Full range of motion

I don't know what was going on in the gym but all the women working out seemed to have either watched the same workout video or have the same trainer.  "Full range of motion," is what I have to say about their workouts.  Each person was picking up a very heavy weight and tossing it around willy nilly; getting nothing from the workout but joint stress, maybe pain and damage.  Holding their arm at a point of maximum joint strain and moving in and out of that point by a inch or two.  

Breaking muscle - full range of motion article

I see people in the gym doing "pseudo" workouts all the time.  They pick up a big weight and swing it around in the inch range of motion spot.  They think they are strong and getting strong; but ask them to use the same weight in a full range of motion movement and it's not happening.  Full range of motion movements uses all the muscles needed for that particular movement.  If you cannot do full range because the weight is too heavy, lighten up.  

There are times when partial reps are needed; those times when you are trying to up your weight but just cannot do a full rep yet.  Those are typically saved for the end of your set when you squeak them in; at least that is when I do them.  I don't try to up my weight before doing lighter reps.  

A bicep curl with FRM rep would start with your arm hanging down beside you and end with your fist up near your chin somewhere.  Many people are pushing for more and more weight without using form.  Form and full range of motion will make you strong the right way.  Using too heavy of weights and staying in the point of least resistance zone; swinging the weight around in there will lead you to joint damage.  

Too heavy is damaging,
Too light does nothing, 
Build your strength, it takes time.  

I'm back

Some of my new workout clothes I got for Christmas. 

Hello, it's been a while.  I hope that you all had a wonderful and healthy Christmas with a bit of indulgence.  I was pretty good with a little extra goodies here and there but nothing to pack on the pounds. We had a nice big turkey for Christmas dinner which is a huge help as far as snacking goes.  Turkey is a great protein which helps you to stay away from the other stuff that you shouldn't be eating.  

I had four days away from the gym and working out completely. You see I've been suffering with a very bad back for about two weeks.  I did several different things that ended up with me having thrown my back out.  I tried working around it for a while but finally gave in and took the days I needed off.  But I am happy to say that I was back at it yesterday and today and am feeling MUCH better.  

Taking time off can be very hard to do when you see progress.  The idea of letting any of that progress slip away can be tough mentally; but the sooner you take time off the quicker your body can mend itself.  As hard as it is, you must take the time off for your bodies sake.  Four days wasn't so bad and my back is thanking me for it.  The most difficult thing over the last two weeks has been standing, cooking and baking.  Standing in one spot can be the most taxing thing that you can do for your back and I did a lot of it leading up to the season.
  
Having a thrown back is not okay with me; I hate being down for anything.  When yesterday rolled around I was determined to hit the gym; but my workout was very careful.  I monitored my body from head to toe for the entire workout; paying close attention to anything that sent a twinge to my back.  I kept it slow and steady and did nothing stupid; I have a tendency to try stupid things now and again.  :)  Yesterday was upper body and today was lower.  I did a bit of hanging but only a few bent leg raises to test the waters.  So far so good and I feel great.

We had a wonderful Christmas at our house.  It was very "fitness" oriented which I love.  My whole family is into eating well and working out which is really nice.  We talk about food, diet, new workouts and staying fit much of the time.  It truly is a family affair. 

Just one more big "celebration" holiday and we will be into the New Year.  It's gonna be a great one.  

Hanging out

Reebok Nano 3.0  LOVE!!

I had an amazing workout today.  It was upper body day and I switched it up big time.  I started with light standing, straight arm lat pull downs for a warm up before hitting any weights.  Next was the assisted pull up machine, onto curls, bench press and triceps.  After being done just about everything I looked at the pull up bar; it is high, not meant for me at 5' 1".  I wanted to do hanging leg raises; it is a crazy great workout.  I pondered the height of the bar and looked around the gym, "maybe I'd missed another bar somewhere" I thought.  Nope.  Only one and very high.  

I spotted the stools that people use to jump up and down on.  Then noticed that there is a small sized one; just right and all I needed to make my bar workout work.  I ran and got it and readied for the work.  I wondered how good my neoprene gloves would do for grip.  I soon found out that they are no good for grip; especially at the end of my workout when they are wet.  I took them off, dried my hands and tried without gloves.  It's tough, a bare handed grip is going to take some getting use to.  I have very small hands, they sort of go with my short body.  ;)  

I did manage to get two sets of ten bent leg lifts done before losing grip.  Then I squeezed out three single straight leg lifts.  There is no texture grip on the bar so you really have to grip.  Of course every time I am hanging from a bar I realize that I need to work on dropping weight.  Any weight I lose will make it that much easier to hang on or pull myself up on the bar.  Lots of steps on the journey, strength, weight loss, learning new things about working out etc. etc. 

Hanging type exercises are hard.  Pull up type exercises are hard.  Give simply hanging a try before adding bent leg or body lifts.  It's really hard and you must focus on form; you do not want to throw out your back.   

As a side note; I also had a chance to try out my new lifting shoes today.  I LOVE THEM.  The bottom is nice and flat for lifting and they are super comfortable.  Of course they're really cute to boot.  :)  

Bars

I love when my family gets together and we get into fitness, either in the form of discussion or action.  Everyone in my family is into fitness and clean eating which makes for great conversation and fun.  This past Thanksgiving we hit a close-by school yard for a workout.  My son who is a huge crossfit fan did the coaching as it was his day off from working out.  Days off are very important when you work out hard.  So on his day off he shared some of his workout knowledge with his sisters, brother in law and me.  

My daughter who is also a huge crossfit fan; with her dog watching her do burpees. 

 I hung onto my daughter's Bull Terrier and took pics while they worked on their WOD (workout of the day).  It was really hot this morning and as I was also on my day off I skipped the WOD but did join in for some hanging workout. 
  

I loved this workout.

The first thing I did on the bar was to just hang.  I could literally feel and hear my spine stretching.  If you have back problems, this is wonderful.  Next it was bent leg lifts and onto straight leg lifts which are MUCH harder.  It is amazing what a great workout you can get just with a few bars.  Had it not been so hot I would have done much more.  So many muscle groups are hit by doing these exercises and the following day I had sore muscles that have not been sore in a very long time.  

As I've said before, form is so very important and my son really helped me with this hanging exercise by simply telling me to engage my lats (latissimus dorsi).  This made all the difference when doing the leg lifts; putting the work onto my lats and off of my joints.  

Now I just need one of these bars in my back yard.  

How much to lift?

How much should you lift?  Good question.  To gain muscle you must work your muscle.  That means if something is really easy and you could literally do hundreds of repetitions, then it's not heavy enough.  Do you want to get stronger?  If so that means building muscle.  I for one love being strong and I love to push and challenge myself.  But, I know that there is a limit to everything so I'm not going to lift crazy amounts of weights. 

Be daring, you can lift much more than you think you can.  But form is so very important in lifting.  You can hurt yourself by lifting heavy and not using good form.  You can also go to the gym and spend hours there doing nothing if you don't lift correctly.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Good form, full range and weight do wonders.  As far as how much weight, that is tough to answer because everyone is different.  Start light, you can always add more weight the next trip to the gym.  Something may feel light to begin with but two days after the gym you may be dying. 

The whole idea around lifting is to get stronger, every day tasks are so much easier when you are strong.  Building muscle is working those muscles; but you build your muscles before you get heavier.  This helps to protect your joints; no muscle and you will get joint damage by lifting heavy.  You must build the muscles around your joints; build them slowly and properly.  Having muscle allows you to do things that others may not, especially as we age.  When I do go heavy, the number of repetitions is way down.  Maybe even one rep is all that I can get out but it is all stepping stones to getting stronger.  Next time I might get two or three out.

Lifting weights will build muscle but, you must eat nutrient rich food as well.  You can spend hours upon hours at the gym lifting and exercising but if you are not fueling your body with the food it needs to build muscle then you are wasting your time.  Plus you are taxing your body and actually doing more bad than good. 

I cannot say enough about building muscle and how it feels when you move.  Just every day life movements are made so much easier when you've got muscle; and I don't mean big giant muscle, just strong muscles.  Day to day movements, going up stairs, hoping out of the back of your truck, climbing a ladder or lifting the end of the sofa can seem literally impossible until you gain muscle, then it's easy peasy.  Go lift.

Dead lifts

Livestrong Youtube

Dead lifts are good.  They are good for strengthening many things; your back, hamstrings, butt and more.  It is one of the things that you can do to help a bad back.  Of course if your back is really bad you will want to visit your Dr. before even considering doing light dead lifts.  Many consider dead lifts as those things that the monster lifters do.  They scream and yell and look like they are about to explode while doing them.  Yes, they do dead lifts but they do crazy weight dead lifts.  You can start doing dead lifts with light weight dumbells and move up if you want, or not. 

I do not do heavy dead lifts; my lower back gives me issues every now and again so I am working my way up.  I doubt that I'll ever get the "heavy" ones because even the light ones give you amazing results. 

Huff Post article on Dead Lifts

Dead lifts are a very natural movement for humans.  Bending over to pick something up is what we use to do all the time.  Now of course there isn't a whole lot of need for this and we spend way too much time sitting down.  Back problems is a big issue because of this lack of bending and strengthening the back.  Right now I am using 35lb dumbells for my dead lifts.  I like dumbells because I can move them around the gym more easily than a barbell.  But I sometime use a barbell if the gym is not too crowded.  You can start out with 5 lb dumbells so that you strengthen and don't hurt your back.  Believe me when I say, your butt will thank you for doing dead lifts. 

I do the straight leg (slighty bent) lifts:

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart or together, I do both.

Grab your dumbells and hold them in front of your legs, straight down.

Bend your legs ever so slightly.

With your back very straight, bend over so the weights just hit the ground but do not rest there.

Start slow, maybe 2 sets of 6 reps. 

Work up to at least 3 sets of 10 reps before moving your weight up. 

This is an amazing way to strengthen your back so that you aren't one of those people with a bad back.  Plus it helps to build those rear end muscles that may have gotten flabby or flat.  Again, you can do this at home with anything.  Kettle bells are great for this.  If you want a badunk, dead lift.

Old fashion push ups and dips

Reaching for my coffee cup this morning I felt it; wow, my lats are sore.  Never under estimate the power of a push up. 

I wasn't in the gym mood yesterday; so I stayed at home and did a small workout.  I wanted to work my upper body.  My first thought was push ups and tricep dips.  First lets talk about push ups.  Yikes, they are much harder than I remembered.  I started with easy girlie (knees on the ground) type push ups to warm up my muscles.  There is a great deal of stress put on your shoulders when you do full on guy style push up so I didn't want to pull anything.  I did 3 sets of 12 (girlie) reps to warm up my arms, chest, back and shoulders.  Then it was on to real push ups; the ones that girls avoid because they are so difficult.

I impressed myself with 3 sets of 10 but it wasn't easy.  Form is important if you are going to benefit from a push up; no droopy middles or laying down in between.  You have to keep rigid; going all the way down and up for a count of one.

WebMd article on push ups

I have decided to put push ups into my regular work outs although they will be saved for doing at home.  I don't want my face that close to the floor at any gym, no matter how clean it is.  After my push ups it was onto tricep dips.  This is an exercise that I do regularly and is great for that trouble (wobbly) spot on us women.

30 day fitness challenge video for tricep dips

This is a good video on how to.

I use the sofa for perfect height at home.  I lift the cushions off of the seat and tada, perfect.  It is higher than a typical stair and perfect for me.  As you get better and better at them you can look for something higher which adds difficultly and builds more strength.

My triceps are feeling fine because that is something I work on very hard.  I do many different movements for my triceps but adding more is never a bad idea.  Dips it is when I'm at home. 

Work those legs... at home

Yep, you can get in a a great leg workout at home.  If you have a set of stairs, you're halfway there.  Start your workout with a little warm-up.  Run up and down your stairs a couple of times.  I only have a half flight so that makes more trips up and down for me.  Now that you've got your blood pumping to your legs; it's time to really work them.  To start out I want you to do one step at a time.  Step up with your right foot and use only that leg to pull you up to the next step and put your left foot down onto the next step.  Now do it all the way up, slowly. 

After a couple of flights of one step; move onto to two steps at a time.  It is amazing how different going up the stairs so slowly and methodically feels.  Feel the burn. Going down, do the same.  Slowly, one step at a time; feel your muscle work to get you down the stairs.  I like to rotate from running down the stairs and taking it one step at a time, slowly.  No need for a StairMaster machine; you can be Master of the Stairs in your own home.  

When you start out, make sure to hang on to the rail so that you have stability.  I don't want anyone falling down the stairs so be careful please.  You want to work up to not hanging on to the rail so you can work out all those muscles that help you keep your balance.  There is a big difference from hanging on and not.  Not is the goal.  Once you've got two steps at a time with no hands; you can move onto some weights.  Of course you want to start very light and build.  You will soon be the Master of the Stairs.  

Next you can move onto an step exercise that sounds easy but is tougher than you'd think.  Bunny hops up, one step at a time with both feet at the same time.  Hang on to the railing doing this at first.  Again, no hands is the goal.  I like to do these between regular workouts or on my day off.  Don't feel like going to the gym?  You don't have to.  

Working out with your dog

Elsa is sure that it is playtime.

I have two blogs; my Lifting for Life and my Just dogs with Sherri one.  Today I covered both topics in one blog.   This morning I decided to skip the gym and workout at home; which meant getting my dogs or dog involved.  Elsa thinks the whole idea of working out is great fun.  Luke on the other hand is more of a spectator; although he occasionally gets off the couch to see what I am doing on the floor.  My girl Tilley who is now gone, use to lay across my chest if I got on the floor to do leg raises.

Trying to force a toss.

When it doesn't work, she tries playing with my gloved hand.

I started my workout with leg raises and moved onto squats and lunges with a 25lb. dumbell.  I wear my gloves when I do any sort of lifting and Elsa thinks that my gloves are pretty great.  She loves to nibble on them and considers it free for all wrestling match time when I don my gloves.  

As soon as I get onto the floor she runs for her ball.  While I am stationary on the floor, she thinks that it is a great time for ball games.  Heck, my hand is right there for the plunking and it has a glove on for extra games.  When I do not respond to her ball placements; that is when the gnawing of my hand begins.  She is sure that my working out is some sort of game and she wants to be involved.

Trying to drop the ball on my face.  I'll sure throw it if she drops it there right?  

Dropped beside me as I do my planks.

Heading up the stairs where Elsa awaits. 

Waiting to attack me. 

Then it was onto the stairs.  I lunge up two steps at a time; again this is pretty great fun as far as Elsa is concerned.  She waits at the top to attack me each time; then runs back down the stairs with me and we do it all over again.  She is great motivation and keeps me laughing through my workout.  She stays with me the whole time I run up and down the stairs, great work out for her too.

Luke watching the shenanigans of Elsa. 

After my "at home" workout, Elsa and I hit the park for a power run and walk.  If you don't want to go to a gym, you don't have to.  With a few pieces of inexpensive equipment, you can work out at home.  The bonus is that you can workout alongside your dog.  

Just dogs with Sherri blog

Lifting-for-Life blog

More about home workouts in the next blog. 

Lift to beat diabetes

Power walking with my fourteen year old guy.  

"I'm borderline diabetic," she said after an annual visit to the Doctor.  Yep, know how many times I've heard this?  A lot.  I was also borderline diabetic; seems to be common as you age and don't move as much.  So what can you do about it?  Are you doomed to become diabetic?  Not if you get on it now.   Strength training, eating clean and moving; all of these help you be a better you.  Of course you need to start with short, light workouts first.  Once you start to build strength, the sky is the limit.  You will not only feel better; you will be better.  

Strength training can help:

• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Improve glucose tolerance
• Help you lose weight
• Lower your risk for heart disease

(Taken from Webmd article)

Schwarzenegger.com article on diabetes and lifting

Nutrientology article on food and exercise with regard to pre-diabetes

Weight training is special for a few reasons in diabetes. For one, it appears to more effective than aerobic exercise in increasing your basal metabolic rate (BMR) [1]. (Taken from a great article on Diabetes and resistance training) 

Can you turn back time?  Article from Webmd 

Lots to read but worth the read if you or someone you love is pre-diabetic.  Lifting does much  more than help make you feel good and look good, it makes you good.  Lift.  

I can't

 

Just move.

I've talked to several people about lifting and they immediately tell me that "they can't."  "No I can't, I have a bad back; and if I'm on my feet too long my knee gives out."  Quite the predicament eh?  What you have before you is a vicious cycle.  You can't work out because you don't work out.  You have a hard time moving about because you have a lack of muscle.  Lack of muscle makes it very difficult to move comfortably; it also puts a huge strain on your joints.  When there is strain on your joints with no muscle, bad things happen to your body. 

I remember a conversation when I ever so gently tried to introduce just the idea of a bit of movement to a non moving person.  "What if, you just..."  I started to ask and was quickly stopped "I can't."  I tried again "maybe if you only..." I gently continued.  No, "I can't."  So I stopped, it was getting no where.  I so badly wanted to help but when someone does not want help, you cannot help. 

Muscle atrophy is when muscles waste away. The main reason for muscle wasting is a lack of physical activity.

When you don't move, you lose muscle; which makes it difficult to move.  Many people in this predicament fail to look at the big picture; where it all started.  The lack of movement starts it; then you might have weight gain which makes it even harder to move.  The cycle begins and picks up momentum the longer you are sedentary.  So ya gotta move.  Of course that first step is tough; and it should be a very small and slow one;  but you should take it.  You can get yourself out of the vicious cycle by simply stepping out.  Picture a circle, picture you going round and round, but not moving; until one day you stick a foot out of the circle and end it then and there. 

The less you move, the harder it is to move; and it gets harder the older we get.  As we age the more muscle we lose; so we must keep moving and moving well to simply retain our muscle.  If you want to be strong you must lift, pull, hoist and push to promote growth.  Moving will make you strong; which will make it easier to move.  I hate that our society has a pill for everything.  If you have a lack of muscle and hurt when you move, there's a pill for that.  How about a steroid injection?  That'll fix everything, right?  Wrong.  If you continue to not move; you will continue to have problems.  The only thing that will help you to feel better when you move, is moving.  You can continue to take the pills and shots but it is only masking the problem, no muscle. 

What is the obstacle?

Love'n it. 

What is the obstacle?  The road block?  The hurdle?  What is the reason you have not started to lift or workout yet?  I'd really like to know, because I often wonder what my own was.  I know that I did not like the gym that we were members of for a very long time.  Then there was the rut thing; I got stuck in a rut and found it difficult to get out.  Once we joined a different gym and I took that first step back into the gym and lifting; it took no time to climb out of my rut and back into the weight room.  I love lifting, I always have.  But I was stuck in a non lifting, non workout phase for a long time.  

There can be many different obstacles that keep you from exercising, lifting and eating properly.  Figuring it all out may or may not be a possibility.  So, you just need to forget why and do.  Take that first step and get to it.  The beginning can be tough; it can be all too easy to come up with excuses as to why you cannot workout or go to the gym.  My method of just getting it done was to get dressed for the gym.  Like a robot I would get my gym clothes out and put them on.  Already dressed, I was going.  

Once I got back to it, it felt great.  The next step in the progression was results; once I got some of those, I felt even greater.  The stronger I got the more I enjoyed going to the gym.  Then I started to drop some weight which is a huge motivation to do more.  Much like a snowball effect; taking that first step can be like the first snowflake.  

Making a change is a step by step process; and I truly believe that it must be a way of life change.  That means no pills, no frozen diet dinners; changing how you move and eat for your life, the rest of your life.  The changes that never seem to work on the instant and/or easy changes.  Take that first baby step to your success for life.  See you in the gym.  

Working out away

After workout tree hugging.  

I love working out in new gyms; but even better is working out, but not in a gym.  This past weekend I was in OR with my hubby.  We hit the 24 hour Fitness which is a huge version of what I am use to on Saturday. 

                  This was the second apparatus I climbed, the first was larger and more like a spider web.

 On Sunday we opted to skip the gym and go for a walk. We came across a rope climb apparatus there, so of course I had to climb it.  After just a few minutes I realized what a great workout you could have on the ropes. Not only was it a great workout but it was very different from what I typical do in the gym and fun.  

So, I'm go to scout out the local parks in my area and see if I can find some ropes to play on.  Just as a side note, I will be bringing my workout gloves next time.  Ropes are hard on the hands. 

Just because you are away does not mean that you need to miss out on your workouts.  Even if you can't find a great gym; there is always something around to play around on and get a workout in.  

The journey to healthy living

           This pathway leads to a vineyard.  ;)  Have a great day.

The road to healthy living can be a long and winding one.  My own journey has had many ups and downs to get to where I am now.  Life has a way of putting obstacles in our path; challenges that we must overcome or deal with before reaching our own personal goal.  This is what life is all about; goals, day to day challenges and the constant quest for happiness.   Being happy is very important but happiness does not only come at the accomplishment of monumental goals.  Happiness should be in the here and now.  Easy to say, right?  Everyone struggles with what makes them happy; but it really comes down to the little things.  Feeling good should make you happy. 

Do you feel good?  Setting out on the road to live a healthy life is just the beginning.  There will be naysayers along the way; people who think that your dedication to yourself is foolish.  Many people who have not yet stepped onto the healthy living path may be the ones who are negative about your journey.  Just smile and keep on your path; your goal is your own, no one else's.  Each and every person has a life path in front of them; which road they take is entirely a personal choice.   As we make our way down the pathway of life there will be twists and turns; obstacles that stand in our way and challenge us.  Easy and difficult decisions will need to be made as you forge ahead.  Give up or continue?

Your journey is all about you.  Taking care of you is important.  Without taking care of you; you cannot take care of others.  Eating well and exercising allows you to do things that you want to do.  You do not want to be that person who can't.  If you can't then you are missing out on your personal journey.  It is like a giant boulder has been set in your pathway that needs to be either blasted or pushed off to clear your way.  Sometimes that first step onto a different path may seem like a huge one.  The concept can be monumental but the step is just one small step in the right direction. 

Yesterday I was given a question as to what is more important; eating healthy or working out?  I believe that it is healthy eating.  If we do not fuel our body properly; then we cannot expect our body to perform for us.  The culmination of the two is when we truly set out to live a healthy lifestyle.   Throughout our journey there will be many distractions, intermissions and changes.  What path you follow is all up to you; are you on the pathway to healthy living?   

The work in WORK OUT

My exertion face.  

Work - exertion or effort to produce or accomplish something.  

Out - to a state of exhaustion, extinction or depletion.

Okay, lets talk about the 'work' in work out.  Working out does not mean to simply go to the gym; lots of people go to the gym and don't work out.  Others go to the gym and actually go through the motions but don't realistically 'work' in so far as the definition of work goes.  They are moving, they even look like they think that they are working out but there is no actual 'work' going on.  Sadly, this is just a waste of time.  Okay, they are moving which is better than not moving; but they could actually be getting results which they are not going to get with no exertion. 

Result based work outs require exertion.  This means that you must push your body to do things that do not come easily.  If you can easily bend from side to side then it is doing nothing as far as getting you into shape.  Maybe if you do it all day long it might; but if you want to see and/or feel results you must exert yourself.  That does not mean that you need to lift crazy amounts of weights or do outrageous numbers of repetitions.  It means that you need to push your body passed it's mushy comfy zone.  

If you want to become stronger; then you must lift something that requires exertion.  Not a bucket load of exertion to start out; just enough so that you have a bit of a challenge.  The stronger you get the harder you can push, exert.  Building strength should be done in baby steps; otherwise you can end up hurting yourself which defeats the purpose of working out entirely.  

I really hate to see people wasting their time at the gym; when all it would take is a little bit of work for them to feel and see some results.  With just a little push in the work department you will feel stronger.  Feeling strong is an amazing thing.  Things that use to be heavy are no longer; things you couldn't do before, now you can.  Just push a little; there must be some 'work' in your work out.  Otherwise you're just wasting your time; don't waste your time, get strong.  

Crossfit women

National post photo and article.

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet: Fittest Woman on Earth and Winner of CrossFit Games 2014

article on Women Fitness

I watched the summary of the 2014 Reebok Crossfit games last night.  Wow, those women are impressive.  The first thing I noticed when I turned the show on was that there were no skinny girls in the mix.  Not one looked like a man and when the camera captured them before, after or in between competing; they all looked extremely fit, nothing like when they were in the heat of the challenge.  During the competition they were rippling muscle.  The women who one the whole thing is pictured above, pretty gorgeous right?  And she lifts weights and much more.

These girls are strong, dedicated, driven and focused.  This sport is a far cry from the glamour 'Miss' pageants that we see on television.  Getting to the level of the Crossfit games takes dedication beyond what most of us are willing to put out.  I sat on the couch considering what it would take to get there as they contestants were challenged with double Grace, 60 clean and jerks with 95 lbs.   The determination was incredible as they lifted through exhaustion to complete the challenge. 

The winner of the games was Camille Leblanc-Bazinet of Quebec, Canada.  An article linked below the image is all about her path to winning.  Watching these games gives new meaning to "go get it." 
Of course this competition takes it to the next level but it is most definitely inspirational.  It is surely better than the 'stop eating' and look pretty image that many things put on women.   

All in the family - part #2 MY MOM

My Mom and Dad April 2014

Photo taken by Bonnie Forman

The head of the family, my Mom;  (Dad, you know that Mom is the true boss) strong in every way and an inspiration, my inspiration.  She is a very hands on, can do anything type of Mom; and as such I am the same way.  We are not the type of girls who stand aside while the men do the lifting.  Nope, we are right there in the middle of it all.  I am very like my Mother and proud of it .  We are both very competitive which makes great motivation for lifting.  Just tell us that we can't do something; then stand back.  Staying strong, healthy and vibrant takes work; but it is worth every trip to the gym, hike through the woods or kayak across the lake.  I am 52 years old; my Mom is amazing.  

I just found out a couple of weeks ago that my Mom use to do pull ups in the basement when I was a teenager.  My twin brother had a whole weight set up including  a pull up bar.  The topic came up as I explained how I am working on a pull up.  Very cool.  

My amazing Mom.  

I am Sherri's Mom - Barbara Malmberg

What does weight training mean to me?  INDEPENDENCE!!  By being strong and flexible, I am able to do the things I enjoy, and take care of my home and garden.  I have always exercised - aerobics, yoga, free weights.  About 15 years ago I added strength training.  I enjoy the challenge of the weights.  For me, it isn't about building huge muscles, but it is about staying strong and healthy for as long as I can.  Also having strong muscles helps to protect my joints. Three or four work-outs a week work wonders.

Oh yes, indulge.

Indulge time, and worth every calorie.  Butter cake at South of Nick's.

Oh yes, indulge; then get back to clean eating and hit the gym.  I am a big believer of indulging.  Of course, indulging in moderation.  So yesterday we were out for a bite; we had a margarita an appetizer and then split this heavenly cake.  I have to admit that I rarely order dessert; as a longtime baker myself, I'm really picky.  If I am going to splurge; it had better be worth the calories, which most restaurant desserts are not.  This butter cake was most definitely worth every single calorie.

I have tried very hard not to succumb to the whole "omg I ate cake" guilt trip; that we can give ourselves.  I really think that if you allow yourself something yummy and splurge worthy then just eat it; enjoy it, and move on.  Don't get wrapped up in the "I'm not eating anything for two days," after a splurge.  Life is all about enjoyment; and if part of that enjoyment means eating a delectable piece of cake; well then that is part of it all. right?  

Deprive yourself of an occasional piece of cake, cookies, piece of chocolate or spoonful of Nutella and you are going to find it harder to stay on track.  I find it easier to stay on track; eating clean and hitting the gym when I do allow myself a goodie or two.  I do not like eating empty calories so if I'm going to eat something that is carb or sugar filled it has to be really, really good.  Why bother eating it if it isn't fuel for your body or........ pleasure inducing? 

Of course you cannot eat these things all the time; it simply isn't good for you.  Your body needs nutrient dense foods to perform at it's best and for you to feel your best.  Plus, when you do indulge in a sweet and/or carb filled goodie; it is all the better when eaten in moderation.  It is most definitely more of a treat when rationed.  So go ahead, eat your cake and enjoy it.  Life is too short to never eat that piece of cake. 

I'm in a good place; a way of life.

I'm in a good workout place; the zone where not working out isn't a great thing.  Working out is just part of life; we must come to terms with it because it is not a do it now and forget about it later thing.  I like a break now and again, we all need it; but I find that I have to tell myself "not today," my body needs a rest.  Resting is as important as working out.  I have reached the "way of life," point and I love it.  I have not been here in a very long time; the last "way of life" as far as working out goes for me, was back in my late teens, early 20s.  If feels great to be back.  

When you first start back at working out it can feel like the biggest challenge set before you.  Getting up off the couch, out of bed or away from the table to work out is a mind game in the beginning.  You feel like you are being punished somehow; why me, why do I have to work out?  It's too hard, I don't want to do it.  Working out is a gift; oh sure I know what you;re thinking, "some gift."  Just think about it, you get to grab the reins and control your body destiny.  Getting in shape is most definitely work; but the results are a healthier you.

Once you start to feel the benefits of working out; things start to change in your head.  What use to be a "poor me" moment turns into the "go me," stage.  I have a zone that I enter into when I step into the gym.  I try to ignore my surroundings to the best of my ability and do my stuff, work on me.   Your time at the gym is your 'you time.'  It is all about you and no one else.  Whether you choose to get there is entirely up to you.  What you choose to do once you are there is all up to you.  It is all about you.  

Feel good about working out.  You are taking care of the only body that you will ever have.  It is yours to do with what you will.  You can leave it there sitting on the sofa or you can get it up and make it strong.  Your body, your choice.   

Need some help?

I'd just finished up my leg press work and had taken one of the six 45lb plates off.  It is not something I enjoy but it must be done; not everyone uses the same weight so I need to take them off, etiquette.  One off and five to go and a tall guy approaches, saying something to me.  I can't hear him because I'm in my zone; my music is blasting away so I pull a plug out of my ear to hear what he has to say.  "Need some help?"  I was sort of dumbfounded for a moment and paused; but it didn't take me long to blurt out "NO."  "Oh, I was just going to help you," he says; placing the plate back on the machine and walks away.  Really?  I was a little taken back; what had just happened?  Was this a guy just trying to be polite and chivalrous?   Or was it a macho moment of "stand back little lady, I'll lift that?"  I wasn't sure.

I pondered the interaction on the way home.  Was I just being silly by feeling like he had insulted me?  Should I have felt appreciative for his offer of assistance?  Hmmmmm?  Much to think about.  I had about fifteen minutes before I got home; and that was all the time that I was giving this.  I mulled it around; looked at it from many different directions and came to a conclusion.  It was most definitely not the thing to do.  Anywhere else and it would have been fine; but in the gym where we are all lifting?   No.  I didn't want help; I'm was there lifting weights, you moron.  Did I look like a little frail thing trying to get a weight off the machine that was far out of my range of ability?  Doubtful.  Can you imagine walking up to a guy who is setting up his weights and asking him "need help?"  Pretty big insult.  I had just finished lifting six; I didn't need help lifting one off at a time.
  Okay, let's just say I was at Home Depot struggling to get a large pumpkin into my cart; then it would be appropriate to ask if I'd like some help.  I would have thanked the gentleman for assisting me.  But in the gym lifting, is not the time when a woman wants assistance; unless of course they ask for it.  I have actually asked a guy to get a pully down for me that was waaay out of my reach.  At only 5' 1" there is a lot out of my reach and I am accustom to asking for help then. 

Today at the gym was weird and I still think that it was really weird.  Imagine if I had taken him up on his offer; just standing there watching him lift all the weights off.  I could have painted my nails while I waited.  JK.  It is just very strange to have someone ask if you want them to assist you with lifting weights; when you are in the weight room...lifting weights.  Right? 

If I am going to drop a weight on my head; then yes, please assist me or anyone else in danger.  But as far as asking if a woman needs help lifting when she is in the gym lifting?  Not so much.  Save the chivalry for when I want the machine you are hogging while chatting with your friend.  ;)

Waiting,.........for your machine

Today was upper body day for me; which means when I get to the gym I have a great deal of light weight work to do before I head to the heavy stuff.  I don't stretch until I've lifted some light weights and warmed up my muscles either so I typically head over to the cables.  I can cover just about everything on them; a rubber band would also work for a light lifting warm up.  As I rounded the corner I spotted a guy who was going in the same direction; I hadn't seen him earlier or I would have picked up my pace.  He got to the machine a fraction of a second before me, so he got it.  My rule is whoever gets there first wins.  I have beaten guys before to a machine when they declared "I was going to use that."  Really?  Me too and I'm am right here using it now.  I just shrug and say "sorry," obviously without really meaning sorry.  Ya snooze ya lose dude.  :)

So I lost this morning and altered my destination; making a right turn and heading over to the lat pull down bar.  I can get quite a bit done on that as well before I start my real workout.  I then hit the rope tricep cable and warmed them up.   (Triceps, the muscle all ladies should be working on)  Once I'd done my light lifting I wanted to use the cable machine but 'he' was still on it.  I waited on the pull up machine doing several reps until I got to the my heavy stuff.  I pulled myself up for one last grunting rep just as he picked up his stuff and vacated MY MACHINE, just kidding, actually not really.  ;)

On the cable machine I can warm up all of my muscles by giving them a quick light lift.  If I want to do that with separate weights it takes a while and although I am dedicated to my workouts; I don't like to waste time, I'm in and out as fast as I can accomplish what I want to.  Chest, biceps, triceps, lats, upper back, shoulders and traps; all warmed up and ready to roll.  Having injured myself before by pushing too heavy, too soon; I've learned my lesson and am very careful now when lifting and stretching.  DO NOT STRETCH BEFORE WARMING UP.

All done on the cables; I was ready to hit the heavy stuff and headed over in that direction just as a guy a head of me grabs my weights.  I scan up and down the weight rack and realize that he has the last 25lb.  So, I have to wait again; but I don't wait and waste time; I go one dumbell down and get in a good workout before I can have my weight.  This of course will mean that I cannot pump out the same number of sets or reps with the heavier weight but that is perfectly fine.  More reps with a lighter weight is a good change once in a while.

Finally I head to the seated cable rowing machine to work out my upper back.  A nice gentleman and I arrive at the same time; he says something to me and motions toward the machine.  Being that my music is blasting in my ears; drowning out the mundane sounds of gym chatter, I pull one earbud out.  He says again "do you want to use this machine?" Nice.  I thank him, set my weight and motor through my exercises.  There are considerate and polite people in the gym; there are also people who think that they own the equipment.  I wish everyone understood the etiquette in the gym; but unfortunately that is not the case.  What I have found is that the more serious folks are the ones who share nicely; the ones who are there to strut their stuff?  Not so much.  

A pain in the neck

                               http://www.preventdisease.com/home/muscleatlas/shtraplat.shtml


I've been up now for almost a half hour; I'm waiting for my headache to go away.  Headaches suck, they make working out very difficult and are sadly all too common for me.  I have been involved in a total of four rear end collisions in my life.  This has left me with a bum neck; it bothers me often and can definitely put a kink (pardon the pun) in my working out.  My first rear end impact was when I was only 16 years old and I guess that got the ball rolling as far as my neck goes.  The next three have been since living in California and I really hope that I don't keep counting.  None of the accidents have been a fault of mine; but I have suffered the repercussions.

The second hit but first one in California was due to a new sixteen year old driver who says he didn't see me in the left turning lane.  As a result he hit me at full speed as I was stopped waiting for a green light to turn.  That sent me into the van in front of me and her into the car in front of her.  It was quite a mess and my neck suffered.  A couple years later I was in the car with my husband and we were stopped at a light.  A woman in an Escalade smashed into us as she "apparently" reached down to stop a water bottle from rolling around her feet.  She never saw us but we sure felt her when she hit.  The last and hopefully final impact was caused by a little dog running around the street.  A woman decided that she should stop in the middle of the street so that other cars would stop and the dog would be safe.  Well, I stopped easily when I saw her but the woman driving the van that hit me did not.  I truly believe that she was texting but it was apparently never looked into.  I heard her coming, her tires locked up and the screeching was something that you never want to hear and see behind you.  I looked into my rear view mirror and braced for impact; hoping with everything in me that she would stop before getting to me, nope. 

So I have a very bad neck which I have to deal with.   There is no other choice but to deal with it.  Sure it makes me very angry that I have to deal with it and as I sit here waiting for me Advil to kick in; I have time to write.  I have headaches, neck pain that goes down into my shoulders and impacts my trapezius dorsi.   I do a great deal of stretching for it and if you happen to see me at the gym you will often see me hanging around trying to stretch the kinks out.  The accumulative effect has caused issues all down my back which really benefit from the heavy stretching. I hang on the pull down bar and use the cables to stretch out my entire back, neck and traps. 

No matter what you are dealing with; and almost everyone is dealing with some sort of health or physical issue, there are ways around it.  It is all about what you want to do; how much you want it and how you go after it.  For me, I'm now ready to hit the gym; headache gone for now so I'll take advantage of the moment.  Have a great day. 

My lifting nephew - All in the family part #1

Part #1 of my All in the family series.  A huge thank you to my amazing nephew for this blog.   

My name is Davis Forman and I am Sherri Regalbuto’s nephew. Home for me is Toronto, Canada, but I am currently working on my master’s degree in neuromuscular physiology out on the East coast. I’m 24 years old and have been thoroughly obsessed with weight lifting/bodybuilding for more than ten years. This addiction started out as just a hobby/something to do in my first year of high school, but has since evolved into a lifestyle. The high school that I went to was actually brand new the year I started, with its official grand opening occurring seven months after classes began. It had the absolute best facilities available, including a state of the art weight room that was used for the ‘Weight Club.’ The Weight Club was an after school program that ran for two hours following the final bell, and was offered to all students for just $50 (I have yet to find a membership anywhere that can beat that price). Any student who joined could workout for two hours after school, Monday to Friday under the supervision and guidance of qualified coaches. Ironically, I had no intention of ever joining. I was a scrawny kid with toothpick limbs and was as shy as shy came; the whole ‘gym’ idea was a little intimidating. But my parents were concerned that I wasn’t committing myself to enough school activities and so ‘gently asserted’ that I join. I can’t thank them enough for pushing me, for it changed my life.

Almost no one in the school participated in the Weight Club in the first year, and while I remained small, my strength quickly surpassed my peers. In my second year, I was breaking school records and it was a trend that would continue until I graduated. Those feats single-handedly changed my identity; that of a tiny book nerd who the jocks could cheat off of to one of the strongest kids in the school. My confidence exploded! I walked taller, spoke up more often and was simply more comfortable in pretty much any situation. But as great as those changes were, and they were great, the most important thing I took away from the Weight Club was a new love. Not a hobby, but a love. I absolutely loved working out. The gym wasn't just how other’s identified me, but it was also how I identified myself. I had discovered a new way of life that I was whole-heartedly committed to, and that devotion has since led me to unexpected, but certainly welcomed, success. It was because of weight lifting that I not only enrolled, but excelled in an undergraduate program in Kinesiology, for I was driven to learn more about the human body and how I could improve it.

To complete an exhaustive list of all the positives that the gym and weight lifting have had upon my life would be an impossible task, but there are several important ones that stand out to me. Of course there are the obvious points, such as the fact that they are virtually the sole reasons for my current career path (hopefully that of a neuromuscular physiology researcher), and essentially limitless health benefits, such as the decreased risk of developing chronic diseases, improvements in body composition, increases in bone density, heightened cognitive functioning and reduced risk of injury. Many benefits are not so clear, but I believe they are no less important than the ones I have listed above. I have come to find that the gym is an effective teacher; simple and at times unforgiving, but effective nonetheless. There are lessons that I have learned in the gym that I may have never learned anywhere else. Self-discipline is the first of these that comes to mind. We all face obstacles in our lives, but there appears to be an increasing trend in society for people to search for the easy way out of their problems instead of persevering. There is no easy way out in the gym. If you want to lift 200lbs, it is up to you and you alone. You cannot buy your way to 200lbs or get your friends to do it for you. Excuses will get you nowhere and praying for strength will not get you there faster. If you want to reach your goal, you have to put in the time; you have to work for it! It must become a commitment, the likes of which you have never committed to before. It can take months, even years of hard, grueling, consistent effort to reach one of your goals in the gym. But when you finally get there, it’s all worth it! The sense of achievement you get from finally lifting a target weight is something that can’t be described; you have to experience it to understand. And it is in that moment of success, following a seemingly unbelievable amount of work, sweat, and time that you begin to learn the value of self-discipline. Despite all of those challenges, all of those setbacks, you did it! And I believe that this lesson, the idea that success is not achieved by wishing for it, but by rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty can be applied to all aspects of your life, as I am beginning to do with mine.

I love working out and I will continue to do so until the day I die.

Vacationing, I did pretty good

Well, I'm back and I did pretty good.  I was in Kauai for a week vacation and I kept up the eating clean and moving the best that I could.  Of course when you travel, there can be days that are tough to eat well.  With locating a good source for great food and snacking here and there you always have to factor in a bit of not so great eating.  But as far as moving goes; I worked out almost every morning, swam and/or snorkeled every day.  We walked a lot and I'm sure that I sweat a few lbs. off just from humidity alone. 

I always enjoy working out at new gyms so I take advantage of resort or hotel gyms when I can.  The gym at the hotel we stayed at was pretty good for a hotel gym.  They had almost every machine that I needed and a few new ones that I gave a go.  I swam a ton, did pull ups in the pool, ran stairs, snorkeled and fought waves to fill any gaps in my work outs and I have to say that it feels great.  I am so happy that I don't have a ton of splurging and indulging to undo.  Having worked out so often; I will not suffer any extra aches and pains from missing workouts. 

Of course there was more cocktail consumption and foods that I don't eat on a regular basis but all in all I did really well.  The whole thing is really thinking about it before you go.  I was determined to not over indulge on this trip; I tried to focus on health and fun, not just fun, over eating and under moving.  I challenged myself with pull ups at the hotel gym and was happy to discover that I am almost there.  A few more workouts with a bit heavier weight and I may just get a pull up or two accomplished. 

I hit the gym yesterday and had a really great workout.  Its back at it, business as usual, time to get to the gym. 

Just imagine

One of the best meals I've ever eaten out.  Local Ocean in Newport, OR.  

Just imagine that you are going on a vacation.  You're headed to a great destination, one that could lend itself to over eating and under moving.  But, you decide on something a little different for this trip; instead of an unhealthy indulgent fueled free for all; you decide to make it a vacation of clean eating and healthy living?  Wow, what a strange concept right?  In life there are never ending reasons for excuse filled unhealthy indulgence.  Oh yes, I am guilty of this; although I am changing, but change can be slow.  I use to think it was free for all time on holidays, vacations, weekends etc. etc.; but now I consider the result of bad indulgence before diving in.  Although there are some not so great indulgences that I never plan to give up; they are things that make me happy and life is just too darned short to not enjoy what you love, right?  Right!

When planning a vacation, what if you put yourself into a health spa retreat mode?   Even if you are not going to a health spa retreat; you can treat your body like you are.  Instead of letting your hair down and eating every bad thing that you think that you've been missing out on; you let your hair down, put your feet up and go for the premium fuel?  The healthier your lifestyle becomes, the easier it is to think healthy indulgences instead of the unhealthy type.  

Funny how we look at the word "indulge" as a bad thing.  The word on it's own is not bad, what comes before or after can be the good or bad.  Much like the word "diet," on it's own it simple refers to what we eat; what comes before or after can be the good or bad.  

Indulge - to yield to an inclination or desire; allow oneself to follow one's will.  

I am going to indulge and eat that whole bowl of fruit, good.  I'm giving in and going to indulge in that whole bowl of chips, not so good.  

Over eating is probably the biggest issue when on vacation; that and eating things that you don't typically eat.  It can leave you feeling horribly sedentary; put you into a state of sloth like, lack of motion. Especially if you typically eat clean, regular portions.  Of course there are vacations that are harder to eat properly on.  Depending on where you are going it might be more difficult to stay on track.  Road trips can be tough; for those you need to think out ahead and fill the car with good food.  Relying on road stops or fast food places is not a good option; although many of us have had to do so.

So maybe your next vacation will be filled with healthy indulgence instead of the unhealthy kind.  A little naughty indulgence is always good; a whopping load, not so much.