Today I enjoyed an awesome Arms workout - yes, the guns: biceps and triceps :-D
I got my workout lineup from Bodybuilding.com and approached it as biceps first, followed by Triceps. The reason being that yesterday I read an article indicating that it's more sensible to do all exercises for one set of muscles (i.e. Biceps) and then switch to the other (Triceps) since they are antagonistic muscles and so exhausting one group leaves the other group in a weaker, less primed state to bear weight. Not that I subscribe 100% to this idea but I figured I'd give it a shot - why not!
Doing all biceps movements in sequence, and supersetting for the most part, effectively fatigues the muscle. I also noticed that doing one muscle group at a time allowed for greater focus and concentration on that muscle group since I wasn't switching back and forth from one mindset (muscle group) to another. It's actually pretty cool to feel that greater focus because you feel that you are really targeting it and working for its particular growth - like nursing a child, haha.
What motivated this particular post is the discovery that I am indeed getting stronger!!!
I know this without a shadow of a doubt because today I was able to belt out 4 sets, 10-12 reps of Triceps Pushups (hands shoulder width apart, targeting the triceps). I did each of the 4 sets with solid form!!! For me that is WOW. Exactly one year ago when I started focusing on weight training 100%, I could barely eek out 6-8 reps w/Narrow-Hand positioning - I felt quite weak in that particular move whereas I was stronger in the traditional pushup (wide hand placement). It was incredible and I could scarcely believe it were it not for the fact that it was me, moving up and down, efficiently and absolutely. Wow, it felt awesome :-)
It's incredibly uplifting and empowering to witness with your own eyes that you are changing for the better, improving, that you are transforming day by day and growing stronger.
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| That's me and how I felt at the gym after each set of Tri Pushups - Woo hoo!!! :-) Pat on my back :-D |
Also note that these are real pushups - no modifications. In fact, I've never performed modified pushups since I feel it's a movement to be done with integrity in order to really test your performance and reap its rewards. Best thing to do if you're starting out is to build up the volume. If you can only do 1-5 reps, then start there and build up gradually adding 1 extra push daily. Also, the body should be in a straight line, bum in line with back (not piking up towards the ceiling, which subsequently makes the move easier). If you're doing the Tri-Pushup, the elbows should be kept close to the waist and not pointing/bending outwards. The image below (lady in red) illustrates it really well.
The feeling of self-empowerment and growing stronger is irreplaceable. I guess the key is to be consistent, continue with your training, challenge your body with gradual progressions of heavier loads for all exercises. Sometimes we don't know what we are truly capable of, we don't push our limits and stay in a comfort zone assuming we're not "there" yet (to go heavier). Well, you won't get "there" if you don't try the heavier weight in the first place! I say this as a reminder to myself in large part because I've noticed that the one time I trained with a Personal Trainer in NYC (Legs) he was great and pushed me to heavier weights, which I thought I wasn't able to handle but which turned out to be challenging yet manageable. It showed me that I tend towards weights that don't truly test my capacity even when I am focused on going heavy...it's almost like I've designated a zone of maximum discomfort for myself. While it is indeed challenging, it doesn't reveal the greatest strength and highest capacity my resilient and strong body can withstand.
With this in mind, I have been approaching, and will continue to do so, training in the coming days are unique opportunities to try the heaviest weight I can handle and use it a baseline, and to retest this maximum weight (the well-know 1RM, rep max). It takes a lot of work, consistency and proper eating for women to gain lean mass - we don't just bulk up or build muscles as soon as we lift Dumbbells etc. We don't have the necessary amount of Testosterone to easily build such mass. Anyhow, point is, my goal is not the 'bulk up' but rather to grow stronger as I already am and to see more overall muscle definition as I go...Muscle definition can only come about by lowering body fat, which is the layer covering up our muscles and which shields any definition or cuts. And so, slowly, slowly, I will continue training by lifting as heavy as I can (using good form of course), and as importantly - Eating Well! I have personally experienced that one's physique is a result of how we eat and even minimal tweaks in a nutrition program can impact body development. Yes, as they say: a tone, muscular and fit body is 75-80% nutrition, and the rest from work in the gym.
It's a combined, multi-pronged effort and it easily becomes a lifestyle if you want to successfully achieve your particular fitness and/or physique goal(s).
All I know is that I'm having fun and really enjoying the training process.
My original goal was to reach 15% Body Fat, down from 25%...I reached 20% in August and I've continued training at a good pace and intensity since then. I haven't re-measured since August 22nd however I feel confident I'm on the right track by the way I feel and what I see in the mirror. Minor changes but they are changes nonetheless. Besides, I wholeheartedly accept that progress takes time and I am not employing any drastic diets or other extreme schemes. My thinking is that I want to be able to achieve the body of my dreams by eating in a sustainable manner - that I can see myself eating this way in 1 year, 5 yrs, and even 10yrs. So far, so good, and I feel satiated. I've discovered I love the taste of fats and protein, and not so much the starches - I can do without them however I intake healthy options like sweet potato, protein cakes/squares which I bake with coconut, amaranth, oat, and fava bean flour (this unusual one caught my attention and it tastes alright).
Eating nutritiously and with a workable nutrient split. As of this weekend daily macro-nutrient targets are:
- Higher protein = 155g
- Higher fat = 45-55g
- Carbs lower in consumption relatively speaking = 50g-75g per day, and aiming for no more than 25-35g Sugar daily.
Tomorrow is Legs and Chest, some abs, although I'd love to give my legs some more rest and hit them on Thursday. That's what I did the past two weeks, so maybe I should train them tomorrow to mix it up a bit to surprise my body. Variety is the spice of life!
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