Wednesday means leg day and this Wednesday I completed my first leg workout of 2013. I normally look at my workout chart after completing my workout to have an idea of what the next day's workout will be. I did not on yesterday. I design my workout cycles to include 3 workouts for each body part. These workouts are performed twice during the entire entire six-week cycle. The second time they are performed, during the second half of the workout cycle, there may be an increase in reps, time in position, or resistance, but the workout contains the same exercises. The three workouts also vary in their intensity and I spread it around so as not to entirely burn myself out during the week. I was thinking I was getting away with one of the "easier" of my three leg workouts and found out that it was the workout with those squat thrusts and quad squats (3 sets of 35 of each exercise wearing 20 pound weighted vest) and consider this briefest of all my leg workouts on paper to my toughest. I absolutely HATE those exercises and NOW the five sets of 40 yard traveling lunges that I do as part of every leg workout when I complete my 3-mile interval run. Why then do I do these exercises? Because they are effective! And while I am still less than pleased with my legs, I have gotten enough positive feedback about them to know I need to keep doing what I am doing! LOL! That is part of this whole fitness thing, doing what is necessary and sometimes uncomfortable to get the results you want. Right now, the quads are aching and I am fighting the urge to get the "old folks" rub! However, I am satisfied that the legs had a very good workout. As far as the traveling lunges, I was searching for new leg exercises, and got the idea to use them when I found a YouTube video of Cedric McMillan doing them. Of course he, being the beast that he is, was doing them while carrying an Olympic barbell loaded with 45 pound plates! LOL! My next "tiny" goal is to do them wearing my 20 pound weighted vest! Nevertheless, my working a bit harder on my legs has led to my starting to recover muscle mass all over. So it is worth the effort.

As soon as I finished my workout, I was in the house for a shower and then out the door with my stepfather for some errands, shopping, and most particularly, to look at that zero turn lawn mower. So I got in a second leg workout since he sat in the car and I did the walking around. I notice that as my folks get older, that they seem to "enjoy" riding and are very satisfied to sit in the car and allow you to pick up what they need. Given the type of days we live in, I would much prefer that not to be the case. I encourage them as much as possible to get out and walk around. Incidentally, as soon as I laid eyes on that zero turn riding mower, I KNEW it was not for us! LOL! What an AWESOME piece of equipment, 50 inch cut, comfortable cushy seat, etc., etc. BUT $6,200! No doubt we will be on another trip soon looking for a riding mower.

Tomorrow is ab day. Hopefully, my more careful attention to diet will get them crisp(er) and clean(er) looking over the next few days. I want to start getting myself ready for this transformation contest. As I have mentioned earlier, I need to find some new challenges that will help keep me from slipping into complacency and mediocrity. I am actually getting excited about this transformation challenge because I know once I start something, I see it through and want to see it done to the best of my abilities. The other challenge is to make sure that I am pushing myself enough to achieve solid results without re-injuring my arm and shoulder. Although I have certainly added some of the pre-injury rigor back to my workouts, I must say that they are still, in many ways a shadow of what they were. I am confident that I can still kick up the workouts a notch and stay healthy.

Hope everyone is having a great HUMP DAY, and in some of your cases, return back to work and school day! Enjoy your Wednesday night!

Here is what I did today:

• 3 x 35 of those Squat Thrusts with 20-pound weighted vest
  
• 3 x 35 of those Quad Squats with 20-pound weighted vest
  
• Stretching Regimen
  
• CARDIO:
  
• 3-Mile Interval Run with the following integrated:
  
• 5 x 1-Minute Rope Jumping
  
• 5 x 40 Yard Traveling Lunges
  
• 5 x 40 Yard Bounds