Another day at the gym and I hooked myself back up to the heart rate monitor.
Warm up on the rowing machine. 5 minutes.
Seated arm curls with the dumbbells. 3 sets of 15 reps. 7.5kgs. A month or so ago I was struggling with this weight but it seemed pretty acceptable last night.
Seated dips. An old exercise, and the one I am blaming for my shoulder injury. I am back up to 36kgs in 3 sets of 15 and am feeling a lot more confident and happy to do this now.
Concentrated curls on the cable machine. Hard exercise this one. The cable is set at ground level and I stand sideways onto it, pulling the cable across my body. My hand starts at my side and ends near my shoulder. This works the biceps and pectoral muscles. 3 sets of 15 at 2kgs for each arm. I think my last set I couldn’t do any more than 12 reps though.
Tricep pull down on the cable machine with the rope. This time the cable is set at high level with the rope handle (instead of the metal one). With my arms at my side I pull the rope down and when my arms are fully extended I twist my wrists out. 3 sets of 15 at 5kgs. Again, pretty tough with the last set I stopped short of the 15 reps.
Cardio. 30 minutes increasing the elevation every 5 minutes. Fitness Stu came in to see how I was getting on while I was sweating my way through this. I think he was thought I was slacking as he was going to increase the speed but seemed happy that I was pushing hard.
We had a bit of a chat about running (my half of the conversation populated with huffs and puffs) and Fitness Stu told me that road running was a better way to prepare for a half marathon and would get me fitter quicker because the treadmill doesn’t use the same muscles. Fitness Stu hasn’t let me down yet, so I’m going to slot in some street running into my exercising as soon as I can.
I finished the 30 minutes with relative ease this time, I think the ten minute chat distracted me so I didn’t end up watching the clock for 30 minutes thinking about the pain.
There was some hurt though, my calves are wrecked again.
I went for a swim for 15 minutes again but was hungry and not in the mood so I called it a day.
My heart rate monitor peaked at 170bpm when I was at full tilt on the treadmill and it averaged 138bpm over the 75 minutes I was in the gym.
I’m going to have a rest day today as I am cream crackered. Though I have a few moments ago been reminded that Nigel will be at the gym today, and will be missing out on a joint training session. Buggerit.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Monday 12/01/09
I’m not going to bring home that exercise card after all. If I do, I will leave it at work or somewhere and then forget what I need to do the next day. Instead I am going to try and remember the names for the exercises that I have done instead.
I dabbled with the upper body exercises last week, doing them a little bit out of order and was just getting used to them. This week I decided to start from the top.
Warm up, 5 minutes on the rowing machine. Piece of cake, just a bit dull.
Lat pull down with inverted grip. This is similar to the lat pull downs that I have been doing to date but my grip is closer together and turned around so that my palms are facing me to work different muscles. 39kgs. 3 sets of 15 reps.
Cable row. This is a cool exercise that works the back muscles. With the cable pulley at the bottom of the machine, I sit facing it and pull the weighted cable toward me until I finish with my elbows at my side. 70kgs, 3 sets of 15.
I was supposed to do some erector spinae exercises on the ball, but it was pretty crowded over in that corner and I wasn’t very good at that exercise, I am going to secretly practice this one at home before I unleash my technique at the gym, so I skipped it.
Cardio. 30 minutes, 7.2 mph. I increased the incline angle by 1 every five minutes. Until the last ten minutes where I dropped the incline to 0 and I walked out the last 3 minutes.
This is killing me. I need to keep running if I am going to do this half marathon in March and I’m sure that in a few weeks time 30 minutes will be a doddle but today my calves are wrecked and I have a killer blister on my right foot. It is a big compound blister which I am sure has other smaller blisters underneath it.
After that I swam as usual. Not for very long, only about 10 – 15 minutes but it was a good low impact warm down.
I’m back to the gym again tonight, and if the weather continues to improve am thinking about going for a run and/or kayak in the real world again over the weekend.
I dabbled with the upper body exercises last week, doing them a little bit out of order and was just getting used to them. This week I decided to start from the top.
Warm up, 5 minutes on the rowing machine. Piece of cake, just a bit dull.
Lat pull down with inverted grip. This is similar to the lat pull downs that I have been doing to date but my grip is closer together and turned around so that my palms are facing me to work different muscles. 39kgs. 3 sets of 15 reps.
Cable row. This is a cool exercise that works the back muscles. With the cable pulley at the bottom of the machine, I sit facing it and pull the weighted cable toward me until I finish with my elbows at my side. 70kgs, 3 sets of 15.
I was supposed to do some erector spinae exercises on the ball, but it was pretty crowded over in that corner and I wasn’t very good at that exercise, I am going to secretly practice this one at home before I unleash my technique at the gym, so I skipped it.
Cardio. 30 minutes, 7.2 mph. I increased the incline angle by 1 every five minutes. Until the last ten minutes where I dropped the incline to 0 and I walked out the last 3 minutes.
This is killing me. I need to keep running if I am going to do this half marathon in March and I’m sure that in a few weeks time 30 minutes will be a doddle but today my calves are wrecked and I have a killer blister on my right foot. It is a big compound blister which I am sure has other smaller blisters underneath it.
After that I swam as usual. Not for very long, only about 10 – 15 minutes but it was a good low impact warm down.
I’m back to the gym again tonight, and if the weather continues to improve am thinking about going for a run and/or kayak in the real world again over the weekend.
Monday, 12 January 2009
Weekend training
I ache today. I really do, this is the ache I suffered when I first started training, every muscle group feels bruised.
I didn’t remember to pick up my exercise card on Saturday so I am still going to be vague about what I actually did. There are so many things I now do I can’t remember what I did, all I know is that it is hard.
Fitness Stu has split the routine into bits and pieces. The warm up, the abs exercises and the cardio bit I am to do each time I go to the gym, and then the upper body exercises are broken into three days of work, each working a different muscle set and gives the muscles a chance to recover.
Friday night Nigel and I hit the gym and it was my first go at the new routine. 8 minutes on the rowing machine to warm up, followed by assorted (and still unnamed) upper body exercises, followed by the cardio bit.
The cardio bit as I have already mentioned is 30 minutes on the treadmill at 7.2mph. Every five minutes I add to the incline until the last ten minutes where I am at incline 4 (whatever that means. I think it might be a 1 in 4 gradient but I’m not sure.) And this is killing me. First 10 minutes is fine, second 10 is hard and I can feel my legs and chest heaving and the last 10 is agony.
But I faired a little better than Nigel. After finishing his routine of weights and things I still had 20 minutes to run on the treadmill so he hopped up onto the machine next to mine and programmed in 20 minutes of his own. He went for interval training at a hearty 7.5 mph. five and a half minutes later Nigel had to stop, clutching his chest, all red and sweaty. After a few minutes breather he gamely started again though this time at a polite jog of 6mph.
Nigel accepted that it was the cigarettes that saw him stop, he is also making noises about how he will quit someday. He also admitted that he had held off sending in his application for the upcoming half marathon because he wasn’t sure he could run the distance.
Finished off the session with a swim and a steam in the steam room.
And then on Saturday after shopping for some new sports clothes, I did the same again accompanied by the wife this time. Nigel too was training.
Long story short.
Warm up, some upper body exercises followed by cardio and a swim, followed by being knackered.
Sunday I had the day off, and I truly needed it. I still ache now. We shall see how well I do at going each and every night this week. I might end up having a rest day just because I am so tired.
I didn’t remember to pick up my exercise card on Saturday so I am still going to be vague about what I actually did. There are so many things I now do I can’t remember what I did, all I know is that it is hard.
Fitness Stu has split the routine into bits and pieces. The warm up, the abs exercises and the cardio bit I am to do each time I go to the gym, and then the upper body exercises are broken into three days of work, each working a different muscle set and gives the muscles a chance to recover.
Friday night Nigel and I hit the gym and it was my first go at the new routine. 8 minutes on the rowing machine to warm up, followed by assorted (and still unnamed) upper body exercises, followed by the cardio bit.
The cardio bit as I have already mentioned is 30 minutes on the treadmill at 7.2mph. Every five minutes I add to the incline until the last ten minutes where I am at incline 4 (whatever that means. I think it might be a 1 in 4 gradient but I’m not sure.) And this is killing me. First 10 minutes is fine, second 10 is hard and I can feel my legs and chest heaving and the last 10 is agony.
But I faired a little better than Nigel. After finishing his routine of weights and things I still had 20 minutes to run on the treadmill so he hopped up onto the machine next to mine and programmed in 20 minutes of his own. He went for interval training at a hearty 7.5 mph. five and a half minutes later Nigel had to stop, clutching his chest, all red and sweaty. After a few minutes breather he gamely started again though this time at a polite jog of 6mph.
Nigel accepted that it was the cigarettes that saw him stop, he is also making noises about how he will quit someday. He also admitted that he had held off sending in his application for the upcoming half marathon because he wasn’t sure he could run the distance.
Finished off the session with a swim and a steam in the steam room.
And then on Saturday after shopping for some new sports clothes, I did the same again accompanied by the wife this time. Nigel too was training.
Long story short.
Warm up, some upper body exercises followed by cardio and a swim, followed by being knackered.
Sunday I had the day off, and I truly needed it. I still ache now. We shall see how well I do at going each and every night this week. I might end up having a rest day just because I am so tired.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Week 15
First week back felt quite positive even if I didn’t actually manage to go to the gym every single night as I declared I would. Nigel made a showing too and hopefully both of us will now increase our effort to prepare for the race.
Monday. No gym.
Tuesday. Hardwork session burning off the Christmas calories.
Wednesday. Learned some new moves. I didn’t actually get very much done in the way of exercise but am now furnished with a wide range of exercises to take this training forward.
Thursday. Night in with the wife.
Friday. Off to the gym again, but hasn’t happened yet so won’t crow on about it.
Sessions per week ratio.
Owain SPW = 2.67
Gym 33 kayaking 4 other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.27
Gym 16 kayaking 2 other 1
Monday. No gym.
Tuesday. Hardwork session burning off the Christmas calories.
Wednesday. Learned some new moves. I didn’t actually get very much done in the way of exercise but am now furnished with a wide range of exercises to take this training forward.
Thursday. Night in with the wife.
Friday. Off to the gym again, but hasn’t happened yet so won’t crow on about it.
Sessions per week ratio.
Owain SPW = 2.67
Gym 33 kayaking 4 other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.27
Gym 16 kayaking 2 other 1
Thursday, 8 January 2009
So many machines.
Nigel was at the gym with me last night. This was the first time since before Christmas that we were both there and it was good motivation again. Hopefully his workload will give more nights off now.
Anyway, I have a new plan. I saw Fitness Stu yesterday to revise my training regime to keep me progressing in the right direction last night.
We had a bit of a chat first so that he could get an idea if the goals I am aiming for have changed and to get an idea of how well things have progressed to date. The only new things are that I am now also training for a couple of half marathons this year and that I am planning on hitting the gym every day.
The new plan has been broken down into 3 separate days of exercises, to ensure that muscle groups get a rest and last night basically comprised of Fitness Stu showing me how to use lots of machines. The gym was packed (with new year resolutions) so there are still some things Fitness Stu wants to show me becuase we couldn't get on the weights benches, I will be seeing him again on Saturday to finish off the program.
I would love to be able to tell you what I get to do in the gym now but I have to be honest I can’t really remember everything, there were so many different exercises, so after the plan is finished on Saturday I will nab my card so I can give a full rundown here.
Basically though, a gym session is going to be broken down into the warm up, various upper body exercises, and then a cardio stint. The warm up will be 5 – 8 minutes on the rower. The upper body exercises I can’t remember at the moment but it involves quite a lot on the cable machine, and then cardio is 30 minutes at 7.2mph on the treadmill set to manual and I am to increase the incline every 10 minutes.
That cardio bit will be hard, but I need it to be because today I have put my name down for two different half marathons. Spurred on by my dads training to run the Ironbridge half marathon I have sent off my application form for that event, and then as I was that way inclined I filled out the ballot for the Great North half marathon too.
Marathon running goals are simple. For the Ironbridge half I intend to finish the thing. I’m not aiming for any particular time or place other than to get round the course before the marshals go home. And they go home after 2 hours and 45 minutes. So as long as I am able to maintain a little over 5mph for the duration I am good.
For the Great North I have declared that I will complete the race in under 2 and a half hours. As my starting position in the melee at the beginning of the race is determined by my guestimated time, my goal for the Great North is to finish sub 2 and a half hours. Easy.
There will be no gym today due to other things planned but will be back at it on Friday.
Anyway, I have a new plan. I saw Fitness Stu yesterday to revise my training regime to keep me progressing in the right direction last night.
We had a bit of a chat first so that he could get an idea if the goals I am aiming for have changed and to get an idea of how well things have progressed to date. The only new things are that I am now also training for a couple of half marathons this year and that I am planning on hitting the gym every day.
The new plan has been broken down into 3 separate days of exercises, to ensure that muscle groups get a rest and last night basically comprised of Fitness Stu showing me how to use lots of machines. The gym was packed (with new year resolutions) so there are still some things Fitness Stu wants to show me becuase we couldn't get on the weights benches, I will be seeing him again on Saturday to finish off the program.
I would love to be able to tell you what I get to do in the gym now but I have to be honest I can’t really remember everything, there were so many different exercises, so after the plan is finished on Saturday I will nab my card so I can give a full rundown here.
Basically though, a gym session is going to be broken down into the warm up, various upper body exercises, and then a cardio stint. The warm up will be 5 – 8 minutes on the rower. The upper body exercises I can’t remember at the moment but it involves quite a lot on the cable machine, and then cardio is 30 minutes at 7.2mph on the treadmill set to manual and I am to increase the incline every 10 minutes.
That cardio bit will be hard, but I need it to be because today I have put my name down for two different half marathons. Spurred on by my dads training to run the Ironbridge half marathon I have sent off my application form for that event, and then as I was that way inclined I filled out the ballot for the Great North half marathon too.
Marathon running goals are simple. For the Ironbridge half I intend to finish the thing. I’m not aiming for any particular time or place other than to get round the course before the marshals go home. And they go home after 2 hours and 45 minutes. So as long as I am able to maintain a little over 5mph for the duration I am good.
For the Great North I have declared that I will complete the race in under 2 and a half hours. As my starting position in the melee at the beginning of the race is determined by my guestimated time, my goal for the Great North is to finish sub 2 and a half hours. Easy.
There will be no gym today due to other things planned but will be back at it on Friday.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
first session of 09
This new and vigorous start to 2009 did not start too well. Monday night the wife had car troubles and I had to pick her up. So I started the new year on Tuesday instead.
I watched with a little bit of dismay through Christmas that my newly defined lines of muscle slipping back behind a layer of fat. No exercise and too much food and drink will do that apparently. I decided that the first thing I am going to have to do is burn that off before I get back into the routine so a cardio blitz was planned.
This was also my first real play with the heart rate monitor and my new iPod (with scientifically created music). I set off on the treadmill interval training. 7.2mph and for the first time managed to sustain that speed for the duration, this new level of endurance I will attribute to science music!
Heart rate very quickly made its way up to 140bpm and never dropped below that for the duration. For the three peaks in the interval routine where there is the most effort that is sustained for 90 seconds, my heart rate made its way to 175bpm.
After that I went straight across to the cross trainer and went for it. 20 minutes of intervals at level 8. Heart rate was sustained at over 150bpm for the duration and the 3 peaks of high effort I hit 180bpm.
To find out what all those beats mean, and if my work rate is any good I turned to the internet.
When at rest the average male should have a heart rate of about 70, which in my initial mucking about with the monitor that seemed to be about where I am, and then according to the Fox and Haskell formula on heart rates I was at the upper end of aerobic training for the duration of the exercise session with 6 bursts of anaerobic exercise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise Reading around the subject a little bit, this combination seems to be a good thing.
After all of that I went for a bit of a swim. I was crowded out of the pool after about 15 minutes but I was pretty happy with my first effort of the year.
I have booked a session with fitness Stu for Wednesday night to get a whole new plan. I have told him of my new goal to go to the gym every night and that I could do with two different plans to alternate each day with. I will report back tomorrow.
I watched with a little bit of dismay through Christmas that my newly defined lines of muscle slipping back behind a layer of fat. No exercise and too much food and drink will do that apparently. I decided that the first thing I am going to have to do is burn that off before I get back into the routine so a cardio blitz was planned.
This was also my first real play with the heart rate monitor and my new iPod (with scientifically created music). I set off on the treadmill interval training. 7.2mph and for the first time managed to sustain that speed for the duration, this new level of endurance I will attribute to science music!
Heart rate very quickly made its way up to 140bpm and never dropped below that for the duration. For the three peaks in the interval routine where there is the most effort that is sustained for 90 seconds, my heart rate made its way to 175bpm.
After that I went straight across to the cross trainer and went for it. 20 minutes of intervals at level 8. Heart rate was sustained at over 150bpm for the duration and the 3 peaks of high effort I hit 180bpm.
To find out what all those beats mean, and if my work rate is any good I turned to the internet.
When at rest the average male should have a heart rate of about 70, which in my initial mucking about with the monitor that seemed to be about where I am, and then according to the Fox and Haskell formula on heart rates I was at the upper end of aerobic training for the duration of the exercise session with 6 bursts of anaerobic exercise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise Reading around the subject a little bit, this combination seems to be a good thing.
After all of that I went for a bit of a swim. I was crowded out of the pool after about 15 minutes but I was pretty happy with my first effort of the year.
I have booked a session with fitness Stu for Wednesday night to get a whole new plan. I have told him of my new goal to go to the gym every night and that I could do with two different plans to alternate each day with. I will report back tomorrow.
Monday, 5 January 2009
End of year report
Happy New Year to you all. I’m back at a computer and I have loads of things I want to rattle on about today.
Firstly I have a couple of end of week reports that need catching up on.
Week 13
Shocking week. I managed to go to the gym for my last best effort on the Sunday. And then I failed wholeheartedly to go again.
I believe that Nigel also made it to the gym once this week.
Week 14.
I went to the gym twice. Both were lack lustre efforts. And that was it for 11 days off from work, I managed barely two training days.
Owain SPW = 2.71
Gym 31 kayaking 4 other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.28
Gym 15 kayaking 2 other 1
Christmas break was disastrous for my training. I ate and drank to excess, I barely went to the gym, and when I did go I had no motivation because I wanted to be at home eating and drinking to excess.
So here I am in January with big plans to up the training rate with a visit to the gym every day. I will cycle through the muscle groups and CV work so that the different muscles will still get rest.
As a Christmas present, the wife got me the Devises to Westminster handbook. It’s filled with loads of really useful information on this race and is going to take some reading to digest, it is pretty daunting what we need to do to be in a position to take part in the race, let alone competing in the race itself.
Recommended training seems to comprise of spending hours in the boat, preferably on stretches of the course. Two problems with this, we don’t have a boat, and the course is 150 miles away. First mission of 2009 is to get a boat.
Plans to run a half marathon as part of the training continue. My dad has given this idea a kick firmly in the right direction by pointing out to me a half marathon that is nearby to be held in March. http://www.telfordharriers.co.uk/ironbridge.html. My dad has started training for this race and I think it will be pretty cool to race with him, so I am going to be sticking my name down for this one.
I am a real technophile and am in the process of surrounding myself with gadgets to aid my training. Another present from the missus was a new iPod (replacing the one that did a turn in the washing machine) and onto this I have downloaded an hour long training music track which is designed to regulate the heart rate and to give a perception of less effort using the bpm of the cleverly mixed tracks. I have also sourced a heart rate monitor so that I can effectively get my cardio vascular training into the “Zone”.
So that’s me at the end of 2008. Training is going to continue in earnest. 14 weeks completed 64 weeks to go.
Firstly I have a couple of end of week reports that need catching up on.
Week 13
Shocking week. I managed to go to the gym for my last best effort on the Sunday. And then I failed wholeheartedly to go again.
I believe that Nigel also made it to the gym once this week.
Week 14.
I went to the gym twice. Both were lack lustre efforts. And that was it for 11 days off from work, I managed barely two training days.
Owain SPW = 2.71
Gym 31 kayaking 4 other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.28
Gym 15 kayaking 2 other 1
Christmas break was disastrous for my training. I ate and drank to excess, I barely went to the gym, and when I did go I had no motivation because I wanted to be at home eating and drinking to excess.
So here I am in January with big plans to up the training rate with a visit to the gym every day. I will cycle through the muscle groups and CV work so that the different muscles will still get rest.
As a Christmas present, the wife got me the Devises to Westminster handbook. It’s filled with loads of really useful information on this race and is going to take some reading to digest, it is pretty daunting what we need to do to be in a position to take part in the race, let alone competing in the race itself.
Recommended training seems to comprise of spending hours in the boat, preferably on stretches of the course. Two problems with this, we don’t have a boat, and the course is 150 miles away. First mission of 2009 is to get a boat.
Plans to run a half marathon as part of the training continue. My dad has given this idea a kick firmly in the right direction by pointing out to me a half marathon that is nearby to be held in March. http://www.telfordharriers.co.uk/ironbridge.html. My dad has started training for this race and I think it will be pretty cool to race with him, so I am going to be sticking my name down for this one.
I am a real technophile and am in the process of surrounding myself with gadgets to aid my training. Another present from the missus was a new iPod (replacing the one that did a turn in the washing machine) and onto this I have downloaded an hour long training music track which is designed to regulate the heart rate and to give a perception of less effort using the bpm of the cleverly mixed tracks. I have also sourced a heart rate monitor so that I can effectively get my cardio vascular training into the “Zone”.
So that’s me at the end of 2008. Training is going to continue in earnest. 14 weeks completed 64 weeks to go.
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