Cardio and Chest

Cardio today for approx 1hr. 3.5 miles almost 400 calories burned. Extra couple of hours sleep last night really helped out today in the gym. Afterwards I completed the following chest routine:

Flat bench press (135lbs) 10 reps x4 sets

Incline bench press (100lbs) 10 reps x4 sets

Decline bench press (50lbs each hand dumbells = 100lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Butterflies (70lbs) 10 reps x4 sets

Abs workout consisted of the following:

Legs raises 10 reps x4 sets

Crunches 20 reps x3 sets

Situps 10 reps x3 sets.

Finished off with a 1/2 mile walk back home from the gym. I am very happy with the gains that I have made throughout the past 6 weeks. Although I havent lost any weight in pounds I have definitely gained muscle mass and lost body fat since I began. I am happy with the gains in strength that I have made along with cardio gains. Will continue on course with my routine and continue trying different things to incorporate into my workout.

Cardio and legs

Approx 35 minutes of cardio today with about 230 calories burned. Afterwards I did legs.

Completed the following leg exercises

Squats (135lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Seated quads (100lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Seated hamstrings (80lbs) 10 res x3 sets

Calf raises (using own body weight) 30 reps x3 sets

I decided against doing leg press as the last time this sort of hurt my lower back. I think stretching here is very important during leg exercises as pulling a muscle may occur. I think also that proper form is extremely important during leg workouts. Finished off with some static stretching and a 1/2 mile walk.

Cardio and shoulders

Cardio today for 30 minutes. Level 10 incline at 4.0mph. Burned approx 300 calories.

Following the cardio workout I did the following shoulder workout:

Shoulder press ( 35, 45 and 55lb dumbells) 10 reps x3 sets

Front shoulder raises (15lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Side shoulder raises (15lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Shoulder shruggs (75lbs) 10 reps x3sets

Reverse butterflies (70lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

After my shoulder workout I did approx 5 minutes of stretching to relieve any muscle aches. I contemplated doing abdominal workout before leaving the gym but I have been hitting abs pretty hard in the last few days so I omitted this from my workout today.

Cardio and back

Burned almost 400 calories today on cardio alone. Stepping it up by including a light sprint in between high incline walking. Attempting to keep my HR elevated throughout my entire cardio routine. I figure this way I can burn more calories in a less amount of time. This is similar to a HIIT workout.

After cardio my back workout routine is as follows:

Seated cable rows (110lbs) 10 reps x3sets

Lat pull down (90lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Single arm dumbell row (65lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Goodmornings (bar alone = 45lbs) 10 reps x 3sets

Finished off with some back stretches. Feeling a little tight in my lower back area as I always do after a back workout. Static stretching helps with this.

Cardio and arms

Kept cardio to about 20 minutes today to save some energy for arm workouts.

After completing my cardio I performed the following arm workouts:

Bicep curls (35lb 40lb and 45lb dumbells) 10 reps x4sets

Tricep pulldowns - using both hands- (15lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Flat bar bicep curls (35lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Tricep pulldowns - single handed  (5lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

ABS
Leg raises using own body weight 10 reps x3 sets

Situps using medicine ball (15lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Finished workout off with static stretching and half mile walk.

Cardio and Chest

About 40 minutes of cardio today at an incline of 10 and a 3.8mph speed. Brought the incline back down to zero to cool back down before moving on to Chest workout

Completed the following chest workout:

Flat bench press (155lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Incline freeweights (55lbs each hand) 10 reps x3 sets

Decline freweights (45lbs and 55lbs each hand) 10 reps x 3sets

Butterflies (90lbs, 100lbs and 110lbs) 10 reps x 3sets

Finished off with some static stretching and walked for about a half a mile before ending for the day.

Cardio and legs

Kept cardio to just 20 minutes today as I ill be working out my legs.

After my 20 minutes cardio I did the following:

Leg press 3 plates (270lbs not counting weight of leg press machine) 10 reps x3 sets

Squats ( 45 plate on each side) 10 reps x3 sets

Seated leg extensions (120lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Standing calf raises (using own body weight) 10 reps x3 sets

Seated hamstring curl ( 90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Finished off with static stretching.

Cardio only

Took a day off from weight lifting and did just cardio. Adjusted incline to 10.0 and speed to 4.0mph. Approx 50 minute workout. Burned about 400 calories.

I will include more cycling in my cardio workout throughout this coming week. Will need to adjust the ride height to ease pressure on my knees. I will also try and work in more of the rowing machine as I think this will workout both upper and lower body along with cardio. Looking to change things up. Overall I think that I am making awesome gains both in my weight lifting strength and stamina with cardio. I am able to do more for longer periods of time. I am not currently taking any pre workout supplement. I believe if I were to begin taking something like Jack3d or NOX I would be able to workout 3 x longer. I think I will keep going natural for the time being.

Cardio and back

I kept my cardio workout just under 25 minutes today as I am noticing a much stronger workout with weight lifting.

After my cardio I worked out back which consisted of the following:

Seated rows (110lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Dumbell rows (70lb dumbell) 10 reps x3 sets

Goodmornings (just the bar) 10 reps x3 sets

Lat pulldowns (70lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Deadlift (135lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

After my weight lifting I finished off with static stretching of my back (lower back especially) and a short walk at 3.5mph.

Cardio and Shoulders

Cardio today for approx 1 hr. Burned about 300+ calories not counting my weight lifting. Afterwards I stretched my legs before moving on to weight lifting.

My weight lifting routine today consisted of the following:

Shoulder press (Using dumbells 35lbs and 45lbs) 10 reps x3 sets
Front dumbell raise (10lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Side dumbell raise (10lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Shoulder shruggs (70lbs) 10 reps x3 sets
Reverse butterflyes (70lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

After working out shoulders i moved on to abs. Today I changed it up and used a medicine ball which addedd approx 15lbs. I held the ball over my head while doing situps. I did 10 reps x 3 sets. Afterwards I did leg raises. Finished off with static stretching.

Cycling cardio and arms

Today I did my cardio on the cycle machine. Its difficult to see in the pic but I was on there for approx 20 minutes before I moved back to the treadmill. It was way more difficult to cycle probably because I am not used to it. I had the setting on 10 which was pretty difficult. Worked up a sweat within 5 minutes of being on it. After cycling I did approx 20 minutes of treadmill walking / jogging and moved on to arms

After cardio I moved on to arm workout which consisted of the following:

Bicep curls ( 35lbs each arm ) 10 reps x 3 sets

Tricep pulldowns (using own body weight) 10 reps x 3sets

seated bicep curls ( 25lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Standing tricep pulldowns (10lbs) 10 reps x 3sets

Finished off with some stretching to cool down. I am noticing muscle gains at this point. My clothes are fitting differently (in a good way) and I am able to lift more weights.

Cardio and chest

Cardio today I did incline at 10 at 4.0mph. I also am trying out intermittent fasting. Today I skipped breakfast and had just water and coffee. I feel that this is causing my workouts to be more intense. After an hr of cardio I worked out chest / abs and stretched.

Chest workout consisted of the following:

Flat bench ( 135lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Incline bench ( 45lbs each arm) 10 reps x3 sets
Decline bench ( 45lbs each arm) 10 reps x 3 sets
Butterfly machine (100lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets.

I also incorporated pushups in between each of these exercises.

I did crunches along with situps 30 reps x 3sets

Finished off with static stretching exercises so that I dont tighten up my muscles.

Cardio and legs

Today I did my usual cardio but was careful not to completely waste my energy on just cardio so that I could get through my entire leg workout.

Just over 4 miles in about an hour. Burned Almost 350 calories on just my cardio workout alone. My weight lifting leg workout consisted of the following:

Squats ( 1 set of each 95lbs, 115lbs, 135lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Leg press (3 plates on each side) 10 reps x 3 sets

Leg Extensions (90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Calf raises (using own weight) 10 reps x 3 sets

Hamstring press (I think thats the name. I lay down on a machine and use weights to workout hamstrings) 10 reps x3 sets

My leg workout this week was SIGNIFICANTLY better than the last time. I was able to get through this workout completely without stopping and completed all leg muscle groups. Afterwards walking seemed a little difficult so I stretched for approx 10 minutes which seemed to help with the soreness feeling in my legs.

Cardio and back

Kept cardio under 40 minutes today so that I can focus on my back workout.

Back workout today consisted of the following:

Seated rows (100lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Seated pull downs (100lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Dumbell rows ( 50lbs, 55lbs and 60lbs dumbells) 10 reps x3 sets

Hyperextensions ( Using own body weight) 10 reps x3 sets

Finished off with static stretching of all the muscle groups that I worked out. Overall an hour and 15 minute workout. I weighed myself today and am happy with the results. I only took off approx 5lbs but I am also weight lifting and gaining muscle so that is to be expected.

Cardio and shoulders

Today I kept cardio to about 45 minutes. I tried something different which was increasing the incline to 10. I normally keep it at 0 and walk jog but today I walked at 4.0mph with an incline at 10 which was a great workout I thought. Afterwards I moved on to weight lifting.

After my cardio I worked out shoulders. I completed the following:

Shoulder press using 30lb, 35lb and 40lb dumbells. 10-12 reps x3 sets

Front shoulder raises 10lb each hand 10 reps x 3 sets

Side shoulder raises 10lbs each hand 10 reps x 3 sets

Shoulder shrugs 60lb , 65lb and 70lb each arm 15 reps x 3 sets

Seated reverse butterflyies. 70lb 10 reps x 3 sets. This is a great workout for the back side of the shoulders which I have had a hard time working out in the past.

The 2 days I took off (Thursday and Friday) really helped me to get an amazing workout today. I will try and incorporate rest days throughout the week so I am not taking 2 days consecutively.

Cardio and attempted leg day

Today I worked out cardio for approx 75 minutes. I should have cut it down to just 30 minutes. I attempted to work out legs but was only able to do the following:

2 sets of squats (45lb plate on each side plus bar = 135lbs) 10 reps x 2 sets.
This was followed by calf raises and quad press 10 reps x 3 sets on the machine. I will definitely be more aware of the time I spend on the treadmill and conserve energy when attempting a leg workout. I will re-attempt tomorrow as I dont feel I got a good leg workout.
After my time in the gym (approx 2hrs) I ended with some static stretching of my hamstrings, calf's, and lower back.

Cardio and Arms

Today I did 40 minutes of cardio at a light walk / jog. Enough to work up a sweat.

After cardio I moved on to working out arms. This took approx 1hr. I did the following:

Bicep curls (30 lb, 35lb and 40lb) 10 reps x3 sets
Skull crushers tricep workout (50lb) 10 reps x3 sets
Bicep cable curl using rope ( 35lbs) 10 reps x3 sets
Tricep cable pull downs ( 15lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Seated bicep dumbell curls ( 20lbs) 10 reps x3 sets
Dips ( using own body weight) 10 reps x 3 sets

Here is a pic of me doing the seated bicep curls

Overall I think I am making a lot of progress since starting back up in the gym. As you see in this pic there are a lot of kettle bells that no one ever uses. I would like to learn to workout with these as Ive heard good results using them.

I finished my workout with a light stretching exercise and made sure to consume a lot of fluids during and after my workout.

Cardio and Chest

Took sunday off from the gym to rest. Back at it again Today with 1 hr light cardio and chest workout.
Did some stretching after my cardio session prior to starting weight lifting.

Today I worked out chest and completed the following:

Flat bench press (45lb plate each side plus bar = 135lbs) 10 reps x 4 sets

Incline bench using dumbells ( 45lbs each arm = 90lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Decline bench using dumbells (40lbs each arm - 80lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Butterfly machine (90lb setting) 10 reps x 3 sets

Finished off with abdominal crunches and leg raises 10 reps x4 sets

I can definitely see my strength climbing at this point with the amount of weight i am able to do. I am also noticing that I can carry through the entire sets without stopping (IE 2 weeks ago I was stopping at rep 5 for a few seconds before moving on)

Will possibly look into purchasing some weight lifting gloves for better grip and less wear and tear on my hands.

Cardio and back

I kept todays cardio workout to right around 30 minutes so that I can have a better back weight lifting workout.

Started my back workout with some stretching and then began with a straight bar no weights. This is called Good mornings. This workout is more of a back stretch exercise if used with no weights but can also help strengthen back muscles. Proper form is important while performing this exercise I think.

I moved on to deadlifts. I placed a 45lb plate on each side plus the bar totaling 135lbs. I did 10 reps x 3 sets. Another great exercise but proper form is very important here to avoid any injury.

After this I moved on to seated machine rows. I love this workout because I can easily set the weight to my level without doing much and it feels very comfortable. I did 100lbs at 10 reps x 3 sets.

Finished off with bent over rows. This works out the lats and is also another exercise that requires proper form for the best workout. I did 45 - 50lbs at 10 reps x 3 sets.

Overall I feel very much back into my old routine at the end of week 2. From here I think I will attempt to slowly increase weight to gain more muscle and refine my diet a bit more to decrease body fat percentage.

Cardio and Legs

Today I did cardio for approx 1hr followed by a 1hr leg workout. I realized the mistake I made doing cardio for so long prior to working out legs. Next time I will decrease cardio workout time by about 30 minutes prior to leg workout in hopes of seeing the workout the entire way through.

My leg workout consisted of the following:
Leg press ( 3 plates on each side) 10 reps x 3 sets
Seated machine quadriceps ( 90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
machine hamstring  )90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
standing calf raises ( using own body weight) 20 reps x 4 sets

I attempted to finish off with barbell squats which is my enemy workout. I know it is the best leg workout and it must be done but 2hrs into my gym time I was completely drained. I will attempt to do this workout the next time I walk in completely fresh.

Cardio and shoulders

Did my usual pre-workout stretching followed by cardio for approx 1 hour. After I was warmed up I moved on to weight lifting.

After my cardio workout I moved on to working out shoulders. Here is a weird pic that didnt come out very clear as I took it myself

My shoulder workout consisted of the following:
Shoulder press (30lb dumbell, 35lb dumbell and 40lb dumbell) 10reps x 3 sets
Front dumbell raise ( 20lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
side dumbell raise (25lb) 10 reps x 3 sets
Shoulder shrugs ( 70lbs ) 10 reps x 4 sets
Cable rear delt fly (70lbs) 10 reps x 4 sets

Finished today's workout with sit ups and leg raises. Overall a great workout. I can definitely feel myself getting back into my usual routine.

Cardio and stretching

Today I walked / jogged on the treadmill for approx one hour alternating at a speed of 3.8mph - 6.0mph. I decided not to lift weights today as my body is extremely sore so i decided to stretch for approx 20 minutes after my cardio. This included some dynamic stretching as seen in the instructional video posted on canvas along with some static stretching to help with my sore chest and arms.

My workout today was approx. 1 hour 20 minutes. I think I will be able to lift some weights during tomorrows workout after today's stretching technique.

Easing back into it . . .

Got plenty of rest the night before and had all the energy today. Over an hr on the treadmill and one hr weight lifting. My routine today was the following:

Bicep curls using dumbells ( Alternating 30 lbs and 35lbs each arm) 10 reps x 3 sets
Standing tricep press ( alternating 20lbs and 25lb dumbells) 10 reps x 3 sets
21's ( bar with 10lb plate on each side) 7 reps at 1/3 curl , 7 reps, 2/3 curl, 7 reps full curl x3 sets.
Tricep pulldowns (20lb setting) 10 reps x 4 sets
Seated bicep curl ( 25lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Pull downs ( Using own bodyweight) 10 reps x 3 sets

Finished the day off with situps and crunches. 30 reps x 4 sets.

I can feel myself getting back into the groove of working out again. Its a little difficult getting over the soreness of muscles from previous workout days but the stretching helps. I am also now stretching at home prior to going to bed and right when I wake up.

Workout posters

I never really noticed these posters hung up on the wall at my gym. They seem like a great guide for teaching exercise methods. May incorporate some of these into my workout routine.

Fifth day workout. Keeping my heart rate at fat burn range

I have calculated that my heart rate needs to be between approximately 112 - 131 BPM. I arrived at this range using this formula.

220 - 33 =187.  187 x 60%                                     187 x 70%
                         ------------   = 112 bpm                 ------------  = 131bpm 
                              100                                                100

I have realized that to achieve this target heart rate I will need to jog on the treadmill at a consistent 5.5 mph. I was able to jog at 5.5 mph for approx 10 minutes before having to back it down to my 4.0mph fast paced walking speed. After a short break to catch my breath I was able to jog at 5.5mph again for approx 5 minutes and then back down to 4.0mph again. My entire cardio exercise from start to finish was about 30 minutes before I decided to move on to working out legs

I worked out legs today by first doing squats. Which is my LEAST favorite exercise. I realized that I will need to work on my form a bit.

Squats (45lb plate on each side and 45lb bar = 135lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Leg press (45lb plate x3 on each side = 270lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
calf raises - (using my own body weight) 20 reps x 4 sets
Lying leg curls (approx 90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets
Leg extensions (90lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

My entire workout was approx 1hr 20 minutes. I spent about 5 minutes stretching.

Fourth day workout.

Today I walked / jogged on the treadmill for approx 30 minutes at my usual 4.0 mph gradually increasing to 6.0mph and back down to 4.0mph again.

Weight lifting: I worked out biceps and triceps using the following exercises

Dumbell curls 35lbs each arm 10 reps x 3 sets

Pulldowns using own body weight 10 reps x 3 sets

Cable biceps bar at 60lbs 10 reps x 3 sets

Cable triceps bar  at 60 lbs 10 reps x 3 sets

Attempted to do 21's but I wasnt able to fully get through the sets. I will attempt again at a later time.

Overall a good workout. Cardio isn't very difficult. It will take some time to fully get back into my weight lifting routine. I have not implemented the use of a pre workout supplement as they are difficult to find where I am located so I might just use a lot of caffeine right before I begin working out.  I am also not able to find a good post workout protein supplement so I am eating more chicken, fish, steak and other high protein sources.

Third day. No weight lifting today

I have decided to not workout my upper body using weights today. I think I killed myself yesterday attempting to go back to my usual workouts.

Today I walk / jogged / ran on the treadmill for approx 1 hour. It seems that my cardio ability hasn't declined but i am very sore especially in my chest area. I began at a speed of 5.5mph ( a light jog) and increased to 6.0mph and then 6.5mph. I did this for approx 10 minutes and brought it back down to 4.0 mph which is a fast paced walk for me.

Sit ups. I wasnt able to find the BOSU ball (which is a half ball mounted on a flat plate) to be able to do crunches. Instead I did regular situps 30 reps x 3 sets. Followed by some stretching, especially of my upper body.

Second day. Back to my old routine

I attempted to get back into my old routine today which is a jog / run on the treadmill for 45 minutes and weight lifting. I was able to do the 45 minutes on the treadmill no problem but the weight lifting part needs some easing back into. Today I began working on chest. I did the following:

Flat bench press ( 45lb plate on each side with a 45lb bar = 135lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Incline bench press (25lb plate on each side with a 45lb bar = 95lbs) 10 reps x3 sets

Decline bench press (45lb plate on each side with a 45lb bar = 135lbs) 10 reps x 3 sets

Butterflies machine (100lbs setting) 10 reps x 3 sets

I finished off with situps of 30 reps x 3 sets. which wasnt very difficult for me.

Looking at numbers up top I realize that I have had a significant drop in strength. This is to be expected. I understand that maintaining muscle takes a lot of work which I have not been contributing to for the past year. I will need to also get back into supplementing protein shakes post workout. I may consider taking a pre-workout supplement like "Jack3d" (which may not still be on the market) or one of the many other pre workout supplements on the market. This will help in carrying me through my workout at a consistent pace.

First day workout

Today I jogged approx 1.5miles on the treadmill after having been out of the gym for some time. I ran / jogged for 12 minutes and was able to work up a sweat. I was very surprised with how much I was able to do. After my 12 minute jog / run I walked for 15 minutes to cool down before moving on to the next activity.

I attempted to do as many pushups as I can without stopping. I was able to do 21. I attempted to see if I can beat this score but was only able to do 18 on my second try.

I attempted to do as many situps as I can without stopping and was able to do 30. I was able to do another set of 30 situps without much of a problem.

I concluded with approx 5 minutes of stretching.

Pre-workout pics

I have decided to document my pre-workout weight and picture of me to assess my progress. At 210lbs I believe I can drop 10-15lbs within the next 6 weeks if i follow a strict diet and exercise regimen. Which I plant to do. 

Here is a picture of me at my current 210lb weight. Approx 6'0" tall