Quickie

Squeezed in a simple workout on Friday when I should have been prepping for our road trip to Toronto.

Five rounds:
1 min hard row
10/leg raised-leg split squats
12 push-ups (from the knees)

Followed by three sets of 20 v-sit lateral ball touches (3 kg ball).

Still was able to hit the road straight from nursery school pick-up! Excellent weekend with Susan, Paul, and the girls. Tim didn't whine once during either 5-hour car ride. The only downside was that S&P always serve up an excellent selection of beer and wine, and I was unable to partake. Boo.

Ugh, more rowing

I have no recourse: the weather is totally shitty (too awful to consider even walking to nursery school, let alone running outdoors), and I have no access to a treadmill.

So, rowing it is. And a few other things.

Row: 10+ minutes (about 2 km)

Four rounds:
10 bench dips (feet on the ball)
9/arm bent-over rows, 30 lb
30 v-sit ball tosses, 3 kg ball

Row 5 minutes (about 1 km)

And I really did tweak my knee after a million rounds of Ring Around the Rosy last night. Nothing serious (twinges a little on the stairs, should be good by tomorrow), but I avoided squatty-type things today. With the extra weight and proportions, getting up off the floor a dozen times in a row counts as a set of Turkish get-ups.

Another day, another circuit

Once again, reused from 21 weeks. What is with these circuits I was doing? They are better workouts than anything I've been doing the past six months. Oh well, better late than never.

Four rounds:

2 minute row (about 400m)
12 thrusters - 45 lb
15 good mornings - 45 lb
15/leg step-ups

Finished with 5 minutes easy rowing (about 1000 m).

My sweetie is off to China for nearly two weeks. It will be a tiring time for both of us (for different reasons), but it will be much easier than last time, when I was totally sick and parked Tim in front of the TV for hours while I lay fetal on the floor until blessed bedtime. That sucked.

Intensity

Is it cheating to be pulling out old 21 week workouts when I'm only 20 weeks pregnant? My excuse is that the 2nd time around, you get bigger sooner, so I'm definitely 21 week size, relative to my primigravida state!

So, this workout was more intense that usual. I was more red-faced, sweaty and out of breath than I have been, and I blame it on the workout, not me. Which is good, because I need to ramp things up!

Again, mostly heavier than last time, because of a limited barbell selection...

Four rounds:

Row 500 m*
15 sumo deadlift high-pulls - 45#
15/leg split squats - 20# (10# dbs)
15 push-presses - 45#

*As hard as I could sustain - my eyes were closed and teeth clenced for the 2nd half of each row.

The circuit took about 30 minutes altogether. Also, I don't think I'll be able to do SDHP's next week! Already had compromise form to get past the belly...

Hi rep circuit

Drawing on previously-planned preggo workouts is really working for me. Definitely helps with motivating myself to head down to the basement when the most I have to think about is how to adapt a workout from the well-equipped Nautilus (where I used to work out), to my still-pretty-good-for-a-home-gym basement.

Today's workout brought to you by November 14, 2008.

Four rounds:
Row 500 m (more specifically "row hard for 2:25 min")
15 presses - 15# dbs
15 squats - 45#
15 good mornings - 45#

Followed by:
V-sit ball tosses - 4 sets of 30 (did laundry between sets)
(Skipped the push-ups because of painful DOMS from Sunday's bench push-ups.)

Yesterday, we went for the standard 2nd trimester ultrasound. It's so exciting to see the little runt on the big screen! What we saw was very reassuring: big, healthy, proportionate (maybe the femurs were a little long, Kelly-style), and adorable. And you'll notice that I've updated the colour of this blog appropriately. ;-)

Let's do this again!

I kind of left this hanging three years back... In a nutshell: I had to wait five more days for the arrival of young Timothy. I didn't go back to the gym during that time; just walked and walked and walked. Tim arrived quickly, easily (by which I mean uncomplicatedly), and healthily. He remains the healthiest kid I know. (Also the tallest and best climber.) He likes to work out too.

Now, we're expecting again. I'm not in as good a shape as last time -- parenthood kind of cuts into your leisure time -- but I've continued to lift a little weight, jog 5-7 km somewhat regularly, and play frisbee. (Last game of the winter season was last week: ie: 13 weeks pg.)

My goal is to maintain as best I can by doing a workout at least three times a week (like last time), and trying to stay active on other days. Having a three-year-old helps with that last one.

So. Here was my first workout at 15 weeks:

A circuit. Five rounds of:

Row 2:20 min (about 500 m)
10 deadlifts (105 lbs) (I whipped through these, lots of grunting!)
5/arm single-arm db presses (25 lbs)
= 28 minutes

I'll also do a weigh-in, to track my pregnancy weight gain. Because that's so much fun! Weigh-ins will coincide with Dr. visits, because I don't have a scale, or a gym!

Baseline (December 13 - 1 day pregnant) = 135 lb
January 16 (10 weeks) = 136 lb

And, I'm a little behind on my check-ups, so I'm in suspense as to how much I've gone up. But I'm about a month ahead of where I was last time in terms of "showing" -- although only 3.5 months, I am very obviously preggo. This is gonna get messy...

Bodyweight helps to avoid contractions

I had a great workout today! As in, it felt really good. I wasn't even going to go -- I thought I might go for a walk instead -- because all last evening and through the night I experienced fairly continuous contractions. Which aren't uncomfortable per se, but they make it uncomfortable to move much (and can also be a sign of "overdoing it"). So I played it by ear today, and just rested for most of the day. By the afternoon, I realized I felt fine and hadn't been contracting, so I decided to head to the gym for a gentle bodyweight workout. I find bodyweight workouts can still be really intensive, because I tend to push through the reps quickly. I also mixed things up by starting with a hill-walk.

Walking - 1/2 mile @ 3 mph/12% grade (10 minutes)

3 rounds:
Row - 500m (2:22, 2:24, 2:35 min)
18 push-ups - knees on bench, hands on dbs (20 on the last set)
40 squats

I had a contraction during the last rowing set, so had to go a little slower. Those squats are HARD! I can do the first 20 at a good steady pace, but during the second half of the set I have to pause for about 3 breaths after every 5 reps or so. I can do the push-ups without a break (and at a good pace). I try to touch my forehead or belly to the floor on each rep. Whichever touches first!

According to my sources, increased contractions are normal for this point in pregnancy. The ole uterus is just getting warmed up for the big show!

Weigh-in: 155. Expecting the chocolate pudding to show up at any time.

I'm writing this immediately after returning home from the gym/grocery store. It feels like the baby thinks we're still at the gym, and is doing a few more sets...

Not even Rage Against the Machine could save this workout

I must remember that there have been good days and bad days throughout. And I will continue to have good days ... I will remember this on days like today, when I think this out "working out" thing must be drawing to a close, that I'm too big, and have no energy left. When I can't imagine dragging myself another step...

On my way to the gym today, I almost convinced myself to bypass it entirely, get the groceries, go home, and go to bed. I was tired. Despite the big sleep-in this morning. But I kept going, and managed this circuit:

4 rounds:
Row - 500 m (2:50, 2:43, 2:38, 2:32 -- slow because tired, but at least I improved!)
Push-ups* - 25, 20, 18, 18
15 RDLS - 50, 60, 65 lbs (I only did 3 rounds; my hands and back were toast)

* I have a new and improved method for pregnant push-ups: knees on a step bench, hands on 10 lb dbs (gives extra inches and takes some strain off the wrists), lower myself 'til my belly touches the floor (resulting in an elbow bend of much further than 90 degrees). These are considerably harder than the regular girlie push-ups -- as the numbers show. (The 1st set was done without the dbs and my belly didn't quite touch, so I was able to do a few extra.)

Weigh-in: 157. The extra weight is water, and it's all in my hands. That's what it feels like, anyway. Yuck.

High reps again, plus push-ups!

Another high-rep/bodyweight day. I feel like I've grown exponentially in the past week, so this continues to be a great workout:

3 rounds:
500 m row (2:25 min)
40 squats
15 lat pulls (70 lb)
10/leg calf presses (standing, single leg)

Finished with:
1500 m row (8:10 min)
5 full-length push-ups!! (yes, my belly touches when elbows hit 90 degrees)
Plank - 35 sec (but this was after the push-ups)

I am going to look shit-hot in a tank top this summer. Even if said tank top is milk-stained...

Variation on a theme

I feel like I've grown a lot all of sudden, and am starting to feel a little... awkward. My range of motion while rowing has suddenly diminished -- I can't really lean forward or back, just move my legs and arms in an out. So each row is shorter. I'm trying to focus on pulling really hard to my chest, while squeezing my shoulder blades together. No idea if this is a good idea, but I want to get as much back workout out of the rowing as possible.

Anyway, the circuit today was similar to the last, but with some weight. And an extra set. And now I am very tired and need a nap. Am consider making pizza for supper instead of the more energy-intensive meatloaf.

4 rounds:
500 m row (2:28 min, quite consistently)
9, 8, 7, 7 presses (55 lb)
14 walking lunges (30 lb, except first "tester" set - 25 lb/16 rep)

Finished with:
12 presses @ 40 lb
1000 m row (steady - 5:20 min)

No ab-specific stuff. Everything feels ab-heavy these days!

I was thrilled to feel no discomfort on the lunges. Taking time off from exercises that were hard on the pelvis has work. Of course now, I'll probably have to wait another 3 weeks to do lunges again.

Weigh-in: 154. I'm supposed to be gaining like a pound a week as the baby packs it on. There hasn't been much (if any) change in the past month, so I'm not sure what will happen. Curious.

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!

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.)

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. :-)

Carbo crash

I had to go to the midwifery clinic first thing this morning to do a blood test for gestational diabetes. (My mother had it when she was pregnant with me, so that is enough of a risk factor for me to get the test.)

First, I had to fast for 8 hours (thus the 9 AM appointment -- I got up and went without coffee or breakfast.) She takes a blood sample, then I drink 75 g of glucose (!) in the form of an orange crush-type drink. An hour later, she takes another blood sample; an hour after that, yet another. The first hour, I felt quite ill -- nauseous after all that sugar on an empty tummy. Then I just felt hungry. It was hell.

At last it was over, and I ate (inhaled) some nuts and half a peanut butter sandwich in the car. On the way to the gym. The first couple rounds of the circuit were great. Then the true hunger kicked in, and I struggled. Anyway, I managed to eke out:

4 rounds of

500m row*
25 push-ups
15 RDLs - 65 lb
15 step ups - per leg (I do one leg at a time, leading)

* I was sure I wasn't going to do the 4th set; I couldn't face the slog of the row. Someone was on the erg when I came up for #4, so I skipped it, and went straight to the push-ups.

I replaced the missing row set with a 1/2 mile uphill walk (3.3 mph, 10% grade, @ 9 minutes). Ultimately more work than originally planned, so that is good.

At home, the ensuing avocado and cheese sandwich barely saw the light of day.

Better than walking

I've been borrowing Ken's shorts the past few weeks, but they look, quite frankly, ridiculous on me. I finally dug up some old frisbee shorts (inherited; shiny black #12's) that are just perfect - they fit, but are baggy in a way that looks purposeful. They went a long way towards making me feel great at the gym today. However, I'm starting to feel like people (I spent most of the time in the free weight area of the gym, surrounded by big muscly fellas) are starting to stare. I'm sure it's my imagination.

4 rounds
14 walking lunges - 35# barbell
15 db swings - 25#
12 seated rows - 60# (last set = 75 lb x 7 slow reps)

Plus:
Press - 40# x 11, 7, 5
V-sit ball tosses - 40, 40

Weigh-in: 148.

I can't believe I have more than 3 more months. I'm going to be enormous.

Sleepy McNapperson

I feel like just about every other workout I'm tired. Today was the "other" workout. Fighting a cold, and not sleeping well lately. Sleeping on my side is a necessity as my belly is too big to fit underneath me (I'm traditionally a stomach-sleeper), and on my back is uncomfortable after awhile (weight of the fetus compresses the vein that returns blood to the heart -- I can feel my heart start to pound when I lie on my back long enough -- yuck). By side sleeping suck, hurts my hips, and I have to roll over frequently, which is increasingly difficult as the belly is of a size that now needs to be hoisted. Ugh.

Whining aside, I did manage to eke out a half-decent circuit today:

4 rounds of
500 m row (about 2:25 min per set)
25 push-ups (knees down)
15 good mornings (45 lb bar)
15 steps ups (per leg)

It took about half an hour; I felt like I worked hard (as evidenced by the hot and sweaty red face). Then I staggered home with my eyes-half closed. A pre-dinner nap awaits.