HOW I WAS WORKING THIS WEEK

CHANGE IS HARD

Another thing that I think many fitness types do a poor job of, is admitting that they too, have trouble keeping up with their own pace. I remember in the service there was a drill sergeant who it looked like could never have been 'smoked'. For the most part they all tended to be lean and wiry (sort of like the SFC), and had the appearance of being able to jump small buildings in a single bound!

'Being smoked' is when the drill would have either a group or an individual doing exercises near the point of exhaustion, or beyond to muscle failure. I have been 'pushed' that far a few times because I used to tell the drill that I couldn't be smoked! Like a cheap joint, I got lit up too!!

Anywho, I decided to make this entry because this has been a rough week of working out for me. Not only have I begun a new routine, but I took a few days off and it felt on the first day (Tuesday) of weight training that I had been gone for six months!

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

4 sets of flat bench press

And I struggled the most here. Starting with 12 reps and decreasing the number as I added weight, I hoped to be able to push 6 reps of 215 for my last set. As it was I was fortunate to get 5 @ 205 off the bar. Sad. Almost got up and got on the bus, but getting out was so much trouble I went ahead and kept on!

Every other exercise was done in 3 sets of 12 reps each set. Yes, there is a significance to that as well as the order of exercises.

Next, I do Incline Dumbbell Press exercises. There isn't an incline barbell press bench at Anytime Fitness. I don't feel comfortable with the Smith Machine or using the squat rack (where I do my flat bench) to do my incline bench. Moving from that, I go into Incline Flyes and then bent over cable crosses. Those are all the chest exercises that I do.

Grabbing a pair of 60 lbs. dumbbells, I did my exercises. Felt a skoosh light, so next Tuesday I will try 65 lbs. Trying to find the right weights to work with because this is a new exercise and I haven't been doing anything to simulate this particular movement.

Next were incline dumbbell flyes, and I grabbed 45 lbs. for that exercise. To close out my upper body work out, I did the bent over low cable cross over exercise at 20 lbs. ( what a puss, I know right..? what can I say??)

The purpose of the order of these exercises is to maximize the strengthening and shaping of that particular area of the body. Bench press is always first, getting the most blood into the area and also because you want to be 'fresh' on the major exercise of any area or muscle group. Then you can shape the area with your flye and cable crosses.

Another theory that I train with is to work my legs with my chest. I think that you have the most natural testosterone released when you work super heavy weights and major muscle groups together. Moving from the chest, I do the big leg exercise which is going to be the leg press for this training cycle. Still a tweak in my low back and I don't have a weight belt to squat with. 12 @ 450 and 2 sets of 10 @ 520. Then I closed out with 3(20)@ 70lbs toe raise. Now I may add the thight machines to my work, but I am not certain of that. Not that I don't believe it will help, but they never 'feel' like they are working anything. Perhaps that has changed. As it were, what I did felt like it was enough!

THEN THE RUN, THE NEXT DAY

I hit a wall on the last quarter of my run. Simply could not pick my legs up and wound down to a stop. Made me question a whole lot of things before I chalked it up to the toe raises that I did. Did get a longer run finished today and was a little faster for it. What worried me was that it was my second DNF and I didn't try to do the walk-break technique that new runners use to build their stamina up. Not that I am too proud for it but when I stop, something shuts off internally and won't start back up. Even when I ran further, I kept going thru the signs of fatigue that pulled me up. Can't figure that out.

All in all, it was a struggle and the biggest challenge is yet to come. I am only going to the gym three days, but I aim to get two works outs for the divided muscle groups in a week. That means tomorrow is a long gym day!