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.

Cardio

I have never really been a fan of cardio, I like lifting. But, when competing in Figure, you need to lose most of your bodyfat and that requires a lot of "energy expenditure".

I could do that lifting weights, but I also want to have muscles as big as I possibly can, so I think it would compromise my training. I am sure it works great for some people, but just not my cup of tea.

I tend to stay away from the elliptical because I find myself "skating", it isn't as difficult as the stairmill or the stairstepper. Until today.

It was Sunday, one of my looooooong days at the gym. Saturdays and Sundays I am here about 3 hours. Of course, if you add the two times I come on other days I am close!

I did my weight training, then 30 minutes on the stairmill and decided to take it outside. Courtside Club is a huge facility, there are 16 tennis courts (outdoor and some indoor), they stand on ceremony. Take a look at some of the rules of the tennis courts, I love the last one and wonder what on earth it all means? 

Dress Code

1. Appropriate attire must be worn at all times.
2. No swimsuits, cut-offs or bare feet are allowed on the tennis courts.
3. Regulation tennis shoes are required on the courts. We do not allow running shoes.
4. Gentlemen are not permitted to wear tank tops. Shirts are required while on the courts. Exceptions: Men who want to play without shirts may use Courts 3 and 4 at any time and Courts 2 through 6 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

It means I watch tennis at courts 3 and 4, or 2 through 6 from 12 to 3! ha ha

I digress. I wandered out to the deck off the cardio room. There are 6 spin bikes and 3 ellipticals overlooking the tennis courts, fire pits and bar.  

It was 8:00 am, and warm and breezy, a beautiful spot overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains. I climbed up on one of the ellipticals and pounded out an additional 20 minutes with the fresh air in my hair, filling my lungs, I felt revived!

I usually do my cardio after work, and it would be much too hot out there, but Wednesday I train with Roy after work, so you know where you will find me at 5:00am?

Outside, taking in the scenery. I wonder if anyone will be on court 3 or 4?

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!