Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Halftime pictures- you can start judging now
So it's been two months since I started training and I have two more months to go until the Tough Mudder event in Virginia. You've seen all of the work I've been doing, and here are the results so far: Before pictures are on the left, halfway pictures are on the right:
Monday, August 22, 2011
Army Physical Fitness Test Results
I've been promising to do this for some time now, and I finally just went out and did it. So my last AFPT results were:
Age: 25
Weight: 176
Pushups: 65 Score: 89
Situps: 72 Score: 89
2-mile run: 14:26 Score: 84
Total score: 262
Today's results:
Age: 30
Weight: 194
Pushups: 50 Score: 72
Situps: 54 Score: 70
2-mile run: 16:06 Score: 70
Total score: 212
So I'm 5 years older, nearly 20 lbs heavier and a minute and a half slower in my run time. Some of the results are to be expected. 212 is a respectable score, but Tough Mudders aren't aiming for respectable. They're aiming for superb. For a perfect score, I would need:
Pushups: 72
Situps: 82
2-mile run: 13:18
It's interesting that in the categories of pushups and situps, the standards increase as you get older until you hit 32. So apparently my age and weight should speed me up. So goal is above. Honestly, if I could get sub-14-minutes on my two miles and get into the 60s on pushups and situps, I think I'd be happy. I'm sure I can do better on the situps and pushups. But hitting that sub-14 minutes is going to be tough. Stay tuned, though because that's what's going to happen!
Oh, if you want to see the APFT standards for your age, check them out here: http://business.clemson.edu/Armyrotc/docs/apftScoreCard.pdf.
Age: 25
Weight: 176
Pushups: 65 Score: 89
Situps: 72 Score: 89
2-mile run: 14:26 Score: 84
Total score: 262
Today's results:
Age: 30
Weight: 194
Pushups: 50 Score: 72
Situps: 54 Score: 70
2-mile run: 16:06 Score: 70
Total score: 212
So I'm 5 years older, nearly 20 lbs heavier and a minute and a half slower in my run time. Some of the results are to be expected. 212 is a respectable score, but Tough Mudders aren't aiming for respectable. They're aiming for superb. For a perfect score, I would need:
Pushups: 72
Situps: 82
2-mile run: 13:18
It's interesting that in the categories of pushups and situps, the standards increase as you get older until you hit 32. So apparently my age and weight should speed me up. So goal is above. Honestly, if I could get sub-14-minutes on my two miles and get into the 60s on pushups and situps, I think I'd be happy. I'm sure I can do better on the situps and pushups. But hitting that sub-14 minutes is going to be tough. Stay tuned, though because that's what's going to happen!
Oh, if you want to see the APFT standards for your age, check them out here: http://business.clemson.edu/Armyrotc/docs/apftScoreCard.pdf.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Exercise can be fun
I enjoy the outdoors more than most. It's part of why I like the Tough Mudder event. It's not just a marathon or even simply an obstacle course. It's a physical and mental challenge that takes place in the great outdoors. I've thrown in a few hikes into my exercise routine and this weekend, I just felt like doing something different. So I took my kayak out for a spin on Lake Habeeb.
Kayaking works the biceps, shoulders, and back muscles. Not to mention, it can be downright therapeutic too. The trail that goes around the lake is 5 miles long, so I'd say I kayaked about 3 miles total in about 1.5 hours. Not exactly a record pace, but I wasn't going for speed. To be honest, I wasn't treating it much like a workout either, but I got out and did something active. I probably got more of a workout when I purposefully rolled the kayak over and tried to roll it back up. More specifically, I got more of a workout trying to get back into my kayak when I couldn't roll it back up.
From a guy on www.youtube.com, here's what I was hoping to do:
Here's what I actually had to do- sans the nifty paddle float and bilge pump:
But since I was only about a hundred yards from the shore, and not in a life-and-death situation, it was good practice. I like to try rolling whenever I get a chance to. Especially when the water is warm and calm. I figure if nothing else, it gives me the opportunity to perform a wet exit and a self rescue. I was a little rusty and fell off the boat once before I was able to successfully get back in. But I got back in, paddled back to shore and dumped the 15 or so gallons of lake water that my kayak had taken in during the wet exit.
All in all, a pretty good "workout". Here's another shot of Lake Habeeb:
Friday, August 19, 2011
Arms Dealer
Today I focused on arms. Here was my workout:
1. Ez-bar curl, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
I focused on form, lifting up quickly but slowing down on the way down.
2. Triceps pressdown, 80 lbs, 15 reps, 1 set; 100 lbs, 15 reps, 2 sets.
Again, I tried to focus on form, keeping the weight light enough to not strain. I kept my back straight and my shoulders back. And it really focused on the triceps.
3. Standing Zottman curl, 30 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 25 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
This was a tough one. Usually, I can curl 30-35 lbs in each hand without too much of an issue. But I wanted to maintain a decent form. After the first 6-7 reps of the first set, I was breaking form, so I dropped the weight for the last two sets. But I really liked this variation, because it focused on slowing down the rep on the way down.
4. Ez-bar overhead triceps extension, 30 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Cable alternating curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
I'm not a big fan of this exercise. I didn't want to use too much weight, but then my shoulders and back felt kind of weird.
6. Dumbbell lying tricep extension, 15 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
This wasn't my favorite exercise either, but it did the job.
7. Kneeling cable crunch, 200 lbs, 40 reps.
I normally do 3 sets of 25 reps, for 75 reps total. But the rope grip was putting pressure on my left hand.
You may be wondering where I got all of these exercises from. Well, I've graduated from using the internet to using a great book: The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises. You can pick it up from Amazon by clicking here: http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507.
1. Ez-bar curl, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
I focused on form, lifting up quickly but slowing down on the way down.
2. Triceps pressdown, 80 lbs, 15 reps, 1 set; 100 lbs, 15 reps, 2 sets.
Again, I tried to focus on form, keeping the weight light enough to not strain. I kept my back straight and my shoulders back. And it really focused on the triceps.
3. Standing Zottman curl, 30 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 25 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
This was a tough one. Usually, I can curl 30-35 lbs in each hand without too much of an issue. But I wanted to maintain a decent form. After the first 6-7 reps of the first set, I was breaking form, so I dropped the weight for the last two sets. But I really liked this variation, because it focused on slowing down the rep on the way down.
4. Ez-bar overhead triceps extension, 30 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Cable alternating curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
I'm not a big fan of this exercise. I didn't want to use too much weight, but then my shoulders and back felt kind of weird.
6. Dumbbell lying tricep extension, 15 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
This wasn't my favorite exercise either, but it did the job.
7. Kneeling cable crunch, 200 lbs, 40 reps.
I normally do 3 sets of 25 reps, for 75 reps total. But the rope grip was putting pressure on my left hand.
You may be wondering where I got all of these exercises from. Well, I've graduated from using the internet to using a great book: The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises. You can pick it up from Amazon by clicking here: http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507.
I bought this book about two weeks ago, but the gym I work out in has a copy for people to use. So I've been using it for a few weeks now, and it's a great resource. It illustrates every single exercise and gives tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. It really is a good resource and one I recommend to anyone, but especially to someone like me who isn't really familiar with weightlifting.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Catching up
So while I haven't posted here on the blog, I have been working out. But as usual, life has been crazy. Let's see, I'll start with last Thursday: I ran my 3.64 mile loop and it went alright. I did it in my regular Asics.
Friday: I did chest and back. As I said in my previous post, I was having issues with incline barbell presses, so I thought I'd start with them and see how it went. And if paid off, I was able to do three sets with 40 lbs in each hand. So here was my workout:
1. Incline dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
2. Flat dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Decline dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
4. Machine row, 120 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Machine Lat pull down, 100 lbs, 10 reps, sets.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday- I didn't do anything! I know, but I never claimed I was perfect.
Tuesday: I ran my 2.3 mile loop in my Asics. I did it in about 28 minutes, and I just felt like crap.
Wednesday: I worked on shoulders:
1. Lateral raise, 15 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 10 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets. I really liked this exercise because I felt it in my lats as well when I was bring the weight slowly down.
2. Dumbbell shrug, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Dumbbell diagonal raise, 10 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
4. Ez-bar curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Ez-bar preacher curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
6. Barbell squat, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
7. Kneeling cable crunch, 200 lbs, 25 reps, 3 sets.
And today, I decided to take a break from running and give my joints a break. So I cleaned the bike up and took the little monkey with me. I hooked up the bike trailer, stuck the monkey in it and rode 10 miles in about 54 minutes. Now I know what you all are thinking- but that's 5 miles less than you usually do in that time. But then, I'm not usually towing 40 lbs worth of trailer and giggling, book reading child. And let me tell you- it made a difference going up. All told, I wish I could have gone faster, but I think I did pretty well.
So that's the last week.
Friday: I did chest and back. As I said in my previous post, I was having issues with incline barbell presses, so I thought I'd start with them and see how it went. And if paid off, I was able to do three sets with 40 lbs in each hand. So here was my workout:
1. Incline dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
2. Flat dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Decline dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
4. Machine row, 120 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Machine Lat pull down, 100 lbs, 10 reps, sets.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday- I didn't do anything! I know, but I never claimed I was perfect.
Tuesday: I ran my 2.3 mile loop in my Asics. I did it in about 28 minutes, and I just felt like crap.
Wednesday: I worked on shoulders:
1. Lateral raise, 15 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 10 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets. I really liked this exercise because I felt it in my lats as well when I was bring the weight slowly down.
2. Dumbbell shrug, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Dumbbell diagonal raise, 10 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
4. Ez-bar curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Ez-bar preacher curl, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
6. Barbell squat, 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
7. Kneeling cable crunch, 200 lbs, 25 reps, 3 sets.
And today, I decided to take a break from running and give my joints a break. So I cleaned the bike up and took the little monkey with me. I hooked up the bike trailer, stuck the monkey in it and rode 10 miles in about 54 minutes. Now I know what you all are thinking- but that's 5 miles less than you usually do in that time. But then, I'm not usually towing 40 lbs worth of trailer and giggling, book reading child. And let me tell you- it made a difference going up. All told, I wish I could have gone faster, but I think I did pretty well.
So that's the last week.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tough spot
The last three days have been just, Tough. My workout has been thrown off a little by different stuff going on in life, so I've had to make due. Monday, which is normally an upper-body weightlifting day was, instead a running night. I am trying to work my new running shoes, the New Balance Minimus into my workouts.
New Balance recommends using them for just 10% of your running workouts and then slowly increasing that over time. And oddly, at first, I didn't really get that. I was really comfortable using these without noticing any real difference between them and my Asics. But then on Monday, I ran 2.3 miles in them and came back noticing the difference. Everyone reaches a point in their exercise regime where they seem to plateau or just run out of steam. And I feel like I'm at the point right now. I seem to ache constantly and my last few workouts have been lackluster. I just don't feel energized. My weight loss has screeched to a halt, and I even gained a few pounds over vacation.
So Monday night's run went alright, but my muscles were so tight afterwards, especially in my lower legs. Tuesday, is normally a running day, and I was feeling ok, so I decided to try a longer run, but in my Asics, to give my legs a little rest. I ran my 3.64 mile loop and it went pretty well. I did notice that some of my conditioning was paying off. My windsprints, for instance, seemed to have improved my ability to hit a hill and actually speed up over it. Normally, I'd shorten my stride and slow my pace to climb, but I found my self reaching my legs out and picking up my pace to climb, with little negative effect on my breathing or form once I had finished the climb. So that was good news. But I had hoped to maybe throw in the 2.5 mile loop at the end to make it 6.1 miles, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like, while my legs were still solid, my energy level just wasn't there.
And then Wednesday came around. I finally had access to my gym, so I took the opportunity. Now, I don't know if I've talked alot about it, but up to now, I've been essentially doing split training, where I separate out muscles groups and focus on them on different days. The Tough Mudder training system doesn't do that. And it's a great workout, so I decided to give it a try.
I ignored the running man, because I've been doing plenty of that. I chose about 9 of the exercises and laid out the equipment I needed in a row so I could quickly go from one exercise to the other. So here's what I did:
1. TM Pushup- Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, my gym only has those little weights that square off- up to 12 lbs. So that's what I used. I did ten reps.
2. Fist and Fury - I really like the exercise for some reason. The only Kettle bell the gym has is 35 lbs, so I used that. This exercise combines a squat and a front dumbbell raise, but you get a great cardio side benefit by doing them in rapid succession. Check out This Article that uses a similar exercise as a great fat-burning routine that was featured on http://www.yahoo.com/. I did 10 reps for each arm.
3. Scissor Kick- I started this, but found myself too uncoordinated to do it- or too tired. Plus people were looking at me like I had just lit up a cigarette on an airplane. So, like most, I just stopped.
4. Back row- I used 35 lb dumbbells for this and did 10 reps.
5. Dumbbell side lunge- This exercise is intense if you do it right. I started out with 35 lbs in each hand and then had to drop down to 25 lbs. And it still killed. 10 reps.
6. Push up plus row- I did this with my puny 12 lb weights for 10 reps and then decided it wasn't really do what was intended.
7. Lunge and twist. I did this with the 35 lbs kettle bell, walking across the gym, probably 20 lunges total for 10 on each leg.
8. Shoulder press- Honestly, I think if you did this work out by curling the dumbbells up, then squatting, then pressing as you stood all for one rep and just repeating it, you could be ready for almost anything after 2 weeks of it! It was just brutal to me. I used 25 lbs in each hand and it was all I could do to get 10 reps out.
9. Planks- I did the superman and drunk superman planks.
So let's call all of that, one set- I did two and was out. The first set was really intense, as I had energy to move from one to the other, but then I just- ran out of steam. My second set was lackluster at best. And it only took me about 35 minutes to do all of that. I left the gym just disappointed at my performance. I didn't feel like I had worked out- though my butt and thighs greatly disagreed with me and are still protesting my idea of performance today.
If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. I know I should be eating more, so I'm going to try do that. I guess I've just been disappointed with my weight gain, so I've been reluctant to eat more. I know that's probably causing more problems than it's solving.
Anyway, I'm going to post my initial review of the New Balance Minimus on Monday and then post updates as my training progresses. Also, I'm going to try to do one of those promised PT Tests soon- though I've held off because I don't want to embarrass myself too much. So stay tuned for that humiliation.
So Monday night's run went alright, but my muscles were so tight afterwards, especially in my lower legs. Tuesday, is normally a running day, and I was feeling ok, so I decided to try a longer run, but in my Asics, to give my legs a little rest. I ran my 3.64 mile loop and it went pretty well. I did notice that some of my conditioning was paying off. My windsprints, for instance, seemed to have improved my ability to hit a hill and actually speed up over it. Normally, I'd shorten my stride and slow my pace to climb, but I found my self reaching my legs out and picking up my pace to climb, with little negative effect on my breathing or form once I had finished the climb. So that was good news. But I had hoped to maybe throw in the 2.5 mile loop at the end to make it 6.1 miles, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like, while my legs were still solid, my energy level just wasn't there.
And then Wednesday came around. I finally had access to my gym, so I took the opportunity. Now, I don't know if I've talked alot about it, but up to now, I've been essentially doing split training, where I separate out muscles groups and focus on them on different days. The Tough Mudder training system doesn't do that. And it's a great workout, so I decided to give it a try.
I ignored the running man, because I've been doing plenty of that. I chose about 9 of the exercises and laid out the equipment I needed in a row so I could quickly go from one exercise to the other. So here's what I did:
1. TM Pushup- Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, my gym only has those little weights that square off- up to 12 lbs. So that's what I used. I did ten reps.
2. Fist and Fury - I really like the exercise for some reason. The only Kettle bell the gym has is 35 lbs, so I used that. This exercise combines a squat and a front dumbbell raise, but you get a great cardio side benefit by doing them in rapid succession. Check out This Article that uses a similar exercise as a great fat-burning routine that was featured on http://www.yahoo.com/. I did 10 reps for each arm.
3. Scissor Kick- I started this, but found myself too uncoordinated to do it- or too tired. Plus people were looking at me like I had just lit up a cigarette on an airplane. So, like most, I just stopped.
4. Back row- I used 35 lb dumbbells for this and did 10 reps.
5. Dumbbell side lunge- This exercise is intense if you do it right. I started out with 35 lbs in each hand and then had to drop down to 25 lbs. And it still killed. 10 reps.
6. Push up plus row- I did this with my puny 12 lb weights for 10 reps and then decided it wasn't really do what was intended.
7. Lunge and twist. I did this with the 35 lbs kettle bell, walking across the gym, probably 20 lunges total for 10 on each leg.
8. Shoulder press- Honestly, I think if you did this work out by curling the dumbbells up, then squatting, then pressing as you stood all for one rep and just repeating it, you could be ready for almost anything after 2 weeks of it! It was just brutal to me. I used 25 lbs in each hand and it was all I could do to get 10 reps out.
9. Planks- I did the superman and drunk superman planks.
So let's call all of that, one set- I did two and was out. The first set was really intense, as I had energy to move from one to the other, but then I just- ran out of steam. My second set was lackluster at best. And it only took me about 35 minutes to do all of that. I left the gym just disappointed at my performance. I didn't feel like I had worked out- though my butt and thighs greatly disagreed with me and are still protesting my idea of performance today.
If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. I know I should be eating more, so I'm going to try do that. I guess I've just been disappointed with my weight gain, so I've been reluctant to eat more. I know that's probably causing more problems than it's solving.
Anyway, I'm going to post my initial review of the New Balance Minimus on Monday and then post updates as my training progresses. Also, I'm going to try to do one of those promised PT Tests soon- though I've held off because I don't want to embarrass myself too much. So stay tuned for that humiliation.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Chest and back with a side of abs
I've been reading this strength training book, Strength Training, The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to a Stronger, Sculpted Body. And it seems to be a proponent of simple, complete workouts where you work a little bit of everything, instead of split training, where you focus on one or two muscle groups at each workout. What I've been doing thus far is split training. So I decided to somewhat combine the two ideas today.
Today would have ben mostly chest and back, but in the spirit of a more complete workout, I threw in a few squat exercises and some abdominal stuff. Here was my workout: (By the way, to make things simple, unless I say otherwise, a set is 10 reps.)
1. Decline dumbbell bench press, 35 lbs, 1 set; 40 lbs 2 sets.
2. Seated row, 140 lbs, 3 sets.
3. Flat dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 1 set; 35 lbs, 2 sets. (I was reaching near muscle fatigue too early in these sets with 40 lbs, so I dropped back down to 35 lbs)
4. Lat bar pull downs, 90 lbs, 3 sets.
5. Incline dumbbell bench press, 25 lbs, 3 sets. (For some reason, I'm not at the same level with this workout. I'm a newb, so maybe you're not supposed to be able to lift the same amount of weight, since these seem to rely more on the shoulders and triceps than the pectorals. That, or I'm just a puss. Or maybe I should start with the inclines and work down to the declines, so I'm less worn out. I'll try this next time.)
6. Back squat, barbell only, 1 set, 65 lbs 2 sets.
7. Woodchop (ab/core workout), 80 lbs, 3 sets for each side.
8. Roman chair side bend, 3 sets for each side.
9. I also did a workout where I set the cable machine all the way to the floor, put a handle on it, and pulled it up to shoulder level and then leaned over and pull it up, using only my core. I have no idea what this workout is called, but it felt pretty good. I used 80 lbs on each side and did 3 sets on each side.
All in all, this whole workout took me about 40 minutes, so I was literally running at times from one machine to the next. I wanted to really work up a sweat and not rest too much between sets. All in all, it was a pretty tough, effective workout. If I'm not mistaken, I increased my dumbbell bench press from 30 lbs to 35 and 40 lbs. Next week, I hope to use only the 40 lbs (except of course my disgraceful incline bench press.)
Today would have ben mostly chest and back, but in the spirit of a more complete workout, I threw in a few squat exercises and some abdominal stuff. Here was my workout: (By the way, to make things simple, unless I say otherwise, a set is 10 reps.)
1. Decline dumbbell bench press, 35 lbs, 1 set; 40 lbs 2 sets.
2. Seated row, 140 lbs, 3 sets.
3. Flat dumbbell bench press, 40 lbs, 1 set; 35 lbs, 2 sets. (I was reaching near muscle fatigue too early in these sets with 40 lbs, so I dropped back down to 35 lbs)
4. Lat bar pull downs, 90 lbs, 3 sets.
5. Incline dumbbell bench press, 25 lbs, 3 sets. (For some reason, I'm not at the same level with this workout. I'm a newb, so maybe you're not supposed to be able to lift the same amount of weight, since these seem to rely more on the shoulders and triceps than the pectorals. That, or I'm just a puss. Or maybe I should start with the inclines and work down to the declines, so I'm less worn out. I'll try this next time.)
6. Back squat, barbell only, 1 set, 65 lbs 2 sets.
7. Woodchop (ab/core workout), 80 lbs, 3 sets for each side.
8. Roman chair side bend, 3 sets for each side.
9. I also did a workout where I set the cable machine all the way to the floor, put a handle on it, and pulled it up to shoulder level and then leaned over and pull it up, using only my core. I have no idea what this workout is called, but it felt pretty good. I used 80 lbs on each side and did 3 sets on each side.
All in all, this whole workout took me about 40 minutes, so I was literally running at times from one machine to the next. I wanted to really work up a sweat and not rest too much between sets. All in all, it was a pretty tough, effective workout. If I'm not mistaken, I increased my dumbbell bench press from 30 lbs to 35 and 40 lbs. Next week, I hope to use only the 40 lbs (except of course my disgraceful incline bench press.)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Making up for a lazy vacation
Obviously a 2.3 mile run isn't going to make those 3 extra pounds go away. It's time to get back to work. So, Wednesday, I went into the gym for an hour an half. Here's what I did:
1. Alternating standing dumbbell curls, 35 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 30 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
2. Standing EZ bar curls, 60 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Standing Barbell extensions, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 30 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
4. Dumbbell kickbacks, 20 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Bar pushdown on universal machine, 100 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
6. Crunches, hanging leg lifts, plank, side planks, ab machine.
Again, if you're like me and you don't know what most of these are, check out: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/. It's a great resource.
Today, I ran my usual 2.3 miles, but as suggested on Tough Mudder, I threw in about 10 sprints. It felt good at first, but it really kicked my butt on the way back. It probably had something to do with the fact that the way back was uphill. But ultimately, these kinds of exercises are going to prepare me for the explosive bursts of energy I'll need to complete an obstacle after running a few miles.
1. Alternating standing dumbbell curls, 35 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 30 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
2. Standing EZ bar curls, 60 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 50 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
3. Standing Barbell extensions, 40 lbs, 10 reps, 1 set; 30 lbs, 10 reps, 2 sets.
4. Dumbbell kickbacks, 20 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
5. Bar pushdown on universal machine, 100 lbs, 10 reps, 3 sets.
6. Crunches, hanging leg lifts, plank, side planks, ab machine.
Again, if you're like me and you don't know what most of these are, check out: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/. It's a great resource.
Today, I ran my usual 2.3 miles, but as suggested on Tough Mudder, I threw in about 10 sprints. It felt good at first, but it really kicked my butt on the way back. It probably had something to do with the fact that the way back was uphill. But ultimately, these kinds of exercises are going to prepare me for the explosive bursts of energy I'll need to complete an obstacle after running a few miles.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
New Poll
So on the right, you'll see a new poll: What brand of running shoe do you prefer? Weigh in!
Vacation: The Ugly Truth
This shouldn't take too long, since I didn't do anything. OK, so that's an exaggeration, but let's just start out with the ugly truth: I gained 2.8 lbs in the last six days. There, I said it. I'm back up to 195.8 lbs. And I'm not happy about it. It is my own fault. I gave myself an unwarranted pass on drinking soda over the last week. If it wasn't eating out or at the reunion itself, it was the long car rides through the Midwest that just had me back to mainlining Coca-Cola. I fell off the wagon.
So, exercise wrap-up for the week:
Wednesday-- I lifted weights for about half an hour between dropping Layla off at the kennel and picking up the world's second-smallest car, the Toyota Corolla from Hertz.
Thursday-- I had promised to upload photos of me working out in the gym at the Hawthorne Suites in Toledo, but, well- here's the photo of the gym:
So, exercise wrap-up for the week:
Wednesday-- I lifted weights for about half an hour between dropping Layla off at the kennel and picking up the world's second-smallest car, the Toyota Corolla from Hertz.
Thursday-- I had promised to upload photos of me working out in the gym at the Hawthorne Suites in Toledo, but, well- here's the photo of the gym:
I don't want to be too harsh, because aside from the gym, this place was pretty nice. They're more of an extended-stay hotel that let's you stay for one night. They have full kitchens, a pool, gym, and hot breakfast every morning. Basically, they're a hotel that can't piss their customers off, because their usual customer is staying for at least a week and will take their business elsewhere if they don't get what they want. This translates into a very responsive staff and a pretty pleasant stay- even if it's only one night.
But anyway, I didn't workout Thursday.
Friday-- I'm really proud of this- I woke up at 6am CST and ran about 2.3 miles. Then I walked several miles in Chicago with my wife, my brothers, and their significant others. So, I did exercise Friday.
Saturday-- Was the reunion. Now I did climb all over the playground with my son, and I did play a game of pickup football with some of my relatives, but I can't really lay claim to serious exercise. I wasn't sedentary though.
Sunday-- Walked all over Ikea Schaumburg (the best home furnishing store on the planet) and the huge mall nearby, but still, no exercise. I did think about exercise though, when I bought my first new pair of running shoes in quite some time: the New Balance Minimus shoes. Stay tuned for a full review!
http://www.shopnewbalance.com/newbalanceMT20OR.htm
Monday-- I did run about 1.5 miles in my new shoes on Monday night and I swam a few laps in the pool at Hawthorne Suites in Toledo (we stayed there again because we liked it so much).
Tuesday-- We got home tonight and I ran 2.3 miles in my new shoes.
So all in all, I did OK for a vacation, (just over 6 miles) but just not as good as I had hoped. So the next few weeks are going to have to be intense. I'm going back on my no-Coke diet (sorry Coca-Cola) and I'm going to have to step up my game to lose my vacation poundage and get back to where I need to be. So stay tuned for the pain and for my full review of the NB Minumus!
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