For the past several days, I have been trying to figure out the best way to write this update. I am also trying to figure out how I should write my fitness related posts (training, daily eats, body composition changes, etc.) Honestly, I still don’t know if I will do daily or weekly updates or how I will set-up the posts. Should I take a picture of my training log or should I create an Excel spreadsheet? Maybe I should use Google Docs? I know there are easy ways I could share a screen shot of a spreadsheet or Word table. Regardless of what I use, I face a bit of a learning curve as I have not shared screen shots online nor used Google Docs. I’m sure neither of those is hard to learn, it is just a matter of setting time aside, specifically to learn this.
Google Docs vs. Excel Spreadsheet vs. Table on Word?
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I was experiencing lower back pain. After some thought, I realized that both the bike classes I was participating in and the Arc Trainer were aggravating the issue, so I decided to stop doing as much cardio. A couple other reasons that helped me arrive at my decision were that I had not been losing any weight, and the bike classes were exhausting. While feeling tired after a workout is not bad thing – it just means that I pushed myself hard – it is something entirely different if that tiredness never goes away. I was not allowing myself to sufficiently recuperate after training sessions. If I want to push myself hard in training, then I must allow my body, and mind, to sufficiently recuperate. As much as I enjoy the bike classes, they can be physically exhausting and mentally taxing. Being mentally tired is not at all how I want to feel nor is it healthy. Additionally, to attain the physique I would like to have, I need to train with weights, heavy weights. So, it was important that I make a change.
With that said, I have been weight training with heavy weights for the last two months.
Carlos and I started going to the gym together, and it has been fun. When I go on my own, I have fun and enjoy the workout, but I don’t push myself as much as I should. Carlos knows I’m strong, whereas I do not believe I am as strong as I actually am. I have been surprising myself = )
In March, when we started the heavy weight training plan, I could only squat about 90 lbs. on the free standing squat rack. Now, I’ve squatted 225 lbs. for 2 sets of 5 reps. They were not deep squats, but it was 225 lbs. nonetheless. It felt amazing to lift that much; I never imagined being able to do that, I never even thought about it for that matter. Even though I have gotten strong on squats, leg press and dead-lifts, I am weaker on bench press and pull-ups. I have always had lack of confidence with these two last exercises. The most I have recently benched is 90 lbs. for a couple of sets of 3-4 reps. While 90 lbs. is a great weight, it is not close to what I want to bench. My goal is to bench 135 lbs. and to do pull-ups off the assisted machine. To reach both of these goals I need to get stronger, but most importantly, I need to improve my self-confidence. I also need to learn to visualize myself the way I would like to be. Like my husband tells me, results are happening; they are just taking a little longer to show than I like.
Patience is not my forte. But…
For arms and a back like this, weight training is the way to go!
I do love weight training. Even though training with heavy weights can be draining, it is only physically draining, not mentally draining, like cardio exercise. In combination with weight training, we are doing our best to eat as clean as possible, and to eat every 3 hours.
In upcoming posts, in addition to sharing the ups and downs of my training, I will share photos of some of our meals and recipes that I attempt to either replicate or create. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have the courage to take and post training videos = )
~ L.