Plateau and going backwards

Don't you just hate when you feel like you are sliding backwards from your goal instead of inching near it all the time. I suppose it is part of the process. Really struggling with the diet in terms of eating enough calories. Never thought that would be an issue LOL. I weigh 106 and my trainer keeps telling me I need to be about 115 to even think about walking on stage. I think that is what did it. It seems unreachable to me and I felt defeated. After bench and chest last night became really tired and managed to totally blow my diet with some lime flavored tortilla chips and later dark chocolate. Then I laid on the couch and slept; only to turn right around and go to bed. Sad and a fairly rare moment for myself. I am frustrated and now have to look at everything and regroup. I do keep a daily diary on everything I am doing. So this was the workout I did last night:

CHEST

Bench Press: Bar 45; 12; 85; 8, 95: 6; 105: 4
Incline Dumbbell Chest: 35: 8; 40: 6,6
Decline Chest on Smith: 50: 10; 70:6; 50: 6
Chest Cable FLyes: 30:12; 40: 6,6

TRICEPS
Overhead Dumbbell PRess: 35: 12; 40: 10, 10
Press Down with triangle grip: 90:12; 100: 10, 10
Cable Pull Backs: 30: 8, 8, 8

Tonight is a spin session as well as shoulders and biceps....... hopefully I can pull myself out of this!!!

Struggling with calories

I have had the busiest week at work and not much time to post my progress.... Getting ready to go out and run my 5 miles - so logging in 15 miles of running this week plus 1 hour session of spin. My hardest struggle seems to be getting the right number of calories. My trainer suggests 1,700. Even though I eat 6x a day, it is small meals and doesn't seem to hit the mark most days. Carbs are an issue for me in that, my body just turns them into fat (I am convinced). I have PCOS and wonder if that has anything to do it... and I am talking good carbs. I do better lean wise and just feeling wise with a Paleo Diet. I don't get tired. I don't get sluggish, but likely harder to grow. So, this is a dilemma!!! I have done some reading on the net and like anything else, there are two camps - those that say you need carbs to build muscle and those that say that is untrue. Not sure really....

I am getting stronger in many areas of my weight training and plateauing in others. Can't seem to progress in Dead Lifts. It might be because I hate them. Just not a strong point. Legs - love them, could do them all day long. I have been getting below parallel with my squats!!! So, here was my leg work out from last night:

Squats: 95: 12; 135; 10; 145; 6; then back to 125:10 (trainer states trying to prevent nervous system fatigue)

Straight Leg Deadlifts: 85:12; 105: 12, 12
Bar Lunges - 95: 8, 8, 8
Seated Calves: 95: 6, 6, 6
Leg Extensions: 100: 10; 120: 8, 8
Outer Thigh Machine: 140: 12; 160: 12; 180: 8
Inner Thigh Machine: 100: 10, 10, 10
Cable Hamstring Curls on Bench: 50: 8, 8, 8
Seated Leg Press: 320; 10; 340:8; 360: 6

Squatting 160 pounds

I am getting quantitatively better (and qualitatively) at squatting and this week was able to squat 160 pounds (with help on the last 3). Apparently this is only 15 pounds shy of the master's champion in my weight class. I have until October to get past 175 pounds. Knee wraps really do seem to help as they provide the extra spring to get back up out of the squat and they protect your knees. Of course, they are wrapped soooo tight that you can't feel your feet. So, hopefully I won't lose any toes to blood deprivation lol. I went up in weight this week on most of my leg work out:

Squats: 95: 12; 135: 10; 155 8; 160 4
Stiff Legged Deads: 85: 12; 105; 12, 12
Seated Calf Raise: 70: 8; 80; 8,8
Extensions: 105 10; 120; 8, 8
Outer Thigh: 120; 12; 140; 12; 160; 12
Inner Thigh: 100: 10, 10, 10
Bar Lunges: 95; 10; 105; 8, 8
Seated Leg Press: 320; 12; 340; 10; 360 8

Ran 15 miles total and did one spin class. Getting ready to do Body Pump today -- my birthday (don't even take the day off for that) - 48 years old. Didn't think I would actually lived this long! lol. My husband of 22 years says that he feels that I look the best that I ever have - which is really sweet because I feel like the hulk. What is even more impressive is that after years of going to the gym together and we each do our own thing, - he has finally asked me to train him and is doing power lifting with me as he wants to change his body also!! Have a great day all!!!!

Beverly International!!

The most exciting thing that is going on right now (besides my hulkish growth..lol) is that I am now a private distributor for the greatest bodybuilding and health company in the world - Beverly International!! I am working on my product catalog and going to be putting up a website,etc. The benefits of this are that I can provide anyone interested in high quality body building products for a much lower price! Yeah!!

This weekend, my husband and I were in Chicago for my graduation from med school. I had two strangers in one day come up to me and tell me I am in great shape and wonder what I do to get that way. One seemed disappointed when I said "lots of weight and diet." Everyone wants to know the secret to getting in shape, but very few actually want to walk the walk. I also had two 18 year old girls the other day say out loud to me "I want to look like that!" That floored me as I triple their age. So.. I guess progressing.

Benched last night. Having a difficult time really increasing weight- ended at around 105. Then progressed to dumbbell incline 35 pounds for 3 sets of 8; decline bench at the smith machine 40: 12; 90; 8; 100; 6. Ended it all with 3 sets of 30 pounds for cable flyes. I actually got my husband into doing bench and my work out last night - which is amazing as we have worked out in tandem - but doing different things for years. He wants to change his body now. I am proud.

That is all for now----- keep pumping!

Squatting 165 pounds!

So yesterday went to the gym sporting my new knee wraps - which are black and pink and I thought pretty good. My trainer stated that they were not sturdy enough, but we tried them anyway. Wrapping knees for powerlifting OMG it is sooo tight that you can't feel your feet. But - I have to say that it gives you that extra spring to get back up from your squat and it gives you a safer feeling that your knees won't blow out. I did my last set of squats at 165 - for 4 (with help). Which doesn't sound all that impressive until I say that my weight is around 105. Then finished the following leg workout:

Straight leg deadlifts: 85: 12 reps; 105: 12 reps; 125: 12 reps
Bar Lunges: 95 pounds for 3 sets of 8
Seated Calves: 70: 8; 80: 8, 8
Extensions: 100 pounds: 10 reps; 110: 8; 120: 8
Inner Thigh Machine: 100 pounds: 8, 8, 8
Outer Thigh Machine: 120; 12; 140: 12; 160; 12
Seated Leg Press: 320: 12; 340: 10; 360: 8

Not sore today amazingly.!!

Another very exciting thing happened: I am pleased to announce that I am a private distributor for Beverly International!! They have the world's best quality body building, weight loss, health supplements! So, stay tuned and if you are needing any good quality supplements at an affordable price - I'm your girl..... NOW.... off to Chicago!

Drudgery & Stuff

Good Morning...well I have been busy training hard and feeling nothing but large..LOL. I spent most of the weekend resting and relaxing to prevent overtraining syndrome.. YUCK.. Decided that I will do the power lifting meet on October 5th instead of the WBFF show- a decision which I am still struggling with. I am going to take the advice of waiting and building quality muscle and do a couple of shows next year. Not happy with the decision, but I will try... ANyway.. got my "singlet" which is what you have to wear during a meet. It is just a tight spandex suit (great :( )At least it is pink and black! I also got some pink/black knee wraps, etc. Might as well be color coordinated if I have to wear this shit..ha.

Began the week with a 5 mile run & then did chest. Bench pressed quite a bit on Monday - ending with 4 reps of 115 lbs. I then did decline bar, and dumbbell incline press 35 pounds. Yesterday I tried Hot Yoga for the first time.. Really liked it, but sweat like a stuffed pig!! That made me tired. So then I hit the gym and kind of tanked on deadlifting and back. I am still struggling with deadlifting from the floor, so we are practicing with varying degrees of being near the floor. Wasn't able to deadlift more than 135 pounds. My trainer seemed frustrated with me, which always makes me feel bad and I have to fall back on  - give me a break I am soon to be 48, 105 pounds and tired! Moved on to pulldowns at 60 pounds and rows at 60 pounds. Getting ready for another run of 5 miles before it rains today and gets incredibly hot and muggy....

can a runner be a body builder??

Missed a few days .... life just gets ahead of me or on top on me most of the time.... busy... So I have been looking into the issue of running vs being muscular... as my running is obviously being affected by gaining weight.... I feel like a big ass buffalo... There are two camps from research on this issue. The purist camp that says you can't build muscle and be a runner as running depletes your glycogen which is needed with your aminos to build muscle.. The second camp has a more moderate view stating, you can't be a marathon runner and expect to build muscle. However, you must eat more and never run the day after you do your leg work out. The gains will be slower but still possible.. Not sure what I think.... What do you all believe??? So to catch you up on training...Monday was chest/bench day. I increased my bench to 105 pounds last set could do 4. Tough. Finished with some incline dumbbells at 35 pounds and decline chest on the smith machine ending at 95.

Yesterday Shoulders:

DB Military Press 30: 12; 35 pounds 6, 6
Front Raises 20 pounds: 6,6,6
Side raises first 4 of the three sets @ 20 lbs and finishing each of the three sets at 15 pounds.

Today is back & deadlift days - plus some running this morning. As I said, I am finding it hard to clock a lot of miles some days due to perceived heaviness. very tough psychologically.