Adding Supersets Next Week

Workout A/B need some beefing up; add another round to strength circuit and interval training.

Weekly Fitness Review May 30.mp3

New Workout B

This is the alternate workout for the first part of the program; the circuit will be posted next.

Cable Core Press 3 x 12

Superset1:  Offset Dumbbell Reverse Lunge/Chin Ups 3 x 12

Superset2:  Barbell Dead Lift/Dumbbell Push Press

As with Workout A I will probably add another superset to this workout as well—post it next week.  HIIT is the same 60/60.  I will be moving to 8 rounds next week.

New dynamic warm-up

• Prisoner Squats 10
• Waiters Bow 10
• Elbow to Instep Lunge 10
• Single Leg Romanian Dead Lift 10
• Side Lunge
• Inchworm
• Leg Swing

New Workout A

I may have to modify this a bit – add here, substitute there but this is the start:

Core:  Roll out 3 x 12

Superset 1:  Crossover Step Up/Inverted Row 3 x 12 (may need to change the crossover step up because of my knee; substitute will be some type of step up)

Superset 2:  Front Squat/Push Ups 3 x 12

That’s it!  I may need to add another superset so that I get a “complete” workout but I am not sure what to add right now.  2 days a week I will continue with the 15 minute HIIT; each week I add another round.  So this week I will be doing 7 rounds of 1 minute/1 minute at 7:56/10:00.  The 3 day I will be doing a longer interval at a lower intensity; I will have a slightly different program each week for that.  My goal is to get to 20 minutes on the faster intervals and up to 30 minutes on the slower.  My alternative days will be longer slower distances with either the isometric program I shared with you last week, specific core program, or some yoga/pilates variation.  Will reveal Workout B on Thursday.

Back to the Drawing Board

The New Lifting Program seemed to work; need to go back and implement principles to bring me back in line!

Weekly Fitness Review May 23.mp3

What’s Next?

I have finished out my own stage and will review the New Rules of Lifting to see if I want to continue with another stage in that particular workout.  I will say the first four stages were pretty inspiring but after that I don’t know if it added much to my workout process.  I will decide by tomorrow my next steps; I know I don’t need a recovery period before I move on so I don’t have to deal with that right now.  I might review the new ACE Quick Start Program and see if there are some elements to take from that—it starts off working on the assumption you are de-conditioned; this may be a good workout for a recovery week.  I can then see what happens during the next 2-3 stages.  Otherwise, I will look through my favorite references:  Men’s and Women’s Health, Shape, and Fitness.  I also look online at both IDEA and ACE.  After that, I surf the internet for other items or see what new books have arrived at the library.  Let me know if you have good resources so that I can continue to expand my workout database. 

Weight Loss Tip #6 Stop Seeing Weight Loss as the Silver Bullet

Most people think when they loss their extra weight that it will be the answer to all their problems—think again!  Attaching additional results to your weight loss—a new career, a boyfriend, jet-setting travel—may not be as easy as we anticipated.  Just because your thinner doesn’t mean everything else in your life is going to come together and in fact, reaching your goal may be anti-climatic.  Although you may not be immediately richer or smarter, you will have more strategies available to you to make it happen; you developed these when you lost weight.  The same techniques can be applied to other areas in your life.  But, just like losing weight, you needed to implement these in order to success.  Now that you have succeeded in one area, see what can be generalized to produce success in other areas. 

Alternative Isometric Workout

I have a friend who has some limitations physically (2 knee surgeries, trouble with her back) and really doesn’t respond well to heavy wait workouts.  Additionally, her range of motion is compromised because of arthritis.  So, in an effort to find something than can work for her I came upon a workout that can complement what I am currently doing; Purre Baree.  It combines dance and pilates.  If you want to try this workout check the March 2010 issue of Women’s Health page 65 or click the link in this post

Good Workout Week

Feeling good about changing programs; expanding HIIT

Weekly Fitness Review May 16.mp3

Are You a Dysfunctional Weight Lifter?

The following should be consider when you start a resistance training program. Your body may not be adequately ready to start a weight training program and you could be working against yourself. Look for the following:

1. If you are working out with a muscle injury an imbalance will exist, the muscle is shortened and/or de-conditioned. You need to restore normal muscle function before starting a program.
2. If you have joint dysfunction, there will be abnormal motion in the joint or the joint can be separated or compressed leading to dysfunction not only in the muscles crossing the joint but the tendons and ligaments as well.
3. Nerve dysfunction can lead to altered proprioception at the joint leading to a loss of potential strength of movement.
4. If you have a biochemical dysfunction you are deficient in specific nutrition that can decrease strength and recovery, leading to injury.

Many personal trainers will only consider number one or two above (if at all) before developing a program for you. The best advice is to have your doctor do a thorough medical exam to eliminate issues related to number three; meet with a nutritionist to address issues related to number four and if you have the time and money, see a health professional specializing in posture and body mechanics to review areas one and two. If you can’t do that start off with a program designed for de-conditioned individuals emphasizing postural/functional strength.

Weight Loss Tip #5 – Embrace Change

Most people are fearful of making a commitment to a new diet and exercise routine because it is easier to stay with what you know and what makes you comfortable.  You would rather be a little heavy or sedentary as it gives you a way of keeping your expectations low and keep you limited in what you can achieve.  Make the changes small enough so they aren’t uncomfortable and set a specific timeline to do them (let’s say 3 weeks) and if after that time you really can’t stand the change, go back to your old ways.  But, if you can handle the change, keep the new habit and try something else.  Soon you will be making bigger changes that can substantially improve your success of achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Workout B

Staying with the same strategy, here is Workout B.  I do Workout A on Mondays, Workout B on Wednesday and I will share the third workout, the Marine Circuit next week.

Power Move:  Dumbbell Snatch 3 x 8

Core Moves:  Side Bride 45 seconds each side/Swiss Ball Plank 60 seconds

Strength Moves:

Single Arm Clean and Press 3 x 6/Bulgarian Split Squat 3 x 8

Chin ups 3 x 6/Step up-Reverse Lunge 3 x  8

T-Push ups x 2 AMAP/2 x 8-12 Incline Dumbbell Row

 

Again HIIT but I am now reducing the recover 1 minute/1 minute; progressing from 15 – 20+ minutes total time.  I will be doing short intervals M/W and on Friday I will increase the interval times but decrease the speed.  I will update you on Friday.

Short-term Job Assignment Screws Up My Schedule

Weekly Fitness Review May 9.mp3

New Warm Up

I have a new dynamic warm-up care of Women’s Fitness; check it out

I do 10 reps (5 with alternating moves) and they hit all the movements I need prior to my resistance training.

Jumping Jacks

Slo-Mo Mountain Climber

Crossover Jumping Jacks

Arm Crossover

Tight Core Rotation

Yogi Plex

Bent Row with L Raise

Side Lunge to Crossover Lunge Combo

Superdog

Weight Loss Tip #4 – Fear of Failure

Most individuals have lost and gained weight multiple times.  So, it makes sense that you would be tentative about trying to lose weight yet another time; it could mean another failure.  Unfortunately, this worry of regaining weight can actually contribute to the problem as ruminating about about past failures and the associated negative feelings can actually cause you to subconsciously sabotage your progress.  You can work some positive karma by looking at things that don’t work as strategies that don’t work well for you and move on to something else that does.  Once you identify the strategies that work you can expand on those and continue your progress.  Fail quickly and move on to weight loss success!

New Workout A

Since I decided not to use Stage 5, I took the following workout from Men’s Health.  It includes a Power move, 2 Core moves, and 3 Strength supersets.  I will be doing this workout for about 3 weeks:

Power Move:  Jump Squats  3 sets of 8

Core Moves:  Alternating 2 point plank 15/Alternating diagonal modified plank 15

Strength Moves:

Lunges 3 x 8/Chins 3 x 8

Dumbbell Romanian Dead Lift 3 x 8/Dumbbell Push Press 3 x 8

Push up 2 x AMAP/Inverted Row 2 x AMAP (as many as possible)

My biggest surprise was the core movements—extremely difficult for me; the other exercises I have been doing similar versions so they were much easier.

HIIT will be 1 minute/2 minute for this week

Since I will be on a job assignment for 4-5 days at 12 hour days, I will probably only be able to get in the minimal workouts this week.

Making Some Changes--Surprise?

Incorporating a different workout for the next stage--acid reflux becoming worse--increasing intervals

Weekly Fitness Review May 2.mp3

Taking the Initiative—Switching Gears and Workouts

I thought I could go through with doing the Stage 5 workout but I don’t find it appealing enough.  As mentioned in a previous post, it consists of 4x4 (reps/sets) of the exercises from Stage 3.  I don’t think those particular exercises are going to be helpful to me with extremely heavy weights.  I don’t like taking 2 minutes per set recovery time as it makes the workout unbearably long.  So, I have decided to switch gears and do a Men’s Health workout 2x week (Transform Your Body) and add a Marine circuit for the 3rd day.  My warm-up will be exercises from Women’s Health (similar to the Men’s Health Big Book of Exercise warm-up) and continue to do some level of high intensity interval training.  Last week my pyramids went well and I believe I can start 60/120 (6-8 rounds) using under 8 minutes miles for the sprints.  Based on what I have been reading, if I am only doing 15-20 minutes, my sprints should really be much faster but I am not there yet.  The other cardio days I will start with 30 minutes and do some version of intervals at lower levels and eventually work up to 45 minutes.  I will re-evaluate my fat %, I am hoping to be at or below my last measurement of 20%.  I will do this workout for three weeks and then review Stage 6 and whether I want to use that as the next round.

My GERD symptoms continue and I am working on eliminating some other types of food for the next month (prior to my annual physical) to see if I can improve.  If not, I may discuss other options with my doctor.  The symptoms are mild but I do not want any deterioration of the esophagus or stomach lining.  I am not sure if this is really acid or (as other research indicates) and immune response situation.  I have another chronic immune response issue and this concerns me.  Despite this, I feel pretty good and my workouts are effective.