Total Body Tabata [P&I]

Trying something a bit different today as I'm due for a total body lifting session but don't particularly feel like making one up. So I perused some of the workouts I have saved and remembered the Pumps & Iron website. Most of her workouts are tabata-style, which is going to work great considering I don't really feel like spending too much time working out today. I'm into efficiency. This is based off of the P&I 30-minute interval workout.

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 

Sore Areas:

Yesterday:

Environment:

Workout
Work Time: 30:00
Equipment: Kettlebell [20 lb]
Timing: For each exercise, :30 work, :10 rest; 9 exercises x 5 sets

Exercise	Approximate # Reps
Kettlebell High Pull - R - 20lb	15
Kettlebell High Pull - L - 20lb	15
Side V-Up - R	20
Side V-Up - L	20
Burpee + Push Up	7
Plank Tucks	30
Kettlebell Swing	15
Reverse Plank	:30
Split Squat Jumps	20

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 4
Stretch Time: 5:00
Total Time: 45:00

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 3
Sore Areas: Traps, Quads

Comments
That was a nice little workout! I was definitely sweating by the end. Missing a little bit in the back muscles department, but that can be remedied the next time around. Maybe the planks can be plank rows or something.

So I'm torn on this style of workout, because on the one had it's done in a set amount of time. But on the other, I know I'm definitely slacking a little more than I could be. It's the time that gets to me -- I operate much better on a 'reps' basis. Once I get the number I think I can do in the time, I kind of give up once I've hit that number. It might help to think to myself that for each set I should do one more or something, but as I get more and more tired those numbers are unattainable and I start giving up earlier. Hmm. Need to figure out something to keep me working hard through the end of the time...

ZCUT #7 + Total Body Kettlebell + 15:00 Stairs

I finally have some more time this week to get to the gym! It's been a busy few days -- after a strong start to the week I took of Wednesday as my rest day, only to have my best intentions corrupted Thursday when boyfriend and I decided to get in on the NCAA March Madness excitements and watch some games at a bar. Luckily, all was not completely lost -- on Wednesday I did take the dog for a 2 mile walk, and yesterday I managed to fit in ZCUT #1 before heading to the bar. It's supposed to be a stand-alone workout, right? So I can kind of pretend I did something good for me? Because going to the bar and eating a mountain of nachos? ...err....

Anyway, to make up for it I plan on hitting the gym hard today, and hopefully Saturday too! In addition to today's ZCUT workout I'm also going to add in a kettlebell workout from Pumps & Iron that I've been anxious to try. I don't have a ton of experience with kettlebells, due entirely to the fact that up until about 3 months ago my gym kept them in one of the offices. What am I supposed to do with that? Can I just walk in and take one? Are they only for special trainer peoples? Is there some sort of test? I'm so confused! But then they moved them out into the open and I've been using them occasionally. Always nice to have extra options, right? Right!

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 4

Sore Areas: None.

Yesterday: Minor amounts of jumping. Nachos.

Environment: Indoors.

Workout
Warmup: Dynamic warmup ~5:00
Equipment: Kettlebells - 25lb, 15lb
Work Time: 45:00

ZCUT #7 - 10:00 circuit

Exercise Name	Set 1: Reps	Set 2: Reps	Set 3: Reps
Sumo/Regular Squat Jump	10	10	10
Side-to-Side Hops	60	60	50
Burpee + Roll + Knee Tuck	4	4	4
Mountain Climbers	60	58	50
High/Low Planks	10	10	9

[numbers are approximate as I didn't have time to write them down]


Kettlebell Workout - Tabatta Style, :20/:10 x 8 each exercise

Exercise Name	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Set 6	Set 7	Set 8
Walking KB Swings - 25lb	11	11	11	11	10	10	11	11
Figures 8's - 25lb	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	14
Windmills - 15lb	6 [R]	7 [L]	6 [R]	7 [L]	7 [R]	7 [L]	6 [R]	7 [L]
V-up + Russian Twist - 15 lb	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
High Pull	10 [R]	10 [L]	10 [R]	10 [L]	10 [R]	10 [L]	10 [R]	10 [L]

[numbers are approximate as I didn't have time the energy to write them down]

Stairs

Minutes	Intensity (level [steps/minute])	Total Distance (floors)
0:00 - 1:00	11 [60]	~6
1:01 - 2:00	13 [69]	~13
2:01 - 3:00	15 [78]	~21
3:01 - 4:00	18 [91]	~30
4:01 - 5:00	20 [101]	~40
5:01 - 15:00	repeat 0:00 - 5:00 x2	~80 ~120
Total: 15:00	80 steps/min [avg]	121

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 4
Stretch Time: 15:00
Total in-Gym Time: 75:00

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 4
Sore Areas: Upper back, Quads

Comments
That was a beast and it was awesome! Definitely going to be trying this workout again. I'm mostly feeling it in my upper/mid back muscles, and a bit in the shoulders/quads. Funny story - after I was done with everything and stretching one of the gym trainers came by to introduce himself. He said he was the kettlebell trainer of the gym and invited me to enroll in his upcoming 8-week class session. In his words 'you should try Saturdays - it's the beginners class and we focus mainly on form.' So basically, someone who knows what they're doing called me out on the fact I have no clue. Awesome, thanks Anthony!

Full Body Lift + 15:00 Bike

I'm fully hydrated for the first time in 4 or 5 days and let me tell you, it feels great. Since I took it fairly easy yesterday (drinking-wise), I'm totally ready to hit this week hard to make up for my 3 days of debauchery. Although we did walk a TON - our house was about 2.5 miles to 'downtown' and we walked there or back at least once a day - so I don't feel as bad about it as I could. And I had fun, so, no regrets!

Today's workout comes courtesy of the Fitnessista -- it's the week 2 workout in her 'Winter Shape Up 2013' series. Yes, I did the week three last week and now I'm doing week 2 so I'm really the most terrible plan follower of all time, but I'm over it. Anyway, this workout is completed by doing the exercises one after the other without rest, then take a minute to catch your breath, and repeat. Then do it a third time.

-'180 Squat Jumps' - Squat jumps with a 180 degree turn. Reverse direction with every jump-- should never complete a full circle.
-'Side Plank Combo' - Start in a T-plank, bring top arm down into chest, turn body into regular plank-ish position, reach under/across body ("threading the needle" motion). Reverse back into T-plank, then bring top arm down side toward thigh while raising top leg, reverse back into T-plank.

It was suggested that I do a 15 minute HIIT workout after this was done, so I did. Original plan was to row, but they were both taken by the time I got over there so I did the bike instead.

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 4

Sore Areas: None.

Yesterday: Travel day - no exercise.

Environment: Indoors

Workout
Equipment: dumbbells - 15lb; kettlebell - 20lb
Work Time: 45:00

	Goal	Actual*
Exercise Name	Reps - Weight [type]	Set 1: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 2: Reps - Weight [type]	Set 3: Reps - Weight [type]
Kettlebell Swing	15 - 20 lbs	20 - 20 lbs	20 - 20 lbs	20 - 20 lbs
Side Lunge R + Upright Row	10 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs
Jump Lunges	15/side	15/side	15/side	15/side
Side Lunge L + Bicep Curl	12 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs	12 - 15 lbs
Plie Squat + Wide Row	15 - 15 lbs	15 - 15 lbs	15 - 15 lbs	15 - 15 lbs
180 Squat Jumps	12/direction	12 + 10	12 + 10	10 + 12
Side Plank Combo: Reach Under -> T -> Leg Raise	10/side	10/side	10/side	10/side
Triceps Pushups / Pushups	10 / 10	8 / 8	8 / 8	8 / 8
Total time		8:00	10:00	11:00

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

Stationary Bike
Level: 14

Minutes	Intensity: RPM	Total Distance (mi)
0:00 - 1:00	60
1:01 - 2:00	100+	~.6
2:01 - 14:00	Repeat 0:00 - 2:00 x 6	1.13 1.71 2.28 ~2.88 3.38 3.90
14:01 - 15:00	60	4.06
Total: 15:00	~80 [avg]	4.06

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 3
Stretch Time: 0:00
Total Time: 65:00

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]:3
Sore Areas: Quads, Biceps

Comments
Oof -- probably should have stretched, my quads are killing me! Not to the point where stairs are impossible, but they're definitely uncomfortable. I'll likely have to scale back what I was planning on doing today because I went too hard yesterday. Whoops. This is why I try to put the hard stuff at the END of the week so I have the weekend to recuperate. Guess I got a little overzealous. Oh well. I would definitely do this workout again, possibly with a heavier kettlebell. And I have no idea why I planned to do 10 lunges right and 12 left... counting fail.

Spartacus Workout + 15:00 Incline Treadmill

It's back! THIS IS SPARTA! Not really, but, still. This was the workout I was super into last fall -- it probably found its way onto my schedule 3-4 times a month, which is a fairly big deal for me as I get easily bored. It fell of the radar a bit over the holidays because, let's be honest, it's hard and I was most definitely not going all-out at the gym around Christmas. The cookies (and cake. and brownies. and booze. and... beef.) I ate instead were DELICIOUS. Sorry I'm not sorry.

However, now it's February, the holiday excuses are long gone, I've got a month of working out and eating vegetables under my belt and I'm totally back in the groove. Time to dust this baby off. It might suck, it might not, but it's time to try. Shall we?

As a reminder, because I definitely had to look it up myself, this workout is done HIIT-style, with :50 of work followed by :10 of rest before moving on to the next exercise. I've made some modifications to the moves because my gym decided to ax the hexagonal dumbbells and like hell am I trying to do pushups on ones that roll. We'll see how they turn out.

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 4

Sore Areas: none, really

Yesterday: Biking! also, butter. Minimal alcohol!

Environment: indoors

Workout
Equipment: dumbbell: 15; kettlebell: 25
Work Time: 30:00 45:00

	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 - 25lb [KB]	23	21	22
Mountain Climber	100	110	105	100
Single Arm DB Swing	15/side - 25lb [KB]	14/side	13 R / 14 L	14 R / 13 L
T-Plank with Touch-Through	12/side - 15lb [DB]	8 R / 7 L	7 R / 8 L	8 R / 8 L
Split Jumps	50	44	46	50
DB Row	35 -15lbs [DB]	38	35	35
DB Side Lunge	10/side - 15lb [DB]	8/side	10 R / 9 L	10/side
Plank Tricep Kickback	10/side - 15lb [DB]	11/side	12/side	12/side
Standing Oblique 'Crunch'	10/side - 25lb [KB]	10/side	9/side	10/side
Explosive Overhead Press	20 - 15lbs [DB]	22	16	20

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

Cardio Bonus!
Equipment: Incline Treadmill

Minutes	Intensity: MPH	Incline: ° [time]	Total Distance (mi.)*
0:00 - 6:00	3.0	9.0 - 24.0 [+ 3.0 every 1:00]	~.3
6:01 - 8:00	2.0	27.0 - 30.0 [+ 3.0 every 1:00]	~.38
8:01 - 10:00	2.0	27.0 - 24.0 [- 3.0 every 1:00]	~.43
10:01 - 15.00	3.0	21.0 - 9.0 [- 3.0 every 1:00]	.68
Total: 15:00	2.73 [avg]	18.8 [avg]	.68 mi [638 vert. m]

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

Comments
On the one hand, it's as hard as I remember. On the other, it's only as hard as I remember! Well, the split jumps were a little harder then they were last year, but that's understandable seeing as how I've done virtually no plyometrics training in recent memory.

Since this was the only day I wasn't rushed at the gym I went ahead and tacked on a short cardio workout when I was done with Spartacus. I had hoped to be able to run a mile or two, but I decided that since I'm entirely incapable of running at one speed on the dreadmill for any length of time when I'm fresh and ready to go, there was no way I was going to survive attempting to do it while tired. I knew I needed some intervals, but also knew I was too tired to sprint, so I settled on walking hills. My hamstrings are definitely feeling it, 24 hours later. Today's going to be an 'active rest day' -- planning on taking the dog for a nice long walk. Everyone wins!