<p>Post 30,000?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m doing 60lbs this week, two 30 lb DBs, but I am making it a little harder by holding one outstretched up on the air while I do 8 reps with the other arm, and then switching.</p>
<p>I know I’ve done regular bench press with 2 x 35. I can’t remember if I’ve done 2 x 40. I think so, so that’s my PR I guess. With no rack and no spotter, I’ve never done barbell bench press.</p>
<p>Idad: I hear what you’re saying about the perils of using numbers as a goal in strength training. As a 61-year-old woman who grew up in the dark ages when women didn’t have a chance to do much in the way of athletics (seriously, my high school didn’t have any teams for girls), I was thrilled when I reached my bench press goal. Truth be told, I guess I was a little braggy (my H got tired of listening to it). I don’t have any intention of trying to do more; I’m fine with going on to other things. I guess what I’m saying is that a number goal isn’t always bad if you progress at a slow pace and recognize when you’re going too far. I’m working on balance and that’s one area where you can’t set a number. It frustrates me that I don’t have a way to measure improvement. Yes, I’m better and more stable, but how much more??? KWIM?</p>
<p>fell over - 0
didn’t fall over - 1
:D</p>
<p>I have a ways to go on the balance front I guess…</p>
<p>ART treatment today. Nothing but visualization today.Strides tomorrow.</p>
<p>You guys are bench pressing animals! Way to go! Sigh. I need to get back to the gym at some point. Still doing my Valslides and some kettlebell stuff, but not too much but running these days, really.</p>
<p>Ladies, how much do you do for bicep curls?</p>
<p>3 sets of 8 with 6# each side
or
2-3 sets of 6-8 with 8# each side</p>
<p>I use DBs. First 8 of one side, then 8 of the other side, then the next set.</p>
<p>3 sets of 10 reps with 2 15-lb dumbbells.</p>
<p>bunsenburner:</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s anything at all wrong with benching 100 pounds. That seems like a reasonable standard. I was talking more about getting into a routine of constantly looking for new PRs. For example, if you now set a goal of 150 lbs and then 200 lbs. People really get in trouble with this trying to set PRs for deadlift and back squats.</p>
<p>I think a terrific way to keep this in check is Mike Boyle’s recommendation to never do sets of fewer than six reps. If you can’t do six good reps, then the weight is too heavy. That automatically keeps you out of the realm of 1 rep maximum lifts that have high injury potential from failure.</p>
<p>kmc:</p>
<p>I’m not far enough into the book for a definitive answer, but I don’t think he’s saying that keeping a food diary is a bad idea. For example, he’s already said, flat out, that you want to keep protein unchanged (or even increase it) while trying to lose weight. So, to do that, you have to have some idea of what you are eating. I think he’s just arguing that calories are the wrong measure, or that even if they weren’t the wrong measure, the inaccuracies dwarf the small changes in calories that would account for weight loss or gain.</p>
<p>I don’t count calories, but I do count WW points. They “reward” protein and fiber, as well as fruits/vegs, so while it hasn’t been by design, I’ve wound up eating a lot more protein and having fewer carbs than before. It really rewards natural foods vs processed ones.</p>
<p>Small changes, hm…</p>
<p>I’m with Kmc and Ohio. Eating 6 hamburgers with buns is different than eating 1 hamburger with a bun. Exaggerating to convey a general principle.</p>
<p>Agony</p>
<p>The dreaded Airdyne intervals. Four 1/2 mile intervals. I cranked the AC up and got it down to 69 degrees in the room, plus the box fan blowing on me (no shirt). And, it’s a new world’s record! 
Beat my previous best for this workout by 5/100ths of a second combined time for the four fast intervals. Averaged 71.4 rpm compared to 71.1 rpm on my previous best. Peak heart rate of 95% of my max.</p>
<p>Ecstacy</p>
<p>Heading to the kitchen to cook up two lobsters. I’ll partially steam them, then finish them by sauteeing the meat with butter and lemon juice. Fresh brocolli on the side. Gotta strike when the iron is hot and the iron is definitely hot when it’s $3.99 a pound for live lobster in the grocery store.</p>
<p>Tom1944
Damn dude, I don’t know what I would do without my carbs.
I was wondering how many grams of protein and fat you eat per day.</p>
<p>Oooh, $3.99 per pound on lobsters sounds like ecstasy to me! </p>
<p>Today I took the kid to the gym. I ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill, watching Ina Garten cook. I followed up with core exercises and some weights. H and I walked 2 miles tonight in the very steamy heat. We woke up this morning with pouring rain, a soggy paper, heat. By lunchtime we had yet another downpour, then sun and heat. My agony and ecstasy of the day involved a consult with an oral surgeon. That alone is enough said about the agony part. Well I’ll add that I will likely have yet another procedure on the poor problem tooth, but the ecstasy is that I’ll be keeping it. </p>
<p>Goals…great post CJane. I have to think maintenance only until we get past the summer heat.</p>
<p>111pipe eat about the same amount of grams you weigh. For example if you weigh 150 pounds eat about 150 grams of protein. It might seem a lot but if you can effectively mix in carbs and VERY little saturated fat and more poly and mono. Remember to eat every 3-4 hours as well (about 5 meals a day). Small ones to see how much you need to eat multiply your weight by 17 if you workout 3 times a week vigorisly weight training or cardio and 20 if you do more than 3-4 times a week.</p>
<p>I always wanted to bench 225… that was four of the really big plates, it’s what the NFL uses in their tests. It looks cool on the bench.</p>
<p>I worked up to around 190, and then hurt my back (not doing bench presses)… my dream is gone, I’m afraid. 
</p>
<p>These days I’m happy at 160-ish, it’s a lot easier on the shoulders.</p>
This is exactly what I mean. Yes, of course, “improving” and “doing it with better form” is always the goal, but doesn’t lend itself to that “high five moment”.
<p>bobby:</p>
<p>At least for geezer fitness, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is probably more than you need. I would say a good target is 1/2 g to 3/4 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. I would use 1 gram per pound as an upper limit.</p>
<p>I also don’t see any reason to consciously limit saturated fat. All attempts to prove some correlation between saturated fat consumption and heart disease (including some half billion dollar efforts like the NIH funded Women’s Health Initiative study) have failed over and over and over.</p>
<p>If anything, it is starting to look like efforts to reduce fat consumption have actually made our diets less effective from an obesity and health standpoint, due to the substitutions that are made when fat is cut out of the diet. The only considerations I try to follow on fat is to avoid eating any trans fat and to try to limit my consumption of heavily processed seed oils. i cook with olive oil, butter, and lard.</p>
<p>4 miles walking today in the blasted heat and humidity. My knee is very cranky!</p>