Spartacus Workout

I apologize that this workout has monopolized my lifting routine for the past few weeks. Things have just been crazy busy so I don't have a lot of time to devote to lifting, but with the race looming I don't want to skimp out on things either. After moving finishes this weekend, and the tri next weekend, I should get back to mixing things up again. Expect more 15-minute workouts and maybe more jump roping. Until then... here's the usual. I've upped my goals for a few of the exercises -- here's to hoping I'm stronger than I was when I started!

Workout
Equipment: dumbbell: 30lb [x1], 15 lb, 12 lb [hex]; 18lb medicine ball
Work Time: 30:00

	Goal	Actual*
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 3: Reps - Weight [type]
Plie Goblet Squat	20 - 30lbs [DB]	22 - 25lbs	24 - 25lbs
Mountain Climber	110
Single Arm DB Swing	15/side - 18lb med. ball
T-pushup	12 - 12lbs [hex DB]
Split Jumps	52
DB Row	35 -15lbs [DB]
DB Side Lunge	10/side - 15lbs [DB]
Plank Row	13/side - 15lbs [DB]
Standing Oblique 'Crunch'	12/side - 8lb med. ball
Explosive Overhead Press	22 - 15lbs [DB]

*Color key: green = accomplished goal, blue = exceeded goal, yellow = did not meet goal

Ab bonus!

Time	Exercise
0:00 - 0:50	Plank + Leg Lift
1:00 - 1:50	T-Plank - R
2:00 - 2:50	Plank
3:00 - 3:50	T-Plank - L
4:00 - 4:50	Half-Laying Leg Circles

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]:
Sore Areas: 

Comments

35:00 Bike

Epically bad day today. Found out that I got passed over for a promotion I was assured I had earned. And mostly due to the fact that I'm intimidating. So upsetting. Guess I have to try to up the sunshine and rainbow output of my cube.

And then I realized I forgot a sports bra once I got to the gym. Fail. So much for the running workout I had planned.Well, I was there already and if I went home there was bound to be a bottle of wine or two involved, so I switched everything up to a biking workout.

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: -100

Sore Areas: none. 

Yesterday: No alcohol. No exercise.

Environment: Indoors - warm.

Workout
Equipment: stationary bike
Work Time: 35:00
Program: Manual 
Level: 14

Minutes	Intensity [RPM]	Distance Traveled [mi]
0:00 - 3:00	75
3:00 - 5:00	90
5:00 - 6:00	100
6:00 - 6:30	110+	2.06
6:30 - 9:30	75
9:30 - 11:30	90
11:30 - 12:30	100
12:30 - 13:00	110+	+ ? = ?
13:00 - 16:00	75
16:00 - 18:00	90
18:00 - 19:00	100
19:00 - 19:30	110+	+ ? = ?
19:30 - 22:30	75
22:30 - 24:30	90
24:30 - 25:30	100
25:30 - 26:00	110+	+ ? = 8.15
26:00 - 29:00	75
29:00 - 31:00	90
31:00 - 32:00	100
32:00 - 32:30	110+	+ 2.0 = 10.15
32:30 - 35:00	~70	+ .65 = 10.80

Post
Energy Level [1-5]:0
Stretch Time: 5:00
Total Time: 40:00

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 1
Sore Areas: Legs, Back

Comments
Still depressed. But at least I burned off some of the wine I consumed. And I packed THREE boxes. Nine million more to go. Progress.

Soccer + Errand Running = Workouts

After the Spartacus on Tuesday, my aching obliques and I chose to go play soccer on Wednesday. It was 'playoff' week, so we were playing a pretty good team. We lost, but I think I got in a solid 40:00 of sprinting around, so that kind of counts as a workout? Add in the 7 mile round trip bike ride (I might have gotten lost on the way there...), and it totally counts!

Thursday I took a rest day, but today (Friday) was kind of crazy. As I've mentioned, I'm moving at the end of the month. Finally found a place (yay!) and they were willing to hand over the keys a week early (double yay!), but I had to get them from a far-away not-metro-able part of the city (boo!). So I used that errand as an excuse to take a half-day from work and spend 2 hours biking around accomplishing things. Got the parking permits for the moving van, picked up the keys, grabbed some wine... productive afternoon, if I do say so myself. AND my Schwinn and I managed to cover almost 12 miles, including a fair stretch of uphill trekking. Check it out:



Elevation ranges from -3 to +210 feet over the course of the ride.

Family and friends visiting this weekend, so it's unlikely I'll pretend to be healthy at any point, but definitely getting back into it Monday. One more hard week of workouts before the triathlon, eek!

Spartacus Workout

I didn't end up swimming yesterday as planned -- the pool doesn't open until 7:30 on Tuesdays and I didn't feel like wasting that much time waiting around. So instead I did my new favorite lifting routine: Spartacus!

I'm *still* trying to find a good twisting lunge replacement. I just can't get the reps I'm looking for because I take 948 years to lunge and come back up. So this week I'm going to try the (very basic) standing oblique crunch -- I'm sure you know the one: you stand, lean as far as you can to one side, then come back up to vertical. Easy!

Workout
Equipment: dumbbell: 25 [x1], 20 [x1], 15 [hex];
Work Time: 30:00

	Goal	Actual*
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 3: Reps - Weight [type]
Goblet Squat	20 - 25lbs [DB]	20	20	20
Mountain Climber	100	114	112	92
Single Arm DB Swing	15/side - 18lb med. ball	14/side	13/side	13/side
T-pushup	12 - 12lbs [hex DB]	11	10	8
Split Jumps	50	52	53	43
DB Row	30 -15lbs [DB]	39	35	36
DB Side Lunge	10/side - 15lbs [DB]	9/side	9/side	8/side
Plank Row	13/side - 15lbs [DB]	14/side	11/side	10/side
Standing Oblique 'Crunch'	10/side - 8lb med. ball	10/side	10/side	10/side
Explosive Overhead Press	20 - 15lbs [DB]	22	20	20

*Color key: green = accomplished goal, blue = exceeded goal, yellow = did not meet goal

Ab bonus!

Time	Exercise
0:00 - 0:50	Plank + Leg Lift
1:00 - 1:50	T-Plank - R
2:00 - 2:50	Plank
3:00 - 3:50	T-Plank - L
4:00 - 4:50	Half-Laying Leg Circles

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 3
Sore Areas: Obliques

Comments
Well those oblique leans might be easy, but apparently they're very effective -- my abs hurt like hell! As far as the workout went -- you might be able to tell that I died sometime mid-third set. Don't know if it was because I haven't done this in awhile or because I forgot to drink enough water, but set 3 was Rough. I found myself considering giving up a lot. Bad news. Next time will be better!

Workout Wrapup #2

Here's a problem I'm finding with some of my workouts -- they make BORING blog posts. I've worked out three times [four if you count the one I will do today] since my last post [last Wednesday, today is Tuesday], and the only one that could possibly be charted was yesterdays. The rest were just, there. So here are some partial posts about the past few days.

Last Thursday I went for a run. It was hard, I didn't want to do it, and there was a lot of other crap going on in my lift at the time [we got offered a house, which is great! But the kitchen SUCKS. A LOT. And I love to cook. Is it worth it...?] so my plans to go to the gym went phhhhhibt. Instead I went home to see if boyfriend could instill some inspiration in me. Which he did, sorta, by shaming me with the 5 miles he had run/walked the day before. Was I going to let him run more than me? Sigh. Fine. No. So I grabbed the dog and we purposefully went one block farther than he did. Looking back it was kind of an easy run, and I probably could have gone farther, but my heart wasn't in it. Still went a touch over 5 miles though, which isn't too shabby. But it was slow-ish and isn't much to talk about.

Friday we went to a baseball game. There were nachos involved. And beer. Healthiness, not so much.

Saturday was one of those days where you're forced to get up early to do one thing [signed the lease for the place above -- decided to go for it, even though it's not perfect. I can deal with it for a year], do three dozen other things as well, look up at the clock sure the day is over and find that it's only like noon. Given that, when boyfriend and I got our bikes back from their tuneups with plenty of daylight still left, we decided to suit up and go for a ride. Covered a little more than 20 miles, all told, at a fairly good clip. it was boyfriend's first 'long' bike ride, and I was really proud of him! He's taking the fact that I signed him up for a triathlon and called it a gift like a champion. T-minus 19 days!

Sunday funday. No words necessary.

Yesterday I rowed for the first time in a bit. I'm going to chart it so that I can compare it to some of the other workouts, but I wasn't on top of my game enough to record all the details. Was a fairly standard pyramid interval though, and I think I was hitting some decent distances.

Row:

Minutes	Intensity [min / 500m]	Distance Traveled [m]
0:00 - 3:00	~2:30
3:00 - 5:00	~2:15
5:00 - 6:00	~2:00
6:00 - 6:30	1:50-	1430
6:30 - 9:30	~2:30
9:30 - 11:30	~2:15
11:30 - 12:30	~2:00
12:30 - 13:00	1:50-	+ 1440 = 2870
13:00 - 16:00	~2:30
16:00 - 18:00	~2:15
18:00 - 19:00	~2:00
19:00 - 19:30	1:50-	+ 1420 = 4290
19:30 - 22:30	~2:30
22:30 - 24:30	~2:15
24:30 - 25:30	~2:00
25:30 - 26:00	1:50-	+ 1425 = 5715
26:00 - 29:00	~2:30
29:00 - 31:00	~2:15
31:00 - 32:00	~2:00
32:00 - 32:30	1:50-	+ 1440 = 7135
32:30 - 34:20	~2:30	+ 365 = 7500
34:20 - 35:00	~2:30	7620

Hey consistency! I like that in a workout, actually. I like to pretend it means I'm not tiring as quickly as I could be. Although I was definitely struggling during the 3rd/4th pyramid. Feel the forearm burn!

I think today I'm going to swim. Again, a boring entry. But necessary...

Workout Wrapup + Spartacus

It's been a crap month. There's no excuse for it, it just has been. Three weeks later and I still don't have anywhere to call home next month and I think the stress is getting to me. Instead of planning workouts all my spare time has been devoted to canvassing Craigslist in an effort to find a place that I can both afford and bear to live in. Harder than I thought it would be. Plus we've been rejected from the only two places we were really excited about, which was disappointing. Back to the drawing board...

Moving has been affecting my workouts too. I think I only made it 2 or 3 times last week -- I can't even remember! I know there was a decent run in there -- around 6 1/2 miles or so -- as well as a halfhearted lift. I might have jumped up and down at the park too? I can't remember. I do know that Monday I swam. It was a fairly slow 100 x 20m. Our pool does this stupid thing where they make the lanes go across the pool during public hours, using the short side of their 25 x 20m pool for lanes. I never noticed how much I counted on those giant +s to tell me where the walls were until they were gone. I must have nearly brained myself half a dozen times...

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 2

Sore Areas: Stress headache.

Yesterday: Slug. No alcohol, no exercise.

Environment: Indoors. Not too hot outside though.

Workout
Equipment: dumbbell: 25 [x1], 20 [x1], 15 [hex];
Work Time: 30:00

	Goal	Actual*
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 3: Reps - Weight [type]
Goblet Squat	20 - 25lbs [DB]	18	21	22
Mountain Climber	100	107	107	110
Single Arm DB Swing	10/side - 20lbs [DB] 18lb med. ball	14	13	13
T-pushup	10 - 15lbs 12lbs [hex DB]	11	10	9
Split Jumps	40	46	44	50
DB Row	30 -15lbs [DB]	32	31	32
DB Side Lunge	10/side - 15lbs [DB]	8	8	8
Plank Row	10/side - 15lbs [DB]	30	24	24
One-Arm Overhead Lunge	12/side - 15lbs [MB]	11	5	7
Explosive Overhead Press	20 - 15lbs [DB]	20	20	20

*Color key: green = accomplished goal, blue = exceeded goal, yellow = did not meet goal

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 3.5
Stretch Time:  10:00
Total Time: 57:00


Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 2
Sore Areas: Legs

Comments
So glad I actually got to the gym and did this, it made me feel better about almost everything! Haven't done it in awhile, so I was a bit worried I wouldn't be as good as last time, but I think I held up. The only thing I still can't figure out is what to put in the next-to-last position. They're supposed to be twisting lunges, but I lunge so slowly I can't get a decent number in during the :50. So I switched it out for one-arm overhead lunges today, which according to Self are kind of the 'advanced' version of the previous move in that they work the same muscles but are harder, but they EXHAUSTED my shoulders and my overhead presses were excruciating. So that spot is still up for debate...

I'm also disappointed we don't have 15lb hex dumbbells -- I thought we did! Guess I'm stuck using the 12s for my pushups -- I'll just have to do them faster if I want to get better.

Upper Body/Core Lift

Seems like I can't help but fall behind on updating! The past couple of weeks has been hard -- my landlord has decided to sell the house I'm in, so between trying to find time to see new places for me (and dog. and boyfriend) and having to be home for the realtor to 'contain the beasts' (dogs), stress has been through the roof. I've been exercising, posts have been accurate, they might just have been posted two or three days late. This is my attempt to rectify the situation.

Today I think I'm going to stick to a basic upper body/core workout. Between the run I did yesterday (on top of the miles and miles I walked around on Saturday) and the cold I seem to be fighting off (who gets sick in July? Seriously, body? There's no one else to catch anything from!) my legs are shot and everything just aches. So I'm going for a something > nothing workout, hopefully I'll be more on top of my game later in the week. My kindle refuses to load, so I'm just going to use the same workout I did here. It's from Women's Health, and hopefully I'll finish faster this time around.


Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 2 - sick, tired, 

Sore Areas: Legs are exhausted

Yesterday: One beer, cardio

Environment: Indoors -- not terrible!

Workout
Equipment: dumbbells:10, 17.5; medicine ball; step
Work Time:

Upper Body	Goal	Actual
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]
Standing Lunge + Cross Shoulder	10/side - 10lbs
Lateral Raise	10/side - 10lbs
Bicep Curls	10 - 17.5lbs
Step Walkovers	16/side
Standing V-Pull	15 - 25lbs
Cobra Pushups	10
Tricep Pushdown - Both Grips	15 - 25lbs [x2]
Time	7:30 [x2]

Abs	Goal	Actual
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]
Reverse Wood Chop	10/side - 18lbs [med ball]
Single Arm Lunge	10/side - 10lbs
Reverse Plank + Leg Lift	10/side
Single Arm Bent Over Row	12/side - 17.5lbs
Half Seated Leg Circles	12/direction
Plank Twists	10 [x3 sets]
Time	7:30 [x2]

*Color key: green = accomplished goal, blue = exceeded goal, yellow = did not meet goal

Post
Energy Level [1-5]:
Stretch Time:
Total Time: 

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 
Sore Areas:

Comments

30:00 Stationary Bike

I thought that since I started the week doing pyramid intervals, I would keep it going. Going to try to beat the times/distances I did in this workout.

Not really much else to say today, so let's get started...

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 

Sore Areas:

Yesterday: Exercise, no alcohol.

Environment: Indoors - warm.

Workout
Equipment: stationary bike
Work Time: 30:00
Program: Manual 
Level: 14

Minutes	Intensity [RPM]	Distance Traveled [mi]
0:00 - 3:00	70
3:00 - 5:00	85
5:00 - 6:00	100
6:00 - 6:30	110+	1.93
6:30 - 9:30	75
9:30 - 11:30	90
11:30 - 12:30	100
12:30 - 13:00	110+	+ 1.72 = 3.85
13:00 - 16:00	75
16:00 - 18:00	90
18:00 - 19:00	100
19:00 - 19:30	110+	+ 1.90 = 5.75
19:30 - 22:30	75
22:30 - 24:30	90
24:30 - 25:30	100
25:30 - 26:00	110+	+ 1.95 = 7.70
26:00 - 30:00	~ 85	+ 1.13 = 8.83

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 
Stretch Time: 0:00
Total Time: 40:00

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 2
Sore Areas: Legs

Comments
Not a bad workout -- felt pretty good throughout and didn't hit any major energy slumps. I like these workouts because I like to think they better approximate long-distance biking (or running), which is what I have to do in 4 weeks (eek!). The average pace here during the 'work' part of the workout (minutes 0 - 26) was just shy of .3 mi / min. If I extrapolate, that means I should be able to do the 40k bike in about 84 minutes. That would be a time I'd be happy with! I think I'm going to stick with this style of workout for the next 4 weeks leading up to the tri; going to try to add a interval or so every week.

30:00 Park Workout

The original plan for today was to go lift heavy things at the gym, but I'm currently house-hunting as was invited to an open-house at the last minute. The open house is near my current place, which is not near the gym, so going back OUT of my house after leaving work early and being nearby would have been an effort of will I do not possess. Plus, my dog looked lonely. To the park!

I adapted this workout from one I found on one of the food blogs I follow: The Part-Time Housewife. Every week she puts out a new workout in her 'Sweaty Saturday' column. I didn't quite like the original workout as it was presented -- I didn't think it was evenly balanced between plyometric exercises and static ones, so I shuffled things around a bit and made it my own. I also didn't feel like busting out the timer for only part of a workout, so I switched some of the timed sets to reps.

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 3

Sore Areas: None, really.

Yesterday: Baseball game! Alcohol, no exercise.

Environment: outside -- so humid I almost gave up halfway through the first set because I felt as if I needed gills to breathe.

Workout
Equipment: jump rope (optional)
Work Time:~30:00

	Actual
Exercise Name	Set 1: Reps	Set 2: Reps
Jumping Jacks	50	50
Plank	1:00	1:00
Jump Rope	100	100
Pushups	12	12
Jump Rope	100	100
Plie Squats	25	25
Mountain Climbers	100	100
Plie Squats on Toes	25	25
Burpees	10	10
Curtsey Squats	20/side	20/side
Split Jumps	30	30
One-Leg Calf Raise	25/side	25/side
Jump Rope	100	100

Post
Energy Level [1-5]:
Stretch Time:  
Total Time:


Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 
Sore Areas:

Comments
This workout definitely took longer than I thought it wood. Partially because the dog was being needy and I couldn't get through a dozen turns of a jump rope without him getting in the way, demanding I throw his ball, but also because it turns out jump roping is hard! I kept tripping over it, or over my own feet, or getting it caught on a branch or something. I'll likely do this workout again, but I'd like to get it going quickly enough that I can do 3 sets in a reasonable amount of time. Or I'll transfer it into a HITT workout and go for time instead of reps. Either way, I hope next time it outdoor temp is less than 95 with 90% humidity. That would help.