One Week Gym Recap

I did not achieve all I had hoped to in my first week, but I really didn't miss my goals by much.  I had wanted to do strength workouts four days, and to get some type of cardio workout in six days.  I managed to get to the gym three days, pedaling my bicycle over one day, driving the other two. 

On Sunday the 4th, I worked on back exercises, as the trainer had said I needed balance between my back and chest, and that my back needed more work.  Seated Rows, Hammer Strength Isolated Low Rows and Standing Cable Rows will be the back workout that I do over the first four weeks of training. 

For Legs, I did the Hammer Strength Front Squats, and Hammer Strength Leg Press.  I don't usually like to do leg exercises as I feel the overuse will hurt my running efforts, but at this point, at my age, and with how out of shape I feel I have become, I'm working all major muscle groups to bring them back to life.

I finished up the strength training part of my workout with Hammer Strength Bicep Curls and Curls using a free weight curl bar.  I then hit the Hammer Strength Ab machine to do crunches and I've got to admit, my gut muscles are the weakest in my body.  They are going to get worked out every time I'm at the gym, this beer belly has got to go!

Cardio was done this day with 30 minutes on the treadmill doing intervals between fat burning effort and more high intensity cardio effort. 

Monday was my chest, shoulder and tricep day.  Hammer Strength Bench Presses and Cable Chest Pressses.  I wanted badly to hit a bench and do some free weight barbell bench presses, but the suggestion from Tania is that I lay off of those for just a little while.  Easier said than done, I have a goal of a 225# bench sometime this year and I'm itching to get at it.

The chest workout was followed by Hammer Strength Shoulder Presses and Hammer Strength Lateral Raises.  I have to be very conservative and careful doing these so as not to aggravate the torn cartilage in my rotator cuff.  It hasn't been giving me any trouble lately, other than a minor ache every now and then, and I'd like to keep it that way.  I think that strengthening the surrounding muscles will help to keep it more stable.

Finishing with arms, only triceps this time, I did Hammer Strength Tricep Pushdowns, and Pushdowns on the cable system.  Again, the workout ended on the Hammer Strength Ab machine.  I'm crunching my fat ass off, or I guess I should say my fat abs off.

Cardio done the same as Sunday, 30 minutes on the treadmill with a fat burn/cardio interval session.

I repeated my Sunday workout on Wednesday.  I had wanted to do another Chest workout on Thursday, along with more treadmill and some running/walking outside at the beach, but the intensity and length of the training sessions at the Bonefish Grill were getting the better of me. (more on that in my other blog).

As it is, I'm happy with my first week results in spite of not hitting all my goals.  According to the Lifestyle "LifeCenter" I did manage to lose 2 pounds, my BMI dropped .3 points and my percentage of body fat went down .36 so all in all, it was a pretty good week.

My goals stay the same this week, 4 times at the gym for strength and cardio sessions, and at least two extra days of outside walking and running.  I've got goals to reach this year and I'm not going to be denied.