CSta's workout log

[CSta]

Sunday (1/4/09)

1. Warm-up: hip rotations; bends forward, backward, and to the sides; twists; jogged in place for 2 mins lifting knees; 25 sit-ups with 10 lbs.

2. Main:

a. Weighted sit-ups: 40/3X15 (will be doing three sets on Sundays and two sets on Fridays)
b. Crunches: 100
c. High volume sit-ups: 250 twist.

3. Cool down: jogged in place lifting knees for two minutes; static relaxed stretching: lunge position stretch; lunge position stretch with foot up by rear; hamstring stretch foot up on counter. Side split position. Each held for 1 min.

[CSta]

Monday (1/5/09)

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 30 (increase of 5 lbs)
b. back lunge: 17/1 X 30 (increase of 7 lbs; still a little easy; will probably do 20 next time)
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 30 (increase of 3 lbs; felt right)
d. squats 25/2 X 20 (increase of 10 lbs)
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 20 (stayed with 10; last workout was not reaching full range of motion in last few reps of second set)(this time, no problem)
f. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X25; inner foot raises: 10/1X25; toe raises: 10/1X12.
(2) heal raises: inner foot: 15/1X30 (increase of 5 lbs); outer foot: 15/1X40; middle (one foot at a time): 15/1X12

rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/3X15 (may continue with three sets; don't know right now)(more difficult but still able to do 3X15 with good form)
b. Back extensions: 0/2X25 (dropped down to zero pounds; back feeling a little fatigued; no discomfort today--Tuesday)
c. Good mornings: 15/2X15 (stayed with 15 for reason above)
d. crunches: 100
d. reverse crunches: 50
f. High volume sit-ups: none as scheduled

Rest interval for sit-up workouts is 1 minute between sets, and probably 2-3 mins between exercises.

4. Cool down. Jogged for 3 minutes; static relaxed stretches: lunge position; lunge position with foot up by rear; hamstring stretch leg up on counter. Each held for 1 min.

Note: Using the toes, knees, nose to the wall method for squats (see video for treatment of patellofemoral syndrome), I am unable to get down to 90 degrees at knee. Feels like its the lower rear/upper hamstrings preventing me from moving downward. Will continue using this method. Hopefully more flexibility will develop.

[CSta]

Slow recovery of hamstrings may be connected with lower back fatigue or disfunction.

I am interested in understanding why this occurs. Could you please provide an explanation or cite to a source, or both. Thanks.

[CSta]

Tuesday and Wednesday were rest days.

Thursday (1/8/09):

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 30
b. back lunge: 20/1 X 30
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 30
d. squats 25/2 X 20
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 20
f. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X25; inner foot raises: 10/1X25; toe raises: 10/1X12.
(2) heal raises: inner/outer foot: 15/1X30; middle (one foot at a time): 0/1X20
g. hindu squats: 1X50 (rhythm could have been better)
h. hamstring curls: 4/1X50

rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/3X15
b. Back extensions: None as planned (scheduled for Friday 1/9)
c. Good mornings: None as planned (scheduled for Friday 1/9)
d. crunches: 100
d. reverse crunches: none as planned
f. High volume sit-ups: 300 twist (felt very good, much easier now)

Rest interval for sit-up workouts is 1 minute between sets, and probably 2-3 mins between exercises.

4. Cool down. Jogged for 3 minutes; static relaxed stretches: lunge position; lunge position with foot up by rear; upper hamstring stretch. Each held for 1 min.

Note: Conceptual mistake. I've performing the middle foot heal lifts and the toe raises in a repetition range that is below muscular endurance range. All other ankle exercises are done in the muscular endurance range. Realized this during workout.

[CSta]

Friday (1/9/09): Upper hamstrings sore/stiff today. Skipping tonight's back workout, and going to reduce back exercises to once a week. Might also reduce leg exercises while back recovers--not sure what to do. Hamstrings had also been sore after Monday's workout. They had fully recovered, however, by Thursday after two days of complete rest.

[CSta]

Saturday (1/10/09): Today was supposed to be an abdominal/situp day. Skipped workout. Body feels tired. Will begin next microcycle on Monday.

[CSta]

Monday (1/12/09):

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 30
b. back lunge: 20/1 X 30
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 30
d. squats 25/2 X 20
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 20
f. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X25; inner foot raises: 10/1X25; toe raises: 6/1X30.
(2) heal raises: inner/outer foot: 15/1X30; middle (one foot at a time): 0/1X20

rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/2X15
b. Back extensions: 0/1X30
c. Good mornings: 15/1X15
d. crunches: 50 (tired)
d. reverse crunches: 50
f. High volume sit-ups: none as scheduled

Rest interval for sit-up workouts is 1 minute between sets, and probably 2-3 mins between exercises.

4. Cool down. None. Tired. Lightly stretched hamstrings later in the night using good morning position. Iced upper hamstrings when I got home from gym. 15 minutes.

Spoke with physical therapist treating my left elbow about my hamstring soreness and low back discomfort. He recommended icing the hams and not increasing weight or reps from week to week so rigidly. Wait until legs/back/body feel ready for more.

[CSta]

Tuesday through Wednesday: upper hamstrings and adductors sore, more so than any other recent time. Back was achy. By Thursday soreness was gone, except for a little soreness in the adductors when pressed hard. Friday, no pain. In light of discomfort drastically cut reps for Friday's workout (which was scheduled to occur on Thursday).

Friday (1/16/09):

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 15
b. back lunge: 20/1 X 15
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 15 (felt a little weak; slightly uncomfortable)
d. squats 25/2 X 15
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 15
f. high volume squats (hindu): 50
g high volume ham curls: 50
h. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X25; inner foot raises: 10/1X25; toe raises: 7/1X25.
(2) heal raises: inner/outer foot: 15/1X30; middle (one foot at a time): 0/1X20

est interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: none (will be doing them today--Saturday)
b. Back extensions: 0/1X30
c. Good mornings: 15/1X15
d. crunches: none (will be doing them today)
d. reverse crunches: none
f. High volume sit-ups: none (will be doing them today)

4. Cool down. None.

[CSta]

Saturday (1/17/09)

1. Warm-up: hip rotations; front, back, and side bends; seated twists (seems more effective than standing twists); 25 unweighted situps done quickly; 15 sit-ups with 12 lbs.

2. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/3X15
b. crunches: 60 (have switched from resting legs on a bench to holding legs at a 90/90 angle, more difficult)
c. high-volume sit-ups: 250 twist.
d. isometric contractions for abs (salamander-lookin position): 3 sets of 3-4 contractions at about 50% with each contraction lasting 3-4 seconds.

3. Cool down. None.

Can't tell yet if legs are sore from yesterday's workout.

[CSta]

Sunday (1/18/09): hamstrings and adductors are not sore today. Left upper and side rear, however, is. Don't know why.

[CSta]

Tuesday (1/20/09): Due to back and hamstring issues, I'm going to maintain my current set/rep/weight structure until my back recovers. It feels good today (Wednesday), by the way.

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 15
b. back lunge: 20/1 X 15
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 15
d. squats 25/2 X 15
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 15
f. high volume squats (hindu): 50
g high volume ham curls: 50
h. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X26; inner foot raises: 10/1X26; toe raises: 8/1X26.
(2) heal raises (I used a weight machine this time): inner foot (20/1X20); outer foot: 20/1X15 (more difficult); middle: 10/1X20. Using the machine felt much more effective. I could use a full range of motion with inner and outer foot, and I felt more stretch in the middle position, particularly because my leg was bent. You sit, to use the machine.

Rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/2X15 (dropped one set today, kinda tired at this point)
b. Back extensions: 0/1X30
c. Good mornings: 15/1X15 (left ham is much tighter then right)
d. crunches: 50 (legs held at 90/90) (tired)
d. reverse crunches: 25 (very tired)
f. High volume sit-ups: none

I think I need to bring Gatorade or something to drink during the workout. After the legs, I poop out.

4. Cool down. None.

Today (Wednesday), I feel good. No soreness in the hams or adductors. The butt pain I was experiencing the other day was from stretching. I did the trunk stretch where you lay on your back and flop a leg over to the opposite side--the pin-up lookin' stretch. That discomfort is gone.

[CSta]

Thursday (1/22/09):

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus seated twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge and side lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 15/1 X 15
b. back lunge: 20/1 X 15
c. side lunge: 10/1 X 15
d. squats 25/2 X 15
e. hamstring curls 10/2 X 15
f. high volume squats (hindu): 50 (these aren't feeling so rhythmic; and I'm a little off balance)
g high volume ham curls: 50
h. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X25; inner foot raises: 10/1X25; toe raises: 8/1X25.
(2) heal raises: None, calves a little sore from last workout.

Rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: 45/2X15
b. Back extensions: none as planned
c. Good mornings: none as planned
d. crunches: 60 (legs held at 90/90) (felt pretty good)(I drank some gatorade throughout the workout, and it seemed to help energy wise)
d. reverse crunches: none as planned
f. High volume sit-ups: 250 twist.

4. Cool down. 3 minutes jogging.

[CSta]

Friday (1/23/09):

1. Warm-up: hip rotations; front, back, and side bends; seated twists.

2. Main:
a. back extensions: 0/1X30
b. Good mornings: 15/1X15

Legs are not sore today, and back feels ok. Both exercises feel easy.

[CSta]

Saturday (1/24/09)

Ran for 25 minutes on a treadmill (last 5 minutes were a cool down) at approximately 155 heartbeats/minute. I'm 38. 180-38+=142. The pace felt comfortable, and I did not feel out of breath.

Weighted situps: 45/2X15
crunches: 60 (holding legs at 90/90 feels much more effective than resting legs on a bench)
High-volume sit-ups: 250 twist.

My lower back is uncomfortable today--achy. I'm considering droping the weight on my lunges (perhaps to zero) and increasing the repetitions back up to 30, and reducing the weight on my weighted sit-ups to see if my back improves.

[CSta]

Monday (1/26/09):

1. warm-up: joint rolls top to bottom; warm up back, abs, and obliques with front, back, and side bends plus seated twists; 6-7 mins of running in place moving in various ways and performing squats in lunge and side lunge position and those things where you're on all fours and you kick your leg back and up, keeping my knee bent at a 90 degree angle on half of them; leg swings to sides, back, and and front (between 2-3 X 10 each direction). Time = between 15-20 mins.

2. Main workout
a. front lunge: 0/1 X 30 (dropped weight to 0 thinking that it might help my back recover)
b. back lunge: 10/1 X 30 (on this exercise, weight seems to have little effect on difficulty relative to the front and side lunges)
c. side lunge: 0/1 X 30
d. squats: 0/1X25; 0/1X20 (In light of squatting advice recently received, rested a gym mat up against a railing; held onto the railing (in front of me) and squatted using mat as a guide for my toes, knees, and nose as shown in the video for the knee condition. Focused on rotating hips forward as much as possible. Held lowest position for 3 seconds before rising. Performed slowly.
e. hamstring curls 4/1X50
h. ankles:
(1) outer foot raises: 10/1X30; inner foot raises: 10/1X30; toe raises: 8/1X30.
(2) heal raises: outer, inner, middle: 20/1X20. Used that machine again.

Rest interval 90 seconds between exercises

3. Main.
a. Weighted sit-ups: none. I'm thinking these are kind of hard on my back. Not sure what I'm going to do with them.
b. Back extensions: 0/1X30
c. Good mornings: 15/1X15
d. crunches: 70 (legs held at 90/90)
d. reverse crunches: 25
f. High volume sit-ups: none as planned

4. Cool down. 3 minutes jogging.