Progress with Primal Strength Systems

As you know I've been doing a fitness class called Primal Strength Systems. I'm in my fourth week now and loving (and sometimes hating) every minute of it. I decided to do a video post since it's been a while.

I've made a lot of progress over the last month and I've proved to myself that I am capable of so much more! I've had some personal bests that have really encouraged me in my journey. Tonight I was able to hold up my own body weight on that damn gym rope. It was only for a short time and only a couple of inches off the ground, but I DID IT!

I'm actually holding up my own weight!

Well, I'm off. I just had to share my excitement and progress with you tonight while it's still fresh and while I can still type without muscle pain!

And in case you missed it and you're wondering what kind of equipment we've been using here's a demo video.

Everything is Awesome....

Today, just for a moment everything is awesome! I am awesome! This morning was my sixth class with Primal Strength Systems and today I kicked ass!

It's getting easier to lift the 75 lbs bag. (I said easier not easy.) I also surprised myself with my improved ability to pull myself up from the ground using the thick rope. (You know the dreaded rope you had to climb in gym class as a kid) We did this one the first class and I could barely lift myself off the ground. Now I can go hand over hand and pull my body up and back down again (my feet stay on the ground). One of these days I'll get someone to take a video or a pic of it to show you.

It's amazing what I've accomplished in three short weeks. I feel like everyone should be able to tell just by looking at me, but there's no obvious physical changes. (I checked. I took pictures to compare. It's only minute changes that I can see.) That will come in time, I just have to be patient and persistent. I am quite proud of myself for what I have accomplished. I continue to amaze myself. Seeing the things that my body is capable of just makes me want to do more and more amazing things!

It's funny on my way home I had so much to say and now I'm drawing a blank. So, I guess I'll keep it short and sweet today!

Have a great weekend!

A New Adventure

So, I recently mentioned that I was starting a new fitness regime. Here is a video of some of what I'll be doing with Primal Strength Systems.

Last night was my first class with Primal Strength Systems. As with any new thing you try I was nervous upon arriving. I parked where I thought I should park but later discovered a parking lot right next to the training area. As I got closer to the training area (which is on a school football field) I realized all of the other participants were men, except for the instructor's girlfriend. I was quite relieved that she was there! It turns out she was only there this one time.

We started by running from one line to the next and back. We were to do this 10 times. My first lap I kept up, but as each lap continued I fell further and further behind. Everyone waited for me to finish before continuing on which was really nice.

We did some stretches and then push ups and body squats. I managed to do 6 real pushups and 4 knee pushups. I rock the squats! So, at least I've got that!

We did lunge walks which are simple and seem easy until you have to do a few laps of them. Then we did bear crawls. This was horrendous but completely effective! I was practically crawling to the finish line. We followed this with a crab crawl but all I could manage was a scuttle on my rearend. I did another bear crawl instead. After all the bear crawls I was feeling quite nauseous but I persevered.

We did a series of front squats of varying levels. I managed to front squat with the 50 lbs bag and also with a rock that's heavier than it looks. There were heavier front squat options that some of the others did. After the front squats we moved onto pulling the sled. The sled is this weight rack of sorts with a rope tied to one end. I had to take both ends of the rope over my shoulder and pull the sled from one line to the next. Again this seems super easy but it's not. Although once you get your momentum it gets better.

We also did inverted rows on three types of ropes. I did okay with the rings but it's definitely a challenge. Do you remember gym class and having to try to climb the rope? Yup, that's one of the ropes. I could barely pull myself up with my feet on the ground. Then I tried with a smaller rope that you take an an end in both hands and this was a little better.

I impressed myself with the shoulder presses. Again we had different options of varying difficulty. I started with the rock. Then I wanted to try the "log" and the keg. I managed to do 4 presses on each. I got a little cocky with the keg until the water inside of it shifted and made the whole exercise a lot more challenging.

We finished with loaded walks. I did two of the three variations. I started with the 75 lbs bag and immediately fell on my duff. It was funny. I tried again and the instructor helped me get it on my shoulder so I could move it to the front of my arms and then walk with it from one line to the next and back. I also carried a keg that was heavier than the one I used for the shoulder press.

I may have missed a few things, but you get the general idea. So, first off I am proud to say I didn't throw up even though I really thought I would. Second I stuck it through to the end and believe me there were moments I wanted to give up. Everyone was really great at encouraging each other not to give up. I'll finish by saying that you should see a whole new me in 11 weeks because this is kick your ass kind of exercise! I'm also starting to wonder if I enjoy torturing myself because I'm going to be doing this twice a week...

No Pain No Gain?

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Well, I had a good week with working out and then Sunday night went to bed in tears from back pain. I'm not sure if it was biking, weight lifting or if it was the reverse crunches that messed my back up. I didn't lift anything too heavy so I am pretty sure it was the reverse crunches since the pain is more around my tailbone than just my lower back. Also, I'm inclined to believe it had nothing to do with muscle since Advil and back pain medication did nothing for my pain. A friend gave me her leftover T3s (there were only 5) and these didn't help with the pain, but did help me get a good nights sleep at least.

It's now Friday after work and I'm on the bus as I type this. My back still hurts, but no where near as badly as the first few days. I wanted to take 2 days off and start again, but at this point I don`t want to further mess up my back. I'm going to start fresh after the weekend.

I've continued to try and limit my food intake. I still haven't had any cookies,  but I had a hefty piece of buttermilk pie Sunday night. I admit that there were a few times I used my pain as an excuse to eat. However, I did not use it as an excuse to eat poorly every day all day. I`m not sure that I'll lose any weight this week without the working out, but I'm sure I will have at least maintained what I've already lost.

I'm still enjoying my new outlook on life. I've been craving healthier foods a lot more than the fattier foods. I've got hot sausages in the freezer that I haven't wanted to eat because of the grease. Just one example of small changes I`ve notices in myself lately.

I will keep you posted on my return to fitness.

Week 1 Complete

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Sunday: Lower Body (Weeks 1-4)

DAY:	5
DATE:	July 25, 2010
TIME:	Cardio 6:30 am Weights 10:30 am
CARDIO TODAY?	YES
EXERCISE	Biking
DURATION	28:40 (3.28 miles)
LENGTH OF WORKOUT:	1 hour
WEIGHT:	65 lbs
LOCATION:	Home
MOOD WHEN STARTING:	Didn't want to do cardio this morning, but I did it anyway. Felt much better about working out when it came time to do my weight training.

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	15x12	15x12	15x12
Barbell Squat: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	15x12	15x12	15x12
Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	5x12	5x12	5x12
DB Seated One-Leg Calf Raise: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	20x12	20x12	20x12
Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 8-12 reps	10x12	10x12	10x12
Reverse Crunch: 3 sets of 10-15 reps	15	15	15
Superman: 3 sets of 10-15 reps	15	15	15

TRAINING, NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENT NOTES:

Today went really well. I'm exhausted yet energized! YAY for exercise highs! I had a hard time with the ab work because my abs still hurt from Wednesday's workout. I wanted to give up while doing Superman. Funny, it's the "easiest" of all the exercises for the day but mentally the hardest. However,  I DID IT! I completed WEEK 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How I kicked my own butt....

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So, I've managed to keep my momentum since my last update. Monday I had to work in the office, but brought a healthy lunch and actually ate it instead of buying something. I even went with a lower calorie coffee from Starbucks. 

It's still early on, but I've managed to work out 3 days in a row. I've also managed something else "new". I've eaten only one bowl/plate of food and I haven't binged on anything. Again, I know, it's still early on, but I'm very proud of myself for the progress I've made so far. 

I decided to do cardio one day and weight training the next and keep alternating. Since, I went for a walk/jog on Sunday that meant Monday was a weight training day. As usual an obstacle came up to try and deter me from my path. I burned my left hand while making supper. It hurt so badly I was calling it quits, but my amazing husband went out to "get the paper" and came home with some burn cream. I watched House and then decided I could do my lower body weight training instead of the upper body training I'd had planned. 

My quads still hurt from these:

Dumbbell Squats (Q) with two 5 lbs weights 4x12

Dumbbell Sumo Squats (Q) with one 10 lbs weight 4x12

These exercises are so simple, yet very difficult:

Dumbbell Lunges (H) with two 5 lbs weights 4x12

Straight-leg Dead Lifts (H) with two 5 lbs weights 4x12

I already have fairly strong calves so I didn't do as many sets on my calves:

Standing Calf Raises (C) 2x12

One Leg Calf Raises (C) L-1x12 R-1x12

We had a family crisis at the end of my workout so I didn't do more, although I'm not sure I could have managed more my first time out. I did something right since my abs hurt today:

Crunches (A) 3x12

Bent Knee Leg Raises (A) 2x12

After my workout and my family crisis was over I laid down on the couch and promptly passed out cold. I woke up at 2:30 am and went to bed. It was the best sleep I've had in a long time.

Today's workout was supposed to be walk/jog again but it snowed here in Ottawa which later turned to rain. I considered going outside anyway, but looked up heavy bag routines. I came across this 30-30-30 routine and boy did it kick my butt. 

The first 30 seconds you hit the heavy bag with regular speed. The second 3 seconds is the hardest because you have to be quick. You lift your knees and hit the bag while rotating around it. All this is done as quickly as possible and with your knees as high as possible. The last 30 seconds is knockout punches - hit the bag as hard as you can. Rest time in-between sets can vary anywhere from 1 minute to 15 seconds depending on the workout you're looking for. 

I used my Cardio Trainer App on my phone to determine the 30 seconds. I'm not sure how many full sets I did. When I grew too tired of keeping this up I improvised and went between the three types of heavy bag exercises as I could handle. I started to get really out of breath and a stitch in my side so I ran/walked forward 4 steps and backwards 4 steps. I kept the last but up for about 5 minutes. I lumped this in as aerobics and my total workout was about 20 minutes. 

Date:      Tuesday Apr.27, 2010 06:36 pm
Distance:      1.14 mi
Duration:      00:21:46
Exercise Type:      Aerobics

Right now I'm trying to focus on building a decent routine, one that is reasonable that I can stick to. I feel good about this fresh start, but I've said that before. Well, I'm off to bed - g'night. 

Day 2 - Completed

Good evening! Well, I didn't think I'd make it. Every time I decided that's it I'm going to go I procrastinated or something came up with the kids. Finally, Ben all but kicked me out of the house and told me to just go. So, I did and I feel so much better too! I was all grumpy before I went but now I feel great.

I ran for about 6 minutes total because my shins and feet were hurting badly. I`m going to have a look at New Balance this weekend to see if I can pick up a new pair of runners. I went to the New Balance website and did their Total Fit Test. I think I found a pair of shoes.The price is right and their pretty!!

Day 2: Here's your workout for today: Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up walk. Run 1/1 x 10. (Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, ten times, for a total of 20 minutes.) Finish with a 5-10 minute cool-down walk. This is the same workout you did yesterday, so you can definitely do it!

Trackname:
Date:	Wednesday Mar. 17, 2010 18:58 pm
Distance:	1.92 mi
Duration:	00:30:32
Exercise Type:	Running

Day 1 - Completed!

Completed Day 1: Let's Get Started

Today's run: Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up walk. Run 1/1 x 10. (Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, ten times, for a total of 20 minutes.) Finish up with a 5-10 minute cool-down walk. Remember to take it easy and don't worry about your pace at all.

Okay, so in reality I walked for 10, ran 1 minute, walked 1 minute for 10 minutes and then walked for the rest which ended up being another 17 minutes. My lower back really hurt, but I endured. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be able to do a little more. For now I'm just excited that I set out to get out there and I actually did it!

Trackname:	Day 1
Date:	Tuesday Mar. 16, 2010 15:46 pm
Distance:	2.4 mi
Duration:	00:37:29
Exercise Type:	Walking (with a little running)

Another Step Forward

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After all my running around yesterday and trying to get the kids to bed I did NOT want to go to the gym. I was so angry and frustrated that the boys wouldn't go to sleep. I feel guilty that my husband is home with the kids all day long and then he has to deal with them at night too. I decided not to go to the gym. Ben told me to just go anyway. I honestly wasn't going to go, but then a thought occurred to me: this is the exact reason why I fail every time I try to lose weight. I get frustrated or too tired and I basically give up.

So, I started my workout at 9 pm and worked out for an hour. I spent 20 minutes on the treadmill. I was angry so I kept walking faster then I'd set the speed for. So I kept to a very brisk walk and even ran a few times, granted not for long periods of time. I'm just so proud of myself for not falling into old traps and working hard. Of course, I felt so much better after my workout!

Cardio - Treadmill
20 minutes / 1.1 miles / 314 calories

Weight Training - Back/Biceps/Calves

Lateral Pull Down
1 warmup set 40 lbs 12 reps
3 sets 60 lbs 15 reps

Reverse Grip Lateral Pull Down

2 sets 60 lbs 15 reps

Alternate DB Bicep Curls
1 warmup set 5 lbs 12 reps
3 sets 7.5 lbs 15 reps

Alternate DB Hammer Curls
3 sets 7.5 lbs 15 reps

Standing Calf Press
1 warmup set 40 lbs 12
3 sets 60 lbs 15 reps

Cool Down 5 minutes Elliptical