Return of the King

Wednesday May 23rd:

Row 15 mins (concept 2 - level 3) - 3170 metres

Run 2.1 km (10:04 mins)

Broom streches x10 x10 x10

Incline dumbell fly 12kg x8 x8 x8

Leg Press 100kg x8 x8 x8

Military dumbell press standing 16kg x8 x8

Pull ups (wide / open) x6 x6 x6

Squat 30 kg x8 x8 x8

Military press behind neck 30 kg x4 x4 x4

Seated cable row 50kg x8 x8 x8

Tricep push down 50kg x8 x8 x8

It has been a while since my last workout due to exams and a work trip to central Europe. Felt knackered from not doing exercise for the past weeks - back and shoulders all tight, etc. Hope to get back into the swing of things now. First triathlon June 3rd.

Sunday June 10th:

Row 10 mins (level 3 - concept 2)

Leg Press
80kg x10 x10 x10

Pull down machine (pull up simulation - but not the lat pull down)
50kg x10 x10 x10

Dumbell Press (standing overhead)
17.5kg x10 x10 x10

Upright Row
20kg x10 x10 x10

Crunch machine
x20 x20 x20

Squat
40kg x10 x10 x10

Bench
20kg (i.e. just the bar) x50

Went for a cycle (8km) outdoors before hitting the gym. The aim was to find Eastways cycle track which is shown on a map just down the road. I found it alright, less than 2km away - it has been closed and is been redeveloped as part of the Olympic park for 2012. Shame about the cycle track, but glad to be so close for 2012.

This new gym is open until 8pm on Sunday which is handy. Old one used to close at 4pm.

Tuesday June 12th:

Row 10 mins (level 3 - concept 2)

Incline Bench
50kg x10 x10 x8
40kg x10 x8 x6

Upright dumbell row
45kg x5 x5 x5
30kg x8 x8 x8

Crunch machine
x20 x20 x20

Lateral raise
8kg x8 x8 x8

Squat
50kg x10 x10 x10

Hamstring stretch x3 each leg

Run 1km (5:28)

Seated Row
50kg x10
45kg x10
40kg x10

Overhead Machine Press
30kg x10
25kg x10
20kg x10

Leg Curl
50kg x10 x10 x10

Leg Extension
50kg x10 x10 x10

Pull ups (narrow parallel) x6


Tuna in sunflower oil is a nice change from tuna in brine. Bought 400g cans for a fiver(gbp) at Asda on the way home.

Friday June 15th:

Row 10mins (concept 2 - level 3)

Run 3km (16:08) ...threadmill stopped twice, no idea why.

Hip abduction .. don't normally do this - nice for a change
25kg x10
30kg x10
35kg x10
40kg x10
45kg x10

Reverse Hip abduction (pulling legs in together - not sure of proper machine name...) .. don't normally do this - nice for a change
25kg x10
30kg x10
35kg x10
40kg x10
45kg x10

Pull down machine (not lat pull down)
75kg x8 x8 x8 .... this is actually more than my bodyweight of 71kg but felt easier than the bodyweight pull ups I used to do

Calf rotary machine
20kg x10 x10 x10 ... liked this exercise as got a good calf stretch

Tricep extension
30kg x8 x8 x8

Crunch machine (5kg at both leg and head end)
x20 x20 x20

Sunday June 17th:

Cycle 113km [20k home to Clapham Common (London), then 93km from there to Brighton].

Clocked it as 93km in 3hrs 51mins. If you take out the stopping at traffic lights, traffic jam of 27,000 bikers in the worlds biggest cycle going through country lanes then I reckon I had a pretty good time.

Start times were staggered. I set off at 7am and had caught and passed most of the 6am group by the end. Saw a handful of 7am'ers pass me towards the end. Definetly not a good idea to attempt cycling 113km with nothing but one bottle of water :eek:

On Beacon Hill (big hill into Brighton) I just had to get off and walk, after scoffing two bananas and two bottles of lucozade which were being sold all along the route. The time I lost there was more or less the time that I gained on others who stopped earlier.

Set a new speed record on the bike, getting up to 74kmph going down the South Downs. There was a few of us going along together down the hill and you could see everyone nervously looking at their speedometers creeping upwards and upwards.

In the end I just had to sit up and brake as I was afraid that if someone else ahead fell off or hit a pot hole I'd end up going back to London in an ambulance. Didn't think it was possible to go that fast on a bike!

Overall a good experience and some decent cycle training for the upcoming London triathlon.

Tuesday June 19th:

Pull ups (wide/open)
x8 x6 x4

Squat
40kg x8 x8 x8

Weighted crunch machine (20kg legs, 5kg head)
x10 x10 x10

Upright barbell row
40kg x8 x8 x8

Seated row
50kg x8
45kg x8
40kg x8

Back extension
25kg x10 x10 x10

Pull down machine (not lat pull down)
75kg x8 x8 x6
70kg x2

Leg Extension
50kg x8
40kg x10
30kg x12

Leg Curl
50kg x8
40kg x10
30kg x12

Fly machine
55kg x8 x8 x4
45kg x4

Press machine
55kg x8 x6
45kg x2
45kg x4
35kg x4

Bicep curl
20kg x8 x8 x8

Calf raises
bodyweight x10 x10 x10

Jog 1.6km (800m home to gym and back)

I detest the leg curl. Don't think my legs are the type of length that will ever be comfy in it. Always end up with bruised shins after using it.. no matter how I adjust the various settings.

Todays session was one to break the honeymoon period between Sundays cycle and my running plans going forwards. It was also my last work out as a 25 year old. In almost 3 months of keeping this log I have dropped approx 3kg. Somewhere between 71 and 73kg at the moment, depending on time of day, etc.

Row 5 mins (concept 2 - level 3)

Run 5km (24:50)

Push Ups & Dumbell Press combo (discussed here)
10kg x10 x10

Incline Bench
40kg x10 x10

Upright Barbell Row
30kg x10 x10

Happy with the run. If I can keep knocking 90 seconds off it for the next few days the bet mentioned in the last post is safe.

The push/press ups were tough with sweaty hands straight after the run.

Wednesday July 11th:

Run 5.6km (26:05)

Run was the JPMorgan Corporate Chase in Battersea Park. I was about 4 seconds slower than last year, but 4 minutes faster than the year before. Didn't train enough. Elbowed my way to 3rd line from the front so I could start away from the bunch of 13,000 trotting behind.

£67.20 :eek:

That will teach me to make bets with a guy who got into Uni on a running scholarship!

Sunday July 15th:

Row 5 mins (concept 2 - level 2)

Dumbell Bench Press
20 kg per arm x8 x8 x8 x8

Calf Raise
x20 x20 x20 x20

Bicep Cable Curl
17.5kg x10 x10 x10

Upright Cable Row
17.5kg x10 x10 x10

Squat
30kg x10 x10 x10

Bent Over Barbell Row
30kg x10 x10 x10

Bench Press Incline
50kg x5 x5 x5

Run
2km (10:48 or 11:48 )

Saturday July 21st:

Run 7.5km (40:16)

Squat
60kg x8
50kg x8
40kg x8

Lateral Raise
9kg x8 x8 x8

Bicep Curl
9kg x8 x8 x8

Finished with some hamstring stretches. Hamstrings killing me since last Wednesday's dead lifts. Today they started to cramp when doing the squats at 60kg so I lowered the weight.

Had to walk slowly home as knackered after tonights session. Carrying a sack of spuds from the supermarket nearly killed me.

Monday July 23rd:

Run 7.5km (38:30) ...personal best averaging 11.68kmph

Dumbell Bench Flat (25kg per arm)
x8
x7(fail)
x4(fail) :eek: oouch!

Calf Raise (body weight)
x20 x20 x20 ...something to do whilst getting breath back from run and bench...

Crunch Machine (10kg at head, 10kg at feet)
x10 x10 x10 ...felt pretty easy. Abs must have been pumped from run and bench...

Odysseus wrote:

We all need a night off now and again:) If I'm correct you race is this weekend. Best of luck with it. You can say tonight was part of your taper;)

Yes taper, that is it London Tri is Sunday July 4th for me. Need to put bike back together for it. This week has been a bit of a write off with work and other things. Thanks for the support!

Sunday July 29th:

Run 10km (53:13) (first time running this far)

Bench Press
60kg x5
70kg x5 (last few were only partial lifts... this equals my personal best)
60kg x5
25kg x40

Deadlift
25kg x10
45kg x10
65kg x10 (personal best)

Squat
50kg x8 x8 x8

If I didn't run so much before weights I would probably be setting some personal bests now. Came home and weighted just under 70kg, which means that I could in theory say I benched my own weight.... however I suppose I was only sub 70kg in weight due to water loss from the run. Happy with todays workout.