Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 30)

Sunday.  Into Day 5 of this current course of antibiotics, chest doesnt seem to be getting any clearer although I've stopped coughing now.  I havent run since last Monday evening.  Frustrated?  You bet I bloody am.

Izzy wanted to stay an extra night, so that was nice.  I took her back home at 10am this morning and made my way straight to the Gym, after dropping my parents car bar to them.

First heavy weights session since end of November 2013.

Warm up

1.5 mile walk from Parents to Gym (approx 20 mins)

1km treadmill warm (SLOW as not to put pressure on chest - 11kph)

Weights

Chest Press 6x20/40/60/70kg

Shoulder Press 6x20/30/40/50kg (the 50kg was a bit of a struggle)

Pecs 6x20/30/40/50kg (again, the 50kg felt a bit of a struggle)

Vertical Traction 6x25/50/60/70kg

Abs

10 sets (20 SB situps; 20 SB sittwists with 6kg bar)

Legs

Leg extension 6x30/40/50/60kg

Leg press 6x90/100/110/120/130kg

3 hours later as I type the workout up, I'm feeling good.  The 11kph on the treadmill didnt make me caught but my chest still feels full of crap so I cant really run properly or outside until its clear again.

Bearing in mind I've been doing the TRX since the end of November as I wanted to concentrate very much on running and not building muscle during December and January as I'm in the throws of marathon training, I think I done more than ok.  I wont lie, shoulder pressing 50kg was a struggle.  The same as it was back in November mind you but I still done it.  50kg on the pec deck was evil.  Managed 5/6 reps at 50kg before I thought better give it a rest.

On the whole, very happy though.  I just hope this chest infection hasnt played too much with my cardio fitness though.  We'll soon find out!

Saturday Training (Muscle Build - Session 27)

Warm Up 
 

1km treadmill > here

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (20 SB sit ups + 20 SB sit twists)
  
No leg weights  
 
Cool Down

4km treadmill > here

Good session.  First run in anger since getting over the majority of the man flu.  First 1km on the treadmill was fine, second session was draining.  Didnt have an awful lot left tbh.  Just glad to come off the treadmill with a clear chest.

Although the legs will be buzzing tomorrow after a 10 day break, I will be running outside tomorrow.

Sunday Training (Gym - Muscle Build TRX Session 14)

I had a rare lay in this morning.  Came to about 8.15am I guess but laid in bed until just before 9am.  (Not that 8.15am counts as a lay in to anyone in the real world!)

Was at the Gym by 10.30am for TRX Session 14.

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:57; 8:00 min/mile; Av HR 136bpm)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)  

Cool Down

4km treadmill (22:00; 8:49 min/mile; Av HR 145bpm)

Was a decent session as per usual, nothing extraordinary.

After Gym it was back to my parents for Sunday dinner.  Headed home about 7pm after spending the afternoon with my brother.

Tuesday Training (Gym - Muscle Build TRX Session 12)

Off to the Gym tonight for my 12th TRX Session.  Plan was to run there to give the legs a stretch before the session but ahead of the Plums run tomorrow night, I was conscious that would make it 4 consecutive days of running so I took it relatively easy tonight.

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:58; 8:00 min/mile; Av HR 151bpm) [in the new Glycerin 11s :)]

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

No weights on the legs tonight, taking it easy. 

Final Treadmill
 
4km treadmill (21:03; 8:26 min/mile; Av HR 157bpm)

I have to say the legs feel pretty fatigued tonight.  The 4th km on the treadmill was hard work.  Bearing in mind the mileage I'm used to these days, thats a tell tale sign that the legs have probably had enough for this week.

Its good to know that the Plums are planning a short run tomorrow night as its the monthly meeting afterwards, so pretty good timing.  Plan it to get back in the Gym on Thursday night and then hit it again once this weekend and running or riding (weather dependent) on the other. 

The good news is that I ran for the first time in the Brooks Glycerin 11s tonight.  Wow.  May just be the fact that they are new and I've ran about 500 miles in the current 10s but wow, what a feeling.  Spring.  Cushioning.  Absolutely bloody heaven.  So comfortable :)

Thursday Training (TRX Suspension Session 3)

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (4:47; 7:42 min/mile)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps) 
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps) 
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps) 
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps) 
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

Legs

Leg Extension (6 sets x 6 reps 50kg)

Cool Down 

4km Treadmill (19:50; 8:00 min/mile)

Got to the Gym a little later than usual tonight, having watched the Spurs game and then spoke to Izzy on the phone just before bedtime.  The Gym was really quiet tonight, strange for a Thursday night.  When I say quiet, I mean a visible lack of people...but with Chandra not about, I swear Kisstory is played a couple of decibels higher ;)

Anyway, was a really good session tonight.  I ran the 1km warm up quicker than usual and I made sure I put in a good effort on the final 4km tonight.  Having checked back through my Garmin records, tonight's 4km was my quickest ever at the end of a session by 21 seconds.  Very pleasing indeed.  It finally feels I'm getting the little speed I did have back again.

Dont know what made me but I jumped on the scales when I got back tonight.  12st 11lbs.  Considering a few weeks ago, I'd slipped the wrong side of 13st (it wasnt a problem as Chandra did warn me this would happen during the muscle building work), this put a smile on my face.  Bearing in mind I only usually weight myself first thing in the morning, I'm intrigued as what I will weight first thing tomorrow. Am particularly interested in what the scales say my body fat composition is, so will study with interest.

Monday Training (Double Session: morning 7 mile run; afternoon Gym TRX Session 2)

Monday was a well earned flexi day, so I intended to make the most of it.  Went to the barbers first thing to get the barnet tidied up, popped into see my parents, dropped into Bexleyheath to pick up a few bits then headed home.

Within 10 mins of being in the front door, I was in my running kit and out of the front door.

 

Really enjoyable run. Without doubt the quickest 10k I've run in quite some while. It was a fairly easy loop. Down Welling Way to Eltham Park, done an anti-clockwise loop and then back down along the A2 to Danson Park, run an anti-clockwise loop around the lake (mainly along the Bexley 5km Park Run course) and then back towards Welling. I ran the last mile at under 8 min/mile pace so was very pleasing as I've felt I've really been blowing out of my backside over distance recently. This really has put a smile on my face today as its definitely still there waiting to get out.

 

Went off the Dentist and received a clean bill of health and as it was just across the road from the Gym, I thought it would be rude not to pop in and get my 2nd Suspension Training session done..

So...

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (5:09; 8:20 min/mile)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps) 
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps) 
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps) 
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps) 
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

Legs

Leg Press (6 sets x 6 reps 110kg) 
Leg Extension (6 sets x 6 reps 50kg)

Cool Down 

1km Treadmill (5:06; 8:13 min/mile) 

Another really good session. Got the hang of the TRX now. Bloody hard work but came out of the Gym absolutely buzzing. Not aching tonight like I was on Friday evening so progress!

Saturday Training (Muscle Build - Session 17)

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:57; 8:00 min/mile)

Weights Room 
  
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (45kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Upstairs

10 sets of 10 SB sit ups
10 sets of 10 SB sit twist  

Downstairs
 
Leg ext - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Leg press - 6 sets of 6 reps (110kg)

Cool Down

2km treadmill cool down (10:37; 8:34 min/mile)

Saturday Training (Muscle Build - Session 15)

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:54; 7:54 min/mile)

Weights Room 
 
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (45kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
 
Upstairs
 
10 sets of 10 SB sit ups  
10 sets of 10 SB sit twist
 
Downstairs

Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Cool Down
 
4km treadmill (27:07; 8:06 min/mile)

Another good session, despite the state I was in. Was supposed to be running the Park Run 5k at Danson Park but didnt get out of bed til gone 10am.  Literally went straight to the Gym after breakfast.  Felt reasonably good.  The 4km run at the end felt brutal and I was super-sweating, probably down to the pores being blocked by chilli graines from the previous evening's curry but was good.

Thursday Training (Muscle Build - Session 14)

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:46; 7:42 min/mile)

Weights Room 
 
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (45kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
 
Upstairs
 
10 sets of 10 SB sit ups10 sets of 10 SB sit twist
 
Downstairs

Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Cool Down
 
SLOW 5km treadmill (27:07; 8:42 min/mile)

Excellent session but absolutely beasted now.  Because of the high running mileage this week, the slow 5km cool down seemed to drag on forever.  The legs were really feeling it tonight, so I decided against using any weights on the legs.

Because both chest press machines were in use when I first walked into the weights room, I had to do my shoulders first.  When I went on the chest press, I felt like I had no power and it was a surreal experience.  I find 55kg hard but jeez, after doing the shoulders first, 55kg felt more like 80-90kg.  However, got through it but I was blowing out of my backside.

Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 13)

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:40; 7:30 min/mile)

Weights Room 

Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (45kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Upstairs

10 sets of 10 SB sit ups
10 sets of 10 SB sit twist

Weights Room

Leg Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (110kg)
Leg Ext - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Cool Down

A easy pace 2.7 mile run back to my parents for dinner from the Gym:


Another really good session. The weights seem to be getting slightly easier so I may well try to increase them over the space of the next week. Think I will be able to increase the chest press, vertical traction and low row without too much issue to 60kg but increasing the shoulder press and pecs by 5kg may be a struggle but I'll give it a go.

Tuesday Training (Muscle Build - Session 12)

Warm Up

1km treadmill (4:49; 7:47 min/mile)

Weights Room 

Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (45kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Upstairs

10 sets of 10 SB sit ups
10 sets of 10 SB sit twist

Weights Room

Leg Ext - 5 sets of 5 reps (50kg)
Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Cool Down

A easy pace 5km run back home from the Gym: 

Another good, hard session.
Pecs now increased to 45kg.  I went easy on the leg weights tonight as I was planning on running home and will be running again tomorrow evening with the Plums, which will make it four days in a row.

Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 6)

Warm Up

1 km treadmill (5:09 - min/mile pace) 

Weights Room 

Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (30kg)
Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (40kg)
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Upstairs to the Stretch & Tone Room

7 sets of 10 SB Sit Ups (feet together and only up to 45deg)
7 sets of 10 SB Sit Twists (feet together and only up to 45deg twisting through waist) 

Back downstairs again

Leg Press - 5 sets of 10 reps (100kg)
Leg Extension - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Cool Down 

4 km treadmill (20:56 - min/mile pace)

Similar session to last Wednesday but had to do the shoulder presses first as someone was using the chest press.  Managed the shoulders ok but when I came to do the chest press, I found it harder than ever, presumably because the work on the shoulders really does take it out of me.

Really good session though.  Felt almost exhausted coming out of the the 4km treadmill.

Knee doesnt feel great today and hasnt felt great for a couple of days.

Wednesday Training (Muscle Build - Session 5)

Warm Up

1 km treadmill (5:01 - 8:06min/mile pace)

Weights Room

Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg) 
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (40kg) 
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (30kg) 
Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg) 
Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Upstairs to the Stretch & Tone Room
 
7 sets of 10 SB Sit Ups (feet together and only up to 45deg)
7 sets of 10 SB Sit Twists (feet together and only up to 45deg twisting through waist)
 
Back downstairs again
 
Leg Press - 5 sets of 10 reps (100kg) 
Leg Extension - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
 
Cool Down

4 km treadmill (20:54 - 8:27min/mile pace)

Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 4)

After two days of rest, it was back in the Gym for me today, for another weights session.

Workout was as follows:

Warm Up

1 km treadmill (4:57 - 8:00min/mile pace)

Weights Room

Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (40kg)
Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (30kg)

Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Upstairs to the Stretch & Tone Room

5 sets of 10 SB Sit Ups (feet together and only up to 45deg)
5 sets of 10 SB Sit Twists (feet together and only up to 45deg twisting through waist)
(Have cut out the dumbbell work having done the chest and pecs earlier)

Back downstairs again

Leg Press - 5 sets of 10 reps (100kg)
Leg Extension - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Cool Down

4 km treadmill (21:07 - 8:27min/mile pace)

By the end of the 4km run, I was beasted.  Sadly, it appears I was a little presumptious on the knee injury.  Within 0.25km, I could feel the niggle.  It doesnt hurt like it did in previous weeks but it was definitely a niggle.  As a type this report up at 5pm this evening, almost 5 hours after the session finished, I can feel it now.  Still no pain but a definite niggle.

However, I was told that the knee wasnt going to be a quick fix.  I just hope that the niggle does clear up in time.

Thursday Training (Muscle Build - Session 3)

Back in the Gym tonight for my third muscle build session.

I trained under the watchful eye of Chandra tonight, so there was no room for cheating (not that I would anyway...)

Session went as follows:

Warm Up

1 km treadmill (5:08 - 8:13 min/mile pace)

Weights Room

Chest Press - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Pecs - 6 sets of 6 reps (35kg)
Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 6 reps (30kg)

Vertical Traction - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Low Row - 6 sets of 6 reps (55kg)

Upstairs to the Stretch & Tone Room

5 sets of 10 SB Sit Ups (feet together and only up to 45deg)
5 sets of 10 SB Sit Twists (feet together and only up to 45deg twisting through waist)
(Have cut out the dumbbell work having done the chest and pecs earlier)

Back downstairs again

Abs Crunch - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)
Leg Extension - 6 sets of 6 reps (50kg)

Cool Down

4 km treadmill (21:05 - 8:27 min/mile pace)

A really good session tonight.  I was glad Chandra was keeping a close eye on me as its good to know that I'm doing everything correctly.  Chandra has now changed my Swiss Ball routine to make it a few degrees harder and I was feeling the sit ups around the 4th rep so it proves the intensity was greater.  As Chandra said, he knew all he wanted to know from looking at my face.  It must have been a picture.

Tuesday Training (Muscle Build - Session 2)

Totally and utterly beasted.  No other words for it.

Chandra has now totally changed my routine and it has come as a bit of a culture shock.  He did warn me it would feel like that and god he was right.

Plan is to cut my warm up cardio and then make up for the short fall at the end of each session, concentrating on the Weights Room first then doing my Swiss Ball circuits afterwards.  The idea that I'm at my freshest for the weights works.

So the session went like this...

Warm Up

1 km treadmill: 4 mins 47sec (7:42 min/mile pace)

Weights Room

Chest Press: 3 sets x 6 reps (50kg)

Leg Press: 5 sets x 10 reps (90kg)

Leg Extension: 5 sets x 5 reps (50kg)

Chest Press: 3 sets x 6 reps (50kg)

Abs Crunch: 10 sets x 10 reps (40kg)

Vertical Traction: 6 sets x 6 reps (50kg)

Low Row: 6 sets x 6 reps (50kg)

Pecs: 6 sets x 6 reps (25kg) – ouch

Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 6 reps (30kg) – bloody ouch  then another 1 set x 6 reps(same weight) but stopped at 4 reps had a rest and done another 2.

Upstairs to the Stretch & Tone Room

10 sets of the usual Swiss Ball circuit...

12 sits ups, 8 chest press (with 8kg dumbells), 8 chest fly (8kg), 12 sit up twists with a 6kg bar.

Cardio Finish

4km treadmill.  First 2km at 0.5% incline, second 0%.  

Started at 11km/h then increased by 0.5km/h every 0.5km, so was at 12km/h after 1km and then held it there for the remaining 3km.

All in all, I can safely say that was the hardest Gym session I have ever done.  It was good feeling I had some energy for the weights but I couldnt believe how quickly that energy (and power) drained from my body.

Half way through the 4km treadmill run at the end of the session, I felt on the verge of giving up and was seriously considering stopping the treadmill at 2km.  Lets not forget, I've run 10-13 milers for almost fun this year but the energy levels werent there.  I fault on and got to the end.  I think thats the first time I've ever run with anything other than 0% on the gradient and it killed me.  I'll be doing more of this in future.

Headed home for a chocolate milkshake to top up on protein but will now be looking at some protein supplements to use to aid recovery.

I feel broken tonight but I feel good for it.  NO PAIN...NO GAIN!

 

 

Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 1)

Sunday was the first day of weight training.  Minimum cardio and maximum weights.  As of 7pm this evening, I'm broken :)  However, the phrase "no pain, no gain" is important to remember at points like this.

As per usual, I started with a 2.5km warm up on the treadmill, at a slightly greater intensity than normal but then I hit the weights...

Click to expand...

I started off working the quads but then went upstairs to work on my usual swiss ball routine.  Handily, Chandra was in the Gym today and he came up just as I was finishing.  I told him what I'd done on Saturday and suggested upping the weights but reducing the repetitions for greater results.  Obviously he knows what he is talking about so I nodded my head and headed downstairs to the bigger boys room.

Got on the leg press machine and filled in Chandra with the latest on the knee situation.  I ended up doing one legged leg presses of 60kg just as an experiment and the left knee felt ok under stress.

Then Chandra dragged me to the chest press.

C: "What did you say you done yesterday?"
J: "40kg"
C: "Right, we'll start with 45kg then.  You're aiming for 6 sets of 6 reps...doesnt matter if you dont hit that right now, we'll work up to it..."

...so I do 1 set of 6 reps.

C: "How did that feel?  Do you think you could do another one?"
J: "Yeah, think so!"
C: "Ok, not heavy enough then, lets go to 50kg! Try another set and see how you get on"

...so I do 1 set of 6 reps.  I'm literally blowing out of my backside.

J: "OMG that was hard"
C: "Sounds the perfect weight then!  Aim for 3 sets then build up to 6 then we'll go from there!"

...so I done another 2 sets.  I was beasted by the end and had nothing left.

Same process for the pecs machine, up 5kg to 25kg, abs crunch machine up 10kg to 35kg and so on.  Everything I done the day before was upped in weight but the reps cuts.

I spent just over 2 hours in the Gym.  Approx 25 mins on the treadmill with the cool down included and about 90 mins doing the weights.  I felt really good when I came out.  The levels of motivation are back up and more of a sense of achievement too.

Chandra insisted that to begin with, the weights are only to be done 2 times a week with sufficient recovery in between.

Oh...and something to bear in mind, I got my brother to take some pics of me in just my boxers tonight, so I can do a before and after comparison once I start to take shape properly.

Saturday Training

I dropped Izzy back home to her Mum today before lunchtime as her choir was doing a performance of some kind, so I had Saturday afternoon pretty much to myself today so I thought it would be a great idea to get myself back in the Gym and make a start on the minimum cardio/maximum muscle building routine I'm beginning to incorporate into my training.

So off to the Gym I went.

A basic 2.5km warm up with the usual 0.5km increments in speed, hit the weights then a 2.5km cool down.

The session looked like this...

Click to expand...

As you can see, the weights session (highlighted in blue) heavily outweighed the cardio today.  Several hours later, as I type this, I'm feeling the effects.

My regular routine in the Gym is to use the Swiss ball, a pair of dummbells and a bar.  Since the patella tendonitis and the work required on my quads, I've been using the leg extension and leg press machines but today I've started using the upper body machines.

It was a really good session and I came out of the Gym 2 hours later feeling as though I'd really pushed myself.

The workload charts should see a significant change in the workload schedule at the end of August and hopefully will show that I've spent more time in the Gym than I did when I started the year in January.

Tuesday Training

In from work at 5.45pm. Back out at 6pm. In the Gym by 6.20pm. Back home by 7.45pm. Talk about organised.

Firstly, the 2 mile run to the Gym...

(Insert Garmin dump here)

2.5km on the treadmill then the usual weights routine...

Then the 2 mile run home...

(Insert Garmin dump here)

Another great session. The knee felt reasonably good, even with 80kg loaded through the quads on the leg press.

Monday Training

After two days off with Izzy, Monday was about getting back in routine again.

The plan was to run to the Gym for the warm up, work out and then run on to the parents house afterwards so I could say hello to some other relatives that had popped in...

So the warm up...

Then my workout which consisted of a quick 2.5km burst on the treadmill then into the weights room...

Then the cool down run back to the parents...

It was a great work out. The knee felt a little sore on the warm up run but was fine on the treadmill and during the weights session. I've now upped the dumbbells to 7kg and upped the leg press by 10kg to 80kg so am moving in the right direction.