New Workout – New Challenge

I am changing my workout again for next week, making it tougher and more challenging. Have a look below;

Mon, Wed & Fri – Strength Training

• Weighted Crunch (upper abs) 12x
• Bent-Knee Pull In (lower abs) 12x
• Double Crunch with Cross (oblique) 12x
• Two-Point Bridge (transverse abdominis) 5x
• Superman (lower back) 12x

Combining upper and lower body moves together

• Squat with Side Raise (glutes & shoulders) 12x
• Pile Squat with Bicep Curl (hamstrings & biceps) 12x
• Push Up (chest) 12x
• Fly (chest)
• Bench Press (chest)
• Bent Over Flyes (back) 12x
• Tricep Dip (triceps) 12x
  
  

I am planning to do this workout for the next three weeks incorperating the overloading principle into this so that each workout will have a slight twist to it.

WEEK 1:  dumbbell weight = 13kg (28.6lbs)

Mon: With stretches in between exercises, taking 45 minutes  

Wed: Without stretches in between exercises, taking 30 minutes (still stretching before)

Fri:  Without stretches in between exercises, taking 25 minutes (still stretching before)

WEEK 2:  dumbbell weight = 18kg (39.6lbs)

Mon: With stretches in between exercises, taking 45 minutes  

Wed: Without stretches in between exercises, taking 30 minutes (still stretching before)

Fri:  Without stretches in between exercises, taking 25 minutes (still stretching before)

WEEK 3: dumbbell weight = 18kg (39.6lbs)

Mon:  undecided

Wed: undecided

Fri: undecided

If anyone has any suggestions for my overloading during the third please drop it into a comment. It will be appreciated and most welcome.

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Pumping Up: Back Muscles & Old Man Quads

I have just finished my morning workout, and like I said I upped my reps from 8 to 10 this morning and I am feeling it (all over!).

When I started on Monday with the added dumbbell weights I had it in mind to really focus on my form when doing my back and legs; the bigger the muscle the bigger fat burn.  I feel that I accomplished this and boy did my quads let me know!  Yesterday I was walking around like an old man as my quads ached.

I made sure that I got a good nights sleep on Monday and last night so I would be able to push through this morning’s workout.  I slept in, waking up at about 4:23am I jumped into action, completely forgetting about my pre-workout stretching.

I will have fallowed the workout that I am on now for 3 weeks this Friday.  I am considering changing it for next week to keep my variations in motion for each workout that I do.  Well more about that when i change it over the weekend.

So this Friday I will nudge my reps up again to 12.

One Month of Discipline & an Overloading Brain Fart

Brain Fart: combustion of brain gases that gives a great idea for about 2-3 seconds; it is advisable to write down the idea as soon as possible before it is lost forever.

So Discipline or Regret is a month old today. I am so excited at my progress and development so far, I still have a long way to go.

For the first time in my heavy existence I am changing my body. My arms are harder and toned, my legs are getting solid and my upper back is getting bulky and also well toned. My chest and abs are still buried under a keg but I can feel them, as I said it’s still early days.

I just want to thank the people who have commented and encouraged me over this 1^st month (keep it coming 🙂). I would especially like to thank; Slosh, Steve & Stan for their friendship, encouragement and advice.

Ok back to the brain fart. I would have been putting all my eggs in the one basket this week by increasing my dumbbell weight and keeping to my 12 reps. My brain fart was this; the overloading principle is built on slight changes each workout , so to make each workout different this week I have decided to do it like this.

All workouts will be with the new dumbbell weights; 18kg (39.6lbs)

1. Monday- from the Squats with dumbbells to the Tricep Press-Ups I will do 8 reps
2. Wednesday- again from Squats with dumbbells to the Tricep Press-Ups I will do 10 reps
3. Friday- yet again from Squats with dumbbells to the Tricep Press-Ups I will go back to my 12 reps

This gives me a variation for each strength training workout this week.

The Overloading Principle

I have been trying the overloading principle this week. If we put our bodies under pressure or challenge it, it starts to change to meet that challenge. If we have a workout plan and we keep doing it for weeks then our body will adapt and get use to that workout.

In the new Men’s Health book Power Training (which I have yet to find & buy) they suggest changing something in our workout every time we go to workout. No big dramatic changes but build it up, never doing exactly the same workout twice.

This week I have been tried these variations;

• Monday’s workout I took out all the stops (stretching before my workout) and pressed through my 45 minute in only 30 minutes.
• Wednesday I still did my stretching but before my workout and during that workout I used slower motions to build up the tension on my muscles.
• Today’s (Friday) workout I upped my reps from 12 to 15.

Let’s see after a good nights sleep tonight will do. But I can tell you I am feeling it, bulky but in a good way. Any more suggestions would be much appreciated, if you have any stick them in a comment.