What was Your Workout Today?

[BBQ-Nut]

Went on a 3 mile hike to a new trail area in the north county - blazing hot, 90F, no breeze, steep hills - easy going in, but huffing/puffing leg burning walk out.


Felt good.

 

[outdoorgirl02]

2 hours of paddleboarding. With the river current and wind, it feels like I did way more than that.

 

[Leonidas]

This week started out with a lot of heavy weight, but nothing really crazy. I was hardly even sore. But after today's session I think I'll be hard pressed to drive my car tomorrow. This one started out as one program, but then Crazy Mike jumped in and it all changed.

Upper Body Thursday:

Bench press 5x5 @225Lbs
Incline bench press 5x5 at 135Lbs

Superset #1 (3 rounds)
Incline dumbbell chest press 8reps per arm at 40 pounds (one arm kept fully extend throughout)
15 pushups with 5 second hold in contraction every 5

Superset #2 (3 rounds)
Decline chest flyes 8 reps @25Lbs
Standing cable chest flyes 10-12 reps @17.5Lbs

Superset #3 (3 rounds)
Decline bench press 8 reps @ 135Lbs
Straight chest flyes 10-12 reps @10Lbs

 

[Leonidas]

I learned a lesson this week - a painful one but I'm excited that it all worked out.

I've got flat feet and I pronate when running so I've been wearing Superfeet inserts in my training shoes for a couple of years because I thought they would help with running. But a couple of months ago I bought new shoes just for weightlifting and didn't transfer the inserts. Over time I started to experience pain in my knees that became unbearable on leg days. It felt like tendonitis but my therapist only found that my kneecaps had shifted out of place so she moved them back for me. I was worried about arthritis but she found no sign of that either.

Then I listed to a interview with my favorite weigh lifting coach in which he said he always wears inserts when lifting because of his flat feet. I had a "duh" moment and put the inserts back in. Near total recovery 4 days later.

So this week was light on leg exercises. Partly because of my knees but mostly because my training partner plays semi-pro football on the weekends and he took a hard hit to his thigh so he was is no mood to hit legs hard.

 

[Sea Kayaker]

Like I mentioned in the "What did you do today?" thread, chopped firewood for about 5 hours. I have to say this: I've been been in the process of seriously ramping up my fitness level in the almost 6 months that I've been ER'ed...I am now in pretty good shape. 2 or 3 hours 5 days a week at the gym - a combination of cardio and strength training.

But sitting here writing this post...I have sore muscles in places I didn't even know I had muscles. Ouch. And I got perhaps 10% of the tree chopped up...oh boy.

 

[W2R]

I had such fun today at the gym! I was full of energy which is a great way to feel. I even boosted my energy further while working out, by listening to some Beau Jocque (see post #1319 for the music). On my usual 21 weight machines, I lifted a total of 18.1 tons. See below for the details. Honestly I am thrilled because I never thought that I would be able to do this at my present age. Yes, gang, I am no long 13 like I was in my avatar photo from 1961.

pounds|sets of 10| machine
105|2|Keiser triceps pushdown machine
65|2|Keiser upper back machine
45|2|Keiser biaxial chest press machine
85|2|Nautilus lateral pulldown machine
35|2|Nautilus fly machine
55|2|Nautilus triceps extension machine
95|2|Nautilus abdominal machine (first round)
55|2|Cybex arm extension machine
150|2|Cybex calf rotator machine
90|2|Cybex leg curl machine
80|4|Nautilus leg press machine
30|2|Cybex overhead press machine
150|2|Cybex back extension machine
35|2|Nautilus arm curl machine
55|2|Nautilus chest press machine
105|2|Nautilus compound row machine
105|2|Cybex hip abductor machine
150|2|Cybex hip adductor machine
95|2|Nautilus abdominal machine (second round)
55|2|Keiser leg extension machine
85|2|Cybex seated row machine

 

[heirloom]

Way to go all of you. Joined Y last month with Silver Sneakers and signed up for water aerobics to start out with. It begins on Monday and if I have enough ummph after class I'll do some machines.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Our hot tub died a most painful death this winter. We are in the market for a replacement and are zeroing in on a swim spa (I love to swim). Before one purchases a swim spa, one does a "wet test". Yesterday evening I tested a swim spa. It had its pluses and minuses but it was a workout. I felt clean and invigorated afterward and slept very well last night. Did a bunch of yard work today. Tomorrow morning I test another swim spa. I'm looking forward to it.


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[GravitySucks]

Painting. Same as yesterday, and the day before.

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[W2R]

17.9 tons today, on the same machines.

It's amazing to me that this workout never seems to get tedious. I do vary it now and then, just to shake things up a bit.

 

[ls99]

Slack day. 12 pullups and 30 negatives.

 

[Leonidas]

17.9 tons today, on the same machines.

It's amazing to me that this workout never seems to get tedious. I do vary it now and then, just to shake things up a bit.

I've recently come to grasp how useful it is to not only vary what your workout looks like, but to try completely different systems. You can work the same muscles, using the same volume, but just by doing it a totally different way than you're used to you can greatly stimulate strength, growth, and endurance.

I ran across the idea from a fitness podcast and then accidentally experienced it in the gym. Worked out with a friend who is a body builder and we did a couple of her workouts. It wasn't more volume than I was used to, but we did more reps with lower weight and kept constant tension on the muscles being worked. It was brutal and I noticed a lot of improvement overnight. Which after training for years is not the norm. After an initial period of rapid improvement when I started training, everything since has been slow and steady.

I think I'm going to invest in a multi-gym membership called Class Pass that will allow me to go to about 35 different gyms and studios near me just so I can try new things and see what benefits I get. Doing the same thing all the time gets boring and you need some variety in order to improve.


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[W2R]

I've recently come to grasp how useful it is to not only vary what your workout looks like, but to try completely different systems. You can work the same muscles, using the same volume, but just by doing it a totally different way than you're used to you can greatly stimulate strength, growth, and endurance.

I ran across the idea from a fitness podcast and then accidentally experienced it in the gym. Worked out with a friend who is a body builder and we did a couple of her workouts. It wasn't more volume than I was used to, but we did more reps with lower weight and kept constant tension on the muscles being worked. It was brutal and I noticed a lot of improvement overnight. Which after training for years is not the norm. After an initial period of rapid improvement when I started training, everything since has been slow and steady.

I think I'm going to invest in a multi-gym membership called Class Pass that will allow me to go to about 35 different gyms and studios near me just so I can try new things and see what benefits I get. Doing the same thing all the time gets boring and you need some variety in order to improve.


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Wow, that Class Pass sounds SO COOL! It would be lots of fun to explore so many different gyms. When selecting my gym, I did "tour" a couple of other gyms, but I didn't get to work out at those gyms. Some of them have unusual, unique facilities like a rock climbing wall and so on.

When I vary my workouts, usually I just do some cardio because I know it is supposed to be good for me even though I hate it. It is hard to feel enthusiastic about cardio when I feel like I'm no good at any of it and never will be. I'm sure there must be some form of cardio out there that isn't hard and boring and tedious. I do lift all my weights (listed above) briskly and within 35-40 minutes (never more than 45 and that's if I have to wait for a machine), so although it's not exactly circuit training I get a little cardio there too. At least, when I finish my heart rate is up and I am breathing a little harder. Basically I'm feeling guilty and looking for more cardio when I vary my workouts.

I have never done free weights to any great extent, because I get injured every time I try it; but Frank has offered to show me how to do some free weights properly. I might take him up on that one of these days.

 

[Sea Kayaker]

Haven't posted in this thread for a while.

Update: cardio and gym work continues as I hit my 7th month of ER. In the past few weeks I have been absent from the gym as I am at my island property trying to get a veggie garden off the ground. The amount of digging, raking, wheelbarrowing I have done has alleviated any guilt I may have had being away from the gym. I have also been mixing in runs of various lengths...8-15km. When you can churn out a 15km run in hilly terrain and it doesn't feel overly taxing...well, let's just say I am probably in the best cardio shape of my life. Body fat % probably around 12% - not sure how much leaner I can get, but my wife makes appreciative comments from time to time so I'm doing something right.

My first "big thing" after ER was "GET FIT" - although I am determined to keep this up for as many years as I can, I feel that the fitness goal has pretty much reached a "mission accomplished" state.

 

[Leonidas]

Kicked it up a notch today. I've been doing two workouts a day for a while now, and today decided to see what three felt like.

Early morning workout was solo - I hit the park along the bayou and did a slow 3 miles. 685 calories expended

Mid afternoon workout was with two friends that are trainers. It was a bodybuilder type leg workout done in supersets or circuits to keep rest to a minimum:

Superset of narrow stance goblet squats and plyometric step ups
Circuit of single leg machine kickbacks, prone leg curls and seated leg curls
Superset of leg extensions with 2 second hold and pistol squats. 990 calories expended

Evening workout was a 45 minute spin class at a new studio near my place. 856 calories expended

I feel great and think I will do another day like this next week. I know I have to be careful to not overdo it and burn muscle, but I'm training for a tough all-day, multi-sport event and I need to develop the capacity to go hard all day.

 

[W2R]

After all the severe storms last week, today the weather was utterly, amazingly spectacular. Just imagine the best weather ever, and then imagine it better than that. Sunny, light breeze, just perfect.

Great weather for a walk, so that's what I did this morning, and then again this afternoon. Not exactly a workout per se, but it was sure an enjoyable way to fit some activity into the day.

 

[Walt34]

Great weather for a walk, so that's what I did this morning, and then again this afternoon. Not exactly a workout per se, but it was sure an enjoyable way to fit some activity into the day.

We had that weather too, ~65°, light wind, perfect for yard work. So I walked around the yard first with a 4 gallon backpack tank of weed killer (only filled to 3 gallons, that's all I needed) spaying individual weeds, then mowed front and back. That meant I was walking around for 2 hours. While that was going on there was a chicken in the oven for dinner.

 

[Bamaman]

Just returned from Seaside (FL) doing 12 ounce curls at our favorite restaurant/bar deck overlooking the Gulf. Lifted too much weight.

Came home and hit the treadmill at our Heart Health Center for a routine nuclear stress test. They said few people ever even hit the treadmill, as most cannot walk that well.

It's tough being retired. I prefer to be proactive in my healthcare vs. getting old before my time.

 

[audreyh1]

My Fitbit has been making me walk every day (in addition to my other activities), and I have rarely missed my daily goal since Feb 14.

I'm hoping that it will pay off on my next Europe trip.

 

[outdoorgirl02]

My Fitbit has been making me walk every day (in addition to my other activities), and I have rarely missed my daily goal since Feb 14.

I'm hoping that it will pay off on my next Europe trip.

I love my Fitbit too. It has definitely helped me get more physical activity.

 

[Bikechuck]

32 mile windy bike ride. Darn near killed me after riding 40 miles yesterday. The 40 miles was easier with much lighter winds.

 

[twolfy]

Ran intervals on treadmill. 30 sec@ 9.0 mph then recovery at 3.3 mph for 2 min. Total of 30 min workout. Then hit weight machines for upper body.


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[scrinch]

3 sets of doubles tennis after w*rk.

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[Sea Kayaker]

Yesterday was arms, back, abs day. Followed by 10 mile stationary bike, 400 calories burned.

Today will be shoulders, chest, triceps. Then 3 mile treadmill run which burns around 400 calories again.

Tomorrow will be legs day. No cardio though.

I've been doing this for about a year now. Results are beyond my (and DW's) expectations. Most rewarding aspect of ER so far.

 

[Tailgate]

Yesterday was arms, back, abs day. Followed by 10 mile stationary bike, 400 calories burned.

Today will be shoulders, chest, triceps. Then 3 mile treadmill run which burns around 400 calories again.

Tomorrow will be legs day. No cardio though.

I've been doing this for about a year now. Results are beyond my (and DW's) expectations. Most rewarding aspect of ER so far.

good job Sea Kayaker.. I've been trying to get a routine going for awhile.. did you use a trainer to set yours up or come by it on your own...?