Sunnyday's Training Journal

[Sunnyday]

Ever try any dropsets on calves? Get under the smith machine bar, load up plates...stand on something to keep your heels off the ground and do some dropsets...or S/S standing with seated calve raises...

Diet- have you tried this approach before? (Or similar)

Are the BCAAs standard, or are they EAA's? (Essential amino acids) I know some enjoy BCAAs intra, but unless it's used as a bolus for 4-6 hours of meal spacing, or training fasted there really isn't a point.

Although, I do enjoy the taste of some BCAAs out there.

In the past I've done dropsets for calves but haven't done them in quite a while. I was doing standing calves every which way but because my calves are so strong the standing calves were really rough on my low back (osteoarthritis L4-L5-S1). That said, I'm glad you brought up calves because I'm getting bored with all these donkey calves and it's time to start changing things up.

On the diet, this is very new for me. I've always gone with a "6 foods that work" approach, and always the same foods on training/non-training days. Taking some getting used to but my family (especially my husband) likes seeing me eat foods that are at least similar to what they eat year round.

The BCAAs are also new for me. I'd love to go the EAA route or casein hydrolysate. But even the cheapest EAA I can find is out of budget for a non-working mom of 3. I acquired the BCAA crazy-cheap so I'm running it for a while just to see if I notice a difference. Jury is still out. One thing I can say is I found out I don't like to drink flavored stuff intra-workout, much prefer plain water.

[LisaRD23]

On the diet, this is very new for me. I've always gone with a "6 foods that work" approach, and always the same foods on training/non-training days. Taking some getting used to but my family (especially my husband) likes seeing me eat foods that are at least similar to what they eat year round.

The BCAAs are also new for me. I'd love to go the EAA route or casein hydrolysate. But even the cheapest EAA I can find is out of budget for a non-working mom of 3. I acquired the BCAA crazy-cheap so I'm running it for a while just to see if I notice a difference. Jury is still out. One thing I can say is I found out I don't like to drink flavored stuff intra-workout, much prefer plain water.

I try to do the same thing. Make my meals a bit more "family friendly" during off-season. At least eating the same protein sources for dinner saves me time in the kitchen. I just switch out whatever carbs Hubby & Kids are having with some veggies.

Have you tried Scivation XTEND as an intra-work out? It's not as sweet as some of the other mixes. I usually add more water too to dilute the taste. I have found it to be relatively affordable too. If I don't have any XTEND on hand I just add a scoop of Glutamine to my water to bring to the gym.

[Curt James]

"I'm on a mission to squat and deadlift like a bad ass ballerina."
— Sunnyday

And speaking (or posting) of badass ballerinas...

Misty Copeland

[PFEPerformance]

Looking good Mama!!! Like your Nutrition approach! I think your body will as well!!! Having some variety and change up of quality nutrients is a GREAT thing for your body!!!

Have to giggle - um....my "off season" has ended already and we are back in full swing prep mode for Spring Shows.... Blink...LOL

Much Love Girl!!

[Sunnyday]

Friday...arms

Very bummed to have missed leg training yesterday but it was worth it. I had to attend my son's quarterly IEP meeting. It was all good - they are actually re-testing him to see where he now falls on the Autism spectrum. He had been making such great progress that they moved him up in his reading class - too adept to be with the less adept kids in the smaller group. But the move up has stressed him out and has caused him to regress in other areas. Normally I'd be worried that retesting him would cause him to lose special services but all involved feel this will justify getting him qualified for more. So as I said it was worth giving up my second leg day but it was very draining. Those of you with special needs kids in your lives know exactly what I mean.

After the IEP meeting I visited the chiro and he beat me up good and proper. Then after dinner I had my oldest dig into my arms all around the elbows to work out the knots - tendonitis has been acting up, likely a result of extra holiday cleaning/wrapping/painting and picking up the slack with my husband still down for the count with a nasty flu bug. Needless to say I was achy last night and even achier this morning. Having trouble walking (looks like a shuffle-limp) and standing straight (QLs and psoas fighting opposite ways, left TFL screaming for attention LOL). Didn't help that I had sicko in the bed beside me hacking and gagging all night.

Over 30 mins of warmup with an emphasis on foam rolling to try to work out the kinks but I was still a mess. Decided to stick with straight sets and back off on the volume a bit. Swapped out the rope hammer curls for pinwheels, dropped the weights here or there and increased reps.

Pinwheel curls:
2 warms
3 x 20s x 12 surprisingly heavy for me considering the elbows. Didn't hurt at all.

Rope pressdown:
2 warms
3 x 20 x 12

Standing bb curl:
3 x 30 x 10

Close grip bb:
2 warms
3 x 85 x 10

Concentration curls:
2 warms
3 x 20 x 10

Floor skulls:
2 warms
3 x 35 x 20

No cardio.

[Sunnyday]

I try to do the same thing. Make my meals a bit more "family friendly" during off-season. At least eating the same protein sources for dinner saves me time in the kitchen. I just switch out whatever carbs Hubby & Kids are having with some veggies.

Have you tried Scivation XTEND as an intra-work out? It's not as sweet as some of the other mixes. I usually add more water too to dilute the taste. I have found it to be relatively affordable too. If I don't have any XTEND on hand I just add a scoop of Glutamine to my water to bring to the gym.

I know people who use XTend and swear by it. I acquired some Beverly's on a super sweet deal that made it even cheaper than XTend so I'm taking it for a test drive. Even at the discount it's at the upper end of my budget so we'll see if the results I get - if any - justify keeping BCAAs in at all. If it works and I see a sale on XTend I may give it a try.

"I'm on a mission to squat and deadlift like a bad ass ballerina."
— Sunnyday

And speaking (or posting) of badass ballerinas...

Misty Copeland

Awesome pic! Oh if only my squat would be even close to that graceful I'd be thrilled!

Looking good Mama!!! Like your Nutrition approach! I think your body will as well!!! Having some variety and change up of quality nutrients is a GREAT thing for your body!!!

Have to giggle - um....my "off season" has ended already and we are back in full swing prep mode for Spring Shows.... Blink...LOL

Much Love Girl!!

Aww, thanks, girl! Truth be told I can't stand variety! It is stressing me out soo bad! LOL.

Whoa, you had one shorty offseason, thar! We'll see just how long I can stand not seeing veins in my upper abs...I may decide to ditch this offseason and follow you along! Haha!

[swingslammer]

Friday...arms

Very bummed to have missed leg training yesterday but it was worth it. I had to attend my son's quarterly IEP meeting. It was all good - they are actually re-testing him to see where he now falls on the Autism spectrum. He had been making such great progress that they moved him up in his reading class - too adept to be with the less adept kids in the smaller group. But the move up has stressed him out and has caused him to regress in other areas. Normally I'd be worried that retesting him would cause him to lose special services but all involved feel this will justify getting him qualified for more. So as I said it was worth giving up my second leg day but it was very draining. Those of you with special needs kids in your lives know exactly what I mean.

After the IEP meeting I visited the chiro and he beat me up good and proper. Then after dinner I had my oldest dig into my arms all around the elbows to work out the knots - tendonitis has been acting up, likely a result of extra holiday cleaning/wrapping/painting and picking up the slack with my husband still down for the count with a nasty flu bug. Needless to say I was achy last night and even achier this morning. Having trouble walking (looks like a shuffle-limp) and standing straight (QLs and psoas fighting opposite ways, left TFL screaming for attention LOL). Didn't help that I had sicko in the bed beside me hacking and gagging all night.

Over 30 mins of warmup with an emphasis on foam rolling to try to work out the kinks but I was still a mess. Decided to stick with straight sets and back off on the volume a bit. Swapped out the rope hammer curls for pinwheels, dropped the weights here or there and increased reps.

Pinwheel curls:
2 warms
3 x 20s x 12 surprisingly heavy for me considering the elbows. Didn't hurt at all.

Rope pressdown:
2 warms
3 x 20 x 12

Standing bb curl:
3 x 30 x 10

Close grip bb:
2 warms
3 x 85 x 10

Concentration curls:
2 warms
3 x 20 x 10

Floor skulls:
2 warms
3 x 35 x 20

No cardio.

Yep, my Son has an IEP for his autism and after having BA therapy for a few years has had some services removed....which I guess is a good thing? My Son and Daughter are wrestlers, my Son does AWESOME in practice but not so much in real matches. My wife says it is because he does not mind being touched by people he knows (Other kids on the team, his Sister) but he does not like being touched by people he does not know, new kids he is wrestling.

Good luck with all your Sons stuff though.

[Sunnyday]

I am running clerk of course at my oldest's high school swim meet tonight. This is a multi-team relay event. Meeting every single swimmer in the county, some of them I met at swim team meets last summer. It is such a blast! Plus I get a poolside seat for every event my daughter swims. Of all the sports my kids have done, I must say swim team as a whole has the best sportsmanship. If you are looking for a sport for your kids I highly recommend it!

[Sunnyday]

Four VERY long hours with 19 long events!! But worth every minute. I got to spend the whole time watching my daughter and her friends swim, with several of them nailing personal best times. My daughter anchored 3 of 4 of her events and I got to stand right at her lane and cheer her and her teammates on. If you've ever been to a swim meet you know it can get pretty chaotic and parents aren't usually permitted on the pool deck. So having that job of clerking all the swimmers got me the poolside pass. I'd line up swimmers for an event then go watch my kid swim...rinse and repeat the whole night through. Woot!

My poor hubby though! He's still sick as a dog and had to babysit the 6 and 7-y.o.! I'm sure I'll hear tomorrow all the things that Daddy did wring, LOL! Sorry, babe!

Stirring up a freshly opened jar of Crazy Richard's Crunchy PB to enjoy a big fat spoonful with my whey. Yum!

[Granite-Dawg]

Wish I lived where swimming is popular but in the rural south it isn't. I like to let my girls try all sports.

Hope your husband gets better soon. Being sick is no fun!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sunnyday]

We have Michael Phelps to thank for the popularity of swimming in this area. My oldest's natural dad lives just a mile from Michael's facility where our daughter trains on the weekends she is there. And my little ones' coach actually chaperoned Michael and his own son to their first Nationals. So everyone around here has some connection to him, LOL! Soccer and lacrosse are still the most popular but since Michael's first Olympics it definitely put swimming up near the top.

[Sunnyday]

Another one bites the dust!

My oldest seems to have caught the flu as well. People, this is one ugly bug, as G-D will verify now that he's on the mend. We all had the flu shot in this household. But the pediatrician's office tells me it won't protect against this strain. Change your clothes when you get home from work, even better if you can shower plus change. With my slob of a daughter it will be close to a miracle if the rest of us don't get it too.

[Hoss06]

Yikes. I had the flu a few weeks ago...spent the entire day moving a female co-worker from one apartment into an apt on the 3rd floor...came home, and about passed out...chills, cough, fever, runny nose, etc...

Let me know if you ever want to try a new pre workout, protein, bcaa, etc and ill take care of it from my end.

Have a good rest of the weekend!

[Sunnyday]

Yikes. I had the flu a few weeks ago...spent the entire day moving a female co-worker from one apartment into an apt on the 3rd floor...came home, and about passed out...chills, cough, fever, runny nose, etc...

Let me know if you ever want to try a new pre workout, protein, bcaa, etc and ill take care of it from my end.

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Thanks! Let's see how the BCAA trial goes for me & then I just may have to hit you up.

[Sunnyday]

Saturday...back


Got to bed way late last night. Passed out and blew off my usual pre-bed stretching. Husband hacked, hawked, gagged, and snored all night long. Finally around 4 he left to sleep on the sofa. Consequently I shut off my usual alarm and woke up around 10. Low back and left piriformis were screaming from all the running around at last night's swim meet, lack of stretching, and the disruptive sleep. Meal 1 didn't get in until 11 (usually goes in at 8, LOL), 2 little kids with sniffles, one big kid with flu, recovering husband spewing body fluids out every imaginable orifice. I get to clean up after all of them. Nice.


Got to the gym around noon. Parking lot was EMPTY. I perked up. Walked inside, cardio equipment clear. I'm thinking SAWEET! Not so fast: weight room PACKED. Ugh. My mood went southward. Had to wait for everything. Did an express warmup and I perked up as soon as I felt a good pump in my lats. Not great but it beats sitting at home with my sickos.

Express warmup - a little SMR, Tumminello's "yoga plex", and some arm crossovers.

DB pullovers:
2 warms
4 x 40 x 12

1-arm DB rows:
2 warms
4 x 55 x 8

Reverse grip bent over bb rows:
split stance, alternate lead foot
2 warms
4 x 95 x 8

Meadows rows, supported on bench:
2 warms
4 x +40 x 8

Sumo deads:
plates about 4" off the floor
bar x 6
65 x 6
95 x 6
115 x 6
135 x 6
155 x 6
Form felt very good up to there. Low back and psoas loosened up by this point but left piriformis was pinching and taking away my focus, hard to keep hips even through the hip hinge. I could tell going heavier my form would start to cave. Decided to stop there and go to town on some pullups.

Pullups:
2 x BW x 6 wide
2 x BW x 6 neutral
2 x BW x 6 reverse

No cardio.
Still plenty of work there to justify a good sized pizza cheat.

On my way home I stocked up on broth and fruit for the sickos. I usually don't buy junk cookies (prefer to make from scratch) but this time I decided to pick up some Berger Cookies (Baltimore peeps understand this is a local classic) and introduce my kids to this concoction. My household is feeling so down the sugar high might perk them up. I think the last time I had one of these was while pregnant and on bed rest with my now-14-y.o. Non-Marylanders, imagine a cake-like vanilla cookie topped with thick, fudgy frosting.