Temporary Training Split

I cannot, for the life of me, imagine not doing any exercise at all. I understand that Body Rock is off of the table as it requires a ton of jumping around, etc. HIIT and Hills are off the table, too, since they are both rather hard on feet. Thankfully, my job doesn't require me to do a whole lot of running around, so it's not like work is going to get in the way of the healing my Plantar Fasciitis.

Considering that I can, more or less, stay off of my feet, I see no reason why I can't do some traditional strength training, provided that I avoid lower body training that involves being hard on my feet. While normally I would loath being relegated to the University gym, it is summer, which means that the gym is relatively empty, and I can get my workouts done efficiently.

Below you will find my new training split outlined and explained in detail. A couple of notes:

• I've chosen some of these exercises specifically because they keep me off my feet, not because I think they provide optimum results.
• I only do dumbbell exercises for my shoulders, otherwise they hurt.
• Normally, I wouldn't do either of the leg exercises I have in this split, but my choices are pretty limited while I heal the plantar fasciitis.
• Normally, I would not do nearly so much direct arm work, but as I can't really train legs, I need to do something to keep myself from going crazy.
• There are 6 days of training in this split. 3 days of traditional weight workouts, and 3 days of traditional weight lifting using Body Rock type training intervals. I have NO IDEA if using this type of interval training with weights is going to work for me at all - this split may see major revisions soon.
• At this point, I'm not sure how many days it will take me to complete the 6 days of training. To start, I think I might train 3 days in a row, take a day off, and repeat.

Day 1 - Horizontal Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
A1. T-Bar Row
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Cable Row
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press

3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Weighted Crunches - various types

Day 2 - Light Legs/Arms

Super Set - 3 sets, 10 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
A1. Leg Extensions
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls

Superset - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls
B2. Dips

Superset - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C1. EZ-Bar Curls
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions

Day 3 - Vertical Push/Pull

Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
A1. Parallel Grip Pull Ups
A2. Seated Dumbbell Presses

Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Pull Downs
B2. Seated Arnold Presses

3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Weighted Crunches - various types

Day 4 - Horizontal Push/Pull

Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. T-Bar Row
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press

Super Set - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Cable Row
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press

4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C. Side Crunch

Day 5 - Light Legs/Arms

Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. Leg Extensions
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls

Superset - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls
B2. Dips

Superset - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C1. EZ-Bar Curls
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions

Day 6 - Vertical Push/Pull
Super Set - 4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
A1. Parallel Grip Pull Ups
A2. Seated Dumbbell Presses

Super Set - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
B1. Pull Downs
B2. Seated Arnold Presses

4 minutes, 6 rounds of 30:10 intervals, ?? reps, max effort
C. Crunches - various types

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a condition where the flat band of tissue connecting your heel and toe (ligament) becomes irritated, torn, and inflamed. It is super painful and I have it in my left foot. In particular, the arch of my left foot hurts like, like I don't know what. Aside from tearing the ACL in my right knee, I've never dealt with something quite so painful.

To heal Plantar Fasciitis, you are suppose to stretch it, massage it, ice it, take some NSAIDs, and basically stay the hell off of it. In other words - no killer Body Rock workouts. This is would probably be enough to make me cry if I wasn't already crying in pain. To keep from re-injuring it, you need some shoes (all ugly BTW) with killer arch support and to continue to do stretches to keep it loose and supple.

Here is my plan to treat this stupid thing so that I can get back to Body Rock ASAP.

Stretching - I'm going to do calf stretches on the stairs 3 times a day. I'm going to use my Gym Boss for this (at least I can still use my favorite toy), setting it for 12 rounds of 30:30 intervals. I'll stretch my left calf for 30 seconds and then my right calf for 30 seconds and repeat.

At first I was dubious that calf stretches were going to help the bottom of my foot, but I've already done this once today and it makes my left foot scream in pain.

Icing - After I'm done stretching it out, I'll ice it for 20 minutes using a small frozen water bottle. This is to help bring down inflammation. It also hurts like hell. I also have a cold pack that I'm going to bring to work with me so that I can ice it throughout the day.

Massage - After perusing the Internet for a few hours I've decided that self massage can greatly speed up the healing process. While holding back my toes, I'll rub from the ball of my foot toward my heal. This will help loosen it up and increase blood flow. This is also hella painful, but the more you can take, the better it is and the faster it will heal. I'm thinking 2 times a day for 20 minutes is a good start - once in the morning and once at night.

NSAIDs - I'm going to start taking Aleve 2 times a day to help with the pain and inflammation.

Shoes - New workout shoes are definitely on the menu since I'm holding my old pair at least partially responsible for this debacle. I'm still researching at this point, but my preliminary research says that New Balance makes some pretty great shoes with the kind of arch support and fit that I need. I'm also going to look into getting some sort of orthotic inserts for my regular shoes. I've looked at buying special orthopedic shoes, but they are all so unbelievably ugly, I can't bring myself to do it.

So, obviously, no workout today. Sucks.

300 Rep Fat Burner Workout

I only did half of the 600 Rep Fat Burner Workout and that was enough for me, thank you very much. The workout outline is below, and we were supposed to do it twice for a total of 600 reps. I did it once through at 20 reps each and then again at 10 reps. Even still, it took me 37 minutes and 29 seconds to complete. I feel like a big wimp too, since I probably spent about 1/3 of that time walking around the house panting and trying to catch my breath. This is definately one of those workouts that I'd like to do again in about 3 months to see what kind of improvement I can make.

30 reps Jump Lunge Kick
30 reps Side Burpee Knee Tuck
30 reps Supergirl Squat
30 reps Diving Knee Tuck
30 reps Jump Jack Tuck
30 reps 3D Push Ups
30 reps One Leg Jump up
30 reps Plank Lift Off
30 reps Sumo Twist Crunch
30 reps Ab Choppers

Game On! 300 Squat Challenge

The Game On! 300 Squat Chellenge is perfect for me since I don't have my Gym Boss. I'm not even going to bother timing them. I'm just going to do them until my legs burn like hell and then take a break and repeat.

Oh, I'm also planning on doing "The Nice GrASS Workout" today.

HIIT Me Again

Without my Gym Boss interval timer, I'm lost. This seriously sucks. Since I can't do a Body Rock workout, I'm stuck going to the gym. I never thought I'd see the day when going to the gym placed a distant second to working out at home. Weird.

I've decided to do some HIIT. At least this way I'll get some decent EPOC.

Here is the protocol I have planned for today. It's only slightly different from the previous protocol.

TIME @ RESISTANCE

WARM UP - 5 minutes

60 sec @ 20

120 sec @ 25

120 sec @ 30



INTERVALS - 18 ROUNDS - 18 minutes

20 sec:40 sec @ 30



COOL DOWN - 12 minutes

180 sec @ 25

240 sec @ 20

300 sec @ 15

Right There Workout & My New Sandbag

I've been waiting for my new sandbag, which I got from Rouge Fitness, to come in the mail so that I could do the Right There Workout.

And yes. That is a 10 lb bag of rice you see in there.

Here's the breakdown for today's 20 minute workout. (I know, long, huh?) The workout comes in 2 parts, each of which will be repeated 2 times.

Part 1 - 4 minutes, complete the following exercise combination as many times as possible:

1) 10 Jump Squats
2) 1 Side Step Push Up
3) 2 Diagonal Knee Tucks
4) 1 Side Step Push up

Part 2 - 6 minutes, 9 rounds of 30:10 intervals (changed these to 35:5 intervals for the second set), repeat the following 3 times:

1) Lunge Pulse & Side Kick - left
2) Lunge Pulse & Side Kick - right
3) Diagonal Dead Lift with Sandbag


As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am sans my Gym Boss, so I used an on-line interval timer.

Here are my scores for today.
Set 1
Part 1 - 9 reps
Part 2 - 30:10 intervals
   Round 1 - 7, 8, 14
   Round 2 - 8, 9, 15
   Round 3 - 8, 9, 16

Set 2
Part 1 - 8 reps
Part 2 - 35:5 intervals
   Round 1 - 10, 10, 19
   Round 2 - 9, 9, 18
   Round 3 - 8, 9, 18

Bedside Table Makeover

I don't have a picture of this table before it was painted for the first time, but it was a dark wood with a geometric boarder on the top. It was a hand-me-down from my old roommate when I lived on A Street. I was unhappy with my original paint job. From afar it doesn't look so bad.

But when you get up close? UGLY! Mostly because I'd layered primer and multiple coats of paint on it and it STILL had stains from the wood showing through! Here is a close up of the staining that I'm talking about. I've only attempted to paint wood furniture twice and this was once of those attempts. I'm hoping that this revamp will go better than previously.

Like the trooper I am, I sanded it down to prep it for a re-painting. Have I mentioned how much I hate prep work? Here it is sanded down.

Several cans of white spray paint, days, and coats of polyacrylic later, volia! It's going to go in the guest bedroom, you know, when that gets painted (roll laugh track).

Hills, Hills, & More Hills

I left my Gym Boss at Matt's house. I'm beyond irritated that I don't have it. There are many workouts I want to do this week that require it. I went to the gym and did Hells instead.

45 minutes, 3.5 mph.

1 min 1% incline
4 min 3% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 4% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 5% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 6% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 7% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 8% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 9% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 10% incline
5 min 2% incline

On the up side, these were much easier than they were last week. Afterward, I decided to see if I can do pull ups again. I did 4 with a parallel grip. I rock.

Hot Body Workout

The Hot Body Workout is on today's menu. The only major change is the last exercise. I don't have anywhere in the house to do Hanging Leg Raises. Instead, I'm going to do Super Girls since they are an incredible core exercise. Here is the workout breakdown.

15 minutes, 15 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 3 times:

1) Side Lunge Jump
2) Reptile Push Up
3) V-Crunch
4) Prisoner Squat
5) Super Girl

Here are my scores for today. My Reptile Push Ups suck, but considering I couldn't even do more than 1 2 months ago, I'll take it.

Round 1 - 38, 20, 23, 40, 17
Round 2 - 40, 14, 18, 40, 17
Round 3 - 34, 14, 16, 35, 16

Hot Attack Workout

Today I'm doing the Hot Attack Workout - I'm even going to tackle my fear of the Jump Lunge! I've been worried that my ankle won't hold up to it, but I've been worried about that with other exercises and I've done OK, so we'll see if I can actually do the dreaded Jump Lunge!

This workout comes in 4 parts and it looks B.R.U.T.A.L!

Part 1 - 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 2 times:

1) Crab Toe Touch
2) Dive Bombers

Part 2 - 2 minutes, 6 Rounds of 10:10 intervals, NO REST!, repeat the following 6 times:

1) Jump Lunge
2) Mountain Climbers

Part 3- 4 minutes, 4 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 2 times:

1) One Leg Hot Attack (Pistol Squat & One Leg Pike Press Combo, alternating legs)
2) Thigh Shrinker (Sumo Knee Up Right Knee Up Left & Jump Squat Combo)

Part 4 - Repeat Part 2

Don't be surprised if you don't hear back from me - it means I died doing this workout!

Update: OK. I didn't die, but by the 3rd round of burnouts, I couldn't do more than 2 Jump Lunges per 10 second interval and no more than 12 Mountain Climbers! OUCH! I couldn't even really keep track of those to be honest. Maybe if I had someone here to count for me - but I'm kind of glad I didn't considering how pathetic I am, lol. Here are my scores for Parts 1 and 3.

Part 1
Round 1 - 30, 9
Round 2 - 27, 6

Part 3
Round 1 - 6, 8
Round 2 - 5, 8

Sexy Shoulders & Abs Workout

Hi Everyone! So, I'm in my new house and I don't have the internet hooked up yet, which is why I haven't posted in a little while, but I'm still here and I'm still Body Rockin' it!

On Wednesday I didn't do a traditional workout, but I did mow my lawn for an hour and 15 minutes with an a push mower - I'm not talking about a gas push mower, I'm talking about the kind with the blades that spin! I had to go over sections of my yard multiple times and the grass still wasn't cut to my satisfaction! I'm calling it the "Nice GrASS Workout." I'm sure to repeat it at least once a week for the rest of the summer.

So, because I couldn't get on line, I made up my own workout. It's the very first one I've ever put together myself and I'm calling it the Sexy Shoulders & Abs Workout. All but one of the exercises appear in other workouts, so it isn't hard to figure out what the workout looks like. Here it is:

15 minutes, 15 50:10 intervals, repeat the following 3 times:
1) Reverse Lunge & Kick Up (left)
2) Reverse Lunge & Kick UP (right)
3) Dynamic Push Up
4) 25 cm Ball Crunch
5) Pike Press

For exercise number 4, I use the Gold's Gym 25cm Pilates mini-ball. I like it because it allows you to get a greater range of motion than just doing regular crunches.

Here are my scores:
Round 1 - 19, 18, 14, 16, 15
Round 2 - 18, 17, 11, 14, 14
Round 3 - 16, 16, 10, 17, 14

Hills

Hills,affectionately known as "Hells" by anyone who has done them, is an interval training protocol that, while not a high intensity protocol, is an effective alternative to steady state cardio known to bring up V02max quickly. I did these on the treadmill today at 3.5 miles per hour. For my purposes, I'm going to call this endurance training.

45 minutes

1 min 1% incline
4 min 2% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 3% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 4% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 5% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 6% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 7% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 8% incline
1 min 1% incline
4 min 9% incline
5 min 1% incline

Oh, and I took the dogs for a leisurely 40 min walk this morning. Today was a good day to walk, I guess.

Best Ripped Abs Workout

On the menu today is the Best Ripped Abs Workout from July 2, 2010. After yesterday's marathon workout (for me anyway) I'm ready for something short and intense and this seems just right.

12 minutes, 12 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following three times:
1) Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
2) 1-2 Reptile Push Up
3) Squat & Side Lunge
4) Seated V-Scissors

My scores for tonight:
Round 1 - 20, 8, 9, 40
Round 2 - 20, 9, 10, 34
Round 3 - 18, 7, 9, 38

600 Rep Sexier Body Workout

Today I'm going to do the 600 Rep Sexier Body Workout from March 23, 2010. It looks like pure hell.

Time Challenge, 10 Exercises

1. 60 Reps - Half Burpee with Calf Raise
2. 60 Reps - One Leg Push Up (alternating legs)
3. 60 Reps - Lunge Forward and Backward (30 each side)
4. 60 Reps - One Legged Dead Lift (30 each side)
5. 60 Reps - Crunches with Leg Extension
6. 60 Reps - Prisoner Squat & Front Kick (alternating legs)
7. 60 Reps - One Leg Tricep Dip (alternating legs)
8. 60 Reps - Side Jump Lunge
9. 60 Reps - Chest Lift
10. 60 reps - Over Chair Kick (30 each side)

Time: 40:30.

Comments: Worst. 41 minutes. Ever. Wow. Maybe this wasn't the workout to get back into the swing of things. It kicked my ass up, down and sideways. Maybe it didn't help that I drank a whey shake about 15 minutes prior. I felt like throwing up for a good portion of it. I am so out of shape it's kind of sad. :(

In Love With Laurel

Hi Everybody. The good news is that I'm now officially a homeowner! I moved into my new house yesterday morning. I am SO happy to finally have a home again. And not a moment too soon. I've been carting the dogs around in the car for so long I think that they think that the car is home, lol!

I did a walk through of the house right before closing. When I pulled up and looked in the window I saw a couch, books and rugs still in the family room. I called my agent thinking, "It looks like someone still lives here!" Nope, the previous owners just decided to leave me a bunch of furniture. OK. So, this part is actually pretty cool. They left me antique dressers, rockers, mirrors, a patio set and two twin beds (for the guest room). They left more usable furniture in the house than I own. No joke. They left me a dining room table which is uber cool since I was dreading having to buy one. They also left a lawn mower and tons of around the house tools in the shed. Here's the not so cool part. They left all of their JUNK! They left me knick-knacks, art, wreaths, touch up paint (I'm repainting), multiple old lamps and two old couches, one of which is deadful! So, not only do I have to move my stuff in and organize it all, I also have to get rid of all of the stuff they left that I don't want. I guess you take the good with the bad.

There will be pictures of the house and house projects in the months to come. I've got all sorts of work to do on the place! On my project to do list:
- Paint the front door RED.
- Repaint the downstairs bedroom a soothing blue or green - it's mint colored right now and totally obnoxious.
- Paint the upstairs bedrooms a nice crisp, clean white. Currently there is a beach motif mural in one of the bedrooms - ugh.
- Install a shelving system in the upstairs closet.

Mojo

Anyone who knows me to any degree probably also knows that my Rat Terrier Mojo has had polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyuria (excessive urination) for some time now. I've had Mojo tested for diabetes and Cushings disease in the last year and both tests have come up negative. I've been told by more than one vet that most likely the problem is either psychosomatic or a problem with his pituitary glad and that in either case, there is nothing I could do about it.

Over the course of the last two years the problem has gotten worse and worse. He used to be really thirsty after I had left him alone all day without water, but in the last year he has starting crying at the top of his little lungs when I get home and then standing over his water bowl shaking and drinking for minutes on end. Finally, one of my vets here referred me to a specialist. And after the news that I got on Monday, I feel horrible for not following up on the referral a long time ago. Mojo is a sick little dog.

On Friday, May 6, I took Mojo to a veterinarian just North of Charleston. Dr. Perry Jameson of Veterinary Medical Care in Mt. Pleasant, SC is an amazing vet! Even though the tech had been in to get Mojo's history, he went over nearly all of it again with me. Then together we decided on two tests. The first was an ultrasound. Even though the ultrasound was expensive, it allowed us to rule out multiple conditions that could be the cause of the polydipsia. Dr. Jameson said that Mojo's liver is small for a dog his size, which indicates that he either has liver disease, or a liver shunt - both of which Dr. Jameson had mentioned prior to the ultrasound as conditions that he was leaning towards given Mojo's history.

A liver shunt is a blood vessel that carries blood around the liver instead of through the liver. Toxins build up in the blood and kidneys in dogs with liver shunts because the liver isn't cleaning the toxins out of the blood properly. The only common symptom that Mojo has had his whole life is a quiet demeanor, which is pretty uncharacteristic of Rat Terriers. Excessive drinking and urination is also a symptom of a liver shunt, but it less common, as it turns out, which explains why my regular vet had trouble making the connection (you'd think the elevated liver values would have tipped them off though).

Mojo had not been fed since the previous day, so Dr. Jameson suggested that we preform a bile acid test. In a bile acid test blood is taken in a fasted state. The dog is fed a fatty meal and then blood is taken again 2 hours later. In a dog with a normally functioning liver, bile acids should return to the levels seen in the fasted state within 2 hours of a meal. Elevated bile acids 2 hours later indicate that the liver isn't removing bile acids from the blood as it should. This points to the possibility of liver disease or a problem with circulation, i.e. a possible shunt!

The next step is an exploratory surgery where they look for a shunt and biopsy his liver. I don't know when or how I will ever be able to afford it.

Power Girl Workout

As it turns out, being essentially homeless makes keeping up with workouts rather difficult. That and being out of town with friends that you haven't seen in 2+ years. But more on that later. I FINALLY managed to get a workout in on Monday. It's Zuzana's Power Girl Workout from June of 2010.

12 minutes, 12 rounds of 50:10 intervals, repeat the following two times:
1) Surfer
2) Beach Scissors - left
3) Beach Scissors - right
4) Fighter Lunge - left
5) Fighter Lunge - right
6) 1-2-3 Push Ups

Here are my (pathetic!) scores.

Round 1 - 6, 12, 15, 18, 17, 11

Round 2 - 5, 11, 12, 18, 15, 10

Slow But Steady Progress

I think I've been doing Body Rock now for almost 2 months. My scale is packed away and I've only taken one set of measurements a week ago, so I don't have any objective measures of my improvement. Nevertheless, I wanted to note the totally subjective improvements to my health and fitness thus far. In no particular order:
- I'm way more cardiovascularly fit. I can pusher harder for longer periods.
- I don't get nearly as sore from the workouts as I used to.
- 2 months ago I could do about 3 push ups, a month ago I could do 6-7 and now I can do 10-12 in a row.
- My waistline is trimmer and I have some upper ab definition.
- Better definition in my shoulders and arms.
- Belt is on a notch lower.

On one hand, I feel like I've made amazing progress in only two months with my strength and my cardio. But on the other hand, even without my scale I know I haven't taken off any grand amount of weight - this is why I say it's been slow progress. The thing is, I feel leaner and tighter. Right now, I don't really care if my progress is slow. The way I see it, even if I only take off 1 pound a month for the next year, that means in 1 year I'll be 12 pounds trimmer, and in BodyRockin' good shape.

There is this, too. I've been packing my things and totally stressed out for over a month now. Once I settle into my new house, I think I'll be able to give my diet the attention and care it deserves and optimize it for my goals. With my life packed away in boxes, it's been difficult to eat as well as I should. Even so, I think I've done pretty well with it. For example, I've not relied on fast food at all - but I have relied on things like Zone Bars to see me through. Not terrible, but not the best either.

I'm looking forward to a hard core summer of BodyRock!

Fat Fighter Workout

The Fat Fighter Workout is from June of 2010. It's a short workout, so I have to remember to push as hard as I can.

12 minutes total, 5 exercises in 2 parts

Part 1 - 9 rounds 30:10 intervals
1) Pike Jump/Squat Jump
2) Strong Core Exercise
3) Plank Jump Push Ups

Part 2 - 9 rounds 30:10 intervals
1) Side Lunge Jump & Knee Up (left)
2) Side Lunge Jump & Knee Up (right)
3) Elbow Plank Hops

I loved this workout! It was, as Zuzana likes to say, "super intense."

Part 1
Round 1 - 10, 8, 9
Round 2 - 10, 12, 7
Round 3 - 9, 10, 10

Part 2
Round 1 - 13, 12, 11
Round 2 - 12, 13, 11
Round 3 - 12, 12, 12

Abs Now! Workout

The Abs Now! Workout is on the menu today, minus all that jumping and hopping.

?? minutes, Time Challenge, 8 exercises, 400 reps total
50 reps Lunge Back & Press Up
50 reps Super Girl Plank
50 reps Sumo Squat
50 reps Reptile Plank
50 reps Side Lunge Jump
50 reps Santana Plank
50 reps Lunge Back & Kick Up
50 reps Mini Squat (burn out)

Update: Somehow one day off stretched into 3 days off. How does that happen? I think it had something to do with my moving my things into storage and generally being out of sorts. Anyway, I did the workout yesterday and later in the day I got in an hour long walk with the dogs.

Time: 15 minutes, 29 seconds. Ouch.