Zac's Gym Update
Having only caught a handful of days in the gym the last month, plus the weight gain reflecting winter weather and diet changes...I was concerned going into my second fitness checkup. Having rescheduled several times, I finally bit the bullet and went in late tonight.
The good news: I apparently have quite good balance, very loose hips, and only real tension is in the hamstrings (unsurprising, from all the cycling I suppose).
The bad news: I have been given a very good and aggressive regime for an upper body workout. I feel fine now, but dear lord, I know I'm going to suffer tomorrow morning!
I'll have to do 3 cycles of (and not in the following order - it's just how I remember it):
- 30 seconds holding in each of two plank positions: Yoga-like face-down with L-arms parallel to shoulders; inverted position with legs balanced on exercise ball, arms at the side, lifting entirely with the core muscles (then removing those arms to cross my chest)
- 15 reps of exercise ball crunches (body horizontal - aiming to the ceiling)
- 10 reps of pulling 35 lbs. (or was it 20?) with unstable legs, elbows high, pulling from crossed arms and arching back.
- 15 reps of pulling 35 lbs. in smooth wrist turns back towards the chest in a V, chest pushing into an exercise ball in front of a half-raised bench, arched lumbar, legs far behind.
- 10 reps of: resting hips on exercise ball on top of a flat bench, balancing with upper body & arms holding onto the bench, then raising & lowering my legs relying on those abs & core muscles...and not fall over. GAH!
Oh, and a warm-up run on an elliptical, track, or stair master, of course.
(note to self: I gotta get an exercise ball for home)
So I figure if I manage to keep this up the last week of October, and three weeks in November, supplemented by whatever fitness I can manage in Atlanta next week, and Hawaii in the first week of November - I might have an interesting sense of how well I'm doing by a 3rd fitness check-in in December timeframe.
The good news: I apparently have quite good balance, very loose hips, and only real tension is in the hamstrings (unsurprising, from all the cycling I suppose).
The bad news: I have been given a very good and aggressive regime for an upper body workout. I feel fine now, but dear lord, I know I'm going to suffer tomorrow morning!
I'll have to do 3 cycles of (and not in the following order - it's just how I remember it):
- 30 seconds holding in each of two plank positions: Yoga-like face-down with L-arms parallel to shoulders; inverted position with legs balanced on exercise ball, arms at the side, lifting entirely with the core muscles (then removing those arms to cross my chest)
- 15 reps of exercise ball crunches (body horizontal - aiming to the ceiling)
- 10 reps of pulling 35 lbs. (or was it 20?) with unstable legs, elbows high, pulling from crossed arms and arching back.
- 15 reps of pulling 35 lbs. in smooth wrist turns back towards the chest in a V, chest pushing into an exercise ball in front of a half-raised bench, arched lumbar, legs far behind.
- 10 reps of: resting hips on exercise ball on top of a flat bench, balancing with upper body & arms holding onto the bench, then raising & lowering my legs relying on those abs & core muscles...and not fall over. GAH!
Oh, and a warm-up run on an elliptical, track, or stair master, of course.
(note to self: I gotta get an exercise ball for home)
So I figure if I manage to keep this up the last week of October, and three weeks in November, supplemented by whatever fitness I can manage in Atlanta next week, and Hawaii in the first week of November - I might have an interesting sense of how well I'm doing by a 3rd fitness check-in in December timeframe.