Weight: 175. It's a rainy fall afternoon. My two daughters have been
battling the flu. It's easy to get lazy under these conditions. I am
doing everything in my power to avoid getting sick. in part, it's a
mental exercise, not letting yourself feel sick. The slight ache or
runny nose is easily interpreted as the start of the flu. I know I am
wading though germs and microbes, but with constant hand washing and
some vitamin C, I am taking steps to stay off the disabled list.
I wanted to work out in my sunroom today because the girls were not
feeling well, so it was my intention to get in the workout while still
being available to them in case they needed their dad. The sunroom's
resources are limited, but I pride myself on making the best of the
facilities at hand. When I have a little more freedom, I'll hit the
local gym where there is a great variety of weights and machines, and I
can get in more sets within the same amount of time. To compensate, I
decided to increase my weight level, lower the number of repetitions,
and decrease my rest interval between sets. The whole work out lasted
about 45 minutes.
My main target areas are pretty consistent: biceps and
triceps for arm size and strength, shoulder work (called
deltoids), chest muscles, (known as pectorals) and some work on
my quads, more commonly known as thighs. I decided to put the
camera to work to share what i know about doing these exercises,
but also to see if my form was accurate. If my form is off, I
risk injury, and if it's looking good, even with lighter
weights, I'll see positive results.
At left, I am working on biceps with a light ten pound
weight. If I add weight, it will only be a little bit, but I
kept the reps high here (about 15). In doing so, I am not
working for size. Instead, higher reps and lower weight adds definition
and tone, both of which are good. Earlier in the workout, I had
done several sets with heavier weights and lower reps for
increased size.
My sunroom facilities include someone cast-off weight machine where I can pull
as push as 150 pounds along a pulley. One exercise I like to do with it is the
triceps push-down, where I push the bar down while keeping my elbows stationary.
I am moving about 50 pounds, which results in 25 pounds per arm. I could have
done more at a lower number of reps. I like to match any bicep work I do with a triceps
workout too so that their development is balanced. this prevents injury and adds
symmetry to the look of the upper arm. This move is only one of several
completed during the entire session, but to increase muscle confusion, I change
up what I do from work out to workout.
So I felt like I made some progress
on a day that would have lent itself to watching TV or playing
video games. While neither of those activities are harmful by
themselves, I need to match them with some sort of physical
activity. My caloric intake is usually too much to allow for a sedentary
day. Cardio works are better for calorie burns than are strength
training, but the increased metabolism from lifting will help
process anything I take in, as long as it's within reason. I did
finish up with a soy-whey chocolate smoothie, but I skipped the
peanut butter this time. If the weather clears up, I may get in
a power walk or a half hour in the driveway sharpening up my
jump shot. Since I was out of basketball on Friday (I was home
with my two sick kids on that day), I know I need to stay
active this weekend. Thanks for visiting!
So I felt like
I made some progress on a day that would have lent
itself to watching TV or playing video games. While
neither of those activities are harmful by themselves, I
need to match them with some sort of physical activity.
