Up at 4:30 AM and had cereal and a banana instead of an energy bar this morning. I stopped in at work to drop off my stuff and then headed to the gym. I didn’t do any warming up beforehand because I was supposed to get my body fat test today. That I did. The results seemed to surprise Bernard, my trainer, so much so that he tested me twice. The first test resulted in a body fat of 10%, which I found out was pretty good. The second test resulting in a score of 9.6%. I also gave Bernard my meal log and he reviewed it. To my surprise, he said it’s not too bad. He had two initial recommendations: (1) it’s not enough for me. I should be eating 4-6 small meals a day. On most days, I am eating four. (2) I need more fruits and vegetables in there. A couple of fruit or veggie snacks each day and I should be fine.
Now to the workout. Today was another tough day that focused primarily on lower body and abdominals. The pattern we use is a rotating pattern of 3 exercises and 3 sets so that there are a total of nine sets, rotated through each three exercises three times. We actually did four groups of these, so there were 4 groups of 3 exercises, repeated 3 times each. I preface with this so you get the idea of just how much I did today (all told: 4 x 3 x 3 = 36 sets!)
Exercise Group 1 consisted of the leg press, triceps, and abdomninal crunches, 3 sets of each. First a set of leg presses starting at 90 lbs and working up to 140 lbs by the third set. After each set of leg presses I did tricep exercises with 15 pound free weights. This consisted of keeping my elbow tucked to me side and extending my arm back while holding the free weight. It’s harder than it sounds. After each of the tricep exercises, I did a set of abdominal crunches, sitting on a bench and lifting my knees toward my chest and vice versa. Those were tough. The whole cycle was repeated three times.
Exercise Group 2 consisted of lunge thrusts across the room, while holding free-weights (I think they were only 5 or 10 lbs). Each set of lunge thrusts was followed up a set on a machine that I don’t recall the name of. You pull a bar down in front of you, linked to weights (55 lbs in my case) and hold it at about your belly button. Then, with your elbows tucked, you continue to push the bar down as far as you can. You bring the bar back up to your belly button and repeat. Then lunge thrusts back to the other end of the room, followed by a set of jump rope (30 reps). Again, the whole cycle was repeated three times.
Exercise Group 3 consisted of leg curls on the machine. This works your hamstrings. You get on your stomach with your feet behind a bar, and then curl your legs back, pulling the bar up to your butt and thereby pulling up the weight. 15 reps of these. After that, it was abdomnial crunches using an exercise ball, which was the toughest thing for me to do all day. Started with 20 reps and by the last set, I did 30! It took all my effort not to give in. After each set of abdominals, there was a set of 30 jumping jacks. The whole cycle was repeated three times.
Exercise Group 4 consisted of calf lifts on the calf lift machine. I think the weight was set to 55 lbs. You put your shoulders on these pads and stand on the balls of your feet so your heels are off the step. You then left the bar by standing on your toes and then allow your heels to dip as far as they can, and repeat. After each set, I switched the another machine, where you sit and grab handles, which, keeping your elbows by your side and your head back, you push down to lift weights. That one was pretty tough too. Again, the cycle was repeated three times.
At the end of the workout, we went to the stretching tables and I got stretched out the way trainers stretch out baseball players before a game.
The next session with the trainer is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 4 PM. In the meantime, I’ve got to go in and do cardio again tomorrow after work. It feels really good, getting these workouts in. I imagine I will be sore again (legs this time) but I don’t think it will be as bad as the weekend.
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