Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Christmas Training Programme Day 8b*
Friday 16/11/18: Cardio; 45mins.

It’s hard to believe but checking back in my notes I find that my last cardio workout was six weeks ago on 16th November. There was a shortened version following an upper body session three weeks ago but that can only count as an add-on; I cannot surpass any goals doing bits and pieces of a workout.

So today it was back with the name of the game with my standard 45-minute routine of rowing machine/treadmill/bike. As usual I’ll annotate my figures with my previous best and whether or not that was reached - well, 'Two out of three ain’t bad' said the great Mr. Loaf…


Rower:
Time: 10mins / Distance: 2.373km
(Previous distance: 2.400km)
*Despite going flat out on pulling with the arms, swapping as I went from overarm to underarm every other minute, I didn’t quite manage my best this time. I can only put that down to my upper body not having had enough time for recovery following those two mammoth workouts earlier in the week. No real worries though, it just means I will be more determined next time.

Treadmill:
Time: 25mins / Distance: 2.740km
(Previous distance: 2.640km)
This was better. Not a massive improvement but a better time nonetheless on the flat, walking as fast as I can without breaking into a run. Today I ended up striding out at a very lengthy and crystal set-splitting 7.5km/h at a couple of times for a good minute or so, using up the rest of the time going full 15% incline and pushing those rear quads up that steep hill or alternatively at a mid-range speed with incline to match. Springsteen’s ‘Darkness On The Edge Of Town’ album on the headphones and I was a-trampin’!

Bike:
Time: 10mins / Distance: 5.56km
(Previous distance: 5.240km)
This was even better still. A huge gain. Obviously it racks up the miles (or kilometres) to go incredibly fast so that my legs are just a blur because that is what it’s all about: the fitness aspect, so setting the range of wattage power between Levels 1-4 most of the time ensures a greater distance is travelled. However, I also wanted to see if I could pedal at the highest possible resistance setting – which scarily, was on Level 25! So with my legs gradually slowing to a virtual snail’s pace, it was interesting (but wildly unnerving) to sweat buckets whilst powering those thighs as hard as possible for one full minute and feeling every sinew of those front quadriceps muscles do their work to fight the strain. Some heavier pressing on my next legs workout should gain even greater strength for my next appointment with the bike.

That almost brings me to the end of this Christmas training programme I embarked on almost two weeks ago now. I’ve had to rearrange and juggle my sessions about somewhat, but I haven’t missed anything out, making up for time lost by adding routines to make bigger workouts or otherwise change the days planned for a particular session. There is one more upper body routine left which will be done tomorrow- and it’s a final intense one at that. Then hopefully on Sunday another cardio session but with legs to proceed it, making the cardio a shorter version once more that won’t go towards my main goals as we saw today – the next time I do a full-length cardio workout will be back again at the regular slot the end of next week.

Now I’m going to dig out ‘From Dusk To Dawn’ with a nice Smokin’ Hot Tex Mex chicken & rice meal and a couple of Hobgoblin ales.

Thanks for reading

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Thanks Floydy, that's some cardio workout, and also showing that you have lost none of your previous fitness. You certainly have earned those hobgoblin's....
Just like you have done in your earlier post, I also like to look back over the year. I sometimes find it quite sobering the things that have been achieved, and sometimes the things I should have approached differently, and not just exercise based either....

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

A true and at times a painfully amusing look at the year, Floydy. You would think were a bunch of 50s+ people - for every declaration of a workout comes the inevitable report of a twinge, ache, or downright injury! You can't keep good people down though!

If this thread isn't motivating, I don't know what is. Every day, we limp our way out the door and come back ready for the Olympics. Well, sort of....

I can hardly believe how fast you walk, Floydy! At 4.2 mph, I'm jogging. Humbling workout you had there.

Roxy, sew your mouth shut? I'll duct tape yours if you will duct tape mine . I'd burn the house down to get rid of all the foods that are conspiring to kill me, but I'm not a big fan of the aroma of burned sugar .

OGF, you always seem to close the year strong, and after putting on my fav jeans today, and curling up in the fetal position to have a good cry (ok, that's little exaggerated), I've been in the war room all day drawing up my new year's battle plans against the enemy - fat.

Today was a recovery day (from running and too many treats). It's been raining so hard I may spend tomorrow building an ark in the garage. C'est la vie. Tomorrow I am back at it.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

A true and at times a painfully amusing look at the year, Floydy. You would think were a bunch of 50s+ people - for every declaration of a workout comes the inevitable report of a twinge, ache, or downright injury! You can't keep good people down though!

If this thread isn't motivating, I don't know what is. Every day, we limp our way out the door and come back ready for the Olympics. Well, sort of....

I can hardly believe how fast you walk, Floydy! At 4.2 mph, I'm jogging. Humbling workout you had there.

Roxy, sew your mouth shut? I'll duct tape yours if you will duct tape mine . I'd burn the house down to get rid of all the foods that are conspiring to kill me, but I'm not a big fan of the aroma of burned sugar .

OGF, you always seem to close the year strong, and after putting on my fav jeans today, and curling up in the fetal position to have a good cry (ok, that's little exaggerated), I've been in the war room all day drawing up my new year's battle plans against the enemy - fat.

Today was a recovery day (from running and too many treats). It's been raining so hard I may spend tomorrow building an ark in the garage. C'est la vie. I already have my running outfit picked out for tomorrow in the joy of anticipation (not really, but it sounds enthusiastic .)

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Christmas Training Programme Day 9
Saturday 29/12/18: Final Upper body - intensive.
2hr. 35mins.
(All weights in kilogrammes)

‘Intensive’ as in lengthy and all-inclusive, not so much in weight as I kept things moderately heavy but not over the top. However, the sheer volume of it all was the gut-bustin’, ball-breakin’ event here today. Over two and a half hours of torturous muscle-straining bombast encompassing twenty-six exercises, three sets apiece using the tried and tested old school method of decreasing the reps with increasing weight. I even had to rack my brain to find extra exercises as I ran out of my usual ones.
A momentous session if ever there was one and a great finale to my upper body programme this Christmas.
This write-up will take some time, hope you like the illustrations.


Dumbbell press:
12x24’s (48kg), 8x28’s (56), 6x32’s (64)
*The number in the brackets is for the total lift for each set, one dumbbell in each hand.

Triceps bar curl, standing:
12x26, 10x28, 6x32
*An exercise I haven’t done for donkeys years. Really works the triceps and outer biceps. See illustration below.


E-Z curl, standing:
10x30.5, 8x33, 6x38
*Nice to do a stand-up version of this exercise I normally do on a preacher bench, seated. The only difference is that you need to remember to keep the back straight so it doesn’t ‘pull’ on the lower back and cause injury (on the seated version you can push back your bum for spine support, like in deadlift or squat exercises). I didn’t go too heavy as it’s too much of a risk jarring the back out of place. Here’s Arnold in a classic picture:


Shoulder press:
12x40, 8x60, 6x80

Seated row:
15x41, 10x53, 8x65

Bicep DB pinwheel curls, alt.:
10x12.5, 8x15, 4x17.5
*Using the less bulky dumbbells for this as they can be brought up closer to the shoulder than the rather unwieldly standard ones.


Lat pulldown, underarm, close grip:
12x40, 8x55, 6x70

Barbell forearm reverse curl:
12x15, 8x20, 5x25
*The opposite grip to a standard curl which makes one lift ‘overarm’ using the forearm muscles as the isolated limbs rather than the biceps.

Bench press:
10x50, 6x70, 4x80

Triceps pulldown, w/backrest:
12x30, 8x40, 5x45
*Standing against a back rest, the bar is pulled from head height down to the waist. This really gives some force to the backs of the arms.


Arm curl, both arms together (machine version):
12x30, 8x40, 5x50

Dumbbell bicep flys:
10x12’s (24kg), 8x14’s (28), 6x16’s (32)
*Another exercise I haven’t done for a very long time. Lying on a bench at a 15° incline with arms outstretched (but not locked fully straight), raising from the sides and touching them above the head. I was tentative on the weight with this but what I used was about right as these three sets really made the shoulder deltoids whine a bit!


Fly delt dec:
15x80, 12x95, 10x110
*Those weights may look huge to a non-bodybuilder, but on this seated machine they are just about right. Obviously on Wednesday I was hitting a max of 142.5kg on this which did pull the upper pecs somewhat.

Rope pulldowns, standing:
12x41, 10x47, 8x53
*An alternative to using the curved tricep bar for push downs, the rope enables you to get a closer grip which hits the tricep heads better, though it isn’t as sturdy as using a bar.


E-Z preacher curl, seated:
12x38, 8x43, 6x50.5
*My usual version of the standing E-Z bar exercise I performed in exercise #3 above. Sitting down allows the user to lift more weight as there is better support for the back.

DB preacher curl, seated:
10x14, 8x16, 6x18
*On the same apparatus as the E-Z bar, a single lift with a dumbbell keeping the biceps flexed as I lift and holding a couple of seconds at the top.

High-pull standing biceps cable curls:
10x20, 8x25, 6x35
*As in a bodybuilders ‘double bicep’ pose, you use both sides of a dual pulley apparatus and simply pull the cables together to create fully flexed biceps. I secretly love it when you get some glances doing this one and hold the pose a little longer lol!


Barbell curl, seated:
15x20, 12x25, 6x35
Perched on the edge of a bench with the backrest at 60% height, a standard lift from the bar resting on the thighs and curling to the shoulders. Pic below is without the backrest, and you can also use a gym ball for sitting on instead of a bench.


Tricep extensions:
15x30, 12x40, 10x50

Pec dec:
15x40, 12x50, 10x60

Incline chest press:
10x50, 8x60, 7x60
*Like a standard ‘forward pushing’ chest press but at a slightly elevated angle making the user push up at about 45 degrees. Essentially, a cross between the chest press and a shoulder press.

Seated single-arm low row, alt.:
12x70, 8x85, 6x100
*I haven’t done these for a while as I try to stick to exercises which cause the lift to be symmetrical without having to pull on one side of the body. It’s fine though if you balance yourself out properly by leaning towards the opposite side as you pull the weight. Very pleased with the single arm pulling of 100kgs by the way.


Lying bicep curls:
15x20, 12x25, 8x30
*Another blast from the past for me (I was getting stuck for exercises to do by this stage). Lay down fully on the floor with the head resting on a foam roller, or in my case today, a small ‘core’ bag. Pull the bar as on a stack machine but instead of standing up, your pulling the weight towards you on the floor. This enables the user to get more of a ‘pump’ out of the biceps as you can actually lift the weight further above the shoulders.


DB concentration curl, alt.:
10x14, 6x16, 5x18
*Doing my best ‘Arnie’ pose with these.

Arm curl machine, single arm, alt.:
15x20, 12x25, 10x30
*As with the exercise in #11 but lifting the weight with alternate arms, not both together.

Ab crunch:
15x35, 12x40, 10x50


That was it. I was actually feeling really good today and hardly broke into a sweat despite the amount of time taken with all of this.

There is one more exercise to do now in this Christmas 9-part plan and that is a legs workout and brief cardio session. That will take place sometime tomorrow. Following that, details of my plans for the new year.


Thanks for reading.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Got really hacked off at the pool today, don't usually go at the W/E but because it was shut 3 days I decided to go. I phoned to see if the Lane Swimming was on and I was told yes. I gets there and stops dead at the pool edge as my lane was full of kids being taught. The guy wouldn't let me in told me to go into the fast lanes, I told him no way I can't cope with them. He said they would be in there till 12.30. I was fizzing as it was only 11am. Sooo I had an hour n a half to kill , I stomped back into the Health Suite and spent the time going between the Sauna, Steam Room and Jucuzzi. It passed quicker than I expected and I had a few people to talk to. Finally I got into the pool to do my lengths, only me and one other guy, so I got them done in record time. I moaned like mad at reception on the way out about what had happened, I hope to hell it's not a repeat performance tomorrow. Or you guys will see the smoke clouds all the way from the top of the country to down over the boarder. Roll on the end of the silly season when it all reverts to normal and I can stay away at the W/Es.
Mumble Mumble, Gurn, Grouse.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Floydy, what a helpful report. I was thinking about those tricep pulldowns. Whenever I do them as shown, I am shaky and think I am on the verge of injuring my elbows. How do you suggest I do them without being so wobbly? I know form is everything.

Roxy, for all your suffering, that was a very entertaining report. You are wise to stand your ground, or lane as the case may be If anger/frustration does that to your time, you could always pick a fight with your SO before you leave the house, and kiss and make up later

When my kids were on the local swim team, I once witnessed a younger coach try to chase off a swimmer, probably seventy or so, who was doing laps. I could tell by watching that the coach was basically ordering her out of the lane.

No one seemed to notice what was going on, so I slipped over and asked him what he had planned with the kids (including mine) that was more important than that this athlete was doing. In that moment I could see the light going on, and he aplogized to me and to the older swimmer.

You give 'em h*&*, Roxy

Oooh, I almost forgot to report: I ran five on the (yawn) dreadmill watching a Crowded House concert online, and then did step while during my favorite American football college bowl game. My mom's university is losing. When I was younger, their loss would mean we would sneak off and clean our rooms because she didn't take the losses very well . If this game gets any worse, I may have to clean the whole house....

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Hi Suzie
Firstly, thanks for the kind comments about my write-up, it does help me keep motivated when all that hard work is appreciated. I know I'm virtually all alone with my particular style of exercising on this forum, but it's good to know my boring posts are at least tolerated by some

To do correct triceps pushdowns (or pulldowns, the same thing - depending on how you phrase it) you need to remember to keep your body fully straight, i.e. the spine must not be twisted. Tilt your head forward slightly of course to enable you top see what you are doing but the main thing is to keep the upper arms close to the body, not splayed at the elbows. This will execute a perfect pushdown without being injured at the joints.

Pull the bar (a slightly curved one or "V-bar" is easier on the wrists than a straight one) from head height towards you and fully down (but do not lock the elbows, I'd say 95%) so that you feel the 'pump' in the triceps at back of the arms and hold for a couple of seconds.
Don't overload the weight and refrain from jumping up the kilogrammes too quickly on your sets - a 5kg gradual increase over 4-6 sets sets is perfectly okay and you will leave the apparatus feeling like your triceps have been worked very well indeed. It's a good tip to then do a few triceps extensions on the relevant machine to finish off with.

A (former?) bodybuilder like myself will try different methods of pulldowns and so on but they are usually advanced methods with heavier weights and you need to be very careful how you manage them, so keep to your own system. I see so many people, mostly youngsters, performing exercises the wrong way (back curved, twisted and arched, arms all over the place, too heavy a weight) and they inevitably suffer injuries. I do step in and advise where I can if they are prepared to listen.

Here's a short video I found to look at re the above pushdown exercise:

*NOTE: In the video, you may also see the girl is using a stack machine which has a pad attached to it. That is used for 'reverse' pushdowns as I sometimes do (yesterday in fact). Simply stand against the backrest and pull the bar down in front of you. This is more suitable for those with lower back issues*
Let me know how you get on
Oh, and Crowded House - a great choice


Roxy - Isn't it just the most irritating thing when you arrange to fulfil some plans and you get there and obstacles cause you to shelve your goals? Next time Roxy, don't bother with the sauna, go into the weights room instead and do a few sets of arm curls. Go back into the swimming pool and flex your biceps at 'em...they'll soon jump out of the pool and run away terrified!

One of the very few attributes to working nights (the only other one I can think of is that the roads are quiet), is I can visit the gym in the afternoons when there are not too many people about. It's bliss!
I used to swim myself but they decided to clean the swimming pool between the hours of 1-3pm each day, precisely the time I was able to go for a swim and that annoyed me intensely. I had to stop my swimming, crap as it was anyway!


To today then, and I'll be doing an extended legs session which will see me going heavier than I have done for a long time hopefully in order to test the muscle strength to make sure I've still got it!
There will be the usual range of leg exercises but with more sets and a short cardio 'loosening up' stint to end with.

Oh how I love having all the time in the world for a change!!
Back soon

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

I decided to not go to the pool until 12.30 today, just incase lol. The problem is they need another pool. They only seem to cater for Schools, Clubs and Kids. The Swimmers get an hour in the early morning and another around 3pm. We are all getting highly annoyed about it. I would go to a private pool if I could find one, but it would cost me twice as much...sigh.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Do you have any wealthy neighbours round your way with an outside pool, Roxy? Maybe sneak through their hedge early morning when they're still tucked up in bed for a quick dip?