Work In Progress - FitoverForty

[Fygle]

Good attitude Lynne!

[fitoverforty]

Thanks Boss Man for the suggestions.
Thanks Fygle! It is hard sometimes, but I just gotta keep on keeping on, til I get to where I wanna be. Wow, that needs to be a song lyric or something....lol!

[fitoverforty]

What about wanting to be where you're at?

That is hard for me because I know I can be better. I understand what you are saying, and I would like to work on accepting (but not settling) myself at every stage of life, weight, fitness levels, but I just have this inner drive that keeps reminding me of the fact that I am not living life at its healthiest - I can be better.
It's always the inner struggle that is the hardest - for me anyway. It should be simple, it's a choice. And that is where I feel like I fail myself alot of times, with the choices I make. So that is another area I need to work on.
When I began this journal and named it "work in progress" I never realized that half that work (maybe more than half) is mental, overcoming own emotional and inner issues.
To make outside match inside or vice versa - right now the two don't match up. So the work continues...

[Bonnie]

As long as you are aware, that further work is necessary & you ARE working on it. Love yourself for being strong enough to change. Hey I had a long trip to, but I loved myself every step of the way & just kept saying " I will get it done " even if I didn't like what I saw in the mirror. If you beat yourself up then you are literally setting yourself up for failure of some type. You have a new gym membership ENJOY it !! There is nothing to hold you back now

[fitoverforty]

Thanks Brent.

Love yourself for being strong enough to change

Thanks Bonnie, that is a good outlook to have, I never thought of it that way.

Today's workout:

2 x 30 ab crunches
2 x 10 stability ball knee tuck w/pushup - love these!
2 x 10 BW squats - concentrated on form and pushing through the heels

3.6 mile treadmill tempo run - 36:06

1 x 60 sec. plank
2 x 20 mountain climbers
1 x 10 mountain climber w/crossover
1 x 60 sec. plank

dripping sweat. gotta love that.

[fitoverforty]

So, I have a question:

What is a good weight to start at for a barbell squat? Where exactly do I position the barbell?
Or a DB squat, can I go into a military press from that? What is a good weight to start with?

[Bonnie]

Well that would depend on, how strong the shoulders are vs the legs. Whatever you can shoulder press use for the squat/press. Try 10's first, it also depends on the amount of reps you have in mind.

[Athene]

I went from 35 lbs to 105 lbs in 3 sets because I started really light, but it depends on you and your previous experience with the barbell, I think. It's also really important to be comfortable with the squat first, make sure you keep your weight on your heels and allow the barbell to move in a straight line up and down - you move around it, not the other way around.

Check out the 'Overhead Squatting Safely' video here: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html#Exer

Hope this helps : )

[fitoverforty]

but it depends on you and your previous experience with the barbell

uh...that would be next to none. previous gym experiences were with machine weights, never BB or DB - it was just easier that way, since I didn't really have a plan, and no one to show me how to properly do the exercises. I didn't think anyone there wants to spend any of their workout time trying to help someone else learn form. So....I've been you tubing videos to watch how it is done, and I get the general idea, question is really about the beginning and the end. How to lift the barbell up and over head and how to put it back down. Maybe i'm over thinking it, idk. Guess I'll find out once I'm there. Knowing me, I'll get intimidating by it all, and just go to the machines - ugh.

[Bonnie]

The bar will be on a rack, you duck under & pick it up ...then when done put it back on the rack the same way you took it off

[fitoverforty]

thanks Bonnie. I appreciate the help.
Are DB squats as effective as BB squats - or does it make a difference?

[Bonnie]

I find I don't use them because they are limited to how much you can lift with your arms. I can squat upwards of 130 lbs with BB, can't do that with db. Balance wise with lower weights, I can see a benefit for stabilization with core used.

[Athene]

I find I don't use them because they are limited to how much you can lift with your arms. I can squat upwards of 130 lbs with BB, can't do that with db. Balance wise with lower weights, I can see a benefit for stabilization with core used.

That makes more sense actually. I can attest to the benefit of core stabilization as well - I have never done as little ab work as I am right now, almost none really, and core is tighter than ever from lifting.

[Bonnie]

I tell people in the gym that basically abs are due to chin ups, deads and squats, boggles their minds, but its true. Bigger lifts = better abs. Less boring also, than 1 million crunches ?..

[fitoverforty]

upper & lower abs are sore today.
I really like the stability ball knee tuck w/pushup - I think that is what made me sore. I'm gonna add a rotation to the knee tucks next time.
And one I really aspire to do - tried yesterday and could not do it (balance issues from weak abs) is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI66OJguLSI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
advance it to 1:21 in the video for what I'm talking about - a one leg knee tuck while extending the opposing leg - crazy! I wanna do this!!

I've been having some pain in joints, I'm sure a bit of age related and overuse, anyway bought some of this today:

I've got alot of pain in left "pointer" first finger. Can't bend it all the way down, and it looks like it is getting crooked! gah!!! It's not fun getting older... body doth protest!!
Hoping this will help some. I remember Boss Man suggesting Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health a while back for me.
Any thoughts or input on this? I like it because it just mixes with a bottle of water, taken once a day. easy, smeezy.