Moving Up - Pull Ups and Workout Journals

This week had 2 milestones - 2 pull ups, and finishing my 8th Workout Journal. Just for fun, I took a quick picture of my journals:



I like to use the small journals that I can easily take to the gym and keep track of my progress. You may notice there are only 8 books in the photo - Book 7 seems to be missing in action. :) Book 1 begins 12/28/09. Prior to that, I used a combination of printed pages and larger notebooks. When I found these little journals, I discovered they were the perfect size.

On Sunday, I did my usual pull up/chin up test. On the full hang pull up and chin up, I got 1/2 for both. Beginning on my toes, I got 2 pull ups and 3 chin ups! Whoo-hoo! :)

Hope everyone is having a great week as well!

End of Phase One

Last week I finished Phase One of the Pull Up Challenge Workout. My goal was 5 pull ups, but I didn't quite get there. :)

Last Thursday, I did a "jump pull up" test, which is how I did pull ups in past workouts (jumping start up to the bar). I got 3 pull ups, which is 1 more than before I began this program.

On Saturday, I went swimming again - still 16 laps in 20 minutes. But I'm not really going for speed at this point, I just want to get in the pool!

On Sunday, I ended Phase One/began Phase Two with my regular test: pull ups from a full hang, pull ups beginning with my toes touching the floor, chin ups from a full hang, and chin ups beginning with my toes touching the floor. Here's a look at my overall progression from the beginning to the end of Phase 1.

Start
Full hang pull ups: 0
Toe touching pull ups: 1/4
Full hang chin ups: 0
Toe touching chin ups: 1

Week 1
Full hang pull ups: 1/4
Toe touching pull ups: 1/2
Full hang chin ups: 1/4
Toe touching chin ups: 1

Week 2
Full hang pull ups: 1/4
Toe touching pull ups: 1/2
Full hang chin ups: 1/2
Toe touching chin ups: 1

Week 3
Full hang pull ups: 1/2
Toe touching pull ups: 1
Full hang chin ups: 1/2
Toe touching chin ups: 3

Week 4
Full hang pull ups: 1/2
Toe touching pull ups: 1
Full hang chin ups: 1/2
Toe touching chin ups: 3


Phase 2 is subtitled "Getting From 1-5 Pull Ups" so I guess Phase 1 did deliver with my 1 pull up. :) Now, moving on to 5 pull ups! In Phase 2, the workouts seem similar to Phase 1, but there have been a couple new exercises and it seems like there are more supersets. I haven't looked too far ahead, but that's how it appears so far. Also, one of things I will be watching more this week is nutrition. Recently, I've had a few more treats than I should have.

Have a great day!


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Weeks 1 And 3 Complete Including The Maiden Voyage

This week I finished Week 1 of the weight loss challenge where I work, and I finished Week 3 of the Pull Up Challenge Workout. I only lost about a pound, but I'm OK with that. :)

On Tuesday morning, I got to the gym a little later then I had hoped, and then realized I had forgotten my tennis shoes at home. Since I couldn't workout in my boots, I went home. I realized I didn't have enough time to drive back to the gym, so I completed the workout at home. Although I did skip the deadlifts. I was running short on time and I couldn't think of a good substitute, so I just skipped it.

Yesterday I finally got my new swimsuit into the pool and completed its Maiden Voyage! The sprint triathlon I am thinking about doing has a 1/2 mile swim, which is about 16.5 laps in the pool. I swam 16 laps in about 20 minutes and I was pretty happy with that considering I haven't swam that far in quite some time.

Today I did another Pull Up Test and improved from last week. From a full hang, I did 1/2 of a pull up, but starting with my toes touching, I got 1 full pull up! For chin ups, I got 1/2 from a full hang, and 3 when I started from my toes (I made sure this week!) I don't think I will make my goal of 5 pull ups from a full hang after the first 4 weeks, but I do feel like I am getting better. Next week I am going to try pull ups from a jumping start. Before I started this program, I could do 2 and I am curious to see if I have improved using that method.

Have a great day!

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Leg Warmers Done And The Challenge Begins

TA-DA! Finished the leg warmers for my daughter. She confided that they turned out better than she expected. Now she wants a matching scarf. :)


Today was Day 1 of the Weight Loss Challenge I joined at work. I've been ignoring the scale and going by how my pants are fitting, so this morning I was up a few pounds higher than I would like to be. My pants are still fitting OK, but I really think my goal is going to be to lose 5 pounds during this 6 week Challenge. This should work well with the Pull Up Challenge Workout I have been using because that will be 5 less pounds I have to pull up!!

This past Sunday was another Pull Up Test. From a full hang, I got 1/4 of a pull up and 1/2 of a chin up. Beginning with my toes touching, I got 1/2 a pull up and 1 full chin up. I feel like I should be able to do more chin ups. I think I complete the 1 and then decide that's it. Next week I am going to make sure I can't do another.

Have a great day!

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Crazy Idea of the Year

Whew! Today I woke up pretty sore. I'm still sore from Sunday's workout! Workout 4 was exhausting and really worked my upper body. Workout 5 this morning wasn't as tiring. :)

So last year I ran a marathon. This year's crazy idea is....[drum roll, please]...sprint distance triathlon!

A friend at work asked me if I would be interested in trying one later this year. After thinking about it for a while, I bought a new swimsuit. Because nothing says getting ready to swim serious laps like a new racerback swimsuit. :) Later this week I plan to take said swimsuit on its maiden voyage and see if I can still stay afloat for any length of time. I haven't swam competitively since high school. I am hoping it's like riding a bike. I'll let you know how it goes!!

In other crazy ideas, I'm going to try and knit my daughter a pair of leg warmers. The most difficult thing I have ever knit is a scarf. If the leg warmers don't work out, I'm knitting her a blanket for her dolls. :)

Have a great day!

Support And Motivation for Weight Loss

Today I finished the first week of Shawna K's Pull Up Challenge Workout. I've been trying to think of a shortened name, but PUC isn't working for me. :)

Workout 2 on Tuesday was similar to Workout 1 in structure - 13 exercises done in straight sets. Workout 3 was a little different; it was straight sets with a few supersets thrown in - 16 exercises total! Which sounds like a lot, but many of them were only 2 sets with short rest periods. I finished in about 35 minutes. No workout on Friday and Saturday, then I start Week 2 on Sunday.

In other local news, I joined a weight loss challenge at work. Not because I need to lose weight, but mostly to support my friends who have joined, and for motivation. And if I happen to lose a few pounds, then it will help the team! :)

And speaking of motivation and support, Friday, January 13 is the last day to join the 13th TT Transformation Contest! If your lucky number is 13, then this is your lucky day! :)


Social support is one of the keys to successful weight loss. So tomorrow morning, get up, put on some workout wear or a bathing suit, grab your local newspaper, and take a picture or two. You don't have to get your support from the TT Forums like I do, you can have a buddy take their Before pictures as well! Read the rules for the contest here: TT Contest Rules

Then, all you have left is to choose which TT workout to use. Complete the first workout, see how it feels. After a couple workouts, you may start thinking, "Hmmm, if I tweaked my diet, I would have better results." And before you know it, the 12 weeks are done and you are taking your After pictures. For inspiration, check out recent winners: TT Contest Winners

Have a great day and Good Luck!

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Beginning the Pull Up Challenge

I thought I was recovering from my cold, and then it took a turn for the worst. I ended up missing 2 workouts last week. I thought about doing 1 of them on Saturday, but just decided to take that last day of rest before I began my new program on Sunday.

So on Sunday I began Shawna K's Pull Up Challenge Workout. The first thing on the list is to measure how many pull ups you can do from a full hang. My score? Zero, none, zilch. When I reach up to the pull up bar, from floor to bar, I am at full extension, so I tried to do a pull up beginning with my toes only touching the floor, but no pushing off. My score? 1/4 of a pull up. :) I repeated this for chin ups (just for my own curiosity) and got a score of zero at a full hang, and a score of 1 full chin up with just my toes starting on the ground. Hmm....I've got a lot of work to do.

The workout was straight sets of DB rows, incline presses, push ups, squats, etc - 11 exercises in all. It's been a while since I have done straight sets so this is a change of pace for me. The workout went pretty fast - it took me about 35 minutes. Today I'm pretty sore in my triceps, lats and chest. Tomorrow is workout 2. There are 3 workouts per week, and from what I can tell after looking ahead a bit, it looks like Phase 1 has 12 unique workouts. It will be kind of cool to do a different workout every time I go to the gym!

Have a great day!

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Goals For 2012

Now that I have had some time to reflect (and to recover from the cold/plague that my children so generously shared with me), I have thought about my goals for 2012. But first, I wanted to recap my 2011 Goals:

2011 Goals

1. Post on blog more often. Hmmm, not so successful on this one.
2. Run a marathon. Check.
3. Be more personable. I think I accomplished this, more so in the latter part of the year.
4. Spend more time with my family. Double check. (Also more so in the latter part of the year.)


Here are my goals for 2012. I came up with a few more this year....


2012 Goals

1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. I recently read Craig Ballantyne's 14-Day Fast Fat Loss Guide where he gives a complete 14-day Fast-Track guide to fat loss using the exact plan he gave to a college buddy who had gained 25 pounds since the birth of his baby. Lots of great advice in that article. This would be a great kick-start for 2012, even for me. I gained a couple pounds over the holidays and would like to quickly lose them (see Goal #2).

2. Maintain my weight. After losing those couple "holiday pounds", I'd like to maintain my weight. At the end of TT Contest #12, I felt like I was at a good weight. I'd like to stay around 145 lbs.

3. Be present and focused in every workout. No more listening to October Project during my workouts. I need more girl-power, butt-kicking music. :)

4. Increase number of pull ups I can do. I am beginning Shawna Kaminski's Pull Up Challenge Workout next week and I would like to increase the number of pull ups I can do in a row to 10. Mini goal: 5 pull ups after 4 weeks of the program. I haven't been able to do that many in a row for a while now. I am looking forward to working toward this goal.

5. Get my chin ups count back to over 10. I used to be able to do that many, then I stopped working on it.

6. Hug my children more often. :)

7. Post on my blog 2-3 times a week. I plan to post my progress with my workouts, and am hoping to start posting recipes again.

8. Keep up with the housecleaning. I am a horrible housewife. ;)


That's about it. Hope everyone is having a great New Year!


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Happity Holidays

Happy Holidays Everyone! :)

Hope your holiday season has been going well. A very big Thank You to everyone who voted for me for the 12th Turbulence Training Contest - I got Second Place! There is a new rule now that once you place, you are ineligible to win again, so no more TT Contest finals for me. But I still may join a contest in the future, just for the accountability and camaraderie.

If you are thinking about getting into shape in the new year, I do recommend a contest to increase accountability and motivation. The 13th TT Contest has recently begun - you can read the rules here: TT Contest Rules

I typically like to start on a Sunday or Monday so that I finish on a weekend. This Sunday (tomorrow!) is January 1st - what a perfect day to start! If you start on January 1, the end of the 12 weeks (Day 84) would then be Saturday, March 24.

If you interested in checking out Turbulence Training without joining the contest, you can do so here: Turbulence Training Trial

It's amazing to see how different people look in their Before and After pictures. For a little inspiration, here are some of the past winners: TT Contest Winners

Don't forget you can win up to $1000! But the real prize is the Platinum TT Membership.

It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was debating about joining the 1st TT Contest, but it was 4 whole years ago! That has turned out to be one great decision. I have remained a member of the TT forums and have access to tons of different TT workouts. In addition, the Forums provide answers to questions and a place to "meet" with other like-minded TT lovers. And with a new workout coming out every month, it's like the gift that keeps on giving. :)

This year has been up and down for me (or should I say down and then up?) and I am looking forward to hippity hopping into the new year.

Happy New Year and here's to a Happy New You! :)


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TT Voting And New Pull Up Goals

Hello! Seems like so many things have been going on that I don't know where to begin! I'll start with an update on the current TT Contest (#12). Finalists have been announced for the 12-week contest and you can vote here: TT Contest #12 Voting

Thank you to everyone who voted for me during the 6 week mini-contest. It was super exciting to win First Place! The next TT Contest will start December 26. You can read all the rules here: TT Contest Rules

Currently I am using the TT Metabolic Resistance Training Finishers workout. I like the first 2 workouts, but am a bit ambivalent about the 3rd. It's a good workout, but the exercises are by time instead of reps. I typically don't like doing workouts by time. I'm usually not standing near a clock with a second hand, and looking at my watch mid-exercise is annoying. So I counted the number of reps I did in the allotted time, and will just count reps in future workouts.

In a few weeks, after I finish that workout, I am going to start a new Pull Up Challenge Workout that I just bought. I was drawn to it 1) because it is a female trainer 2) with a program to improve pull ups. Her name is Shawna Kaminski and she can do more than 25 pull ups and 100 pushups straight. I am pretty impressed by that! So I am excited to start this workout in early January. Currently, I can do a couple pull ups in a row with a jumping start, but I would love to be able to do a lot more from a full hang. New Goal = 5 perfect pull ups after the first 4 weeks.

I typically don't buy other programs because historically, they haven't worked as well for me. TT always seems to work the best so I am hesitant to start something new. But, I feel like I am in a good place physically and mentally. I don't plan on entering TT Contest #13 because I don't think I have big changes to make. So this seems like a good time to embark on a new 4-week Pull Up Adventure. If it goes well, I'll move on to Phase 2 of the Challenge Workout; if not, I'll be back with a good TT Workout. I'll keep you updated!

Now go vote!! TT Contest #12 Voting

:)

Have a great day and Happy Holidays!!


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