Category Archives: female body breakthrough

Stage 4 of Female Body Breakthrough

Stage 4 and the final stage for Female Body Breakthrough! This one is structured a little different in that each workout has different reps and sets. So in week one I did 4 sets of 5 with heavy weights and then the next workout will be 3 sets of 10 and then the 3rd will be 2 sets of 15 with lighter weights. Then you go through that rotation again.

Workout A

Exercise

1. Plank with alternate arm/leg reach (on elbows)

2. Complex: Deadlift, High Pull, Push Press, Reverse Lunge

3A. Bulgarian Split Deadlift

3B. Single Arm Chest Press on ball

3C. Back Squat

3D. Chinups

Yeah – that plank is flipping hard. Looks like this:

Source

I was able to do it once I got the hang of it. Good thing I was using a mat, though 😀

The complex – I forgot how much I liked this. What it means is that you perform 8 reps of the deadlift, move right into a high pull and do 8 reps, move right into the push press with 8 reps and right into the reverse lunge and do 8 reps – all without stopping. This one is the same for the whole month where you rest a minute and repeat the complex 4 times. You do have to use a lighter bar for this and it gets your heartrate up there! I need to remember to rotate the complex in to my regular routines in the future.

Workout B

Exercise

1. Crunches on stability ball

2. Complex: High Pull, Front Squat/Push Press, Back Squat, Good Morning

3A. Deadlift

3B. Dumbbell Overhead Press with rotation

3C. Single Leg Deadlift (modified from a single leg squat)

3D. Bent Over Row

Same deal here with the change in sets/reps each workout. Now this should last for a month, but because of biking cutting into my weekend lifting, I might go ahead and just extend the time and get in all 12 workouts since they are each different.

I do have to say that I am really tired of doing chin ups. Even with resistance – I don’t care for them. I don’t think I will bother with them ever again after this program is done. Too many good moves I like to do ones I don’t!

Fit Female Breakthrough Stage 3 wrap up.

Finished up stage 3! I actually started stage 4 today (owie).

I made good progress in this stage even though I did not do all 12 workouts. I got in 10. Now that biking season is here -YAY!!!!- I have dropped down to lifting twice a week instead of 3 times a week. Unless it is raining on the weekend — then I will get in the third.

Here are both the A and B workouts and my progress over the past month.

Workout A

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
Plank on stability ball	3 sets of 60 second holds	3 sets 70 second holds
Ball Crunch	3 sets of 10	3 sets of 12
Deadlift	3 sets of 6 with 65# bar	3 sets of 6 with 75# bar
Military Press	3 sets of 6 with 20# DBs	3 sets of 6 with 25# DBs!!
Forward and back step over	3 sets of 15 each leg with no weight (balance issues)	3 sets of 15 each leg with 10# DBs
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press	3 sets of 15 with 15# DBs	3 sets of 15 with 15# DBs
Hamstring curl on ball	3 sets of 15	3 sets of 15
1-point Dumbbell Row	3 sets of 15 with 15# DB	3 sets of 15 with 15# DB

Workout B

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
Prone Cobra	3 sets of 60 second holds	3 sets of 70 second holds
Front Squat	3 sets of 6 with 20# bar	3 sets of 6 with 45# bar
Chinups	3 sets of 6 with assistance	3 sets of 6 with less assistance
Stiff-legged deadlift	3 sets of 15 with 55# bar	3 sets of 15 with 65# bar
Dumbbell Push Press	3 sets of 13 with 15# DBs	3 sets of 15 with 15# DBs
Barbell Split Squat	3 sets of 10 with 45# bar	3 sets of 12 with 45# bar
Split Stance Single-arm cable row	3 sets of 15 each arm at 20#	3 sets of 15 each arm at 30#

Thoughts? I was really, really pleased with this. I made good strength gains. Definitely have upper body strength and good core strength. Lots of balance work this month, too, which is really good practice and something I don’t think about doing. I just have been feeling fatigued lately, which I think has a lot to do with insomnia and work stress (you think??)

Absolutely no weight loss over 3 months. No size loss, either. : shrugs :

I need to remember to not start a program late in winter because the tough parts bump into biking season and that takes priority since it is such a short season. Must start programs in January like everyone else LOL!

Female Body Breakthrough stage 3

I am all out of order posting these, but that’s okay! This is workout A of Stage 3. I just started it on Thursday, but still hadn’t posted the wrap up of stage 2 and I talked about stage B on Saturday. Make sense? No? It doesn’t matter. This is the other workout for stage 3. I can’t believe I am on the third stage of this, but I started in mid February!

Workout A

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1
Plank on stability ball	3 sets of 60 second holds
Ball crunches	3 sets of 10
Deadlift (my old friend!)	3 sets of 6 at 65#
Military Press	3 sets of 6 with 20# DBs
Forward and back step over	3 sets of 15 each leg with bodyweight
Incline dumbbell chest press	3 sets of 15 with 15# DBs
Bridge on stability ball	3 sets of 15
Single point Dumbbell Row	3 sets of 15 with 15# DB

Again, I had to modify a couple of these. This phase included the Russian twist again, which I don’t do because of my back, so I subbed in the ball crunches. Let me tell you – doing a plank with your forearms on a stability ball is killer!

The forward and back step over is pretty challenging. Basically, you have one leg on a step and then have one leg on the ground behind you. Bring your leg up and over the step going into a forward lunge on the other side. Then take the same leg back over. Lots of balance required. Here is a video link to show what it looks like. I can’t embed this for some reason.

The bridge on the stability ball was supposed to be single leg, but I just couldn’t do it. It hurt, so I went back to double leg and did the required number. I take my hat off to anyone who can do them single leg.

I could do the single point dumbbell row, though. It’s great balance practice. I decided to see if I could take a picture while doing it 😀

I didn’t do the actual row while taking the picture, but this was a challenge in itself LOL! Good thing no one else was in the room with me.

To top it all off – The Finisher (said in sinister voice) for this one is a burpee/squat pyramid, which is about as fun as it sounds. You do this:

1 squat/3 burpees
2 squats/6 burpees
3 squats/9 burpees
4 squats/12 burpees
3 squats/9 burpees
2 squats/6 burpees
1 squat/3 burpees

If I wasn’t tired after the lifting part (which I was), that burpee set toasted my legs. Not sure which finisher I like the least, the leg matrix or the burpee pyramid. 🙄

FBB Stage 2 Workout B done!

Wrap up of Stage 2 workout B! I started off my day with some pumpkin oat bran with egg whites and topped with a teaspoon of butter and brown sugar. This was tasty. We still have really cold mornings around here. I am so sick of being cold!

I ate my morning snack just before I left to work out. I never know what my work schedule will be like and I am happy when I can take the morning workout time.

Of course, Pixie had to see what I was doing and get her big feet in there.

Here was the progress of Stage 2, workout B over the last 4 weeks.

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
1a. Reverse Cable Wood Chop (low to high)	3 sets of 8 each side at 20#	3 sets of 8 at 30#
1b. Jackknife on stability ball	3 sets of 8	3 sets of 8 – no falling!
2a. Step Ups	3 sets of 8 each leg with 25# kettle bells	3 sets of 8 each leg with 30# kettle bells
2b. T Pushups	3 sets of 4 each side	3 sets of 4 each side
3a. Pliet Squats	3 sets of 8 with 25# kettle bell	3 sets of 8 with 30# kettle bell
3b. Alternating lateral raise	3 sets of 8 each arm with 8# DBs	3 sets of 8 each arm with 10# DBs
4a. Reverse Row	3 sets of 8	3 sets of 8
4b. Supine Hip Extension to Leg Curl (SHELC)	3 sets of 8	3 sets of 8

No as much increase in weight, but what doesn’t show is how much easier each set became. Where I was struggling to eke out reps was much better towards the end. Definitely feeling strong. Not any smaller, but such is life, right?

My legs do a lot of work for me!

You can kind of see the difference in the size of my thighs in this photo. That is how much my quad has atrophied. Strong leg, weak leg. It’s more obvious when the muscles are pumped up from lifting.

Lunch when I got home:

I’m in a rut – sing it with me!

Remember that china cabinet we bought over the weekend? It was time to pick it up. I had to have my dad take me over because he has a truck. The cabinet wouldn’t fit in the Prius. Boo. Now, I didn’t want my dad to do any lifting, so I had him park and wait and went in to see if the owner would help get the cabinet out to the vehicle. Then he asks if my husband was here to help. 🙄 I said, “No, I lift and I can do it.” It was more awkward than heavy. Then he says “Well, you won’t need a workout today”. Ha- I already had one! He was very nice, though, and I certainly will be going back there to look for other furniture. AFTER WE MOVE!

I was late for latte time because of that and got it made as soon as I got home.

Note the new cabinet behind me, without its drawer. 😀 Just plunked it down because I had to get back to work.

Dinner time was a chicken apple sausage for something different. No rut here!

We got the cabinet in place while dinner was cooking. I love it.

It needs a good polish. There are only a couple of flaws in it. Some of the veneer has come off the trim in the door, but with a little bit of stain and polish, it will barely show. I hate the fact that this will have to be moved again, but I think it’s worth it.

Now to finish up work and scrounge up an evening snack!

FBB Stage 2 Workout A wrap up

Just a quick post here. Finished up stage 2! Actually, I did 2 extra workouts. Not sure how that happened, but I guess I didn’t notice I was finished. Oopsie!

The goal for this month was 2 to 3 sets of each exercise with 6 to 8 reps per set. I ended up doing this workout 7 times instead of 6. Here is my progress from Week 1 to Week 4.

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
1a. Cable Wood Chop (high to low)	3 sets of 8 each side at 20#	3 sets of 8 each side at 30#
1b. Plank	3 sets of 65 second holds	3 sets of 75 second holds
2a. Dumbbell squat with offset load	3 sets of 8 with 15# DB	3 sets of 8 with 25# DB
2b. Alternating dumbbell overhead press	3 sets of 8 each arm with 10# DBs	3 sets of 6 each arm with 20# DBs!!
3a. Single-leg deadlifts	3 sets of 8 with 15# DBs	3 sets of 8 with 15# DBs
3b. Assisted Chin Ups	3 sets of 8	3 sets of 8 with less resistance
4a. Alternating Lateral Lunge	3 sets of 8 each with 10#	3 sets of 8 with 10# DBs
4b. Two-point dumbbell row	3 sets of 8 each arm with 20# DB	3 sets of 7 each arm with 30# DB!!

I made some good gains here, especially with my upper body. With the chin ups, I was trying to do them with a band, but I struggled so much that I thought it would be better to use the assisted machine and make the exercise more efficient to do. This stage is definitely hard and I pushed myself.

My goal by the end of the program is doing overhead presses with a 25# dumbbell for 4 reps and I think I can get there. 😀

Thursday I will wrap up Workout B of stage 2.

I know that I haven’t posted a kitty picture in a while. Here is Pixie enjoying the new bed I bought her. 🙄

Can you believe her?

FBB Stage 2 Workout B

It’s just not getting any warmer around here! We can’t seem to get out of the 30s, if we even get to them. I saw this in my Pinterest feed today and it made me laugh…then cry.

Yeah – how about the snow melt first!!!! 😡 So over this.

Anyhoo, this is the B workout to stage 2 of Define Yourself.

Exercise	Set/rep/weight
Reverse Cable Wood Chop (low to high)	3 sets of 8 each side at 15#
Jackknife on stability ball	3 sets of 8
Step Ups	3 sets of 8 each leg with 20# DBs
T Pushups	3 sets of 4 each side
Single-leg Squats	3 sets of 8 each leg
Alternating lateral raise	3 sets of 8 each arm with 8# DBs
Reverse Row	3 sets of 8
Supine Hip Extension to Leg Curl (SHELC)	3 sets of 8

There is a lot of balance work in this month’s workouts. The step ups I tried to do on a higher step. This is about 18 inches high (maybe taller?):

That didn’t work out so well. It was really hard and I couldn’t keep my balance, so I went back down to the shorter step.

The T-pushups weren’t bad, I have to say. I was doing sets of 10 last month, so dropping down to 8 helped, although the last set was quite difficult.

I am not sure what I will do with the single-leg squats. I have almost no range of motion doing these on the left side and it hurts a little in a not right kind of way, so I might be better off just doing regular squats or deadlifts. I don’t want an injury right before biking season starts!

The SHELC is best explained by doing a hamstring curl lying on the floor using a stability ball. This is a good exercise because it works the hamstrings and it also works your core because you have to keep your feet on the ball as well.

Now I will be alternating these 2 workouts for the next 4 weeks.

FBB Stage 1 Workout B summary

Happy Spring! I put up my flag:

It just doesn’t look right, though…

We have a looooong way until tulip time.

So I finished up stage 1 of Female Body Breakthrough today. Normally I would have worked out yesterday, but I was gone all day taking my sister to Albany and back. Today worked just as well.

Workout B. Like A, I did this 6 times during the month and here was the end progression.

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
Plank	3 sets of 30 second holds	3 sets of 70 second holds
Prone Cobra	3 sets of 45 second holds	3 sets of 60 second holds
Lateral raise with external rotation	3 sets of 10 with 5# DBs	3 sets of 10 with 8# DBs
Overhead Squat	3 sets of 10 with wooden bar	3 sets of 10 with 20# bar
Single Leg/Single arm Romanian deadlift	3 sets of 10 with 15# DB	3 sets of 10 with 25# DB
Single arm cable lat pulldown	3 sets of 10 each arm at 20#	3 sets of 10 each arm at 30#
Bulgarian Split Squat (so glad to be done with these)	3 sets of 10 each leg	3 sets of 10 each leg with 10# DBs
High Cable Row	3 sets of 10 at 40#	3 sets of 10 at 60#

This was a little tougher than workout A, I think. The overhead squats are hard for me because of my left leg issues. I noticed such a big discrepancy in leg strength when doing the single Romanian deadlifts. Since there is nerve damage, I can’t really build up strength in the damaged area, but only around it. So, it will lag behind my right leg. I could go with heavier weights for the right, but then I don’t want to be any more lopsided than I already am 😉

I definitely feel like I have a good base of strength going forward with the meat of the program. I don’t notice any difference in my clothes or the scale, so we just move on to stage 2!

FBB Workout A summary

This week was the last of Stage 1 for the Female Body Breakthrough. I thought I would share the progression of this stage and where I ended up.

The goal of this stage was to do 2 to 3 sets of each exercise and do a maximum of 12 reps for each set. Progress each workout with increasing a couple exercises in either weight or reps. Pretty standard stuff.

This is the comparison of Workout A from week 1 to week 4, which I completed 6 times.

Exercise	Set/rep/weight Week 1	Set/rep/weight Week 4
Bird Dog	3 sets of 10 each side with body weight	3 sets of 10 each side with 8# DB
Forward Ball Roll	3 sets of 10	3 sets of 12
Step Ups	3 sets of 10 with 15# DBs	3 sets of 10 with 20# DBs on a higher step
Dumbbell 3-point row	3 sets of 10 with 15# DB	3 sets of 10 with 20# DB
Partial Co-contraction Lunge	3 sets of 10 each leg	3 sets of 12 each leg
Pushups	3 sets of 8 at incline	3 sets of 10 regular style
Hip-thigh Extension (single-leg bridge)	3 sets of 10 each leg	3 sets of 12 each leg
Reverse Dumbbell Fly	3 sets of 10 with 8# DBs	3 sets of 10 with 13# DBs

The way I worked this was to increase the reps to 12 with the weight, then the next time I would increase the weights and drop back down to 10 reps.

My thoughts? I made sure to really challenge myself for each workout and not phone it in. My goal is strength. I haven’t been in a formal gym in some time. Sometimes I looked in the mirror and was not totally happy with what I saw, but I tried to let that go. Some days are better than others, as you all know.

I was super, super happy to get back to doing military style pushups instead of inclines. It’s been a couple years since I have worked at them after I sprained my shoulder, partly from the injury and partly from laziness (being honest here). I do have to admit that they are much harder now than they used to be for me, but I was doing them. I probably don’t go as low as I should, but just to be doing them normally is a big plus for me.

Friday I will wrap up Workout B of Stage 1.

Back is good!

Does it feel like Friday to anyone else? I had one of those really disoriented days where I woke up and had absolutely no idea what day it was.

Here is a shot of the breakfast I have been eating a lot of lately. The banana custard oats.

Nice and filling in the tummy on these cold mornings 😀

Today’s lifting

Exercise	Set/rep/weight
Plank	3 holds at 45 seconds (increased)
Prone Cobra	3 sets of 45 second holds
Lateral raise with external rotation	3 sets of 10 with 5# DBs
Overhead Squat	3 sets of 10 with 20# bar (increased)
Single Leg/Single arm Romanian deadlift	3 sets of 10 with 15# DB
Single arm cable lat pulldown	3 sets of 10 at 20#
Bulgarian Split Squat (video)	3 sets of 10 with body weight
High Cable Row	3 sets of 10 at 50# (increased)

You know, I don’t want to jinx anything, but I was noticing the last day or so that my back feels normal again for the first time since early December! I had the bad injury and then the smaller flares that happened in January. Then the day we got back from our vacation going to the car, I lifted my suitcase and tweaked it again. I was about ready to cry. Anyway, it has been months since it has felt this good and I think it probably has to do with my new lifting and stretching routines I have been doing. All the little things that have been happening like jogging up the stairs instead of taking them one at a time, not grunting when sitting down or standing up, not feeling pain rolling over in bed. It’s awesome! Whatever the reason is for feeling good, I will take it. When things feel good, it makes you realize how chronic pain sucks.

Life’s been pretty much the usual lately, which is not a bad thing. I have been mostly 90/10, maybe 85/15, so it’s all good right now. Finally finished up the last of the chili I made the other day. This was on top of a baked potato. The veggies are a shredded cabbage mix sauteed in coconut oil. Just for something different. I was going to crumble some corn tortilla chips on this, but then I ate them while cooking. 😳

Staying in and bundled up tonight with more ridiculous below zero temps. Thank goodness for flannel 😀

FBB workout B

Woo Hoo! It’s Wednesday. Guess what day it is! That’s right, Bagel Day!

I am loving my 10% meals, I have to say.

So here is the phase B workout. I actually did this yesterday. My current lifting schedule is T/TH and either Saturday or Sunday (depending on schedule).

Female Body Breakthrough base phase B

Exercise	Set/rep/weight
Plank	3 holds at 30 seconds
Prone Cobra	3 sets of 45 second holds
Lateral raise with external rotation	3 sets of 10 with 5# DBs
Overhead Squat	3 sets of 10 with wooden bar
Single Leg/Single arm Romanian deadlift	3 sets of 10 with 15# DB
Single arm cable lat pulldown	3 sets of 10 at 20#
Bulgarian Split Squat (video) *I hate these*	3 sets of 10 with body weight
High Cable Row	3 sets of 10 at 40#

I swapped out an exercise, though. I am doing the plank instead of a Russian Twist. I can’t do twisty exercises where the lower half of my body stays still and the upper half moves as that is inviting my herniated disk to the party – and it is most certainly not a party guest I want.

Now I have done workouts A and B. These will be alternated for the next month. The goal of each workout is to pick one or two of the exercises and increase either the weight or the reps (to a max of 12). This way you progress through the month. Then a whole new set of exercises in 4 weeks.

My eating has been great since we got back from vacation and it is showing on the scale. Nice to see that weight start to go away (but it was totally worth it). My rut lunch of 2% greek yogurt and apple topping.

Note the brown countertops in that picture. This is the countertop paint that we used. I like it. However, I am concerned about how it holds up. I did these counters on Monday and they are supposed to cure for 72 hours. I see Ms. Pixie prints on them 2 days later, which concerns me a lot that a 10 pound cat would be leaving marks on the counter after this amount of time.

You can see front paw prints and the long back leg prints from her sitting. So – I am not thrilled about that. I think we will go with plan B, which is laminate sheeting on top. We were going to try the paint first since it was inexpensive and if it didn’t work to do the laminate. Guess this means laminate. I don’t want to leave counters that get dinged up at the drop of a hat to new owners.

Speaking of new owners of a sort, our current contract expires on Thursday, so we got the new contract extension on Radiance Manor with the next closing date of March 31st. Then when that date rolls around, we will sign for another month, etc., until we finally close, whenever that will be. Sigh.

Afternoon snacker!

Work was busy today. About half the doctors were on vacation last week and part of this week, so work has been much less. If we had known that, we would have planned our vacation later. Just could not get enough lines in last week. It’s back to normal now, though, and I was done by dinner time with extra lines to boot.

BBQ chicken on a tater. I should just start recycling pictures if I am going to be in a rut! LOL

Finding Radiance

Trying to live a fit life loving food, cycling, gardening and everything in between!