Nutrition, Diet, and Exercise: Notes, Goals, and Resources (these people just keep talking about crossfit)

[JayKay PE]

AHHHH. Okay, @civilrobot. You're not eating breakfast, which would kill me since I'm going into the office everyday and running around with contractors. My breakfast is currently a protein shake w/ milk + coffee, so that's around 400 calories a day to just get me moving, but if I eliminated the protein shake (which I am planning soon) and switch with greek yogurt, I'll prob drop breakfast to around 250 calories. How is a fasting workout? I mostly do strength workouts (but they feel like cardio, since I'm huffing and puffing the whole time), so you doing like an hour of cardio a day amazes me! I do a little bit of walking to/from my gym, so I count that as my baby cardio.

Congrats on losing 20lb already! Great job! I only started trying to get fit/lose weight in Feb 2019 and quickly lost 40lbs and moved to Indiana in August 2019. Then covid hit, and things weren't great for around a year. I haven't lost any more weight since I started gym stuff again, but I also have not gained any more weight, so I'm counting it a win. I have lost some inches/things fit better, so I know my working out is "working" and I def feel way way more stronger and have seen/felt myself recovering faster and lifting higher weights! My plan now is to focus more on meal prep, less 'processed' foods (like, go to a restaurant where food quality is more important than quantity instead of fast food), and try to have a more balanced protein intake. I think I was flooding my system with too much protein too early in the day for lunch and instead of peeing it out my body was just converting it to fat. I agree that nutrition is more important! I just have to find more recipes instead of relying on frozen veggies and simple protein to add to it. But I love Normandy veg.

 

[squaretaper LIT AF PE]

My plan now is to focus more on meal prep

Yaasss! Good plan! I make composed meals (typically dinner) good for 2, maximum 3 days (any more than three days...things get gummy and then I don't want to eat it) for both me and LS if I know I'll be in the office. I should probably take more pictures and post 'em. Sometimes they turn out very appealing looking, if I may say. *brushes shoulder* Meal prep showdown! (mebbe cooking thread is better)

 

[JayKay PE]

Thursday and Saturday workout (I skipped Saturday because I didn't go to the morning class...and then I was too busy snuggling my cat):

Thursday strength was narrow grip bench press (3x10, got up to 83lbs), a ton of bicep curls and floor press and drag throughs. Not too bad. The conditioning wasn't that bad either, alternating 12 DB snatch + 12 cal row/bike with 12 goblet squats + 2 laps. I know I did 25lbs for the snatch, but I can't remember the squats. I might have done the blue kettlebell, though I am trying to use the yellow one more often.

Saturday strength was...thrusters. So many thrusters. 10 rounds of 6, EMOM. I foolishly chose 25lbs for this exercise and there were a ton of women at the class...so I couldn't go down, because the 20lbs and 15lbs were being shared among two pairs. So. 25lb thrusters for forever. Accessory was four rounds of chinups (first round AMAP, then -1 each round following), 10 toes to bar, and 10 RDLs. I started my RDLs using a gray kettlebell, then green, and then I finally just did the white and really felt it on that round. Conditioning was timed 30/:20) 12 rounds of the following: kettlebell swings, walking lunge while holding plate overhead, and row/bike/ski. I actually used the yellow kettlebell the whole time (yay me!), a 10kg for the walking lunge, and forced myself to do the ski machine one of the 4 rounds per exercise. It's still super weird to have new people start and I...can actually do the exercise? Like. I really don't think of myself as fit/capable of a lot of workouts, but when I'm able to do it...idk. I need to be more positive about my fitness levels, I guess?

 

[Supe]

Training session got canceled, rescheduled for this Friday instead.

 

[JayKay PE]

Training session got canceled, rescheduled for this Friday instead.

Was it cancelled by the trainer or you? How is your back feeling this week?

 

[Supe]

Was it cancelled by the trainer or you? How is your back feeling this week?

Trainer, last minute. MIL thought the neighbors were breaking into her house or something to that effect.

Back/butt/leg is super tight still, but I can at least bend over now without seeing stars.

 

[squaretaper LIT AF PE]

4 miles at lunch today. 9:30 pace (I never claimed to be fast, I'm *trying* to *get* fast) so slow, but it's also 90F and I'm hungry and probably a little dehydrated.

Edit: Homagah, PB&J is amaaaaaazing rn.

 

[JayKay PE]

Today strength was strict press + push press (6 rounds, 3 then 4). I actually got up to my PR for strict press! 73lbs! Not super high compared to the other girls, but I'm getting there! Then we did lots of arm stuff. And stupid plate push. And Other arm stuff I don't like.

 

[JayKay PE]

Tuesday was super crazy accessory workout bookended by fast deadlift and fast squats. It was all partner workouts, 50 total, so 25 each. I should have gone heavier on my deadlift, but there weren't any extra plates kicking around? So I only did bar +30kg. Still got a crazy workout because we were going so fast. Did the same weight (bar +30kg) for my squats. Which was much harder, because it was done after the super crazy accessory round that consisted of: 10 cal row/bike, 1 lap heavy sled push, 10 (5 each side) single arm dumbbell heavy clean + shoulders 2 overhead, 2 running laps, and 10 (5 each side) dumbbell walking lunges. It was a partner workout, so you would 'rest' while your partner was working. it was terrible. We were supposed to do 5 rounds, but the trainer let us do 4 instead so we'd have time to squat.

The whole workout felt much more 'cardio' than strength and I wanted to die.

 

[JayKay PE]

Forgot to update! Didn't go to the gym on Thursday, a co-worker needed a 'lets drink and complain' dinner, but I did go on Wednesday! We did 6 rounds of 3 for bench press. Got up to 107lbs! Yes! I might actually be able to bench one day! Did a bunch more arm work. I wanted to die during conditioning, it was 5 rounds of: 12 wall balls, 12 medicine ball step-ups, and 12 medicine ball sit-ups. I used the 16lb ball. I ******* hate wall ball, mostly because my arms were pretty much jelly by the end of class.

Interested to see what tonight's class will be like (I refuse to look at the workout before I get there).

 

[csb]

So I still can't talk about crossfit here but burpees, wall balls, lifting, and thrusters are all cool?

 

[JayKay PE]

So I still can't talk about crossfit here but burpees, wall balls, lifting, and thrusters are all cool?

Idk. I didn't make this a non-crossfit thread, but I'm not part of a crossfit gym. I thought this was the normal workout thread?

Please show me your sexy shins, thx.

 

[csb]

Yesterday I finally learned how to breathe with wall balls and it was a game-changer. I could rack out 15 no problem in the workout (we're in a deload week) and not feel lightheaded or completely gassed.

I took some time off from the gym to train for a half and I gotta say that strength training is an absolute must for me to feel good- both physically and mentally.

I also realized the other day that I can push press the same weight that I've been doing as split jerk, so I probably need to up that number. I might try to see what my from the rack 1RM is for split jerk tomorrow. My clean and jerk is at 95-lb or so and I'm pretty chuffed with that but breaking that 100-lb mark always feels good.

 

[JayKay PE]

Yesterday I finally learned how to breathe with wall balls and it was a game-changer. I could rack out 15 no problem in the workout (we're in a deload week) and not feel lightheaded or completely gassed.

Please tell me how to breath with wall balls. I can do around 6 to 8 at the start without dying, but it slowly peters down to like...3 in a row then I need to pause.

I don't think I've ever done a split jerk with the bar? We tend to keep to barbells with that type of stuff. BUT I ******* LOVE BREAKING 100 WITH ANY OF MY PRESSES. MAKES ME FEEL SUPER STRONG. ...even though I'm usually lifting the lowest amount out of everyone.

 

[Tiger15]

So I still can't talk about crossfit here but burpees, wall balls, lifting, and thrusters are all cool?

@JayKay PE is in denial that her workouts are crossfit workouts.

 

[JayKay PE]

@JayKay PE is in denial that her workouts are crossfit workouts.

Lol, not in denial, more like, the gym isn't a crossfit gym, so we may do the same movements/exercises, but I feel like with much less...zeal versus a crossfit gym.

I did not go to the gym on Friday. The reason? Friday is either a scheduled off day, or I get out of work an hour early. So. I got out of work an hour early, went home, did not immediately change into my workout clothes, and ended up falling asleep on the couch. *sigh*

I did go to the gym on Saturday! We did deadlift, 6 rounds of 5! I got up to 187lbs before I had to switch my grip. Topped out at 207lbs for the set of 5. I didn't max out; I was able to do the whole set unbroken, so Idk what that actually means with my deadlift. Lots of arm and leg banded stuff for the accessory. Conditioning...was not fun (is it ever?). Was 6 barbell thrusters, 8 burpees, 10 calories, AMRAP during 12 minutes. I've never done a barbell thruster before, so I was already going slow with that (I only did around 50lbs on that, and def was doing more of a squat+strict press than a thruster). The burpees weren't...bad. It's just that I can never catch my breath. Followed by calories on the rower. Since it was a loop, thrusters were after rowing, and I was...in pretty bad shape. Couldn't catch my breath, so my elbows def dropped during the thrusters.

Oh well. Just got to do better! I at least went and did the workout!

 

[Supe]

Had my Friday session with the gym owner. The first 20 minutes or so were basically me openly weeping while he rolled out my hamstrings and then pressed on a couple inner thigh muscles that hurt just to look at, never mind have a 275 lbs guy jabbing his thumbs into.

He then had me run through a series of squats and movements while he watched from several angles. Some single leg dumbbell RDL's, cossack squats, abductor band thingies, goblet squats off a platform, etc., looking for very specific form details - for some it was the ability to hip hinge, for others it was upright chest, several to see if the outside knee remained upright vs. caving in, etc.

End result is that some of the stuff I initially thought was super weak is actually pretty strong, but it's just in a constant state of fatigue from either never releasing, or for having to constantly over-perform because something else wasn't releasing. It was pretty bizarre, because after the manual manipulation and some exercises intended to get the muscles to repeatedly release and contract, the stuff that should get sore/tired didn't, but weird spots like the outside of the hip and small of the back started burning like crazy from fatigue.

So, game plan is to e-mail me a list of 10-15 minute warmups to do 4-5 days a week regardless of I'm lifting or not, and then for sure as a warmup for any day that isn't a press day. He thinks I can basically get back to "normal" after 8 weeks or so, i.e. able to go after something like a max effort deadlift without fear of the back freezing up again. He wants me to lift heavier than I was planning, but to do things like block pulls or reverse banded deadlift to just help lighten the load straight off the floor where the low back sees the most flexion if form breaks down even a tiny bit.

 

[JayKay PE]

@Supe I was going to ask about your Friday session, but when you didn't post I assumed you were curled up in a ball somewhere due to pain...and I was kinda right. Was it an hour long session? So a third of it was more of a PT session? It's great that you were able to pinpoint some muscles that weren't dying (and realize others were just super super tight).

I forgot to ask, are you still 'working out' as normal or are you getting back into it post-covid (that might be JP I'm thinking of)? Either way, the warmups will probably feel horrible the first week and then eventually start feeling better and better! I need to maybe start doing stretches or something after the gym...

My back feels like tight after deadlifts. Not my lower back, which, yay, means my form was correct, but like the sides of my back (makes no sense). I think I need to do more back/spine stretching or maybe finally start doing that youtube yoga I found...

 

[Supe]

Yep, hour long, about a third was PT. I am still getting back into post-COVID. Taking it very easy to get acclimated. Other than a brief attempt at contest prep last fall, I am more or less over a full year out of the gym at this point. From what I have "tested" so far, I've lost about 25% of my strength over that time for strict movements, even more for compound movements. As far as fatigue goes, that mostly-bodyweight 40 minute Friday assessment still has me feeling like I'm going to die today.

FWIW, when I was deadlifting on the heavy side every week pre-covid, it was my upper back/traps that were perpetually sore.

 

[JayKay PE]

So. Gym last night was painful. Not because of the exercises (I tried my best), but because my back was so super tight and literally every exercise last night required your back for stabilization. Strength was back squat + quarter, so full squat followed by a quarter squat. Only got up to 143 lbs for the backs quats. It was kinda hard because you couldn't do a pause between the regular squat and the quarter squat, and I def felt like I was going deeper than a quarter, and idk. Accessory round was literally every exercise I was bad at and/or made to hit the back area that was tight, meaning I was in so much pain from forcing the flexibility. Cossack squats + single leg RDL (I'm so bad at these) + side bends. Six each side/leg. I did a majority of the exercises with a pair of yellow kettlebells (instead of going lighter) I did the side bends first and my back immediately seized, but I wanted to push through. Was able to do 3 of the 4 sets okayish, but the last set I couldn't do the RDLs (even just by doing a normal kettlebell RDL vs. a single leg) and the kossack squats were a real push.

Conditioning round was 16 kettlebell swings + 1 lap of overhead carry with plate + 8 burpees + 1 lap of overhead carry with plate for 5 rounds. Overhead carry I grabbed a 15kg plate, which wasn't too bad. The burpees I modified so they didn't have the pushup (so a squat thrust with a jump at the end). I knew that if I attempted the pushups I wouldn't get back up, since I'm still learning how to do a pushup, and I've been trying to work on doing the jump back into plank position versus stepping back. I did do that all 5 rounds! The kettlebell swings...first 4 rounds were okay but the last round...I def was hinging more to try and relieve my back. I was dying at the end of class/my back was not happy and making it known. It was just weird because it wasn't...like my lower back? Not across the whole back, just the two little side pieces.

One of the trainers gave me a breathing/diaphragm exercise to do with my feet/calves on the box to help untighten my hamstrings, which did help a bit, but the thing that really helped me was going home, showering, taking an ibuprofen (which I should have done Sunday when I felt tight), and then using my super hot heating pad on and off for the next couple of hours. Back feels a looooooot better today, so I'm hoping I can get through gym tonight if work doesn't kill me.