Tuesdays and Thursdays are my strength training days (MWF I do cardio). I usually do 3 sets of 12 reps of everything. A few weeks ago I upped the weights I was doing by one notch -- and did 3 sets of 8, then the next time 2 sets of 10 and then 3 sets of 12. The 3 sets of 8 was surprisingly easy, but I found myself consistently having difficulty getting through 3 sets of 12. Inspired by daedala's comment (http://lifting-heavy-things.dreamwidth.org/571.html?thread=2875#cmt2875s), this week I decided to up the weights again and do 2 sets of 8. This turned out to be surprisingly difficult.
I mostly use machines, so this is my list of all the machines I use (as best as I can remember the names) and what I set the weights at (with the previous week's in parentheses, since I upped them this week): + Shoulder Press: 40lb (from 30lb) + Leg Press: 9x22lb (from 8x22lb) + Rowing: 7x12.5lb (from 6x12.5lb) + Standing Leg Curl: 25lb (from 20lb) + Vertical Chest Press: 70lb (from 60lb) + Prone leg curl: 80lb (from 70lb) + Pulldown: 70lb (from 60lb) + leg extension: 70lb (from 60lb) + seated pull: 70lb (from 60lb)
Looking up the names of the free weight exercises I use (I'd meant to respond to last week's "What did you do?" post) in my copy of Smart Girls Do Dumbbells (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/703533.Smart_Girls_Do_Dumbbells), I found that I wasn't doing any triceps exercises, so on Tuesday this week I added in v-backs (using the same 12lb weights as I'd used for my other free weight exercises that day), which didn't feel like they were doing anything, so I looked at the book again and on Thursday did two-arm overhead extensions (with a single 12lb weight), which did feel like I was working muscles.
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I mostly use machines, so this is my list of all the machines I use (as best as I can remember the names) and what I set the weights at (with the previous week's in parentheses, since I upped them this week):
+ Shoulder Press: 40lb (from 30lb)
+ Leg Press: 9x22lb (from 8x22lb)
+ Rowing: 7x12.5lb (from 6x12.5lb)
+ Standing Leg Curl: 25lb (from 20lb)
+ Vertical Chest Press: 70lb (from 60lb)
+ Prone leg curl: 80lb (from 70lb)
+ Pulldown: 70lb (from 60lb)
+ leg extension: 70lb (from 60lb)
+ seated pull: 70lb (from 60lb)
+ free weights (classic forward curls [biceps] & military presses [deltoids]): 12lb (from 10lb)
Looking up the names of the free weight exercises I use (I'd meant to respond to last week's "What did you do?" post) in my copy of Smart Girls Do Dumbbells (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/703533.Smart_Girls_Do_Dumbbells), I found that I wasn't doing any triceps exercises, so on Tuesday this week I added in v-backs (using the same 12lb weights as I'd used for my other free weight exercises that day), which didn't feel like they were doing anything, so I looked at the book again and on Thursday did two-arm overhead extensions (with a single 12lb weight), which did feel like I was working muscles.