My workotus have officially taken on a regular pattern. I made up a circuit today in the spirit of the XFM ones I've been doing lately. I like the shorter, more intense workouts with the "cardio" portion broken into shorter portions (because running is harder and rowing is kind of boring). Each circuit tends to contain a push, a pull, and a hip/leg exercise. Perfect proportions.
Here's what I did:
4 rounds
500 m row
15 sumo deadlift high-pulls #35
15 (each leg) split squats #25
15 push presses #40
I made some adjustments as I went along. Set 1 of row was actually a 400m run, because the erg was occupied. I used 40 lbs on set 4 of the SDHP's because the 35 lb didn't get as heavy over the sets as I expected. (I think I can do these at 45 no problem if I'm doing fewer reps/sets.) I only managed 12 reps on set 3 of the split squats. Push presses went as planned - I did them with slow eccentrics. It seemed light for push presses at first, by by the 3rd and 4th set, I was needing to pause to catch my wind around rep 10.
Tried an easy run for a cool down and to shake out the legs (those split squats were torture!), but aborted after a few minutes when I was beset by abdominal cramps.
Weigh-in: 145 lb (late afternoon)
Showing posts with label 21 weeks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 21 weeks. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Swingin'
Today's XFM* workout called for kettlebell swings. I've never done them before, but Ken just happened to try them earlier in the week and encouraged me to give it a try. Despite the one-hand prescription of the workout, I decided to try them two-handed first, and I had to use a dumbbell. But our dbs have a handy configuration - easy to grip by the plate. My workout looked like this:
18-14-10-10 reps
kettlebell swings - 2 hands #25
lunges (per leg - 36, 28, 20, 20 total)
push-ups (actually did 20, 15, 15, 15)*
"Easy" run - 1.5 miles/15 minutes
I can't really do more than a few regular push-ups now, but knees-down are still fairly easy (but an extra 15 lbs is nothing to scoff at!) I probably could've done 4 x 20 here, but my heart-rate was crazy after the kb's and lunges, so I took this set as a "break".
The run wasn't actually that easy. I ran at mainly 6 mph and eventually 5.5 mph when things started cramping and aching. Turns out that 6 mph is now about as fast as I can go if I want to cruise for longer than a few minutes. Running is growing increasingly difficult. I hit my target heartrate at a fairly slow speed, and things begin to ache in the lower belly, hip region after a while -- the fast I go, the more quickly it happens. I'll keep it up, but judiciously.
The kettlebell swings are AWESOME. I loved it. It seemed easy for the first few reps, but everything got difficult pretty quickly - heartrate and breathing gets crazy, and if you're really focusing on driving with your hips and legs, you begin to feel it. The momentum of the swinging weight means you're work much more than the 25 lbs of the db. Back is dramatically engaged when you reach the top of the swing, keeping everything straight while you brake the weight. Abs work all the way through. The movement in general feel quite natural - not awkward. I'm in love with this exercise.
Weigh-in: 143. Morning, go figure.
Tidbit: Extra progesterone during pregnancy relaxes smooth muscle tissue. One of the results of this is that digestive processes slow down. Also, intestines get pushed/scrunched up near the rib cage, also slowing things down. My interpretation -- there is some serious build-up by the end of the day!
* XFM = Crossfit Mom. Clever, huh?
18-14-10-10 reps
kettlebell swings - 2 hands #25
lunges (per leg - 36, 28, 20, 20 total)
push-ups (actually did 20, 15, 15, 15)*
"Easy" run - 1.5 miles/15 minutes
I can't really do more than a few regular push-ups now, but knees-down are still fairly easy (but an extra 15 lbs is nothing to scoff at!) I probably could've done 4 x 20 here, but my heart-rate was crazy after the kb's and lunges, so I took this set as a "break".
The run wasn't actually that easy. I ran at mainly 6 mph and eventually 5.5 mph when things started cramping and aching. Turns out that 6 mph is now about as fast as I can go if I want to cruise for longer than a few minutes. Running is growing increasingly difficult. I hit my target heartrate at a fairly slow speed, and things begin to ache in the lower belly, hip region after a while -- the fast I go, the more quickly it happens. I'll keep it up, but judiciously.
The kettlebell swings are AWESOME. I loved it. It seemed easy for the first few reps, but everything got difficult pretty quickly - heartrate and breathing gets crazy, and if you're really focusing on driving with your hips and legs, you begin to feel it. The momentum of the swinging weight means you're work much more than the 25 lbs of the db. Back is dramatically engaged when you reach the top of the swing, keeping everything straight while you brake the weight. Abs work all the way through. The movement in general feel quite natural - not awkward. I'm in love with this exercise.
Weigh-in: 143. Morning, go figure.
Tidbit: Extra progesterone during pregnancy relaxes smooth muscle tissue. One of the results of this is that digestive processes slow down. Also, intestines get pushed/scrunched up near the rib cage, also slowing things down. My interpretation -- there is some serious build-up by the end of the day!
* XFM = Crossfit Mom. Clever, huh?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Baby Angie
I've been lacking ideas, and the WOD's from Crossfit Mom have been emjoyable lately, so I think I'll stick to it for a bit. Today called for a Baby Angie.
Now, the last time I tried "Angie", I called her Baby Angie, because the full grown gal is, quite frankly, insane. So today's workout was more like "Itty Bitty Preemie Angie".
40 pull-ups - 15+8+8+9 (70 lb lat pulls with a close-ish pull-up grip)
40 push-ups - 25+10+5 (knees down)
40 squats (easy to do in one shot)
40 knee raises* - 20+12+8
Most sets I had to break up because I died before finishing. I took short, 15-20 second breaks between "sets".
It didn't take very long, so I added a few things:
Shoulder rotations - 8 lb db x 8, 5, 5 (like this, only laying down)
V-sit ball tosses - 4 kg x 40, 40
40 more squats. Did I mention I like squats?
* Knee raises. According to Crossfit Mom, this exercise was supposed to be "knees-to-elbows". Um, right. Aren't we supposed to be pregnant? I'd never tried these before, I'm pretty skeptical I could've done it even pre-pregnancy. Also, we have a serious lack of an accessible chin-up bar, so I couldn't even try doing partials. So I used the roman chair and did something more like this, which was difficult enough... though it missed out on half the exercise (the shoulder part). Ah well. Next summer.
Now, the last time I tried "Angie", I called her Baby Angie, because the full grown gal is, quite frankly, insane. So today's workout was more like "Itty Bitty Preemie Angie".
40 pull-ups - 15+8+8+9 (70 lb lat pulls with a close-ish pull-up grip)
40 push-ups - 25+10+5 (knees down)
40 squats (easy to do in one shot)
40 knee raises* - 20+12+8
Most sets I had to break up because I died before finishing. I took short, 15-20 second breaks between "sets".
It didn't take very long, so I added a few things:
Shoulder rotations - 8 lb db x 8, 5, 5 (like this, only laying down)
V-sit ball tosses - 4 kg x 40, 40
40 more squats. Did I mention I like squats?
* Knee raises. According to Crossfit Mom, this exercise was supposed to be "knees-to-elbows". Um, right. Aren't we supposed to be pregnant? I'd never tried these before, I'm pretty skeptical I could've done it even pre-pregnancy. Also, we have a serious lack of an accessible chin-up bar, so I couldn't even try doing partials. So I used the roman chair and did something more like this, which was difficult enough... though it missed out on half the exercise (the shoulder part). Ah well. Next summer.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Back in action
Last week, everything seemed to pile on at once, and a fourth workout got buried in the rubble. And not just the reporting thereof -- the whole thing. So, here we begin week 21 with another circuit, inspired by last Friday's WOD.
4 rounds
Row 500m
12 thrusters #45 bar
15 good mornings #45 bar*
15 step ups **
Finished with:
15 squats #55
1500m easy row (8 min)
* Five pounds more than last week!
** I was going to do these with weight, but even 15 lb dbs were nearly impossible. Stepping up this high (at least 20") is harder than jumping - it's almost too high for my foot to reach while still keeping my hips aligned. (And I don't think I'm supposed to be jumping any more...) I'll remember for next time that if I want to do weight, I'll need to lower the step (we have a sort of stool thingy which is great, but a pain to adjust.)
Weigh-in: 144!! I hope it's the little guy who's packing on the pounds. I know it's not that: according to my inside sources, he doesn't even weigh a pound yet! I'll blame the big weekend of near-beer and card-playing... (And an afternoon rather than morning weigh-in.)
4 rounds
Row 500m
12 thrusters #45 bar
15 good mornings #45 bar*
15 step ups **
Finished with:
15 squats #55
1500m easy row (8 min)
* Five pounds more than last week!
** I was going to do these with weight, but even 15 lb dbs were nearly impossible. Stepping up this high (at least 20") is harder than jumping - it's almost too high for my foot to reach while still keeping my hips aligned. (And I don't think I'm supposed to be jumping any more...) I'll remember for next time that if I want to do weight, I'll need to lower the step (we have a sort of stool thingy which is great, but a pain to adjust.)
Weigh-in: 144!! I hope it's the little guy who's packing on the pounds. I know it's not that: according to my inside sources, he doesn't even weigh a pound yet! I'll blame the big weekend of near-beer and card-playing... (And an afternoon rather than morning weigh-in.)
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