Gheez WPBill; does your computer have the hiccups?....We get it already!  Once is enough...ha ha!!  I hope you enjoyed your birthday week off.  Now get back out there and make it happen!!  Great job on the squats!!

Parson:  Thanks for your response.  My trainer and the new trainer I met seem to think working abs everyday is no problem, since you use them all the time anyway.  Will see what works once I recover.  I know I am not destined to have a six-pack, but I'd like some more definition.  Can't be content or complacent, right???  Gotta set the bar higher.  I do the farmers walk with 27.5# dumbbells, but on my toes.  It is so great for the calf muscles.  Looks kinda goofy, but that's o.k.

runnermom:  Hope you are feeling better today.

Busy, busy day for me, but wanted to jump on and say TGIF.  Have an Awesome Day.

Hey Warriors,

Was busy yesterday with Mocha at the vet he was running late due to snowstorm. Mocha is on a weight gaining diet still all raw. As it turned out we switched raw food and I was feeding her like the first type so I upped her portions to see if she will gain weight if not there may be something internally going on with her. The vet said that if she is eating as per normal then everything inside should be good and we need to look externally for the problem as far as mechanics and muscles that might be sore. So he gave he an anti inflamatory once a day with food. My back is still a little tight decided to take today off work not really that busy anyway and lots of sick leave to use. For most of my carrier I have worked with migraines and other illnesses,so now is time to start listening to my body somewhat.lol.

Chris and I have been going to the gym every night this week. I put him on jacobs ladder on tues. & thurs. then on to the recumbent bike for 30 min. As for myself my eating has been good not great but I have been walking on the TM @ 3.5 speed no incline and have noticed something that has never happened before. I started breaking into a sweat and on the recumbent bike too. It feels good but I feel like I'm not pushing myself hard enough for this to happen. Is my fat burning kicking in or what wierd. Figured nout how I hurt my back,it was on that skating machine where you bring your knee's to the middle side to side. I must have twisted my hips too much so no more for me can't afford to get hurt anymore when there are so many options available.

Runnermom,

Stay away from the gym and rest,get that food back to normal then go all out a couple of missed wo's will not make a difference. Only in your mind I know. Once rested you know what to do and will be killing those wo's again. Why take a chance on relapsing for even longer. Not worth it. You are sick no need to post as far as I'm concerned. Hope you are feeling better today. Got more snow yesterday so the blower is getting a wo too. lol. More on the way March is coming in like a lion so it's almost over or is it. Winter that is.

Parson,

Glad to hear you are still gfoing strong and getting those wo's in early. I never use gloves when I lift. I see alot of the guys at the gym using straps when they lift heavy. Don't know if that's a good way to go could end up hurting yourself I figure. Isn't it amazing when you do something so simple and feel all those little muscles.

Just got a call from Chris he isn't feeling well have to go and pick him up. I sure hope it's not that flu bug.

Everyone later,

Claude

Happy Friday Warriors!

Well, I am back at work today but only b/c it is an easy day to be at work. Otherwise I wouldve stayed home again. I still feel a little queasy and just out of it. Still not able to eat much. Last night I had a banana, and this morning I had a protein smoothie just made with water and powder and half a banana. I just feel weak. I let my body rest this morning....there was no way I had the energy to do any type of workout!!! I really don't like feeling this way!!!!

I have lost 3 lbs just in the past 2 days from being sick. Not exactly the way I wanted to lose weight...I know it's just b/c I haven't eaten much in the past 48 hrs. Funny you should mention abs, BDMom. When I looked in the mirror this morning it was the first time I finally had a totally flat belly and saw part of a 6 pack. Now does that mean I have to starve myself to finally get abs? Well, I know that I can't do that and it is not at all healthy, but I do think certain foods I eat tend to make me "pooch" out (even though they are clean foods). There is a whole section in this month's "Fitness Rx for Women" magazine about abs. I have read some of it, but I am going to study it more in detail. I am the same as you...I have contemplated working abs everyday. I just don't know genetically if I will ever attain that cut 6 pack some people have. Really, that is the only area on my body that I feel I really need to work on at this point. I am satisfied with progress in all other areas. Well, I still want to build muscle mass in my legs (I am still envious of your muscular legs, BDMom!) but I guess I can't complain about my legs being too thin!

Parson: I do farmer's walks with my kettlebells sometimes. Seems like it would be easy but you are right....they can be tough at times!

Claude: Sure hope Chris doesn't have the flu!!!! I am taking it easy until I can get some decent food in me...I can't do anything without fuel!

WP: Glad to hear from you..over and over again! HA! I encourage you to go try a spinning class. One tip: definitely get some good cycling shorts with a thick pad. You don't want to be sore and get discouraged after one class. Believe me, it happens!

Hopefully I will have progress on a workout to report soon! I packed mostly clean food today, but did include saltines b/c that is all I feel like eating again right now! Have a great weekend Warriors.

Afternoon gang

I am still chugging along. Workouts are getting done and eating is good. I have lost one notch in the belt this week. I was talking with Parson and think that I need to ease up on my heavy Bench Presses. It seems to really aggravate my shoulder. I did a lighter workout yesterday and seem ok. I am doing some stretching afterwards for my shoulder and I think it helps. I do weighted dumbell pullovers and let the weight hang. It improves my range of motion. Pullovers are not for your shoulders, but the motion uses my shoulder and really stretches it out.

Runnermom- Sorry you have been sick. Hope you are on the mend.

BD- From my physique, you should know I am no expert on AB work. LOL. I think 2 times a week is good. I have done every other day in the past with good results. If you are doing an intense workout everyday, I personally feel it is too much. I understand that we use them daily, but we use our legs daily too. We could do a leg workout daily, but it would lead to overtraining and be detrimental to our goals and progress. For a while, it might be good, but i think long term it would be a mistake. I would stay away from any oblique work because it tends to give a look of thickness. I would personally do some weighted work instead of just bodyweight. Of course, the diet has to be exact for that definition to pop out. My issue has always been the diet. I can feel deep cuts and a nice 6 pack under the last layer of fat, but can never get down low enough in BF%. You are a rockstar regardless. Sorry if I said anything wrong, but I just wanted to give you my opinion. It is not saying any other opinion is wrong. Heck, try it out and see what happens. In a few weeks you will know if it works. If not you tried.

Parson - I use gloves everyday. If I dont, I get big nasty calluses on my hands. I have used straps and lifted really heavy, but my grip suffered and I had tendonitis troubles. I now use my grip all the way to the point of failure and then on the last couple of sets use the straps. That seems to work best for me. I do not want to cheat myself out of a few reps because my grip fails.

Everyone esle, check in please.

Hey gang Happy aloha friday well what's left of the 38 mins here on the islands hehe.. I didn't get my WO in today due to craziness at work my dad had my car so he could get my little ones from school so no container KB workout either :( Boo! O well.. forward forward .. Yesterday only hit the gym once doing  my KB combat routine after a 15 min trek on the versaclimber.. I trained in the aerobic room at my gym I loved it giant room no body around and surrounded by mirrors.. Used my 25lb KB's and after 2 rounds I was spent I finished with some alternating snatches.. I am starting to like those.. Im still keeping it light till i get the timing and form down but plan to try to up the weight on that too..

Parson: I don't use chalk I did just buy some though So when I swing the heavy bells at my gym It dosen't tear the calluses  on my hand I will start to use it for deadlifts though and have never used gloves,.. My grip has gotten stronger but I thing the fact that I started with Stiff legged DL kind of worn down my grip strength before getting to the regular deadlifts..I completed 5 sets starting at 135 for 12 155 for 10 2x's and 185 for 8 2x's then went into deadlifts for another 5 sets 135 for 15 185 for 12 225 for 10 275 for 8 and 295 for 6..

I do sumo style DL's with an alternating grip.. I tried both stances but feel alot more explosive and comfortable with the sumo stance..  And just for the record I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have now and in the future so don't be sorry brother it's all good :)

Runner: I really hope you are resting and getting well.. I know how you are feeling though about not being YOU rest though you are like the energizer bunny I swear lol..

BD: I am doing another challenge although my food hasn't been quite on par the last couple of weeks.. myfitnesspal sounds like a good idea I will install it and search for you and runner I think you both looking over my shoulder (mealwise) would be a great help for me.. Hope school is starting to get better for you :) In regards to abs I usually stick to twice a week as well.

Cuervo: I have been having some shoulder pain while I bench and shoulder press too.. I have been trying to take it easier during chest/shoulder days I have to admit I don't really stretch as much as I should, I really gotta start making that a habit..

Bill: GREAT FINISHING WEIGHT FOR 6 ON THAT SQUAT!

Claude, Hope the bug isn't paying your family a visit either.

Everyone else Stay strong It's QT with the little ones for me in the coming week :) Get ER DONE!! aloha..

Hey BD just looked at the updated pics and I can see your tummy flattened out and I see separation between your hams and quads really good work :).

Hi Warriors,

Well, yesterday was a bust for nutrition for me. I totally lost all control and had some very unclean foods, mainly comfort foods b/c of how I was feeling. That is no excuse! Mentally, I am so all or nothing when it comes to working out and eating clean. I think my body had gone into starvation mode since I hadn't eaten anything substantial in almost 2 days, plus the saltines and gatorade made me crave more bad carbs and sugar. Oh well, that was in the past and I am moving on. Today is a new day, and I am back on track with a VENGEANCE!

We had really bad weather here last night, tornadoes and storms. So, I couldn't get up and do my 10 mile run so I decided to hop on my tri bike on the trainer. I did a cycling HIIT for 32 min then did a kettlebell circuit. Whew....the kettlebells certainly kicked my butt HARD today! I hadn't done them in over 2 weeks and it showed! I was glad to get back to my beloved kettlebells though and will not be neglecting them anymore! I am planning to do my 10 mile run tomorrow morning if the weather improves. I really need to stay on schedule with my distance runs for my half marathon. I will take time to recover after the race, but right now sticking to the schedule is pretty crucial for me.

Island: Your workouts are amazing!!! I am really thinking about getting a trainer for a month or so to push me to the next level. I am amazed that you don't have to wear gloves. You must have some tough hands!!! If I don't wear gloves I get major caluses even after a light workout. If you decide to do my fitness pal, my username is amyjslp. It is an awesome tool!!!

Cuervo: Glad you are still chugging along. Thank you for your input on abs. It's good to hear different opinions. I really do think nutrition has a lot to do with it too. I recently read about salt intake affecting ab definition. I think I overuse salt way too much. I am going to try to cut down on my salt intake and see if it makes a difference.

BDMom: Hope you had a good hike! I emailed you about versa grips and your thoughts on those.

Have a great weekend Warriors. It's good to be back!!!!

Good afternoon gang,

Cardio was done this morning and I just finished my back and bicep workout. Feeling good. I have to work the afternoon shift today and tomorrow so we are cooking steak,chicken, rice, sweet potato, and veggies for my meals. I am not leaving anything to chance. If I don't have enough food and get hungry around 9 or 10 tonight I am afraid the vending machine will be calling. So, I will have plenty of good clean food on hand.

I was looking at a calendar yesterday and realized that I only have 16 weeks until vacation so I need to kick it up a notch. I will have a 25 year class reunion sometime this year too so I want to be ready for that. I have learned that I am all or nothing and when I had a setback with my shoulder I just stopped. That has to change or the yo yo weight fluctuations that I have had for 10 years will continue. Anyway, there is always something to work on.

Have a great weekend gang.

Greetings Warriors, Have to make this one short in order to make it to the gym on time for cardio day today.  I am sorry about the multiple posts but the system on BFL behaved as it it were frozen and I switched to rich formatting after several attempts and I guess it decided to post ALL those attempts as well. Will try to be mor patient next time or start over again and cancel to avoid this. I hope every one has a great weekend and successful workouts as well. Best wishes and Keep Moving Forward!

Posting from my phone.  Will try to check in on computer later.  Island dude:  I friend requested an island dude on fitnesspal, but don't think it was you.  I think you are in your 30's....when you join, you can friend me @ schmertnat.  Hope u r all having a great weekend!!

OK...I come to you with a confession.  I have been having sugar cravings all day!!!  I ate almost 1/4 bag of dark chocolate chips.  I don't know why I am craving chocolate so bad.  Anyways, it is behind me.  I am hiking with my dad tomorrow.  We always go get a Starbucks latte after, but I will keep the rest of the day clean.  My sis was supposed to go, but she is sick.  I did get my HIIT in this morning, and then went to the tutoring lab at school, but they were so busy that I didn't get much help.  I then went grocery shopping and then have been doing laundry and washing bedding all day.

WPBill:  No apologies needed.  I thought it was funny!  Glad you are doing well.

Cuervo:  I think you found that fire again; go make it happen.  I like to tell people that if we stay in shape, we don't have to get into shape for those special occasions.  You don't have far to go; you can be looking fabulous for both!!  Way to plan and prepare!!  Thanks for your 2cents on the abs.  I think I am going to try to work them more often next time around and just see how I do.  I will adjust from there.

runnermom:  Your body was craving stuff it probably needed to make up for what it lost.  Sorry about the storms, but you probably didn't need to do that long run today anyway.  Hope you are feeling 100% to start off the week.

Island:  great workouts as usual.  Thanks for the comments on the pics.  I really don't see any changes, but I know there are minimal ones.  Get on fitnesspal, so runner and I can stay on you with your  eating.  That is 80% of the puzzle!

Claude:  Good to see you getting those workouts in.  Be sure not to re-injure that back.

I gotta go get Lane to bed.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

good afternoon.

I just finished my Shoulder workout and it was awesome. I will do 20 minutes of cardio before I head out for work this afternoon. Foods are still on target.

BD- Have fun on you hike. Enjoy those times with family. I think I am getting back in the groove. I just need to be sure to plan and leave time for myself. The new job will take care of alot of the issues.

Everyone else, have a great Sunday.

WAKE UP WARRIORS!!!!!

Where is everyone?? I know it's Monday, but we are WARRIORS!!!!

I am feeling a lot better, but continue to struggle with some digestive/stomach issues. This is unrelated to my sickness last week, but something I have struggled with for years. It has gotten worse over the past month or so. I have been to doctors in the past (my GP and gastro) and gotten no answers. I am beginning to wonder if dairy is affecting me....I eat tons of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese on a daily basis. It seems to happen in the few hours after I eat one of those 2 things. I am going to cut back on these for the next 1-2 weeks and see if it makes a difference. I have the symptoms of being lactose intolerant, but I know those can also be symptoms for other things, like IBS. I have been checked for gluten intolerance/Celiac's, and it is not that. So, I will keep trying different things.

I decided to go ahead and do my distance run yesterday morning. I ran 10 miles and it felt really good. I love running outdoors when the weather is nice....so much time to think and reflect. Less than 2 weeks until race day!!!!

This morning was supposed to be LBWO, but since I pounded my legs for 10 miles yesterday I switched it to UBWO. I did a nice and easy warm up run on the treadmill then had a great UBWO focusing on shoulders, back, bi's and tri's. Food is packed and clean for today (minus Greek yogurt and cottage cheese!) I am trying plain Kefir today (I put a little Stevia in it) that is 99% lactose free.

Cuervo: Congrats on the  new job!!!! I know personally that a new job can make all the difference. I pray that it all works out for you and your family. Sounds like you had quite a cookout! I grilled lots of chicken on Friday and put some in the freezer to last through this week.

BDMom: We all get cravings. Your diet is so super healthy that having a cheat snack once in a while is okay. But, I know the guilt we make ourselves feel....I do the exact same thing! Hope you and your dad had an awesome hike.

WP: Hope you got your cardio in at the gym. No worries about the multiple posts....we all know that this system has its flaws!

My kids are starting soccer this week.....done with basketball and now moving on to the next sport! Here goes the craziness again!!!! Oh well, I love being busy!

Hope to hear from all you Warriors soon!!!!

Super, super busy...but wanted to let you know I am thinknig of you all.  Will check in when I catch my breath!!!

Hey people! quick checkin before bed.. made it to the gym and blasted my chest not enough time for triceps work was BLAH! was stuck in my warehouse all day so no second round for me today.. I did install myfitness pal today didn't get a chance to check it out yet but will tomorrow and will add you both BD and runner I totally agree about the nutrition and you both got that stuff down to a science.. BD u literally lol.. well gonna make it a great one tomorrow back and some biceps and I will make my second round tomorrow.. with my kettlebells.. Have a great day all .. aloha