Chillicat's journal

[Chillicat]

Supposed to do legs today but just can't seem to muster up the right level of enthusiasm for doing them this week - but arrived at the gym just before a pump class was due to start, and since that includes legs decided that it would be a good thing to do instead. Did well again on triceps (though admitedly it was a relatively easy tricep track), but was utterly dead in the bicep track - had to cut the weights to half what I used for triceps and even then it was a killer.

Will stop by J'ville on the way home for some cardio.

[rimma]

Question; what in the name of all things holy is 'eyebrow threading'?

:think:

[Chillicat]

Question; what in the name of all things holy is 'eyebrow threading'?

:think:

wondered if anyone would ask! It's a way of shaping the brows - I think it comes from India or something like that originally, and instead of waxing, or tweezing they use a thread to rip the hairs out. Basically they hold a length of cotton and somehow magically they manage to use it to shape the brows.

[drizzt]

Heh, scarily, I knew what it meant :shifty:

My Mrs got it done for a close up magazine cover shoot - think it was on her lip though not her brows?

[teamfatboy]

Supposed to do legs today but just can't seem to muster up the right level of enthusiasm for doing them this week - but arrived at the gym just before a pump class was due to start, and since that includes legs decided that it would be a good thing to do instead. Did well again on triceps (though admitedly it was a relatively easy tricep track), but was utterly dead in the bicep track - had to cut the weights to half what I used for triceps and even then it was a killer.

Will stop by J'ville on the way home for some cardio.

When I got to the gym, I could have sworn you said it was leg day, but there you were.... giving it beans on the cardio floor :clap: Who was the instructor, I didn't recognise her? Quite a big class for a mid-week before a long weekend too.

KUTGW :salute:

[Chillicat]

Supposed to do legs today but just can't seem to muster up the right level of enthusiasm for doing them this week - but arrived at the gym just before a pump class was due to start, and since that includes legs decided that it would be a good thing to do instead. Did well again on triceps (though admitedly it was a relatively easy tricep track), but was utterly dead in the bicep track - had to cut the weights to half what I used for triceps and even then it was a killer.

Will stop by J'ville on the way home for some cardio.

When I got to the gym, I could have sworn you said it was leg day, but there you were.... giving it beans on the cardio floor :clap: Who was the instructor, I didn't recognise her? Quite a big class for a mid-week before a long weekend too.

KUTGW :salute:

It was Lorna - I haven't done any of her cardio classes, but I've watched loads of them and she's like an energizer bunny with blitz cardio and step! With pump she does the pre-choreographed classes, so I generally avoid her classes - but I actually really enjoyed it today. Yeah, a decent number of people given the day.

Just couldn't face the Smith machine today, but I really love doing squats at pump class, so it was a good compromise. I'll get back into full on legs in a couple of weeks - maybe a break will make me more enthusiastic.

[bar-belle]

Part 1 (Triceps and a little bit of biceps):

Tricep pulldowns 20kg 3x8

Narrow grip cable curls 25kg 3x10 (PB)

Skullcrushers 15kg 3x8

Tricep bench press 22.5kg 4x10 (PB)

Nice work there CC on the skull crushers and PB's too boot 8)

[Chillicat]

I did a last blast of the arms this morning, but it wasn't an overly successful workout, probably because I've worked them enough this week. Ah well, can't say I haven't given my arms all I can, so my 'after' photo of my arms (compared with last year) is going to be the best it can be. But will be better next year!

Merry Xmas everyone! I'm taking a few days off, but back at the gym on Monday.

[Chillicat]

Three days of solid bad eating and drinking, and scales showed me at 2kg heavier this morning - and I deserve it! I've got a bit of an all or nothing approach to pretty much everything I do, and that includes indulging at Christmas. There's absolutely no reason for it to turn into a pigout fest - plenty of healthy options available at a kiwi summer Christmas - but did I make the healthy choices? The hell I did!

But on the positive side, I didn't really enjoy it - and that's positive, because it makes it easier to go back to cleaner eating, and not feel as though it's an effort. Most of the time over the last three days I felt really lethargic with not a great deal of energy. Needed to take naps on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Christmas day wasn't such a surprise, having had 3 wines and a big lunch).

So although it was a good time, I'm really glad to be back home again, and to get back into the gym this morning - even if it was a bit packed down in the man cave.

Still not back to completely perfect eating, but mostly good. Workout was chest and triceps - no PBs, just DB press, flyes, that tricep extension machine thing which I hadn't done for a few months, cable pulldowns, and some dips. Finished up with a wee bit of cardio, but not nearly enough. Hubby wanted to go and do grocery shopping so didn't stay as long as I would have on my own - but he's going into work tomorrow, so I'll probably do a longer session oh my own.

[steak]

Three days of solid bad eating and drinking. The hell I did!

Nice :grin: think of it as carb loading

[teamfatboy]

So although it was a good time, I'm really glad to be back home again, and to get back into the gym this morning - even if it was a bit packed down in the man cave.

Yep, the man cave can be crowded, queues for the benches - and a bit wiffy too if they didn' turn the fans on!

Still, you turned up, you're back in the groove, that's more than most of the population can say :clap:

KUTGW

[Chillicat]

Not so busy in the man cave today, though I was doing legs so only there for deads and sumo squats. Nothing spectacular to report about my workout, but I did try out a new machine that they have at J'ville which I haven't seen at Thorndon - I have no clue what it's called, but you sit down and put your legs into an open scissor position, then close them. I'm going to call them 'leg scissors' (even if someone tells me the proper name - I like leg scissors!). I can already feel my inner thighs from using the machine, so I think it's going to be a keeper in the routine.

Also did 40 mins cardio, 20 of which was fairly intense on the x-trainer.

Food is about 75% good. Hubby bought me a Mexican cookbook for chrissy, so made some very delicious enchiladas for dinner, and I'm currently sipping a glass of wine. But other than that back to normal!

[teamfatboy]

Sounds like it works the adductor muscles - there were a pair of machines for that in the Keiser pneumatic machine group they ripped out, over by the water fountain. Good fun, and harder than it looks, eh!

Mmmmm - Mexican food =P~ Quesadillas, chilli con queso, frijoles... and my fave, mole poblano

[Chillicat]

Aha, yes, that looks like the machine (well, a version of it). The one at J'ville has your legs sticking right out in front, not bent (hence the scissor reference). The one I used to use at my old UK gym was more like a chair with legs bent more or less at 90 degrees. I remember seeing people using the machine at Bodyworks, but I never used it myself.

The Mexican cookbook is going to be a diet killer - but we enjoy our weekly quesadilla night, so now I can expand the repertoire a bit further. But hey, I'm in this for a better body, not a perfect competition body, so I'm allowed to live a little :pfft:

[Chillicat]

Have got very slack with this journal. Wed was back and biceps - again, nothing exciting to report. Today was shoulders and abs. Total DOMS from the leg scissor machine!!!

Last day of the huge week off eating well/whole month eating pretty badly. Am at home avoiding all the new year crap - seriously, when I was young and fun I found new years eve to be overrated, and now that I'm old and boring nothing has changed, prefer to just steer clear of the whole thing. Am enjoying a few last wines and eating as many of the Cherry Ripes out of his Cadbury Favourites before 12 as I can, as once 12 hits I'm back into it, full on, with a 6 week short term goal in mind.

Gym closed tomorrow, so gonna go sit on my ass and see a movie and do some shopping. Then when I get home I'm going to work out my new gym regime for the first 6 weeks of the year, which is based on now having 7 day access to a gym, including easier after work access with a branch being only a 20 minute walk home. It's going to include lots of cardio.

Oh, forgot to say, I took my 'after' photo - you might remember I had a photo taken last year which horrified me - I already knew I'd reached an unacceptable weight, and had been moaning for 3 years about how unhappy I was about my weight, but this particular photo was the final straw. Well, I had another photo taken, more or less same clothes (same top), and on the same chair and despite 10 months of solid training and a loss of 7kg there was honestly no difference in the photos. My sister took the 'after' pic, and she hadn't seen the 'before' one - and she kept saying that it wasn't very good and that I should change position and that the swing chair was just not a chair you can sit in in a way that gives you good posture - basically, it's destined to look bad. So I'm not going to post it - basically, I looked crap and it make me feel like I'd just wasted the last 1 months - but I do agree that the posture I was sitting in really wasn't flattering. But anyway, it was the 'before' photo that gave me the kick up the ass that I needed, so even if the 'after' photo is crap, I do know deep down (very deep down) that I've made some minor improvement. But must try harder in the new year!

I also was going through some old photos today and spotted one from 2 years ago just after my wedding, and my arm looked fairly good, nice shoulder action going on - but as always the big layer of fat. So the bottom line is that I need to stop being so lardy. I'm actually not all that lardy in reality, and am now a size 8, but in a relative way I am, as I'm still all flabbagy around the arms (and knees - but that's just elderlyness!). So my first focus is to maintain strength, not focus to much on getting PBs, and to lose weight and see those muscles. I'm sure there's a little something under that flabbage. Bloody hope so after all this work (though even if there isn't, I really enjoy lifting weights anyway!).

Anyhoo, I'm off to have some more wine, and more Cherry Ripes, in my last 49 mins of eating and drinking crap. Happy new year!

[runveerun]

Happy New Year CC! :grin: Bbbbut I think you look great in your photos that have been on here! You are lean IMO, I think we can be too critical of ourselves and other people see different! You've gained muscle and strength this year and kept up eating good stuff! Have fun today!

[teamfatboy]

Speaking as someone who suffers far worse from 'elderlyness' :grin:, I'm with Vee on this one.

Quite apart from the fact that a brain clouded by Cherry Ripes isn't necessarily going to be one hundred percent objective, I think you're being a little harsh.

You have made gains, whether it's in strength, endurance, knowledge - and that's made the past year worthwhile.

Keep it up - you WILL get there :clap:

[Grover]

:nod:

agree with that, but on serious note you say you are going to sit down and work out your program for next 6 weeks.

have you thought of seeing a PT and getting them to set you up with a program to target the specific areas that concern you.

Could be money well spent.

Don't need to use them every week, every 4 weeks would be good.

Otherwise good stuff, Happy New Year

[Chillicat]

:nod:

agree with that, but on serious note you say you are going to sit down and work out your program for next 6 weeks.

have you thought of seeing a PT and getting them to set you up with a program to target the specific areas that concern you.

Could be money well spent.

Don't need to use them every week, every 4 weeks would be good.

Otherwise good stuff, Happy New Year

You're right about seeing a PT, and it's something that I should treat myself to. I keep putting it off due to the cost and to the fact that I'm just doing this for myself, not for competition - but even so, I know in my head that it would be a good investment to have a decent person do me a programme.

[Grover]

:nod:

Do it

Don't procastinate its worth it, and no I'm not a PT in case anybody is wondering!

Find one that has participated or trained successful people and it will be money well spent.

its a New Year so make this your resolution even if its a one off.

In regards to your disappointment re photo, perhaps you also need to take regular measurements

eg

Biceps

Chest

waist

hips

thighs

This then also helps to track what is happening and where a lot more than just standing on scales.

Keep it up

[rose]

Save your money and sanity Miss Cat

[Chillicat]

Well, I'll definitely be keeping better measurements. I was amazed at the difference when I did my measurements a few weeks ago, with the increase in arms and decreases everywhere else - most interesting!

In the short term, I'm interested in shifting the 3.3kg of wine and Cherry Ripes I've managed to gain in 8 days :oops:

[runveerun]

Well, I'll definitely be keeping better measurements. I was amazed at the difference when I did my measurements a few weeks ago, with the increase in arms and decreases everywhere else - most interesting!

In the short term, I'm interested in shifting the 3.3kg of wine and Cherry Ripes I've managed to gain in 8 days :oops:

Meh it'll be water weight or something like that, I have discovered when I eat crap I balloon up but them after eating well for a week it goes away. I'm not sure what the weight is exactly but it's not permanent!!

[bigdogbob]

I agree with Vee, in those photos you posted up a coupla months ago you looked great, noticeable arm muscle and lean too.

Don't knock yourself just get back onto it and the results will keep coming - 7kg..man I wish I could lose 7kgs :cry:

[rose]

I'm with the others Miss Cat. The tape measure says you got results. 7kg isn't a "minor improvement". I bet your body composition changed considerably. Keep up the good work. Xmas is past, back on the wagon. Tally ho! :grin: