Chillicat's journal

[Chillicat]

Did major legs yesterday. I'd intended on splitting legs over 2 days but made a bit of a muck up of my training scedule for this week and needed to do all the legwork yesterday, so bit sore today.

For the first time this week my abs aren't sore - I'm not even entirely sure what I did to get ab DOMS this week, as haven't done any ab work. They started hurting on Monday after I did chest and triceps, so I guess I must have been really engaging my abs when I did my 30/20/15 press ups, as I can't think of any other new thing I did that might have also worked abs (BB chest press???).

I'm definitely not complaining though - free ab work is all good!

[Chillicat]

Tried out LM on the Terrace today, which was ok - but I went at 11am so that my first time wouldn't be at a horrible crowded time. Nothing worse than trying to find your way around a new gym with people all over the place.

Did a shoulder workout, and I have to say it was really nice to be able to do my shoulders, some abs, and be back at work with time left in the hour to make my lunch. Wow - that's the great thing about having a gym literally next door.

Given that the cost per week is only $5 more than what I pay at the moment, if I'd had this free trial prior to 1 December I probably would have seriously given some thought to switching gyms for the sheer convenience factor. Even though it's hellish at rush hours, my job has a fair amount of flexibility around the times I need to be in the office, and it would probably be very easy for me to skip regular lunch hours.

But now that I have the free local J'ville gym as well as my regular town gym, well it would be silly changing - I've been using J'ville about 3-4 times a week since the takeover, so I'm better able to fit in after work any gymming I wasn't able to do at lunchtime, and I love that I can go on weekends now without paying extra.

But I'll certainly be taking advantage of my free month and enjoying shorter lunchbreaks!

[Chillicat]

Cardio at lunchtime today. Took an early lunch to try out the cardio room at LM on the Terrace and to see when it started to get busy. When I left just after 12 there were already people starting to queue for the treadmills, though there were still x-trainers free, and plenty of bikes.

One thing that annoys me about LM is the loud music - I like to listen to my own thing when I'm working out, and so I have to keep turning my iPod right up to drown out all the other noise.

I thought about trying out a body balance class which was on at 12pm, but like the pump class the other day, it was utterly packed, so I didn't bother.

Rest day tomorrow.

[Chillicat]

Day off yesterday, as normal for a Saturday. No walks or anything though, as the 24+ hours worth of sideways rain was just so horrible that after doing grocery shopping I didn't leave the house for the rest of the day, not even to go to the mail box.

Chest and triceps today, good workout. I'm not really going to bother with posting every single workout I do this year - I already have a record of this in my handy gym notebook and really don't see the need to itemise everything all the time. As long as I'm making steady improvements I'm happy enough, and might rethink putting my full workouts up next time I want further advice if I notice stagnation in progress.

I'm pleased to announce that I'm veering towards a breakthrough on the triceps front. In the last week or so I've noticed a definite improvement in my tricep area. Still not overly impressive, but when I flex it I can definitely see a wee muscle trying to burst out, not just a slight shift in the flabbular mass as happened in the past. So I went really hard on triceps today.

[VampireChick]

So you're on your way to 'Tara' arms (TrueBlood).

[Chillicat]

So you're on your way to 'Tara' arms (TrueBlood).

I hope so!

[teamfatboy]

So you're on your way to 'Tara' arms (TrueBlood).

I hope so!

Sweet - keep up the good work, and that winning attitude :clap:

[Chillicat]

Thanks!

Didn't go to the gym this lunchtime, went and said hello to the prince. Actually I didn't say hello so much as 'give my love to Kate' and he said 'yes I will do'. Lovely warm day (after a crappy start) and I had sleeveless dress on and caught a glimpse of my arms in the flashy supreme court windows on my way back to work. Shoulder and tricep definition very visible. Stoked!

[drizzt]

Lovely warm day (after a crappy start) and I had sleeveless dress on and caught a glimpse of my arms in the flashy supreme court windows on my way back to work. Shoulder and tricep definition very visible. Stoked!

Nice! 8)

What a turn to the day after such a bad start, huh?

[Chillicat]

Legs today. Wanted to do it at my normal gym, but since I had a 2.5 hour break yesterday to go royal watching, thought I'd best keep lunchbreaks to a minimum and just go next door to LM. Well, let's just say I won't be doing legs at LM again! Went at 11am, but even so couldn't get on the one and only Smith machine.

So went to do seated leg presses instead but couldn't fathom the LM machine, so instead went for leg extensions. Even that was a bit strange - different machine, and normally I do it at 63kg, but on this machine I was only doing 27kg/60lb, which just made me confused about using different machines at different gyms.

Their seated calf raise machine was completely different too and really odd - uncomfortable. So after trying leg extensions and calf raises I decided to just go and do deads and sumo squats - free weights are free weights (well, more or less!).

Really didn't enjoy that workout at all, so won't be doing legs at LM again. I'll go to CF after work tonight and do a few more leg exercises to finish off.

[Chillicat]

Oh, and here is a picture of me and Prince William - I was having an exceptionally bad hair day thanks to the morning fog, so am pretty pleased it's only a back view

[Chillicat]

Another LM machine with weights that don't tally with the weights I normally use. Today it was the lat pulldown machine. There are 2 at LM, and I tried the first one that had weights in both pounds and kilos, I set it to 40kg as usual and had real trouble pulling it down with any kind of good form. Normally I can do 4x10 ish of that. So I tried the machine next to it, set to 40kg, and this time had less trouble pulling it down. What's that about??? Still felt heavier than CF, but two machines side by side that differ - WTF??

[teamfatboy]

Were the two machines identical, or did one have an extra pulley ?

If there's an extra pulley in the cable run (normally attached to the weight stack itself), you don't move the weight as far, making it feel easier.

Alternatively, the maintenance at LM sucks and one of the machines has way too much friction....

[Chillicat]

Were the two machines identical, or did one have an extra pulley ?

If there's an extra pulley in the cable run (normally attached to the weight stack itself), you don't move the weight as far, making it feel easier.

Alternatively, the maintenance at LM sucks and one of the machines has way too much friction....

Hmm, they were slightly different machines, but will have to take another look. Both were harder than BW lat pulldowns though, and CF J'ville (even thought that one's lbs, but the equivalent weights still feel the same at J'ville and Thorndon). Grrr!

[teamfatboy]

With some Nautilus machines, the ones that use the 'snail-shape' cams (like BW lying leg curl, or preacher curl machine) can often influence the perceived weight..

Hope you didn't pay for that LM membership

[Chillicat]

Hope you didn't pay for that LM membership

Nope - got a one month freebie. Will definitely be sticking with Thorndon/J'ville gyms. Was never any question really, but pays to check out the alternatives every now and then when a free opportunity comes up.

[Chillicat]

Just when I was on the verge of ditching cardio, I got a phone call from my sister yesterday. She lives in Chch and is having her 40th birthday in 3 weeks, and she's decided on an 80s theme. We were talking about possible costumes and I joked about getting an 80s style g-string leotard so that I could wear the classic combo of leggings, g-string leotard over the top, leg warmers etc. Well, my sister being an 80s-90s gym bunny and complete hoarder who never throws anything away....has a collection of about 6 such leotards So she's going to bring some up on Thursday (they're coming up for AC/DC) and I'll try them on and I think I've agreed that I'll wear it if I can fit into the leotards. Oh dear.

So I'd better get my arse up to J'ville, do my proper weights workout, then get my flabby bits onto some cardio machinery and work like crazy for the next 3 weeks After that, I'll officially give up cardio!

[teamfatboy]

Oh dear...the 1980s, the decade that style forgot!

Speaking of leotards, I was watching dvds of Season one of Law and Order, and there was a show which had scenes of people doing "aerobics", complete with leggings, leg warmers, leotards, the works!

But no, there's no place to hide when dressed like that!

Good luck CC

[runveerun]

Oh dear...the 1980s, the decade that style forgot!

Speaking of leotards, I was watching dvds of Season one of Law and Order, and there was a show which had scenes of people doing "aerobics", complete with leggings, leg warmers, leotards, the works!

But no, there's no place to hide when dressed like that!

Good luck CC

No no! Quite the opposite! Fashion exploded in the 80's that was the decade that lycra was born and became mainstream thus all the leotards, We then went through an anti-fashion decade of the 1990's where grunge was born and people fought against fashion.

We are now back and embracing the 80's and becoming fashion-loving again, although this is the decade that you can wear pretty much anything and it's fashionable, possibly even socks and sandals could be pulled off in the right context.

Sorry it is my specialty :shifty: :pfft:

[teamfatboy]

this is the decade that you can wear pretty much anything and it's fashionable, possibly even socks and sandals could be pulled off in the right context.

Sorry it is my specialty :shifty: :pfft:

Noooooo! Not the return of the archetypal Wellington public servant in "walk shorts", cream knee-high socks and roman sandals...

Suddenly I am visited by flashbacks of Richard Simmons and others... Now I gotta go find my copy of Pumping Iron to put myself in a happy place!

[startinfromscratch]

[runveerun]

[

Noooooo! Not the return of the archetypal Wellington public servant in "walk shorts", cream knee-high socks and roman sandals...

Suddenly I am visited by flashbacks of Richard Simmons and others... Now I gotta go find my copy of Pumping Iron to put myself in a happy place!

The RIGHT context I said that's just bad taste! :shock: :pfft:

[Chillicat]

I agree with Vee - I was a teenager in the 80s and I absolutely loved it, dressing was so much fun and I had a ball making clothes - though it's fair to say that I wouldn't be seen dead in many of them now, even if I still had them (only thing I still have from the 80s is a brilliant Zambesi belt which I still love!).

Hmmm, Richard Simmons! Maybe I can talk hubby into dressing as him! I'm going to channel Cory Everson, but I think 'generic 80s gym bunny' is probably more achievable

Startinfromscratch - unfortunatly I can't see your pic here at home, so can't comment on it - but will look at it tomorrow at work. Don't know why I can never view pics in threads at home. Odd.

Just did an hour of weights followed by 30 mins of cardio. Very motivatd to do cardio when I have the threat of photos in 3 weeks in front of me!

[bigdogbob]

The Biggest Loser had 80's week last week on the show, it was a crack up thy were in their fluoro, leg warmers, short shorts and tube socks for the guys and they did step aerobics and Jane Fonda workouts...hahaha

Oh the memories

Keep up the good work with your training chillicat :nod:

[Chillicat]

The Biggest Loser had 80's week last week on the show, it was a crack up thy were in their fluoro, leg warmers, short shorts and tube socks for the guys and they did step aerobics and Jane Fonda workouts...hahaha

Oh the memories

Keep up the good work with your training chillicat :nod:

Yeah, I've been watching that too and that was so funny in their 80s gear! Wonder if I can source a 'Frankie Says Relax' or 'Choose Life' t-shirt before 12 Feb? Gonna rush off and check out cafe press!