Stiff-legged Deadlift/Squat (42 lbs)
Glute Bridge (42 lbs)
Arnold Press (10 lbs each hand)
Bulgarian Split Squat (20 lbs)
Inverted Rows

Notes:

Opted for another short pyramid and sped through it a bit, since I needed to finish, shower and eat dinner before midnight because I’m getting a cholesterol stick in the morning. So it was a bit more brutal in terms of sheer gassing out than normal. Still struggling to find the right rear-foot platform/distance/position in the split squats, but it’s getting better.

Standard warmup, skimped on post-workout the stretching (just 6 minutes).

Stiff-legged Deadlift/Goblet Squat (42 lbs)
Arnold Dumbbell Press (10 lbs each)
Rack Chins (using a walker)
Glute Bridge (42 lbs)
Bulgarian Split Squats (20 lbs)

Notes:

Shortened list of exercises due to the fact that I’ve been a bit low with a tummy bug or something the last few days. Felt a bit sloggy, but it got done. Experimenting with a few new exercises: Rack chins – hubs brought home a walker for me to use as a make-shift dip station, but sadly there’s just not really enough height for me to get much ROM on these. But it will serve for dips and knee raises. Also, Arnold db presses, which hit a few more muscle bits than regular presses. I like these, will be adding them into rotation.

Standard warmup and cooldown.

These are my goal pants. They are a favorite “fits perfectly, flatters perfectly” pair I grew out of on the way up, and have kept to gauge my success on the way down. As of the end of last year, they were just barely buttonable, but not safely wearable. Today, I got curious and tried them on (my other warm-weather pants being dirty) and HOLY HULL INTEGRITY, BATMAN!!! They fit. Perfectly. I even have room to sit and breathe comfortably. WOOHOOOO!!

In related news, the thighs are still quite snug despite the fat I’ve lost, which tells you something about the muscle those squats have been putting on me. Now I just have to see if my thighs will outgrow my pants even though the rest of me fits.

Stiff-legged Deadlift/Squat combo (42 lbs – 5 gal water bottle, overfull)
Dumbbell Flies (10 lbs each)
Skullcrushers (10 lbs each)
Glute Bridge with 5-count pulse at top (42 lbs)
Vertical-leg Crunch/Butt Lift combo
Bulgarian Split Squats (20 lbs)
Inverted Rows

Notes:

Was a bit “meh” during the workout, but I feel really good now that it’s done. Going to have to watch my back tomorrow – lots of lower back/glute work at high weights so it’s going to be twingey. Ramped up the glute bridges to see if I could hoist the water bottle. I can. And it didn’t even seem that hard. So either I’m doing it wrong (doubtful) or I’ve got some serious lower body going on. Sweet.

Warmup: 20 x 2 bodyweight squats, 10 x 2 Let Me Ins, shoulder dislocations, one-armed dumbbell shoulder presses (10 lbs), an up/down db wrist curls (10 lbs). Cooldown: 40 minutes of yoga.

Sumo Deadlift/Upright Row/Goblet Squat combo (42 lbs)
Dumbbell Chest Flies (on yoga ball, 2 x 10lbs)
Skull Crushers (on yoga ball, 2 x 10 lbs)
Glute Bridge with 5-count pulse at top (25 lbs)
Star Crunch
Bulgarian Squats (2 x 10 lbs)

Notes:

Thom’s gone off and taken his job bag with him, so I’m lifting a 5-gallon water container that’s about a quart over-full, hence 42 lbs. A bit awkward, but not as much as the bag is. First time trying out the Bulgarian split squats since the last time I decided the toe wasn’t up to it. It’s still tricky business finding a way to seat the injured foot behind me without aggravating the toe, but I figured it out. Now I just gotta work on my balance – these were way too wobbly.

Warmup: 20 x 2 bw squats, 10 x  2 inclined pushups, shoulder dislocations, one-arm dumbbell presses, wrist curls up and down. Cooldown – 30 min. yoga.

Goblet Squat (45lbs)
Straight-Leg Deadlift/Upright Row Combo (45lbs)
Curl/Press Combo (25lbs)
3-Way Crunch (center, left, right)
Glute Bridge with 5-count pulse at top (25lbs)
Pushups
Inverted Rows

Warmup was 2 sets each of 20 bw squats, 10 incline pushups, 10 shoulder dislocations, 10 one-arm dumbbell shoulder presses (10 lbs), and 10 each palm up and palm down wrist curls (10 lbs). Cooldown was 25 minutes of yoga.

Notes:

Essentially the same workout as the previous one, with the addition of a set of pushups, and more weight on the squats and deadlift/row combo.

So what happens when that trust is broken? Is love worth it, if the failure mode is destruction? What is left when you can’t trust them with that power?

Goblet Squat (25lbs)
Straight-Leg Deadlift/Upright Row Combo (25lbs)
Curl/Press Combo (25lbs)
3-Way Crunch (center, left, right)
Glute Bridge with 5-count pulse at top (25lbs)
Inverted Rows

Warmup was 2 sets each of 20 bw squats, 10 incline pushups, 10 shoulder dislocations, 10 one-arm dumbbell shoulder presses (10 lbs), and 10 each palm up and palm down wrist curls (10 lbs). Cooldown was 25 minutes of yoga.

Notes:

Felt really good and strong for this workout. I’m discovering that I can get more done quicker if I combine lifts rather than doing each lift as a separate set. I get more lifts in, but it feels less sloggy and takes way less time. So, la, what would have been a 8 exercise pyramid is cut down by two sets, yet I get the same workout. Nice.

Workout page

Part 1: 9 sets of 25 reps for time

My Time: 27 minutes

Burpee/Pushup (stepping instead of jumping back, small jump up)
Step Up (left) – 20 lbs
Step Up (right) – 20 lbs
Decline Pushups/Knee Tucks
Bicycle Abs (subbed for mountain climbers)
Bench Dips
Ball Squats – 20 lbs
Plank Walkout
Cross-body toe-touch crunch

Part 2: 12 exercises x 25 reps each

Bridge Glute Squeezes:
Knees Hip Distance
Knees Together
Knees In/Knees Out (one squeeze per move, in and out =1 rep)
Hold Squeeze Knees In and Out (in and out = 1 rep)

Glute Kickbacks
Donkey Kick (left and right)
Straight Leg Rear Lift (left and right)
Straight Leg Rear Lift/Crossover (left and right)
Raised Bent Leg Pulses aka “Tray Tables” (left and right)

Side Lifts
Straight Leg Side Lift (left and right)
L-Leg Presses (left and right)
Heel and Toe Press Stretch (left and right)
Straight Leg Small Vertical Pulses (left and right)

Notes:

I dropped the High Knees/Drop and the Mat Jumps from the first circuit – toe’s not up to that yet. As for the booty round…ow…just, ow. My ass is going to be so sore tomorrow. Well, all of me is, probably, since this is my first real workout in a week. Argh.

Did my normal warmup of 2 x 20 squats and 10 inclined pushups, plus 2 x 10 2.5 lbs wrist curls and wrist extensions, 5 minutes of pre-yoga to stretch all the bits out and 15 minutes post yoga to cool down.

Hoping to be able to do a full, albeit deloaded, workout tomorrow. Just making a note here re: back going out and the benefit of building a strong core in case I ever need reminding why I’m doing all these %^!@#$ planks.