Bodyweight plus baby

In an attempt to "take it easy" today, I decided to do a bodyweight circuit. It turned into a great and quite intense met-con workout, not unlike the 400 m dashes of yore. I might do this more often.

3 rounds:
500 m row (2:24, 2:20, 2:22)
40 squats (Ouch. I can really feel those extra 25 lbs!)
Max rep push-ups (37, 35, 35)

Finished with:
1500 m row (8:05 - averaged 2:40/500m)
Plank - 50 sec

Then some shoveling back at the ranch. Now I'm going to nap.

Still at 152 lbs. Really, I should gain some weight.

I will assume this is just a phase

I had a kind of crappy workout today. Not necessarily feeling tired, but my belly didn't seem to be cooperating. It seemed that whatever I tried, it felt twingy, or it contracted. No big discomfort, but enough that I felt like pushing it (or continuing, in some cases) would not be a good idea. Anyway, I managed the following:

3 rounds:
Row 700 m (walk 1/4 mile @ 3.3 mph, 10% grade)(walk 1/5 mile @ 3 mph, 10%)
30 push-ups*
15 db swings (20 lbs -- this is 5 lb less than usual)

*First set I tried with knees on the ball, hands on the floor. I managed 15, but it was really uncomfortable, so I did another 15 on the floor. Belly's not too much in the way.

Then:
Squats - 45 x 15, 12
DB presses - 40 x 8, 6

Weigh-in: 153. Progress at last!

In which I destroy my wrists

Not really, but there were flex-wrinkles on my wrists for an hour after this workout, and my hands were like little claws.

Squats - 65 x 12, 12, 12, 10
Lat pulls (chin-up grip) - 105 x 12, 8, 6, 6
Presses - 40 x 12, 60 x 4, 3, 3 (Yee haw! How's that for a PB?)
DB presses - 20 dbs x 8
RDLs - 70 x 10, 10, 10
Bench dips (feet on a ball) - 10, 7, 7
Knee tucks on the ball - 3, 3, 10, 10 (I can't believe I can do these! Today was easier than the last workout, after a few tries...)
Row - 1500 m/8:20 min

New ditties by Rage Against the Machine and White Zombie on the Shuffle sure helped with the big weights today.

Weigh-in: Still 152...

Short, sweet and to the point

I don't think I did more or less than in any average workout, but it all felt very... efficient today. I felt strong, nobody got in my way, and I just whipped through my sets like nobody's business. Plus, I improved my presses just a little bit more.

Row - 1000m/4:53 min (I was trying really hard for sub-5 on this. It was challenging.)

Bent-over rows - 25 lb db x 12, 10, 10, 10 (per arm)
Squats - 65 x 10, 10, 10, 10 (keeping my feet closer together on these makes them harder)
Presses - 55 x 8, 6, 6, 6 (I believe that last time was something like 7, 6, 4)

(I alternated the sets of squats and presses, with minimal break in between -- just walking the length of the gym -- so that may have added to the perceived efficiency.)

Row - 1000m/5:23 (nice and easy, on purpose)

Ball tucks - 12 (you know, hands on the floor, feet on the ball, tuck knees to chest. These were HARD!)

Plank - 50 seconds

I've decided to try to work in exercises I can do bent over or belly-to-the-floor (like the rows, the planks, ball tucks, push-ups), and avoid stuff that puts me leaning back (incline presses, v-sit ball tosses). The baby is going to start to move into a head-down position starting any time, and there's a better chance of him landing in an anterior position (he should be facing my spine) if I avoid back time, and spend some time on my hands and knees. Oh shush. It's true.

Home stretch territory

I think that at 30 weeks pregnant, we cannot discount the walk to the gym as part of my workouts. It's a km each way, and between the snow and tricky hips, it's starting to feel like... well, not nothin'. Also, pregnancy may be known to beget princess-like behaviour. (AKA Big Wimp Syndrome.)

But after the arduous walk (in the extremely lovely winter weather, and I'm not even being sarcastic about that), I managed to eke out a circuit:

4 rounds:
500 m row*
12 thrusters - 40 lb
10, 7, 6, 6 lat pulls (chin-up grip) - 105 lb
15 good mornings - 50 lb

Plus 10, 7, 6 bench dips at the end of it all. Which are starting to hurt my wrists. Damn 151 lbs of body weight!

* Last set was usurped when someone else hopped on the erg. I subbed in a walk on the treadmill (after completing the 4th round of weight stuff) -- 1/2 mile on a 10% grade, but only at 3 mph. Anything faster and I experienced superfun shooting pain.

Then I came home and did some shoveling.

Also, 30 weeks! Starting to feel like home stretch territory. (I'm already starting to think of training goals for summer/fall.)

And even the best laid plans...

May not work out, if there is a line-up for the single squat rack. Ah well. I made do.

Rowing - 1500m/7:40 min

Incline chest press - 55 x 12, 11, 9, 7
Calf press - 250 x 10, 9, 9
RDLs - 60 x 15, 65 x 12, 12
[Presses - 55 x 5... just killing time]
Squats (sans rack) - 55 x 12, 12, 10, 45 x 15

Rowing - 1000m/5:20 min

Full plank - 60 count (a minute give or take; I suspect a little more - I tried to count slow!)

Weigh-in: still hovering around 151/152

I'm definitely finding that moving is the key to minimizing the swelling! The last while, I'll feel swollen in the hands and feet in the morning or evening -- if I exercise, it goes away (or at least abates), if I don't, it gets worse.

Also, I'm definitely starting to get strange/obvious glances from others at the gym. Weird enough that I'm usually the only girl in the weight room -- now I'm a freakishly distended girl in the weight room! Though I suspect that the glances I get in the change room have more to do with my mint green long johns than my burgeoning belly.

What happens without a plan

I found some pants that were big enough to accommodate long johns, and braved the -20 degree weather to get to the gym. I didn't have a plan, and my vague notion of a circuit starting with rowing was squelched by the rare wonder of someone else on the erg. So I wandered through this mixed-bag:

Alternating sets:
Walking lunges - 25 lb x 12, 12, 12
Push-ups - 30, 25, 25

Sumo deadlifts - 55 lb x 12, 12, 12

Alternating sets:
Good mornings - 45 lb x 12, 12, 12
Presses - 45 x 8, 7, 6 (I did these just to kill time between GM sets, since I was already holding the bar.)

Rowing - 2000 m/10:20 min

V-sit ball tosses - 50, 50

The presses weren't a fluke

But I may have put my back out, or strained it a tiny bit, thanks to heavy presses and back extensions. My fingers are crossed, but it feels like I'm stiffening up pretty good. Which will no doubt add excitement to my increasingly awkward sleeping adventures. (Er, not to mention walking.)

Anyway, I'll reflect back on more joyous times -- today's workout.

Bookending the workout - 1000m row (5:15 and 5:30 min respectively)

Presses - 55 x 7, 5, 5
Lat pulls* - 82.5 x 10, 90 x 6, 6
Squats - 65 x 10, 10, 10
Calf presses (seated, straight legs) - 250 x 8, 8, 10 (?)
Back extensions - 10, 10, 10
Bench dips - 10, 10

Finishers:
Squats - 45 x 15
Presses - 35 x 18

* I do the lat pulls with a narrow-ish grip (narrower, at least, than what I imagine a traditional lat pull to be). I'm trying to mimic a pull-up grip as much as possible.

I don't think I'm going to up my press weight; I'll just work on increasing the reps. Now's not the time for pushing things, and I could really feel the 55 lbs in my lower and mid back.

On the plus side, the pelvic discomfort seems to have improved in the last few days. Let's hope it lasts!

Weigh-in: 151.

Grip work, and back

A more focused circuit today, and the new year's busyness of the gym (or maybe it was late Friday afternoon busyness?) caused me to cut it a little short. But my forearms are bulging and fingers are tingling. Mostly because my hands are fairly wimpy. I allowed myself a pass on the 4th set of db swings and RDLs because both my hands and back were really feeling it. Also, the place got darn packed, and I couldn't be arsed to navigate the flying freeweights.

3 rounds:

500 m row (still keeping this under 2:30 min, just barely)
30 push-ups (assume from now on these are knees down!)
15 db swings, 25 lb (both hands)
15 RDLs, 65 lb*

Plus one bonus round:
500 m row
30 push-ups

V-sit ball tosses - 40, 40

* Actually only two sets because of crowd issues. Last set - 20 good mornings @ 45 lb.

It's true that when I do push-ups now I can only lower myself until my belly touches the ground. I did a few slowly today to see where that got me, and was pleased to see that I'm still going down to at least 90 degress (elbow bend). Pretty much the same form I've always used (I know that sticklers would have me go much lower. Whatever.) Soon though, I suspect that I'll need to change this, as the belly begins to impede. Push-ups between two benches? On a ball?

Weigh-in: 152. Wednesday I weighed in at 149, so I suspect I'm still hovering...

Get that though? 120 push-ups with an extra 20 pounds! I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get back to regular push-up form quickly postpartum. :-)

Kid-hoisting workout

All weights today, including a personal best. Seriously! I kicked butt on the presses, upping the weight to 55 lbs, more than I've been able to do before. And I was even able to follow that up with bench dips. I began with a focus on the back, then began to wander a bit... And kinda ended up doing a bit of everything.

(warm-up row: 1000 m/5:15 min)

sumo deadlifts - 50 x 10, 55 x 10, 10
seated rows - 85 x 8, 6, 6
lat pulls - 80 x 8, 7, 6
good mornings - 45 x 10, 12, 12
presses - 45 x10, 50 x6, 55 x4
squats - 45 x 20
bench dips - 10, 10, 7
partial crunches on the ball* - 12 (45 to 90 degree range)
v-sit ball tosses - 40, 40

I'm going to be sticking to lighter weight for exercises that require weight bearing through hip flexion (squats, DLs, etc). I'm a bit nervous about throwing things painfully out of whack. Not having a car, I do have to rely on being able to walk.

* I discovered accidentally that when I flex my abs really strongly (like when I'm laying down, and pull myself upright without using my arms or bending my legs), that my abdominal flexes into a shockingly triangular, astonishingly pointy shape. The muscle in the middle just pops right up, and everything squeezes in... It was quite frightening at first, but I'm getting used to it. :-)

Back to basics

I guess there'll be no posts for week 27... We went travelling over the Christmas vacation and came back to a weekend of company, so it's been about 9 days since I hit the gym.

Also, I am on the cusp of the 3rd trimester, and I've been experiencing some physical changes about the joints (especially hips and pelvis) that have made some movement -- particularly walking (and variations thereof) -- uncomfortable. Squatting seemed to be ok, but I wasn't sure how it would be with weight. I also wasn't sure how if other joints were affected.

So I started back with some basics, with slightly lighter weight than I'd been doing. And I stayed away from the treadmill.

Warm-up row: 1000m/5 minutes

Inclined chest press: 55 x 12, 9, 8
Calf press: 230 x 8, 8, 8 (a little more weight, but no joints involved!)
Squats: 45 x 12, 65 x 12, 10, 10
Press: 40 x 12, 8, 9

Rowing: 2500m/13 min (alternating easy/hard every 250 m)

Weigh-in: 150 (at last!) But not a shade more! (It was an afternoon weigh-in.)

I did some reading on symphysis pubis pain, and discovered a study published in the Physical Therapy Journal that indicated that ab/pelvic stability exercises were as effective as pelvic belts + same exercises for reducing the discomfort and functional disability caused by the pain. (Ie: pelvic belts did not further increase the benefit of exercises.) Handily, the study provided a description of the exercises (to be done x3/day) which help alleviate the pain.