A new workout program

So it`s time for a change - in the gym. I mixed up my workoutregime so that this time i'll be doing legs, back and abs the first day, chest on the second (have to hit the weekspot) and arms on the third.
Today will be chest day so here it is:

benchpress 4 x 10
inverse grip benchpress 4 x 10
incline db-press 4 x 10
incline flyes 4 x 10
pullovers 3 x 15
cable crossovers 3 x 15
peckdeck 3 x 15
pushups 3 x max
deep core

Ive been busy and away but here`s a new drawing

here they are, what beauties right?

Primal beauties :)

Inspired by a thread at MDA - heres one more primal beauty - my SO`s older daughter

just finished the drawing - sorry about the pic quality - my phone is a bit old :)

WOD and EOD (eats of the day)

Today it was time to hit the shoulders:

warmup
smith shoulderpresses 4 x 12 30kg
upright rows 3 x 10 25 kg
db shoulder presses 3 x 10 13,5kg dbs
lateral rises 3x12 11 kg dbs
frontal rises 3 x 12 9 kg dbs
bentover lateral rises 3 x 15 10 kg dbs
facepulls (cable)
butterflies
weghted ab excercises

IF untill dinner: a pounds worth of beef patties, sour cream with chives, cucumbers and lettuce, aged cheese for dessert and hot chocolate (100% dark chocolate and heavy cream)

Excercise increases satiety and decreases amount of food eaten - an article

Just read a good article about excercise affecting satiety - another good reason to hit the gym :)
to the article

Here`s a quote from Science Daily about the article in question:

The group led by José Barreto C. Carvalheira demonstrated that exercising obese rodents showed signals of restored satiety in hypothalamic neurons and decreased food intake. "In obese animals, exercise increased IL-6 and IL-10 protein levels in the hypothalamus, and these molecules were crucial for increasing the sensitivity of the most important hormones, insulin and leptin, which control appetite," Carvalheira explained. Physical activity contributes to the prevention and treatment of obesity, not only by increasing energy expenditure but also by modulating the signals of satiety and reducing food intake

Sauerkraut casserole

ohsooooogoood

So this is how it turned out. I published the recipe a few posts back, but I'll write it here again. The added browned bratwurst slices were a good touch.

Bring about 1 kg sauerkraut to boil with a cup of beefstock, some salt, lots of crushed black pepper, marjoran and honey.
Sautee 2-3 onions untill caramellised and add into the pot. Let simmer on low heat for about 30 min.
Add the meat and about 0,3-0,5 l of sourcream (for the meat use a slowcooked smoked porkleg and some diced, browned bratwurst). Taste and add spices if needed.
Eat.

Getting hungry...

An excellent post on the Evolutionary Psychiatry blog

What an excellent post by Emily Deanes at the Evolutionary Psychiatry blog: your brain on ketones

I just have to give a quote here:

And now let's really get down to the mitochondrial level.  Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells, where all the energy is produced (as ATP).  Now, when I was taught about biochemical fuel-burning, I was taught that glucose was "clean" and ketones were "smokey."  That glucose was clearly the preferred fuel for our muscles for exercise and definitely the key fuel for the brain.  Except here's the dirty little secret about glucose - when you look at the amount of garbage leftover in the mitochondria, it is actually less efficient to make ATP from glucose than it is to make ATP from ketone bodies!  A more efficient energy supply makes it easier to restore membranes in the brain to their normal states after a depolarizing electrical energy spike occurs, and means that energy is produced with fewer destructive free radicals leftover.

Go and read the post, its very informative plus well written. I've been for ages trying to counter that "glucose is the brains fuel" mantra of the CW gurus out there - now i can.

The core

This spring (in April to be more exact) I had a wakeup. I visited a fysiotherapist for the first time in my life because the constant pains in my lower back had simply become intolerable. I had always thought there was nothing that I could do about it as they were a result of a overlymobile "loose" lower disc that was the result of a car accident in my childhood.
It was a big surprise to find out that I actually could have done something about it - there was a possibility to get rid of or at least significantly reduce the pains. Luckily it`s never too late. And all I had to do was work on my "deep core" muscles.
As a very active girl in good shape (I mean I've been lifting heavy since about 10 years ago), it came as quite a shock to learn that I had weak core muscles. I was relieved to find out it  was one of the most common reasons for lower back pains.

                                          
So for the past 5 months I`ve done 5 short ab-sessions per week after a resistance or cardio workout. 2 x weighted abs and 3 x stabilizing workouts. Plus one or two specifically corerelated workouts (30 - 60 min).
There are a few simple tricks you can use to keep your core stabilized through any workout (lifting to jogging to dancing) and in your daily life overall (sitting, standing, walking):
1) tighten your pelvic muscles (as if trying to stop peeing)
2) tilt your pelvis forward a bit (tuck in your tail).
Yes, it takes time to remember to do that and keep your core tight throughout your day, but in a while it becomes natural.

In addition to all the specific deep core targeting excercises (and there are a lot of them - your imagination is the limit), the one thing that gave me the best painrelief and best results in actually getting the muscles to strenghen noticeably was quitting the chair!
What I mean is I don`t sit on achair any more at work - I use a stability ball instead (one with a 75 cm diameter - I have longish legs).
So after 5 months I have managed to lessen the pains to about 50%.
My fysiotherapist said in the beginning that it could take a year or two to get my core in shape, so I`d say im on the right track.

My liverpatties recepy on MDA

Just remembered - I had a recepy published on MDA. Thought I`d link it here
my liverpatties

                                              (pic from MDA blog)

An excellent chestworkout and sauerkraut stew

Yesterday was chest and triceps day at the gym. before that i had already done a bodypump class, so muscles were a bit fatigued.

benchpress 4x10 40kg
incline db press 3x10 16 kg dbs
flyes 3 x 15,12,10 11 kg dbs
peckdeck 3 x 15, 12, 12
pushups 3 x max
closegrip benchpress EZ bar 3 x 12 30 kg
french press 3 x 10 25 kg
cable pushdowns 3 x 12
planks for abs

Slowcooked a smoked porkleg for todays sauerkraut stew yesterday. Its so easy and so good.
All you need is a porkleg, smoked and slowcooked. Then let about 1 kg sauerkraut cook slowly with a bit of water, salt, honey, pepper and marjoran until done (1 hour), add sourcream (0,5 litres) and the readycooked meat. Let simmer for a while (15 min) and enjoy.

                                                    Here`s the porkleg :)