These are the first weight workouts that I've done in over 2 months. I held back a little the first day because I didn't want killer DOMS. Turns out I didn't get sore at all from it. Looks like the Body Rock workouts have kept me in excellent shape for traditional weight lifting workouts.
Tuesday, May 31st - Horizontal Push/Pull
Super Set - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 temp, 90 seconds rest
A1. T-Bar Rowns: 30x5, 35x5, 35x5, 35x5, 35x5
A2. Flat Dumb Bell Press: 25x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5, 30x5
Super Set - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
B1. Cable Row: 60x8, 70x8, 80x8
B2. Incline Dumb Bell Press: 20x8, 20x8, 25x8
3 sets, 12 reps, 321 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C. Buso Ball Crunches: 12x12, 12x12, 12x12
Wednesday, June 1st - Light Legs/Arms
Super Set - 3 sets, 10 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
A1. Leg Extensions: 50x8, 70x8, 70x8
A2. Lying Hamstring Curls: 40x8, 45x8, 50x8
Superset - 5 sets, 5 reps, 311 tempo, 90 seconds rest
B1. Seated Dumbbell Curls: 20x5, 25x5, 25x5, 25x5, 25x5
B2. Dips: BWx5, BWx5, BWx5, BWx5, BWx5
Superset - 3 sets, 8 reps, 301 tempo, 60 seconds rest
C1. EZ-Bar Curls: 26x8, 26x8, 36x8
C2. EZ-Bar Lying Tricep Extensions: 26x8, 26x8, 36x8
My back and chest didn't get sore at all, but my arms are pretty shot from yesterday. These workouts feel super easy after Body Rock. I'll have to push harder next time.
Showing posts with label body rock talk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body rock talk. Show all posts
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
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:
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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!
- 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!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Body Rock, Body Rock, Body Rock
Can you tell I'm really into this?
I don't know exactly when my first Body Rock workout was, but I can narrow it down to 5 weeks ago, March 7 - March 11. I used to write my workouts on little scraps of paper and not keep track of anything. Just this month I bought a journal and starting keeping careful track of my progress. I wish I had mapped my progress from that first week, because I know that in 5 short weeks, I've come a long way. I only weigh myself once, maybe twice a week at most. Honestly, my weight hasn't changed much since I started, but I feel better, stronger and leaner already. My clothes are slowly but surely starting to loosen up a bit.
I love that Zuzana says to not go by the scale alone; it doesn't tell the whole story. Go by how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how you look in the mirror, too. However, I think it's easy to lose sight of where you've been and where you're going when the changes are daily and so incremental. So, I've decided to start taking progress pics. I'm still deciding if I'm going to do this weekly, or every two weeks, but I'm going do it. Again, it's one of the changes I'm making to my life when I move into the new house. I'd start taking pictures now, but I want to take them in the same spot with the same lighting each week. As soon as I have 4 pics, I'm going to start posting them here. This way, I'll have my journal to see how much stronger and faster I'm getting, and the pics to see myself lean out over time. No making fun of the pasty!
I don't know exactly when my first Body Rock workout was, but I can narrow it down to 5 weeks ago, March 7 - March 11. I used to write my workouts on little scraps of paper and not keep track of anything. Just this month I bought a journal and starting keeping careful track of my progress. I wish I had mapped my progress from that first week, because I know that in 5 short weeks, I've come a long way. I only weigh myself once, maybe twice a week at most. Honestly, my weight hasn't changed much since I started, but I feel better, stronger and leaner already. My clothes are slowly but surely starting to loosen up a bit.
I love that Zuzana says to not go by the scale alone; it doesn't tell the whole story. Go by how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how you look in the mirror, too. However, I think it's easy to lose sight of where you've been and where you're going when the changes are daily and so incremental. So, I've decided to start taking progress pics
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Body Rocker's Creed
This is my body. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My body is my best friend. It s my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My body, without me, is useless. Without my body, I am useless. I must move my body true. I must run faster and be stronger than my enemy that is trying to overcome me. I must conquer it before it conquers me. I will...My body and myself know that what counts in this life is not the size of our clothes, the shape of our figure, nor societies standard of beauty. We know that it is the experiences that count. We will live...My body is living, as a part of me, and through it I experience life. Thus, I will learn it as a friend. I will learn its weaknesses, it's strengths, its parts, its movements, and its possibilities. I will ever guard it against the ravages of judgment and damage as I will ever guard my heart against damage. I will keep my body clean and ready. I will accept it as it is and as a part of me. I will...Before the world, I swear this creed. My body and I are the defenders of my life. We are the masters of our obstacles. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is mine and there are no regrets, but a life well lived
- Zuzana, Body Rock
Body Rock
About a month after I quit smoking, a friend from work introduced me to this web site: Body Rock. I perused the web site and thought "No way am I ever going to do something like this." It goes against everything I've been taught about getting in shape and it looks like hell. A month and a half after my first (hellish) Body Rock workout, I'm hooked. I will never go back to traditional weight lifting. Here's why:
- I don't need a gym membership to Body Rock. Which means I don't have to spend $600 a year on a gym membership.
- The equipment you need to do all of the Body Rock workouts is minimal, costs less than a $600, and you'll have it for the rest of your life.
- Body Rock workouts are almost exclusively body weight exercises.
- Most Body Rock workouts take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to complete. Maybe once a week they take longer than that. When I was lifting, even if the workout was only 45 minutes, I had to drive to the gym, warm up, lift, wait for equipment, cool down, and drive home. Almost without fail this would eat up 1.5-2 hours of my day no matter how efficient I was in the gym. Now it takes me less than an hour to warm up, workout, and cool down. And I don't have to waste gas in car to do it, so it's better for the environment, too!
- Body Rock workouts make me sore, but not to the point of feeling like I've injured myself.
- In the little over a month I've been doing Body Rock, I've seen better results than I did after months of lifting. No joke.
- The workouts are constantly changing. This means that I'm never bored and better yet, neither is my body.
- Zuzana (from the Body Rock site) is adorable and such huge inspiration. I love her attitude, her no nonsense commitment to getting and staying in shape, and her sane approach to eating for the best you.
More posts to follow and Body Rock, including the Body Rocker's creed and my workouts.
- I don't need a gym membership to Body Rock. Which means I don't have to spend $600 a year on a gym membership.
- The equipment you need to do all of the Body Rock workouts is minimal, costs less than a $600, and you'll have it for the rest of your life.
- Body Rock workouts are almost exclusively body weight exercises.
- Most Body Rock workouts take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to complete. Maybe once a week they take longer than that. When I was lifting, even if the workout was only 45 minutes, I had to drive to the gym, warm up, lift, wait for equipment, cool down, and drive home. Almost without fail this would eat up 1.5-2 hours of my day no matter how efficient I was in the gym. Now it takes me less than an hour to warm up, workout, and cool down. And I don't have to waste gas in car to do it, so it's better for the environment, too!
- Body Rock workouts make me sore, but not to the point of feeling like I've injured myself.
- In the little over a month I've been doing Body Rock, I've seen better results than I did after months of lifting. No joke.
- The workouts are constantly changing. This means that I'm never bored and better yet, neither is my body.
- Zuzana (from the Body Rock site) is adorable and such huge inspiration. I love her attitude, her no nonsense commitment to getting and staying in shape, and her sane approach to eating for the best you.
More posts to follow and Body Rock, including the Body Rocker's creed and my workouts.
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