April Check in & Chat - Spring into the Squat Rack
Replies
-
Hey everyone! Ahhh April 1st here and cold and snowy.
I need some warmth and sunshine in my life.
Hmmm goals for the month. I really want to get my deadlift form down. I'm having a hard time not curling my back as I come up.. would also love to stop getting bruises on my shins but.. I think that is asking too much
hehe
Also want to get a little more cardio in. I was running outside a lot in the fall and gave up on that in the winter months. Hopefully nicer weather is on the way.
Also not really enjoying squatting and deadlifting in the same day anymore. Stronglifts has my legs TIRED.
Happy April Everyone
0 -
I am also of the no number goal group. I will continue to lift MWF and increase when I can.
Today:
Squat: 135 lb I wasn't planning to go up from 130 because I am feeling a bit tired after my chocolate filled weekend... but then..
OHP: 70 lb! This thrills me again or still!!! I thought it was a mistake the other day!
DL: 155 lb! 165 came up on the SL app and I actually almost tried it but it felt really heavy and I didn't want to damage myself any more so I went back down to 155. Still a personal record! The 165 would have been body weight yesterday, up a pound today ; ( so you can see how I would have wanted that one! I'm hoping I can do it in the next month or so. (gosh is that a number goal?) Maybe it will at least encourage me to slow down on the chocolate to keep my body weight from going up!
My right glute is still sore and working through the pain is not working. I may have to take a break at some point.
I am also sending out healing vibes to everyone who is either sick or hurt.
Audii congratulations on the OHP!! and 180 DL!!! Awesome! I also love your cougar!
Soos. I am definitely in favour of eating avocados!!! I finally had a ripe one this morning so I can have my favourite breakfast steamed veggies, avocado chunks and tuna! Everyone thinks it is strange but it really works for me!
Vegas, hurray for single girls!0 -
I have no numbers either. I don't like expectations lol. I would like to go up on all my lifts this month though. I am still working on form. It seems every time I add weight I have a little form breakdown especially with my squats. So still working on that. Going to continue with my 3x8 with added accessory exercises. I am really liking that for the moment and when I get bored or the ADD kicks in I will find something else or change up accessory.
So my goals:
1) No binging. Did well with this last month until the last few days when hubby drug home a cookie cake from the grocery. My kyrptonite!! Yeah I ate half the damn thing, was sick as a dog and had some crazy blood sugar spikes which turned me into a t-total biotch the next day. Those things are forever banned in my house.
2) Clean up the friends list. Did this today. There were people on there who frankly just got on my nerves with their 43 workouts a day and eating enough to feed a mouse.
3) Add back in my cardio. I kind of miss it, maybe. But on my rest days I just feel so lazy and feel like I should be doing something.
4) Cut back on diet sodas. Again. I did well with cutting back on my Clif/Powerbars last month. No longer eating 1-2/day. Usually only at work, or when I am on the go and need a quick meal. Sodas are making me crave sweets and I find I dont drink near as much water.
5) More sleep!!!!
6) Try my calorie cycling for 6 weeks. This worked really well for me last year when I tried it but when I fell off the wagon around Nov and got back on in Jan I just went straight cals. Calories look like this Day1(work day)- 1750, Day2- 1850-1925(dependant on activity) Day 3(lift day) 2000. Still above BMR and still plenty enough yummy foodles to be had.
7) Try a new food. Forgot to add this on my goal post. So far I have tried kale, avocados, and greek yogurt. Love them all now. Still trying to decide what to try this month. Maybe quinoa (did I spell that right??). May revisit chickpeas. Tried them once but not enough to appreciate them I dont think.
Great looking goals ladies. Hope everyone has survived April Fools Day with minimal damage lol.0 -
do quinoa first Soos, you will like it! tons of things you can do with it too -- also keep an eye on it as it cooks, most instructions lead to it being overcooked for my personal tastes -- when the little white piece completely curls out its softer than I like it (but I also like my rice and pasta a bit chewy rather than squishy soft).
Do a few versions, like a basic 'rice' style where you cook it in broth, and maybe add some sauteed onion and pepper, or a cold salad version where you do lime juice , black beans, corn, tomato, red onion, cumin, salt, and pepper (its like salsa flavored quinoa!) Or a mediterranean style salad with red onion, cucumber, feta, tomato, lemon juice, and olive oil.
I've also had it toasted and put on a salad but I haven't braved toasting it myself yet.0 -
Hey everyone! This is my first time here (pretty much) since I wanted to be sure I could commit to SL before I started posting (don't like to post and run). So! Here's a little background information on myself.
I joined MFP about 18 months ago, dropped 20lbs doing the usual C25k and low-calorie plan but stalled when I went back to uni because I didn't have the room in my head to count calories (seriously, thinking about this stuff takes up a helluva lot of time!). I lost another 14lbs by doing two six-week no-sugar challenges and they are HARD. Last year I did a month of Turbo Jam, gave Insanity a go, then did the first stage of NROLFW at the same time as C25k (I go running occasionally since finishing it, but not regularly). I wasn't happy with my results from that so switched to You Are Your Own Gym, which I thought was pretty awesome for the six weeks I did it. I can't remember why I stopped - I think I had holidays and then got ill and then was in a bit of a bad place mentally. I have also done Zuzka Light's workouts pretty sporadically, but normally averaging 2-3 a week.
Where I am now: I've done two weeks of SL, paid for the gym until the end of August (so I HAVE to go) and I've been trying to keep on top of doing my ZCUT workouts as well (not very successfully). I try to do ZCUT most days and lift three times a week. I've had to wait for the rack a couple of times but mostly I've been okay. It's still a challenge to me to walk in and do my workout - partly because I have to drive there (leaving the house, blech - I've always worked out at home where possible) and partly because NO OTHER LADIES. But I've managed it six times and I can manage it more than that. I'm currently trying a cyclical keto diet, but I'm not sure how it's working so far. I can be a bit obsessed with my scale weight but I do have measurements to fall back on (I know that I lost an inch off my chest somehow). I'm trying to only weigh in once a week.
My goals for April: continue CKD for at least another three weeks. Add weight to all my lifts. I'm 4 deadlift workouts away from my bodyweight, so that'll be a cool target if I get past it. Do ZCUT five days a week and beat my times. Drink more water and less alcohol, and definitely eat more food because I think my calories are lagging a little (this doesn't translate into weight loss for me though.)
Also worth mentioning: my scale weight is frustrating as hell. Apart from the two times I did no-sugar last year, it didn't change a bit. I tried high-calorie and I tried low-calorie. My measurements tend to only change when my scale weight has, too. So I can eat a buttload and not put on weight at the moment (yay) but it means that I have to make SO MUCH EFFORT to lose it. This is why it is a Good Thing for me to have focus on getting stronger, especially since in September I'm going back to uni and I won't have the headspace for weight loss for at least six months.0 -
do quinoa first Soos, you will like it! tons of things you can do with it too -- also keep an eye on it as it cooks, most instructions lead to it being overcooked for my personal tastes -- when the little white piece completely curls out its softer than I like it (but I also like my rice and pasta a bit chewy rather than squishy soft).
Do a few versions, like a basic 'rice' style where you cook it in broth, and maybe add some sauteed onion and pepper, or a cold salad version where you do lime juice , black beans, corn, tomato, red onion, cumin, salt, and pepper (its like salsa flavored quinoa!) Or a mediterranean style salad with red onion, cucumber, feta, tomato, lemon juice, and olive oil.
I've also had it toasted and put on a salad but I haven't braved toasting it myself yet.
Thanks for the tips. Really leaning toward this one to try. I like my rice and pasta more firm than squishy. If it is squishy I just wont eat it blechhh. Liking the sound of the cold salad version minus the black beans. I will NEVER like black beans lol. May sub with kidneys or pintos. And anything Mediterranean I absolutely love.0 -
Happy April, sending you all wishes of good health and being injury free!
April goals:
1) Add at least 1/2 hr cardio 2x week (honestly because it's hard to eat enough protein on a calorie deficit, i want to eat more!)
2) No Pop. No pop!!
3) Cook healthy food for my folks 1x/week (including getting on the quinoa train)
4) Lifting Current/Goal
Bench 70/85
PRows 70/90
Squat 110/130
OP 55/65
Deadlift 110/120
Also it's my one monthiversaryish! Since I had a few screwy weeks, it's been slightly over a month but I just did workout 13.
Lifts start...current
Bench 50...70
PRows 45...70
OP 50...55 (hahah lame, also i couldn't find the 2.5 lbs weights for a while at the new gym so...)
Squat 85...110
DL 75...110
Inches lost: Waist .5, abdomen 2, muffin top 1
Inches gained: Forearm .5, calf .25
pics or it didn't happen? if this works?
EDIT - figured out how to host the picture, but it's giant and seeing myself that giant is scary. >.<0 -
Can I join in too?
I've been lurking and thought of joining you all last month, but since I went on vacation I was gone for 11 days (thats over now....sigh). I can barely keep up when I'm not traveling!
I started SL in November, then wound up in the hospital (not SL related!!) and had to start over. Then after a month (maybe 2), I started over as my form wasn't right. I'm finally feeling comfortable with my form and am slowly progressing on everything (except OHP...grrrr). I only lift 2 days a week as I have a cardio schedule I'm happy with and don't want to cut further (with some cardiovascular issues, I have to keep up on cardio).
So, for April my goal is to move beyond 65 pounds on OHP. I keep wavering, one workout I'll finish a full set, then the next one I'm back to failing by the end of the sets. I finally made my own 1.25 pound weights to see if that helps me progress (a pair of old socks and coins makes a great set of weights!). I guess we'll see.
Currently I'm at:
Squat 117.5
Bench 85
OHP 65
Rows 87.5
Deadlift 1500 -
Welcome to macy and lady, glad to have you both. :flowerforyou:0
-
Hi everyone! I haven't really thought too much about goals for themonth, but I should. I know I need to increase my running since I have the Soldier Field 10 Mile the end of May. So there's that. And I dont' want to sacrifice my lifting. So we'll see. Maybe I will have to settle for not increasing my weights too much so I don't over do it while training for the race. Here's what I'd like to see happen:
Run the 10 mile in May in 2 hours or less.
Get to the gym 3-4 times/week.
OHP: get all 5x5 at 45
BP: at 60, would like 75
Rows: at 65, would like 75
DL: at 95, would like 115
Squats: at 125 (woot as of Friday!) would like 145.0 -
Hm, as a n00b my goals are: proper form and progress.
And eat properly and log (ahem!) 0 -
Hey y'all! I know some of you, I didn't wanna jump into March's thread, so I thought I'd join the conversation this month
Pleased to meet you other gals and feel free to add me
My goals this month are to keep up with SL 3x week. I started March 12th and due to being sick so much in March, I've only been at an average of twice/week. I started again Saturday after making myself rest, rested Sunday and then progressed in squats and rows.
Current weight:
Sq 75
Bench 55 - second time @55 ready to try 60 next time
Row 75
OHP 55
DL 115
I added some planks on Saturday, but had some soreness for two days, I think I'll go back to core on non lifting days. I don't wanna push myself too hard got fear of injury or falling ill. I hope every gets healthy soon and/or stays healthy this month. Hopefully it warming up, and getting some breezes through our homes this month will keep us all moving in the right direction. I wish I was at a desk during the day, but my job keeps me moving, so I catch up on reading the thread late nite usually. I also would like to get on a normal schedule, but my body rhythm always goes back to sleeping after 2-3am. Hopefully with my healthy lifestyle things will fall into place, but I don't wanna worry too much about it. I've pretty much kicked my diet coke addiction and then regular pop altogether. Occasionally, I like a pop (soda) with a burger or Mexican food, but I try to at least not get a refill. After my last Dr pepper, I noticed I craved junk afterwards. Maybe it's in my head, but I'm gonna continue to avoid. I usually do Zumba as my cardio 3x week and I look forward to it. It's a blast with the right teacher. I want to get a bike this spring. Cheers to you all and thanks for being so gracious and friendly. I love lifting now and get excited reading about all your routines and progress. Ciao, Jheri
Edited for wordiness lol sorry this turned out to be lengthy. Thanks for reading
0 -
I don't have a specific goal in mind per se.. I make every work out... but I could definitely do with eating much better and thinking about things a bit more before I shove them in my mouth!
I'm starting some running next week too to try and get my cardio fitness up a bit and hopefully burn a couple lbs of fat in the proccess (**funny thing.. i just wrote burn a couple lbs of fart and nearly posted it!!) but I'm not going to get too hung up on it. I've always enjoyed running and I think now my legs are stronger I'll be better at it.. so i suppose try and run at least once a week.
Other than that, my goal is to have as much fun as I can with SL. I'd definitely like to not stall on squats for a while yet, and i think that is a realistic goal for me. Squats on last workout were 52.5kg and I'm not going to say they were a breeze because don't my hammys hurt.. but no sign of a failure yet 0 -
do quinoa first Soos, you will like it! tons of things you can do with it too -- also keep an eye on it as it cooks, most instructions lead to it being overcooked for my personal tastes -- when the little white piece completely curls out its softer than I like it (but I also like my rice and pasta a bit chewy rather than squishy soft).
Do a few versions, like a basic 'rice' style where you cook it in broth, and maybe add some sauteed onion and pepper, or a cold salad version where you do lime juice , black beans, corn, tomato, red onion, cumin, salt, and pepper (its like salsa flavored quinoa!) Or a mediterranean style salad with red onion, cucumber, feta, tomato, lemon juice, and olive oil.
I've also had it toasted and put on a salad but I haven't braved toasting it myself yet.
Thanks for the tips. Really leaning toward this one to try. I like my rice and pasta more firm than squishy. If it is squishy I just wont eat it blechhh. Liking the sound of the cold salad version minus the black beans. I will NEVER like black beans lol. May sub with kidneys or pintos. And anything Mediterranean I absolutely love.
My only tip: keep an eye on it while it's cooking. I've had mine boil over several times and it's a b-i-t-c-h to clean up. Those little grains get EVERYWHERE!
Welcome to the new people!0 -
Hi everyone,
Loving quinoa, VegasBaby's single-girl cardio goals, and all the new people joining in!
My April goals look like this:
1. Lose 7 pounds (This is aiming high. The truth is that in my long-term plan I only expect to lose 5) and measure at 44.5% body fat. That would mean weighing around 200 pounds and no loss of LBM. 201 will be very exciting for me since that would mark 1/3 of the way to my goal.
2. 14 SL workouts. This shouldn't be hard to do, I am very consistent with my exercise. I'll miss one when my folks are here visiting. I'm pretty active generally speaking so I don't feel like I need to do anything additional with my cardio. I do some cycling after each weight session, and I started doing intervals, which have always been very difficult for me, but I don't have any particular goal associated with them.
A. Squat 100 pounds Current 85
B. Bench 73 pounds Current 66
C. Row 94 pounds Current 80
D. OHP 50 pounds Current 47.5
E. DL 175 pounds Current 145
I have never set lift-so-much-within-a-certain-time-frame goals before, so this is new for me. I have no earthly idea if these are too easy or too hard or reasonable. So we'll just have an adventure with them this month!!
My focus is on stripping fat, so the first goal is probably nearest and dearest to my heart. I'm not really invested in the strength goals. I've been lifting for a long time, and I have lost a lot of oomph due to fibromyalgia and to age, so if I get one more rep in or go up 1/2 pound I know that I'm succeeding. As far as I'm concerned, I'm only competing with my last workout.
Today I get to go to the gym and do squats/OHP/Deads. I've been lucky lately and haven't had to wait for a squat rack in a while. I hope my streak continues!0 -
Hi all! And welcome to the new gals! : )
My goals for this month are to continue lifting heavy 3 times per week to maintain lean mass. Lose the last 6 lbs of flab/fat before re-assessing bodyfat percentage (hoping to visit the university gym in town where they have body composition measuring sessions, 12 over the year) to get to weight goal one (153 lbs). Then start endurance training end of the month and continue lifting heavy between. Looking forward to upping the calories considerably and seeing this new process take place.
New lifting/powerlifting goals (increasing strength further) are on hold until the end of the year/autumn time. Then the OHP and bench are defo gonna move up : )0 -
@Ges.....lol'ed at my cardio goals :laugh: Thanks for making me laugh first thing this morning!
Finally did level 2 of my Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown workout this morning. Definitely another good workout BUT I was so disappointed because at one point she made a comment about becoming bulky from using weights :sad: :sad: :sad: :explode: I know it's for marketing reasons and not that she actually means it but ugh it really pee'd me off! I'm such a big JM fan..... (I'm going to her tour on Sunday yay!)
Meh, I'll get over it. It's totally just the business!
Happy Tuesday all!0 -
Hey all, and welcome new folks!
I feel a little guilty even posting this week, as I'm takng the entire week off. I finished my first 12 weeks (well, ok, I did the last 6 workouts 3 x 5) and my body was screaming at me for rest. So I listened. I let myself eat anything I wanted for the Easter weekend, and now I'm being careful but not anal for the rest of the week, thus giving myself a physical and mental break. And then I'll start killing it again next week.
Goal for the month is to get to 130 in squats, 85 in bench, 65 ohp, 80 row, and 170 deadlift. I'd also love to drop 4 pounds, but that may be wishful thinking.0 -
Hi guys.
Back from Spring Break! Did very little exercise, unless you count tottering about in stilettos for 8 hours a day a good workout :drinker: . My feet/ankles/knees seem to think so. :sick: :sick: No cardio until I can walk without any hobbling. :sad:
But finally to the weights! Took off a flat 10 lbs from everything this morning and felt pretty happy that I didn't collapse.
Squat: 125
Rows: 70
BP: 65
Man, you ladies with your fancy goals are very impressive.
0 -
nexangelus, I just have to say I love John Cleese's silly walks!0
