robrus’s BodyBlog

This morning was my regular workout done on a different day and 15-20 reps on everything but the squats where I’ll be doing 25-30. Tomorrow will be the TNT basic again. Both are good workouts with little to no rest between exercises. It’s strength and endurance time. It should help keep the winter weight down, I already got back to 215 so I want to maintain that or drop a pound or more.

It was a cold night for a walk with some fairly strong wind. My time was 20:01.

This morning I dropped the resistance and did sets of 15-20 reps with the chest expander and bodylastics. It felt great. I did the same workout I’ve been doing with them but with higher reps. Tomorrow I’ll do the TNT basic workout again.

No dog or car problems tonight, time wise 20:08. I was at 9:58 at the half mile. I’m losing time on the last half. I checked the half mile distance I walk with my car’s mileage counter & it’s .7 miles, so if it’s right  I actually walk .4 more than a mile.  My cheapo pedometer has the mile at .987 or something like that. For all intents and purposes it’s a mile. I walk the same route every time so that is consistent. I’ve been using the hand weights. One of these evenings I have to go to the high school’s track and check my time on a measured mile. Only it’s level, and I’m walking on hills.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I don’t pig out like I could when I was younger. I have always liked this holiday, and I am thankful for all that God has given me. I have good health, I’m in decent shape and my work is going well. I have a good family and friends. Plenty to be thankful for.

I had my preliminary workout with the TNT cables Saturday morning. I used the warmup exercises and basic workout. The exercises are combined compound exercises. The warmups are 15-20 reps. The workout exercises are 2×15, done in a circuit,  starting with 1 or 2 cables and you build up to to 3 cables and 3×15.  It should be a good workout to build strength and muscle, plus burn some fat. I’ll do the TNT workout on T-Th-S. I may do the chest expander workout on M-W-F, with less resistance and 15-20 reps. I’m in functional strength mode now, not bodybuilding.

Outside of a goofy dog that backed off when I yelled at it, my walk was pretty good. I would have come in under 20 min. if it wasn’t for the dog. I am not a dog lover. Had it been more aggressive it would have had 2 1 lb. dumbbells thrown at it, or worse  it would meet Mr. Beretta, who always accompanies me on my night walks. A person I work with was attacked by a dog when she was jogging. She loves dogs, but I guess this one didn’t realize that and bit her so bad on the wrist that there was tendon and muscle damage. My time was 20:03, with the distraction.

Susan Wagner, a Pittsburgh based sculptor, is using me to model for a statue of Bill Mazeroski to be placed at PNC Park. I’m really excited about this. I just turned 9 when the Pirates beat the Yankees in game 7 of the ‘60 World Series with Maz’s home run. He was our hero. My dad used to chide guys about Pitsburgh teams all the time for kicks, deep down he’s a fan. He’s watched the Steelers as long as I can remember, even when they stank in the 60’s. I was coming home from school and the neighbor from across the street yells at me and says, " you tell your dad the Pirates beat those Yankees!"  I remember watching the film of Maz hitting the homer over Yogi Berra and rounding the bases, with people running out onto the field on the news.  It was really something.

All that said, tonight’s walk was better. Done in 20:04. I didn’t think it would be that good. I had a minor ache in my abs all day and thought I still haven’t rebounded from the latest liver thing. Looking at my calendar I saw that the day before I had my big strength drop was the day after I got a flu shot. From what I read about this syndrome on the Mayo Clinic’s site viruses will trigger it, along with stress, over exertion and fasting. So that answered that question. It’s just taking time to recover.

Tuesday’s resistance workout was on the down side, I could get out 8 reps instead of the 12 or 13 I was doing. I’ll see how it goes tomorrow. If this evening is an indicator I should get out more than 8 reps.

I didn’t take the hand weights, whether they’re a factor or not,  but my time  was 20:23 this evening.  Seven seconds under Friday’s.  I’ll just keep at it. I should keep a diary of some kind to see if I can pinpoint what triggers this stuff.

I ordered the TNT cables from Lifelineusa today. They are a foot longer than bodylastics and I can use them in exercises like the squat/ press, and standing shoulder presses. I’m mainly interested in their workouts. I ordered the deluxe set to get the DVD with beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises. Because they are more geared towards functional fitness I’m hoping the exercises are more compound movements. I want to shift to a strength and endurance workout next month. I’m going to be putting on winter weight and an aggressive compound exercise routine may be the ticket to fight it.

An uneventful night. Condition wise it was great. Slightly cool and starry. Time wise it was a disaster, 20:30. I was tired before I went out, with some abdominal discomfort, two of my liver thing acting up signs. Which it may be. I’m also thinking about the hand weights. I started them a bit sooner than I should have, but I rationalized that they are only 1 lb. each. The directions are to add them when you are consistently at or under 20 min. I added them as soon as I hit it. I don’t doubt more energy is used up using them. I definitely sweat more. Monday is another day. I’ll have 2 days off to rest. I’ll not use the hand weights and see what happens.

With the strength band and expander workouts I really worked to hit my present rep range in the last workout. This all could be my liver thing. I’m more determined to not let it get to me and press on with everything. I’ll keep at it, and take my progress as it comes. Next month I’m going to make the workout more strength and endurance driven. I’ll do 20 reps for everything but legs where I’ll do 25-30 reps. I may have hit a plateau too and need a change.

Yogi Berra said it so well. Once again 9:59 at the 1/2 mile, finish 20:06. I did commit the big no no of forgetting to warm up before I walked. I was in a rush because I wanted to watch the CMAs tonight. Poor excuse, but it’s the truth.

Tonight was almost a carbon copy of Friday. I was at 9:59 at the 1/2 mile, final time 20:03, just like Friday. I can see getting to a 19 min. mile will be tougher than getting to 20.

Saturday’s resistance workout was one of those. For the most part I was one rep under what I was doing.  It was probably a liver deal. Time drop in the mile, rep drop in the workout. I’m glad I keep a log. I’ll be able to track this all and see what type of pattern emerges.  Just knowing about it helps me understand it though. I just have to remain consistent  and keep working through it.  It’ll be interesting to see what tomorrow’s workout will be like.

This evening was the first power walk with the 1 lb. dumbbells. It was done in 20:03.  I had a good time at the half mile, 9:58, but ran out of gas in the last half. Still my time wasn’t bad.  The next immediate goal is to get under 19 min.  I’m pleased with my progress to date.

The light dumbbells add a new element. It will give some extra upper body work and burn some more calories. I think I could have got a 2 lb. set instead, but I’ll use these for a week or two and then increase. I feel alright now, but I might have some minor soreness in the morning. Twenty minutes of a continuous motion with a weight, even a light one, worked the muscles more than what no weight did.

All in all it was a good night for a walk. The stars were out, including the Pleiades, and a nice, brisk temperature.

I really appreciate the way the 2 companies that make the equipment I use design their products. When it comes to a more precise method of 1-2 lb. increments bodylastics are the best. I’ve found that I can do 5 lb. increases much like I could with dumbbells. Actually the strength bands and chest expander both work a lot like dumbbells. Many of the exercises mimic dumbbell exercises. Both, to one degree or another, can also be used like wall pulley systems too. The chest expander (cables), I use from lifelineusa go up in 10 lb. increments.

I’ve been following the Reg Park Cable Course. Reg Park, John Grimek, Joe Bonomo, Earl Liederman, Charles Atlas, believe it or not, all used chest expanders. I improvise with some of the exercises, and add squats, crunches and chest presses to make it a whole body workout. Reg Park recommended starting with 6-8 reps and building up to 15, then add a cable and start again. It is a one set system. In "Building the Classic Physique the Natural Way" Steve Reeves recommends us O50 types to do one set too going from 12-15 reps.  When you can do 16 add resistance and start again.

Because the bodylastics are easier to add resistance with I can usually start with 12 reps after increases in resistance. With the 10 lb. jump with the cables I usually have to start with 6 or 8 reps.

When I followed this type of progressive resistance in the Spring I made some nice strength gains and toned up more. So far now in the Fall it seems to be repeating. The stronger bands are making the rep gains more difficult, so instead of adding a rep a week, it can take up to 2 weeks. I really try to stick with Steve Reeves’ advice of perfect form, and the last rep should be difficult, but still done in good form. No cheating.

It took me a while to experiment with different training systems, and the one I’m presently following seems to be working pretty well for the goals I’m working for. It took a while to develop a feel for working out with the elastics, but it has been worth it. I trust them now, I’m seeing strength gains and changes in my physique. They travel well too. I don’t need a gym.