Today was my rest day from the weights for this week. I did some things around here: More painting, walked the dogs and helped my friends move into a new house. I was also really happy to watch the first NFL preseason game! Finally, I went at some of my sore muscles with a lacrosse ball and a foam roller.
Both of these simple and cheap devices are great for self massage. I know in the past I have written about the importance of body work for your overall health. Rolling muscles out with a lacrosse ball or a foam roller help to bridge the gap between visits. Don't get me wrong, these things hurt like hell if you do it right! I didn't have any incense burning and there was no Enya playing in the background either.
Once you have the roller in place and you feel that muscle soreness in a spot, stay on that spot... don't roll away. Breathe deeply and gently roll back and forth over that spot until the soreness is gone. This is just like your massage therapist working out a knot or adhesion in your muscles. It hurts at first but eventually you can feel the muscle smooth out like butter and the pain is gone. Until you find the next knot!! When you are done with the ball or roller make sure to drink lots of water.
Have a great day and we will get back to lifting tomorrow!
I have gotten in a solid week of exercising after being gone for a month. Six consecutive days of weightlifting and tomorrow is an active rest day. The old body is expectedly sore and a little tired but overall everything is right on track. Today I was able to lift quite heavy and will enjoy my day off tomorrow.
The key to the success this week was proper pacing and adjusting exercises to avoid injury from jumping into things to quickly. An example: Today my hamstrings were still a bit tight and sore even after warming up. So, instead of doing heavy deadlifts I changed it up a bit and did heavy rack pulls.
Today's quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
Weight Training: Back
Warm-Up:
Slow and Deep ("Ass to the grass"...) Air Squats, 30 repetitions
Torso Twists with a Lightweight Bar, 50 repetitions
TRX Rows, 30 repetitions
Lifting Routine: Three sets of 6-8 repetitions unless otherwise stated.
Dumbbell Pullovers
One Armed Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
Barbell Upright Rows
Weighted Sled Row (Think of this being a replacement for a seated cable row)
Heavy Rack Pulls, 3x5
Weighted Pull-Ups, 3x5
Hanging Knees to Elbows, 3x5
Have a Great Day!
I just met with a guy that does tree work here in Tucson when he came by to give us an estimate to remove a dead pine tree that is hovering over two of our buildings. Angelo from Romeo Tree Service is really into his work. Angelo took an hour to talk to me about Palo Verdes, Mesquites and how he plans to dismantle the big pine tree in our yard. It was great to meet someone who is really passionate about their work.
Today the legs were a bit sore and wobbly but the other muscle groups I worked this week seem to have recovered. For me that means it is time to start moving back to heavier weights. I could wait a few days longer or I can just get after it again.
Today's quote is from Wayne Gretzky:
"Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy."
Weight Training: Chest and Biceps
Warm-Up:
Spin Bike, 10 minutes (Just to warm up my legs so I could move!)
Heavy Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
Heavy Incline Bench Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Flies
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell 21s Curls
Weighted Dips
Have a Great Day!
What a day in the desert! Made some great pulled pork, got some painting done in the bathroom here and landed 10- 45 lb. plates off Craigslist for $200! Win, win, win!
I woke up and my entire upper body was a good muscular sore from the last few days of returning to training. I crushed my legs today with a pretty balanced workout. The session was a good mixture of isolation work, complex compound exercises and explosive bodyweight additions. Now if I can just get up the hill to breakfast tomorrow....
Today's quote is from Abraham Lincoln:
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
Afternoon Workout: Legs
Warm-up: Do each exercise in order to complete one set. Three sets total.
Jump Rope, 100 repetitions or 50 double-unders
30" Box Jumps, 10 repetitions
Weight Training: 3 sets of each exercise unless otherwise stated.
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Back Squats
25m Barbell Walking Lunges
Barbell Reverse Lunges
GHD
Weighted Calf Raises
25m 290 lb.Weighted Sled Push, 5 sets
25m Crab Walk with Resistance Band
Crunches, 100 repetitions
Have a Great Day!
It is so classic. After working a NOLS course, coming back to lifting is always a bit rough. A NOLS course is a physical endeavor, but for me as a paddler it is often a lot of light to moderate exercise over the course of an eight hour day. And certainly living outside also takes a bit out of you.
But, coming back to an intensive weight training regimen and getting back into it is always a bit painful. Poking my chest with my finger, I can feel the muscle soreness from a workout two days ago. We jokingly call this soreness feeling a bit "pec-ish". Hopefully I will be able to walk tomorrow after my leg workout?! The soreness is of course normal, expected and evidence that I indeed worked hard the other day.
Today's quote is from Aeneas Williams' NFL Hall of Fame induction speech from yesterday:
"Begin with the end in mind. Die empty."
Weight Training: Shoulders and Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Press
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Side Dumbbell Raise
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers
Dumbbell Kickbacks
Diamond Triceps Push-Ups
Overhead Triceps Dumbbell Extensions
Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Barbell Push Press
Barbell Triceps Skull Crushers
Abdominal Crunches
Circuit Training: Do each exercise in order to complete one set. Three sets total.
Heavy Rope Whips, 100 repetitions
Barbell Clean to Press, 5 repetitions
Landmine Single Arm Lateral Jammers, 10 repetitions per side
Have a Great Day!
The monsoon is in full effect here in Tucson today. That is great news since I planted some native plant seeds yesterday to help hold soil on one of our slopes here. I planted them yesterday and it rained a little bit last night. All day today it has rained off and on which is perfect to try to get those desert plants to grow!
With the perfect conditions for the seeds came the weather that makes me sweat if I think too hard. At 3:20pm in the afternoon it is 85 degrees fahrenheit with 52% humidity. Great for the plants but makes it a constant battle to keep hydrated while working out and when I am done it looks like I just jumped in the swimming pool?!
Today's quote is from Paul Valery:
"Books have the same enemies as people: Fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content."
Warm-Up: Superset the two exercises for a total of three sets each.
Dynamic Lateral Step-Ups, 20 repetitions per set
Abdominal Crunches, 50 repetitions per set
Afternoon Workout: Back (Again, lighter weight as I ease back into my routine).
Dumbbell Pullovers
One Armed Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
TRX Rows
Upright Barbell Rows
Landmine Barbell Rows
Pull-Ups
Deadlifts (People often ask why I have these on my back day. I think there is a lot of validity to having deadlifts on a leg day as well since it engages so many of the lower chain muscles. I think that it is a coin toss on which day to do it on. You decide what is best for you.)
Have a Great Day!
Finally back home in Tucson after a month in the field with NOLS. I was fortunate enough to work two ten day river contracts on the Main Salmon River in Idaho. My reasons for exercising are many but the main objective is to continue to physically work NOLS courses at a high level of proficiency as I close in on 45 years old. I can say with certainty that I was able to perform at a high level in the backcountry and I credit a lot of that to my "frontcountry" workout regimen.
I do love being on the river. Seeing the history of human habitation on the Salmon along with all of the wildlife really reminds me of the importance of clean fresh water. It is an even more stark reminder now that I have returned to my home in the desert. I love the fact that the Main Salmon remains un-dammed, flowing freely.
Today's quote is from Bruce Babbitt:
"We have built one dam in the USA for every day since Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence... Surely among 75,000 there are a few mistakes."
It was good to get back to working out again. I did a lot of exercises but I am easing back into my routine by using light weights. After a week of solid workouts I will return to the business of moving heavy weights and odd objects!
Afternoon Workout:
Warm-Up: One Mile Run
Weight Training: Chest and Arms
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
Incline Bench Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Flies
Push-Ups
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers
Alternating Standing Dumbbell Curls
Concentration Dumbbell Curls
Bench Press
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls
Dips
Hanging Toes to Bar
Have a Great Day!
