Miss Mighty Mouse

A Visual Guide To StrongLifts 5x5

It’s finished! This is my first infographic and actually first extensive project I’ve done using Adobe Illustrator so it was a great learning experience. This was produced for my Computer Illustration class. I loved working on it, and really it just makes me miss barbell training that much more. I made a lovely A3 print of it, and hopefully that is returned to me before I leave England so I can hang it up somewhere! 

Also, about the program itself:

StrongLifts was the second barbell training routine I practiced last year (when I had access to a barbell), and I loved it. It’s a good routine if you like a fairly short yet high intensity workout, and I saw great improvements in a short period of time. It was also lots of fun for me, I like seeing progress every time I workout and the feeling of ‘leveling up’ so to speak. In addition, you can download the StrongLifts app, which is so well designed and really easy to use. So yeah, if you’re interested in checking out StrongLifts, click here!

Bringing cannons to the gun show…

Feeling good, time for yoga.

Hydration nudge.

Why do you run?

I like to carry a little pistol with me at all times.

Happy Gunshow Thursday, guys!
;)

The Difference A Year Makes

I started this blog about a year ago as a weight loss blog, under the URL jeveuxdetremince (translates to ‘I want to be thin’ in English). When I looked in the mirror, all I saw was a person with extra fat to lose, and no muscles or strength. I found the tumblr thinspo community, and became enthralled with all these skinny, beautiful girls I saw photos of. I wanted to weigh less than a hundred pounds, thinking i would look better if I was as tiny as possible.

I wrote this in my first post: “I want to be skinny.

Like tiny and pretty and that girl that a boy wouldn’t want to squeeze too hard because he might break her, but also be strong enough that I won’t die if he does.

I want a body like Megan Fox, and to get rid of the baby fat in my face.

I want to stop binge eating sweets, which makes me feel terrible.

I want to be healthy and athletic looking, be the envy of all the other girls at the beach.

I want [redacted] to notice me again, and see what he’s missing.”

I struggled for the first few weeks, often trying to restrain myself from eating too much then turning around and eating until I felt like I would puke. I never lost a monumental amout of weight, and I became really frustrated and even more disappointed in myself.

At the beginning of the summer, I think I got tired of a lot of the girls’ attitudes on tumblr. I decided I didn’t want to look ‘skinny fat’ at all, nor did I want to be reading so much about the latest starvation technique. I started looking for the guys who were doing it right, who were killing it in the gym or on the road, or wherever. I found Ryan and the Male Fitblr Directory, where I promptly added almost every single guy on the list. I slowly replaced all of the thinspo blogs with training journals and blogs posting fitness articles. I started talking and interacting with the people I identified with, and somehow made a bunch of friends from around the continent, and met/”met” some of the most influential people in my life.

Throughout the year, I’ve gained about 5 pounds. I’ve lost 5 inches off my waist. Gained 3 inches on my ass. Gained confidence. Gained an enormous amount of mental and physical strength. Made friends. Lost friends. Found my independence. Stopped eating almost everything. Started eating all the things. Grew two inches. Ran really long. Skated really fast. Lifted really heavy. Figured out that I really do like myself as I am, though I will always strive to be better.

Thanks for a great year, guys!

IT’S GUNSHOW THURSDAY!

I feel like the size of my arms sorely misrepresents how much weight I can lift. As in, I really can’t lift much, haha.

Ps the shirt I’m wearing is from grade 8 and getting baggy. Dude?!

GUNSHOWTHURSDAYPEWPEWPEWPEW!

Fuck it hurts to flex, haha.

So I planned to do just my easy peasy rehab shtuff today. But then I wanted to bench. And then the boy wanted to try front squats. And I had chocolate before the gym! So weeeee! Yeah I’ll add new things!

This is the bad part about exercising: I’m a little bit addicted to the gym. I start off with a plan and then start adding bits and pieces every week until I’m doing a ridiculous amount of work and then I need to catch myself before I die. Most of the time it’s someone else catching me though. BUT IT’S SO MUCH FUN.

Anywho:

lgoulet earned 690 points for:
Barbell Bench Press:
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown:
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
Seated Cable Row:
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
Front Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)

I want to add bench press into the stronglifts plan again, but I think I want to progress at half the speed of the other weights, so as not to kill my shoulders. I felt pretty silly just doing the bar. Ego, this is NOT the time to speak up. Also, I have already blown my increase all lifts 3x goal this week, thanks to some major suckage on barbell rows yesterday. New protocol: move up happens WHEN YOU CAN DO IT PAIN FREE. Not just when you can do it!

What I Wore to Workout Wednesday!

Lululemon, and more Lululemon.

I thought tonight was gonna be really hard, but it wasn’t.

Okay, it was while I was squatting, and row-ing, but the rest was easy. And I did it all after practice! The amount of squatting after skating I can do continues to impress me, haha. Practice practice practice was fun tonight, too! I can’t say it was a grueling workout, but we did lots of fun edge stuff.

And I don’t have measurements this week because it’s shark week, and a) the caliper chart thing says don’t take a reading now, and b) things will be higher and even though I know it’s temporary, that will send me into irrational mini-mental breakdown mode. We all have our weaknesses, okay?!

lgoulet earned 1489 points for:
Spinning:
0:10:00 (+15 pts)
Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 7 reps (+45 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+80 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+80 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+80 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+80 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+80 pts)
Hooooly shit. This is a little difficult after an hour of practice. Also, alternated sets with a guy bench pressing the same weight, haha!
Bent Over Barbell Row:
65 lb x 5 reps (+30 pts)
65 lb x 5 reps (+30 pts)
65 lb x 3 reps (+24 pts)
65 lb x 1 reps (+16 pts)
65 lb x 4 reps (+27 pts)
Totally did those last three sets in honor of Pi Day… Not cause I suck at rows…
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown:
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
Seated Cable Row:
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
30 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
Abductor Machine:
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
Adductor Machine:
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 5 reps (+15 pts)
100 lb x 4 reps (+13 pts)
100 lb x 4 reps (+13 pts)
100 lb x 3 reps (+12 pts)
Leg Extensions:
70 lb x 5 reps (+13 pts)
70 lb x 5 reps (+13 pts)
70 lb x 5 reps (+13 pts)
70 lb x 5 reps (+13 pts)
70 lb x 5 reps (+13 pts)
Leg Press:
140 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
Seated Calf Raise:
140 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
140 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
Ice Skating:
1:00:00 (+234 pts)

lgoulet Wanted to DIE after squats, but was fine for everything else after rows. Weird?

What I Wore to Workout Wednesday!

Lululemon and underarmour. Aww yeeeah.

First off, stats:

BF%: ~18.4 

Bust: 35
Waist: 27
Hips: 39

My boobs are all over the place right now, I don’t know why. According to the measurements, last week I was a 32D, this week it’s 32C, and all of my bras are 32A because that’s what I’ve worn since forever! Sports bras ftw right now. Waist is still higher than usual, but the big win this week is not only dropping back to the body fat percent range I was at pre-Florida, (last week I measured around 22%, sent me into a little breakdown) but also the skinfold average is at its lowest. It’s good to see progress in the right direction!

Annnd workout in question:
lgoulet earned 930 points for:
Ice Skating:
1:00:00 (+234 pts)
Spinning:
0:25:00 (+42 pts)
Walking (treadmill):
0:25:00 || 2.5 mph || 15 % (+34 pts)
Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 5 reps (+41 pts)
125 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
125 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
125 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
125 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
125 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
Barbell Deadlift:
105 lb x 5 reps (+61 pts)
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press:
45 lb x 5 reps (+52 pts)
Definitely bad for my shoulder. Taking these out of the routine.
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown:
40 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
40 lb x 5 reps (+22 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)
50 lb x 5 reps (+24 pts)

As you can see, things are not going awesome with my shoulder. I started my stronglifts plan without bench press, and now have to cut out overhead press as well, after a crash I had at practice on Monday. Both of those hurt in the bad way. I’m working towards building the muscles around the bottoms of my shoulder blades before I attempt anything that works delts or chest.

Stripey leg muscles.

:)

That is all.

Ways to Wear Ink Blot Wunder Unders #003

The beauty of wearing workout clothes everywhere: I don’t have to change for skating! Haha. Is it bad that absolutely everything I’m wearing right now is from lulu?

Ink blots + running socks + swiftly ls tech tee + define jacket + ombré hoodie + white headband.

(also, can you spot the sneaky little photo of little wee Lisa?)