Total Body Strength

This is going to be a long boring post. Lo siento.

I have been itching to add some strength training to my workout routine and truthfully, have just been getting bored with these classes I'm doing. It's time for something new! After looking over my old personal training documents and the LiveFit workouts, I put together my first full body strength workout for tonight. I REALLY enjoyed doing this. I felt like I was pushing myself and am excited to really work out my muscles again. A lot of this was just testing out the weights. The one thing I did find out is I have become a weakling!! I have been really dreading cardio in general lately. Today I was excited to walk into the gym. I have to keep running because I have a 10k in a month (WHAT), but I know strength training will help that. Seriously, my legs --hamstrings-- are so weak right now I don't know how I even hold myself up for 3 miles.

Anyway, I'm going to try to get in 2/3 days of full body strength training a week + 1 or 2 runs. I think this is a schedule I can commit to! I'm going to do my best to track my strength because a. I love tracking things and b. it would be nice to see how much/fast I progress. Soo here we go...

(5/24):
Warm-up: 10 minute jog, stretch

Wide pushups (chest/triceps)
Set 1: 8 reps on knees
Set 2: 8 reps on knees
Set 3: 10 reps on knees

Wide Stance Squat
Set 1: 10 reps, 15 lb
Set 2: 12, 15 lb
Set 3: 12, 27 lb

Alternating Bicep Curl w/ Dumbbell
Set 1: 12 reps, 10 lb
Set 2: 10, 12.5 lb
Set 3: 12, 10 lb

Seated Overhead Press w/ Dumbbell
Set 1: 12 reps, 12.5 lb
Set 2: 12, 12.5 lb
Set 3: 10, 12.5 lb

5 Minute Sprint on Elliptical (.5 miles, progressed to level 11)

Bench Press w/ Dumbbell
Set 1: 12 reps, 10 lb
Set 2: 12, 12.5 lb
Set 3: 12, 12.5 lb


Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Set 1: 12 reps, 50 lb
Set 2: 12, 60 lb
Set 3: 10, 65 lb

Leg Extension
Set 1: 12 reps, 55 lb
Set 2: 12, 45 lb
Set 3: 12, 45 lb


Standing Dumbbell 'T' Raise (up and out)
Set 1: 12 reps, 5 lb
Set 2: 12, 5 lb
Set 3: 12, 5 lb


5 Minute Uphill Sprint on Treadmill (.5 miles, progressed to 4.0 incline)

Underhand Cable Pulldowns
Set 1: 12 reps, 40 lb
Set 2: 12, 45 lb
Set 3: 12, 45 lb

Standing Calf raises w/ Weight
Set 1: 12 reps, 15 lb
Set 2: 12 reps, 15 lb
Set 3: 12 reps, 15 lb

Tricep Extension w/ Dumbbell
Set 1: 12 reps, 15 lb
Set 2: 12 reps, 15 lb
Set 3: 10 reps, 10 lb

Abs - Air Bike
5 sets of 20 reps

Planks
2 x 20 seconds

Stretch & cool-down (10 minute walk home)

This whole workout took me a bit under an hour and a half to complete (minus the warm-up and cool-down). I took a 30-60 second break in between each move and spent a few minutes deciding what to do next. I had planned this all ahead but I'm a pansy and afraid of the weight room at my gym. I ended up sticking solely to the women's room which is actually pretty good, but was missing a few of the machines I wanted to use (like the leg press). I need to grow some balls and join all the men on the other side of the wall.