Todays Workout: Upper Split
Todays Workout: Upper Split
Barbell bench: 4 - 5 sets, 3 - 5 reps
Standing alternating dumbbell curls: 4 - 5 sets, 4 - 6 reps (per arm)
Tripod dumbbell row: 4 sets, 3 - 6 reps
Dumbbell skull crushers: 4 sets, 4 - 6 reps
Chins ups: 4 sets, 3 - 5 reps (weight optional)
Mini band cross crunch: 4 sets, 5 - 10 reps (per side)
Today’s workout was a lazy (so to speak) upper body workout. I’ve been following the following schedule:
Saturday: Kettlebell class
Sunday: Run + yoga (30 min)
Monday: Strength (lower body)
Tuesday: HIIT (usually Norwegian 4x4 on the assault bike or rower) + yoga (30 min)
Wednesday: Kettlebell practice/training
Thursday: Run + yoga (30 min)
Friday: Strength (upper body)
The goal for the yoga is to hit it at least two out of three days. Whichever two days I have the time to fit in. Otherwise the goal has been trying to build a routine that blends all the ‘major’ ways to train, without going to far, and is sustainable. Today was a long day that started at 4:50 am, so by the time I was in the gym at 4 pm, I didn’t have much left in the tank. Which is why today was a lazy workout.
On days like today it’s just about getting through the workout for me. I go into it knowing that, unless I pick up a second wind at some point during the workout, I’m not going to push it. I turn it down, which is a big change for me. I had gotten into the habit of pushing through fatigue based on the belief that in order to make meaningful gains every workout needed to be 100 percent effort. A carryover from my days of endurance training, when it was normal to be tired and do a 100 mile ride followed by a 10k. The problem is that’s not sustainable over a long period of time, when I’m looking to train every day. In that case, the key to sustainability to moderating workouts.
110 % on days when I have it. Something less on days when I don’t. Meeting myself where I’m at, instead of fighting through it. The fight now is to get my work out in, not to crush my workout. Which is true with everything, not just exercise.
So that’s been the schedule for most of the winter, as as the weather starts to change and get warmer (we’ve already had consistent days of 80+ degrees), that routine will likely change as well. As the garden begins to bloom in Spring and command more of my attention and energy, again I’ll need to adjust the routine, and moderate what I’m doing, if I want to stay with my goal of sustainability with no days off.