Split Routine Sorted

So I've finally sorted out my new split routine. Not sure whether to start tonight or start it with a new week - I'll see how busy the gym is. Now I'm doing all of this without the advice of a trainer (Terry has left - boo!) and purely on what I've researched and tried out at the gym (with a bit of help from the grunting men!) For anyone interested this is what I have devised.

Day 1
Chest/Shoulders/Abs
Chest
Barbell Bench Press (wide arms)
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell Bench Press
Wide Hand Push Ups
Shoulders
Barbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Upright Row
Bent-over Lateral Raise (on include bench)
Abs
Leg Raises (flat on bench)
V-Up
Knee in (on bench)
Pelvic Lift with Swiss Ball

Day 2
Legs
Quads
Squats (Smith)
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Deadlift
Hamstrings
Leg Curl
Good Morning
Dumbbell Straight Leg Dead Lift
Glute-Ham Raise
Calves
Standing Calf Raise

Day 3
Back/Arms
Arms
Biceps
Bicep Curl
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Concentrated Curl
Triceps
Lying Triceps Extension
Dumbbell Kick Backs
Cable Push Down
Close Hand Push Ups
Back
Dumbbell One Armed Row
Lateral Pull Down
Seated Cable Row
Deadlift

Blackberry and Bannantynes

So I've finally caved in and bought myself a Blackberry - well not bought, upgraded my current phone contract and the Blackberry came free. They also gave me £85 for my old Nokia so I actually came out of Carphone Warehouse better off - hurray! Went to a conference in London yesterday and spent the train journey on WLR on the phone - very small type but easily do-able (until I'm old and loosing my eye sight that is!).

Went to have a look round my local Bannatynes Gym at the weekend and will be switching across to their from September when my current gym membership runs out. It means that during the month of August I will have membership at both gyms because at the moment Bannatynes are doing an offer where if you sign up in July you get August for free. My OH is joining with me as he is taking his first tentative steps towards fitness and hopefully I can encourage him with his cardio as he hates it.

Job Interview

I heard on Saturday that I have an interview for a job that I applied for a couple of weeks ago. I don't stand much chance of getting it as I am punching above my weight a bit but I'm very excited. Will be purchasing a new suit but will wait until just before as this morning my size 10 'Next' work trousers are feeling decidedly loose and I don't want to make any MORE expensive mistakes.

Weights

Today, if I have a quiet slot, I'm going to be devising a new weights regime for tonight as after 6 weeks I'm feeling a bit bored with my current one and want a bit more of a challenge. Better get started....................

Back at it - hurray

I was back in the gym yesterday evening and it felt sooooooo good. I had gone with the mindset to take it easy and thought I would try some new lifts that I had seen on various website/in books. I had watched a short video clip yesterday 'to get bigger triceps' and I tried those as I liked the 'fluid' look of the exercises. My triceps are so weak and I can really feel them aching this morning - great!

I also gave my new 5k to 8k running programme a trial run in the safety of the gym. I had downloaded the podrunner intervals podcast and was quite excited about it. The pace was so fast! I only have short legs and I just couldn't keep up, even on the walking intervals. I'll give it a try on the streets this weekend and see how I get on. Because I'd been 2 weeks out of the gym after my legs workout with the free weights and then the 'fast' running I could feel they were going a bit wobbly so stopped my cardio after 45 mins instead of putting in the full hour (weakling :-))

Woe is me, my coach, Terry, is leaving the gym - apparently going to some trendy gym in London to work (much more fun I'm sure). I'm now a bit lost. Terry was the 'weights specialist' at my gym and unless they get someone else with his expertise to replace him I'll have to go it alone. I'm hoping to make some time on Saturday/Sunday to trawl through my books and put together something to try out - I do like a challenge and I'm actually looking forward to it but I will miss Terry even though he has recently been spending an awful lot of his time chatting up the younger, prettier girls on the cross trainers :-)

It never hurts to refresh the basics

I'm still nursing 2 very sore ears and unable to train (going to try my first workout tomorrow!) and so I'm spending my time refreshing my mind with some basic information. Re-read a really good 'beginners' article on 'Figure Athlete' and thought I'd link to it here for any one reading this and wondering where to start.

Thought I'd post a picture taken on my Hols. That's me, Matt (Eldest's BF) and my daughter. This was quite early on so at this stage I was relying on fake tan - you should see me now!!!

Back from Mallorca. Raring to go but.........

So I booked a last minute week in the sun - and I got it! It was SO hot it was glorious. Gave myself a complete week off the exercise, good too as you couldn't MOVE without breaking out in a sweat. Mind you I spent a lot of time in the pool. BUT, I was itching to get back to the gym and get my body moving again when on the last day felt an earache coming on. Now have a full blown ear infection in both ears, am on anti-biotics and feel VERY sorry for myself. Even walking makes the pain THROB and so am reluctant to do any rigorous exercise at all.

To prevent myself going completely stir crazy I've been planning a new exercise schedule to fit in better with my work and home life and also I have been writing out some food plans, so my sedentary days are not completed wasted.

Note to self - too much time in a 2 star swimming pool is not good for the ears :-(

German Gym

I've been in Hamburg over the weekend with work. A beautiful, beautiful city to which I intend to return in my own time. Stayed at a fab hotel which boasted a spa, gym and running track. I went to the gym twice and as the equipment was limited (as was my time) I did a mini circuit as follows:
5 minutes treadmill
5 minutes cross trainer
5 minutes bike
5 minutes stepper
5 minutes rowing
x 2
I then did a workout on their weight machines which was similar to what I expect a home gym to look like but it did the job.
I fully intended to use the pool as well but then I discovered the gigantic bath in my room. I had a bath after the gym and it was so deep and gorgeous that the next morning, instead of swimming I had another one! It took an hour and half to run it - FAB!!!
I spent yesterday walking round Hamburg so that got me a bit of exercise though it was more of a saunter than a walk and the hour and a half I spent on an open top bus tour didn't shift many calories - hey ho, we all have to take a break sometime.

Hello to the Bench Press and a 'naughty' flat stomach.

Well after struggling with the dumb bell bench press I have finally had some help by the saviour that is 'Trevor'. No, not Terry the Trainer, but Trevor the bodybuilder who works out at the gym A LOT!

Though I was doing the dumb bell bench press, my arms were like wobbly spaghetti and my form was RUBBISH. Trevor kindly pointed that out to me!

Yesterday he was there so I asked him to show me the bench press with a bar and it was fab. I had much better control and Trevor showed me the various hand positions and chest positions to really feel it working the chest. It was great. See here for an illustration.

Guilt

I did something I feel quite guilty about this morning. Today is 'Speach Day' at my school. For the first time I will be attending not only in a professional sense but as a proud Mum. My youngest daughter is picking up her GCSE certificate from last year's exams. I have a new dress (obviously) and it is very slimming but also quite clingy. Over the last couple of days I've felt a bit bloaty and I so wanted my stomach to be flat as a pancake today I didn't eat dinner last night so there is nothing much in my system to ruin my silhouette! Now I know how wrong this is (though I did have 2 protein shakes) but it is totally a one off. In fact, I'm now thinking, I can't believe I'm feeling guilty about not eating when I used to feel guilty about eating - how things have changed :-)

Good and Bad Days

So yesterday was a good day. Had a really REALLY good work out at the gym felt like I could have gone on and on forever and this was after a full day shopping. One of my fellow gym buddies came over and gave me some help with my 'form' and I have to say it made all the difference.

Got up this morning after a really bad night's sleep - just toooooo hot and I couldn't do my run. I set of as usual at 5am, did my five minute warm and started a slow jog and I just couldn't do it. I felt tired, my butt cheeks (sorry, glutes :-)) hurt so much from the gym and I generally felt blurgh so I walked my route instead and as a reward for being so sensible I saw 2 beautiful herons in my local park - fabulous - if I'd been jogging I wouldn't have gone that route and I would have missed them.

I have to say, I feel a bit rubbish that I haven't done my usual exercise this morning, I like to do somethng everyday, and that has to be more than a walk! I think I will try again tomorrow after, hopefully, a better night.