My Quest: To Become a Spartan

That's good to hear, especially since I went ahead and ran another three miles this afternoon, haha.

Man, today was rough. I'm just not used to working with weights. Cleaning up at the end of work was not so fun, but I got through it.

I took some progress pics today. I think I'll continue that on the first Monday of each month to see (hopefully) a steady progression. I'm just too bushed to bother with it now, haha.

Miles Logged in 2008: 95.00
 
Second Break In workout from the book today. I've been looking forward to it since Sunday. You guys have no idea how hard it was to avoid yesterday.

Deadlifts 2 X 15 (70)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 (100)
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

The deadlifts were way too easy, so I'll definitely be increasing that the next time. The pulldowns were the same, but I was having to do them on my Bowflex, so I'm not sure what the "100" pounds actually turns out to be.

Even with how easy they were, I felt the deadlifts in my lower back slightly when I was finished. Should I be feeling it that much, or is my form slightly off?

The step-ups were a little awkward since I couldn't find anything the right height except stairs. Because of that, I had to push forward a little instead of straight up, but it still felt like it worked. I should be able to tell tomorrow :p

I've been pretty hungry today, too. I'm not sure why, but it might just be the change in routine. I've eaten a little more than usual because of it, but I made sure to eat plenty of protein when I did.
 
Did my five miles this morning, and I'm feeling good this afternoon. I just finished drinking a protein shake after my shower, and now I'm munching on a chicken salad sandwich. Life is pretty good right now.

The weather is pretty warm again today, so after my run I took my (very) wet t-shirt off and spent a moment just standing on my deck. That's the first time I've been outside with a shirt off since high school, even if it was only for a minute or two that I had to spare. Man, I'm loving it right now.

Miles Logged in 2008: 100.00 (Triple digits, baby!)
 
Thanks.

Back to workout A again.

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Superset of:
Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 15
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

Yes, those are copy/pasted. The goal this time was to reduce my rest periods, which I did considerably. I worked pretty hard, but nothing was close to impossible tonight (not surprising with the low numbers :p).

I need to work on the static lunges. Something felt off. My knee didn't get close to the ground, even when my lower leg was parallel to the ground. I still had several inches to go, maybe half a foot. I think the solution is as simple as starting with my legs further apart. I'm going to start working on that.

I don't feel like I'm working that hard, but I've been exhausted all week. I have a habit of ignoring my body when it's pushed too far, which is great when I need to go that extra mile in those few emergency situations, but right now I think the best thing is to do a little reading and head to bed a little earlier.
 
Yes, sleep is good.

Ran another five this morning. My shoe came untied once and I had to step awkwardly to avoid falling on the treadmill. My knee is a little sore because of it, but it's nothing debilitating. I'm really not too concerned since I'm not scheduled to run again until Monday.

Tonight: An early Valentine's Day party with a date auction. That should be interesting, haha.

Miles Logged in 2008: 105.00
 
Bah...my laptop power cable died over the weekend, so updates may be sporadic until the new one comes in. Good thing I started my personal journal :p

I'm pressed for time, so this will be quick.

Yesterday:

Deadlifts 2 X 15 (90)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("150")
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

That's an easy twenty pounds more on the deadlifts and "50" pounds for the Bowflex pulldowns. I was feeling pretty good by the end of it. Like my last session, I tried to work on my rest periods, so it ended up being quicker overall than the first time. The step-ups are still awkward on the stairs, so I'll see if I can find something else.

Today:

Five more miles this morning.

Miles Logged in 2008: 110.00
 
So...umm....I killed my treadmill. I just outran the motor, and it started smoking last night when my mom was using it. Electronic stuff isn't liking me too much lately.

Since it's still too cold outside, that means running has to be put on hold until we can get another in a week or two :bncry:

On the plus side, I can use those days to work with the free weights instead. I think I'm going to simply alternate the two workouts until we get a new one, still resting on Saturdays.

And I forgot to add my weight yesterday morning: 171.6
 
My name's FreeFall, and I'm an overtrainer.

The past week I've been lifting just about everyday. I know I'm doing too much for just getting into it again, but with the treadmill out of commission, I still feel like I should be doing something everyday instead of just sitting around.

Tuesday:

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 15
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

Wednesday:

Deadlifts 1 X 15; 2 x 8 (90) (Got interrupted halfway through my second set)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("160")
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

Thursday:

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 16
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

Friday:

Deadlifts 2 X 15 (90)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("160")
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

Saturday:

Much needed rest day. Spent much of the day sitting around watching the second season of Macgyver.

Sunday (Yesterday):

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 20
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

More to come in a second post to break up this long update.
 
So I weighed in this morning at 171.0. Not a big drop from last week, but I cheated on my diet more than once, so I'll take what I can get.

I'm feeling good. I want to go lift right now. I know I haven't been waiting the recommended 48 hours, but I still want to go. At this point, I honestly don't feel like I'm doing too much. I'm not experiencing any great amounts of fatigue. My concentration is as clear as ever. My resting heart rate at the moment is sitting at 52, which is about normal for now, much better than it was at the beginning of the year.

My question now is this: can I continue at this pace safely? I plan on taking the recommended week off to give my body more time to recover, but at this point, I don't feel like I need it. I'm not experiencing any stiffness, and I'm not feeling sore. I'm still waiting 48 hours between identical workouts, but some movements work the same muscles, which is my main concern.

Any opinions?
 
Who's been a lazy updater? FreeFall's been a lazy updater.

Since I didn't get any replies on whether I should take the rest days since my treadmill died, I went ahead and kept alternating the Break In workouts from the NROL.

Monday


Deadlifts 2 X 15 (100)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("160")
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

Tuesday

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 15
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

Wednesday

Deadlifts 2 X 15 (106)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("160")
Reverse Crunch 2 X 20

Thursday

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 15
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

I'm bushed. I had to be up early Wednesday morning to take an aptitude test to become a Social Counselor. That's thrown me off a lot more than I thought it would have. I'll be taking the next two days off (including today) to rest up.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the improvements I've been making. The deadlifts are going up pretty easily, but I might stick around with this weight for a couple of workouts to be safe. The static lunges are much better than when I first started. The ROM is basically maxed now, and not the little wussy lunges I was having to suffer through. Better yet, they've helped with my overall flexibility.

So I'm off until Sunday, when I begin my final week of the Break In program. After that is a full week off for maximum recovery. At the beginning of that week is when I will post my updated pictures, and hopefully I will get some feedback on whether I should start one of the Fat Loss programs or Strength programs. At the moment, I'm not too interested in hypertrophy, but I may be convinced otherwise.
 
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I don't like taking breaks. Makes me feel lazy. Got back into it today, though.

Deadlifts 2 X 15 (106)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 2 X 15 ("180")
Reverse Crunch 1 X 15; 1 x 25

Broke up the crunches because I forgot to do 20 reps the first set, but it ended up changing things up just a little, which always helps.

Things went much better after the rest, as much as I hate to admit it. Lifts were stronger, rest periods were shorter, and I just felt better. I was glad to be doing something again, even if it had only been a couple of days.

I'm interested to see what tomorrow's weigh in says. I haven't done any cardio in nearly two weeks, and I know I've cheated a couple of times on my diet. Either way, I won't be too concerned. I feel better. I feel stronger. What's a number going to do to me?
 
And I just finished the workout for today.

Squats: 2 X 15 (60)

Static Lunges 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Two Point Dumbell Rows with Elbows Out 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Push-ups 2 X 20
Swiss Ball Crunces 2 X 20

I'm really wanting to up the weight on at least the squats and static lunges, but I can't get any more to fit safely onto the dumbbell. I'll look into getting some fixed weight dumbbells later this week. Because I couldn't go up in weight, I've started doing everything explosively. This lead me to finishing in about 30 minutes after my brief warmup, which is roughly half as long as it originally took me.
 
I love my endorphins. I really, really do.

Tonight:

Deadlifts 1 X 15 (106); 1 X 15 (116)

Step-Ups 2 X 15 (60) (both legs)
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Presses 2 X 15 (30) (both arms)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns 2 X 15 ("180")
Reverse Crunches 2 X 20

I've got to find a way to get more than 30 pounds on each of my dumbbells safely. It's really holding me back, so I guess I need to get on that.

Even though it's still winter, it seems that I'm sweating less than I normally do. I've always been a big sweater, which I've hated during the summer months, so I'm hoping so. I'm staying hydrated, which would be my first guess.

So can working out have an effect on sweating outside the gym?
 
Hey, don't do that weight training every day thing. Go outside and run or something. Run in place. Do jumping jacks, whatever. But find some other way to get your endorphin fix when you're fiending. :p Follow the program as intended! At least until you have a good idea of what you're doing - that is why you bought the book after all is it not?

FreeFall said:
So can working out have an effect on sweating outside the gym?
Click to expand...

Yup. Less volume = less surface area = better surface area: heat transport capability ratio = easier time regulating temperature. On the plus side this means less sweating in the heat, on the minus getting cold easier. Also less insulation from your blubber. This is why babies for example can experience relatively rapid drops in body temperature.

Other than that, uh, you are doing great. Good stuff. :D
 
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