T Nation

Candy's Log

Powerful Women
#1

I believe I am finally ready to be committed- to a journal that is. After 3 plus years of keeping a paper log I have reached a place where more input would help me progress, a forum where feedback is possible will perhaps provide this benefit- I think?

My husband is underwhelmed by females and iron- other females that share my interest are few and never around on the same time frame at the gym, after years of enjoying T-Nation’s articles and forums from a quiet place, I decided to open my mouth- so that is how I ended up here.

A short back ground- I am 48, soon to be 49 year old female, 5â??8â?? at 154 to 156 lbs, on the bus and leaving the land of fertility. Weight training now for 3 years- but always had an active physical life. My diet is quite good; try to keep my macros at 40P, 30C, 30F, calories at 1800 to 2400 depending on my activity level for the day.

If I lost a few pounds I would not be sad- but I like to eat and be strong so I guess a nice cut look prolly is NOT in my realistic future.

#2

So onward we go, my training schedule is 3 or 4 times a week depending on time availability.

Cardio is my suck point. I confess, I hate it. Iâ??ve tried all the stupid machines, running, Tabata, complexes, I hate them all. My solution is to cut and split wood for an hour and a half 2 or more times a week. Failing that a ride on my sons mountain bike. I canâ??t get too worked up about it though, my resting HR is 49 to 62 depending on the time of day and my blood pressure keeps on being low/normal, around 62/105.

Gym today in the am consisted of the following-
Warm up for 10 mins on treadmill, 4.2 at #2 grade
Some sit ups, planks, and stretching for another 10 minutes

In the interest of time and boring reading I wonâ??t list all my warm ups, just my working sets.

Standing Military Press 65@ 3x5
Power Clean 85@ 3x4
Incline DB Press 35@ 3x5
Cable Push Down w/ V bar 90@ 3x5
BB Pull over 40@ 3x12 50@ 1x5

#3

Candy, its great that you started a log here…I’ll look forward to seeing what you’re up to!

At least splitting wood gets you something useful at the end of the cardio. :slight_smile:

#4

x2 on hating cardio.

ok, almost all of it. Dr. Clay Hyght says sex isn’t cardio. I’ll respectfully disagree, and silently (ha) pity his sex life.

I’ll be picking on you, too.

Hi.

#5

Yo, Candy, I started lifting when I was 50, and 5 years later, I’m still at it. I think it helped me breeze through menopause, not to mention increase my bone density a bit. Good luck to you.

#6


Your screen name reminds me of the old SNL Landshark skit.

Candygram???

#7

Thank you for your inputs ladies… they made me smile on a day that has been fer shit. Started out okay with some “bed cardio” then it went all to hell. Oh well. Yard chores and agravation, tomorrow is another day, thank God.

And YoMomma I see we are the same generation fer sure (or at least both old SNL watchers). I am Candy Gram and a land shark too boot. Subliminally prolly part of the reason I married a man with the last name Gram. Should have called my log knock,knock I guess.

Tomorrow will be better.

#8

Welcome!

#9

bed cardio?? sounds, erm, intriguing… lol

hope your day is going better today!

#10

howdy, Candy! Sorry to be so late peeking in and saying hello. I’ve been a bit preoccupied with my schedule and my husband’s as we have opposite work hours and still try to fit in training and everything else. But, HOORAY, he started school again this week, and will be starting a new job on campus that will enable him to have similar work hours to mine!

I am very very VERY lucky in that we have an awesome home gym setup that rivals most professional gyms. I am even luckier in that I have my very own live-in trainer (my hubby–we’ve been married six weeks now!) with 25+ years of powerlifting experience, and he is an AWESOME trainer, to boot. And we do quite a bit of “bed cardio” so that makes it all the more wonderful!! The only hard part, for me, is keeping my mind on business in the gym, because I find watchin him squatting, deadlifting, etc to be an enormous turn-on, and he has a “no hanky-panky in the gym” rule. Sigh. So unfair.

I am at the bus station about to board that bus out of the land of fertility, at 44. I have only been training for about a year. Well, a bit less, since last October I had my ACL replaced, then a pulmonary embolism that landed me in the ICU for a few days. I have been CONSISTENTLY training since about May.

#11

[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
bed cardio?? sounds, erm, intriguing… lol

hope your day is going better today![/quote]
Why yes it is! Started off with am cardio - its my morning payment for bringing him coffee in bed. I am tough like that…

[quote]Chrysalis wrote:
howdy, Candy! Sorry to be so late peeking in and saying hello. I’ve been a bit preoccupied with my schedule and my husband’s as we have opposite work hours and still try to fit in training and everything else. But, HOORAY, he started school again this week, and will be starting a new job on campus that will enable him to have similar work hours to mine!

I am very very VERY lucky in that we have an awesome home gym setup that rivals most professional gyms. I am even luckier in that I have my very own live-in trainer (my hubby–we’ve been married six weeks now!) with 25+ years of powerlifting experience, and he is an AWESOME trainer, to boot. And we do quite a bit of “bed cardio” so that makes it all the more wonderful!! The only hard part, for me, is keeping my mind on business in the gym, because I find watchin him squatting, deadlifting, etc to be an enormous turn-on, and he has a “no hanky-panky in the gym” rule. Sigh. So unfair.

I am at the bus station about to board that bus out of the land of fertility, at 44. I have only been training for about a year. Well, a bit less, since last October I had my ACL replaced, then a pulmonary embolism that landed me in the ICU for a few days. I have been CONSISTENTLY training since about May. [/quote]

Six weeks ! Wow- lucky Girl- Congratulations! Sounds like you have your plate full…I am envious of your DH that is a trainer…lucky girl again…

#12

Gym today.

All your logs have served to re- energize me.
I realize I have been slacking on some things for a while. One of my big things is my squat- I like the feel of heavy weight on my shoulders- but alas my depth sucks- I tend to break before parallel. So in the interest of self improvement- that coupled with the fact that I am trying to grow an ass that is not all scratched off and flat- I aim to improve my depth.

Long story short- plz dont cackle at the paltry weight… but I brought a bech over to the squat rack to make myself touch- it actually makes me go a little below parallel.

Warm up of 10 min on treadmill and 10 stretching
Again- I will not list my warm up sets- too boring

Squat 135 @ 5x5
Leg Press 405 @ 3x8
Sit Calf raise 95 @ 4x8
Standing Calf raise 105 @ 4x8
Single leg lunges 60 @ 3x6

Then I crawled to the grocery store- girls got to eat.

#13

Looks like EVERYBODY did box squats today! We are trendy…who knew? :slight_smile:

Far from cackling at your weight, I think your 135# squat to the bench is awesome! I’ll bet you felt that in your booty more than a heavier squat cut higher.

You are taller than me by about 4 inches, so the bench is actually too high for parallel for me. I’m regrouping with risers and steps next time.

#14

I did box squats for about six weeks this summer whilst my trainer was out of town. I had just started squatting not long before he had to leave and he wanted me to build up strength and increase my flexibility before he had me squat without a box.

I was worried my post surgical knee would protest, but it did fine, and now that I am squatting sans box it is doing great! Actually, the one that is scar-free protests more than the postsurgical one. Go figure!

Anyway, James is a stickler for form, and whenever my form starts to suffer, he backs the weight off again. I started with a bench, then went to the boxes we have that we use for raised deadlifts, with 45’s flat on top, then took the 45’s away…by then it was about at depth.

I am pretty happy with how it is coming along, since I had trouble just squatting without the bar to begin with. I had to hold onto the bar on the rack just to be able to squat down and get back up.

Now, I am finally squatting “for real” and I am thrilled!

#15

Mike Robertson’s article can help fix your squat:

#16

[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
Mike Robertson’s article can help fix your squat:


[/quote]

Excellent Article. T

Thanks for the linky.

#17

Got my flu shot today- my right arm is killing me- but I guess its better than getting the flu?

I hit the gym before the soreness set in.
Warm up as usual.
This is my second time trying to pull sumo instead of regular- actually it seems to be weird- but easier somehow?

Sumo DL 225 @ 1x2 (pr- 10lbs more than regular DL) and 205 @ 3x5
Good Mornings 115 @ 3x6
Cable Rows (shoulder width grip) 210 @ 2x8
Cable pull downs w/ V bar 115 @ 3x6
BB Curls 50 @ 2x6
Hammer Curls 30 @ 3x7

Now my arm feels like its torn off. Tonite is cocktail nite- bet that will make it feel better…mmmmmmmmm vodka

#18

[quote]candygram wrote:

Now my arm feels like its torn off. Tonite is cocktail nite- bet that will make it feel better…mmmmmmmmm vodka

[/quote]

nice dl’s and gm’s!!!

double yay for vodka.

#19

Sumo is…weird, but easier for me than conv. You, however, are pulling real weight. Me – just learning with 135#!

#20

Sunday’s - see, I missed an entry already where the hell does the time go?

Warm up same old.
This is my easy day finally
Working Sets:
Power cleans 85 @ 3x5
Military Press Standing 65 @ 3x5
Incline DB press 35’s @ 3x5 (half dead after these- I really need a spotter cause it hurts like hell to get them UP)
Triceps cable press down 90 @ 3x5
DB Pullover on decline bench 40 @ 3x8