So today, nothing massive, but a good strength workout.
4 mins of Burpees as
20 secs on, 10 secs off.
5 x 6, 60 secs rest
Power Cleans - 60kg
5 x 8
Deadlift - 70kg
3 x 10, 25kg db
Single Arm Row
Super slow Press Ups
5 mins of various plank, abs and core holds.
Evening, a good session of Forest Fit, plenty of quality exercises.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Saturday Ride
Out today for an easy 50. No strength work, rest the body.
The sun is shining and the forecast is rubbish for tomorrow, so ride while I can. I'm getting soft in my older age! Not going out any more in all weathers, far too sensible!
The sun is shining and the forecast is rubbish for tomorrow, so ride while I can. I'm getting soft in my older age! Not going out any more in all weathers, far too sensible!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Friday
Easy 30 miles on the bike, couple of hills, nothing too taxing, but air temperature down a few degrees, first time for weeks and weeks I had a long sleeve top on, and much needed!
Legs feeling ok, bit tired from deadlifting a fair bit lately but warmed up after 20 miles and felt pretty good. More of the same over the weekend.
Legs feeling ok, bit tired from deadlifting a fair bit lately but warmed up after 20 miles and felt pretty good. More of the same over the weekend.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
300 Thursday
Another variant on the 300 theme, more cardio this week.
Warm up for 10 mins with various light exercises.
50 Burpees
50 Deadlift with 60kg bar
50 bunny hops (both sides of deck as 1 rep, 100 hops)
50 Bag Lifts( 25kg)
50 Press Ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 20kg bell
Time 18' 15"
Cool down jog for 5 mins.
Stretch
Hard going this morning. Press ups were a real struggle. Bag lift is tough, great for grip strength though.
Last night's turbo session
10 min warm up, increasing gears
5 x 30sec hard, 30 sec easy
5 x 2 min hard, 1 min easy
5 x 30 sec hard, 30 sec easy
5 min cool down.
Power output up, strength work having really positive impact on cycling. :)
Warm up for 10 mins with various light exercises.
50 Burpees
50 Deadlift with 60kg bar
50 bunny hops (both sides of deck as 1 rep, 100 hops)
50 Bag Lifts( 25kg)
50 Press Ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 20kg bell
Time 18' 15"
Cool down jog for 5 mins.
Stretch
Hard going this morning. Press ups were a real struggle. Bag lift is tough, great for grip strength though.
Last night's turbo session
10 min warm up, increasing gears
5 x 30sec hard, 30 sec easy
5 x 2 min hard, 1 min easy
5 x 30 sec hard, 30 sec easy
5 min cool down.
Power output up, strength work having really positive impact on cycling. :)
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Workouts for the week
Monday
Warm up with light jog and dynamic stretches, kettlebell swings.
Back focus. Biceps.
5 x 6 reps, 60 secs rest.
Deadlift, 100kg
Single Arm Row, 25kg db, superslow
Then 3(SS) x
10 Rows Ups, Olympic Rings
10 SAR, 20kg KB
10 Bicep curls, barbell, 15kg
with 60 seconds rest between each superset.
Wednesday
All over routine with upper body focus.
Warm up, 5 minutes of skipping.
Then
2 x 10 deadlift with 40kg
2 x 20 kb swings with 20kg bell. 60 secs rest
3 x 6-8 with 90 secs rest
hang clean - 60kg
10 minutes of pressups on Olympic rings, feet on box, low rings, as
10 reps on a minute, should be to fail.
managed 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 5
3 x 10 row ups, 60 secs rest.
As you can see I try to balance out each workout. Back focus Monday, Chest focus Wednesday.
Also Monday, I did a 30 mile bike ride at tempo and then Forest Fit session in the evening.
Wednesday, Forest Fit session in the morning, did workout about an hour after that. Press ups on rings to complete failure, unable to push up from the floor in a regular press up position! Job done!!
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Leg Workout
Lower body workout
5 minute warm up
5 x 6-8 reps, 60 secs rest
Squats, 100kg bar
Step Ups, 2 x 20kg jerry cans
Lunges, 60kg bar
Kettlebell swings(30 swings), 20kg bell
cool down and stretch.
Obviously Kettlebell works upper body as well, but I do this mainly to work glutes, hamstrings and core, finding it balances me out with lunges and squats.
Focus of the session was to work towards going heavy on the squats but being absolutely secure in my form and technique.
5 minute warm up
5 x 6-8 reps, 60 secs rest
Squats, 100kg bar
Step Ups, 2 x 20kg jerry cans
Lunges, 60kg bar
Kettlebell swings(30 swings), 20kg bell
cool down and stretch.
Obviously Kettlebell works upper body as well, but I do this mainly to work glutes, hamstrings and core, finding it balances me out with lunges and squats.
Focus of the session was to work towards going heavy on the squats but being absolutely secure in my form and technique.
Monday, 10 September 2012
Monday routine
So back in the gym this Monday for a strength session. Short set today.
After 10 minutes of various warm up moves and some boxing on the bag:
5 x 6-8 reps. 90 seconds rest between sets.
1. Deadlift 100kg.
2. Bench Press 60kg.
Then:
5 x 60 seconds of bag lifts(25-30kg large army surplus duffle bag(made by me)) - grab bag between legs and from squat start, lift to one shoulder then lower to floor and lift to the other shoulder.
Count the reps for a minute, then rest for minute in between. Knackering!
19, 18, 18, 17, 16
5 minute cool down and stretch.
Nice workout, big compound moves, great for muscle growth and fat burning.
Forest Fit later this evening, leading the session with Charlie, off to find more logs. Will then bike tomorrow and might even venture into the swimming pool which I have not done for an age.
After 10 minutes of various warm up moves and some boxing on the bag:
5 x 6-8 reps. 90 seconds rest between sets.
1. Deadlift 100kg.
2. Bench Press 60kg.
Then:
5 x 60 seconds of bag lifts(25-30kg large army surplus duffle bag(made by me)) - grab bag between legs and from squat start, lift to one shoulder then lower to floor and lift to the other shoulder.
Count the reps for a minute, then rest for minute in between. Knackering!
19, 18, 18, 17, 16
5 minute cool down and stretch.
Nice workout, big compound moves, great for muscle growth and fat burning.
Forest Fit later this evening, leading the session with Charlie, off to find more logs. Will then bike tomorrow and might even venture into the swimming pool which I have not done for an age.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
300 workout
So here it is, my own '300' Workout. Basically 300 reps in a workout.
Essentially you can pick any 6 exercises and do 50 reps of each. Here's my take on it, good mix of strength cardio training.
50 Burpees
50 Chest as ( 2x(10 Bench Press, 5 Press ups), 10 Bench) - 40kg barbell
50 Squats - 40kg barbell on back
50 Sit Ups
50 Single Arm Row - 20kg dumbell, 25 reps each side
50 Kettlebell swings - 20kg bell
Time yourself for the circuit. First attempt was a steady 14' 27". I will try this again next week and try and beat the time.
Essentially you can pick any 6 exercises and do 50 reps of each. Here's my take on it, good mix of strength cardio training.
50 Burpees
50 Chest as ( 2x(10 Bench Press, 5 Press ups), 10 Bench) - 40kg barbell
50 Squats - 40kg barbell on back
50 Sit Ups
50 Single Arm Row - 20kg dumbell, 25 reps each side
50 Kettlebell swings - 20kg bell
Time yourself for the circuit. First attempt was a steady 14' 27". I will try this again next week and try and beat the time.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Training
So, I have been soul searching a bit about my triathlon, racing, training and sport in general. Very uplifted by the Olympic, but lost a bit of motivation for triathlon. Racing is becoming very expensive, and the rewards for competing for top age group finishes continue to be vouchers for a bike shop that I don't use. And I'm not in the market to race for yet another T-shirt and bag of energy gels and powder drinks and discount vouchers for yet more fitness stores.
Like a lot of experienced and competitive age group racers, the incentive to continue racing I am sure is dwindling a little, as the cost of entering events far outweighs the return for finishing. There is obvious personal satisfaction in finishing a race and there is no denying the rewards for that self belief in having performed well. But to pay over £50 for a pool based triathlon, only 400m swim and a short bike and short run, just seems over the top. Which is why I have not raced a great deal this season. And I do miss it, because one very rarely gets the chance to combine all three sports in one session, and the exhilaration of pushing yourself to the finish knowing you have given it everything. But it's all got so very serious, even in the relatively short time I have been involved in the sport. Bike bling and tri-suit porn seem to the be the order of the day, and if you don't turn up to the race with a massive box of all the kit in the shop then there's something wrong! Calf guards and recovery shakes abound, and if I have to ride past a disc wheel again when I'm out on a leisurely Sunday ride, then something needs to be said!
That aside, I have myself been changing the way I train. I am building upper body strength which will transfer to the pool when I feel like getting back into my swimming. I am doing short intense workouts to work at strength and cardio combined and it is having a very positive effect. I have been back into riding and done some more TTs over the last 3-4 weeks, and my riding is returning to form. I lack the motivation a little to do very long rides, but riding for tempo at 2 hours over the Purbecks is again having a good effect when combining it with a solid turbo session and an easy rollers session. As for running I have not stepped out in anger for 3 weeks now! Unheard of. I love running, but not enough it seems! I will return to that soon, but I'm finding the short workouts are much more enjoyable for the time being. Here's an example of the type of session I have been doing.
Warm up with 5 minutes of:
Burpees, Squats, Press ups, Lunges, Step Ups, Plank, Sit ups, Boxing.
Main Set, endurance:
3 x 40 secs with 20 secs rest.
Deadlift, 60kg
Bench Press, 40kg
Bent Over Row, 40kg
Front Squat, 60kg
Military Press, 30kg
Back Squat, 60kg
5 minutes cool down.
Other Session Example:
Complex
After short 5 min warm
5 sets, 5 reps, 60 secs rest between sets. moderate weight, 60-70% of 1RM
Deadlift
Bent Over Row
High Pulls
Front Squat
Shoulder Press
Back Squat
I also do this above routine as a circuit, moving quickly from deadlift to row to pulls etc, which then counts as one rep.
As you can see, my workouts consist of a lot of compound exercises, but those really are the best ones to work the whole of your body and to develop a strong core and condition the body for swimming biking and running, and most other sports for that matter. I also do use kettlebells a lot, again brilliant for both strength and cardio combined.
It's challenging my body differently and keeping me lean, and easier to do 20-30 minutes solid gym work than pound the pavements for 90 minutes! For anyone wanting to get fit or get lean, short intense workouts are the way forward. My bodyfat has dropped from 11% to 9% over the last 4 weeks, purely down the the fact that I have changed my training and am doing shorter sessions with higher intensity. Strength work promotes muscle growth by firing up your testosterone levels, which then gets your metabolism working and then providing you don't stock up on sugary foods, this will burn off your biggest source of energy, which in the human body is your fat stores!
More info to follow, and I am planning a blog to chart my progress over the next few months. I shall be posting up lots of workouts and nutritional information, and more besides so keep reading to find out more!
Like a lot of experienced and competitive age group racers, the incentive to continue racing I am sure is dwindling a little, as the cost of entering events far outweighs the return for finishing. There is obvious personal satisfaction in finishing a race and there is no denying the rewards for that self belief in having performed well. But to pay over £50 for a pool based triathlon, only 400m swim and a short bike and short run, just seems over the top. Which is why I have not raced a great deal this season. And I do miss it, because one very rarely gets the chance to combine all three sports in one session, and the exhilaration of pushing yourself to the finish knowing you have given it everything. But it's all got so very serious, even in the relatively short time I have been involved in the sport. Bike bling and tri-suit porn seem to the be the order of the day, and if you don't turn up to the race with a massive box of all the kit in the shop then there's something wrong! Calf guards and recovery shakes abound, and if I have to ride past a disc wheel again when I'm out on a leisurely Sunday ride, then something needs to be said!
That aside, I have myself been changing the way I train. I am building upper body strength which will transfer to the pool when I feel like getting back into my swimming. I am doing short intense workouts to work at strength and cardio combined and it is having a very positive effect. I have been back into riding and done some more TTs over the last 3-4 weeks, and my riding is returning to form. I lack the motivation a little to do very long rides, but riding for tempo at 2 hours over the Purbecks is again having a good effect when combining it with a solid turbo session and an easy rollers session. As for running I have not stepped out in anger for 3 weeks now! Unheard of. I love running, but not enough it seems! I will return to that soon, but I'm finding the short workouts are much more enjoyable for the time being. Here's an example of the type of session I have been doing.
Warm up with 5 minutes of:
Burpees, Squats, Press ups, Lunges, Step Ups, Plank, Sit ups, Boxing.
Main Set, endurance:
3 x 40 secs with 20 secs rest.
Deadlift, 60kg
Bench Press, 40kg
Bent Over Row, 40kg
Front Squat, 60kg
Military Press, 30kg
Back Squat, 60kg
5 minutes cool down.
Other Session Example:
Complex
After short 5 min warm
5 sets, 5 reps, 60 secs rest between sets. moderate weight, 60-70% of 1RM
Deadlift
Bent Over Row
High Pulls
Front Squat
Shoulder Press
Back Squat
I also do this above routine as a circuit, moving quickly from deadlift to row to pulls etc, which then counts as one rep.
As you can see, my workouts consist of a lot of compound exercises, but those really are the best ones to work the whole of your body and to develop a strong core and condition the body for swimming biking and running, and most other sports for that matter. I also do use kettlebells a lot, again brilliant for both strength and cardio combined.
It's challenging my body differently and keeping me lean, and easier to do 20-30 minutes solid gym work than pound the pavements for 90 minutes! For anyone wanting to get fit or get lean, short intense workouts are the way forward. My bodyfat has dropped from 11% to 9% over the last 4 weeks, purely down the the fact that I have changed my training and am doing shorter sessions with higher intensity. Strength work promotes muscle growth by firing up your testosterone levels, which then gets your metabolism working and then providing you don't stock up on sugary foods, this will burn off your biggest source of energy, which in the human body is your fat stores!
More info to follow, and I am planning a blog to chart my progress over the next few months. I shall be posting up lots of workouts and nutritional information, and more besides so keep reading to find out more!
Monday, 23 July 2012
Latest News
Well, how long has it been?! Ages!
Swanage triathlon back in May was my first outing of the year. Training bike and very little in the way of miles, either swimming, biking or running. Weather has been lousy for biking, I have had little time to fit in any running and I have been in a pool about a dozen times in the last 10 months. I have to say I was not at all motivated. But that aside I managed to haul myself round in a reasonable time and finished up 3rd on the day. I was hoping that would spur me on, but no, the weather continued to be rubbish and work commitments have hampered any quality and consistency in the training department. I have stayed fit and healthy but not at all race fit, far from it, as this weekend in Antwerp showed, Ironman 70.3. I had an enjoyable race, and went as hard as I could, but lack of any mileage really showed in that I just didn't have the speed. Endurance, no problem, I kept going strong to the end, but just sooooooo slow. Results here.
http://sport.be.msn.com/antwerpironman/2012/eng/uitslag/
I have done no time trialling this season and I have missed the regular Wednesday evening club 10s, 14s and 25s, which would have kept me riding at race efforts and my legs moving. I have been stuck indoors on the turbo and when I have been out I have had no more than 2 hour rides, once a fortnight. Not enough.
Running has been confined to short hard efforts with little else other than gentle jogs a with work. In other words, for me to go and challenge for top honours in my age group I need to put the work in. Antwerp has done one thing, it's made me decide to get my ass into gear and start putting some work in! I'm strong, but I need some speeeeeeed!
Swanage triathlon back in May was my first outing of the year. Training bike and very little in the way of miles, either swimming, biking or running. Weather has been lousy for biking, I have had little time to fit in any running and I have been in a pool about a dozen times in the last 10 months. I have to say I was not at all motivated. But that aside I managed to haul myself round in a reasonable time and finished up 3rd on the day. I was hoping that would spur me on, but no, the weather continued to be rubbish and work commitments have hampered any quality and consistency in the training department. I have stayed fit and healthy but not at all race fit, far from it, as this weekend in Antwerp showed, Ironman 70.3. I had an enjoyable race, and went as hard as I could, but lack of any mileage really showed in that I just didn't have the speed. Endurance, no problem, I kept going strong to the end, but just sooooooo slow. Results here.
http://sport.be.msn.com/antwerpironman/2012/eng/uitslag/
I have done no time trialling this season and I have missed the regular Wednesday evening club 10s, 14s and 25s, which would have kept me riding at race efforts and my legs moving. I have been stuck indoors on the turbo and when I have been out I have had no more than 2 hour rides, once a fortnight. Not enough.
Running has been confined to short hard efforts with little else other than gentle jogs a with work. In other words, for me to go and challenge for top honours in my age group I need to put the work in. Antwerp has done one thing, it's made me decide to get my ass into gear and start putting some work in! I'm strong, but I need some speeeeeeed!
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