For the last month I’ve been hitting the gym a lot, typically working three days on one day off and puting in far more cardio work than I used to. I’ve been starting most of my workouts with 60 minutes of cardio, although occasionally I scale it back to 40 minutes. The magic sauce here is taking the headphones and plugging into whatever cardio machine I’m working on and listening to the Virgin music channel. I try and get a machine opposite the video monitor so I can watch the music video too and for me this helps me grind away without it seeming like i’m working for days rather than minutes. Usually I do 20 minutes on the treadmaster machine followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill followed by either a further 20 minutes on either of those or the cross trainer. My exercising heart rate has improved massively since I started, coming down from the mid 150′s to the mid 130′s and occasionally dipping to the mid 120′s. I’ve also noticed an improvement in my recovery rate, for instance on the treadmill I usually jog at about 8.5 15 minutes and then for the last 5 minutes I pump it up to 10 which is full on running rather than jogging. My heart rate at 8.5 hovers around 155 ish, but up in the 10 range i’m into the late 160′s early 170′s. During the two minute cool off that rate sinks rapidly back to the 120′s. I’m even enjoying watching the progress and definately feeling fitter. I only ever really feel out of breath when I’m pushing hard at 10 but I sweat buckets.
After the cardio I move onto weights. I know I should have more of a plan but I don’t, I just do whats easiest with the available equipment with some thought about what I did the previous day. For instance if I blitzed triceps the day before, and I usually match this with bicep work because it’s good practice to work opposing muscle groups in the same workout, then I’ll avoid working the same groups the following day, so although not by design, I’ll work my legs one day, arms and shoulders the next day, back, stomach and obliques another day etc. I also try and work in sets of between 10 & 12 reps, usually 3 sets, occasionally more if I feel I’ve got more left in me and I work until it hurts from the lactic burn.
My body weight hasn’t changed much in the last month until this week when magically 4llbs seem to have melted off. My man boobs are getting firmer and my arms are visibly improving. My waistline is also starting to get a little more comfortable.
If anyone reading this has any comments critical or otherwise about my workouts I’d love to hear them. I have one friend who’s telling me I should cut the cardio work to 20 minutes, but I believe that it takes this long before the body enters a fat burning stage and right now, trimming the excess fat is more important to me than building muscle, although I am aware that carrying more muscle improves ones metabolic rate. Advice?
Comments on this entry are closed.