As I write this I’m on a massive adrenaline rush from 1. Not enough sleep 2. The Grande Starbucks coffee I had before the gym and 3. Hitting some sweet personal records at the gym today.
I took a rest day yesterday and ended up staying up way too late talking and texting some friends while drinking some red wine (some well-deserved red wine I might add), so when my alarm went off at 5:15 this morning, I wanted to cry. I must confess that I shut my alarm off and set a new one for 7:15 when I’d have to start getting ready for work…and then I laid in bed. At this point I began a mental battle with myself that went something like this:
Emily, you didn’t go to the gym yesterday, so get your butt in gear. But maybe I could squeeze in a gym sesh after work and before my 7:30 meeting tonight with a client. Yeah right, you’re not going to have time, plus by then you’re not gonna feel like going, so get your booty out of this bed right now missy! Uhhh but I don’t waaaannnnna…my bed is warm and I’m tiiiiirrrreeeedddd. Oh stop it you little nancy…you can go to bed early tonight, and you know you’ll feel better after you go. You have a point there…but I’m still tireddddd. If you get up right this minute you can stop at Starbucks on the way and grab a coffee. Okay, deal. I’m getting up!
Haha this little convo lasted about 15 minutes, so I was out the door at 5:40 and at the gym by 5:50, coffee in hand. When I saw all the other diehards that got their butts out of bed early too, I was glad I’d done the same.
After 30 minutes on the elliptical (incline 9/ resistance 9), I went over do a circuit of seated leg extensions and curls. I alternate sets on the two machines, going back and forth on them until I do 3 or 4 sets of each. It’s kind of being a machine hog, but at 6:30am I can get away with it.
In the past, the most I’d ever attempted was 70 lbs on both, so today, my sets went:
15 reps @ 55 lbs
15 reps @ 70 lbs
15 reps @ 80 lbs
5 reps @ 90 lbs
Awesomeness!
From there I went over to the standing glute kickback machine. On Saturday I was able to do clear 2 reps on each leg at 120 lbs, so today I was aiming for a little more. I alternate legs so each set includes x number of reps on the right leg followed by the same number of reps on the left leg. My sets went:
15 reps @ 75 lbs
15 reps @ 90 lbs
10 reps @ 115 lbs
5 reps @ 130 lbs
Wheeeeee!
Next, I marched upstairs to do some deadlifts (which sometimes I do with back, but sometimes with legs, depending on how I feel). In the past, I’d always done them with dumbbells and the most weight I’ve ever used is 50 lbs, but I wanted to graduate to using a bar. Since I was on a friggin’ endorphin and caffeine rush at this point, I decided to start with a weight that would be challenging but realistic (I didn’t want to start lifting like a nut and hurt myself of course)…so here’s how the sets went:
15 reps @ 70 lbs
15 reps @ 80 lbs
15 reps @ 90 lbs
At this point I was coming out of my skin with excitement because I found these challenging, but not as much as I thought. There were a couple of guys doing biceps and shoulders near me and as I was basking in my glory one of them says to me: “Wow, you’re pretty strong! Not like ‘for a girl’ either…like just STRONG!” That felt awesome to hear! And I told them both that before today, I’d only used 50 lb dumbbells and wanted to see what I could lift if I actually pushed myself. I told them I just wanted to see if I could do at least 1 rep at 100 lbs (cuz at this point I was feeling a little fatigued and didn’t want to overdo it) and they were cheering me on like “Yeah, you can do it!!” So I picked up the 100 lb bar and to my surprise, I knocked out:
5 reps @ 100 lbs!
This isn’t actually THAT much, in terms of weight lifting strength standards (according to ExRx.net, an untrained woman of my weight should be able to do 70 lbs, a novice – 130 lbs, and intermediate – 150 lbs)…And by definition: Untrained = An individual who has not trained on the exercises before but can perform them correctly. Novice= An individual who has trained regularly for up to several months. Intermediate = An individual who has trained regularly for up to a couple years. But considering that I’m relatively new to strength training (about a month), I’m happy to be halfway to novice…plus now I have some higher goals for the next month!
I practically skipped over to the mat to finish up with some kettlebell swings (which I’ve only recently started doing, but love them for the combo cardio/strength training they provide):
15 reps @ 20 lbs
15 reps @ 20 lbs
15 reps @ 25 lbs
At this point I was both high on endorphins and fatigued like I’d just been in a competition (which I was, with myself! And I think I won! Haha). Before I left the gym I scribbled down my numbers on the back of a class schedule sheet because I knew I wanted to write a post about it and share it with you all!
I’m amazed at how much more I can do and how much better I feel when I focus on strength and setting goals around health and getting stronger rather than on losing or maintaining weight. And if these posts and inspire even a single one of you to push yourself just a little harder, get out of bed a little earlier to make your health a priority, or to just set some new goals for yourself (in or out of the gym), then that makes me feel awesome 🙂
Time for a second cup of coffee 😉
When I need to push myself, I think of all those nicely polished trophies waiting to be lifted up by the winner – and how that winner might be me. -Maria Sharapova
Ciao for now!
-E
Healthy Happy Fashionista 