Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Sunday 27/1/19: Legs “7’s”. 50mins.
(All weights in kgs)

A routine leg workout today was decidedly punishing, due to lack of sleep last night. I was up twice which is the norm for someone who’s continually trying to get into a weekend routine after working the night shift and it never works.
So with a session to do I gave it all I had despite feeling shattered and I ended up with some pretty pleasing results.


Incline press:
25x150, 15x200, 10x250, 6x300, 6x300
12x250, 50x120

Sled leg press:
25x150, 20x170, 15x190, 10x200, 10x200
15x150, 20x120

Seated ham curls:
20x45, 12x55, 10x65, 6x75, 4x85
12x60, 30x30
*I added 5kgs to each stack this week and easily felt the extra weight on my hamstrings. Lifting 85kg for the maximum fifth set was a peak I haven’t reached for a long time.

Extensions:
15x60, 12x75, 10x90, 10x100, 10x100
12x80, 20x40


Feeling really worked I didn’t bother with the abductor/adductor machines. Enough was done.


Thanks for reading.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Thanks Surfermom & Floydy. I really like mixing up my workouts. It’s fun and challenging plus it’s getting me more comfortable with other people.

Tonight we have a big snow storm going on so before my husband left for work he told me to stay home unless it was an emergency. So I packed my swimsuite and thought it would be a perfect time to go swimming. The roads were crazy bad and I imagined swimming in a pool with very few people.
Well I was right! There were NO PEOPLE being it was CLOSED!!

Unfortunately I’d changed into my swimwear and even rinsed before entering the pool area only to find it locked.
I was so disappointed. And here I thought I was being brave and bold. Turns out I was on the daft side

Your workouts are always so impressive Floydy.
Go grey fox go.
Run Surfermom run. Actually you both have lovely places to run which makes all the difference in the world.

Catch you all later.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

That's a disappointing ending to something you had obviously been looking forward to, Bratti. At least you had made the effort. next time check the opening times I guess?

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

being a quiet night at work I've been finalising a great routine for an arms workout which takes in 12 exercises over five sets each. The difference is that they are all based on very light weights but with decreasing reps: 15,12,10,8,6. Sometimes, depending on the actual endurance formulae of a workout, light weights are just as effective as heavy weights in a workout. Can't wait to give this a go this afternoon.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Thanks Floydy.
Actually I DID check before I left. I checked online but next time I’ll call first. It’s not often they close it down for a snowstorm but they did this time.

I only use 5 and 10 pound weights for my arms and they are very effective

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

That's right Bratti, there's no need to go heavy. You can keep a very fit and healthy body shape with light weights, high reps and 3-4 sets. Training this way will keep the flab off and make the muscles harder and more defined without getting bulkier. You do need to do enough reps until "failure" sets in - then force out another 2-3 reps. I'll explain more in my write-up later.

I'm just normally compelled to test my strength all the time. It's very difficult to ease off on something you've been used to for years.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Lacking sleep, Floydy? You and me both! Today makes three weeks in the hospital - which I think is Latin for "Inn for neither rest nor recovery"

Bratti, we are about to be hit by the polar front that has hit both of our nations, so I am off to get enough supplies that I can stay indoors for the next few days. The downside is that I won't be running since I simply do have the gear for the sub-zero temps. Nice job on those 5-10 weights. You know I am a believer in reps to maintain muscles. Maybe the weather will move through quickly enough to get you back to the gym.

Since no package containing a running hat, gloves, or parka has arrived from Yorkshire, I found my way to interior stairwells of the hospital yesterday for an hour of cardio climbing. I was astounded at how quickly my heart rate went up and by the 6th floor on the first round, I was breathing like I had been running a mile .

It is a dark affair, this stairwell running, solid walls to the ninth floor, but the reward of 360 degrees of sun coming through the glass is the reward. Besides a view of the deciduous forest that frames the university, the top floor also contains the landing pad for the LifeFlight helicopter that was thankfully at rest during my run today.

The concept of getting the most critically ill and injured to the hospital is an excellent one, though I recently found out that a friend who used one for a ten mile flight during a cardiac event was billed the equivalent of £40,000 . I suppose one can't put a price on life, but that seems pretty outrageous to me.

With those passing thoughts while I ran past the glossy blue and black fuselage and impressive rotors just outside the door, I made my way back down and up again. Lesson learned was that the stairs were packed with doctors and medical students making their way to and from lunch....which leads to the controversial question...

Why is it that it only doctors, medical students, and a few nurses are taking the stairs in a place that should be valuing measures to keep people from getting sick? My dentist preaches prevention - why doesn't the medical health community do the same? Were I a hospital administrator I would be giving time off and incentives for employees to workout so they could model good fitness.

But enough of that, here comes the physicians now...

Have a happy, healthy day!

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

I'm so glad I changed to a gym with heavier machines, because even in a few weeks I can see the difference it makes. I'm testing to see what is practical for me to lift without harm, but most machines I have added 10 kilos to the weights I use and it's comfortable while still remaining a challenge.

A couple of examples over the last 10 days show an improvement, mostly due to confidence and a little bit to do with a bit of extra muscle. The stomach crunch is now up to 40 kilos. but I only do 5 sets of 30 compared to 4 sets of 100 using 25 to 30 kilos. The pec deck has gone from 22.5 kilos to 32.5 kilos in around 10 days. Other exercises have improved as well so I hope to keep up the good work.

I have found out I have stiff shoulders, as I can't really manage much weight in the overhead press. It came as a bit of a surprise because in the pull-down I can do 45 kilos, but pressing I can only manage 15 kilos! Must try and do something about that, maybe do light weights on the pull-down to try and loosen them up.

I love reading all your posts, by the way.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Suzie (+Bratti) – With that inhospitable cold front coming down on you, you’re doing the right thing by keeping out of harm’s way for a while I guess. Maybe a spot of walking to the shops with your respective animals is quite enough to brave that weather. I’d love to send you both a pack of cold weather clothing each – after all it’s what my company sells amongst other things. An SAE in the post, if you please!

You do amazing work at the hospital, Suzie, looking after your daughter. I do hope she is showing some good signs of recovery. My hugs to her and yourself.
Running up and down stairs will keep you seriously fit, and yes, why don’t they encourage that sort of thing more in a place of health and medicinal recovery? Baffles me – must be lack of funds, interest or both!

Tachyon – I am getting more and more into your posts now that you’re on a similar exercise programme as me. Hitting a ‘proper’ gym and getting used to heavier, more practical workouts is a good leap forwards for you, plus you’re enjoying it immensely so everything is going swell. Your lifts are showing quite remarkable increases too and that will make you stronger, fitter and healthier all round. Good one buddy!

On the subject of shoulders, they are one of the most injury-prone areas when it comes to lifting weights. The trick is not to go too heavy too soon. In fact, you only need light weights to keep them supple and strong, keeping a regime of doing a few multi-rep sets until ‘failure’ point. Also, keep using that pec dec machine (and a fly dec if you have one), the ‘low row’ and dumbbell flys on a bench. Your shoulders will be stronger very soon.

Bob – Where for art thou matey? I trust you are braving this horrendous Yorkshire gloom to go out a little bud? Keep us posted.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Tuesday 29/1/19: Arms. 1hr. 50mins.
5 sets; Light weights; pause/hold at end of each set + extra reps.
(All weights in kgs)

Every couple of months or so I do a complete isolation workout solely for the various muscles in the arms: The three tricep heads, both biceps (belly/peak) and the forearms. This ensures I keep the arms built to a standard to enable me to do both heavier lifts for the larger muscle groups and encourages stamina and endurance. Using light weights to gain more reps throughout each exercise, this method of training is just as effective as lifting very heavy weights for muscle tone and strength , if the added reps are present to ‘seal’ the muscle as it has built during the set.

Today’s session was rather more intense than I anticipated. Doing five sets over 11 exercises with failure reps too was incredibly torturous but I carried it all out successfully ending up with the desired extra strength and substantial size on my arms.

To clarify, each exercise was performed with the same weight for each set in it’s routine, with several added reps following a pause in each set. This ensures the muscles contract at the top and are under tension for the final reps which are the all-important ones which sees muscle get stronger and harder. The final short set of 6 reps had a ‘plus’ of as many reps I could squeeze out. Here’s how it went:


DB press:
15x22 +3, 12x22 +3, 10x22 +3, 8x22 +3, 6x22 +4
=67 reps total.

Smith incline bench press, close-grip:
15x30 +3, 12x30 +3, 10x30 +3, 8x30 +3, 6x30 +10
=73 reps total.

Rope pushdowns:
15x15 +2, 12x15 +2, 10x15 +2, 8x15 +2, 6x15 +4
=63 reps total.

Triceps bar, standing:
15x23 +2, 12x23 +2, 10x23 +2, 8x23 +2, 6x23 +4
=63 reps total.

Pinwheel curls, standing, alt.:
15x12.5 +2, 12x12.5 +2, 10x12.5 +2, 8x12.5 +2, 6x12.5 +2
=61 reps total.

Concentration curl, seated, alt.:
15x10 +2, 12x10 +2, 10x10 +2, 8x10 +2, 6x10 +3
=62 reps total.

Barbell forearm reverse curl, standing:
15x10 +2, 12x10 +2, 10x10 +2, 8x10 +2, 6x10 +4
=63 reps total.

E-Z bar curl, standing:
15x18 +2, 12x18 +2, 10x18 +2, 8x18 +2, 6x18 +8
=67 reps total.

E-Z bar preacher curl, seated:
15x28 +2, 12x28 +2, 10x28 +2, 8x28 +2, 6x28 +2
=61 reps total.

High-pull double biceps cable curl:
15x15 +3, 12x15 +3, 10x15 +3, 8x15 +3, 6x15 +4
=67 reps total.

Tricep extensions:
15x35 +5, 12x35 +5, 10x35 +5, 8x35 +5, 6x35 +8
=79 reps total.


Next time I do something like this I’ll amend things slightly, perhaps omitting a set or two but adding more of the “plus” reps instead. I’m at work tonight of course and this has destroyed my arms. Hopefully I’ll be desk-bound or I may jump on a forklift for most of the night!

My next session will be Thursday when I'll be concentrating on heavier lifts: Chest, shoulders and back.


Thanks for reading.