Skippy71’s BodyBlog

Well, time to start getting serious.  Went and did some shopping, heavy on the vegetables, yogurt and fresh fish.  Also picked up some new suppliments and protien bars to start slotting in every day to help give me that little boost.

I’m getting near the end of my second month now since I started really focusing on my health, strength and how I look in general.  I am amazed at how addictive this all is.  I find, on my rest days, I actually feel guilty…feel like I’m cheating by not going to the gym for even an abbreviated workout.  The money I used to spend on sci-fi and entertainment magazines and dvd rentals are now going to fitness magazines and suppliments.  I find i’m sleeping better….and I’m coping with life in general a little better.

I have no interest in competing, but looking at all the amazing physiques on this site, I definitely want to look and feel as good as I possibly can.  I see people in their 40s and 50s that look better than I did in my 20s and I want that, I obsess over it.

Anyway…This was my 3rd gym day in a row and I haven’t decided if I’m gonna take a rest day tomorrow or not.  Have a dentist appointment in the morning, so I guess how I feel after will largely make that choice for me.  In the meantime, today I added abs to my regimen using a seated pull over machine and added 15 mins to my cardio.  It was my day off, so I had a little extra time to devote to my workout today.

Cardio - Raised Eliptical Machine

Average Heartrate: 140 bpm

Relative Distance: 5.0 km (3.10 miles)

Calories Burned: 700 calories

Weights (weight in lbs/reps/sets)

Seated Row: 130/10/3

Overhead Press: 100/8/3

Pec Deck: 110/10/3

Seated Chest Press: 140/10/3

Leg Extension: 100/12/3

Preacher Curl: 120/8/3 

Tricep Press: 100/10/3

Abs: 80/20/3

Lateral Pull Over: 140/10/3

I really wanted to wake up my body a little bit today, make sure it didn’t get to complacent with the plateaux I’ve been on for the most of the week.  I decided to superset my 2 biggest target areas (chest and arms) by doing my regular 3 set session of seated press and preacher curls at the beginning of the work out, and then, doing it again with the same weight for 2 additional sets at the end.

I also jacked up my cardio workout slightly by running almost an extra kilometer above what I usually do and burning an additional 150 calories above my average during the course of the session.  Of course I had to push myself almost 10 extra minutes to accomplish these results and man…are my knees and soles of my feet feelin it.  lol.

But hey…it was a stressful day at the office and my god the rush from getting through all this felt bloody good.

Cardio - Raised Eliptical Machine

Average Heartrate: 148 bpm

Relative Distance: 4.25 km (2.65 miles)

Calories Burned: 625 calories

Weights (weight in lbs/reps/sets)

Seated Row: 125/10/3

Lateral Raise: 100/10/3

Pec Deck: 110/10/3

Lat Pull Down: 100/12/3

Seated Chest Press: 135/10/3  + 135/10/2

Leg Extension: 100/12/3

Preacher Curl: 115/10/3 + 115/10/2

Tricep Press: 100/10/3

Normally, I do my routine after work, in order to help relieve the stress of my day and give me a bit of private time before going home to my wife, daughter and 5 year old autistic son (who’s a handful and a half, I gotta tell ya).  However now and again, for the sake of keeping my body on its toes and give it a bit of a shock, I’ll try to get to the gym first thing in the morning, right when they open and get in a quick workout before work.

My weight session was exactly the same as it was yesterday, given the difficulties I had with a couple of the exercises.  It was easier to get through, but I know I’m gonna be feeling my arms and shoulders tomorrow.

As for my aerobic session…

Cardio - Raised Eliptical Machine

Average Heartrate: 140 bpm

Relative Distance: 3.75 km (2.3 miles)

Calories Burned: 470 calories

This was my third session in as many days, each one pretty intense with the increase in weight and my attempts to increase the intensity of my cardio burn.  So, think I’m gonna take a rest day tomorrow and let my metabolizer do the work for me.

I seemed to have dropped another pound this week….not that you can tell by looking.  I really need to find a way to put more focus on my abs that isn’t going to adversely affect my lower back.

I’m open to suggestions  

I made an attempt today to increase most of my lifting components either in weight or repetitions.  I found that I may have overdone my arms somewhat with rows and pulldowns, and overestimated my increase for my overhead shoulder press as I only managed to get about halfway through the final sets of my preacher curls and the press.

It’s been two hours since my workout as I’m typing this and my bi’s an delts are still in more than a little discomfort.  I’ll have to make a slight adjustment for my next session.

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Cardio - Raised Eliptical Machine

Average Heartrate: 145 bpm

Relative Distance: 3.8 km (2.3 miles)

Calories Burned: 455 calories

Weights (weight in lbs/reps/sets)

Seated Row: 125/10/3

Shoulder Press: 95/10/3

Pec Deck: 110/10/3

Lat Pull Down: 100/12/3

Seated Chest Press: 135/8/3

Leg Extension: 100/12/3

Preacher Curl: 115/10/3

Well…here’s my first blog.  Not sure precisely what to do with this thing, so I guess to start, I’ll just detail what I did today for my workout and see how these things develop over time as I work out other ways to use them.

Cardio - Raised Eliptical Machine

Average Heartrate: 134 bpm

Relative Distance: 3.6 km (2.25 miles)

Calories Burned: 495

Weights (weight in lbs/reps/sets)

Seated Row: 120/10/3

Shoulder Press: 95/10/3

Pec Deck: 110/10/3

Lat Pull Down: 110/10/3

Seated Chest Press: 125/10/3

Leg Extension: 100/12/3

Preacher Curl: 115/10/3