Football Epilogue

I'm back on track...mostly. I'm in week three of the high intensity workout routine I found in an old Men's Health  fitness book. Today was a little frustrating as I feel one of my weightroom colleagues was being harassed by a trainer for "cursing" which translated more or less into "the old people are uncomfortable with your blackness, please be less black". That kind of stuff pisses me off. Anyhow, here is today's work: Lift Sets/weights Warm-up 5 minute run BB Bent Over Rows 205/7, 215/7, 225/4 (underhand) Bench Press 225/7, 245/7, 255/4 Pull-ups 7, 7, assisted) BB Overhead press 135/12, 135/12 One-arm BB curl 30/7, 40/4 Dips BW/10, BW/12 Cool down What's a cool down? BB = Barbell, DB = Dumbbell, BW = Body Weight

This weekend I have a full body workout planned that's sure to leave me feeling tired, but accomplished. It will involve cardio, core muscle lifting, stability and balance exercises and interval training. The equipment needed is readily available, but non-conventional (from a typical "gym-rat's" perspective). It includes: A heavy bag, in particular one from Waste Management A wheelbarrow A shovel A lawn mower Bolt cutters A good pair of gloves This could be a group training session with plenty of hydration offered, but I'm looking forward to getting it done! I may have to splurge on a massage once it's all done.  :)

Here's a wake-up call for you.

Workout #2 of the HIITs program under my belt and I have that good old day-after stiffness. I was in and out of the gym in under 45 minutes. The workout (sets x reps, weights as close to failure as possible) : Lift Sets Repititions Deadlift 3 10 Squat 3 10 Calf Raises 2 20 Dumbell (DB) Overhead Squat 2 8 Lunges 2 10 Leg Curls (one leg at a time) 2 8 Step Ups 2 8 A 5 minute warm-up and cool-down bookended the workout.

I guess I am gaining a little traction, but losing a little patience at the gym. I'm missing a true free weight area and cardio is just feeling like it's taking too long. From my last post  I mentioned an old high intensity workout I've had some success with. Short, intense workouts. The only dilemma is it is a 6-day workout and doing it right means lots of fatigue initially, but I think I'll give it another try with a couple small modifications: Cardio days get priority and supplant lifting days if missed Add tummy time to cardio days after getting sweaty Moderate lower body workout intensity to save knees and back Not beat myself up for missing a workout I'd like to generate and post some spreadsheets for the workout to have on the site as a repository. I guess I'll list that as "coming soon to a mediocre blog near you". Diet-wise, the weekend was tough with having a mom's day family thing coupled with a birthday celebration for my sist...

Ok. Going on day four sans pastries. Yesterday I opted for carrots with my guacamole instead of chips and actually enjoyed it. I bought some stuff to build salads at work. By the way, strawberries with a little balsamic vinaigrette (as part of a salad) is an excellent flavor combination.  I know that was just one day, but hopefully I can get back on a healthier eating trend. I just need to eat right one meal at a time, right? I also, got back into the gym for a regular workout. My schedule has been a little in flux going through this separation/divorce along with participating in a golf league. I may try going back to high intensity training for a while as the workouts are a bit shorter and they supposedly amp-up the metabolism. The  Men's Health 2008 Total Fitness Guide  has a HIT program that really kicked my butt, but also really worked. I may post some of it if I get this site spruced up a bit more. I'm also contemplating moving my routine back to mornings. I have...