Return to gym

I made my triumphant return to the gym last night. Well, not really triumphant. I didn't do anything amazing, really. But I went! Triumph!

So after more than a week since last time I went, I finally went back. I worked on stretching my hip flexors at home before I went, so that I could squat better than I've been able to. I did some practice squats too, and I actually got my form down pretty well. My bum got below parallel with my knees! Yes! And finally I wasn't supporting my weight on my toes, but instead on my heels.

Well, it's a whole different story when you've got a bar on your back, your working in a cage (more or less), you're surrounded with mirrors, and there's a pile of guys behind you, possibly/probably mocking you. I got in the cage and tried just squatting without the bar. I kinda sorta did it. My problem was I kept looking at the side mirror to check if my bum was going low enough, and checking the front mirror to see if I kept my knees pushed out. All of this meant I wasn't looking straight ahead, the way I had been when I practiced at home, and it threw my balance way off. I couldn't seem to ignore the mirror and just look straight ahead.

I tried it with the bar with no weights, and my balance was awful. I couldn't get my bum down far enough, I started going up on my toes, I fell forward coming up out of one. Just terrible. I did 3 sets of the bar alone and then gave up. My heart was pounding and I felt weak. And I don't think I got 1 single good squat in. I'm going to continue practicing my form at home and hope I improve with the bar at the gym. I mean last time I did it with 20 lbs on the bar! I also can't figure out where to place the bar. I know I'm supposed to not do the "high bar" position, but who knows where your scapular spine begins?! And who can see behind them to see where it's actually resting?! So yeah. Bleh.

Before the squat, cuz it was taken as was the leg press, the leg curl, the weighted ab machine, and the lower back machine (GAH there were MILLIONS of people at the gym), I did some bench presses. I tried to do 5x5 for those. I did 4 sets of 5, and for the last set of 5, I put teeny tiny baby weights on the bar - 2.5 lbs each. They were smaller than a CD. I felt lamer with those on than I did doing the bar alone! Oh well. I think I only got 4 reps on that one, but maybe I did 5. I can't remember. But I'll start with that next time.

I did 40 lbs on the overhead press!!! I could only do 3.5 reps though...But the 30 lbs I could easily do 5. Like really easily. So that's good. I did 30 lb biceps curls, which is more than I've ever done on that one. That was pretty hard. I think I only did 3 sets. I'm pretty inconsistent, huh?

The rest I did as usual, and went to the elliptical. I did my 30 mins moderate intensity + 10 mins warmup/cooldown, and that was it.

I don't like my inconsistency in number of sets or reps. I think maybe it's because I'm still new to barbells and trying to figure out what works for me. I want to try the StrongLifts 5x5 program starting next week. But I'm wary to do deadlifts in the gym, the weight room is always full of tons of guys and absolutely no girls, and if that's not bad enough, I've never seen anyone deadlift there, and I worry about hurting myself. And also about the immense amount of setup time I'll require to get the bar at the right height since I'll be using puny weights that won't stand the bar up high enough alone. I also greatly fear the barbell row. I'm pretty sure I'm not strong enough to do it at all. And the form on it? I'll have to read alot more about it / find some videos before I'm willing to try that one. So I might try 5x5 on the other exercises. Including trying to do pullups, chinups, and dips :O Yeah, that'll work...not!

The good news is, I'm not really sore today. The bad news is, I think that's because I did so horribly at the gym :( Oh well. I will try to go one of the days on....gah I was going to say weekend, when I realized that I'm gone all weekend and won't be back home before Tuesday. Well....lame. I guess I will try to go next Tuesday then!

In weight news, as of last night and this morning I am 170.8 and 31% body fat. I'm so close to my goal of being under 170 for a week so that I earn a new workout outfit! I can't wait!!