Rest?

For a day of rest, today sure was busy! I'm so glad today was my day off from the gym as I really don't know how I would have managed to fit in a workout.

I finally had my follow-up appointment with Dr. T about my leg. Since the pain is gone, there really wasn't any reason for a check up. The main purpose of this trip was for him to check my shoes.

I didn't really need a doctor to tell me that my New Balance shoes that I absolutely LOVE needed to be replaced. They should have been replaced ages ago ... and the fact that I did that 10K in them really screwed me up! I've been looking for a replacement for ages ... just haven't found the right pair. He told me that the average shoe life for my workout routine is about 100 hours, which basically means that I'd need to change my shoes about every 3 months! That's quite often ... and it's not like gym shoes are cheap either! In any case, gym shoes are something that I'll definitely invest in - I don't even look at the price. If it feels right (and looks right!) then I'll buy them.

He went over some interesting points on how to choose the best shoe for me. Each person is different, and because of the overall weakness in my left leg (extra pressure on the pad of the foot, slightly dislocated kneecap, broken thigh bone that didn't quite heal (very long story there), and hip pain from too much dancing in high heels (sigh, those were the good 'ol days when dancing salsa was the main thing going on in my life) ... anyway. All those combined made my left leg a big more unstable than my right, so I basically have to choose shoes that won't aggravate any of the old injuries ... not an easy task.

He did not approve of my newly bought Nike trainers:

Well, at least not for high impact cardio. He said I could wear them on days that I'm lifting weights or doing a class like Body Pump that doesn't require much stepping. So, the search for the right shoes is still on ... luckily I never shy away from a bit of shoe shopping :)

After the doctor's office I headed to the supermarket. I had my list in hand and was absolutely ready ... until I got there and I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people and kids. It was absolutely jam packed!! I never shop for groceries on the weekends ... and now I remembered why. It was insane. I had a lunch appointment so I knew I would have to rush ... I just headed straight for the produce section - grabbed what I could - and was out of there as quickly as possible (and even then it took too long). I can't stand having to shop for groceries when it's that crowded. A second trip will definitely be required as I'm sure I forgot many things that were on my list ... still, dinner for tomorrow is definitely ready.

The rest of the day was spent tackling a few errands and tasks around the house. Although I had a productive day, I definitely feel like I need one more day of no obligations/work so that I can make more progress through my never-ending list of things to do!

Stage 6 of NROL4W starting tomorrow! Yay!!

Getting Ready for the New Week

Yesterday I spent ages fixing up my workout chart for Stage 6 of NROL4W. I can't wait to start the program on Sunday! This stage seems really focused on strength building -- for example, for the first week it's 2 sets of 10, followed by 2 sets of 8 next week etc. The goal is to really push your muscles to lift heavier. I remember back when I started Stage 1 I didn't think that the few reps/exercises per day wouldn't be enough ... but slow and steady progress through the stages has definitely proved that it is effective. I am much stronger, and I definitely see the changes in my body in terms of tone/shape ... so, slow, steady, consistent progress with 100% effort is definitely the way forward.

Today I fixed up my menu for the upcoming week, and hopefully tomorrow I'll get to the grocery store to make sure I've got everything I need in the house ... I've got another busy, busy week ahead, and I know that not planning ahead can lead to terrible food choices.

As for my workouts for today ... even though I didn't get to see the doctor yesterday and have him give me the A-ok to resume my normal routine, I thought that since my leg has been feeling better since Tuesday that I could go ahead with my workouts. So, I warmed-up and then headed to Body Pump class. It was a good class. I used light weights (7 kg + bar) for my squats and lunges; I also lightened the load on the bar by 1 kg for the tricep and chest (9 kg + bar). Since I already did 3 weights workouts this week I just wanted to focus on my form during Pump. I think I made the right choice. I felt great throughout the class. My form was great. I felt strong and didn't falter once during any of the exercises - which sometimes happens when I lift heavier weights. Anyway. It was great. Our instructor will be on vacation until the 13th so I don't know if I'll do another pump class until she gets back ... but we'll see. It all depends on how Stage 6 feels.

After Body Pump, I went up to my locker, changed my t-shirt, and put on my Zumba shoes --- Finally!! Back to Zumba class. I haven't been to class since the beginning of this month so it felt amazing! There were lots of new routines, but I fell right into the swing of things and loved every second of it :)

I don't think I realized how exhausted I was until I got home, had lunch (some quinoa with veggies), and lay down on the couch ... and woke up almost 2 hours later! I don't usually nap, but obviously I was exhausted and totally needed the rest. I definitely felt much better afterwards. Gave me the energy I needed for a fun night out with my girlfriends.

It's been a good day.

Getting Sorted

No work today!! Yay!! :) Since my students had their midterm exam yesterday, we all got today off to 'recuperate'! As tempting as it was to just laze the morning/afternoon away, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to tackle some of the tasks that I've set out for myself.

The only thing I had scheduled for today was a follow-up appointment with Dr. T. Unfortunately, he got pulled into emergency surgery so my appointment has been postponed until Saturday. I was a bit upset as I really wanted to get the go-ahead from him about resuming my workouts at my usual intensity ... but I'll have to wait for 2 more days. My leg is definitely feeling better, but I don't want to push it and injure myself unnecessarily. I will just have to wait until Saturday.

That aside, I finally took care of my car insurance -- I only recently realize it ran out in 2011. Ya, I know, that's terrible -- I was absolutely mortified when I found out, but I tell you, the PhD took over my life in a way that all of this stuff just didn't matter. In any case, it wasn't a problem at all, and the fine was only KD5 ($15) - whew. Now, I need to renew my license, which also expired last year -- yes, I know. It's at the top of my to-do list ... it's just that it's a hassle.

I also finally took care of some bank work. I absolutely hate going to the bank, but putting off this little task was costing me a butt load of money ... so I finally went and took care of it - SUCCESS!

Two big things done ... on to the workout.

I had set up a routine to follow while my leg recovered, and today was the last day of my weight training routine for the week. Here are the stats for the week:

Workout 1 (3/25)	3x12
1 point row	10 kg/arm
seated row	27 kg
shoulder press	8 kg/arm
lateral pull (wide)	41 kg
Swiss ball crunches	100
glute lifts	100
prone cobra	30
push ups	10
Workout 2 (3/27)	3x12
dead lifts	40 kg
cable wood chop	18/side
chest press	12/5 kg/arm
tricep extensions	18 kg
vertical traction	45 kg
sit ups	300
prone jackknife	30
lateral flexion	100/side
release/contract crunch w/5 kg weight	60
superman	100
Workout 3 (3/29)	3x12
bicep curls	7 kg/arm
underhand lat pull	41 kg
lateral raises	5 kg/arm
clean and press	8 kg/arm

Although this was a nice break from the NROL4W routine, I'm eager to get back to Stage 6 on Sunday! I'm almost through the whole lifting plan.

I didn't do any abs today as I've been feeling quite a bit of pain in my lower abdomen since Monday. I don't know if it is related to the fibroid pain or if it's just general soreness. Given the amount of pain I felt last month I just didn't want to take a chance. Anyway. We'll see how I feel tomorrow ...

Finding Focus - RFSC Week 1

My goal for this week is just to catch up and be where I should be in terms of ... everything! I've definitely realized that I flounder easily without a proper plan of attack when it comes to my day/week -- and that goes for my workouts, for getting in my home office sorted (again), getting my errands done, etc.

My main setback has definitely been the rest that I've been given my leg. However, I notice the improvement and I'm quite confident that I can resume my normal routine starting Sunday.

One of my goals for the ready for summer challenge (RFSC) is to set weekly goals so that I can hit my targets and stay focused. My week is going to be Sunday through Saturday -- since our work week starts on Sunday over here.

So, my week 1 (March 26-31) goals are:

• Plan my next NROL4W workout (to start on Sunday) -- If I don't get the go ahead from the doctor, then I'll repeat this week's workout schedule
• Hit my main gym goals (3 weight sessions; 6 hours of cardio; 3 abs sessions)
• Specific 'things to do' - complete my car registration paperwork; plan my lessons for the upcoming week; read 2 new articles; edit chapter one and start chapter 2 of my thesis; sort through the final batch of clothes; contact A to give the charity donations to Syria, spend at least 2 hours helping mom pack, set up my Polar heart rate monitor (that I got over a month ago!!), catch up on commenting on blogs (I've been terrible at this lately - apologies!!)
• Complete all my nutrition goals -- plan the upcoming week's menu and buy the groceries; make sure I eat my daily serving of fruit ... This week's challenge to experiment with a new fruit/veggie/healthy meal is a great one for me ... I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, but I'll definitely be checking out my cookbooks today and figure something out!

It's been great reading through other people's blogs and seeing their goals for the challenge. It definitely provides an extra level of support and encouragement. I just hope that I'll be able to keep up with it all!

Today's workout:

Cardio focus: 10 km on the cross-trainer

Abs: 100 bicycle crunches (I hate them!), plank pose (3x1 min), reverse curls (100), kneeling side kicks (100/leg), push ups (20), rotary torso w/25 kg weight (30/side), 3 sets of 10 w/65 kg. weight back extension (to balance the workout out)

I'm desperate to do something about my 'abs' - they are non-existent and my core muscles are so bloody weak. I've neglected focusing on my abs because ... well, doing sit-ups etc. sucks! It's tough. It's painful. Still - if I want to see the results, I gotta do the work ... how do I expect to lose any inches around my waist without putting in the effort? That's gotta change. It is changing.

Feeling Strong

I had another great weights workout this morning. I started with my 2.5 km warm up on the cross-trainer. I'm so happy that my leg is feeling much better -- hopefully the doc will give me the ok to do squats, lunges, etc. from Friday onwards.

I stuck to an upper body workout -- felt strong as I did my 40 kg dead lifts -- felt even stronger as I did 3 sets of 12 incline chest presses with 12.5 kg dumbbells in each hand ... though I am very glad I had trainer MG standing over me because the last 2-3 reps of each set were killer ... particularly the last set when on the 10th rep I almost lost my strength and visualized the weight falling flat on my face -- the horror! He didn't let me give up though -- I had to finish the final reps, and I did, but OMG, it was tough.

The weights felt heavier today than the last time I pushed 12.5/arm ... he said it could be a number of factors, particularly the fact that 1) I only slept 4 hours last night and 2) I didn't eat enough breakfast. I'm usually really good about eating breakfast, but (and I know this is horrific) I was running late this morning so I skipped my cereal and had a tablespoon of peanut butter instead. I'm mortified that I did that, but I was desperate -- note to self, keep bananas on hand for a quick breakfast on the run.

Anyway.

I followed my weights workout with a bunch of abs -- 300 crunches, 30 prone jackknives, 60 contract release crunches w/weight, 100 oblique crunches/side, and 100 superman back stretches. I know I'll feel the effects tomorrow!

Food sucked today in the sense that I hardly had time to eat:

1 tablespoon peanut butter as I ran out the door (90 calories)

1 protein shake (140 calories)

1/2 cup mixed dried fruit, nuts, and oats (120 calories)

rice crackers (90 calories)

Total 440 calories

It has just been an insanely busy day.

Am going out for dinner - I'll make sure I eat (not overeat) properly then, particularly making sure to get my greens and protein.

Overall, busy but fulfilling day.

Catching Up & Summer Challenge

Where has the time gone? I find it incredible that I wake up so early in the morning and am still in a rush to get everything done. I feel like I'm constantly falling behind. While I do know that I procrastinate a bit, I know that I also keep busy almost all day ... Anyway.

I didn't get around to posting yesterday. Well, I started a post but never got around to finishing it. I didn't really have anything interesting to say in any case!

I started my new routine yesterday.

Sundays: 2.5 km warm-up (cross-trainer) followed by weights -- I just chose different exercises from the NROL4W program, but left out anything that involved lunges or squats. I found that even doing a one-point row (balancing on one foot while doing dumbbell rows) was still difficult for my left leg. Ugh!

I would have liked to have worked in another cardio session, but it didn't happen.

Mondays: cardio focus

I did 10 km on the cross-trainer this morning. It felt good!

I wanted to do some abs but didn't have time.

Apparently I need to either get to the gym earlier or modify my workout schedule because while I have managed to hit my main workout targets these past two days, I haven't been able to do the miscellaneous stuff ... and I know that it's the miscellaneous stuff that really jump starts/pushes me forward with losing weight.

I'm totally behind in the Happiness Project (been too busy trying to stay happy versus blogging about it) ... I will link up to the Happiness Project at the end of the month. For right now, I've got to set my goals for the Summer Challenge hosted by Maren.

Summer Challenge

1) Weight loss goal - divided into two parts:

Now to May 8th (the day I leave for London for my PhD defense): Lose 10 lbs

May 8th - June 3rd (end of challenge): Lose 5 lbs

2) Non-scale goal

Make it through my list of things to do.

I know that doesn't sound like a big goal, but believe me, it is -- my list of things to do is massive! I think what I need to do to tackle it I should make a daily (or at the very least weekly) list of targets to hit.

Pass my PhD Viva.

My Viva (PhD defense) is scheduled for May 11th. I've got to reread my thesis, make notes, and prepare for the defense. I'm hoping to pass it with only minor corrections to do ... it's definitely nerve-wracking!

3) Exercise goal

My workout plan is detailed and intense. However, due to time constraints in the morning (need to get to work by 9:45 am) I can't always finish it ... and I don't always have the time or energy to go back for a second workout. So, I'm going to divide my exercise goals into main goals and secondary goals.

Main goals:

- hit the gym 6 times a week

- complete 3 weight training sessions (free weights)

- complete 6 hours of cardio each week

- focus on abs workouts 3 times a week

Secondary goals:

- complete a 4th weight training session - either free weights or body pump

- complete another 4 hours of cardio per week (for a total of 10 hours of cardio)

4) Nutrition goal

I think my basic food choices are good, but I've still got to watch my portions and my intake of carbohydrates. I also need to make sure that I eat more fruit & raw foods. At the moment, although I mainly eat veggies, hardly any of it is raw. So, my main nutrition goals:

- Drink 3.5-4 L of water daily.

- Eat at least one serving of fruit (raw, not in the form of juice) daily

- Greatly reduce the quantity of carbs consumed during dinner

- Track food and water intake on a daily basis

Planning Ahead

I just spent the last hour fixing up my workouts and meals for the upcoming week. It'll definitely be a challenge as I have quite a lot of work (as well as errands) plus a number of social engagements - always a trap for excessive calorie intake. It's going to be a challenging week ... In any case, I hope that I will be able to stick to my plan of attack and actually lose a pound or two this week.

My leg is feeling better, but still not 100% -- very frustrating! I haven't gone to Zumba class in 2 weeks now, and I really want to get back into the class. I just know that I'm not ready at the moment - too many sudden movements shifting direction that will add strain to my quads - but hopefully I'll be ok by Tuesday. Fingers crossed!

Today I had a good 35 minute warm-up on the cross-trainer and then went up to RPM class. I definitely had to watch myself on the power climbs, but I managed to complete the class successfully and work up a terrific sweat.

I can't wait to get back to feeling normal again ... I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss doing lunges and squats -- they just make you feel so strong! One more week before I can do them, so this upcoming week I'm focusing a lot on upper body strength training plus whatever cardio I can manage without straining my legs. Although it's not my ideal workout, a change in routine is always good - keeps the muscles guessing!

On My Feet

I feel like I spent all day on my feet today.

I still feel slightly timid about working out with my leg injury, but the meds are definitely helping. I feel much better though I do feel a slight pull sometimes. In any case, today was my cardio day. At first when I got on the cross-trainer I wondered - should I just do 45 minutes or should I go for 65. At this point, I really shouldn't be asking myself this question. I know the answer - go for 65 - always. If for some reason my leg starts to hurt, then I can stop ... however, setting a goal for 45 minutes means that I'll stop at 45 minutes even if I don't feel pain and could go on for longer. Setting a bigger goal means that I'll automatically work harder to achieve it -- I need to really keep that in mind. No fear. Keep pushing.

The 65 minutes went by without much of a problem. I usually workout on the setting that focuses on the glutes and quads, but since it's my main quadricep muscle that's sore, I adjusted the setting to include the calves and hamstrings - lower incline - I think it really made a difference. So, 8.5 km done and I was ready to get on with my day.

I headed to work - the first time this week as I took Monday and Tuesday off (and I don't teach on Wednesdays). I'm glad I had worn my Uggs to work because sometimes standing in front of the class for 2 hours in high heels, particularly after a long cardio workout, can be a bit painful. It's much better when I walk around. In any case, 2 hours of standing sucks.

I then met up with KD for round 2 of shopping (yesterday we engaged in some mega-retail therapy) -- we spent 5 hours walking around the mall. It may not be speed walking, but being on your feet and walking around at whatever pace for 5 hours is exhausting by the end of it all! Add the weight of the several bags in our hands and you've got yourself quite a bit of a workout :) I'm not one of those people who counts this type of walking/activity as part of my exercise/calorie burn of the day, but you can't deny that it does burn more calories than if I had been at home watching TV.

Anyway. It's definitely time for me to get back into the swing of things in terms of both my workouts and my work in general. I've been slacking, perhaps taking the whole post-PhD submission relaxation too far ... well maybe not too far. After all, it was 4.5 years of research. I guess I deserved a bit of rest. In any case, I'm glad it's the weekend! Time to get organized and get into a proper routine!

American Style Eating

Every year the US Embassy in Kuwait holds their 4th of July party in March -- I know that doesn't really make sense, but nobody wants to be outdoors in the middle of summer in Kuwait's heat! Anyway. I've been going to the embassy event for the past two years. It's not bad - live music, fireworks, and of course the 'drinks' tent (alcohol is illegal in Kuwait, so you can imagine how long the line is to get into the drink tent)! In addition to all that, there is food.

The US Embassy has all the American restaurants in Kuwait set up booths, and it's an all you can eat food fest (for free). Sound exciting? I thought so the first year - wondering what yummy food I would get to eat.

The first year I went, I left without eating a thing.

Last year, I ate before I went.

This year, I'll do the same.

Why?

Every. Single. Thing. was either deep fried, covered in cheese, or dripping with fat. Everything.

It's not a sit-down dinner event - it's like a lawn party. There are booths. People are walking around just grabbing something to eat, so it's not like the restaurants are looking to serve plates of salad. No, they want quick, easy to carry and consume food - fast food. Junk food.

I was really disappointed. All that food, and nothing appealing to eat. I think the most 'harmless' food was probably pizza. I know a slice of pizza won't kill me, but it really wasn't that appealing at all. What also surprises me, but is probably the risk at any type of open-eating event/buffet is that people don't just go and have one burger -- since it's free I see people booth hopping - a burger here, a hot dog there, followed by a slice of pizza, washed down with some beer (lol some is an understatement - gotta drink as much as you can while you can), and ending the evening with a hot fudge sundae or some apple pie a la mode.

I mean, I can understand having a burger, some fries, and then some ice cream -- sure, tons of calories and still unhealthy, but it's one meal. What I can't understand is how 3-4 complete meals are consumed in the span of 2-3 hours ... horrifying yet fascinating at the same time. I wish I had pictures to share, but cameras aren't allowed in the embassy.

Anyway. It's an enjoyable evening out, but it's definitely better to eat at home and just enjoy the ambiance rather than the food.

Happy (early) Independence Day!

Improvising

Although I haven't been banned from the gym due to my injury, I do know that I need to take a little easy as I don't want to push too hard and negate the improvement that I'm already starting to feel from the anti-inflammatory meds.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm at a bit of a loss without a plan for my workout -- so today's gym session wasn't as great as it probably could have been. Some warm-up cardio followed by Body Pump class. Pump was great - I felt strong, I lifted good weights, and I had good form -- I did, however, have to skip the lunge and squat tracks -- but for one of them I just did 5 minutes of sit-ups and for the other I went out and walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes. It's nothing much, but my goal was to just keep on moving.

So, I got in a workout, but it didn't feel as satisfying as I would have liked.

I definitely need to come up with a plan.

Diagnosis

I did not want to go to the doctor today for two main reasons:

1. I didn't think my injury was that serious. It feels like a muscle strain, and I know that all you really need to do is rest it up and wait for it to heal. So, if that was the case, I was being kind of silly going to the doctor.
2. I was afraid that it was more serious than just a strain and the doctor would tell me that I wouldn't be able to exercise and that I would have to stay away from the gym for a few weeks.

In the end, it was all ok.

He was a bit concerned that it has been hurting for almost a month now, but overall, he didn't think that it would be a problem. It is just a muscle strain of the rectus femoris (hip flexor). This particular muscle crosses the hip and the knee, which is why my hip (and even lower back) has been hurting as well. My knee hasn't been too bad.

In any case, I'm on muscle relaxants for 3 days and anti-inflammtory meds for 10. I'll go back to see him on the 29th and then he'll determine whether or not I need an MRI for further investigation or some physiotherapy to help with the recovery. He's also going to take a look at the shoes I've been wearing while training. He said that wearing the wrong pair of shoes could have an impact all the way from my foot (the pad of my left foot really hurts) to my hip/lower back!

As for working out, he didn't restrict me from the gym. He did tell me to lay off exercises that put pressure on the quads - no lunges, squats, leg presses etc. (darn, no squats, gutted lol). As for cardio, he said to use common sense - if it hurts to run, don't run etc.

So good news on the diagnosis front. I'll try and be sensible and focus more on other types of exercises that don't put pressure on my legs.

I'm at a bit of a loss workout-wise at the moment. I guess I could start on Phase 5 of NROL4W, but part of me wants to take a break and just do something different for a week or two. I guess I'll take a look to see what Phase 5 is all about and then either start with it tomorrow or put together a routine for the next two weeks so that I don't feel lost in the gym.

Today, 45 minutes on the cross-trainer followed by some triceps and shoulder resistance training. Not too intense, but just enough for the day.

Getting Back on Track

I cautiously stepped on the scale this morning - nervous about what number I would see, particularly after my 3 days in Bahrain. While I didn't overindulge while I was there, I definitely ate things that were not in my usual pattern. I didn't measure my food. I didn't track my calories - I just had to try and make safe choices and hope for the best.

I was happy to see a 1.5 lb loss from last week.

I think all my time at the gym pre-travel helped me out with that. I didn't exercise while I was away. In fact, I spent most of my time lounging around -- it was some much needed R&R!

Today's workout was really mild. I just wanted to make sure that I got to the gym. It's always a bit tough getting back into a routine after traveling (or just a break in normal daily patterns), but my leg is still worrying me.

It really hurts. I spent most of the past 3 days resting my leg, but it hurts even to step down now. The treadmill, even at a slow pace, is out of the question. Ironically the cross-trainer doesn't strain my leg as much. Perhaps it's because I'm not actually stepping down but rather only moving my legs ... as I've mentioned in previous posts, stretching, particularly leg extensions, really helps me out too ... but overall, I'm uncomfortable all the time now.

So, after the trainers at the gym saw me limping across the room they said that it was time - particularly because I obviously wasn't giving it enough rest.

Tomorrow I'll go to the doctor and see what he has to say. I hate going to doctors. I am absolutely petrified that he's going to tell me that I won't be able to workout for a few days/weeks ... but I also know I can't go on like this.

We'll see!

NROL4W - Phase 4 Complete

Short blog post as I'm getting ready for a weekend trip away -- I cannot wait to get out of here and just let my hair down and relax.

So, the main update -- I finished Phase 4 of NROL4W!

My main obstacle has been my thigh injury. It still hurts pretty bad -- so I'm taking the next 3 days off (which works coz' I'll be out of the country) to just rest it up and ice it down --- hopefully it'll feel better by the time I get back. If not ... I may have to go see a doctor, but I really hope it doesn't come to that!

Anyway. As a result of this injury there were a few exercises I struggled with -- particularly lunges and the single-leg squat for my left leg. I'm having trouble balancing on my left leg. I just feel a great amount of strain on my thigh muscle ... so, as I said, a bit of rest will do it good.

Other than that, I think I did pretty good on my weights. I didn't see as much improvement in terms of heavier lifting in all the exercises as in the past ... for example, the YTWL shoulder raises -- that's a total of 24 shoulder raises x 3 sets ... I started off with 5 kg/hand and really struggled to complete 24 in a row, so I dropped it down to 4 kg/hand and it was much better ... My form was good, it was challenging but not crazy tough. By the end of the month I was able to go back to 5 kg/hand -- the last reps were still a bit tough. So, only a 1 kg difference, but definitely improvement in strength in terms of completing the exercise with good form.

The other exercise I really struggled with is the wide-grip lat pull. Pulling at 41 kg is fine, but the jump up to 48 kg (nothing in between) was tough. I still haven't perfected it ... but I'll keep working on it!

In any case, I know it's not about the final number. It's about doing it right -- and I can definitely say that I have concentrated on making sure I complete each exercise to the best of my ability.

So here are the numbers:

Workout A:

	Feb. 12, 2012	Mar. 12, 2012
One-armed dumbbell snatch	6 kg each hand	10 kg each hand
Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift	7 kg each hand	10 kg each hand
Barbell bent-over row	15 kg	35 kg
Dumbbell single-arm overhead squat	4 kg+8 kg	5 kg+10 kg
Dumbbell incline bench press	7 kg each hand	12.5 kg. each hand
Plank (90 sec)	bw	bw
Reverse wood chop	8 kg	18 kg

Workout B:

	Feb. 14, 2012	Mar. 14, 2012
Barbell Romanian deadlift	25 kg	45 kg
Partial single-leg squat	5 kg	10 kg/hand
Wide-grip lat pull	41 kg	48 kg
Back extension	41 kg	72 kg
YTWL	4 kg/hand	5 kg/hand
Swiss ball crunch	100	150
Prone jackknife	12	35
Lateral flexion	24	30
Prone cobra	18	30

After returning from Bahrain I'll probably take a week off from the program to change up my routine a bit before getting into Phase 5.

Will blog when I get back!

Ciao!