The Start of the Perfect Week

It is a little past midnight and I just finished my workout.  That is, I just finished my strength training part of it: Bowflex Routine Green (see below) and Medicine Ball Routine A (also below).  I ran a bit more than five miles before dinner.  I was going to go for ten but time got away from while cleaning the garage and I could only fit in five miles.  My plan was to run five miles tomorrow so I will just tack on the additional five I didn’t run today and call it all even. 

While these may seem likes games I am playing with myself, I am really just trying to make a goal: the Perfect Week.  A few weeks ago I ran 50 miles over the course of seven days.  I hope to repeat that again this week.  I will actually run more than that because I am not including the Step Up 5K! I am running on Saturday with two of my sons in my personal total.  In addition to logging 50 miles, I am adding the challenge of doing all my strength training routines.  I had taken an extended break from the Bowflex around Christmas and have been easing myself back onto it for the past two weeks.  We have Rugged Maniac in two weeks and I need to be ready for that too (don't forget to use promo code TC0001 when signing up to save 10% off the registration fee!).

I figured that today was a good day to begin my ‘perfect week.’  Earlier the Ravens beat the 49ers in Superbowl.  I don’t remember who played last year, nor do I really care.  What I do remember is that after the Superbowl last year I checked myself into the hospital under the false belief that I was having a heart attack.  That was the start of this journey. It is a matter of personal satisfaction that I am still on the path and making progress every day. 

I use a PR1000 Bowflex machine.  There are two workout routines that I do: Green and Yellow.  I used to have a third, Red, but I have stopped doing that routine since I began running in earnest.  It was tough on my knees and I feel pretty strongly that I am working my legs plenty while running.  My Green routine is focused on my chest, shoulders, and abdomen.  The Yellow routine is all back and arm exercises.  I was up to 105 lbs of resistance on most of the exercises but my resistance bars are rather stiff due to the cold so I dropped 10 lbs off my regular ‘weight.’  The manual for the PR1000 can be found here.

 

 

The ball I use is a 15 pound Title Boxing medicine ball.  I have two routines that I do with the medicine ball as well: A and B.  Routine ‘A’ consists of exercise performed while lying on the floor on a yoga mat.  Routine ‘B’ is performed while standing.  These exercises are more like general calisthenics and provide good muscle toning. 

 

 

Bowflex Routine Green (chest, shoulders, abdomen):

• Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Incline Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Flies: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Decline Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Seated Shoulder Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 80 lbs.
• Trunk Rotation: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 80 lbs.
• Front Shoulder Raise: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 60 lbs.
• Reverse Flies: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 35 lbs.
• Scapular Retration: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Crossover Seated Deltoid rows: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Seated Abdominal Rotational Crunch (3 part): 25 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.

Medicine Ball Routine A (15 pound ball, 13 Reps, 3 Sets each):

• Lying Overhead Lift
• Overhead Tricep Curl
• Lying Vertical Thrust (lying)
• Rotational Crunch
• Fly

 
Day one…..off to a good start.