ZenusWarriorPrincess's Journal, 15 November 2023

@Deb... Yea, walking was my thing when I was young. Not for exercise, but I just had to see what was happening in the neighborhood. ...and if there was any cute boys out. 😅 I loved swimming, and swam in the river every chance I got. I went to work full time at 17 as a waitress. Years later, I did construction work for about 4 years. My activity slowed down when I got pregnant with my 2nd child at 26, about 4 months in. I had Hella sickness with that pregnancy! WHEW... Then that child was born with gastrschisis & my dad died when the baby was 6 months old. I went through some things for a couple of years after that. THANK GOODNESS for the hubby! I don't think I would have made it through without him! Then, when my baby healed physically & I healed mentally, I went back to work. Shortly after that, I got pregnant with my 3rd child. He was diagnosed legally blind at as a baby, and with Aspergers a few years later. There was so many drs appts, eye surgeries, and school meetings that the hubby & I decided I would be a stay-at-home mom. Then, I started homeschooling him at 10 years old. I never fully trusted ANYONE to babysit him. I don't have much family. ...but he is 16 yo old now & can I am starting to be able to focus just a bit more on me 

The good thing about it is, muscle memory! If you are doing body weight squats, that's an awesome exercise! If you weigh, say 240#, you are actually squating most of that 240#. Squats are harder than leg presses, because you work alot more muscle holding form. The squat weight I can do is alot less than leg presses, even if I account for body weight. It maybe because I am afraid to load too much weight on my back too, though. My app (HEVY) has my 1RM at 551#. I will do a lower weight, higher rep next leg day. Then, a moderate, weight med rep day the next leg day. The next leg day after that, I will do heavy weight, low reps & see if I can really hit that 550#. Great news about the gym coming closer to you! I am a lot more motivated to get it done using the gym, and push harder when I'm there. That 535# was actually supposed to have been 515#, but I somehow loaded the wrong weight. People were looking, so I felt like I couldn't unload it & HAD to push it! 😂 

LOL, yeah, gotta keep face when folks are looking! We were talking on a post a few months back about body weight exercises and someone....maybe Super or OTB mentioned doing the counter pushups on the sofa, I switched to the sofa two weeks ago and MAN!! The steeper angle really works me out, I feel it in my biceps, triceps and my shoulders and upper back. I'm doing 25 and lowering and raising to a count of 10. It's really intense! I have ouchies! 

@Deb Yep! LOL! It was Super that was telling us about that. Sounds like you are doing awesome with your workouts! I love it! 🥰 I bet you will really surprise yourself if you get to the gym!!! 😁🤗 

So true on body weight squats! I remember when I thought just my body weight was hard. For some reason last night I did 105# on my 130# frame for 3 sets of 10 reps and I thought I was going to die. I was sore all night and did not sleep. Our trainer says those are the best excercises and if he had to choose one over another he would pick squats.  

@RPL WOW!!! GREAT JOB!!! 👏 Yep! I've read the same, squats are the best leg exercise (and dips are upper body squats...lol). I tend to save squats for my moderate weight, medium rep leg days & leg presses for the other leg days. Not that there's any science behind it, it's just what feels right. I get so cardio fatigued on high rep days that I feel like I'm not able to reach my max muscle fatigue, and I'm scared to put that much weight on my spine at the moment. Maybe that will improve over time. 

REDPORCHLADY Nice!!!  

Dips are upper body squats haha never heard that before! Heading to the park for some dips and pull ups now lol  

@OTB Nice! I heard it right out of Mike Mentzer's mouth! 😆 I'm currently doing assisted dips & pull ups. Doing just 1 of each, unassisted, is the current goal! Maybe I will catch up to you at the park one day! 🤞🫰🤙 

I know what you mean about getting fatigued on high rep days. I find those are the hardest. I have never done dips that I am aware of. Our trainer we have the same sets every workout that go together. So for example on squat days - I will do a set of chest supported rows between my squat sets. Then my next sequence after finishing all my squats and chest supported rows - I move to deadlifts and flat bench press. Between all sets is a 45 second to 1 minute rest but I go back and forth until all sets are complete. So I kill my legs, rest, then I kill my arms, rest and go back and kill my legs and so on! LOL 

LOL! Ok Ladies, I'm winded and sweaty just from reading this stuff!!! You guys give me hope that I will be killing something in a workout soon! That is my only fear ATM about gyms, I'm afraid I will hurt some part that I really need for day to day stuff!! I still do my body weight squats at the porch rail just to steady my balance. I still have a serious fear of falling, even after my vision was repaired. 

That's a fantastic goal! Goodluck with it  

@RPL It's nice to read different ways to do things. Thanks for sharing! I do upper/lower splits. That way, my muscles get more rest & recovery with less time off at the gym. I watch a lot of different trainers on YouTube, and often adapt what makes the most common sense to me. For example, I've watched that different weightloads/rep ranges recruit different muscle fibers (small, med, large) & there are benefits in rotating between them. Sometimes at the end of the rotation, I'll include a workout that includes all the ranges in 1 workout, which is what this workout is an example of. I've found that for me personally, I always get a better 1RM during a session like this. 

@deb Just start off light. After your body proves to you what you can do, your confidence will build. The shirt I wore to the gym yesterday said "BUT DID YOU DIE" 😆 

@OTB Thanks! 🙂🤙 

LOLOLOL, I skipped my pushups today, I have been doing them daily...and ouch, pretty sore ATM, so I'm giving them a rest, I see you guys rotate them, maybe I will start that, doing my squats one day and the pushups the next, give those muscles a chance to get unsore!  

Sounds like a great plan, Deb! I think Jillian Michael's said it best when she said, "The workout is the architect & rest is the builders." When we strength train, we actually create microtears in the muscle(s). Rest/recovery is when everything gets patch work done, which is the actual muscle gains. Protein funds these projects. 🤓😉 

Go Zenus!