Sunnyday's Training Journal

[Sunnyday]

Looks like some great WOs going on in here

I really really really need to get in the habit of stretching more hips and chest/shoulders are so damn tight!!!!

Don't let age worry you about goal of figure competition. I am 47 and my first show I was 38 I didn't start in the gym til i was 32 and FAT. If you have the goal and determination you will get there.

Suzanne, I cannot thank you enough for your words of encouragement!

I haven't discussed competing yet with my husband, but I know that he knows it's only a matter of time before I bring it up. Financially it will be challenging, but I also know that I can be very resourceful when I put my mind to it. That said...a few weeks ago one of the female trainers at my gym offered to loan me one of her competition suits to help offset the cost. If she weren't 6" taller and a generous 2 cup sizes bigger than me it just might work, LOL! So maybe 2011 is my year to step on stage. I know this for sure: even if I came in dead last (most of all b/c I can't yet pose to save my life!), but there will be no question of me being the most resourceful one in the whole show. Boy oh boy do I wanna compete!

[musclegoddess65]

smart woman to listen to the body!

I am almost certain there used to be a website that loaned suits... maybe I'm mistaken... diva exchange????

[Sunnyday]

I've heard about a loaned suit site from someone, don't remember who...at the time I didn't pay much attention because I was still trying to get back into pre-baby shape. I think my shoulders and quads still need to come up more before I can think about a suit, though. I think at this point I'm ready to start shopping for an anti-mom-type bathing suit for next season and that to me is a good start.

The same trainer who offered to loan me her suit also said she'd help me with some progress pictures. I've been taking them each month for the last couple of months, but without a timer on this camera I need to be a contortionist to try and hold camera, mirror, and flex...you know? Anywho, I'm supposed to get together with her later this week for the pics. Crossing my fingers that I'll actually be able to "see" some progress. Pictures can be sooooo depressing when you are not in perfect shape!

[Sunnyday]

So here it is, Thursday...and here I am frying my traps & shoulders.

Smith machine shrugs:
15 x 15
20 x 15
20 x 15
20 x 15

Arnolds:
10 x 15
15 x 15
20 x 12
20 x 10

Rear delts, pronated/palms down grip:
40 x 15
55 x 15
70 x 12
85 x 4, drop by 15 back to 40

DB lat raise:
8 x 15
10 x 15
12 x 12
15 x 4, drop/pyramid back down the rack to 8

Rear delts, hammer grip & different machine:
25 x 15
37.5 x 15
62.5 x 12
75 x 4, drop by 12.5 back to 25

Front DB raise:
8 x 15
10 x 15
12 x 12
15 x 4, drop/pyramid back down the rack to 8

Much better WO than yesterday for sure! I was talking to my trainer and I'm guessing that the "out of place" thing that popped back into place during yesterday's post-WO stretch got messed up during my Tuesday chest WO. I think I may have arched my back on my last incline bench set and it didn't affect me until the next day when I really needed to use those muscles. Now I know better.

I'm meeting with my trainer tomorrow to go over progress and have a "reality check". Hoping for LOTS of good feedback.

Been spending a lot of time over in Chris Aceto's Q&A thread lately - finally up to page 40. Man, that guy knows his stuff! I'm learning a lot. I had read the article a short while back about his signing with RX and found out he graduated from Springfield College (same as me!). His 18-y.o. photo on the thread looked awfully familiar. I started doing the math and I think there may have been some small overlap in my/his time there. Different majors though, so our paths never crossed. How funny is that?! Small world.

[Sunnyday]

Add to today's WO - ended with 20" HIIT on the elliptical.

[Sunnyday]

Another day, another abs WO.


Ball crunch holding 10# ball:
4 sets x 15

Lying leg raise w/10# leg wt:
15, 12, 12, 10

Cable crunch @ 80#:
4 sets x 15

Hanging leg raise w/10# leg wt:
4 sets x 15

Side planks:
4 sets x hold 60/rest 60

Front planks:
4 sets x hold 60/rest 60


I struck out on getting someone else to take progress pics for me. So I was stuck taking them myself and contorting myself this way and that.

I got some helpful feedback from my trainer. Legs are slowly but surely coming along (getting some obvious quad and ham detail). Shoulders are coming along, too, but they still need some size. I could've guessed that, but it was nice to hear some positives thrown in there, such as my abs are looking great, and my rear delts have really come a loooong way! I don't feel that my body is fighting me to improve right now, as in, it seems to respond well when it hits a plateau and I change things up, and that is VERY good! Got some good ideas on how to change things up a bit for legs (particularly hams), so of course I can't wait for my next legs day.

I took some measurements just for giggles and reference:
weight - 109
ht - 5'2"
shoulders - 39.5
neck - 12.5
chest - 33.5
waist - 24.5
hips - 34
arm - 11
forearm - 9
wrist - 5.5
thigh - 19.5
calf - 12.5

At this point I have no idea where my %bf is...best guess around 15%. Not that it really matters (just like the scale doesn't really matter to me anymore) - too much of a mental downer when the #s aren't what I had hoped, so I don't check it more than once a month anymore. Still, I'm getting curious because of the muscles that are showing themselves where they have never done so before. I think I'm ready to pick up some decent calipers and teach myself how to use them.

[Sunnyday]

Today's back WO. I had left my logbook home, so I was a little lost. Still a nice WO. Lotsa people being social, I think because the Ravens lost to the Steelers this weekend. Tried to drum up some more business for my trainer but the two women who were asking me questions ended up getting sticker shock when they saw the trainer actually wants to get PAID for working with them, LOL! I kept thinking to myself, well if you'd just skip that nightly bowl of ice cream and the twice-daily trips to Starbucks you'd have 2 months worth of training right there! I guess for some people it's just not worth it.

Neutral rows:
55 x 15
70 x 15
85 x 15
115 x 6, dropped by 15 back to 55

Close grip pulldowns:
60 x 15
70 x 15
80 x 12
100 x 4, dropped by 10 back to 60

Assisted chins, underhand:
40 x 15
40 x 15
30 x 15
30 x 10

Overhand rows:
62.5 x 15
75 x 15
87.5 x 15
112.5 x 6 dropped by 12.5 back to 62.5

Assisted chins, overhand/wide:
50 x 15
50 x 12
50 x 10
50 x 8

Deadlifts w/shorter barbell:
45 x 15
50 x 15
55 x 15
65 x 12

[Sunnyday]

Hit chest & calves today. Burned both parts as hard as I could.

Incline prss:
25 x 15
37.5 x 15
50 x 15
62.5 x 4, drop by 12.5 back to 25

Seated flyes:
37.5 x 15
50 x 15
62.5 x 14
87.5 x 5, drop by 12.5 back to 37.5

Seated press:
60 x 15
70 x 15
80 x 15
90 x 8

Flat DB flyes ss/flat DB press (same wt/reps for each by coincidence):
10s x 15
12s x 15
15s x 15
20s x 8

Standing calves:
70 x 15
90 x 15
140 x 15
160 x 15

Seated calves:
20 x 15
50 x 15
70 x 15
90 x 8 (yeah!!)

[LisaRD23]

Hey Sunny- looking good in here.

Chest is on of my least favorite body parts to train! I typically leave it for Saturdays. Your workout looks good

[Sunnyday]

Hey Sunny- looking good in here.

Chest is on of my least favorite body parts to train! I typically leave it for Saturdays. Your workout looks good

Thanks Lisa,

I never really liked working chest until I started with this trainer. Added a couple of different exercises, changed up the routine, plus some drop sets and was thanking him in my mind when I got to the shower! Since May I have lost nearly 2 cup sizes so I'll take all the help I can get, LOL!

[Sunnyday]

Like the title says, it was great. Several first-time exercises, which made it even more fun. I kicked my own butt so hard it jumped up and kicked me back, LOL!


Leg extensions:
55 x 15
75 x 15
100 x 14 (up 2 from last wk)
130 x 5 drop by 15 back to 55 (up 1 on max wt from last wk)

Nautilus seated leg curl, toes turned inward (first time, hard to master):
30 x 15
40 x 15
50 x 15
70 x 15

Nautilus seated leg curl, toes turned outward (first time, hard to master):
40 x 15
50 x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15

Hack squats (first time):
4 sets x sled wt only x 12

Walking lunges w/25s:
4 sets x 12 each side

Had to stop after the last set of lunges to change my 2-y.o.'s messy diaper - fun! What made it even more fun is I could hardly stand still 'cause my legs were so wobbly!

Ate my ceremonial post-WO chocolate pudding and hit the mat for a nice, long stretch before taking a scalding hot shower...YEAH! My splits are sooo close now!

[Sunnyday]

My legs are still wobbly...that is good.

The house is nice and peaceful right now with my little ones asleep. It has been an exciting last 24 hours! As i was preparing dinner last night I opened the freezer to pull out some veggies to steam and...uh oh, everything had thawed! Not good at all. The fridge was acting up for about a month now, so we knew it could go up in smoke at any moment. Had to wait until the kids went to bed before we could start hauling everything out and into ice chests in the garage. We were both up until 1 a.m., me shuffling food into ice chests in our cold garage and my husband shopping online for a replacement. He came home tonight and informed me the new one will be delivered by Lowes in 5-7 days. When I gave him the "you've got to be kidding me" look, he explained that Home Depot was going to make us wait until mid-January! Thankfully it has been and will remain cold here for that long. Had a semi-planned cheat tonight due to all the thawed food that needs to get cooked so it doesn't spoil. While I did make sure I hit my protein needs with some salmon, the carbs were from pierogies, with a side of fried onions and sour cream...and salad. I still can't believe I had a decent WO today with so little sleep. Hoping to get to bed earlier tonight to avoid it catching up with me tomorrow and ruining my shoulder WO.

[tammyp]

1/2 of out stove top went...so i hear ya..such a PITA!


solid workouts!

[Sunnyday]

1/2 of out stove top went...so i hear ya..such a PITA!


solid workouts!

Hey Tammy! Thanks for stopping by & for your encouragement on the WOs.

OMG! If our stove went that would be even worse for me! Yes, it's a drag being without a fridge for a week, but at least it's not the middle of the summer. The garage has worked nicely so far as a walk-in fridge. We did pick up a nice freezer for the garage, so at least I can store frozen meat & veggies. My kids drink 2-3 gallons of milk per week, so that is the harder part. Trying to prep my food for the whole day is another story altogether, LOL! That is the best way I've found to keep myself from overeating and/or binging on the wrong food when things get tense around here. I heard Saturday it will be up to 48 - not good. So I guess I will need to get some ice tomorrow in preparation for above-freezing temps.

[Sunnyday]

Shrugs w/EZ curl bar, no extra wt (guessing 25#?):
(someone else beat me to the Smith machine so I had to improvise)
4 sets x 15

Overhead press (machine):
10 x 15
20 x 15
30 x 15
40 x 8

Rear delts, palms down:
40 x 15
55 x 15
70 x 12
85 x 4, drop by 15 back to 40

Side (machine) lateral raise:
10 x 15
20 x 15
40 x 9
50 x 3, drop by 10 back to 10

Rear delts, neutral grip:
25 x 15
37.5 x 15
62.5 x 13
75 x 4, drop by 12.5 back to 25

Front DB raise:
8 x 15
10 x 15
12 x 12
15 x 1 (too much today), 12 x 12, drop by 2 back to 8

My youngest is making a ritual of producing a messy diaper just as I'm about to start my cardio. By the time I got done with her, I'd lost most of my cardio time, so I just hit the shower a little early today.