This is what I like to call the exes you aren't on a friendly basis with, their current flings who stare down your every move, and any past extracurricular activities (drunken makeout anyone? haha) who happen to frequent the same gym as you. Well, the Gymemies were abundant at World's tonight. You'd think this would make for an awkward workout but to be honest, I think I thrive off of it. Sounds kind of sick, I know, but when there's a Gymemy in my radius I channel that uncomfortable feeling into longer sets, heavier weights and an all-around amped-up intensity level. Even better if there's more than one nearby! I guess its my non-verbal way of saying "look what you missed out on, asshole" or "yup, I hope your bedroom skills are up to par because we both know you can't compete with this move". Haha, I digress, and this is getting a bit more bitchy than I intended so I'll stop here. Regardless, I had a superb workout tonight!
Started out with a little run to get me warmed up. I was seriously out of breathe after only 10 minutes so after a total 15-minute run/walk mix I had to call the cardio quits. Must have been because the Gymemies hadn't arrived yet to make me push harder haha. I'm thinking I may have to increase my time by 5 mins each day until I get back up to my pre-injury max.
For weights today I did back & chest. Here's the rundown of my routine:
1. 4 sets of 10 bent-over barbell rows on the bosu ball.
2. 4 sets of 10 free weight chest presses while in a bridge position on a stability ball.
3. 4 sets of 6 (each leg) one-legged deadlifts on the bosu. 2 sets with weight and 2 sets without. Got terrible toe spasms during these. Oh the pains of wearing high heels all day!
4. 4 sets of 8 back extensions with a plate held to my chest.
5. 3 sets of 20 ball-throwing incline crunches (got a non-Gymemy to help me with this one haha).
6. 4 sets of 8 leg raises on the standing leg raise machine (2 sets front and 2 sets side-to-side).
To wrap-up and make up for yesterday's lack of stretching, I then moved on to the mats where I did 3 sets of my "60 sec" planks (forward and each side) and a variety of stretches. I'm thinking tomorrow will be both a run and a legs day. Hopefully today's deadlifts didn't rip up my hams too much because I was definitely feeling an intense burn by the last set!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
It's beginning to look a lot like...
...no, not Christmas, but rather the post-New Year's mad house that awaits no matter what gym you go to! I had figured things would stay pretty quiet until next week but apparently I was wrong. After driving by Planet yesterday and seeing a nightmarish parking lot I pushed forward to World's where I had the gym pretty much to myself (they let me in early) until 1:00 pm when the doors were unlocked and a rush of post-Christmas dieters came through the door. Most of the crowd were either usuals or at least recognizable faces but there was definitely an assortment newbies sprinkled in. This is so not a good sign for what's to come.
Today wasn't much different but I was somehow able to get all the equipment I wanted, exactly when I wanted it. Hmmm now that I think of it, I often had a circle of empty space around me. Must have had some sort of "don't mess with me" look on my face haha...I'll have to remember that for tomorrow. I've been slacking on my posts lately so here's a quick run-down of the past few days: Saturday - Legs; Sunday - Rest Day (gyms were closed for Christmas); Monday - Bi's & Tri's. Alas, today I did shoulders.
I started with my warm-up cardio on the eliptical for 15 mins. Still haven't been able to run due to my poor torn-up feet but I can happily say that my shins no longer hurt! Hopefully in the next couple of days I can get back to my running routine. To start my weight sesh I did 3 sets of 8 arnold curls, standing on the bosu ball. I followed these with one set of pull-ups (real ones and I made it to 5 this time!) and then 4 sets of 8 shoulder shrugs on the bosu. Lastly, I alternated 3 sets of 8 front raises and side raises (each arm so 6 sets each arm/12 sets total). I'm still trying to work in stabilization moves wherever I can into my workouts. I haven't noticed any change in my physique but I can say that my balance has definitely improved!
Moving on to abs, I did 3 sets of 8 leg lifts on a stability ball and followed these with 3 sets of 8 teepees, balancing on my knees in between sets. I neglected to stretch before leaving so hopefully I did enough stretching in between sets to make up for it. My shoulders and neck are always uncomfortably tight after a shoulders workout. Luckily I got a massage GC for Christmas that I'll be booking real soon!
Today wasn't much different but I was somehow able to get all the equipment I wanted, exactly when I wanted it. Hmmm now that I think of it, I often had a circle of empty space around me. Must have had some sort of "don't mess with me" look on my face haha...I'll have to remember that for tomorrow. I've been slacking on my posts lately so here's a quick run-down of the past few days: Saturday - Legs; Sunday - Rest Day (gyms were closed for Christmas); Monday - Bi's & Tri's. Alas, today I did shoulders.
I started with my warm-up cardio on the eliptical for 15 mins. Still haven't been able to run due to my poor torn-up feet but I can happily say that my shins no longer hurt! Hopefully in the next couple of days I can get back to my running routine. To start my weight sesh I did 3 sets of 8 arnold curls, standing on the bosu ball. I followed these with one set of pull-ups (real ones and I made it to 5 this time!) and then 4 sets of 8 shoulder shrugs on the bosu. Lastly, I alternated 3 sets of 8 front raises and side raises (each arm so 6 sets each arm/12 sets total). I'm still trying to work in stabilization moves wherever I can into my workouts. I haven't noticed any change in my physique but I can say that my balance has definitely improved!
Moving on to abs, I did 3 sets of 8 leg lifts on a stability ball and followed these with 3 sets of 8 teepees, balancing on my knees in between sets. I neglected to stretch before leaving so hopefully I did enough stretching in between sets to make up for it. My shoulders and neck are always uncomfortably tight after a shoulders workout. Luckily I got a massage GC for Christmas that I'll be booking real soon!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Quiet Friday Morning Workout
I love hitting the gym on a day off from work when none of the usuals are there to distract you. That's what I did this morning and to my delight not only were there were about 10 people in the building but I pretty much had the weight area to myself! I skipped the gym yesterday and instead opted for a late afternoon walk around the back cove so I was ready to work today. Unfortunately, I've been hobbling around all week due to 1) irritated shins which I thought were due to the balancing one-legged deadlifts but a runner friend has scared me into thinking its shin splints and advised me to take it easy till the pain goes away and 2) my hiking boots caused bad blisters on yesterday's walk, making every step sting. Basically I'm a mess as usual.
Today's workout started with a 15 minute eliptical warm-up. I'll probably avoid running again until I'm healed. Usually when I do the eliptical I don't set it on anything specific other than "warm-up" but today I opted for the "fat burn" setting. I find it odd that the display seemed to think that I burned way more calories than usual despite the workout feeling far easier!
Moving on to weights, I chose to do back and chest today. To start, I did 4 sets of 8 incline chest flies. These were followed with 3 sets of 10 standing rows, balancing on the bosu ball. Then I moved on to abs and did 3 sets of 12 side crunches (each side) on the back extension machine. Since my pull-ups have been lousy lately I did a quick set of 4 pull-ups and then finished up my weights with 3 sets of 8 sitting rows. Lastly, I rounded out my ab routine with 3 sets of 20 knee-to-chin crunches while planking with my hands on a medicine ball. I had already mixed in a lot of stretching between sets of weights and abs so I finished up with some foam rolling on the mats before heading out. I noticed the gym is only open until noon tomorrow so I'm sure it'll be a zoo in comparison to today!
Today's workout started with a 15 minute eliptical warm-up. I'll probably avoid running again until I'm healed. Usually when I do the eliptical I don't set it on anything specific other than "warm-up" but today I opted for the "fat burn" setting. I find it odd that the display seemed to think that I burned way more calories than usual despite the workout feeling far easier!
Moving on to weights, I chose to do back and chest today. To start, I did 4 sets of 8 incline chest flies. These were followed with 3 sets of 10 standing rows, balancing on the bosu ball. Then I moved on to abs and did 3 sets of 12 side crunches (each side) on the back extension machine. Since my pull-ups have been lousy lately I did a quick set of 4 pull-ups and then finished up my weights with 3 sets of 8 sitting rows. Lastly, I rounded out my ab routine with 3 sets of 20 knee-to-chin crunches while planking with my hands on a medicine ball. I had already mixed in a lot of stretching between sets of weights and abs so I finished up with some foam rolling on the mats before heading out. I noticed the gym is only open until noon tomorrow so I'm sure it'll be a zoo in comparison to today!
Monday, December 19, 2011
New Kicks
Okay, so I did not reach my goal this past weekend, not by a long shot. I had a few too many beers Saturday night and between my hangover and my jell-o legs which resulted from an intense series of one-legged, weighted bosu ball deadlifts on Saturday, I didn't even make it an hour in World's on Sunday.
On another note, now that my confession is out, I finally invested in a sweet new pair of running sneaks today! I was torn between a pair of Adidas and a pair of Nike. It was 60% Adidas / 40% Nike (mostly a style decision as I like sneaks with funky colours) but everyone I asked either said Nike or neither so I decided to trust the opinion of my gym rat friends who probably know more about running than I do. Broke 'em in today with a 15 minute run. Could definitely use some more breaking in but I'd say they were a good choice all around!
For weights today I decided on shoulders. I started with 3 sets of 8 arnold press, standing on a bosu and followed these with 3 sets of 10 shoulder shrugs (also on the bosu). Next I did 1 set of pull-ups but could only do 4 reps (seriously falling behind on these!) so I opted for 3 sets of 6 assisted pull-ups to finish out the move. Next I moved on to abs where I started with 3 sets of 8 stability ball leg lifts and followed these with 4 sets of 16 incline crunches (front and side-to-side) and lastly, 3 sets of 8 tee pees, kneeling on the stability ball between each set.
Pretty good Monday workout! I finished up with some all-over stretching on the mats and incorporated some yoga moves I hadn't done in a while including the ever-popular headstand. Always afraid I'm going to end up upside down with my shirt over my head when I do that one haha.
On another note, now that my confession is out, I finally invested in a sweet new pair of running sneaks today! I was torn between a pair of Adidas and a pair of Nike. It was 60% Adidas / 40% Nike (mostly a style decision as I like sneaks with funky colours) but everyone I asked either said Nike or neither so I decided to trust the opinion of my gym rat friends who probably know more about running than I do. Broke 'em in today with a 15 minute run. Could definitely use some more breaking in but I'd say they were a good choice all around!
For weights today I decided on shoulders. I started with 3 sets of 8 arnold press, standing on a bosu and followed these with 3 sets of 10 shoulder shrugs (also on the bosu). Next I did 1 set of pull-ups but could only do 4 reps (seriously falling behind on these!) so I opted for 3 sets of 6 assisted pull-ups to finish out the move. Next I moved on to abs where I started with 3 sets of 8 stability ball leg lifts and followed these with 4 sets of 16 incline crunches (front and side-to-side) and lastly, 3 sets of 8 tee pees, kneeling on the stability ball between each set.
Pretty good Monday workout! I finished up with some all-over stretching on the mats and incorporated some yoga moves I hadn't done in a while including the ever-popular headstand. Always afraid I'm going to end up upside down with my shirt over my head when I do that one haha.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Fired Up
Hit my 30 minute mark tonight! Well, actually, I did take a 1-min walking break after 20 minutes because I was dying of thirst so technically it was a 20 min run followed by a 10 min run but close enough! After an encounter with a major bitch right after work (well actually two now that I think of it) and battling the most horrible road-rage inducing idiot drivers everywhere I went today, I was fuming by the time I got to World's. Sooo I channelled my anger into a killer run and pretty solid bi's/tri's workout. I know this sounds crazy, but if someone could really piss me off at about 5pm everyday I'd really appreciate it! haha
Here's what my weight sesh consisted of today:
1. 3 sets of 8 bicep curls on a bosu ball
2. 3 sets of 8 single-arm tricep extensions using the cables
3. 3 sets of 8 tricep bench dips with my feet on a stability ball and a 25 lb. plate on my lap (okay, so I only did one set of these and then had to bring it back down to a 10 lb. plate but hey, baby steps!)
4. 3 sets of 8 hammer curls, also on a bosu ball
Side note here, the men in World's tonight were rather eager beavers (to put it mildly) and I somehow met quite a few of the latest Friday night trollers without any effort on my part. My point being, I wanted to do medicine ball throwing crunches as Jen and I didn't get to them yesterday in our shoulders-based workout, however, there was no one around to ask to throw the ball other than the horny mass-at-hand so I opted for incline bench crunches instead (2 sets of 16 front and 2 sets of 12 side-to-side). Not quite the intensity level I wanted but what's a girl in these situations to do?! Finally, I went over to the mats and did three sets of "60" second planks (each side) and some legs-focused stretching to wrap-up.
Goal of the weekend ahead: Get really fired up and complete a real 30-minute run!
Here's what my weight sesh consisted of today:
1. 3 sets of 8 bicep curls on a bosu ball
2. 3 sets of 8 single-arm tricep extensions using the cables
3. 3 sets of 8 tricep bench dips with my feet on a stability ball and a 25 lb. plate on my lap (okay, so I only did one set of these and then had to bring it back down to a 10 lb. plate but hey, baby steps!)
4. 3 sets of 8 hammer curls, also on a bosu ball
Side note here, the men in World's tonight were rather eager beavers (to put it mildly) and I somehow met quite a few of the latest Friday night trollers without any effort on my part. My point being, I wanted to do medicine ball throwing crunches as Jen and I didn't get to them yesterday in our shoulders-based workout, however, there was no one around to ask to throw the ball other than the horny mass-at-hand so I opted for incline bench crunches instead (2 sets of 16 front and 2 sets of 12 side-to-side). Not quite the intensity level I wanted but what's a girl in these situations to do?! Finally, I went over to the mats and did three sets of "60" second planks (each side) and some legs-focused stretching to wrap-up.
Goal of the weekend ahead: Get really fired up and complete a real 30-minute run!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Busting Ass (Literally)
Started my workout today with a short 15 minute run and then ventured out onto the crowded World's weight room to begin my lower body sesh. To start, and keeping with my stabilization theme, I did three sets of 12 squats while standing on a bosu ball with a 30 lb. barbell on my shoulders. Someone commented that my back was arched too much (after the fact of course!) and that that could cause lower back pain so I must keep that in mind next time! Otherwise, these felt great. I think I'll make a note to try one-legged squats on the bosu next time, sans weight of course! Next, I moved onto 3 sets of 8 (each leg) one-legged deadlifts. Just the usual move here and I kept the weight at 30 lbs. Between these two I should have some very sore hams tomorrow! The last lower body move I did was 4 sets of 8 (each leg) on the bent-over glute press machine (2 sets straight leg and 2 sets 90 degree bent leg). I love this machine but unfortunately I did not remember to pack appropriate shorts...
For abs today I started with 3 sets of 8 pushups with my feet on a stability ball. I followed these with 3 sets of 20 v-sit medicine ball twists and lastly, 3 sets of "60" second planks (front, left side, and right side planks). I neglected to do any final stretching which I will probably regret tomorrow but it was nearly 7pm and I was too preoccupied with thoughts of dinner. Not sure what tomorrow's workout will bring yet so I guess it will depend on what's not sore!
For abs today I started with 3 sets of 8 pushups with my feet on a stability ball. I followed these with 3 sets of 20 v-sit medicine ball twists and lastly, 3 sets of "60" second planks (front, left side, and right side planks). I neglected to do any final stretching which I will probably regret tomorrow but it was nearly 7pm and I was too preoccupied with thoughts of dinner. Not sure what tomorrow's workout will bring yet so I guess it will depend on what's not sore!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Notes To Self
Like most Monday's, I hit up Planet today for my start-of-the-work-week gym sesh. Oddly enough for a Monday, it was nice and quiet. Today's focus was on shoulders but I struggled to really push myself after an intense back & chest workout yesterday which seems to have irritated my lower back. Disappointing seeing as shoulders are usually one of my favs! Yesterday's workout was another stabilization-focused session which went great but I think it was the bosu ball deadlifts that did me in. I pushed myself to hold the 50 lb bar which was probably a bit much :S
Anyway, I got to Planet nice and early, having left work in the afternoon to make a routine dentist appointment (no cavities of course!) so I was able to grab one of the good treadmills in the back with the built-in fans. I only did a 15 min warm-up today though (10 mins running). Note to self: Do not eat a protein bar immediately before attempting a run; stomach does not appreciate it!
So after my "run", I went upstairs to a nice deserted weight room where I did 3 sets of 8 front shoulder raises and the same for latteral shoulder raises. I followed these with 4 sets of leg lifts on the standing leg lift machine (2 sets front and 2 sets side-to-side). I tried to take my time on these because I wanted to grab the assisted pullup machine right beside it but that was a very popular machine tonight and I kept missing my opportunity between sets! So, I went over to the other side of the room and did 3 sets of 8 lat pull-downs. On my way back downstairs I saw that the pull-up machine was now vacant so I finished with a set of 8 pullups and then a set of 4 as that's all I could manage to push out by that point! Not a bad shoulder workout by any means, just not feeling really motivated today I guess. I think it may also have to do with the fact that Planet needs to replace all of its lights with wattage about 5x whatever it uses now. Now that its dark out at that time of day, its so much darker than usual inside that I want to fall asleep!
Venturing back downstairs, I went over to the mats and did front and side planks, each position held twice. I always count to 60 before switching positions but I've recently found that I am an overly fast counter and my "minute" is more like 30 seconds...ooops! Second note to self: purchase a watch for the gym! After some stretching and laying arched over a stability ball in an attempt to soothe my back (which did not work!), I was out the door and headed home. Third note to self: buy a heating pad. I always wish I had one when I have uncomfortably sore muscles but can never seem to justify buying one when I'm feeling fine! Tomorrow, unfortunately, has to be a rest day because of one of many inconveniently scheduled holiday parties this week. Looking forward to hitting World's hard on Wednesday!
Anyway, I got to Planet nice and early, having left work in the afternoon to make a routine dentist appointment (no cavities of course!) so I was able to grab one of the good treadmills in the back with the built-in fans. I only did a 15 min warm-up today though (10 mins running). Note to self: Do not eat a protein bar immediately before attempting a run; stomach does not appreciate it!
So after my "run", I went upstairs to a nice deserted weight room where I did 3 sets of 8 front shoulder raises and the same for latteral shoulder raises. I followed these with 4 sets of leg lifts on the standing leg lift machine (2 sets front and 2 sets side-to-side). I tried to take my time on these because I wanted to grab the assisted pullup machine right beside it but that was a very popular machine tonight and I kept missing my opportunity between sets! So, I went over to the other side of the room and did 3 sets of 8 lat pull-downs. On my way back downstairs I saw that the pull-up machine was now vacant so I finished with a set of 8 pullups and then a set of 4 as that's all I could manage to push out by that point! Not a bad shoulder workout by any means, just not feeling really motivated today I guess. I think it may also have to do with the fact that Planet needs to replace all of its lights with wattage about 5x whatever it uses now. Now that its dark out at that time of day, its so much darker than usual inside that I want to fall asleep!
Venturing back downstairs, I went over to the mats and did front and side planks, each position held twice. I always count to 60 before switching positions but I've recently found that I am an overly fast counter and my "minute" is more like 30 seconds...ooops! Second note to self: purchase a watch for the gym! After some stretching and laying arched over a stability ball in an attempt to soothe my back (which did not work!), I was out the door and headed home. Third note to self: buy a heating pad. I always wish I had one when I have uncomfortably sore muscles but can never seem to justify buying one when I'm feeling fine! Tomorrow, unfortunately, has to be a rest day because of one of many inconveniently scheduled holiday parties this week. Looking forward to hitting World's hard on Wednesday!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
All About Stability
Planned my entire bi's & tri's workout around stability exercises today. Got to the gym around 9am and started with a nice 20 minute run. Okay, so I had planned to go for longer than that but at least I can say that I've upped my speed to 5.5 and brought the incline to 2 so it wasn't a total letdown. Plus, I'm guessing the slice of mashed potato & bacon pizza I was coerced into having at Otto around 12am last night wasn't helping things.
After my run I started with three sets of 8 bicep dumbbell curls while standing on the bosu ball. Then, staying on the bosu, I moved into three sets of 8 overhead tricep extensions. I then grabbed a bench and a stability ball and did three sets of 8 tricep dips with a 10 lb. plate on my lap and my feet balancing on the ball. For my final arm workout I did three sets of 8 bicep curls using a 30 lb. barbell, also standing on the bosu.
For abs today, I did 4 sets of 8 stability ball leg lifts followed by 3 sets of 8 pushups with my toes on a stability ball. These are really difficult but I will say I am getting much better at them! I'd like to think that my whole workout, minus the run, was all a bit of an abs workout seeing as I added some form of stabilization into everything. Definitely going to try to do more of this in the future!
After my run I started with three sets of 8 bicep dumbbell curls while standing on the bosu ball. Then, staying on the bosu, I moved into three sets of 8 overhead tricep extensions. I then grabbed a bench and a stability ball and did three sets of 8 tricep dips with a 10 lb. plate on my lap and my feet balancing on the ball. For my final arm workout I did three sets of 8 bicep curls using a 30 lb. barbell, also standing on the bosu.
For abs today, I did 4 sets of 8 stability ball leg lifts followed by 3 sets of 8 pushups with my toes on a stability ball. These are really difficult but I will say I am getting much better at them! I'd like to think that my whole workout, minus the run, was all a bit of an abs workout seeing as I added some form of stabilization into everything. Definitely going to try to do more of this in the future!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Hump Day, Rump Day
As planned, I hit up World's today for a solid lower body workout. I started with a 15 minute run to warm up. I had planned on doing 25 and I really don't have any excuse other than just not being motivated enough to finish it. Although, my shins were kind of hurting so maybe I can use my non-running sneakers as my excuse today hehe
I began my weight sesh with 3 sets of 8 (each leg) on the standing glute machine (set at a 70 lb. resistance) and then moved on to 3 sets of 12 on the standing calf machine (75 lbs). I really love both of these machines and don't do them nearly enough! I decided not to save all of my abs workouts for the end today so I then moved on to 4 sets of 8 stability ball leg-lifts using both the 10 and 5 lb. dumbbells. Following these, I did 3 sets of 8 (each leg) one-legged deadlifts, starting with the 20 lb dumbbells and then moving to the 15's once I tired out. Finally, I ended my sesh with 4 sets of 12 incline bench crunches (2 sets forward and 2 sets side-to-side). I did the first two sets with a 10 lb. plate held to my chest but dropped it for the last two because I had made the bench so high I was seriously struggling to finish! World's was pretty busy today but I was on a mission and I must say, I did a pretty good job of tuning everyone out and staying in my own little workout bubble haha
I did a lot of standing stretching while I had the step set-up for the deadlifts (like my favourite standing glute stretch!) so I ended with just a few leg stretches on the mats and then scooted off to Whole Foods to treat myself to one of my favourite cookies (sesame tahini) for dessert tonight!
I began my weight sesh with 3 sets of 8 (each leg) on the standing glute machine (set at a 70 lb. resistance) and then moved on to 3 sets of 12 on the standing calf machine (75 lbs). I really love both of these machines and don't do them nearly enough! I decided not to save all of my abs workouts for the end today so I then moved on to 4 sets of 8 stability ball leg-lifts using both the 10 and 5 lb. dumbbells. Following these, I did 3 sets of 8 (each leg) one-legged deadlifts, starting with the 20 lb dumbbells and then moving to the 15's once I tired out. Finally, I ended my sesh with 4 sets of 12 incline bench crunches (2 sets forward and 2 sets side-to-side). I did the first two sets with a 10 lb. plate held to my chest but dropped it for the last two because I had made the bench so high I was seriously struggling to finish! World's was pretty busy today but I was on a mission and I must say, I did a pretty good job of tuning everyone out and staying in my own little workout bubble haha
I did a lot of standing stretching while I had the step set-up for the deadlifts (like my favourite standing glute stretch!) so I ended with just a few leg stretches on the mats and then scooted off to Whole Foods to treat myself to one of my favourite cookies (sesame tahini) for dessert tonight!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Habitat For Exhaustion
After a chest & back workout yesterday at World's, I hit up Planet today for a bi's & tri's workout. I took part in a Habitat for Humanity project in Freeport today and my body was just way too beat for a solid workout. I would have skipped the gym but tomorrow is going to be a rest day so that I can take care of my poor puppy who has to have surgery so I pushed through my weight sesh today. On another note, I completely forgot that today is the first Monday of the month....the nasty Little Caesar's pizza smell did not help my motivation!
My workout wasn't anything spectacular today. Started with a run but only did 15 minutes since my legs were seriously dragging. Then I went upstairs and did the following:
1. 3 sets of 8 regular bicep curls
2. 3 sets of 8 tricep bench dips with my feet on a stability ball
3. 4 sets of 8 leg lifts on the standing leg lift machine (2 sets front lifts and 2 sets side-to-side lifts)
4. 3 sets of 8 tricep kickbacks (each arm)
5. Venturing back downstairs: 3 sets of 8 hammer curls while standing on a bosu ball (I'm trying to incorporate more balance-work into existing workouts going forward in an effort to "get more bang for my buck"!)
6. And lastly, 2 sets of 20 followed by 2 sets of 12 incline bench crunches (front and side-to-side crunches)
I have to say I was very tempted to grab some pizza myself as the pile of boxes was eyeing me from the table right next to where I was doing my incline crunches but luckily I did not give in! I love pizza but it grosses me out that everyone is grabbing out of the same box that the sweat/dirt/germ-covered gymmers in front of them touched on their way out. I don't know about you but when I grab a slice of pizza I usually have to grab the crust of the slice next to it in order to rip it off so who knows what nasties touched the crust of the slice you are about to take! Plus, Little Caesar's isn't exactly worth ruining your diet for.
So that was all for my workout today. I kind of feel like I did back today more than anything due to lifting random house parts all day long. I'm thinking Wednesday will have to be a good lower body day to balance it all out!
My workout wasn't anything spectacular today. Started with a run but only did 15 minutes since my legs were seriously dragging. Then I went upstairs and did the following:
1. 3 sets of 8 regular bicep curls
2. 3 sets of 8 tricep bench dips with my feet on a stability ball
3. 4 sets of 8 leg lifts on the standing leg lift machine (2 sets front lifts and 2 sets side-to-side lifts)
4. 3 sets of 8 tricep kickbacks (each arm)
5. Venturing back downstairs: 3 sets of 8 hammer curls while standing on a bosu ball (I'm trying to incorporate more balance-work into existing workouts going forward in an effort to "get more bang for my buck"!)
6. And lastly, 2 sets of 20 followed by 2 sets of 12 incline bench crunches (front and side-to-side crunches)
I have to say I was very tempted to grab some pizza myself as the pile of boxes was eyeing me from the table right next to where I was doing my incline crunches but luckily I did not give in! I love pizza but it grosses me out that everyone is grabbing out of the same box that the sweat/dirt/germ-covered gymmers in front of them touched on their way out. I don't know about you but when I grab a slice of pizza I usually have to grab the crust of the slice next to it in order to rip it off so who knows what nasties touched the crust of the slice you are about to take! Plus, Little Caesar's isn't exactly worth ruining your diet for.
So that was all for my workout today. I kind of feel like I did back today more than anything due to lifting random house parts all day long. I'm thinking Wednesday will have to be a good lower body day to balance it all out!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Back In The Saddle Again
After an intense leg workout yesterday, I arrived at World's this morning with the intention of doing shoulders and perhaps attempting a maximum 10-15 minute run. I got on the treadmill, set it at a 5.4 mph pace and a 1.0 level incline, and found that I was actually feeling really good for once! So, I decided to push myself for 20 minutes today. Then a friend arrived, grabbed the treadmill next to me, and somehow motivated me to push myself back to my 25 minute mark! Ahhh felt so good when it was over! I finally feel like I'm kicking this cold so I plan to amp up my workouts this week and get back to my pre-sick physique! Plus, there's a ton of holiday parties/dinners/etc. coming up that I just know are going to entice me into bad behavior so weight-gain prevention is in order. Wouldn't it be so nice to enter into the new year fitter than ever while everyone else is struggling with their new year's resolutions?!
Here's how my weight/abs routine went today:
1. 3 sets of 8 arnold press using 15 lb. dumbbells
2. 3 sets of 12 side leg crunches (each leg) on the back extension machine
3. 3 sets of 8 lateral shoulder raises using 10 lb. dumbbells
4. 3 sets of 8 front shoulder raises, also using 10 lb. dumbbells
5. 4 sets of 20 v-sit medicine ball twists
6. 3 sets of 6 pull-ups
It's been so long since I've been able to do pull-ups that my attempt to use the regular pull-up bar didn't make it past 3 reps of half-ass half-way pull-ups so I had to do my sets on the pull-up machine where you can lower your resistance. Still felt great though so hopefully by the end of the week I can get back to the regular bar. That's all for today's workout other than taking my pup for a nice long walk while its still sunny (albeit frigid) out!
Here's how my weight/abs routine went today:
1. 3 sets of 8 arnold press using 15 lb. dumbbells
2. 3 sets of 12 side leg crunches (each leg) on the back extension machine
3. 3 sets of 8 lateral shoulder raises using 10 lb. dumbbells
4. 3 sets of 8 front shoulder raises, also using 10 lb. dumbbells
5. 4 sets of 20 v-sit medicine ball twists
6. 3 sets of 6 pull-ups
It's been so long since I've been able to do pull-ups that my attempt to use the regular pull-up bar didn't make it past 3 reps of half-ass half-way pull-ups so I had to do my sets on the pull-up machine where you can lower your resistance. Still felt great though so hopefully by the end of the week I can get back to the regular bar. That's all for today's workout other than taking my pup for a nice long walk while its still sunny (albeit frigid) out!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Back to December
I've had Taylor Swift's "Back to December" stuck in my head all day. Not really a motivating workout tune. I did get in a pretty good bi's & tri's workout at World's today though. It wasn't nearly as busy as earlier in the week and a lot of the usuals weren't in attendance so I had a nice quiet workout without too much distraction.
I started with a 20 minute warm-up on the elliptical, having decided that I should not attempt a run until I am 100% over this cold. Aside from not physically being able to hit my goal time-wise, it would really be quite embarrassing if I fell off the treadmill seeing as this cold medicine has made me a complete space cadet!
My bi's/tri's workouts are seriously lacking in variety so I apologize if it sounds like you've read this exact post before. To start my weight session I did 3 sets of 8 hammer curls using 15 lb. dumbbells. Then I got a stability ball, a bench, and a 10 lb. plate and did tricep dips with my feet on the ball and the plate on my lap (4 sets of 8). Thinking I should probably increase the plate to 25 next time for some added burn! Then, I went back over to the free weights and 3 sets of 8 regular bicep curls. I started with the 15 lb. dumbbells again but quickly lost steam and moved down to the 12.5 ones for the last two sets. Finishing up my weights I did tricep extensions on the cables. Two sets of single-arm extensions at 20 lbs. each arm and then two sets of dual-arm extensions at 40 lbs. Not a bad workout but not highly exciting either!
For abs I did 3 sets of 8 teepees, kneeling on the ball in between sets, followed by incline bench crunches (2 sets of 12 forward crunches and 2 sets of 12 side-to-side crunches). That's all other than the usual stretching before exiting. Hoping to get in another good workout tomorrow to end the week on a positive note. Seeing as we are back to December here, here's to a healthy, happy, stress-free month filled with lots of solid workouts!
I started with a 20 minute warm-up on the elliptical, having decided that I should not attempt a run until I am 100% over this cold. Aside from not physically being able to hit my goal time-wise, it would really be quite embarrassing if I fell off the treadmill seeing as this cold medicine has made me a complete space cadet!
My bi's/tri's workouts are seriously lacking in variety so I apologize if it sounds like you've read this exact post before. To start my weight session I did 3 sets of 8 hammer curls using 15 lb. dumbbells. Then I got a stability ball, a bench, and a 10 lb. plate and did tricep dips with my feet on the ball and the plate on my lap (4 sets of 8). Thinking I should probably increase the plate to 25 next time for some added burn! Then, I went back over to the free weights and 3 sets of 8 regular bicep curls. I started with the 15 lb. dumbbells again but quickly lost steam and moved down to the 12.5 ones for the last two sets. Finishing up my weights I did tricep extensions on the cables. Two sets of single-arm extensions at 20 lbs. each arm and then two sets of dual-arm extensions at 40 lbs. Not a bad workout but not highly exciting either!
For abs I did 3 sets of 8 teepees, kneeling on the ball in between sets, followed by incline bench crunches (2 sets of 12 forward crunches and 2 sets of 12 side-to-side crunches). That's all other than the usual stretching before exiting. Hoping to get in another good workout tomorrow to end the week on a positive note. Seeing as we are back to December here, here's to a healthy, happy, stress-free month filled with lots of solid workouts!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)