Daily Ramblings – Workout Diary

Tags

family, Friends, Holiday Season, Self-Knowledge, Time off

Hey all!

I’ve made what I call a “Command Decision”.

We have had so many interruptions the last few weeks with unannounced friends and family coming in for the holidays, that it has been tough keeping some form of schedule for the gym and my exercise.

So, we’re going to take a few weeks off to enjoy the holidays, eat some stuff I probably shouldn’t, and spend some quality time with the family, friends, and visitors that show up on our doorstep.

I’ll be picking up my workout diary again in January 2018. Yeah, I know, one of my goals was to get down to 15% bodyfat, but there are just too many temptations around the holidays and I don’t want to deny myself all of the great things that are a part of the holiday season.

I’ll be starting this part of my blog again after the New Year!

Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope your holiday season is as nice as mine will be.

Keep following and reading my other postings on daily quotes, ted talks, and anything else I come up with.

See you again in January where we kick off another terrific year of health and fitness.

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Workout Log

Tags

Abs, chest, Personal Preference, Scheduling, Self-Knowledge

Hello, Readers!

One of the things I’d like to talk about today is incorporating your workout into your life. My life is pretty easy. I’m retired and my schedule is my own, so I can pretty much head to the gym at my leisure. That being said, I typically go to the gym first thing in the morning because I know myself. If I don’t head to the gym first thing, it is highly likely I won’t go.

When I was working I hit the gym in the morning before work or in the evening after work. There are advantages to both. You’ll have to figure out which one aligns with your schedule the best. I know some folks who used their lunchtime for a gym workout, but I found it to be too tough, particularly when you have to wash up when you’re done. The key is to find a time of the day, free of interruptions that you can live with for the long term. If your workout schedule is not sustainable you’ll end up quitting or putting it off.

Know yourself, know what you’re capable of, and start there. Consistently hitting the gym and knocking out your workout routine will get results.

Today’s Workout (Chest & Abs)

Incline Barbell Bench Press: warmup 115×10; 125×10

Working sets: 135×6; 145×6; 155×6

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 50×6; 55×6; 60×6

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 155×6; 165×6; 170

Face Pull: 52.5×10; 57.5×10; 62.5×10

Ab Circuit

Crunch Machine:120×10; 130×10; 140×10

Lying Leg Raise: x14; x14; x14

Decline Crunch: Elevation 4; x14; x14; x14

 

As you can see above, I’m still moving up in weight and will continue until I plateau. What I mean by plateau is when I cannot get up 6 reps. When I hit that weight, I’ll stick there until I can do all of my working sets at 6 reps with good form. Obviously, this is a judgment call. Be honest with yourself. If you progress too quickly, you’ll probably start cheating on form or range of motion. If you cheat by not progressing, you won’t get the results you are seeking. Increasing weight means you are gaining muscle even if you cannot see it in the mirror. Subsequently, the goal of your weight lifting routine is to continue to increase the weight!!

See you tomorrow!

Dave