Hitting the weights

This last week has been a bit of a rest week for me for various reasons.

Firstly, timing was horrible because it was one of the busier weeks I’ve experienced in a while. Work was madness because it was the closing week of the month. My parents were heading to Chicago for 3 weeks, and so I made it a point to try spend time with them and sent them to the airport. And I was leading worship as well so significant time was required for preparation and practice.

Secondly, I’ve been having shin splints mainly from a bit of overexertion from Insanity sessions which I was doing maybe once a week at high intensity (and I do it barefoot in my living room which doesn't help). At the same time, on Saturday, I got a bad muscle spasm in my back and it hurts now even to dress myself (what can say, old age has arrived).

But I did manage to squeeze in three 20-minute sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I’ve suddenly been hit by a desire to not only get fit, but to try to build some muscle and so have been trying to get away from just doing pure cardio. For guys with such a skinny frame like mine (except for the tummy and love handles - skinny-fat body, anyone?), focusing on cardio will just make me scrawnier and haggard looking.

So, for this week, I decided to try to hit the weights. I took it easy since it’s been a very long time since I’ve tried weights at the gym but considering the short time frame, I got a pretty decent workout focusing on the core, chest and arms.

My workout looked a bit like this:

• 10 minute jog on the treadmill to warm up the muscles
• Walked the rack for bicep curls: 
• 15 pounds each hand – 10 reps
• 20 pounds each hand – 6 reps
• 25 pounds each hand – 3 reps 
• Tricep dips: 20 reps
• Sit ups: 25 reps
• Bench press: 30 pounds each hand – 12 reps (free weights)
• Repeat again from bicep curls (Total of 3 sets for each weight exercise)

The main focus was on my biceps because honestly, it just hurts the least to work that muscle group. And because I only had 10 to 15 minutes for the weights part of the workout, I didn’t really take any breaks in between resulting in an elevated heart rate and good sweat out.

I would have wanted to continue more weight work in the coming week but with my back muscle in this condition, I think I’ll let it recover first. I may just switch up my workout to pure jogging or swimming for a week since my shin splints have recovered.

Since I started my exercise initiative, this is the first week I haven’t done an Insanity workout at least once a week so I do feel a need to inject some stamina building activities which is what I'll do in the coming week ahead.

Categories: Health