Sun 17/2 – Nightly Workout Mk2 2: #5

I got a new one today, a number 5. This is a core workout.

• 20 lying knee tucks
• 20 chinnies
• 10 lying hip swings
• 2 supermans (hold for 30s)
• 4 sets

Well, I didn’t enjoy this one. The knee tucks followed by chinnies thrashed my core, but that wasn’t the problem. The next two exercises were. Lying hip swings I’ve never been a fan of: you lie on your back, life your legs to 90° (perpendicular to the floor), then rotate your body from side to side so that your legs are parallel to the floor, without touching the floor. It isn’t too bad, I’m just not a fan of it. Next, supermans. Urgh. Having to hold in the superman position for 30 seconds isn’t easy. My main problem is the breathing part: normally I feel like holding my breath, although that’s obviously not good, but when I try to breathe it’s hard because I’m lying on my lungs. Also, note to self: don’t drink before performing supermans. The water seems to try to come back up, not a nice feeling.

I think the main reason for me not enjoying it was the LHSs being slow (as it’s hard to go fast without losing control or touching the floor), and the supermans not getting along with my lungs. After the rapid knee tucks and chinnies, where I could feel my abs working, neither of the other two I felt much. It wasn’t too bad though. I think I just need to practise more, as it’s the first time I’ve properly done LHSs or supermans in a long time.

Until tomorrow!

Sun 17/2 – A Not-So-Good Training Session

Todays workout… didn’t go very well.  Mainly because half of it I physically couldn’t do.

Before I went out I had planned to do this workout:

• 10 assisted pullups
• 10 assisted chinups
• 10 knee-tuck jumps
• 10 pushups
• 10 lunges
• 10 jumping jacks
• Repeat until failure

But, put simply, I didn’t beacuse I couldn’t.

I went out and warmed up with the jump rope.  My plan was minimum 100 bounce-steps followed by minimum 100 alternate-foot-steps.  The bounce-steps I did in 2 or 3 sections/catches, and totalled 118.  However, the alternate-foot-steps didn’t go well.  Unlike last time, where I had got 40+, this time it was done in groups of 10, 20 and 30, as I just kept catching the rope.  I totalled 111.  It was here that I noticed I was tired; a few yawns escaped.  It’s strange: I haven’t done anything all day, and got over 8 hours sleep last night, waking up naturally, yet I was tired.  Not a good sign.

After that I wanted to test my pullup/chinup ability.  I started playing with the bands, seeing how much I could manage.  I found some which I thought would be OK, but after I started the planned workout I couldn’t finish the 10 chinups.  Adding more bands would be annoying and awkward, as I’m not a fan of bands plus it’s hard to wrap them all around my feet/foot.  So, I decided to do 2 sets of 10 for both pullups and chinups, followed by 1 set of 3 reps for each (with half as many bands, so it was more strength-based).  Then, I decided to cut the x-ups out of the circuit.

I then attempted the circuit.  And then I remembered how much I suck at knee-tuck jumps.  I just can’t do them.  Jumping has never been my strong point (in fact, one of my weakest by far), and having to jump, then try and tuck my knees up, I just can’t do.  I can’t get high enough.   Well, I fought through for 3 sets, before my legs really could jump no longer.

I decided to call that the end of the workout.  I finished off by doing a two-arm pullup-position dead hang for time.  I managed 30 seconds.  It really didn’t help that because the bar I used isn’t fixed it slowly, slowly rotates, which makes gripping it, and trying not to fall off, harder.

Next post will be tonight’s nightly workout.

Sun 17/2 – A Not-So-Good Training Session

• 118 bounce-steps with jump rope
• 111 alternate-foot-steps with jump rope

• 10 assisted pullups
• 10 assisted chinups
• 10 assisted pullups
• 10 assisted chinups
• 3 assisted pullups (less assistance)
• 3 assisted chinups (less assistance)

• 10 knee-tuck jumps
• 10 pushups
• 10 lunges (5 per leg, swapping each lunge)
• 10 jumping jacks
• Repeated 3 times

• Two-hand pullup-position dead hang: 30 seconds