Last Sunday, I made it out to spinning. Like I've said before, I really like this instructor. I don't have too much to add to that otherwise... spinning is spinning!
This week was sort of crazy at work... Monday night I had to drive down to southern Virginia for court on Tuesday, and I didn't get back until after 10 on Tuesday night. Wednesday I was just totally exhausted and, well, Thursday and Friday I was just lazy. I did get back into it with Body Pump early this morning though!
I am not really a fan of the new Body Pump release (74, I think?). The music leaves much to be desired and the lunges are even more difficult for me than usual. My back calf tends to cramp up and I lose balance a lot during most lunge tracks, but this one we had to have our front foot on a step without risers and my step kept slipping across the floor! I was pretty sure I was going to end up crashing to the ground! (I didn't.) I don't even feel like I got too much of a workout during that track because I spent more than half the time trying to put my step back in place. Oh well.
Sunday, July 11:
Cardio:
Spinning -- 60 minutes
Saturday, July 17:
BodyPump:
Warmup: 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs)
Legs/Squats: 11.5kgs (~25.3 lbs)
Chest: 8.5kgs (~18.7 lbs)
Back/Gluteals/Hamstrings: 11.5kgs (~25.3 lbs) -- went up in weight again!
Arms/Triceps: 16lbs (two 8-lb weights), tricep pushups and dips
Arms/Biceps: 8.5kgs (~18.7 lbs)
Legs/Lunges: 10lbs (I used two 5-lb weights instead of the bar... this track was super annoying!)
Shoulders: push-ups; shoulder raises with dumbbells - 10lbs (two 5lb weights); shoulder presses with bar - 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs)
Abs/Core: crunches, planks
Cooldown/stretch
Cardio:
elliptical -- 30 minutes
Abs:
50 crunches
50 side bends with 10lb weights
1 minute plank
50 reverse curls
For some reason, even after being out late last night, having a few vodka sodas, eating 4 (smallish) pieces of pizza, and going to bed at 2am, I woke up at 9 actually wanting to go to the gym this morning. It wasn't even something I'd planned into my weekend! I could have easily talked myself out of it (but I have guests!), but I just left for about 40 minutes to go to the gym in our apartment building, and knocked out a quick workout. (Which I promptly undid with a delicious breakfast sandwich.)
Cardio:
elliptical -- 30 minutes
Abs:
50 crunches
50 side bends with 10lb weights
I was planning to go to Body Pump this afternoon, but yesterday I learned I'd have a phone conference scheduled for 5:15 today... obviously, I wasn't going to make it to a 5:30 class at the gym.
My back up plan was to go to the 6:45 spinning class. (Can you see where this is going?) I got home from work at 6:30 -- not enough time to change and get to the gym in time for class.
So, I ended up just going down to the gym in our apartment building. The Mets game was on Wednesday night baseball, which, along with my new issue of Whole Living magazine, provided a good background for my cardio workout. I mixed it up with both the reclined stationary bike and the treadmill. I even ran a bit, which I haven't done since the half marathon last month... a mile in just over 9 minutes!
Cardio:
stationary bike -- 30 minutes
1 mile walk (3.0-3.5mph, 5.0 incline, 19:00)
1 mile run (9:04)
2 minute cooldown
I had planned to workout on Friday, but it was a CRAZY day at work, so I came home, had a big salad and a margarita for dinner, and watched some baseball. Saturday morning I got up early to go to BodyPump (I really wish I could work this into my schedule more regularly!), and then Sunday I went to spinning. I'd never been to the Sunday spinning class before, but I really liked this instructor. She had fun, beat-pumping music that kept me motivated through the whole workout.
Saturday:
BodyPump:
Warmup: 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs)
Legs/Squats: 11.5kgs (~25.3 lbs)
Chest: 8.5kgs (~18.7 lbs)
Back/Gluteals/Hamstrings: 8.5kgs (~18.7 lbs)
Arms/Triceps: 6.5kgs(~13.2 lbs); tricep dips; 5lb weights
Arms/Biceps: 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs)
Legs/Lunges: 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs) (I have a really hard time with the lunges... my back calf often cramps up. I am used to doing walking lunges, not ones in place. I need to work on this and increase the weight.)
Shoulders: 6.5kgs (~13.2 lbs)
Abs/Core: reverse curls, planks
Cooldown/stretch
Sunday:
Cardio:
Spinning -- 60 minutes
Legs:
3 X 10 body weight squats
3 X 20 walking lunges, alternating legs (5 lb. weights)
3 X 10 dead lifts (15 lb. weights)
3 X 10 bench step-ups, each leg (oops... forgot to use weights for this one!)
3 X 10 calf raises, each leg
Abs:
50 crunches
25 side crunches, each side
Cardio:
stationary bike -- 35 minutes
elliptical -- 20 minutes
I've been kind of bored with running lately, so I'm trying to incorporate some different cardio options. I went to a spinning class this morning at the gym. I haven't been to a spinning class in at least a year (I'm pretty sure the last time I went was March 2009!), so I'm sure my legs will be super sore later. I loved the instructor for this class, but of course he's just a sub. I haven't been to any other weekend spin classes, so hopefully I will like those instructors as well. It can be kind of hit or miss... different instructors use different techniques to explain how hard to push yourself. I am much more of a visual person (climbing a mountain, jumps, going downhill) than figuring out what is a "7 out of 10" in resistance.
I definitely slacked for a while there with my workouts. May just wasn't a very good month for me, but I'm hoping to get back into it for June! Swimsuit season is upon us!
February 9: 45 minute elliptical
February 10: 3 mile run (32:00)
February 13: 60 minute elliptical, 20 minutes strength training
February 14: 4 miles (44:02)
February 15: Restorative Yoga (30 min)
February 17: 4 mile run (46:00) -- my first mile was in 8:26!!!! I walked almost all of my fourth mile.
*Cardio* *Pretending to be a Runner* *Randomness* *Strength Training* *Yoga*
I've been slacking on the blogging front (both here and there), so below I've just posted a quick summary of my recent workouts. In addition to my goal of running 50 miles this month, I'm also planning on really bumping up my strength training. My friend Angela gave me a copy of Jillian Michael's Biggest Winner DVD set as a gift a little over a year ago, and I finally got around to buying an exercise step and just started doing these workouts.
February 2: Jillian Michael's Shape Up Front, 30 minutes elliptical
February 3: Jillian Michael's Shape Up Backside, 5k run (30:33)
February 6: 5k run (33:33)
February 8: 3 mile run (35:00), 15 minute elliptical. (I wanted to do a 5 mile run today, but my legs felt like lead.)
**bonus workout: On Sunday, Adam and I went out and played in the snow. Not a traditional workout, but trudging through 2.5 feet of snow for an hour and rolling HUGE balls of snow to make a snowman sure gets the heart pumping!
*Cardio* *Pretending to be a Runner* *Strength Training*
Went out last night, so skipped my Friday workout. Today, we're headed up to NY for my grandfather's 80th birthday, so I had to get up early to run. I didn't expect to go very fast... I headed down quickly after I woke up, so my body was still a little creaky and stiff from sleep. But once I got going...
I ran a 5K in 30:31! Fastest 5K I've run in who knows how long! I finished the 3 miles in 29:35! That's 55 seconds faster than my last one.
January 26 (morning): yoga
January 26 (evening): 60 minute elliptical
January 28: 40 minute elliptical
January 30: 5K in 30:31 (3 miles in 29:35)
I went to my second BodyPump class on Saturday. I still can't believe I get up at 7:30am on a Saturday to go to this class! It seriously kicks my butt, in such a good way. I increased my weight on the backs and biceps sections (I didn't have enough weight on in my first class, but it was hard to judge what was proper having never done the class before), and decreased the weight on the lunges section so I could focus on form. By that point, my legs are already tired and a little wobbly from the squats section and last time I was having a really hard time keeping my balance. I'm not as sore as I was last time. I was actually able to walk on Sunday without limping and complaining every time! Adam came with me and did his own thing at the gym. I think we're going to try to make early Saturday workouts a regular thing. It gets the gym thing out of the way early, plus gives us an incentive not to eat too much junk, drink too much, or stay up too late on Friday nights.
Getting up early for a workout even carried over to today! I want to get in more strength training and yoga, so I'm going to try to do two, shorter sessions at the gym instead of one long one. I'm still focusing on increasing my 5k speed, up until the point where I need to start my half-marathon training, so I am going all out for a half hour but then I haven't been doing much else at the gym. My plan for the next few weeks is to rotate elliptical, yoga and weight training in the mornings and get in my 5k run at night. The elliptical felt good for getting that blood pumping through my legs and getting the last of the soreness out, and I did some extra stretching this morning.
January 23: Body Pump class at the *real* gym.
January 25 (morning): 40 minute elliptical plus stretching
The past few days I've done a variety of workouts, rather than my old treadmill and weight training defaults...
January 16: I took a BodyPump class at the real gym with my friend Sarah. I really liked this class and am going to try to go every Saturday when I'm in town. I still can't believe I got up earlier for a class at the gym on a Saturday than I do for work most days, but I think it's going to be worth it. It was a hard workout. I can't believe how weak my lower body is! I didn't have too much trouble with the upper body portions of the workout; sure, I got tired by the end of each segment and I was sore the following day, but that was nothing compare to my legs. I have neglected strength training my legs lately because I make the excuse that I just finished running, or I have a long run the next day. I've just been going through the motions when I do work out my legs, without really pushing it. Well, I sure paid for it! I could hardly walk on Sunday! I'm hoping that doing more strength workouts with my legs will help me increase my speed and stamina for running. Seems pretty logical to me!
January 17: There was no way I could run Sunday after Saturday's BodyPump class, so I did an easy hour on the elliptical instead. I didn't push myself very hard, but my goals was just to get some blood moving in my legs and start getting over the soreness.
January 18: My legs were still sore, so I did a flexibility yoga DVD to give them a good stretch. We also went to a friend's house for dinner last night, so I didn't have time for too long of a workout.
January 19: Another three mile run. I'm trying to increase my speed each time I do it so hopefully I can keep up with my friend Carolyn when she runs her first 5K next month. I'd hate to be the 5K veteran and not even be able to run with her through her first race! I remember how nervous I was for my first 5K and how nice it was to have someone running with me. Today's three mile run was in 30:30, with each of the last two miles at 9:45.
After a nine day hiatus from working out (terrible, I know), I got up early and went to the gym today and it felt FANTASTIC. Makes me more than a little annoyed with myself for coming up with so many excuses/just lying on the couch for the past week. I actually wished I had even more time at the gym this morning, but alas, I had to go get ready for work.
Follow via RSS
Follow via Google Reader
Follow via Twitter