I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout A5 (9 of 10)

1: Clean Pull - 90t/5, 90t/5, 90t/5, 95t/5
2: Clean-grip Deadlift - 110t/6, 110t/6, 110t/6, 115t/6
3: Single-leg Romanian Deadlift - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
4: Push-ups - 6, 6, 6, 6
5: Bent-over Dumbbell Alternating Row - 37.5e/6, 37.5e/6, 37.5e/6, 40e/6
6: Shoulder Press - 75t/6, 75t/6, 75t/6, 80t/4
7: Pullovers, alternating - 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6
8: Seated Russian Twist - 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 45sec, 45sec

Total time: 70 mins
HR monitor: 372 cals, Max: 149(84%), Avg: 113 (63%)

Well, that’s the last A workout for this stage. I suppose I should consider changing up some of the exercises as I move on. Although I can’t decide on some (ie. the single-leg RDL which I don’t think I’ve mastered). I’ll have a look at some options as I move on.

I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout B4 (8 of 10)

1: One-arm Dumbbell Snatch - 45t/5, 45t/5, 45t/5, 45t/5
2: Single-leg Bench Get-up - 6, 6, 6, 6
3: Supine Hip Extension - 6, 6, 6, 6
4: One-arm Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6, 42e/6
5: Bent-over Row - 115t/6, 115t/6, 115t/6, 120t/6
6: Dumbbell Alternating Press - 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6
7: Pullovers, Barbell - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
8: Corkscrew - 17.5t/10, 17.5t/10, 17.5t/10, 20t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 45sec, 45sec

Total time: 75 mins
HR monitor: 436 cals, Max: 153 (86%), Avg: 117 (66%)

So this is me for the next two weeks on two workouts a week. I’m going to try and do an hour of cardio tomorrow morning on the treadmill before school and then do the same on Saturday. Next Tuesday before my test I’ll likely hit the fitness center (although this upcoming test I’m more concerned about so I might study instead). Having said that, a break will probably be a good thing.

Today’s workout was good. I actually felt like I finally got a good rhythm with the dumbbell alternating press. I had planned on adding weight to it, but forgot! I was planning on trying 47.5 on the dumbbell snatch, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I struggled to do all four sets at the 45lb weight. So I’ll give it a shot on the next workout.

So I suppose I should make my lunch and then go back to my homework. I’m kind of slacking off a little today. Tomorrow if I do my cardio before school I know I’ll have 2 hours free in the afternoon to work on some stuff.

Oh look - a workout! I was so busy this morning afterwards. I barely got my protein shake and we went out for a swim. Then lunch had to be made and it almost slipped my mind!

I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout A4 (7 of 10)

1: Clean Pull - 85t/5, 85t/5, 85t/5, 90t/5
2: Clean-grip Deadlift - 105t/6, 105t/6, 105t/6, 110t/6
3: Single-leg Romanian Deadlift - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
4: Push-ups - 6, 6, 6, 6
5: Bent-over Dumbbell Alternating Row - 35e/6, 35e/6, 35e/6, 37.5e/6
6: Shoulder Press - 70t/6, 70t/6, 70t/6, 75t/5-3/4
7: Pullovers, alternating - 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6
8: Seated Russian Twist - 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 45sec, 45sec

Total time: 70 mins
HR monitor: 384 cals, Max: 147(83%), Avg: 114 (64%)

Still struggling a lot with the single-leg romanian deadlift. I feel very off-balance when doing it, so I’m still not raising the weight. I also don’t know why I just can’t get that last shoulder press up. It’s not really a weight issue as last time it was the 70 lbs I couldn’t get up. I’m beginning to think that it’s a mental block. It was a pretty decent workout overall though. Felt pretty strong. Actually was tempted to go higher on the deadlift but reminding myself that it was early in the workout and the rest of the workout had to be done.

So, next weights workout will be Wednesday. I’ll be doing only two days a week for the next two weeks.

So I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout B3 (6 of 10)

1: One-arm Dumbbell Snatch - 42t/5, 42t/5, 42t/5, 45t/5
2: Single-leg Bench Get-up - 6, 6, 6, 6
3: Supine Hip Extension - 6, 6, 6, 6
4: One-arm Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6
5: Bent-over Row - 110t/6, 110t/6, 110t/6, 115t/6
6: Dumbbell Alternating Press - 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6
7: Pullovers, Barbell - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
8: Corkscrew - 15t/10, 15t/10, 15t/10, 17.5t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 30sec, 45sec

Total time: 75 mins
HR monitor: 416 cals, Max: 158 (89%), Avg: 119 (67%)

Oh look, a workout!  I’m glad I dragged my ass out of bed as it wasn’t too shabby.  Now I’m off to get breakfast and get to school.

So I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout B2 (4 of 10)

1: One-arm Dumbbell Snatch - 40t/5, 40t/5, 40t/5, 42t/5
2: Single-leg Bench Get-up - 6, 6, 6, 6
3: Supine Hip Extension - 6, 6, 6, 6
4: One-arm Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6
5: Bent-over Row - 105t/3, 105t/6, 105t/6, 110t/6
6: Dumbbell Alternating Press - 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6
7: Pullovers, Barbell - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
8: Corkscrew - 10t/10, 10t/10, 10t/10, 15t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 30sec, 45sec

Total time: 75 mins
HR monitor: 423 cals, Max: 156 (88%), Avg: 121 (68%)

Not a bad workout, although I can feel the difference working out at the end of the day. I also realised I wasn’t pumping back and forth on the dumbbell alternating press, so I dropped the weight to get the motion right.

I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout A2 (3 of 10)

1: Clean Pull - 75t/5, 75t/5, 75t/5, 80t/5
2: Clean-grip Deadlift - 95t/6, 95t/6, 95t/6, 100t/6
3: Single-leg Romanian Deadlift - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
4: Push-ups - 6, 6, 6, 6
5: Bent-over Dumbbell Alternating Row - 30e/6, 30e/6, 30e/6, 32e/6
6: Shoulder Press - 60t/6, 60t/6, 60t/6, 65t/6
7: Pullovers, alternating - 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6
8: Seated Russian Twist - 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10, 25t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 30sec, 40sec

Total time: 70 mins
HR monitor: 367 cals, Max: 148(83%), Avg: 115 (65%)

Well, I’m still struggling a lot with the single-leg romanian deadlift.  I feel very off-balance when doing it, so for the moment I’m not raising the weight.  I think the planks were a smidgen easier (only a smidgen), but I couldn’t make the 45secs for the last one.  Oh well, something to work on.  

I’m not sure what the plans for the rest of the day are.  The sun is actually shining so I’m thinking maybe a swim before lunch would be a good idea.  Although, I’ve got jam to make and I’d really rather swim after that’s done.  I’ll see how I feel in a few minutes after I’ve recovered a little.

So I started off with 3 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

Power Training - Strength Training (weeks 1-3)
Workout B1 (2 of 10)

1: One-arm Dumbbell Snatch - 40t/5, 40t/5, 40t/5, 40t/5
2: Single-leg Bench Get-up - 6, 6, 6, 6
3: Supine Hip Extension - 6, 6, 6, 6
4: One-arm Dumbbell Incline Bench Press - 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6
5: Bent-over Row - 125t/3, 105t/6, 105t/6, 105t/6
6: Dumbbell Alternating Press - 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6, 40e/6
7: Pullovers, Barbell - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
8: Corkscrew - 10t/10, 10t/10, 10t/10, 10t/10
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 30sec, 30sec

Total time: 75 mins
HR monitor: 423 cals, Max: 153 (86%), Avg: 120 (67%)

I definitely didn’t feel strong this morning. I don’t know if it was because I was up early, or because the Bent-over Row was 5th, but there was no way I was getting 6 reps out. I’d done 125×4 during Stage 5 of NROL4W, but the move was first. So I pulled the 25-lb plates off for the next 3 sets… and still struggled a little. I was originally going to do 25-lbs with the Corkscrew but chickened out and did it with 10 instead.

And then…. after my first class I decided to do my cardio. It’s a small gym with (from memory) 3 ellipticals, 1 rower, 2 treadmills, 1 stepper, and 2 recumbent bikes (and I think another one, the type with the seat). There’s also a number of plate loaded machines and some dumbbells. So I’ve decided to just do cardio in it. The other day when I went in there were about two people working out. Today it was a fair bit busier. Since both treadmills were in use I started on the elliptical.

Big mistake. I never liked it and I remembered why. I can’t keep my freakin’ heart rate down when I’m on it. A minute or two in I was at 181 and even slowing it down it still hovered about 178. And this isn’t the ‘weird’ number like yesterday. This is a heart pounding, feeling like I’m going to pass out kind of number. Luckily about 6 mins in the guy beside me on the treadmill got off and I switched to the treadmill for 30 mins. I decided not to ignore the big sign in front of me about a 30 min limit on cardio equipment. So I finished off the last 8 mins on one of the recumbent bikes.

Total time: 45 mins
HR monitor: 436 cals, Max: 181 (102%), Avg: 165 (93%)

So that was my day. We got out a little early so I made a quick run to Costco on the way home, had a swim. Oh yes, and I cut up the eye of round roast I had thrown in the crock pot last night. Hey, it was on sale for $2/pound, couldn’t resist. Since it’s closing on 9pm I might as well add my food for the night before I finish the post.

Food for the day:

Total: 2311 (32% fat, 32% carbs, 33% protein)

Pre-WO Snack: protein shake, peach (222)
Breakfast: egg/egg white omelet, zucchini bread, jam (546)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, mustard, smoked turkey, peach (350)
PM Snack: soy nuts, almonds (297) <– a few taken with lunch
Dinner: chili with cheese, tostidos, salad w/dressing (681)
Late Snack: protein shake, peach (216)

This is a new program I’m doing (Power Training). It’s supposed to be 4 x 3 week stages, but that would mean doing 5 workouts of the A set and only 4 of the B set. So I’m going to do 5 workouts of both the A and B, so the three week stages will take just a little longer. So I started off with 5 mins cardio (walking/jogging on the spot), the prescribed warm-ups, and then did:

1: Clean Pull - 55t/5, 65t/5, 75t/5, 75t/5
2: Clean-grip Deadlift - 75t/6, 85t/6, 95t/6, 95t/6
3: Single-leg Romanian Deadlift - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6
4: Push-ups - 6, 6, 6, 6
5: Bent-over Dumbbell Alternating Row - 25e/6, 27.53/6, 30e/6, 30e/6
6: Shoulder Press - 55t/6, 55t/6, 55t/6, 60t/6
7: Pullovers, alternating - 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6, 25e/6
8: Seated Russian Twist - 25t/6, 25t/6, 25t/6, 25t/6
9: Four-point Plank - 30sec, 30sec, 30sec, 30sec

Total time: 70 mins
HR monitor: 406cals, Max: 183(103%) , Avg: 122 (69%)

So that was fun.

Okay, the single-leg romanian deadlift was definitely not fun. I’ve done single-leg movements before, but not with a barbell. There was a lot of wobbling going on. The only substitution I had to do was the Pullovers, as I have no options for pull-ups (band assisted or not).

I started with a 5 min warm-up outside. Then did:

A: Barbell Deadlift - 100t/8, 100t/8
B1: Static Lunge, rear foot elevated - 20e/15, 20e/15, 20e/15, 20e/15
B2: Push-up - 15, 15, 15, 15
B3: Barbell Romanian Deadlift - 80t/15, 80t/15, 80t/15, 80t/15
B4: Dumbbell Bent-Over Row - 25e/15, 25e/15, 25e/15, 25e/15

35 mins total, same as the other workouts, I think I’m pushing the rest periods out a little.

HR Monitor: 276 cals, Max 165 (93%), Min 139 (78%)

I marked the deadlifts as a PR since I looked back and the highest I got was 75lbs for 8 reps. Same with the RDL, although I did go higher on the RDL/Bent-over row combo in stage 5 - it was for 4 reps. In this case it was the only one of the four that I felt I could manage to bump up from workout #1.

I’m still struggling with workout days when I go back to school. As long as I keep the weights workouts to under an hour I can probably manage Tues PM, Thurs AM, and Sat AM without a problem. It’s working in the cardio that’s starting to become a pain. Physically I do better with 3-days on, 1-day off, 2 days-on, 1 day off. The only way that would work is:

Mon - rest day
Tue - weights
Wed - cardio
Thu - weights
Fri - rest day
Sat - weights
Sun - cardio

It looks fine, but what it means is that my two clear days (Sun/Wed) I’m now doing cardio. I usually like to have one clear day for other stuff (errands and such) but Monday is such a pain for scheduling. With classes that day not ending until 6pm I won’t be home until 6:45-7pm. I still wouldn’t mind a swim… and that means a late dinner. None of this would be such a problem except for an 8am class on Tuesday morning (ie. leaving at 7am, up ~6-6:30). So I think I pretty much have to bite the bullet and keep the schedule above.

The funny thing is (not on purpose) that option means that there is really no way to take advantage of the equipment at the school. I haven’t gone into the fitness center but I can’t figure out a routine that works. I’m toying with the idea of something like this, as I wouldn’t mind working on something like a stairmaster or step/mill as I still think climbing stairs is a weak spot physically:

Mon - rest day
Tue - weights
Wed - rest day / ‘make-up’ cardio
Thu - weights / 30-45 mins cardio
Fri - 30-45 mins cardio
Sat - weights
Sun - rest day / ‘make-up’ cardio

ie. doing 30 mins of cardio on Wednesday morning, seeing what I can get done during my 2-hr breaks on Thurs/Fri and then making sure I’ve hit 120mins on Sunday. So if I’ve been good during the week I’ll get Sun/Mon off and a pretty light day on Wed. I’ll probably take some time on Tuesday and go into the fitness center on my way home.

I understand there’s some kind of form I’ll need to fill out (and they’ll determine if I need a doctor’s certificate to use the center). Are we taking bets that my weight alone will mean I’ll need one? I’m pretty aware of my fitness level, have worked out up to my maximum heart rate. When I do HIIT I regularly hit over 170 (my theoretical max is 178). I’m waiting to see what happens but I know how people judge the morbidly obese on sight. 

I started with a 5 min warm-up outside. Then did:

A: Barbell Squat (did front) - 75t/8, 75t/8
B1: Static Lunge, rear foot elevated - 20e/15, 20e/15, 20e/15, 20e/15
B2: Push-up - 15, 15, 15, 8… 7 more
B3: Barbell Romanian Deadlift - 75t/15, 75t/15, 75t/15, 75t/15
B4: Dumbbell Bent-Over Row - 35e/15, 25e/15, 25e/15, 25e/15

35 mins total… oh my god. And I think I even took a few extra seconds of rest here and there.

HR Monitor: 273 cals, Max 161 (90%), Min 138 (78%)

I had problems with the barbell squats - almost dropped the bar the first set. Guess I was leaning too far forward. This was a hard workout for me, really hard. The only one that perhaps wasn’t too tough was the deadlifts. On looking back I suppose I should have pushed them up a bit. The push-ups, as expected were the hardest part. I had to take a little, umm pause, during the last set. Yep, we’ll call it a pause! No matter though, I have a better feel for the next workout.