Is It Working Yet?

I can’t tell if it’s wishful thinking or if all the ab work I’ve been doing is starting to work.

It feels like the sides of my torso have less to pinch. I know that I can do way more crunches and sit ups now than I could a month ago. I don’t have unrealistic expectations that my abs will suddenly be ripped after 4 weeks, but I have hope. 🙂

I’m actually a bit excited about October’s Weigh In. I hope I see results that are tangible.

Saturday morning I had oatmeal for breakfast before going to the gym. I realized with the last weight lifting session that I will get more out of my work out if I don’t rest too long in between sets. My goal for Saturday’s work out was to not rest as much. And it worked!

I’m now using 50 pounds on one of the ab machines. And it’s not hurting! I can tell I’m getting better already.

I did my arms and back like usual. I used the Pec-Fly machine much more often in my routine Saturday. It felt really good and I could tell it was working. If your arms are shaking–you know it’s doing something!

I also discovered a new triceps machine. It’s not new–just new to me. For some reason I had been skipping over it each time I was working my upper body. I don’t know why I skipped the machine but it’s my new favorite. It’s the Triceps Dip.

This machine is awesome! Why didn’t I discover it soon? It’s such a great arm workout for the “Lunch Lady Arms.” I expect to see results from using this killer machine. After the arms, back to the abs:

I go back and forth to the various ab machines in between arm workouts. I discovered doing it this way I can work out longer and harder before I get too sore.

After Abs, back to arms and so forth. I spent about 50 minutes doing weights before I headed over to work on my core. I really can’t tell yet if I can see progress!

I spent about 20 minutes working on my core. I used the row machine:

And then did the Russian Twist with the Medicine ball.

This time, I took a photo of my Heart Rate Monitor to show what my heart rate spiked to because of the Russian Twist. It went from about 120/140 to this:

174! I was out of breath and sweating and it felt fantastic! What a killer workout. If you haven’t tried it yet–DO IT!

Gym Stats:

Time: 1:15

Calories Burned: 528

Pretty good workout!

SUNDAY UPDATE: This morning I woke up with sore arms! It’s been awhile since I was sore. I love this feeling. It means I worked out hard. I went swimming after breakfast and I was a little slower than normal because my arms were sore. It felt great though.

QUESTION: What’s your favorite weight lifting routine?