So, it actually kind of hurts to type this. Well, not only does it hurt to type this, but it hurt to write this yesterday morning. (I write all my posts out by hand ahead of time so I can proofread and edit as necessary. Clearly it only works some of the time.) Anyway. I could barely hold my pen, seriously.
I am such a baby.
Why am I in so much pain, you ask? Well, as a result of my UnderArmour What’s Beautiful goals from a few weeks ago, I’ve actually started strength training.
I am kicking my own butt. Woohoo!
With the help and input from The Man and My Sister (both of whom have been strength training for years and therefore are considered Subject Matter Experts in my eyes), I’ve started mini circuit workouts in addition to my normal cardio routine. And when I say “cardio routine”, I mean my semi-regular running sessions. I don’t really vary when it comes to cardio.
So, what have I been doing?
Since I am essentially a beginner, I’ve been doing some mild to moderate total body circuits, which I plan to do for a few weeks before I start targeting specific muscle groups. I also do a mix of bodyweight only exercises and free weights. Please note, I am not anything close to a certified professional and I am doing these workouts based on what I know I can do. Please contact your health care professional before starting any exercise routine on your own!
Like my awesome 3 and 5 pound weights? Like I said, I’m a baby. With practically no upper body strength. Yet.
Wow – and it’s like three paragraphs later and I STILL haven’t gotten to the point! You can imagine The Man’s frustration with me when we are having a serious conversation. It takes me a good 45 minutes (and 5,000 unnecessary sentences) to make a point. My pastor calls it decorating the Christmas tree. The Man just wants to land the plane.
Right. And I just did it again.
So this week, I alternated cardio days with strength training:
Monday:
1 mile treadmill warm-up (10 min)
3 sets of:
15 squats, 15 push-ups, 15 lunges (each leg), 15 bicycle crunches (each side)
1 mile treadmill cool-down (10 min)
Tuesday:
3 mile run outdoors
Wednesday:
10 min elliptical warm-up
3 sets of:
pushups (15, 12, 10)
15 standing row (5 lb weights)
15 russian twist with medicine ball (each side)
15 chest fly (5lb weights)
15 glute kickbacks (each leg)
10 minutes elliptical cool-down
Thursday:
rest day (unintentional, but my schedule got too crazy)
Friday:
(the weather was crappy, so I did a workout at home in my apartment)
1 min jumprope, 1 min jumping jacks to warm-up
3 sets of:
15 squats with 5lb weights
12 push-ups
15 step-ups (each leg)
15 bicycle crunches (each side)
10 tricep dips with a chair
1 minutes jump rope, 1 minute jumping jacks cool-down
Of course, I also did lots of stretching once I was done with each day! And it’s challenging, but not so crazy that I want to give up. As a matter of fact, I’m excited about this new routine, and I’ve actually found myself looking forward to going to the gym! (Note that this is only week one. I may be singing a different tune come week five or six.) And I love that sore muscle feeling that comes from a good workout. I’ve been doing a lot more stretching, too, to keep my muscles limber. Actually – on Wednesday night I did some deep stretching before bed…and I slept like a baby.
So, that’s it in a nutshell!
What are some of your favorite strength training moves/routines?
