I started a new workout for the month of May. It’s an upper back workout designed to work the smaller supportive muscles required to build bigger arms and shoulders. It’s part of the Men’s Health 2009 Poster Series, so I want to wait until the next issue before posting full details of the workout. I’m also keeping up with my running routine. Although I haven’t been keeping a regular schedule, I’m trying to run as much as possible (I’m teetering on the edge of shin splints).
Posts Tagged: Workout Routines
My New Workout Routine: Navy SEAL PT
I’ve started doing a Navy SEAL calisthenic workout routine that takes about 60 minutes and consists of a warm-up, various types of pull-ups, dips, various types of pushups, various ab exercises, a very tough lying neck rotation exercise, and finally lunges, calf raises, and 250 squats.
The only thing I can keep up with is the warm-up, pull-ups, and leg exercises. However, after two weeks I’m definitely seeing huge improvement. I do this workout three days a week and mix in 4-mile, 35-40 min cardio sessions in-between.
I’ve never done this much running before (15 – 20 miles a week) and my calves and knees are still adjusting to all the pounding on the treadmill. I’m ignoring the pain, but I need to be careful not to injure myself (I’m crazy enough to push myself to the point of injury; I’ve done it before).
I rarely feel the need for inspiration when it comes to fitness, but the Navy SEALs have given me a benchmark from which I can compare my own fitness. In fact, after reading so much about them the past few weeks I have undergone some profound changes mentally. But I’ll leave that for a separate post. :)
Starting the P90X Workout Routine
A few days ago a friend told me he was starting the P90X workout program. (I remembered seeing an infomercial for P90X and thinking it would be an interesting routine to try, but I knew nothing would convince me to buy something I saw on an infomercial.) I’ve always used my own self-designed programs or followed 30-day workout routines that I find in health magazines. However, it’s a new year and I need a new routine.
When I inquired how much he paid, he said he downloaded the entire thing free. Doh! Why didn’t I think of that!? A quick search of mininova.org and a day’s worth of downloading later and I have 4gb of videos and the entire P90X program on my laptop.
Having a workout routine (any routine, really) is important to maintaining a consistent level of difficulty and for maintaining consistency. The P90X routine has a lot of variety, including things like yoga, kenpo, and plyometrics, so I’m going to stick with it for the next 90 days. I strongly agree with the methodology it preaches: constant changes in the workouts are necessary to keep your body constantly adapting and growing. I just finished the Back & Chest + Abs routine and all I can say is wow. I can already feel the results just from the first workout!
Started running again
I had a good workout tonight. I felt energized as ever, which I’m crediting to my high complex carbohydrate intake throughout the day (whole wheat pasta with my own sauce (fresh onion and mushroom)).
I also decided to start running again and ended todays workout with a 15 minute interval circuit:
15 Minute Interval Circuit
00:00 – 5 mph warm up
02:00 – 9 mph sprint
02:30 – 7 mph run
03:30 – 9 mph sprint
04:00 – 7 mph run
05:00 – 9 mph sprint
05:30 – 7 mph run
06:30 – 8 mph sprint (tired as hell!)
07:00 – 7 mph run
08:00 – 8 mph sprint
08:30 – 7 mph run
09:30 – 9 mph sprint
10:00 – 7 mph run
11:00 – 9 mph sprint
11:30 – 7 mph run
12:00 – 6 mph cool down
13:00 – 5 mph cool down
14:00 – 4 mph cool down
15:00 – end
It’s really amazing how long 15 minutes seems when you’re enduring such physical stress, and as much as I wanted to stop, I kept telling myself to overcome the pain. I’m glad I did, because I felt good afterwards.
There’s a sense of accomplishment I feel after completing a tough workout. Even if I’ve had a very unproductive day, finishing it with a tough workout would make the entire day seem worth it. A tough workout is also an excellent stress releaser — no matter how hard my day was, finishing it with a good workout makes me feel as if I could start the whole day over, and go through it all over again.
Bodybuilding on a Vegan Diet
It’s been about six weeks since I last worked out regularly. I have no excuses. For the past two months I have been vegan (no meat, fish, poultry or dairy) with the exception of occasional dairy (cheese/whey). I feel a lot healthier without any dairy in my system, however the vegan diet has dramatically decreased my protein intake. I feel as though I’ve lost a ton of muscle mass in the past six weeks — but after checking the scale, I believe it’s mostly a psychological effect. I’m still 164.2lbs and 13.5% BF — not at all much different than six weeks ago. Still, I feel physically weaker (again, could be psychological!).
I haven’t done any research on vegan bodybuilding, but I know there are successful vegan bodybuilders out there, so it can be done. My brother has done considerable research on the topic and he says there isn’t much scientific information available. I’m going to spend at least the next two months concentrating on my workouts and seeing what results I can obtain while on a vegan diet.
The workout routine I’m doing is the same routine I started back in June. It’s designed to build muscle, while keeping your metabolism fired up by varying the exercises and hitting many different muscle groups in each workout. There are four parts to the routine which are completed in a single week, with the first half completed back to back (A and B), then a days rest, and then the second half back to back (C and D). I’m using the same weights as I was in June, however I will probably increase the weight over the next two months. To save you from having to view the old posts, I’ll copy the workouts here:
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Workout A (Monday)
Bench Press, 3 sets, 5 reps, 170 LBS
Dumbbell Row, 3 sets, 6 reps, 45 LBS
Dumbbell Bench Press, 4 sets, 8 reps, 50 LBS
Snatch-Grip Barbell Row, 4 sets, 8 reps, 90 LBS
Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 40 LBS
Dumbbell External Rotation, 3 sets, 10 reps, 8 LBS
Workout B (Tuesday)
Squat, 3 sets, 6 reps, 100 LBS
Rear-delt Raise, 3 sets, 10 reps, 20 LBS
Romanian Deadlift, 4 sets, 8 reps, 100 LBS
Dumbbell Split Squat, 4 sets, 8 reps 35 LBS
Swiss Ball Jackknife, 3 sets, 10 reps
Bicycle Crunches, 3 sets, 50 reps
Swiss Ball Rollout, 3 sets, 10 reps
Workout C (Thursday)
Pullup, 4 sets, 8 reps
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press, 4 sets, 8 reps, 45 LBS
Weighted Chinup, 3 sets, 5 reps, 16 LBS
Lateral Raise, 3 sets, 8 reps, 25 LBS
Bench Press, 3 sets, 6 reps, 160 LBS
Barbell Curl, 3 sets, 8 reps, 50 LBS
Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extention, 3 sets, 8. reps, 30 LBS 30 LBS
Incline Dumbbell Curl, 3 sets, 12 reps, 20 LBS
Workout D (Friday)
Deadlift, 3 sets, 6 reps, 140 LBS
Side Plank, 3 sets, 20 second hold
Front Squat, 4 sets, 8 reps, 60 LBS
Good Morning, 4 sets, 8 reps, 60 LBS
Overhead Squat, 3 sets, 5 reps, 30 LBS
Calf Raise, 3 sets, 10 reps, 35 LBS
Swiss Ball Curl Up, 3 sets, 15 reps
I’m reading a really good book right now called Pain Free, by Pete Egoscue. It contains exercises designed to get your body back into it’s correct alignment and function. I’m starting to incorporate the exercises into my morning yoga routine. I’ll write a review of the book once I’ve given the exercises some time.
