My Diary

Hey Tom Great work! Looking good man!

Jackie x

Hi Jackie, thanks for stopping by. Had a nice diet break over the weekend, but I'm back on track today. How're you doing?
 
Resistance Training - 2/2/09

Today's workout is brought to you by kettlebells! So, all weights where listed are listed (as they should be) in kilograms.

A Circuit x 2
A1 Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
A2 T Pushups - 1x10 (5 each side)

B Circuit x 3 (Left Side then Right Side counts as one time through the circuit)
B1 Lunges - 1x5@20
B2 KB Press - 1x5@20
B3 KB Row - 1x5@20

C Circuit x 3
C1 Squat w/Overhead Press - 1x5@16e
C2 KB Pullover - 1x5@16
C3 Prisoner Squats - 1x15@BW

D V-ups - 5x10

A Circuit - I hate this circuit! Did I mention how much I hate this circuit?

B Circuit - I did well with this circuit today, including, surprisingly enough, the bench press on the left side.

C Circuit - Cleaning the kettlebells today probably could've been an instructional video in how NOT to clean the kettlebells, but I was able to do so without incident. I actually screwed up the order of the 2nd and 3rd set exercises, forgetting to do the 2nd set of prisoner squats at the end of the 2nd time through the circuit. So, for the third set, I did the clean, squat + ohp, then a double set of prisoner squats, and the set of the pullovers.

D V-ups - This was the surprise today in that this was the exercise that most piqued my lower back. I don't think it did anything, and I was able to get through the exercise.

Overall - A fine workout, one I was dreading since I hadn't done anything in a week. But, I did well, AND I used my kettlebells! I know it's just a different package for the weight, but I really enjoy using them. It's a psychological thing I'm sure, but every little bit counts, right?
 
Well, seems the economy's woes have come home to roost. I was laid off today. I'm seeing it as an opportunity right now, and hope that something good will come along sooner than later.
 
Resistance Training - 2/4/09

Today's workout is brought to you by kettlebells! So, all weights where listed are listed (as they should be) in kilograms.

A Circuit x 2
A1 Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
A2 T Pushups - 1x10 (5 each side)

B Circuit x 3 (Left Side then Right Side counts as one time through the circuit)
B1 Lunges - 1x5@20
B2 KB Press - 1x5@20
B3 KB Row - 1x5@20

C Circuit x 3
C1 Squat w/Overhead Press - 1x5@16e
C2 KB Pullover - 1x5@16
C3 Prisoner Squats - 1x15@BW

D V-ups - 5x10

A Circuit - Extra rest here as I had to reset the mats. I need to figure out a way I can anchor them - most likely with heavy kettlebells.

B Circuit - Without an extra warmup, the chest press on the left was particularly difficult.

C Circuit - Cleaning was not as sloppy as Monday, so that's a good sign. Also did the exercises in the proper order.

D V-ups - Better here today, especially for my lower back.

Overall - This is more of an effort to retain some sense of normalcy in the tide of recent events. I do feel better after the workout though so that's a plus.
 
Hi Tom,
i am so sorry to hear that u lost your job,but i am happy to see you taking it positively.yesterday i heard the news at CNN that 6 million ppl were laid off in states,this depression hasnt hit my country yet,but if it does its gonna hit really bad already a developing country millions of are ppl are living below poverty line.and no other means of earing than their jobs.it sucks.
hope you get a new job pretty soon.
congrats on reaching 209 its a big accomplishment,i am really proud of you.
i want to come here often but i am so busy in my work its a hectic job,teaching isnt that hard but making worksheets, copy checking and then after school meetings:|.urgh!!!
Hey!u know what?on 31st jan our school had a sports day,in teachers race i won third prize,the other two girls who stood first and second were really fit and TALL,it made me realize that my fitness level isn't that bad yet i am starting to run again,and btw there were 10 contestants not 3;).
take care my friend
i really miss those days when i was a regular at fitness.:(.
with love
sadie
 
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Resistance Training - 2/7/09

A Assisted Pull-up - 10, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10 reps @ varying weights

B Squat + Overhead Press with Plate - 4x8@45

C Split Squat with Cable Row - 4x8

D Piston Bench Press - 4x8

E Mountain Climbers - 50 reps

F Incline Walk on Treadmill - 10 incline, 2.5 speed, 10 minutes

A Assisted Pull-up - Haven't done these in a while. Was good to try them again.

B Squat + Overhead Press with Plate - Another pretty straightforward exercise.

C Split Squat with Cable Row - Balance was the difficult part here, especially with going for a larger range of motion.

D Piston Bench Press - A variation on typical bench pressing. Neutral grip was used.

E Mountain Climbers - I wasn't sure I would be able to do it, but i did. 1 rep = left and right as 1.

F Incline Walk on Treadmill - The slow speed meant that my calves didn't freak out something fierce.

Overall A good workout. Nothing too taxing but it felt like I accomplished something.
 
Hi Sadie,

Always nice to see you around despite how intermittent that might be. Seems things are going well for you both professionally and fitness-wise. I'll hope that trend continues for you far into the future.

Tom
 
Resistance Training - 2/9/09

A Circuit x 2
A1 Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
A2 T Pushups - 1x10 (5 each side)

B Circuit x 3 (Left Side then Right Side counts as one time through the circuit)
B1 Lunges - 1x5@20
B2 KB Press - 1x5@20
B3 KB Row - 1x5@20

C Circuit x 3
C1 Squat w/Overhead Press - 1x5@16e
C2 KB Pullover - 1x5@16
C3 Prisoner Squats - 1x15@BW

D V-ups - 5x10

A Circuit - Still difficult, but not quite as draining as previous times.

B Circuit - This went well, including the press this time.

C Circuit - Form improves, even though I had problems with the left side on one of the cleans.

D V-ups - Form is better here too.

Overall - Improvements in form and resilience mark this workout. I was quite happy with it when I was done.
 
Resistance Training - 2/11/09

A Circuit x 2
A1 Mountain Climbers - 1 minute
A2 T Pushups - 1x10 (5 each side)

B Circuit x 3 (Left Side then Right Side counts as one time through the circuit)
B1 Lunges - 1x5@20
B2 KB Press - 1x5@20
B3 KB Row - 1x5@20

C Circuit x 3
C1 Squat w/Overhead Press - 1x5@16e
C2 KB Pullover - 1x5@16
C3 Prisoner Squats - 1x15@BW

D V-ups - 5x10

A Circuit - This was tougher than it has been - I can only think that I must've worked my legs on the exercise bike yesterday.

B Circuit - I'm surprised at how well my left arm has risen to the challenge - it feels much more in control on the bench press than it was when I started.

C Circuit - Better overall here, including the cleans.

D V-ups - Felt like I had a fuller range of motion here.

Overall - Well, this is the last Tim-written workout for a while. I liked this one, but for the A circuit (as I've already established) but I think it was good for me. I'll see Tim for one last session on Saturday, and start using Alan's program on Monday.
 
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the best wishes.
I am really enjoying my job,but it is very challenging,sometimes i feel like you have to be a super human to be a teacher when 20 kids all under 6 want to get your attention by shouting at the top of their voice trust me it sucks up all of your energy:).
These days i am TRYING to work on my blog that is its still a baby and needs a lot of time that is scarce these days.have to get someone to work on the logo etc.If you get some time take a look at it.
TC
oh!!and Happy Valentines day :)
Sadie
 
Resistance Training - 2/14/09

A Circuit x 3
A1 Assisted Pull-up - 1x10@-100
A2 Squats (Hands Overhead) - 1x10
A3 Assisted Dips - 1x10@-115
A4 Squat (Hands Overhead) - 1x10

B1 Plate Squat w/Overhead Press 1x10@25
B2 Inverted Row (Higher Bar) - 1x10@BW

C Renegade Row w/Pushup - 1x5(each side)@20

D Walking Squat w/DB Press - 2x8@20

E DB Hand-ups - 1x10@45, 2x10@50

F High Incline Walk, 8.0 incline 3.0 Speed, 10 minutes

A Circuit - A bit surprised by the amount of assist here, as I thought it might be lower, but it is what it is. Tim showed me how to do dips on the machine which is good as I plan to incorporate them into my new workout.

B1 Plate Squat w/Overhead Press - I'm surprised he didn't give me the 45 lb plate to do this one with, but not knowing what else he had in mind, I kept quiet.

B2 Inverted Row (Higher Bar) - These are typically difficult for me to do because of my bodyweight, and today proved no exception.

C Renegade Row w/Pushup - A good showing here, even though I was exhausted by the end.

D Walking Squat w/DB Press - The "walk" is actually turning to face the other way. It's something hard to describe, but easily grasped when seen, so I may video it.

E DB Hand-ups - I like this exercise. The DB is on the floor where I pick it up and hand it to Tim who is standing on the bench. This involves standing and getting the weight over my head so he can easily grab it.

F High Incline Walk - This is good for my calves, as they are the ones usually protesting on this one. Today they were quiet.

Overall - This is my last workout with Tim for a while, due to my current situation. It's been a fun year, where I learned a lot, and did some good work. Preparing now to change some exercises in my plan based on our conversations (e.g., I tried a front squat in the smith machine - didn't like it at all, so I'll probably put in step-ups instead).
 
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the best wishes.
I am really enjoying my job,but it is very challenging,sometimes i feel like you have to be a super human to be a teacher when 20 kids all under 6 want to get your attention by shouting at the top of their voice trust me it sucks up all of your energy:).
These days i am TRYING to work on my blog that is Diet Pundit its still a baby and needs a lot of time that is scarce these days.have to get someone to work on the logo etc.If you get some time take a look at it.
TC
oh!!and Happy Valentines day :)
Sadie

Having taught before (at the college level) I totally respect teachers of the earlier grades, as they've got their hands full/work cut out for them.

I'll take a look at your site soon.

In other news, I've been making chicken vindaloo and it's been really good. I'm going to try the vegetarian version soon.
 
Hi Tom
So how was the chicken vindaloo?in my country it is called "chicken karahi"means chicken cooked in a skillet on stove ,but i would use some green chillies and red pepper to suit my taste.It tastes better with naan and raita.Raita is yogurt with mint leaves cumin seeds and salt.:)
sadie
 
Hi Tom
So how was the chicken vindaloo?in my country it is called "chicken karahi"means chicken cooked in a skillet on stove ,but i would use some green chillies and red pepper to suit my taste.It tastes better with naan and raita.Raita is yogurt with mint leaves cumin seeds and salt.:)
sadie

Heh I do have dried red peppers on hand, but not green chilis. I've been enjoying it a lot since I started making it on the stovetop. (The original recipe calls it a crockpot recipe.) And yes, I know what raita is :)
 
Upper Body Strength (2x5-8) - 2/16/09

All exercises are 2x8.

A DB Bench Press - 60

B Seated Cable Row - 50

C Push Press - BW

D Assisted Pull-ups - -85

E Assisted Dips - -85

F Cable Curls - 20

G Cable Tricep Pushdown - 20

H Hammer Curls - 20

A DB Bench Press - Starting out with the maximum weighted dumbbells in the gym is both a good and bad thing. They were a bit unwieldy handling, but I could definitely press them once I got them into position. Going to have to figure something out here.

B Seated Cable Row - This went well. I have no idea what the weight I moved actually was... I just wrote down the setting.

C Push Press - This went better than I expected. The thought had crossed my mind of trying this with my feet on the bench, but decided against it til I can figure out if my form was ok.

D Assisted Pull-ups - To be honest I was hoping for a bit less assist, but it is what it is.

E Assisted Dips - Another exercise where it's difficult to tell if your ROM is correct. It felt ok, but I just hope I got down to parallel.

F Cable Curls - It felt really awkward doing curls again after so long. My left bicep had a bit of discomfort, but not pain really to stop the movement.

G Cable Tricep Pushdown - I did try the side presses but it didn't feel like I was doing them properly to get the desired isolation of the triceps, so I did a last minute substition of the pushdowns.

H Hammer Curls - This would have been so cool to do with the 25lb plate, but that wasn't happening. Still, I did pretty well considering.

Overall - A good workout, though it feels odd that my upper body is fatigued and my lower is still fresh. (That will change tomorrow I know.) I was pleased with my exercise selection but for the side presses, but I think if I have someone to tell me if I'm doing them right, that'd help a lot. Lower body strength tomorrow.
 
Lower Body Strength (5-8), 60-90 secs rest

All exercises 2x8.

A Smith Machine Squat - 90+Bar

B Hamstring Curl - 85

C Leg Extension - 85, 90

D Turkish Getup - 35, 30

E "Superman" Back Extensions - BW

F Hanging Leg Raise - BW

G Woodchoppers - 42.5

A Smith Machine Squat - I think the bar is 30lbs actually, which would make it the same weight as the 60lb dumbbells. Chances are I'll be adding more next workout.

B Hamstring Curl - Getting used to doing isolation exercises and learning the machines at PF.

C Leg Extension - I was happy to see that B and C were roughly about the same weight, which to me indicates some balance.

D Turkish Getup - I did 4 reps each side to make a set. This took sooo long though, and the 35's just weren't happening regardless of how much I wanted them to. That's why I ditched them in favor of the 30's for the 2nd set.

E "Superman" Back Extensions - This one kind of surprised me in that I could do these for the full set. I'll look into adding weight next time.

F Hanging Leg Raise - Another surprise here - in this workout configuration I was able to just able to do the full number of reps, but with legs extended, not just the knees.

G Woodchoppers - I did 8 on each side here for one set. A pretty fun exercise to do too.

Overall - Another good workout, even though the tgus were not happening real well at 35 (I think that's where the bulk of my time went too.) Now that the week's strength workouts are done, it's time to get ready for the endurance workouts.
 
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