In the last post, I felt strong. I banged out 10 squats EASILY with 90lbs resting on my shoulder blades. I am close to my goal, very close! At the next workout, I barely (and by barely I mean, my legs almost didn't straighten me up to standing) made 8 reps with only 5 more pounds (95lbs). What up wit dat?
Was I just not feeling it that day? Did I not eat enough to power me thru the workout? Did I not sleep enough? I am constantly trying to troubleshoot EVERYTHING. Well, whatever. Here's the rest of my workout that was on Thursday the 18th of February:
Squats 95lbs 8 reps
Leg Curl 40 lbs 8 reps - this is pretty easy but I am really moving the weight slow and concentrating on absolute PERFECT form so that I'm ONLY using my hamstrings to lift this weight.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift 75lbs 8 reps - could have done 10 but don't want to push the stiffs too fast
BB Incline Press 50lbs - needed to be 7, got 8
BB Row 60lbs - needed to beat 8, got 9...but DANG, gettin hard
BB Shoulder Press 45lbs - went up from 40lbs last week, got 4...yikes
BB Bicep Curl 40lbs - needed to beat 7, could only get 4....????? Depressing when that happens
BB Lying Tricep Extension 30lbs - needed to beat 6, got 7. Now this in my opinion, is one odd exercise. You lay on the floor holding the barbell straight up. Then, you slowly bend at the elbows while keeping the rest of your arm straight up, bringing the bar to your forehead. Then push back up again. It is a fun exercise, I like it. But it feels so odd and unnatural. Plus I have this stupid elbow injury, a fracture many years ago that leaves me favoring it still today. I hate injuries.
Calf Raises - Oops! I forgot these puppies.
Abs - boring old crunches with a 25lb weight plate, hip lifts and bicycle.
On a side note, I have noticed the muscle in my arms getting bigger! Not by leaps and bounds, but by tiny woman standards. It's an improvement, one that I am immensely proud of, even though my husband is less than impressed. I don't let that bother me though, just as long as he keeps spotting me until I get a squat rack ;)
Seriously though, the muscle growth in my arms is super exciting to me because do you know what that means??? It means that if the muscles in my arms are getting visibly bigger, it must mean that the same thing is happening to my legs!! And THAT, my friends, is the WHOLE REASON for my incredibly powerful addiction to weight lifting!!
And, on a side side note, talking about my husband being less than impressed with this whole thing involving me weight lifting; besides the fact that he is constantly afraid that I will put a crack in the foundation of our basement (if I should ever drop 100lbs while failing to bring my squat back up)...thaaaaat's right, he's more afraid of that than me hurting MYSELF, I don't think he's into muscular woman. (pretty sure that was a big run on sentence but I care not)
And the funny thing about that is he is one of the biggest reasons I am doing this. Aside from my fascination with being as fit as possible and building up my leg muscles to make the appearance of less jiggle and flab, I want HIM to be impressed by the way I look. I want him to be proud to have me as a wife. I want him to be happy too. And I know he already is. He constantly tells me. He wouldn't care if I gave up weightlifting and used lifting chocolate to my mouth as a workout (with him) most nights a week.
I showed him a picture of a woman (a friend of mine on BB.com) who battled with anorexia most of her life but started weightlifting and is now one of the best bodies (I think) on the whole site. She is tiny yet muscular and beautiful. I showed him this because he thinks woman can't build muscle. I've tried to explain that sure, they can't build muscle like a man but it IS possible to add muscle mass. So, I showed him her pictures and all he said was "That's a bit too muscular for my taste". But she is one of my motivators because if she can look the way she does (and believe me, it's amazing), if she can go from skin and bones to muscle, I can build muscle too. Getting back to my hubs, I know, I know, he likes the soft feminine contours of the female body. I don't plan on losing that, just firming up. And the only way (THE ONLY WAY) I will ever do that is to build muscle. Period.
But then again, I might find it so empowering, so exhilarating, I won't want to stop there! It is SUCH a powerful trip to see and feel yourself improving. I feel powerful, I feel successful, I feel extraordinary. And THAT is what I want to be....
EXTRA ordinary. Because anyone can be ordinary.
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