Ever since I started taking anti-convulsants for epilepsy, I have struggled to keep my weight under control. Having chronic back and knee injuries complicates things even further. Trying to follow other people's copy and paste programs that are meant for healthy individuals who are capable of jumping, twisting, and hyper-extending their joints--well, it simply doesn't work for me. By creating my own program (and adjusting it as my needs change), I am actually starting to see results, even if those results are small right now.
Before I go into my workout, and the changes I've made over the past couple of weeks, I want to look at my latest measurements:
Waist: 32" / 81 cm
Under-bust: 34" / 87 cm
Bust: 41" / 104 cm
Hips: 45" / 114 cm
Thighs: 26" / 66 cm
Biceps: 13" / 33 cm
That is pretty significant when compared to my last measurements. I've lost 2" from my waist, 1" from my under-bust, 1/2" from my bust, and 1" from my hips for a total of 4 1/2"! Not bad in just a couple of weeks. Keep in mind, my goal here is to not only trim fat and lose inches; I want to build muscle. Of course I don't want to be a muscle-bound body builder. What I do want is to create enough muscle to boost my metabolism rate. I want to burn more fat while resting so the only "work" I have to do is maintain the muscle mass. The hard part is building the muscle in the first place, but I think I'm off to a good start.
I did make some changes to my workout, so let me go over those and why I did that.
Monday:
E1 Seated Dumbbell Reverse Fly, 5lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
E2 Tricep Extensions 20lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets (Changed from Good Morning)
Dumbbell Bench Press 25lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Dumbbell Biceps Curl 12lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Friday:
*E1 Barbell Squat 10lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets (Changed from Kettleball Swing)
E2 Bodyweight Flutter Kicks 10 reps, 4 sets
Cable Calf Raise, Single Leg 10lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
E3 Glute Kick Back 10 reps, 4 sets
* I use dumbbells instead of a barbell.
There were a couple of reasons for changing the exercises around. The Good Morning exercise on Monday seemed like a good idea at first, but after implementing it I realized that it concentrates too much on the core and not enough on the upper body. I also decided that I wanted an exercise that concentrates specifically on the triceps, therefore I opted for the tricep extensions instead.
The kettleball swing was similar. It's a great exercise if you're looking for a more full body workout. I wanted something that concentrates on the lower body--specifically the thighs. That's why I opted for the weighted squats. I like the squat a lot because I can alter it to target different muscle groups in the legs. This past Friday I used a "frog" stance to work my inner thighs as well.
Upcoming changes: I failed the bench press 3 times (I think the tricep extension addition might have help me fail that today), so I will be dropping the weight from 25lbs. to 20lbs. for next week. I succeeded three times on the bicep curls, so I will be increasing the weight to 15lbs. I'm sure that I will have some successes on Friday as well.
Exercise is only part of the equation. I'm also watching my calorie and protein intake. Protein is the building blocks of muscles. I want to make sure my diet has enough protein to get the job done. A calorie is simply a unit of energy that the body uses. I have to make sure I don't take in more or less energy than I use. This is a balancing act. I don't want to eat too much, but I don't want to eat too little, either. I have to teach my body that there is no need to conserve energy (in the form of fat), without going over my energy output. It's a fine, difficult line to walk, but the benefits of walking it will be worth it.
So here are the progress pics. When I first took the pics today, I didn't think there was much of a difference. Then I looked at the side-by-side from last time. The top set of pics is from when I started my own program (February 8, I think). The bottom set of pics is from today, March 1. (Yes, that is my little ham of a cat, Moblin, trying to get in on my pic, lol.) Anyway, the side-by-side shows the weightloss, especially in the waist and under-bust area.
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