weds. sports conditioning: 3/30

Needed to get in some good conditioning because Thursday would be a day of dental repairs and Friday I would be help out at a charity event for to assist Japan.  I still felt rundown from Tuesday's workout by the time I went to Class, but I was able to force myself to attend.  The class was exactly what I needed because it had a nice blend of stationary exercises and cardio stations. 

How many people have this burned into thier mind?

Recently, I purchased a new GYMBOSS Interval Timer, which I love!  I had one that I used most of the summer, but I accidentaly left in the gym.  I fianlly admitted to myself that I was never going to find it and ordered another one.  The GYMBOSS is a nice inexpensive gym tool that is an effective way to incorerate interval training into your workout.  I am a big fan of intervals because I hate trying to count reps.  I would much rather work for a designated period of time.  The GYMBOSS is nice because it allows you to set up to different interval periods, which can be set for different lengths of time, and will also count down the number of sets you do from whatever number you designate up to 99.  I used to love using it for skipping rope as well as for regulaer exercises.  I don't run intervals, but I can't see why the GYMBOSS couldn't be youed for running in tervals as well.  The only issue that I have with it is that it has a tone of features but only three buttons, so trying to remember how to program your settings can be difficult at first.  But after a little while, it becomes second nature.  It sort of reminded me of tring to remember the cheat for CONTRA on Nintendo 64.  I am not one for plugging products on my blog, but I really think that the GYMBOSS is awesome (and I have no connection to the company or anyone that works for them.  Just incase you are wondering).  I have used it in the past and don't think many people are aware of it, so I don't mind taking the time to spread the word because I searched high and low for something like this for a long time before I stumbbled upon it.

Lastly, I have decided to start logging my bike commuting totals at the end of the month, but I will cover everything I have done until now just to get it out of the way.  Since 2/14 I have commuted 76 miles by bicycle.

Rain Delay Workout & Killt Quadz: 9/29

The plan was to go to Sports Conditioning class, but it has been raining here in Raleigh nearly non-stop since Sunday, therefore I wasn't able to make it to the gym this morning because I needed to give Hiro a ride to work.  The drawback to both of us using our bicycles as our primary transportation and sharing one car is that inclement weather will wreak havoc with our routine.  Luckily, Raleigh doesn't often get morning rainstorms -- this is a tropical depression coming in from the Atlantic -- so this happens like once every three or four months.  Also, Bryan's class really worked me over, so I don't think that I would have done well in Teresa's class in the slightest; my forced change of plans may have been a really good thing.  I could feel that my quads were pretty sore when I go up and down at work today, and they seemed to get tighter as the day progressed.  My quads had just begun to feel better from Friday's class yesterday, when Bryan hit them hard again.  I am going to have to really treat them well tonight.  Some muscle cream may be in order. 

I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I got to the gym.  The rain had drove a lot of people in doors, so the Treadmills were nearly all taken.  I got the last one and walked on it for about three minutes before I started to run, but I quickly figured out why it had been open; the belt was really loose, and it just felt like I was sliding every five or six steps.  I had enough after about 45 seconds and went to the track, which was shockingly empty as I started to run.  It did get really busy as I ran but not too bad.Everything was fine at the start of the run but at  2/3 of a mile, the quads started to scream out.  The were so sore that I turned the run into an interval run just to get through it .  I ran one mile, walked 1/4 of a mile, ran one more mile, walked 1/4 of a mile, and ran 1/2 mile.  By the time I finished, the quads just felt dead.  I stretched my legs then used the foam roller on them, which really seemed to help a great deal, then I stretched again.  The best thing is that my heels have really improved it seems.  They are still not 100%, but they feel better than they have in months.  I think that I may have turned the corner on that one, but we shall see.

Thursday June 3rd: Two-a-Day -- Nat'l Run Day & Roping

In the morning on Thursday, I went to Plycore.  It was a Nat'l Run Day!  I stuggled a bit with this one.  My left quad was really tight and would really burn while I was running up hill or up the stairs.  However, I was able to make the best of it.

The Workout:

2 long laps outside: .36 miles
20 Dips
20 push ups
50 crunches
20 curls 8lb dumbells
20 back extentions
6 flights of stairs up and down
5 pull ups

I did this three times in just over an hour.


In the afternoon, I returned and Jump Roped:

15 90second intervals with 15 seconds in between.

All in all, it was a good workout day.

Sat. May 29th:Crowded Gym -- Half of a 12 days and Some Rope Work

I took Friday off inorder to let my triceps get the rest that they needed.  I wanted to do a 12 Days of Christmas workout on Saturday, but the gym was just too crowded, so I gave up on day 6 because I was afarid that I was going to run into someone while I was doing the running portions.  I should have gotten there earlier, but I just couldn't force myself to get going -- Holiday weekend and all. 

 

The Workout:

1. Grand Tour, which is where I basiclly run all over the building. Down two flights of stairs, from one end othe basement to the other, up the other stairwell two flights, and around the track, hence the name: Grand Tour.
2. sprints on length of a basketball court
3. step ups (each leg)
4.  Bird dogs
5.  Burpees
6.  Prisoner Squats

After rounds 6 I moved to the Jump Rope:  15 90 second intervals with 15 seconds rest.

All in all this was a pretty good workout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weds. May 26th: Sports Agility Class -- Light Workout Day

I felt fine most of the day on Tuesday after Liz's class, but Wednesday was a whole different animal. My abs were tight and on the border of sore, as were my quads, but my triceps were pretty much right in the middle of the land of soreness, which is a good thing. But, it was a contributing factor in why a chose not to go to the morning sports conditioning class and to take the new sports agility class that was being offered for the first time. I didn't want to do a two-a-day, and I recently started taking some medication that that gives you insomnia, which will be limiting my morning classes for the next couple of weeks, so I just thought that all sign were pointing towards taking this new class.

The class itself was nothing all that difficult, and you could tell that the instructor was inexperienced because the pace of the workout was not that great, but that was to be expected considering it was the first time she taught the class. She led us on a short run to a little field and a pavilion that are part of the Y. Once we were there we did a little stretch, and proceeded with the class. The workout was broken into three or four segments, which consisted of three exercises that we did for 30 second intervals. After completing one round of each exercise, we repeated each exercise before moving to the next segment. I can't recall all of the exercises, but I know that we did Push ups, step up, jumping jacks, lunges, squats, some kind of strange ski walking thing, sprints & back peddles, and dips (exactly what my triceps need consider the ass kicking they took the day before . . . oh well!).

The thing that I liked most about this class was that it took place outside. I really liked that because I hate air conditioning!! My wife and I don't use it in our apartment, and I hate the way my office cranks it up, so it was nice to workout in a natural environment and feel the sun instead of O-so natural fluorescence of the gym lights. Also so I like being able to look up and see blue sky rather than some talking head on one of the 8,000 TV screen in the Y, which are ALWAYS on 24 news stations unless there is a sports event. the only thing that I didn't like about being outside was doing push-ups in the dirt because sometime I am a dainty little flower!

Basically, Sports Agility Class was a nice change of pace that came right when I needed it most. I doubt that it will become a mainstay of my work regime, but it might be something that I throw in every so often just to mix things up.

Tues. May 4th: The Wheel

I changed this workout up some because I was still having shoulder problems when I did it.  I enjoyed adding an interval protion to it because it kept me on a good pace.  Not that much to say here, I was just trying to get in a good sweat because I knew that I would be resting the next day.

The Workout:
Jump Rope 200 skips
One Long Lap
Four flights of stairs ( up & down)
2 laps around the gym
Crunches (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Crossover Crunch Left (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest

Crossover Crunch Right (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Bird dogs (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Fire Hydrants w/leg extentionJump Rope 200 skips

One Long Lap
Four flights of stairs ( up & down)
2 laps around the gym
Crunches (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Crossover Crunch Left (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Crossover Crunch Right (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Bird dogs (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Fire Hydrants w/leg extentionJump Rope 200 skips

One Long Lap
Four flights of stairs ( up & down)
2 laps around the gym
Crunches (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Crossover Crunch Left (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Crossover Crunch Right (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Bird dogs (90 seconds)
15 seconds rest
Fire Hydrants w/leg extention

Monday 5/3: Changes for the Better Workout!

I am proud of myself for this workout.  Not because it was difficult, but because I had every reason to skip out on this workout and didn't.  Last year, there would have been no way that I would have drug my sorry ass into the gym after such along hike on a hot and nearly two weeks of injuries and ailments.  But, I did.  I didn't make it to the morning class, but I had no intention of going to that class anyway, so I didn't feel bad.  My shoulder was just starting to feel better, and Monday's class was being taught by Kim, which just made it too unpredictable to risk.  Also, my feet were really sore in the morning, so I needed to give them some extra rest.  But, after work, I went to the gym with very little effort.  I really wanted to go, and the only thing that gave me any pause was the risk of aggravating my shoulder.

My workout was a little on the short side but it produced a good sweat.

Jump Rope: 15 intervals 90 seconds work and 15 seconds rest
Treadmill: 5 mins 3.6 and 10 mins at 6.5

This was followed by a nice stretch and some ice for my knees and shoulders.

Tues 20th: Post Wisdom Teeth Workout

This workout was less of a chore than I thought that it would be.  My mouth was still hurting, so I didn't want to do any thing that would involve a lot of running because I knew that I would feel it in my jaw, but I didn't think that skipping rope would hurt me because it in much less jarring.  Sunday's workout problems had more to do with lack of proper healing time rather than what I was doing at the gym, so I felt that I had improved enough to do a good workout.  I had also spoken with my dentist, who had also said that I should be all right to resume my workouts. 

The Workout:

20 Intervals: 90 seconds of work 15 seconds rest.

1. Jump Rope
2. Step ups
3. Jump Rope
4. Dips/Incline Push Ups
5. Jump Rope
6. Prisoner Squats w/Step ups
7. Jump Rope
8. Lunges
9. Jump Rope
10. Squat Jacks
11. Jump Rope
12. Arm Extensions
13. Jump Rope
14. Crunches
15. Jump Rope
16. Side Crunches Right and Left
17. Jump Rope
18. Mt.Climbers
19. Jump Rope
20. Stability Ball Crunches

Sunday 4/11: Simple Jump Rope Workout

Really not much to say about this one.  I just wanted to so something to get a good sweat going, so I did some jump rope.  I didn't want to do too much because I had a feeling that Sports Conditioning the next morning was going to tough.

Jump Rope:

15 90 sec. of work and 15 sec. rest intervals. 

Friday the 26th & Sunday the 28th: Rope Work

I didn't have a lot of time to work out on Friday, so I just did some jump rope intervals. I knew that Saturday would be a busy day because I would be working on a service event that I had help organize, and I just wanted to do enough to get a good sweat going, which was why I chose to do some rope work. When push comes to shove, there is really no other form of exercise that can compare to jumping rope, especially when you consider that it can be done just about anywhere and with a minimal amount of equipment. One of the main reasons that I like to jump rope is that I rarely get bored with it. It requires enough concentration that time just seems to pass by quickly, and on the rare occasions that start feeling bored, all I need to do is change up the rhythm, speed, or pattern that I am jumping in order to refocus. Recently, I have been trying to skip rope about three times a week, and I have found that these workouts are always some of the sweatiest workouts of the week. At first I thought that jumping rope would be hard on my knees but that has not been the case thus far.

Here is a link to an article on the benefits of jumping rope.

Friday's Workout:

Jump Rope 15 intervals of 90 seconds of work and 15 seconds rest


Sunday Jump rope and Laps:

100 skips
1 lap around track (1 lap = 1/15 of a mile)
200 skips
2 laps
300 skips
3 laps
400 skips
4 laps
500 skips
5 laps

Friday Afternoon Workout: How Not to do Crunches!!

Friday Afternoon's workout was going well until I lost concentration and messed up my form on my abs. I didn't really hurt myself, but I felt enough discomfort that I chose to alter my workout, which was the smart thing to do. But, I should have been more careful in the first place. Like most people who workout, I focus on my abs (probably more than I should). America seems to have developed a fixation on abs. I am not sure when this developed, maybe it was John Smith's six pack abs that caused Pocahontas to fall in love with him and save his life or maybe Abraham Lincoln's lack of abdominal definition led South to think that the North wouldn't put up much of a fight, who knows? But, everyone seems to be fixated on flat abs, and crunches are an easy way to injure yourself if you're not careful. The biggest issue seems to be neck strain because people use or slip into an improper form and push their chins into there collar bone as they pull themselves up, which is exactly what I did while working out on last Friday. Luckily, realized what I was doing wrong and decided to alter my workout away from abs. Once I felt the pain in my neck and shoulders, I decided to do some thing else rather than attempting to correct my form. I figured at that point there was a pretty good chance that I would make the strain worse no matter how much my form improved.

 

The Workout:

 

Jump Rope 15 intervals of 90 seconds of work and 15 seconds rest

 

Intervals 90 seconds work 15 rest:

 

1. Standard Crunches
2. Crossover Crunch Left
3. Crossover Crunch Right
4. Bird Dogs
5. Fire Hyrants
6. Standard Crunches
7. Crossover Crunch Left
8. Crossover Crunch Right
9. Bird Dogs
10. Fire Hyrants

 Jump Rope 5 intervals of 90 seconds of work and 15 seconds rest

 

Neck Strain

An Exercise Junky Finds the Good Shit!

Well, I am not sure what got into me today but I really wanted to sweat today. And sweat I did!!! Not only was my shirt soak, but by about half way through my workout my shorts were starting to get heavy from the sweat that they has absorbed. Today's workout felt good mentally as well as physically. I was able to get to a place where my mind was really focused on what I was doing. In fact, by the last third of my workout time just seemed to pass with an exhilarating ease. I think that this kind of high is only felt by true junkies. Your drug doesn't matter; this is the type of high that all true junky seek. Yes, I admit that I am a addict, but I content with my addiction right now. And considering how many years I was addicted to Cheezits and CNN Headline News (Hey, I know that just sad, but it could have been HSN!), I think that there may be some major benefits to my current drug!

 

 

 

Today's workout:

 

Warm Up: 1 mile Bicycle ride to gym

 

1st Intervals: Jump Rope 90 seconds work / 15 seconds rest for 15 rounds

 

2nd Intervals: 90 seconds work / 15 seconds rest

 

1. Burpee into a prisoner squat w/high knees
2. Fire Hydrants w/leg extension
3. Standard Crunches
4. Oblique Crunches w/leg raises (left)
5. Oblique Crunches w/leg raises (right)
6. Burpee into a prisoner squat w/high knees
7. Fire Hydrants w/leg extension
8. Bicycles
9. Crossover Crunch Left
10. Crossover Crunch Right
11. Burpee into a prisoner squat w/high knees
12. Bird Dogs
13. Standard Crunch Crossover Crunch Left
14. Crossover Crunch Right

 

3rd Intervals: 90 seconds work / 15 seconds rest

 

1. Jump Rope
2. Burpee into a prisoner squat w/high knees
3. Jump Rope
4. Prisoner squat w/high knees
5. Jump Rope
6. Fire Hydrants w/leg extension
7. Jump Rope
8. Standard Crunches
9. Jump Rope
10. Oblique Crunches w/leg raises (left)
11. Jump Rope
12. Oblique Crunches w/leg raises (right)
13. Jump Rope

 

Cool Down: 1 mile Bicycle ride from gym

Saturady's Workout: The Mechanics of Change

Yesterday was an off day, so I felt a little sluggishness when I began my workout, but it quickly went away, and I had a really good workout. I feel a stronger and more sturdy in general, and when I workout, I can tell that a workout that would have left me gasping for air a few months ago is now nothing more than normal exercise. I still sweat a ton, but I have to work much harder to hit the point of exhaustion. These changes are particularly noticeable when I run on the treadmill. My wife says that she can hear a difference in the way my stride sounds on the treadmill. She says that I sound a lot lighter than before. Also, I have noticed that I feel like my pace has picked up throughout my life. In fact the hallway at work has begun to seem a lot shorter to me than it once did, and I feel like I am carrying me weight in my shoulders more than before. My weight all used to be centered right in my belly, but I really think that my center of gravity has shifted towards my shoulders. All of these changes are welcome, and I want to see this progress continue over the coming months because I know that I am on the cusp of major turning point in my life, and I need to make myself into the person that I have always really wanted to be. It is hard to look at yourself in the mirror everyday and think that this is not suppose to be the person looking back at me. I am not just talking about appearance but attitude and mental outlooks as well. In earlier posts, I've written about how I am not a type-A personality person, and I am not, nor will I ever be one, but I am also not the type of person who is comfortable doing nothing and letting life just pass them by. I am too aware that life is fleeting, and I don't want to waste another second on something like a Road Rules Marathon or an episode of Survivor!

Today's Workout:

Tread Mill 30 mins: 5mins level 4.0, 10 mins. level 6.0, 5 mins level 4.0, 5 mins. level 6.0, 5 mins level 7.0

Intervals: 90seconds work 15 seconds rest

1. Crossover Crunch Left
2. Crossover Crunch Right
3. Standard Crunch
4. Bird Dogs
5. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups
6. Crossover Crunch Left
7. Crossover Crunch Right
8. Standard Crunch
9. Bird Dogs
10. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups
11. Crossover Crunch Left
12. Crossover Crunch Right
13. Standard Crunch
14. Bird Dogs
15. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups

Sunday's Workout: Burpee Hell Day!

Sunday came around and I felt like A MILLON BUCKS! Honestly, the sun was shining, the robins had returned, and I just felt awesome. The last three days had been pretty rough, but my energy level seemed to finally be right back where I needed it, and I was really looking forward to going to the gym. The only problem was that I didn't know what I wanted to do. I've been mired in a weight loss poll of stagnation for the better part of February, which really had me disappointed after Saturday's half-assed mediocre effort. I knew that I really wanted to put in some good work and really make this a hard workout. Well, I think that there is only one thing to do when you feel like you want to just give yourself an ass kicker workout: BURPEES!

God knows I hate burpees. I mean really, who likes to do burpees? Only someone who enjoyed paper cuts or the guy that actually enjoyed being stuck on the runway with Jet Blue for 24 hours could really find any pleasure in burpees. In fact, the first time that I had to do them for my exercise classes I almost renamed them "pukees"!! But . . . if you really want to improve your stamina burpees are the way to go.

However, when I got to the gym on Sunday, I noticed that the Redwings were playing the Blackhawks, and just for the sake of anyone who doesn't know me, I am a hockey nut! I'll watch just about any two teams play. I am not a fan of either of these teams, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to watch the game, so I decided to run on the treadmill while I watched the game then move on to the rest of my workout. I think that this was a wise choice on my part because by the time I got the burpees, I was already in peak workout mode and well past warmed up. Going straight into burpees is always harsh, but running seemed to make them easier (at least to start with).

The Workout:

Treadmill 30 mins: 5mins. Level 4, 10mins. Level 6, 5 mins. level 4, 5 mins. level 6, 2 mins. level 7, 3 mins. level 6

Intervals: 90 seconds work 15 seconds rest

1. 
   
   Burpees with leg ups
2. Prisoner squats with leg ups
3. Fire Hydrants with leg extensions
4. Burpees with leg ups
5. Prisoner squats with leg ups
6. Fire Hydrants with leg extensions
7. Burpees with leg ups
8. Prisoner squats with leg ups
9. Fire Hydrants with leg extensions
10. Burpees with leg ups
11. Prisoner squats with leg ups
12. Fire Hydrants with leg extensions
13. Burpees with leg ups
14. Prisoner squats with leg ups
15. Fire Hydrants with leg extensions

After this I was a sweaty mess and I felt like my lungs were going to bailout of my chest!!! Great Workout!

Outsmart Your Brain Article & Saturday's Postage Due Workout

Yep . . . I must admit that Saturday's workout was nowhere near my best effort. In fact, I need to call the check with the Postal Service and see what I owe them because this one was pretty much mailed in. There is no denying it. I was just not feeling it at all. I was still sore and had a lot things planned for the day, so I just did enough to feel like I had done something and left it at that. I don't feel bad about it either. It is ok to take it easy on days when you feel out of sorts in order to avoid injury and to regain energy for the days ahead. Anyway, since Saturday’s workout was rather uneventful, I figured that I would make this post more interesting by sharing an article from Esquire (Yes. . . I am a subscriber, and you should be too.), which is one of my favorite magazines to peruse on a monthly basis. I'll put all the workout info in after I talk about the article.

What I really liked about this article is that it reflected exactly how I feel about dieting, which is that that strict diets are a trap because eventually you’re going to come off the diet and then . . . well you're screwed. That is not to say that people shouldn't watch what they eat. I am all for people eating more healthy foods and avoiding over eating. My basic point is that if you drastically alter the way you eat isn't beneficial and instead people are better served by making long term minor modifications to how they approach eating rather than jumping headlong into whatever fad diet book is atop the NY Times best seller list. One of the things that I like about his article is that it provides simple scientific explanations of how hunger works and some good ways to deal with it. Specifically it talks about how almonds act as a hunger suppressant: "The good fats that nuts contain cause your stomach to suppress ghrelin production, but it takes about half an hour for them to kick in. Note: Peanuts aren't actually nuts, and they contain a lot of saturated ("bad") fats. Stick with something that grows on a tree. (Esquire)" I must admit that the whole peanuts--bad--thing had always confused me and led me to think that all nuts were bad. Now, I am sure that those salted and sweetened nuts that I always see in the stores that look so tasty are certainly not what the article is talking about, so I will be sticking with some plain old unsalted almonds.

I thought that this article was pretty relevant to where I am with my weight loss goals because I am trying to make healthy changes to the way that I eat. I want to scale back my eating a bit, but I am more interested in ways to improve my diet with healthy alternatives to things that I know that I should eat regularly. Also, I found the tips for dealing with the physiological sensation of hunger relevant because I know that often my stomach will be telling me that I am hungry when I am not. So, the ideas that the Esquire gives for dealing with hunger are great.

Outsmart Your Brain

Satuday's Mailed in Workout:

Round Two: 60 seconds work 10 seconds rest

1. Crossover Crunch Left
2. Crossover Crunch Right
3. Standard Crunch
4. Bird Dogs
5. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
6. Crossover Crunch Left
7. Crossover Crunch Right
8. Standard Crunch
9. Bird Dogs
10. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
11. Crossover Crunch Left
12. Crossover Crunch Right
13. Standard Crunch
14. Bird Dogs
15. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension

Round Two: 60 seconds work 10 seconds rest

1. Standing Tricep extensions
2. STANDING SIDE BENDS 35 lbs. weights (right)
3. STANDING SIDE BENDS 35 lbs. weights (left)
4. Alternating Kickbacks 12 lbs weights
5. Overhead Press 12 lbs weights
6. Alternating Bicep Curls 12 lb. weights
7. Standing Tricep extensions
8. STANDING SIDE BENDS 35 lbs. weights (right)
9. STANDING SIDE BENDS 35 lbs. weights (left)
10. Alternating Kickbacks 12 lbs weights
11. Overhead Press 12 lbs weights
12. Alternating Bicep Curls 12 lb. weights

Tuesday Morning Sweat Fest!

I got up this morning and felt like The Six Million Dollar Man after the crash and before the bionic implants! Unfortunately, as I struggled to get out of bed, I knew that there wouldn't be any bionic implants for me. Heck, I knew that I wasn't even going to get a kickass orange track suit with little sensor thingies on it!!! (Yes, I admit that when I put my i-pod on my arm band and run on the treadmill, I sometimes pretend that I am Col. Steve Austin) Hey, what can I say . . . I am a product of the '70's and . . . Damn I used to go ape-shit for The Six Million Dollar Man . . . I even had the toy (it was not a Doll . . . damn it!).

Anyway, let's just say that this morning was one of those mornings where it is best not to move around too fast too quickly. In fact, I actually tooks a few moments to test out each of my limbs just to make sure that the were actually functioning proplerly before I tried to nagotiate the shower. It took one of my legs awhile to get use to the idea that it was suppose to hold weight, but it eventually came around about the time that I sneezed and my abs nearly exploded. Eventually, once I was able to get myself sorted, I checked on the weather a realized that the rain hadn't started yet, so I would be able to make it to the gym if I wanted to go. Now, I am not exactly sure what it says about me, but I did really . . . really . . . really want to go! Granted, it did take me a lot longer to get ready get there than it did on Monday, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was going. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I got there, and the idea of swimming did cross my mind for a fleeting second before it was replace be the thought of drowning! I have been known to swim as part of my workout, but I a pretty sure that today it would have been a very bad idea!  So when I arrived, I decided that I would do some jump rope and some intervals. 

Today's Workout:

Jump Rope: 15 rounds of  90 sec. skipping 15sec. rest.

Intervals: 60sec. work 15sec. rest

1. Hamstring Curls w/stability ball
2. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Left)
3. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Right)
4. Alternating Lateral Rows w/Resistance Band
5. Alternating Front Raises w/Resistance Bands
6. Hamstring Curls w/stability ball
7. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Left)
8. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Right)
9. Alternating Lateral Rows w/Resistance Band
10. Alternating Front Raises w/Resistance Bands
11. Hamstring Curls w/stability ball
12. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Left)
13. Oblique Crunches W/leg Raises (Right)
14. Alternating Lateral Rows w/Resistance Band
15. Alternating Front Raises w/Resistance Bands

 

 I looked like someone had thrown me into a pool with all of my clothes on when I fininshed this workout.  I am not sure if all of the sweat was due to the two-a-day on Monday or the rope work, but I was one big old sweaty mess when I finished.  Overall, I felt pretty good.

The Madness of March Starts With a Two-a-Day!!!

Yes, boys a girls I drug my sorry ass self back to the gym in order to punish myself some more. Actually, I have come up with the idea that I should do a two-a-day the day before an off day. I am still kicking the notion around. However, I am not sure if I will be able to go to the gym tomorrow. They are calling for rain and my wife needs our car in the morning, so I will be on the bicycle again, so I won't make it in the morning if the rain is heavy, and I am reluctant to do a big workout in the evening and then go to Wed. morning’s Atonement class. We'll see how things play out in the morning.

I'll be honest; this morning’s workout CRUSHED me! I was actually having sharp pains in my head when I would stand up too quickly most of the morning. I am not bragging about this at all!! It wasn't scary. I just knew that I had over done it a bit this morning. I felt better by the afternoon, but I was still very tired when I arrived at the gym and wasn’t sure how much I would be able to do, but once I began working out I hit my stride pretty quick and was able to put in a pretty good workout. I am realizing that I have a lot more in the tank that I think I do, and I just need to learn how to tap into it.

Afternoon Workout:

For my afternoon workout I decided to go with intervals. 15One min. intervals with fifteen seconds rest in between. I did three rounds:

 Round 1:

1. Crossover Crunch Left
2. Crossover Crunch Right
3. Standard Crunch
4. Bird Dogs
5. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
6. Crossover Crunch Left
7. Crossover Crunch Right
8. Standard Crunch
9. Bird Dogs
10. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
11. Crossover Crunch Left
12. Crossover Crunch Right
13. Standard Crunch
14. Bird Dogs
15. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension

Round 2:

1. Alternating Bicep Curls w/10lbs. weights
2. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups
3. Alternating lunges w/10lbs. weights
4. Squats w/10lbs. weights
5. Alternating Bicep Curls w/resistance bands
6. Alternating Bicep Curls w/10lbs. weights
7. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups
8. Alternating lunges w/10lbs. weights
9. Squats w/10lbs. weights
10. Alternating Bicep Curls w/resistance bands
11. Alternating Bicep Curls w/10lbs. weights
12. Prisoner Squats w/leg ups
13. Alternating lunges w/10lbs. weights
14. Squats w/10lbs. weights
15. Alternating Bicep Curls w/resistance bands

 Round 3:
Interval run: 1 min. Run 15 sec. jogging X15

Time to Give February the Big Kiss Off!

I thought that for my last workout of February that I would try to really work on some exercises that I thought that I had struggled with some recently.  Also, I wanted to use my interval timer because I plan to take classes most of this week, so I would get a chance to use it again until next weekend.  I did two set of intervals and ran for forty minutes.  Also, I wanted to focus upon my abs because I don't think that the wall abs that we have been doing in the Plycore classes are that effective.  Therefore, I wanted to really work my abs today.

Round 1: 1 min. for each exercise followed by 15 sec. rest

1. Crossover Crunch Left
2. Crossover Crunch Right
3. Standard Crunch
4. Bird Dogs
5. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension left leg
6. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension right leg
7. Heel Raises with 10 lbs. weights
8. Squats with 10lbs weight.
9. Alternating Lunges with 10lbs weight.
10. Prisoner Squats with leg ups
11. Triceps Extensions with 10lbs. weights
12. Bicycles
13. Russian twists with 8lbs. ball
14. Mt. Climbers
15. Calf raises left
16. Calf raises right

Round 2: 1 min. for each exercise followed by 15 sec. rest

1. Burpees w/push up
2. Mt. Climbers
3. Crossover Crunch Left
4. Crossover Crunch Right
5. Standard Crunch
6. Burpees w/push up
7. Mt. Climbers
8. Crossover Crunch Left
9. Crossover Crunch Right
10. Standard Crunch
11. Burpees w/push up
12. Mt. Climbers
13. Crossover Crunch Left
14. Crossover Crunch Right
15. Standard Crunch

Treadmill altenating between 4.0 and 6.0 every 5 mins. for 40 mins. total.

This was a pretty good workout that worked my calfs, abs, and shoulders.  I am planning to wrok my abs a lot more in March and do burpees & Mt. climbers more often because I hate them.  I am pretty proud of the work I have done this month, and I think that keeping this blog has helped me stay focused upon what I am doing and how I am doing it.  It really makes me think about my workouts and then change what is not working while building upon the things that are working.  I just hope that March will be better weather and I can start doing more things outdoors as well as the in the gym.

Saturday Workout & February Frustrations

Honestly, February has been a pretty good month overall considering the weather has been crappy and I have had some minor pains. Also, it has been kind of frustrating on the scales because despite all of my efforts this month, my weight has stayed almost exactly where it was at the beginning of the month. There are several factors that I am sure have contributed to this weight loss stagnation, such as my body changing from fat to muscle or my body has adjusted to my level of workouts. These are answers that I would like to be true, and I am sure that they are to some degree, but there is another factor that I am sure has a lot to do with this: Diet. Yes, the dreaded Diet!!!

My diet isn't horrible. I eat lots of fruits and veggies (apples, oranges, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, celery, grapes, raisins, zucchini, ect.) and I have eliminated things like chips, French fries, soda, fast foods, and vending machine snack fare. But, I am still eating way too much bread and sweets. Also, on nights when my wife works late I find myself snacking hard around 5:30 because I know that we will not eat dinner until nearly 10pm, which is not good. Luckily, my wife will no longer be closing her store, so this should eliminate that problem. However, I know that I need to become much more disciplined about the way I eat or I will be wasting a lot of my effort. Personally, I do not put much stock in diets or "going on a diet." My feeling is that "going on a diet" implies that at some point the person will go off of the diet, which will lead them to return to their former ways. Instead, I prefer to make lifestyle changes, which are intended to be lasting changes. I see lifestyle changes as more of a process, something that allows for indiscretions, but overall takes a much larger commitment. I am trying to achieve a lifestyle change by eliminating soda from my diet. And, I know that I have to get better about how often I snack and eat sweets. Granted, I am doing better now than I have at any other time in my life, but there is still room for improvement if I want to move past the frustrations of February, changes in the way I eat are sure to help.

As for working out, I had a really good workout yesterday. I struggled a bit at first because I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but in the end I was able to sort myself out and put in a good overall effort.

First I did 20 exercises for 1 min. each with a 15 sec. rest. then moved on to the Jump ropee

Saturday's Workout:

1 min. each with a 15 sec. rest
1. Crossover Crunch Left
2. Crossover Crunch Right
3. Standard Crunch
4. Arm Extensions
5. Bird Dogs
6. Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
7. Heel Raises
8. Squats with 10lbs weight.
9. Alternating Lunges with 10lbs weight.
10. Prisoner Squats with leg ups
11. Triceps Extensions with 10lbs. weights
12. Step ups right leg
13. Step ups left leg
14. Bicycles
15. Seated Crunch
16. Push ups
17. Plank
18. Roman Chair
19. Dips
20. Bicep curls with 10lbs weights

Afterward, I did Jump Rope intervals:
20 Intervals 90 seconds skips and 15 seconds rest.

The jump rope portion of this workout was a beast, and I was so sweaty that by the end I was having a hard time holding on to the rope.

Tuesday Morning Workout: Hybrid Intervals

I woke up today with no problem and was pretty eager to go to the gym. However, I really had no idea what I was going to do today. Jumping rope was not really an option because I've been putting a lot of stress on my shins and the balls of my feet. I also knew that I didn't want to take the muscle class offered by the Y, so when I arrived at the gym, I decided to do one more day of interval training. I really enjoyed my interval run yesterday, so I decided to do another interval run. After that, I decided that I would pick 15 exercises each for one minute without keeping count, and then repeat the exercise again for a set number of reps. I really like the idea of doing one round of timed exercise followed by another round of with a set number of reps. I think that this combined approach will produce some nice results because it will help me to focus some more attention to some of the exercises that I cannot do that many of during the timed round.

Today's Workout:

Interval Run: 15 rounds, 40 seconds of running & 10 seconds of jogging.

15 Exercises:
Round One: 1 minute with 15 seconds rest between exercise
Round Two: 25 Reps each exercises

Crossover Crunch Left
Crossover Crunch Right
Standard Crunch
Arm Extensions
Prisoner Squats with leg ups
Bird Dogs
Fire Hydrants w/ leg extension
Seated Crunch
Russian Twists w/ 8lbs. Ball
Heel Raises
Alternating Lunges
Squats
Standing Side Leg Lift Right
Standing Side Leg Lift Left
Dips

I really enjoyed this type of workout, and I think that it will become a staple of my regiment. It might be difficult to include Burpees in this at 25 reps, but I am interested to see if I can do it.