Making lemonade out of lemons, maybe

It would be great for someone who knows what form I am going for to watch me lift and make helpful suggestions. So far I have the people but they don't have a clue. so, I'm going to provide it. The next time someone approaches me with a tip, I will say no problem. First, check out Mark Rippetoe online, Google or go to Youtube for videos, and see the form I am trying to achieve. Then, learn how to do the movements until you (a man, most of the time it's a guy) can do them properly with more weight than me, which so far none of the helpers has been able to do. Then, bring on the suggestions!

Sleep was not cooperating last night, so it was easy to get up at 5:30 for 6am yoga, after that I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill. This surprised one of the trainers I know there, he was like "Cardio?" I was like, "yeah." Came home, ate oatmeal and napped. My shoulders need a break, so tomorrow will be a volume squat day. 5 x 5 x 115 back squats, 5 x 3 x 80 power cleans, 5 x 3 x going up gradually front squats, 5 x 3 x same thing overhead squats, 5 x 3 x 95 RDLS.

It occurredto me that I should explain how I got to the point where I am deciding my own programming. When i started lifting 2 years ago, I ran Starting Strength 3 times, with several deloads, by the book, eventually going from 3 x 5 sets to 3 x 3. After a point I stalled and my back had issues. You can see by the picture of me in my potential Halloween costume two of the reasons for back issues, I've been carrying these breasts around full-size since I was 15. Now, self-coached, I read everything possible especially about older women who lift and am programming myself. Practical Programming is on my list of things to buy, as soon as I can stop buying Halloween stuff, god I love this holiday!

Finally increased squat weight!

Decided to lift at my brother-in-law's house and finally broke through to 85lb squats after lots of build-up sets. They assured me that I was indeed using a 45 lb bar when the 20 lb increase had me surprised. Now I'm wondering if the fact that there is no mirror in front of their rack made a positive difference, maybe old man Rip does know what he is talking about! Next challenge is to do it again and more in my overly mirrored gym. Overhead presses 55 lbs but only three rep sets to fail, and Romanian deadlifts 95 lbs 4 sets, the last set was ouchy. Getting that done this morning means I'll have a good long break today and can take Pilates (what? my abs need the help ya'll) and then Spin later today. So, yeah good work-out day :-)

Stupidest thing I've read this week

"THe bike:

Pro: good for rehabilitation purposes if you have a bad knee, ankle sprain, lower extremity problems, etc

Con: No core/upper body involvement..so you start to slouch cause your bike has a tv

THe treadmill--the worst :

Pro: If its a blizzard outside great for heart training, if you walk/jog/run without the holding the rail it is effective, especially with proper form.

Con: bad for knees and ankles for the majority when you don't have good level of propreoceptive training and not aware of a correct form of running. Proprioception is an important skill when running on the treadmill. Proprioception is basically intuitively feeling and knowing the position and motion of your body, feet, legs, arms, etc. at all times. It is being aware of all of the different actions of your running stride. So unless you practice on a wobble board for proprioception than go run outside --"the cushioning isn't the same as running outside, so you don't get the same bone benefits" "the pull of the treadmill on your ankles. Even though it is very very slight and you are jogging along just fine, technically, with the "ground" moving, it creates a slight pull against your ankle joints. It is possible that this can affect your knees or anything else up the chain as well. "
check this article from website for runners:
Runningplanet[/url]

Ok So the The winner is ....
The best Cardio Machine in the gym is... the Elliptical because your legs and arms are involved in the workout...simply as that."

(that was him, now this is me) Ok, did he just say that the treadmill is the worst machine for enhancing cardiovascular endurance and the elliptical is the best? Guess what, I don't need to practice standing on a wobble board before using a treadmill because I learned to walk at around two years old and have been doing so ever since. The elliptical, while fun and able to be used for either high intensity intervals or steady state endurance cardio, doesn't closely mimic any natural activities. This renders it virtually useless as far as improving functional fitness goes. The worst part of this is that some guy already complimented him on the great information. I need to get off of the Internet and start sharpening survival skills because with so many morons among us the collapse can't be far off.