Exercise update, Week 5

It was another very satisfying week for exercise for me. I managed to start up my Insanity workouts again after a three month break (I thought I'd never go back to it!) and my 'trainer' friend stopped by during the public holiday to take me through a whole new gym routine so now I have two routines I can use when I visit my apartment gym.

Here is how the week looked.

• Monday: 40 minute Insanity Plyometric session
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: 20 minute jog
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 45 minutes gym
• Saturday: Zombie Run (morning), 40 minute Insanity Plyometric session (afternoon)
• Sunday: 45 minute gym

I managed not one, but two Insanity workouts - truly crazy indeed. I'm supposed to be changing the workout I do each time but since I'm not following the daily 60-day routine, I'm sticking to just the basic plyometric session which gives me good cardio condensed into 40 minutes.

For the gym routine, my friend decided for me to focus on my back and my chest, emphasising that you should always do more 'pulling' movements than 'pushing' movements for a more balanced long-term muscular growth. So he started me on something called 'supersets' first, which is basically doing back-to-back exercises on the same muscle group to really get them to work hard, before I finished with a few sets of pull ups.

This is how the workout looked.

• Bench press: 35 pound dumbbells on each arm (10 reps)
• Incline bench press: 25 pound dumbbells on each arm (12 reps)
• Bent over rows: 44 pound barbells (10 reps)
• Inverted rows (10 reps)
• Bench press: 40 pound dumbbells on each arm (10 reps)
• Incline bench press: 25 pound dumbbells on each arm (12 reps)
• Bent over rows: 64 pound barbells (10 reps)
• Inverted rows (10 reps)
• Bench press: 45 pound dumbbells on each arm (8 reps)
• Incline bench press: 25 pound dumbbells on each arm (12 reps)
• Bent over rows: 64 pound barbells (10 reps)
• Inverted rows (10 reps)
• 3 sets of 6 pull ups: 3 unassisted, 3 assisted

For people who have been actively doing weights, this may seem pretty easy but they totally killed me. Upping the bench press weight each time was torture - previously, my maximum was 35 pound dumbbells on each arm but my friend wanted me to go for a higher weight. And then finishing the workout with pull ups when I had already used my back muscles with the inverted rows and bent over rows was potentially the most I've ever pushed myself in the gym before.

I wouldn't be able to go as hard when I'm alone especially when I don't have anyone to assist me for pull ups past my maximum capability but I think I'll be able to at least do everything except the pull ups. It really does make a difference when there is a personal trainer encouraging you and pushing you to go past what you feel is your maximum limit. But since I'm not going to spend any money on gyms or trainers, I can only rely on my friend once every two months and then the rest is my own motivation and discipline.

For the next week, I'm going to try doing exercise single day just to see if I'm able to stay disciplined. I've got quite a busy schedule so some of my workouts are going to be close to midnight or starting at 6am in the morning. But I'm going to do my best and not be too disappointed if I only hit my minimum three exercise sessions for the week.

Wish me luck!

Categories: Health