Alright, I'm finally getting around to posting today's workout. :)

* Incline Dip... on a REAL dip station! It was a bit more difficult than my usual make-due dips. At any rate, 8 reps, sets until failure... 1 set of 8, 1 set of 5, 1 set of 4

* Incline Dumbbell Press, 12 to 20 reps, sets until failure... I never got to 20 reps though. 1 set of 12 @ 35lbs, 2 sets of 12 & 1 set of 6 @ 30lbs

* Swiss Ball Lying to Sitting Offset Dumbbell Curl... lie on back on a swiss ball, with dumbbells flat. Do a situp with dumbbells still flat, then curl them. That's one rep. 12 reps, sets until failure, 20lb dumbbells. 1 set of 12, 1 set of 8.

* Lying Triceps Extension to Close-Grip Bench Press... barbell over the head and back, 12 reps per set, sets until failure. After failure, bench press until failure. 55lbs, 1 set of 12, 1 set of 9 (lying triceps extension), 1 set of 11 (bench press).

35 minutes, 275 calories burned

Oh boy, look what I'm signed up for: my first 5k run! I'm a bit nervous, but excited all the same. Comparing my times, it looks like I wont crack the top 10, but who cares. There are also runs for the kids, and I'm thinking of signing my son & daughter up for them. They'll have fun, get t-shirts, and get into the zoo for free after.

Well, I learned a valuable lesson today, one I should have already learned last summer.

When the weather changes, the time you go outside to jog should change as well. AAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! When I started, it was 57 degrees outside. When I finished, it was 65. Now keep in mind, a few weeks ago it was 45 degrees when I'd run.

I finished the 5 miles, although with HORRIBLE time. My last time was 51:13:00... today was 53:21:96! Can I blame the weather? Or my lazy butt?

At any rate, I burned 661 calories so it's not all that bad. Now to go eat a pizza... not, I'm off to make my salad.

Whooooo! Today's workout didn't seem too bad when I looked at it on paper, but boy oh boy. I was going to run 2.5 miles afterwards, but after working out... no. I'll do it later this evening. Yeah right. I think it's the deadlifts that did me in.

I will say, though, my gains are apparent in how much I can do now. When I started I couldn't do one pullup.

* Neutral-Grip Chin-Up, 3 sets AMRAP (as many reps as possible): 5 3 2
* Side-lying Lateral Raise, 20RM (15lb dubbell BLEAH), sets until failure: 20 20 20 17
* Snatch-grip Deadlift on Box, 8RM, 145lbs, 3 sets until failure <6: 8 8 8

40 minutes, 278 calories burned

5k run today (3.1 miles). Time: 28:34:83. Not as fast as last time, but still much faster than 30 minutes. Much nicer weather, too, it was party cloudy skies and 58 degrees. Could spring be around the corner? So with the 28 1/2 minute run, plus the 15 minute cooldown walk back to work, I burned 485 calories.

Today starts the last two weeks of the 16-week Men's Health Total Body Plan. It's actually my second time through, but I'll be starting a new plan once this is done.

And once again, the workout kicked my butt! Here it is:

A circuit of:
Bench press, 3 sets of
- Set 1: 1 set of 6 reps @ 6RM (105lbs)
- Set 2: N sets of 6 reps @ 6RM-15% (95lbs), where N is failure
- Set 3: 1 set of N reps @ 6RM-40% (80lbs), where N is failure
Static Curl, hold dumbbell @ 20-degree angle for 40 seconds, 35lb dumbbell
Static Lying Triceps Extension, hold barbell back behind head 40 seconds, 55lbs

In the end I did 3 circuits. Set 2 of bench presses were 2 sets of 6 per circuit; the last circuit, I was only able to do 5 reps. Set 3 of bench presses were 20 reps apiece except for the last, which was 10. Heh.

50 minutes total, 359 calories burned

Yesterday I didn't get a chance to jog because of the rain. It was pouring down rain by the time lunch rolled around, and it kept up right on through the day. Yes, I could have jogged at home, but have you ever tried 5 miles on a treadmill? Even watching TV or listening to music, an hour on the treadmill gets mighty boring. So I skipped it.

Today, however, is a different story. Here's the workout:

Warmup, 3 sets of 5 reps, w/45lb bar
* Overhead Squat
* Squat
* Good Morning
* Barbell Lunge
* Romanian Deadlift
* Bent-Over Row

Workout
First 3 exercises are in a circuit, repeat until technical failure
* Incline Dumbbell Bench Press w/Pause, 35lb dumbbells, 6 6 6
* Incline Lower Trap Raise, 20lb dumbbells, 10 10 10
* Dumbbell Bench Press, 35lb dumbbells, 15 15 10

Last 2 exercises are in a circuit, repeat until technical failure
* Telle Curl, 80lbs on bar, 6 6 6
* Incline Barbell Triceps Extension, 55lbs, 8 8 8

35 minutes, 216 calories burned

Next week the workouts change for two weeks. It's the last two of the Men's Fitness workouts, after that I'm heading into Jillian Michaels' Making the Cut!

While perusing the web and reading about ways to improve pullup performance, I stumbled on a marvelous thing: assisted pullups using resistance bands! I have a resistance band, so I decided to give it a try, since my pullup capability isn't what I'd like. They certainly made a difference today, but not only that, but I hit a personal record for pullups. Here's today's workout:


Warmup, Circuit of 30 seconds each exercise, 3 sets
* Jumping Jack
* Split Jack
* Prisoner Squat
* Alternating Lunge
* Mountain Climber

Workout
Squat, 165lbs, sets: 8 8 8 8 8 8
Close-Grip Chin-Up, 5 (yup, FIVE) 2 (unassisted), 3 4 2 2 (assisted)
Lean-away lateral Raise, left/right, 20/12 20/12
Hanging Leg Raise, 7 5

The last time I did pullups I could only do 4. It's taken a long time, but I've gone from not being able to complete ANY to doing 5 in a row, and that's great. Hopefully the assisted pullup thing will improve my unassisted numbers as well.

41 minutes, 294 calories burned

I beat last Tuesday's 5k time, which had been my fastest so far! So today I did it in 28:14:69, almost a minute faster (the last one was 29:10:26). It's making me wonder if I can get down to 20 minutes by the Sacramento Zoo Zoom in April. It seems a lofty goal, I know.

May I just say that the wind KICKED MY ASS TODAY?!?!?!!

5 miles, 51:13:00. It would have been faster if not for THE AFOREMENTIONED WIND (grumble, grumble). Better workout, I guess. I was like 30:29 at the 5k mark, something like that. Not as good as the other day, but, well... you know. ;)

Calories burned: 647

It didn't start out this way, but today ended up being one of those where it's a struggle to work out. Not my own doing, mind you, but as I think I mentioned before, the people at work have realized that if I'm not at my desk I'm likely in the workout room.

DAAAAAAAAMN CONVENIENCE!

So anyway, I helped them, then promptly threw my water bottle across the warehouse, it broke, and water went everywhere. Hey, I got the frustration out, right? Then I finished the workout.

Warmup, Circuit of 30 seconds each exercise, 3 sets
* Jumping Jack
* Split Jack
* Prisoner Squat
* Alternating Lunge
* Mountain Climber

Workout
* Squat, 155lbs, 6 sets of 10
* Close-Grip Chin-up, 1 set of 4, 4 sets of 2, 1 set of 1
* Lean-Away Lateral Raise, 20lb dumbbell, left/right, 12/12, 20/5
* Hanging Leg Raise, 1 set of 5, 1 set of 3

40 minutes, 254 calories burned

Today I had my best time for the 5k: 29:10:26! Prior to this, my best time was more like 34 minutes. As a cooldown, I walked back and don't feel near as exhausted as I would have otherwise. Gotta remember to do that step.

So I'm altering my workout schedule ever so slightly. It's going to be something like:

M: Weights
T: 5k (3.1 miles), walk back as cooldown
W: Weights
Th: 5 miles
F: Weights

And then whatever cardio I can manage to fit in between. Depending on how long the workouts take, I might do 2.5 miles afterwards. I work out at lunch so I have a limited amount of time. Weekends are up in the air and I can't commit to a schedule.

It was GORGEOUS outside today! When I started it was 63 degrees, 65 when I finished. What month is this, anyway?

WHEW! The workouts have changed again. This time it's the last 4 weeks of the program, focusing on "arm & chest specialization". After I was done with this one, as I was carrying my lunch to my desk, my arm & hand were shaking.

Warmup, 3 sets of 5 reps, w/45lb bar
* Overhead Squat
* Squat
* Good Morning
* Barbell Lunge
* Romanian Deadlift
* Bent-Over Row

Workout
These three were a 3-exercise circuit
* Isometric Bench Press, 65lbs, 3 sets of 40 seconds (hold weight 4 inches above chest for 40 seconds)
* External Rotation, 20lbs, 3 sets of 8
* Incline Fly to Press, 30lb dumbbells, perform 10 reps of fly, then 8 reps of press, until failure; 3 sets of 10 flies, 2 sets of 10 presses with 1 set of 4

Final two are a circuit
* Three-stop Decline Dumbbell, 20lb dumbbells, 3 sets of 1 3-step rep (rotate dumbbells, hold for 10 seconds at 3 different places)
* Incline Hammer Curl, 20lb dumbbells, slow curls of 5 seconds up, 5 seconds down, 2 sets of 8, 1 set of 7, 1 set of 6

48 minutes, 229 calories burned

Today's workout went well, but man... my body was DRAGGING for the jog afterwards! It's weird too, because the workout itself wasn't all that exhausting. Must be Fridayitis. :)

Warmup, 3 sets of 5 reps, w/45lb bar
* Overhead Squat
* Squat
* Good Morning
* Barbell Lunge
* Romanian Deadlift
* Bent-Over Row

Workout
* Chin-ups, 2 sets of 3, 4 sets of 2
* Dips, 6 sets of 6

Calories burned: 92

30-minute jog, calories burned: 328

Total calories burned: 420

Nice day though!

2.5-mile jog today... 24:30:57, just over 6mph... 309 calories burned according to the HRM.