Wednesday 6/30/2010: Chest & Row

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Incline, decline, and flat benches with Olympic bar and weight

- Rowing machine (or weighted rowing station)

- Dip bar

WORKOUT:

1) 10x butterfly press @ 80# + 75x row @ 50#

2) 10x incline bench press @ 95# + 75x row @ 50#

3) 10x flat bench press @ 115# + 75x row @ 50#

4) 10x decline bench press @ 135# + 75x row @ 50#

5) 10x dips + 75x row @ 50#

DURATION:

- about 20 minutes

COMMENTS:

I find it a conflict of interest to be a gym rat and a chain smoker. I don't smoke, and I never have, but most people I know that are concerned with fitness don't smoke either. However, their is a guy at the gym (a gym rat) most mornings when I go, and the guy is a chain smoker. This morning he stopped in the middle of his workout to go smoke, and when he came back in, he made the place smell of ass and ashtrays. Gross!!!

On another note, I finally did it...I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, or if it's because I was just tired after this morning's workout...but when I was getting dressed this morning after my workout and shower, I leaned over to blouse my pants and thought to myself, "I wonder what else I can do while I'm down here." I must be getting old!

Tuesday 6/29/2010: Increasing Difficulties

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Olympic bar with weights in a squat box

- Pull-up bar

- 24" box

WORKOUT:

1) 10x hand stand push ups (place feet high on wall and do push-ups), 15x front squat @ 75# (hold the bar in front of you and do normal squats)

2) 20x pull-ups, 15x military press @ 75#

3) 30x burpees, 15x deadlift high pull @ 75# (pull the weight from deadlift position to just under the chin)

4) 40x V sit-ups, 15x regular squat @ 75#

5) 50x box jumps @ 24" box

DURATION:

- 15 - 20 minutes

COMMENTS:

This workout didn't seem like it was going to be all that much when I looked at the piece of paper this morning (I print off several weeks of workouts and keep them in my desk at work so I can just go in and grab a sheet every morning on my way to the gym), but once I got into the workout I found out that it was pretty intense after all.

I was feeling pretty good until the 30 burpees, and then I started to get tired pretty quickly. The 40 V sit-ups were uncommonly difficult this morning, and the 50 box jumps made for fun walking afterwards.

Monday 6/28/2010: Back on the Wagon

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Pull-up / Dip Bar

WORKOUT:

1) 5x Pull-ups + 10x Push-ups + 15x Squats accomplished in 1 minute

REPEAT: 6x in 6 minutes

Rest for 2 minutes

2) 5x Dips + 10x Push-ups + 15x Squats accomplished in 1 minute

REPEAT: 6x in 6 minutes

TOTAL: 30 Pull-ups, 30 Dips, 120 Push-ups, & 180 Squats in 14 minutes

DURATION:

- 14 minutes

COMMENTS:

After a long weekend and a late night last night, this was a great exercise to get back on the wagon with.

Wed. 6/23/2010: 400 Little Things for a Happy Hump Day

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- 2x 15# DBs

- Dip bars

- Squat box with Olympic bar and weight

- 40# KB

WORKOUT:

1) 50x push press @ 2x 15# DBs

2) 25x push-ups

3) 25x dips (assisted if necessary)

4) 50x sit-ups

5) 25x deadlift @ 115#

6) 25x squats @ 40# KB

REPEAT 2x for a TOTAL of 400 reps

DURATION:

- 20-25 minutes (maybe faster if you're not dragging

COMMENTS:

This morning I was truly dragging. I don't know what it was, but everything seemed to take longer and my body felt more tired than usual. I took my own advice, though, and when things were feeling harder, rather than trying to rush through the exercise to be done with it, I slowed down and made sure to get quality reps accomplished.

On a separate note, I've got to take my second test in my MBA accounting course today ... wish me luck!

6/22/2010 -- "10 and a half" Minutes of Ab Exercise

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Pull-up bar

- 25# KB

WORKOUT:

1) 30 sit-ups (in 30 seconds) + 5 push-ups

2) 30 seconds of v-sit (sit with legs and upper body forming the letter v) + 5 push-ups

3) 30 seconds of up push-up position + 5 push-ups

4) 30 seconds of tuck hang from the pull-up bar + 5 push-ups

5) 30 seconds of left plank + 5 push-ups

6) 30 seconds of right plank + 5 push-ups

7) 30 seconds of front plank + 5 push-ups

REPEAT 3x for a TOTAL of 630 seconds of Ab exercises + 105 push-ups

BONUS:

- Squat ladder (1-10) with 25# KB: 1 squat (hold 1 sec @ bottom), 2 squats (hold 2 sec @ bottom), 3 squats (hold 3 sec @ bottom) ... 10 squats (hold 10 sec @ bottom)

COMMENTS:

The abs, arms, and chest should definitely be burning after the Ab workout and push-ups. The squat ladder is like the cherry on top of your banana split ... have fun walking afterwards!

6/21/2010 -- "300 light" (inspired by Gym Jones "300")

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Pull-up / Dip bars

- Squat box with Olympic bar and weights

- 35# KB

- 24" box

WORKOUT:

1) 25x pull-ups (assisted if necessary)

2) 50x deadlift @ 115#

3) 50x push-ups

4) 50x box jumps @ 24" box

5) 50x floor wipers @ 115#

6) 50x clean & press with 35# KB

7) 25x dips (assisted if necessary)

Total = 300 reps

DURATION:

- 15-30 minutes (depending on how much resting you have to do to get through the exercises)

COMMENTS:

This is a great workout! This workout is an adaptation of the workout "300" which was developed by Mark Twight at Gym Jones (http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=35) as a sort of graduation "gift" to the stunt men and actors he worked with prior to the movie "300" -- if you haven't seen this movie, I recommend it.

The thing that makes this workout so good is that it blows most of your major muscle groups in such a short period ... when you start to feel the burn in your legs, arms, shoulders, etc. it is best to just slowing down and focusing on making each rep a quality one. It feels great to be able to get through this workout without stopping, and with the knowledge that ever single one of the 300 reps was a quality one!

Canoeing on the James

Today we spent a wonderful day canoeing on the James River west of Richmond, VA. We put in at Cartersville just after 11am and floated, swam, and paddled the 6 miles to West View (it took us about 3 hours).

This part of the James River is one of the flattest and widest parts of the entire river system, with only 2 or 3 riffles during our 6 mile trip. The banks of the river in this area are tree lined, and the middle of the river was probably on average about 4 feet deep today (the bottom is mostly sand and bedrock, so it is pretty easy to walk around if you want). The water temperature was absolutely pleasant, and it was great fun teaching the kids how to paddle.

After the river we picked up fried chicken and sides to share with our friends who live in the area (we even found a great old table at an antique/restoration shop en route). All in all it was as perfect a day as could be.

Quality Friday Workout

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- 40# KB & Pull-up / Dip bars

WORKOUT:

1) - 80 squats; 40 KB swings @ 40#; 20 pull-ups (assisted as needed)

2) - 64 squats; 32 KB swings @ 40#; 16 dips (assisted as needed)

3) - 48 squats; 24 KB swings @ 40#; 12 pull-ups (assisted as needed)

4) - 32 squats; 16 KB swings @ 40#; 8 dips (assisted as needed)

5) - 16 squats; 8 KB swings @ 40#; 4 pull-ups (assisted as needed)

DURATION:

- 15-20 minutes

COMMENTS:

This was a pretty intense workout for a Friday. When things get tough, I like to slow down and rally focus on the quality of the exercises that I'm doing. A quality squat is one where the thighs get parallel to the ground at the bottom of the squat, and the legs are completely straight at the top of the squat. A quality KB swing is one where you swing the KB above the level of the shoulder so that your arms form at least a 45 degree (or greater) angle to the floor. A quality pull-up is where the arms are straight at the bottom of the pull-up and the entire head is above the bar at the top of the pull-up. A quality dip is where the arms are straight at the top of the dip and upper arms are parallel to the floor at the bottom of the dip.

Slow down and focus on quality, and the results will be worth it. Have a great weekend!

Crawl & Carry + Bonus

SETUP / EQUIPMENT:

- Place two mats 20meters apart, and place 2x 70# DBs, 2x 50# DBs, and 2x 30# DBs on one of the mats.

- You will also need a rowing machine and a 24" box.

WORKOUT: I adapted this one from Gym Jones (www.gymjones.com)

1) - Bear crawl from the empty mat to the mat with the DBs, and then carry the 2 70# DBs the 20M back to the first mat.

2) - Bear crawl back to the 50# DBs and carry them back to the first mat.

3) - Bear crawl back to the 30# DBs and carry them back to the first mat (all 3 sets of DBs will now be on the same mat).

4) - Sprint at least 20M to a weighted rowing machine and pull 90# for 20reps.

5) - Sprint back (at least 20M) to the empty mat and repeat the Crawl & Carry process in steps 1-3.

6) - Sprint back to the rowing machine and pull 50# for 100reps.

- BONUS: Perform 50 box jumps on a 24" box.

DURATION:

- about 25-30mins with the setup portion.

COMMENTS:

The folks at www.gymjones.com have been a source of great inspiration to me in my desire to get fit. Mark Twight (the founder of Gym Jones) also has written several great articles on fitness and how to obtain the results that many people want to achieve but struggle to obtain. One of the things that I like most about the types of workouts that you find posted on the Gym Jones schedule is that everyday is something completely different than the day before--sure there may be some similarities from one day to the next, but ultimately each day is something new. The other thing that I really like about the Gym Jones way of thinking is about the range of motion and quality of each exercise (a great article on Quality is found here: http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=20 ). If we don't perform each movement correctly and through the full range of motion for the muscle group we are exercising, ew are only cheating ourselves (and will end up muscle bound).

Lats and Shoulders

WORKOUT:

- Thrusters @ 75#: 21, 15, 9 reps (A thruster is accomplished by holding the Olympic bar in front of you at shoulder height; perform a squat; and when you get to the top of the squat move, push the bar up into a full military press, and then recover back to shoulder height ... this is 1).

- Lat pull-downs @ 100#: 21, 15, 9 reps

- Push press with 2x DB @ 15#: 21, 15, 9 reps

- Laying Knee to Elbows (KTEs): 21, 15, 9 reps (Lay on a your back on a weight bench; grasp the bench near your head; extend your legs straight out and then bring them in so your knees touch your elbows).

DURATION:

15 - 20 minutes

COMMENTS:

Even though the first three exercises in today's workout focus on the lats and shoulders, the last exercise works the abs and lower back (it really loosens up these muscles as well as working them). It is extremely helpful to do an un-weighted exercise that works on muscle groups that you worked with weights during previous days' exercises. So, today we finished the workout with an easy ab/lower back exercise that really helps to loosen up the tightness of the abs/lower back from the previous 2 days' workouts.

Oblique Abs & Legs

WORKOUT:

- Tabata Rage Ball (sit in 45 degree sit-up position with a 14# medicine ball, and touch the ball on the right side and then on the left), 8 sets of 20 sec exercise + 10 sec rest.

- Tabata Bob & Weave with 2x 20# dumb bells (DBs) (stand next to a bar at shoulder height in the squat box; hold DBs at chest level; bob back and forth under the bar -- remember to keep your back straight), 8 sets of 20 sec exercise + 10 sec rest.

- Tabata Decline push-up over DBs (place DBs on the ground; feet on a bench; push-up as deep as possible between the DBs), 8 sets or 20 sec exercise + 10 sec rest.

- Tabata Floor Wipers @ 135# (lay with back on the ground; hold weight in locked-out bench-press position; lift legs perpendicular to floor and wipe legs from left to right so your legs make the motion of a windshield wiper in the air), 8 sets of 20 sec exercise + 10 sec rest.

- Bonus: 100 squats with a 50# kettlebell (KB) ... remember to focus on a position on the wall in front of you to prevent back injuries.

DURATION:

- 16 minutes for the 4 Tabata exercises + about 3-4 min for the squats = 19-20 min total.

COMMENTS:

Look at the Hotel Room 1 post for further explanations on Tabata exercises.

Upper Legs, Lower Back, & Upper Chest

WORKOUT:

Deadlift @ 185# -- 21, 15, 9

Inclined Bench Press @ 75# -- 21

@ 95# -- 15

@ 115# -- 9

DURATION:

About 20 minutes (longer if you have to wait on someone to get done with the squat box or (more likely) the inclined bench.

COMMENTS ON THE DEADLIFT:

The deadlift is a great weight-lifting exercise to strengthen the legs, lower back, and the core, but it can also be a good way to throw out your back if you don't practice proper form. Three things everyone should remember that should allow you to not injure yourself are during the deadlift are as follows:

1) Leave the bar on the arms that extend out from the squat box (just under waist height) when you put the weight on it. This should also be your starting and ending position for the beginning and end of your sets as well.

2) Make sure to use the weight clips whenever the bar is loaded with weight. I see many people bypass clipping (I don't know why), but all it takes is a slight mistake, and the weight can slide off center causing additional strain on one side of your body--a great way to injure yourself!

3) I find it helpful during a deadlift, to grasp the bar with my thumbs both facing the same direction (mine both face left, but right probably works too); back up from the squat box; find a place on the wall in front of me (about 10-15 feet up) to focus on throughout the lift; keep my shoulders and arms straight; and squat down with the bar as close to my legs as possible (don't scrape your legs with the bar, because that really hurts) until the weight almost touches the ground; finally, push with my legs until I'm back to a standing position.

Karate Kid

Took a rest day and spent it with the family. My wife and I took our kids to go see the new Karate Kid movie. In my opinion it is the best movie of 2010 yet!

Hotel Room Day 2

Workout: Quick Abdominal exercise

-- Static v-sit 30sec. + 5 push-ups

-- Hold your body in "up" push-up position 30sec. + 5 push-ups

-- Flutter kicks 30sec. + 5 push-ups

-- Right plank + 5 push-ups

-- Left plank + 5 push-ups

-- Front plank + 5 push-ups

REPEAT everything 3 times.

Duration: About 20 minutes.

This workout was inspired by the guys at Gym Jones (www.gymjones.com) ... it is a variation of the exercise they call "An Easy Ab Day."

Hotel Room Fitness

Today I am on a business trip, and the hotel gym is being remodeled. So, that means my workout today had to be something I could do in the room. So, my first thought this morning was Tabata.

Maybe you've never heard of Tabata before, but here is what I know. The Tabata concept was of working out was developed by Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. The concept is that you can get a good workout doing just about anything if you do the exercise for 4 minutes broken down into 8 reps of the following:

-- Exercise for 20 seconds + Rest for 10 seconds = 1 rep

So, today's inside-the-hotel room workout was:

Tabata Push-ups (rest in up push-up position)

Tabata Squats (rest in down squating position)

Tabata Flutter Kicks (rest with legs outstretched and 6-12" off the floor)

Just a short 12 minute workout, but it was a good one anyhow.