Updated Strength Training Routine

I'm beginning a four-week block of new/progressed exercises. At the end of this four weeks, I'll be heading to New York for a week and won't have access to anything except resistance bands and dvds. Still following Baby Got Back format here.

Monday:
Turbo Jam

Tuesday:
lat pull (pronated grip) - 78 lbs (5x5)
one arm db row - 25 lbs (3x8-12 before adding weight)
bb press - 67 lbs (5x5)
db fly - 20 lbs (3x8-12)
db calf raise - 20 lbs (3x8-12)

Wednesday:
full squat - 42 lbs (5x5)
step ups - unweighted (3x8-12)
straight leg deads - 78 lbs (3x8-12)
EZ bar curl - 32 lbs (3x8-12)
20 minutes HIIT on elliptical

Thursday:
Turbo Jam or OFF

Friday:
lat pull (supinated grip) - 83 lbs (5x5)
EZ bar pullover - 22 bs (3x8-12)
db overhead press - 25 lbs (5x5)
side lat db throw - 15 lbs (3x8-12)

Saturday:
Romanian deads - 93 lbs (5x5)
good morning - 37 lbs (3x8-12)
front squat - 37 lbs (3x8-12)
skull crushers - 34 lbs (3x8-12)
20 minutes HIIT on elliptical

Sunday:
OFF

New Strength Training Routine

So, I've finally settled on a routine to replace Body For Life. I'm going to start with Built's Basically Training, then move on to her Baby Got Back routine. At this point, I have no idea how long I'll be doing Basically Training, but I'm starting with 3 sets of 5, and when I can do 3 sets of 8, I'll add weight. When I get bored with that, I will switch to BGB. Basically Training is a full-body workout three times a week, whereas BGB is more specialized into dominant muscle groups with a four day split. I'm easing back in this week, with no HIIT (because I still have some lung capacity problems at times). I'll add that next week, I think.

Here's the plan:

warm ups - 10 of: any style pushup, squats, walking lunges

goblet squats (3x5 @ 15 lbs)
Romanian dead lifts (3x5 @ 15 lbs)
lat pull down (3x5 @ 10 lbs) [The plan actually calls for chin/pull ups, but I can't do those yet (not even negatives or assisted) so I think these are the next best thing.]
Arnold presses (3x5 @ 10 lbs)
one arm dumbbell rows (3x5 @ 15 lbs)
low incline dumbbell presses (3x5 @ 10 lbs)
ball crunches

followed by 20 minutes of moderate intensity, steady state cardio

The weight load may change, depending on how it feels tomorrow.

Eating will pretty much stay the same, except I'll be carb cycling, so more Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle style eating. Or, I'll just wing it.

Updated Exercise Routine

I'm not going to change up my cardio just yet. Mainly because I'm still sick and had a hard enough time just warming up this morning for weights. Plus, my treadmill is on it's last legs, I think. But for the record, here are the (approximate) paces I've been running:

Level 5 - 2.8 mph
Level 6 - 3.3 mph
Level 7 - 3.7 mph
Level 8 - 4.2 mph
Level 9 - 4.5 mph
Level 10 - 4.9+ mph

My husband got me an EZ Curl Bar the other day, to help with my skull crushers. So I decided to see what my bars weight. The EZ bar weighs 12 pounds and my regular bar weighs 12.5 pounds. When I list a weight on my blog or my fitness tracker, it only counts the plates I put on the bars, and not the bars themselves.

Upper Body

bench press: 25, 30, 35, 40, 35
modified push up

lying dumbbell row: 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 20
dumbbell shrug: 15

alternating dumbbell curl: 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
barbell curl: 20

standing overhead dumbbell press: 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
front raise: 7.5

EZ bar skull crusher: 5, 10, 15, 20, 15
close grip bench press (w/ EZ bar): 10

Lower Body

leg extension: 27.5, 30, 32.5, 35, 32.5
squat w/ EZ bar: 10

lying leg curl: 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 25
dumbbell lunge: 15

calf raise w/ dumbbells: 10, 15, 20, 25, 20
single leg calf raise

Still going to do the 6 minute butt blaster and bridges. Plus wrist curls (5).

Current Strength Training Routine

Here's what I'm currently doing, between challenges. I'm not 100% sure I'll go back to strict BFL format when Challenge 2 starts. I really like doing heavier weights/fewer reps. Cardio is the same, though I was going to do true HIIT, but I'm not ready for that yet.

Upper Body Workout

skull crushers 3x8 @ 12.5 lbs
triceps dips 2x8

dumbbell shrugs 3x8 @ 12.5 lbs
front raise 3x8 @ 7.5 lbs

barbell bench press 3x8 @ 20 lbs
modified pushups 2x8

lying dumbbell rows 3x8 @ 15 lbs
barbell rows 2x8 @ 20 lbs

barbell curls 3x8 @ 15 lbs
hammer curls 2x8 @ 7.5 lbs

Lower Body Workout

bridge ups 3x12
jackknife w/ ball 2x12

standing calf raise 3x8 @ 20 lbs
reverse calf raise 2x12

lying leg curl 3x8 @ 22.5 lbs
dead lift 2x8 @ 20 lbs

leg extensions 3x8 @ 30 lbs
squats 2x12

wrist curls 3x8 @ 3 lbs
reverse wrist curls 2x8 @ 3 lbs
(I know these aren't lower body but I like having an even number of exercises per day)

Updated Strength Training Routine

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
bent over barbell row - 20

barbell bench press – 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 22.5
dumbbell fly - 10

dumbbell shrug- 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
front raise - 7.5

barbell curl - 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 17.5
hammer curl – 7.5

lying triceps extension - 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
triceps kickback – 7.5

Lower Body Workout

leg extension – 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 27.5
swiss ball squat

lying leg curl – 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 20
straight leg dead lift - 20

standing calf raise - 0, 10, 15, 20, 15
reverse calf raise

crunch on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
reverse crunch

Updated Playlist

Cardio (moving from elliptical to treadmill)

Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Winner Takes It All - Sammy Hagar
You're The Best - Joe Esposito
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Next To You - Buckcherry
Rhythm From A Red Car - Hardline

Strength Training

A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley
Same Ol' Situation - Motley Crue
Someone Like You - Bang Tango
Twisted Transistor - Korn
Lost In The Shadows - Lou Gramm
She Bangs - Ricky Martin
Break Me Shake Me - Savage Garden
Let The Music Play - Shannon
Lay Your Hands On Me - Bon Jovi
She Bop - Cyndi Lauper
It's Raining Men - Gerri Halliwell
Good Vibrations - Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman

Updated Strength Training

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 12.5
bent over barbell row - 20

barbell bench press – 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 20
dumbbell fly - 10

dumbbell raise - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
front raise - 5

barbell curl - 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 17.5
hammer curl – 7.5

lying triceps extension - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
triceps kickback – 7.5

Lower Body Workout

leg extension – 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 25
swiss ball squat

lying leg curl – 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 20
straight leg dead lift - 20

standing calf raise - 0, 10, 15, 20, 15
reverse calf raise

crunch on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
reverse crunch

Updated Strength Training Routine

It's time to increase the load on my legs. I also changed up some upper body stuff, but I'm still quite wimpy. I did increase the bench press load.

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
bent over barbell row - 10

barbell bench press – 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 17.5
dumbbell fly - 7.5

dumbbell press - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
lateral raise - 5

barbell curl - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
hammer curl - 5

seated triceps extension - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
dumbbell triceps extension - 5

Lower Body Workout

leg extension – 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 22.5
swiss ball squat

lying leg curl – 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 17.5
straight leg dead lift - 20

standing calf raise - 0, 10, 15, 20, 15
reverse calf raise

crunch on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
reverse crunch

Another BFLer pointed this out.

We're doing 60 reps per muscle group.

It doesn't seem like that much. Thinking back on the days of 3 sets of 12, I'm shocked that I'm actually capable of doing this current program. Some muscle builders will argue that only sets of 5-6 are really needed, provided the weight load is very heavy. I wonder if I'll ever get to the point where I can do that. Competitive body building is not something I am really interested in, but I would like to build some significant muscle, more than just tone up. For now, I'm content to read about really building muscle, not the stuff that makes people comment, "Oh, you're just building muscle" when someone posts of gaining a pound or two in a week. It doesn't happen like that, I know. But I really want to get into the science of it all.

Yes, I am a geek.

Revised Strength Training Plan

I've adjusted my weights for strength training. I'll re-evaluate every two weeks to determine whether my start weight load needs to be increased.

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
bent over barbell row - 10

barbell bench press - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
dumbbell fly - 7.5

dumbbell press - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
lateral raise - 5

barbell curl - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
hammer curl - 5

seated triceps extension - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
lying triceps extension - 5

Lower Body Workout

leg extension - 15, 17.5, 20, 22..5, 20
wide leg with dumbbell squat - 5

lying leg curl - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 15
straight leg dead lift - 10

dumbbell calf raise on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
standing calf raise

crunch on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 10
reverse crunch

Workout Plan

I made my list of exercises that I'll be doing in this first challenge. I'm not sure of the weights that I'll be using to start off. We'll see how my first set goes, and I'll adjust from there. [EDIT: I have figured out the weights I will start with - yes, I am a weenie.] I want to make sure my form is right for lifting. Cardio will be on the elliptical. For now, I will use speed as my intensity, and as my body adjusts, I'll increase my resistance. Here's the weight lifting plan:

Upper Body Workout

lying dumbbell row - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 5
bent over barbell row - 10

barbell bench press - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 5
dumbbell fly - 5

dumbbell press - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 5
lateral raise - 3

barbell curl - 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 15
hammer curl - 5

lying triceps extension - 3, 5, 7.5, 10, 3
seated triceps extension - 3

Lower Body Workout

leg extension - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 10
wide leg with dumbbell squat - 5

lying leg curl - 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 10
straight leg dead lift - 10

dumbbell calf raise on ball - 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 5
standing calf raise

crunch on ball
reverse crunch

Exercise for BFL

I really like the format for weight training BFL offers. It's different than the standard 3 sets of 12 reps. You don't have to kill yourself with cardio. Here's the breakdown, straight from the BFL Starter Guide. I think "Intensity Level" is subjective, and more a perceived level of exertion.

Cardio

• Warm up the first 2 minutes at Intensity Level 5
• Minutes 2-3 move from Intensity Level 5 to 6
• Minutes 4-5, 6-10 and 11-14 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 9, maintain for one minute.
• Minutes 15-19 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 10 (High Point at Level 10), maintain for one minute.

Weight Training

• Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
• Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
• Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body.
• Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
• For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
• Always plan your training before hand.
• Record all your weightlifting exercised in a journal indicating the exercise selected and weight lifted.
  

If you can read a magazine while on the treadmill, you’re nowhere near your High Point.

If you can speak to the person next to you, you still have a way to go.

If you haven't reached 80% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age and multiplied by 0.8), take it up a notch.

When you feel a burning sensation in your legs and arms, you may be at level 9.

When you reach the point where you can't take another step or lift another rep, you've reached level 10. Hold on for another 60 seconds and finish with an easy cool down.


So, exercise for a two week cycle looks like this:

Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Rest
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Upper Body (chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back)
Cardio
Lower Body (quads, hamstrings, calves, abs)
Cardio
Rest

The exercise guide BFL offers is kind of limited in terms of variety, but it's a good start.