Easy on the shoulder.

<-- Probably the main reason my shoulder can get out of whack so easily.

I lucked out today and found some time to do something before dinner at work.  I kept coming up with great ideas of different lifts I wanted to do, but thought better of it when I remembered my shoulder.  After cleaning house yesterday (it actually went pretty well and it only looks like half a dump now) my shoulder felt a lot better, just a little sore and stiff.  So today's challenge would be to come up with a routine that wouldn't work my shoulder too hard, but would do all those motions that can get everything back in order. The focus became my legs, and specifically, my hips.  I was surprised how quickly I got this whole thing done.

Warm-up: 

-Arm Circles x30 each way

-Plate warm-up 10#

-Worlds Greatest Stretch x10

-Hand Walk x10

-Sumo-Squat-Stand x10

Main: x3 for time

-Body weight Squats x20

-Inverted "Rockets" x20

-Spin-Bike x20 Calories

-DB-KB Swings x20

More:

-Shoulder routine with elastic bands

Cool Down/Stretch

The warm-up went well enough, and using a 10# plate worked really well for my

shoulder. For the main event, I clocked in at 10:43, a bit of a longer workout than

I anticipated. What I call "Inverted Rockets" are just an abdominal type exercise

where you're on your back, legs vertical, and you push you hips up until you're balanced

on your shoulders, body fully extended. On the bike, I just rode it until the computer

said I'd done at least 20 calories worth of work. And for the DB-KB swings, I used a

30# dumbell.

This all did well for my shoulder, which is feeling a lot better right now. Still a little sore

and stiff, but getting better. I'll be back in pull-ups in no time.

Active Rest... Needed.

Wow.  I've got some serious sore spots today.  Yesterday, my right elbow was hurting, but I pushed through and today it's doing quite a bit better.  My lower right back was also hurting a little yesterday, but after warming up it was working well, only to be uncomfortable the rest of the day.  Today, it's fine.  But my left shoulder, or I should say my rotator cuff...  Ouch.  After years of beating on it while pole-vaulting and an unfortunate dislocation during the fire academy, it's a wonder it works at all.  So it's strange that I'm surprised about this pain.  The range of motion is a little smaller than normal.  It's popping a little.  Just the usual inflammatory stuff I guess.  

And I'm tired, which is no surprise.  So today is a rest day; an active rest day.  I need to clean my house (yeah, laugh it up asshole).  And I read that for my 212# self, I'll be burning 240 calories an hour doing light cleaning with moderate effort.  Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but it sounds good to me.  So to actually CLEAN my house, I'll be burning about 2,400,000 calories today...

Day 2, still motivated...

I decided this morning that rather than take a shower and a nap after work, I'd just write down a workout and go do it.  It rocked!  I wasn't too happy with the pull-up bar situation at my station, so I wanted to do more today.  And I wanted to hit some different areas that I didn't stress too badly yesterday.  Again, mostly compound exercises, done one after another in supersets.  And again, I did the pull-ups by swinging and kipping, just getting over the bar.  Enjoy...

Warm-Up: 

-Hip cross-over x30

-Scorpion x30

-Calf Stretch x10 each leg

-Hand Walk x10

-Inverted Hamstring x10

-World's Greatest Stretch x10 each leg

-Lunge w/twist x10 each

-Sumo Squat-Stand x20

-Arm Circles x30 each direction

Main Workout:  For Time: 3 sets 

-Pull-ups x10

-Straight Legged Deadlift x10

-Push-ups x10

-Box Jumps x10

More Goods:

-Weighted Wipers x30

-Knee Raises x30

-50 Meter Strides x6, 50% effort

Cool Down/Stretch

I liked this one.  The warm-up is based on the book Core Performance by Mark Verstegen.  I can explain all of those names if you want to attempt the warm-up.  Next, the main workout was completed in 6:35, and I was hurting after the first round.  My hands especially took a beating with the pull-ups.  For weight on the deadlift, I used a 115# bar, just over 50% of my bodyweight.

You can see a picture of the weighted wipers.  I don't know quite what to call those, but basically, you get a bar, get into bench press position, and just hold it up there while raising your straight legs from right side to left and back again.  I used the 115# bar.  For the knee raises, I used parallel bars and just lifted my knees up to horizontal.  Strides- just an easy sprint to shake it all out and line it all up.

I'm liking this blog thing.  I know it's only day two and I'll get sick of it, but so far it's making me want to workout and get it on the web.  

Number one, a warm up...

My goal with this is to keep me honest about my own workouts.  

The plan is to write a workout, do the workout, post the workout and any comments about it, and see if anyone else tries it.  If you do, please leave a comment with any times or numbers or complaints.  

This isn't meant to be any kind of competition except with yourself.  Be honest about your abilities to yourself.  If a workout reads too hard, tone it down, substitute weight/reps/movements to make it your own.  If you don't have the equipment, get creative.  Use these workouts as a template if you want, adjusting it to suit you. 

I will try to do full body workouts, changing things just about every time, not letting my body get comfortable.  Some days will read like traditional workouts, others will simply be listing an activity I did.  Occasionally I'll post rants or deep thoughts about fitness or nutrition.  At some stage, I'd like to post what I eat as well.  More of that whole honesty thing.  

Please feel free to leave comments, questions or suggestions.  With any luck this will keep me inspired and possibly a few others as well.

That being said, on to today's activity.

Warm-up:

-5 min walk on treadmill

-Plate warm-up: x20 of each, from left to right is one, from right to left two...

-Rainbow (Plate in both hands hanging at right hip. Swing up to eye level and then down to left hip.)

-Golf Swing (Plate in both hands above right shoulder, swing down and back up to left side above shoulder.)

-KB Swing (Plate in both hands, high above head.  Swing down between knees and behind you, then back up to start.)

-Straight Arm Twist (Plate in both hands, arms out straight, rotate trunk left to right.)

-Squat (Plate close to body, squat down, back up.)

-C-Bends (Plate in both hands, straight above, slightly bend to right, slightly bend to left.)

-Good Mornings (Plate behind head, athletic stance, bend at waist until upper body is horizontal.  Return to start.)

Remember to be careful with your back, keep it straight, chest out, navel in.  Shoulder blades should be back and down.  This is a warm up, using active stretching and a weight plate.  I used a 25# plate and I was sweating a little at the end.

Main Workout: For time, if you can't do a set all at once, stop, breath, start again until it's done.

-Pull-ups x10

-Overhead Jerk/Press x10

-Squat x20

-Pull-ups x6

-Overhead Jerk/Press x6

-Squat x15

-Pull-ups x3

-Overhead Jerk/Press x3

-Squat x8

I don't care how you get your chin over the bar for now, swing and kip your way up, us overhand or underhand, just get 'em done.  I was using a really crappy pull-up station that tipped over at every rep.  Originally, I was going to start with more presses, but after doing 5, I knew I should cut it down in reps to what my pull-ups were.  I used just over a 100# bar.  Use something less than 50% of your bodyweight.  For the squats, just use your bodyweight.  My time for this: 5:13.  I was out of breath and sweating pretty well.

More:  Still going... 10# ball

-Russian Twists w/ Med-ball Ladder (On your butt, torso and bent legs in the air, balanced.  Grab ball with straight-ish arms, starting at right side, move ball to left side, touch the ground with ball, return to right side, touch ground, etc.  20 of them.  Rest 5-10 seconds.  18 of them.  Rest. 16 of them.  Rest. Etc to zero.)

-Flat on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the ground.  20 easy chest passes to yourself.

-Same position on your back, holding the ball with straight arms, touch the ground behind your head.  Rotating at your shoulder, move ball to between your thighs.  Back to behind your head.  20 times.

-Again, same postion, gently throw the ball from right hand to left and back again.  Try to keep your head on the ground.

Cardio: 

-Stair stepper (I planned on 20 minutes but got an EMS run at 6 minutes in, so, that was what I did.  But I was starting to burn and really wondering if 20 minutes was a good idea...)

Stretch:  It's good for you.

So, this was the first day of this with the Blog looming in the back of my head.  I'll probably do more of these type of workouts in the coming weeks, hopefully a couple or few a week.  I had to make some adjustments today, having tried to bite off more than I could comfortably chew.  As time goes on, I'll get a better feeling for what I'm capable of and challenge myself more and more.