Fitness, Nutrition and Health- All Welcome (Hardcore and “Light”)

It’s actually 13 weeks - 6 days/week, but the first two weeks they include a 7th recovery (using the foam roller/stretching) that you’re supposed to do whenever you feel like it. I’ve done this program a few times and like the structure. It’s broken into 3 phases of 4 weeks plus a peak week. Each phase has the same general focus of workouts each week, but a different set of exercises. Each week in each phase has a different grouping. Week 1 is 2x15 going through all the exercises before repeating. Week 2 is similar except it’s 3x10. Week 3, you still do 3x10 but you only do 3-4 exercises before repeating the next 2 sets, then you move on. Week 4 is similar, but 2x15.

The program also emphasizes areas I need to work on (glutes!!! and legs). I don’t care for the two cardio days though, so I sub out my own for the cardio core and I may for cardio flow too. The latter doesn’t feel like a workout at all, but it does challenge my balance and coordination some.

Today was AAA (Arms, Abs, A** (glutes)). the AAA are the ones where you work slowly (3 count) on the negatives. I bumped up weights and bands on almost everything from last week. I can never figure out which rep scheme I like the best. 10 reps are much easier mentally, but I like the 2 rounds vs 3! Going through all of the exercises at once is easier on the body, but it’s nice to just get through a grouping and then forget about it!

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30 minutes on the rower (5100m), and will walk later today. It’s beautiful here today, but I have spent the day inside, trying to declutter some. I will get out soon.

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We will be moving to circle swimming next week! It is an outdoor pool and the coach knows who is vaccinated and who is not. Also who is nervous about close contact.

One step closer to normalcy.

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Did an hour on the spin bike (it was about 17 miles), and it took me over 30 minutes to get to 5000m on the rower. I’ve exercised at least an hour every day since I retired. Every day except 1 I think I exercised at least 90 minutes.

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As I knew it would, coaching has really changed up my fitness routine. I was no where near my step goal either Wednesday or Thursday. Best moment of practice so far was with the 2nd grade girls where my co-coach looked at me and said “they are more opinionated this season.” This followed several minutes of we are going to X and the girls expressing a strong preference for Y

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Today was day 12 Legs, or week 2 of Phase 1. I was strong today. It felt good.

But H also wanted to walk our loop. It’s been a little while. Head out and it’s pretty black and stormy in the distance. I thought we should should be fine. Our loops is essentially a big rectangle. Of course, when we were the furthest out our phones went crazy with a tornado warning. Our walk back was more of a power walk, lol. We were fine and we didn’t even get rained on. My SIL a few miles away had crazy hail at her house.

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I’ve had a change in my routine, too. It’s getting too warm to walk my dog midafternoon, so I am walking him at 11, when I normally do cardio, and then cardio in the afternoon. It’s interesting. Definitely not as hungry for lunch, but the aerobics keeps me from snacking before dinner so that’s good. When it really warms up it’ll be back to a 6 a.m walk and probs back to 11 a.m. aerobics.

Oh, and since getting mmy Apple Watch, I’ve closed every ring every day. It’s definitely motivating because I’m competitive that way.

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24 miles outside on bike yesterday. 18ish inside today, followed by 5000m on the rower (in 30:02). It was really humid earlier today, and I just didn’t feel like being outside, but it’s quite pleasant out now.

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Yesterday was the 1st day of games. I can walk to one of my game fields which is nice.

Since I have to run the field with 1st grade boys, I came close to my step goal.

Today was amazing from an exercise standpoint. I played 100 minutes of pickup (8k+ of steps, 2 goals and an assist) got an additional 2+ miles from walking to get my hair cut. Ended the day with 2.8 to dinner and 1 home.

Final step count for the day was 23.5K.

I’m exhausted

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Wow… what a dynamic day you had, @jmnva06 !

Today I thought about running, but instead I gardened most of the afternoon. There may be some interesting new sore muscles tomorrow. I get my 2nd Covid vaccination (Moderna_ tomorrow, so I expect a sore arm and possibly worse the next day.

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Checking in. Friday was a full rest day, which I desperately needed after a week, which included a 7-mile run (longest in a while) and another day of a very heavy 5x5 sets of bench press and deadlifts.

Saturday consisted of working up to a heavy clean. The HIIT was a 30-minute AMRAP of 1 clean, 4 toes-to-bar and a 100 ft heavy sandbag carry. After I finished with a 30-minute run on the treadmill.

Today, was just a light day of rowing and bike with a couple sets of oblique crunches.

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Today I started Week 3 of Phase 1 - the 3x10 groupings where you do all sets of a 3-4 exercise group before moving on. I think this is my least favorite way to do it, but maybe not. Every group there is 1 exercise I don’t care for, so it was nice to get it over with. Day 15 was Total Body Core. I was able to keep the same weights as last week, so that was good. My tricep push-ups were REALLY strong. Very happy with that.

I also had a strong bike session this morning. Usually on the bike I do intervals of 1:30 at level 9 and 1:20 at level 6. Recently, I bumped up to 1:45 at 9 and 1:05 at 6. Today, I thought I’d give 3 min intervals with 2 min recoveries a whirl. Instead I wound up with doing 4 min intervals for the first 3 rounds (2 min recoveries) and the rest I did 5 minutes until my 60 minutes was over. Usually, I’m counting down the seconds to 1:30, so I don’t know what was up with that. I’ll take it.

And yesterday, H & I got deli wraps from Walmart (our grocery store) and had a picnic by the river. Afterwards, we walked a couple of miles on the trail. It was nice going someplace “different” though technically, I’ve run/walked thousands of miles on this segment of trail. (Technically, I even built/designed it.) It made for a nice evening.

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Update here. Day 18 of 80 Day. the focus on the negative day. Now I’m remembering -the 3rd week of each phase is the killer one for me. I did well with it though. And also had a decent run to the gym, 35 min strong stairmonster session and run back home.

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Yesterday, after warmup, was a 5x1 (working up to five heavy singles) at 90% for both bench press and deadlift. The HIIT was 12 minutes of rope climbs and thrusters.

Today, the plan is treadmill running and 400 meters of weighted overhead lunges.

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I managed to “accidentally” walk over 9 miles today.

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Got my shingles shot yesterday and woke up with a killer headache. Didn’t think I’d be able to work out, but I did at 11, my usual time.

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Lol on an accidental 9 mile walk today.

Question: so many of us are fairly consistent in our fitness. When you wake up in the morning (or when you go to bed at night) do you have a fitness plan in your head for the day?

The answer for me is largely yes. I decide before bed what the plan is for the morning - sometimes weather forces a change but by having a plan in place for wake time I’m more likely to get it done

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I generally do not have a fitness plan for each day. For the weekend days I often do, because that’s when I try to ride with my husband or friends, and we need to plan according to weather and availability.
During the week I just take it a day at a time. My goal since retirement has been an hour a day, 6 days a week, and so far I’ve done every day, and usually more than an hour. (Yay me!). Investing in really good equipment for home has definitely enabled better habits.

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Mostly yes. I go at the same time every day, so that’s set. Since doing the BOD app, I follow ~4-13 week programs, so that part is set each day. The only variable is if I add an extra ab/stretching routine. That I decide on in the morning. In the old days, I didn’t have a prescribed program, but I did follow a self-made plan.

The cardio portion… in the old days, I had a set routine with speedwork, pace runs, long runs, easy runs, so all of that was mostly worked out before I went to bed. Now, I sort of just do blah stuff for a prescribed amount of time. I generally know before bed what combo of run/bike/stairmonster it will be, but I can also change it in the morning depending on how I feel mentally/physically and the weather. Sometimes I change my planned running route mid run.

Today was Day 20 Legs (Week 3, Phase I) with a run beforehand. It was 36 degrees! The heat kicked on again in the middle of the night. Good morning.

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My trainer does (well, did, but she’s coming back next month) a live workout on the 24Hour Fitness app so I have made 11 a.m. my workout time. I will occasionally work out at a different time if I have to with a recorded workout, but, for me, the consistency really helps me stay on track.

And then I walk my dog in the afternoon. This changes with the season. It’s too hot in the summer here to walk the dog midday so we go out at 6 a.m. during the summer.

If for some reason I don’t get in a regular workout, I’ll ride my stationary bike while watching sports, mostly on the weekend.

I just checked my Apple Watch, and since I got it March 22 I’ve worked out EVERY DAY. Closing those rings is a huge motivator for me.

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