I had a bad workout today. I did the bare minimum and wrapped it up quickly. It makes me wonder: is it better to have a bad workout or to skip it until the next day with the hope that I'll be more focused later?
Excluding the scenario where the lack of motivation is due to fatigue caused by strenuous training, I'm going to side with those who say a bad workout trumps skipping the workout.
Today's workout called for strength training focused on my chest, shoulders and triceps followed by a 1 mile run and some core exercises. This workout usually takes about 70 minutes. I hit all three major muscle groups, did some core exercises and skipped the 1 mile run. I finished the workout in 40 minutes.
I started out with sit-ups. I did 3 or 4 sets. Next, I did my regular barbell bench presses, but I skipped the supersets of machine benches and lying dumbbell flies. For my shoulders I did 3 rounds of supersets that started with dumbbell lateral raises, upright rows and then barbell shoulder shrugs. I wrapped up the workout with 3 sets of triceps pushdowns.
Midway through the bench press sets I turned off the television (UFC Unleashed on Spike TV) because I was wasting too much time in between sets watching the fight.
There are a couple of things that contributed to the lack of focus (and it was the lack of focus that was the culprit). First, I was trying to workout during the last hour and a half before my kids go to bed on a night when my wife came home late from work. Part of my mind was on the yelling and screaming upstairs. I felt guilty that I wasn't upstairs helping out.
Today is pizza night for the kids. I should have made a protein shake with some berries to fuel the workout, but instead I had several slices of cheese pizza. That couldn't have helped, and psychologically I know it made me feel sluggish.
All of the foregoing notwithstanding, I'm glad I got the workout done. This will keep me on track with the remaining workouts for the week (b/c missing a workout has a domino effect on all the remaining workouts).
Hopefully tomorrow will be a lot better!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
AM Run, PM Weights
I woke up today feeling ill. I had a queasy stomach. I felt the same way yesterday and ended up missing a workout. I couldn't let that happen again today. I want to start 2012 on a strong note, and missing workouts this early is not starting strong.
By 10:20pm tonight I've completed two workouts. Late this morning I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and did 13 minutes on the stationary bike immediately afterwards. This evening after dinner I did a 40 minute strength training workout focusing on chest, shoulders and triceps.
I was able to get some extra reps out of my bench press because I convinced my wife to spot me. I did my best to look and sound strong to impress her. When I finished I got up and looked at her.
"Okay. Can I go now?" was all she said.
Whatever. I know I'm strong! Now I'm going to chill out and watch the rest of the Cotton Bowl. I picked Arkansas to win.
By 10:20pm tonight I've completed two workouts. Late this morning I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and did 13 minutes on the stationary bike immediately afterwards. This evening after dinner I did a 40 minute strength training workout focusing on chest, shoulders and triceps.
I was able to get some extra reps out of my bench press because I convinced my wife to spot me. I did my best to look and sound strong to impress her. When I finished I got up and looked at her.
"Okay. Can I go now?" was all she said.
Whatever. I know I'm strong! Now I'm going to chill out and watch the rest of the Cotton Bowl. I picked Arkansas to win.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The reason for this quest has changed...
About two years ago, around December 2009, I decided to lose weight and regain some dignity. Two years later I've lost lots of weight, gained plenty of endurance and regained a fair amount of the strength I once had. I look better and I feel great. But what's next?
On the eve of a new year I am adopting a new purpose. It's no longer about the vain reasons that animated my long runs and rigorous diet. The new purpose is to achieve all the things I once dreamed about accomplishing in my youth but set aside, little by little, as I fell short at one thing after another.
My kids are getting older. I need to give them a real life example of how to push through pain, to overcome failure, to endure hard work, to do mundane prep work day after day and to pursue dreams. Fitness training is an excellent way to train the mind and the body.
The world is a hard place. I've actually had a very easy go of it, but everywhere I look I see others struggling and can't help but think to myself that but for the Grace of God I might be struggling like others. While I've avoided any real challenges (homelessness, illness, chronic unemployment, ailing children, etc), there is no guarantee my kids will have the same luxury. My parents struggled. My kids may too.
I want my kids to have iron wills. It's not enough to be book smart. They may not struggle for physical survival (I hope), but the physical stress and the challenge that comes for grueling physical exertion has an impact on the mind and can the benefits can translate into purely cerebral situations.
How do I help them develop iron wills when I question whether I have one myself? My solution is to challenge myself with tougher goals that require extreme dedication and grueling effort.
I don't know how to make them understand the connection between the strength of their bodies and the strength of their minds, but I know that there is connection. While I can't explain it to them with words alone, I can try to live it for them.
In 2012 I'm going to train to run the Chicago Marathon (10/7/12) and I'm going to commit to simultaneously pursuing a powerlifting regimen as well. I will bring myself down to (or under) 15% body fat by the end of 2012, and I will exceed 300 lb. lifts in each of the three powerlifting moves (bench press, dead lift and squat).
These are the challenges I will take on in 2012. I expect them to be very hard, but if, by some miracle, they are easier than anticipated, then I will revise them mid-year. And all the while I will keep my focus on relishing those moments when I'm feeling too tired or too sore too un-motivated and push myself to do more in those moments.
On the eve of a new year I am adopting a new purpose. It's no longer about the vain reasons that animated my long runs and rigorous diet. The new purpose is to achieve all the things I once dreamed about accomplishing in my youth but set aside, little by little, as I fell short at one thing after another.
My kids are getting older. I need to give them a real life example of how to push through pain, to overcome failure, to endure hard work, to do mundane prep work day after day and to pursue dreams. Fitness training is an excellent way to train the mind and the body.
The world is a hard place. I've actually had a very easy go of it, but everywhere I look I see others struggling and can't help but think to myself that but for the Grace of God I might be struggling like others. While I've avoided any real challenges (homelessness, illness, chronic unemployment, ailing children, etc), there is no guarantee my kids will have the same luxury. My parents struggled. My kids may too.
I want my kids to have iron wills. It's not enough to be book smart. They may not struggle for physical survival (I hope), but the physical stress and the challenge that comes for grueling physical exertion has an impact on the mind and can the benefits can translate into purely cerebral situations.
How do I help them develop iron wills when I question whether I have one myself? My solution is to challenge myself with tougher goals that require extreme dedication and grueling effort.
I don't know how to make them understand the connection between the strength of their bodies and the strength of their minds, but I know that there is connection. While I can't explain it to them with words alone, I can try to live it for them.
In 2012 I'm going to train to run the Chicago Marathon (10/7/12) and I'm going to commit to simultaneously pursuing a powerlifting regimen as well. I will bring myself down to (or under) 15% body fat by the end of 2012, and I will exceed 300 lb. lifts in each of the three powerlifting moves (bench press, dead lift and squat).
These are the challenges I will take on in 2012. I expect them to be very hard, but if, by some miracle, they are easier than anticipated, then I will revise them mid-year. And all the while I will keep my focus on relishing those moments when I'm feeling too tired or too sore too un-motivated and push myself to do more in those moments.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
December 2011 Workouts, goals
It's been a good year. Back in January I wanted to run 600 miles by 12/31/11. I hit that goal about 2 months early so I added another 100 miles to that goal. I've kept my body weight down, and I've gotten stronger thanks to a decent amount of strength training over the year.
December is here, and I know I need to end the year strong. That means a great month of running, lifting and a great diet. I want to enter 2012 with a lot of positive energy and tons of momentum!
My goal for December is to run 2 miles everyday throughout the month. Treadmill miles wills be fine so long as I run them on a 1.0% incline. I also want to strength train 4 times per week (Saturday & Sunday plus two days during the week).
Over the past 3 months my diet has become a lot less strict. In December I intend to return to a more healthy and rigorous routine. More fiber, more green veggies and plenty of lean chicken, fish and some lean beef. The diet in December is going to be high fiber, high protein and low carb.
No breaks or easy days in December!
December is here, and I know I need to end the year strong. That means a great month of running, lifting and a great diet. I want to enter 2012 with a lot of positive energy and tons of momentum!
My goal for December is to run 2 miles everyday throughout the month. Treadmill miles wills be fine so long as I run them on a 1.0% incline. I also want to strength train 4 times per week (Saturday & Sunday plus two days during the week).
Over the past 3 months my diet has become a lot less strict. In December I intend to return to a more healthy and rigorous routine. More fiber, more green veggies and plenty of lean chicken, fish and some lean beef. The diet in December is going to be high fiber, high protein and low carb.
No breaks or easy days in December!
Post-thanksgiving rest
With lots of kids running around the house all thanksgiving-weekend long it is hardly surprising that I finally caught a bug. It sidelined me from Saturday through today. The last time I worked out was a 2-a-day on thanksgiving day. I've had 6 days off and frankly it feels okay.
I have 47 miles to run in order to hit the 700 mile mark. With 31 days in December that averages out to about 1.6 miles per day. I will achieve this goal too.
Thanks to the rest I'm feeling better and I'm fired up to begin working out hard again! I hope to wrap up 2011 with a very strong set of workout in December. I'm not sure what the workouts are going to look like, so I know planning the next 31 days of workouts, diet and goals is a top priority.
I have 47 miles to run in order to hit the 700 mile mark. With 31 days in December that averages out to about 1.6 miles per day. I will achieve this goal too.
Thanks to the rest I'm feeling better and I'm fired up to begin working out hard again! I hope to wrap up 2011 with a very strong set of workout in December. I'm not sure what the workouts are going to look like, so I know planning the next 31 days of workouts, diet and goals is a top priority.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving workouts
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| The turkey is good feasting fare. It's the sides that kill... |
The turkey is good feasting fare. It's the sides that kill!
Oh, and I plan to do two workouts as well. If the weather is nice then I'm going to make one of the workouts a nice run outside. Another workout with involve weight training. The timing of the workouts will depend on the weather. If it's at least 30 degrees out by mid-morning then the run will be in the morning. If it's too cold for my mood in the morning then workout one will be the weights.
Monday, November 7, 2011
2011 Races done! Next stage of training?
My next half marathon will be in June 2012. I'll start training for the next big race around mid-March 2012.
That means I have between now and mid-March to change up my training a bit (away from the longer distance runs). I want to use this time to work on strength training, building more muscle and losing some more fat. I want to continue running 3 times a week, but I plan to scale back the mileage to about 9 miles per week (rather than the 11 to 20 miles I've been doing over the year).
A big challenge for me is figuring out what my body can handle in terms of strength training. In my mind I still think I can do the hard and long trainings from my high school and college days, but when I go all out in that way, I often end up so sore that I can't workout again for at least 3 or 4 days. That's not productive. I need to be able to push myself hard enough that I can lift weights 2 or maybe 3 times per week per muscle group.
I'm debating whether a 3 workouts per week regimen with core exercises that provide a full body workout is the way to go. These lifts would be: squats, dead lifts, overhead barbell shoulder press, bench press and bent over rows. An alternative is to split up the body into two groups and then do 2 days for each (yielding 4 days of strength training). One possible split is: chest, shoulders and back on one day and legs and arms (mostly an ego muscle group) on the second day.
I'm inclined to go with the latter regimen (and muscle grouping) because it will allow me to keep each workout to about 1 hour.
That means I have between now and mid-March to change up my training a bit (away from the longer distance runs). I want to use this time to work on strength training, building more muscle and losing some more fat. I want to continue running 3 times a week, but I plan to scale back the mileage to about 9 miles per week (rather than the 11 to 20 miles I've been doing over the year).
A big challenge for me is figuring out what my body can handle in terms of strength training. In my mind I still think I can do the hard and long trainings from my high school and college days, but when I go all out in that way, I often end up so sore that I can't workout again for at least 3 or 4 days. That's not productive. I need to be able to push myself hard enough that I can lift weights 2 or maybe 3 times per week per muscle group.
I'm debating whether a 3 workouts per week regimen with core exercises that provide a full body workout is the way to go. These lifts would be: squats, dead lifts, overhead barbell shoulder press, bench press and bent over rows. An alternative is to split up the body into two groups and then do 2 days for each (yielding 4 days of strength training). One possible split is: chest, shoulders and back on one day and legs and arms (mostly an ego muscle group) on the second day.
I'm inclined to go with the latter regimen (and muscle grouping) because it will allow me to keep each workout to about 1 hour.
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