


On my own, on Saturday he said to do the Back Squats then the Leg Press, with a low foot position, all the way down, bringing my knees as close to my chest as possible.


I started warming up with squats, I need lots of warm ups to succeed. 1 x 4 @45 pounds; 1 x 4 @65 pounds; 1 x 4 @85 pounds; 1 x 5 @95 pounds; 1 x 5 @115 pounds, 1 x 8 @ 135 pounds; then 4 x 10 at 135 pounds. I realize this is not a huge amount of weight, but remember I am going low, as far down as I can can physically go.


Then onto the Leg Press : 2 x 4 @90 pounds; 2 x 10 @270 pounds; then 4 x 10 @360 pounds.


I ended with lunges, I did three sets of 10 on each leg, with 25 pound dumbbells. Slow, all the way down, knee reaching out front over the toes, pushing off with the toe, propelling myself forward.


I always love it when my training changes, I start out with a struggle, and the second time I am much more comfortable, I adapt quite easily. I am looking forward to the Back Squats!

Wednesday's Quads

Wednesday, and every once in a while, I would get a "twinge" in my stomach thinking about my training session that evening with Roy. Last week it was really difficult, but I was sick. I think I had a cold, but the funny thing is, everyone around me at the university seems to have some horrible illness that is keeping them out of work for days. Maybe I had that too and it really wasn't just a cold and I am not as much of a whiner as I made myself out to be!

I worked all day then arrived at BodyComp at 5:30 and changed, I would attack this beast and win!

My adductors were still tight, they had been sore over one whole week due to this workout so Roy had me stretch them well. As he set up the squat rack I told him I had been dreading this all day. He laughed and said "I was just thinking- I'm glad I'm not the one who has to do this workout!" 

great

"I was sick when I was here last week, this was really hard" I told him. "Yeah, I read your blog" he said.

Why didn't I tell him then? Why on earth would I? That would have meant he would lighten the load - or tell me to go home, neither of which I was prepared to do. So I didn't tell him until after when it was too late. ha ha

But today I was feeling GOOD and I was there and ready to go and really wanted to test this workout. Was it really that hard or was it the illness that made it seem hard last week?

After stretching Roy had me warm up with the "ladies" bar, just a few squats. I then moved to the regular Olympic bar, loaded with plates and chains. 

"Hey! This is the weight we ended with last week!" I exclaimed.

"Yes it is" Roy said. That was it.  I think with the chains it was 105? I have to ask. Down I went, all the way to the ground 20 reps.

rest

But not long, I hadn't quite caught my breath when he said "Go!"

20 more reps, rest. 20 more reps, rest. 20 more reps, rest. 20 more reps, rest.

100 squats, with chains, ass to ground and I was actually paying attention to tempo, so I was not sloppy.

Whew! But that was the easy part because the front foot elevated split squats were really the killers. 

 

Issac was there training a very cute little girl, maybe all of 10 years old, who comes in on Wednesday nights, he really is good with kids. He makes her feel special and smart. Just what all little girls need. Her dad leans against the wall watching and commenting occasionally. Even he can see this won't be fun.

20 pounds dumbbells in each hand, left foot out front on the boards, right leg behind and I am stretching out, my left knee out in front as far as possible, stretching the back right leg, the adductor is pulling. Look up, back straight, sink down as far as possible and then up, but not all the way up, only about half way so that the tension is ALWAYS there, no resting spots here.

20 reps on the left leg

20 second rest

20 reps on the right leg

rest

Repeat for a total of 80 reps on the left leg and 80 reps on the right. But it's really like 160 reps on each leg because each leg is working, although in a different way all the time. 

That is the killer. My legs were pumped from the squats but with these, not only are they pumped  they are swollen and burning. 

Rest

Now the sled. How much weight? I think it was 140 pounds because I remember seeing all the 45 pound plates and then this dinky little 5 pounder on top! ha ha 

push to the garage door, push back. Driving up with the knees, power in the glutes, pushing as hard and fast as I can.

again

again

again

By the time I get to the last set I am oh so slow, but I am still driving with the knees and I fall to my knees. I am done.

In case you need a little summary, here it is:

100 back squats (all the way down, PAST parallel)

80 front foot elevated split squats left

80 front foot elevated split squats right

8 runs with the sled, approximately 40 feet each run

This was all after getting up at 4:00 am and doing:

20 minutes on the stairmill

15 minutes abdominal exercises

15 minutes stretching

10 minutes boxing on the heavy bag

I pull on my sweats, mix up my protein/carb drink and down my BCAAs. Chat a bit and then hop in the car, the very cool night air feels good with the top down. Home for a big dinner, time to fuel the body.

Saturdays Training

I am back! I am really, honestly not a whiner, but I am sick so infrequently that it just blows me away to wake up feeling...well, sick! I usually bound out of bed like an obnoxious energizer bunny, and it was a week of no bounding, but believe me, I still got up and tried my best. 

There was no hop in this bunny's step.

Saturday I finally felt like my ol' self again. I hadn't missed any training, but the intensity just wasn't there before. I was at the gym at opening as usual.

Warm up by walking a few minutes then lots of stretching, I had all the time in the world and it was leg day, so I needed to warm up a lot. My adductors were still quite sore from Wednesdays quad workout with Roy. 

I hit the hams first, low reps, heavy weight. They need to be trained with as much weight as possible, which means that I cannot possibly do many reps each set. Charles Poliquin once said something like "Show me someone who has huge hams and their training consists of light weight with high reps and I will show you someone who is on steroids".

Hamstrings don't respond with lots of high reps, they need heavy weights.

Seated leg curls

Kneeling leg curls ( I do more reps and sets on the left)

Romanian Deadlifts

I get very excited near the end of the kneeling leg curls, my left is incredibly weaker than the right. So much that it is almost laughable. But I do 8 reps on the left and 6 on the right to help catch it up. The 4th set my left all of a sudden has strength! It is not a struggle! Could it have all of a sudden wised up? I cannot wait until Monday to test it with Roy.

Then the Quads, high reps, lighter weight. (Quads, on the other hand, require high reps).

Back squats (lots of them, I mean like 60)

Front foot elevated split squats

Tom walks in and says "I see you are killin' it as usual!", yes I am back in the game! We chat a bit and he is telling me about a Saturday Night Live repeat episode he and his wife saw the night before, I need to Google it. Something about "a box" (I did, and it was hilarious). I told Cooper, David and Lauren about it at lunch and Cooper almost spit his food out, he had already seen it. 


If you want to see it, feel free to take a look at this link. It's potty humor, I must warn you, but pretty darn funny! How did we get there talking by the squat rack? I have no idea....


I finished with 3 sets of 10 on the Glute Ham Raise. I have to do this at the end, it is just too brutal to do any other time. But I LOVE it!

20 minutes on the stairmill

Boxing in the gym. I walk in and there are many men playing basketball, and several sitting on the bleachers. I count, there are 21 men. 6 have no shirt on, and I can periodically see the bodies of those with shirts on too. Oh I am off topic.

I will go 5 rounds of boxing, 2 minutes on and 1 off. I am practicing more with my left as this is my weaker side, I need to develop the strength. I am sweating, and although I have a headband on to keep my hair out of my face, it's useless, I am a mess. I am wailing on that bag like my life depended on it.

One of the guys stops by as he walks to the water fountain "Good workout huh?" "Yes" I respond, "It's a great workout!"

5 is enough, that is a total of 10 minutes, I will go one more round on Sunday, soon I will be able to go a half hour. 

Wednesdays Quads

I was off work, it was the day prior to Thanksgiving and I was meeting Roy earlier than usual, 4:30 pm. It felt odd, like the day went by very, very slowly. Roy changes our training every few weeks, and today would be something new. It was very difficult and I am not sure if it was me that day, or it really was hard, but it was only the second time I can recall that I actually felt like quitting in the middle, it was that hard.

But I was sick, I had a cold and it was the first one I had had in a year I think. I was pissed off because I rarely get sick and here I was with a rotten cold that hit me Saturday and on Wednesday I was still feeling the effects of it. I hate taking medication but the evening before I had to, David and Cooper were mad as I had been coughing all night and I couldn't breathe. I succumbed to sudafed and I know it is why I had such a hard time training.

We started out with squats with chains. I love squats. These were fairly light, I think when you add the chains to the weight it was maybe 95 pounds. I might be off, it could have been slightly more. I really wasn't thinking clearly. But Roy said he would tell me when to stop, and he didn't say stop until 20 reps. That was intentional too. We would do set after set after set of 20 reps, all the way down to the ground and a very short rest period in between. I was breathing hard. We did 4  sets, which is 80 squats. And halfway through he doubled up the chains, which means the weight increased by 20 pounds.

Then we went into the killer- front foot elevated split squats. But by now you know Roy and it wasn't just any split squat. I had to make sure that the front knee extended way out front to his hand, but he kept pulling his hand farther and farther away. The back leg had to have a strong stretch, and I had to feel this all in my front quad while holding 20 pound dumbbells. My right adductor was tight, it pulled.

20 reps on the left leg and 20 on the right. I actually dropped the weights after the first 20 and begged for a break. I am not a whiner, these made me whine, I was angry at myself.

I had to find a place my head could be so I could get through this, I did, but it's not a place I want to visit again. 

4 sets on each leg, that's another 80 reps per leg. My legs were shaking, my quads were pumped and hard. Roy said he could see them swell from across the room, and I am sure he could, I could feel the blood gorging in my legs.

Roy said he wanted to see me collapse on the ground, I told him I would not. I refuse to lose the battle, I did all the reps as required. 

I joked about my upcoming night out- I had clothes set out to go straight out to dinner - I would need to get pants with bigger legs tonight, surely my regular jeans would not fit.

Rest...and I thought that I won't be looking forward to Wednesdays for the next three weeks. It only means heavier weights or more reps, either one would surely kill me.

Time for the sled, it would be 135 pounds added and I was to push it across the room and back, driving the knees up, powering as fast as possible. How many sets? Take a guess..4

The next day was Thanksgiving, my legs were tight and squatting down hurt, so each time I basted the turkey I hauled it out of the oven and onto the cooktop, it was easier. The following day both adductors were tight and sore and now for some reason bending over caused my hamstrings to talk back, everything was a bit sore.

At least when I woke up on Friday, my cold seemed to be almost gone, it lasted a week, and if all goes according to history, it should be another year or even longer before I get another. I started thinking about Saturday, it's leg day. I wonder if I can make myself do those split squats?

Next Wednesday is actually looking a little more interesting to me now!

Wednesday's Quads

Quad day- How many times have I written about my legs? I have been trying to bring up the size for ages, and Roy seems as serious as I am, so I am seeing improvement, but it’s not easy that’s for sure!

Monday was hams and my calves were still super tight and bordering on painful when I got to Roys at 5:30 pm on Wednesday. I stretched and rolled trying to loosen up a bit before the squat marathon.

Back squats- we started with a warm up of 8 reps at 95 pounds.  He reminds me to do what we did last week, no resting at the top, we all do it, and we shouldn't. You squat all the way down,  explode up and stand for a few seconds and catch your breath.  no no no! No resting!

Today there would be none of that. If I need a short rest do it at the bottom, but keep the legs tight, as soon as I get to the top standing position, thrust my hips forward, squeeze the glutes and head right back down again., and I mean all the way down to the ground. Everything is timed, it’s all about the “time under tension”.

Try it, you will find a whole new world of squats exists.

Another warm up set of 8 reps at 115 pounds. Rest

On go the chains, there are two and they weigh 22.5 pounds each, so we are at 160 pounds.

10 squats, low as I can get, all the way to the ground, way past parallel, shoot up, no rest, back down again.

The sweat is dripping off my face already and yet again, I haven’t even moved my darn feet.

I lost count, I just wanted to stop and I think we did four sets. Rest.

Take the 35 pound plates off and add the 25 pound plates, another set and although the weight is lighter now, I am fatigued.  It’s 140 pounds.

Off come the 25 pound plates and all I have left are the chains so it’s a light 90 pounds. But Roy tells me this is a burnout set I will do 25 reps.

“All at once?!” I exclaim. “No, I will tell you when to stop” he says.

I start and am wiped out already, I get to 12 and barely make it “Rack it” he says. He quickly strips off the chains and adds plates, I think it is now way down to 65 pounds, but really my head was spinning, my eyes couldn’t focus and I am not sure (but he has it all written on my chart). “Go!” he says and I launch into more, I think I got to 8. “Rack it!”, then he strips off all the plates and I am at 45 pounds, “Go!” and down I go, I have 5 more reps.

Talk about burn….

I rest a while and its now time for Poliquin dips for the VMO’s super set with walking lunges, slow, long stretch, 15 on one leg, 15 on the other. Four sets of each. With each set of lunges I end up outside in the drive, the cool air feels good, but I smell food and it is making me hungry.

Finally we are done, it lasted 75 minutes.

I arrive home at 7:00 pm and am famished. Cooper, Lauren and David are enjoying brisket I made previously; I will have a vitellone patty, wild rice, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.

That night, as I lay in bed, my calves still throb from Monday.

Butts and Backs

Backs and Butts

I think that those two parts of a woman's body are stunning, absolutely beautiful. I mean look at this view, pretty nice huh?

I am on the left (in case you couldn't tell). This is the top four in the Unlimited "C" division of the 2011 NPC San Francisco Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Men's Physique and Bikini Championships. I placed third.

So many people only concentrate on the muscles they can see, the "mirror muscles". I have always loved to train glutes and back, part of this may be because my back gets wide and impressive  and I love to see the results.

My glutes? I have always had a good, round butt. Genetics. However, I still have to train it and train hard. Those little leg pulley things that people call "kick backs" might feel good, and in fact I do it sometimes too, but it won't make your glutes ride high and hard. I don't think it does anything actually. You need to perform exercises with a lot of heavy weight, just like you would for any other muscle you are trying to grow.

And, not much looks worse than a dimply, saggy, loose, fat butt.

What do I do? There is lots to do!

Wide stance squats, plie or sumo squats (stand on two raised blocks so you can go deep), hip thrusts, barbell glute bridge, sprints, reverse hypers, Good mornings, ball ham roll outs, Glute Ham Raise, kettlebell swings, running stairs, lunges, RDL's, deadlifts (all the major lifts and all squats will hit the glutes too). 

Hey! Thats' serious weigh training isn't it? And hard stuff too! You bet. You cannot grow big, beautiful muscles without lifting heavy and working hard! The cute little colored weights with the powder coating are not your friend!

I usually train back once a week and glutes once a week. Then, as I am getting closer to a competition, I will train back twice a week and incorporate the glutes into other days.

Having a strong back and strong glutes is not only pleasing to the eye, but it will help you in life. 

Living and Loving Legs!

Saturday morning and I am ready to kill the legs! I am feeling lean and mean, and bursting with power.


Today I will be doing Back Squats, Glute Ham Raise and Lunges. I talked a woman into taking my picture, she hadn't started her workout yet so I didn't think it was too much of an interruption.


She snapped it before I could really get set up, but I have my heels on two 10 pound plates, I needed to get the foot placement correct, I am squatting with a narrow stance, feet straight out, I am targeting the quads. 

I warmed up with the bar only (45 pounds), 10 reps. Then 1 set of 10 at 65, 1 set at 85 and then moved into 115 for 5 sets. So this was 8 sets.

I rested 90 seconds in between each set.

Something clicked! It was like water, a fluid motion, it was perfect, like I was a machine. Roy keeps telling me "knees out front" and somehow my head told me to only move my knees, where in the past my powerful glutes always started the motion, I moved silently down, keeping a straight back, and then up with a thrust of the hips. I wish I was filming it! 

I found myself in my own world as I rested, waiting for my timer to vibrate and set me in motion again. I was floating on a cloud!

Then on to my friend, the GHR. We have a love hate relationship. This majestic piece of equipment is one of the most coveted by everyone and one of the most hated.

Why? If you do it right it's hard as hell! Most people break at the hips, and I know when I am getting fatigued I do the same. You should be pulling your body up with your glutes, and the upper part of the hamstring, imagining they are one solid mass (at least that's how I envision it in my head). If you bend at the hips and stick your butt out, anyone can do it, and it's basically useless.

I did 10 sets of 10, only bodyweight. Try it. 10 sets, slowly, no momentum, no swinging, slow on the eccentric and as explosive as I could get on the concentric, but that wasn't much! I started to waver at the end, I didn't break at the hips, but the  movements got oh so slow. I was quite vocal, I could tell as the guys looked over their shoulder, wondering if I was going to make it. I did.

Lunges. I grabbed the 20 pound dumbbells and walked. Left leg first, it's the weak one. Slowly, all the way down, stretching back at the lowest point, maintaining a straight back, pushing off with the heel. 10 on the left, then 10 on the right, rest. 5 sets on each leg. I should have done more, I was toast though.

I still had cardio to do. It was Saturday, when all the weekend warriors come in, the cardio room would be crowded. All the pretty women in their fancy yoga outfits, I wonder what they think of me in my Underarmour underwear and bra top, not that I really care.

The stairmills were all taken, and there are 8 of them! Damn, I had to use the stair stepper. 20 minutes was enough. I kept myself entertained, sometimes laughing out loud by listening to Big Nation Radio , a rather silly but entertaining podcast which bills itself as "talk of Bodybuilding, Steroids and Porn". I was finishing up the episode about Johnny Montanta, legendary pickup artist from New York.

When you see me laughing out loud on my stairmill, you will know why!

Friday's Training with Roy

I think I must have been born with an Olympic bar on my back! I do honestly think my favorite exercise is anything with that big, long, cold, 45 pound bar!

These pictures were taken Saturday morning, immediately after training, before food and coffee. You can compare them to the pictures I posted on Sunday to see what a dramatic difference the food makes.

In these I look tight and really lean, whereas the pictures after eating I look pretty soft. Keep that in mind when you are getting your body "beach ready" as they say.

I know when I really start losing the body fat because people at the club comment. Today I saw Tom, he said "You must be getting ready for something, you are looking really lean"...yup, he's right.  He looked me up and down and said "You are really vascular, this is new, not like you usually look. What's different this time?" I find it interesting that this man, and many others feel comfortable enough around me to do that. I mean they actually look up and down and comment. I encourage it, I want them to tell me, it's not personal nor is is sexual, it is constructive criticism on the progress of "The Body". It just happens to be my body. I need the feedback, I stare it it so much, I lose sight of reality. My vision gets skewed.

We talked a bit about training and diet, what I am doing differently, he is going to Hawaii soon and is trying to tighten up and he explained his current diet.

I told him to ditch the fruit. No fruit when dropping body fat, fructose is probably one of the worst things for it!

I have maintained at the 2 pound drop, and had three meals that are not "competition prep approved". One more at the wedding (or maybe the rehearsal dinner too) and then I am officially killin' it!

Friday Roy and I worked on Good Mornings first then back squats. He took some video I think, or pictures, I guess when he sends them to me you will see them too!

We then tried his modified Glute Ham Raise, I told David about it and he was horrified. I will try anything once though, and if it doesn't kill me and I like it, I will do it over and over again. Life is too damn short to worry about getting hurt. I have a better chance of getting hit by a bus than hurting myself training, and I already broke a rib doing it so I used up my quota.

I couldn't even do the exercise and he says with a bit of enthusiasm "We got our exercise for next week!"....I am looking forward to it.

Squats are great for the whole body and not enough women do them. Most women I see squatting don't go heavy enough or low enough. And I am learning that they aren't doing them with proper form either! Actually, most people don't use proper form as they are so intent on loading on the weight, they sacrifice form for weight, then the exercise is basically useless. Well, it is a good way to hurt yourself I guess.

And women are the ones so stressed about their big 'ol butts! Squatting will only make that flabby butt into a tight butt. Nothing worse than a flabby, flat butt...

And Good Mornings? For the hamstrings....when you stand sideways, you really want to see a nice big bulge in the back of the leg, above the knee, and then a bigger one when you get to the glutes...You gotta work the hammies!

I have really enjoyed training with Roy and feel fortunate to have found him. He listens to what I want and then makes sure I do it right! Couldn't be better huh? I also like the fact that he respects my opinion and experiences and doesn't have an air of "I am the Trainer, you are the Trainee"...we are in it together. I think I can always learn from others, and I know I have a lot to offer too. People learn from me everyday!

Check out the back! The "back fat" is dwindling away...very quickly too. I guess it's the curse of the 50 year old body or something. I always said I look best at 123 pounds and I am at 125 now.

Lets' compare pictures when I lose 2 more pounds shall we? I will wear the exact same clothes too!

Observations of a Dog

  

July, David and Cooper are off so I am along for the ride a lot! This is our road to Santa Rosa to pick up grapevines. This is also my "Last Meal"......before "The Diet".

Actually I lie, David will be performing a wedding at the end of the month, and as the spouse of the "guy performing the wedding", I get to go along! I love weddings! David is not a minister or anything like that, we call him "Deacon Dave" because anyone can perform weddings, you just need a license. Apparently the teachers who work for him like him to do this, so I go to the weddings as his cute sidekick.

Anyway, today stared with leg day, it was back squats with proper form...not very impressive as far as weight but I sure looked like I knew what I was doing! 

I warmed up with 2 sets of 10, Olympic bar only then did 8 sets of 10 at 95 pounds, slowly...I think I really should move up a bit, we will see how the form looks Friday. Seems to me that I shouldn't have been able to do that many sets if it was heavy enough. Then 10 sets of 10 Good Mornings. 

I was a sight! I had my gymboss set at 50 seconds strapped to my top on the left, ipod strapped to my top on the right, and made sure my time under tension was about 50 seconds. Hit the stopwatch for a 90 second rest in between, and realized I had the power rack for 45 minutes. A guy walks up as I am resting on my itty bitty stool and says "mind if I use your equipment a minute?" oops....

Rowed 10 minutes, stairmill 20 minutes then off for the road trip!

First stop, as David has learned...bathroom. I am not a very good traveler, always need to stop. But we discovered a great taco truck as we searched out a bathroom for me.

David loves taco trucks, I do too, but not now...I was a voyeur this morning. 

The next stop (after yet another bathroom break) was Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa. We haven't picked up the vines yet, we needed to eat first! It was a beautiful setting, reminded me of Provence. 

So what does "Observations of a Dog" mean anyway? That's what I call the passenger on a road trip. One person drives, and the other is "The Dog", they just sit and stare out the window, like a dog!

I was "The Dog" today. We took MyRedRocket (my car) because it's an automatic and convertible, so this dog had fun in the sun. I observed some interesting billboards and they resonated with me.


Here is David's first course, grilled Monterey Bay sardines, salsa verde and homemade chips. He loves this stuff...

Back to the billboards. I saw two from Prudential that I really like.

Tomorrow Starts Today

What that says to me, is why wait until tomorrow when you can do it today? Anything! A diet, a book, a phone call, a new training program, anything. Think about it. Why wait? It's easy to keep saying "tomorrow, tomorrow".


I started with Ahi tuna tartare..raw fish with fish eggs and some herbs. Yum!

The other billboard was this:

With Progress Come Challenges

Yes, I am quite familiar with this, but I am not a person who fears a challenge, I welcome challenges! Do you? It's easy to be safe and unfazed and challenge free, if you don't do anything new. How boring...

If you want to progress you will need to face a challenge or two! That comes with the territory.

David then had Moroccan lamb with mint pesto and preserved lemon couscous. 

We have a joke: "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean"....yup, I ate the bones clean! After David ate the meat off the chops that is.

Real clean.....

The last billboard that this dog observed?

Don't Be Afraid To Ask

For advise, help, anything. Reach out to people you think can mentor you, people whose opinion you value, whose knowledge you trust. It might be a co-worker, a person in the gym, a nutritionist, an online coach.

Feel free to ask me anything...

Tomorrow Starts Today

With Progress Come Challenges

Don't Be Afraid To Ask