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Back to a Plan

I've enjoyed the last month or so of not really following a workout plan and just kind of making it up week to week....But I do feel like I do better and have more fun with my training when I am following a plan and feel like I have a purpose, rather than just "winging it".

I like having a workout plan written out and sticking to it for 4-6 weeks, trying to get stronger on the exercises I've chosen week to week, and then switching up the exercises. It's easier for me to see if I'm progressing and getting stronger at a certain lift if I'm doing the same thing week to week rather than switching things up so often.

So... I'm going to go back to logging my workouts for a while and focusing on the heavy lifts(squat, dead, military press, bench press) and maybe get back into a powerlifting type program again. I can't help it, I just love the heavy weights more than anything else! It's good to take a break from it sometimes, but now I'm ready to get back into it.

I still want to do one day a week of CrossFit on Fridays just because I enjoy the challenge and the group atmosphere. It makes it a little harder to plan what my workouts earlier in the week will be, since I don't know what Friday's workout will consist of....but I think I can make it happen!

For the past few months, I haven't really had any specific goals with my training. I guess my main concern has been getting my back and hip healthy again, working on stretching and mobility, keeping the weights a little lighter, and just having fun with my training and not tracking every single thing. But I really like to have specific goals to strive towards. I have had a few goals that I have not reached yet that I'd like to start working on again such as:

100lb overhead barbell press(current PR is 95)
Twice bodyweight deadlift(that now seems so far off!)
Bodyweight bench press x5(currently at 120x3, few lbs less than bodyweight)

My focus is going to be on upper body strength and lower body muscle building. The past few days I have felt like my legs are so puny. I am so self conscious of them, even though I've built them up a lot. I've found a few tips for increasing muscle mass in my legs that I'm going to be incorporating that I'll discuss in a later post!

Comments

  1. I cannot wait to hear those tips on building leg muscle mass! I feel like my legs take FOREVER to show progress...it gets so frustrating!!

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  2. I am working on increasing my upper body strength. I hate how weak my upper body is compared to my lower. My lower half maintains strength pretty easily. Fun story about a 2x body weight deadlift. My first time deadlifting 2x my bodyweight was in a powerlifting competition. My trainer picked my final weight of my 3 attempts ad didn't tell me what it was. He just told me to lift it...and I did! That weight is still my PR! It is such a great feeling!!

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    Replies
    1. That's awesome! I've come close to getting twice my bodyweight(within 5 or so lbs), but since then I've had to back off on the deadlifts. I can't wait to get started towards that goal again!

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  3. I have no trouble building mass in my lower body, but my upper body is so weak in comparison! I've really built up my chest strength, but my shoulders have a long way to go. I always do much better following a plan rather than winging it, purely for the fact that I'm always trying to increase my weights from the previous week!

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    Replies
    1. shoulders are tough to build up. I am still wanting mine to get a little fuller!
      I really enjoy following a plan and focusing on getting stronger, but I did get to a point in my training where the focus was too much on getting PRs and not having fun with it! But now I'm ready to get back into it!

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    2. A girl that won her pro card last year trains at my gym. She said she did an "operation shoulders" a couple years ago and trained shoulders 3x a week and they are amazing now!! I'm thinking about adopting this this coming fall!

      Body weight bench press is so hard!!

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    3. Hmmm...I may have to try that! I train them twice a week now, so maybe an extra day would do the trick!

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  4. Great to refocus and look at your goals! I've been really self-motivated to move without a plan or goal (I'm not sure if I'm really a "goal-oriented person" by nature) but I'm starting to shift to wanting a plan to see progress. I'm fit but not as lean as I have been or would like to be and have lost muscle definition recently. Is there a basic plan or website you might be able to direct me to to help me get started? I'm consistent with workouts but what I do ranges and changes daily and I feel ready to commit over the next few months to something solid! Thanks for your time, Lindsay!

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    Replies
    1. I would recommend a basic strength training program that you stick with for at least 6 weeks, lifting heavy and focusing on getting stronger. Here are a couple of sample programs that you can start with:

      http://www.jcdfitness.com/jcdfitness-beginners-muscle-building-routine/

      http://www.niashanks.com/2012/05/minimum-training-maximum-results-sample-workout/

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    2. Great! I will definitely check them out; thank you for your note and quick reply! :D

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