Monday February 27, 2012

Long Run Day!

Today I ran 6 miles outdoors and finished in 51 minutes. I felt really good running but I just have to make sure I don’t overdue it because I do not want to injure myself. This will be my only long run of the week because I am going to concentrate on getting lighter and obstacle strength.

Meal 1: Coffee
Meal 2: Egg Whites
Meal 3: 8oz Chicken
Meal 4: Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6: Pasta

Thursday February 23, 2012

After yesterdays day off I knew I had to keep the intensity of my workouts so I decided to run some sprints up and down my street. I counted about 40 yards and ran 2 sets of 10. Sprint 40yds walk back 10 times took a break and did another set of 10 40yd sprints. After sprinting until my legs were about to fall off I went to the gym and did a few back/core workouts:

Deadlifts

Back extensions

Lat Pulldowns

Meal 1: Coffee
Meal 2: Egg Whites
Meal 3: Chicken
Meal 4: Amino Acid shake
Meal 5: Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6: Chicken and veggies

Tuesday February 21, 2012

Even though today is Fat Tuesday I did not slack one bit.

The intensity of my workouts is increasing. Today I ran 5 miles outdoors then went to the gym for some chest and lower back work.

Warm up: Pushups: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossover: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dips: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Back extensions 3 Sets of 15

Meal 1:Coffee
Meal 2: Egg Whites
Meal 3:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 4:
Amino Acid shake
Meal 5:Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Pasta with Chicken Sauce
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich

Monday February 20, 2012

It was such a nice day out today I felt the need to get outside and run a little bit. I ran 3.6 miles and then followed it up with 100 push-ups and 100 Sit-ups.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Protein Bar
Meal 2:
Banana
Meal 3:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Grilled Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich

Friday February 17, 2012

TGIF

Dead lift: 3 sets of 8-12 Reps
Wide-Grip Lat Pull down: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Lying T-Bar Row: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Middle Back Shrug: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Smith Machine Shrug: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

Meal 1:
Coffee
Meal 2:
Banana and Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli

Wednesday February 15, 2012

Hills were the main focus today. Down the street from my house I have a street called Hillside road. This hill is long and fairly steep so I took my time and ran up the hill while jogging/walking down the hill. I ran up and down the hill 10 times before it got dark. This was exciting since I haven’t done hills in a long time but I really need to get to Ridley Creek State Park because those hills are really tough.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Protein Bar
Meal 2:
Banana
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Grilled Chicken and broccoli
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich and Casein Protein Shake

Tuesday February 14, 2012

My Valentine today is the Gym. Today the gym was empty so it gave me plenty of time to complete all my exercises. Also, it was my favorite workout day, Chest/Triceps/Abs.

Warm up: Pushups: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossover: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dips: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Overhead Tricep Extension (Rope): 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Decline Crunch: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Ab Roller: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

Meal 1:Coffee
Meal 2:
Egg Whites
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Brown Rice

Monday February 13, 2012

Warm up: Jump Squats: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Wide Stance Barbell Squat: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Narrow Stance Leg Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Leg Extension: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Romanian Deadlift: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Seated Leg Curl: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Calf Press (on Leg Press): 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Standing Calf Raise: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

Meal 1:
Coffee
Meal 2:
Banana
Meal 3:
Chicken and veggies
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Brown Rice

Friday February 10, 2012

External rotation 3 Sets of 8-12
Push Press 3 Sets of 8-12
Arnold Dumbbell Press 3 Sets of 8-12
Seated Bent over rear delt raise 3 Sets of 8-12
Preacher Curl 3 Sets of 8-12
Dumbbell Alternative Bicep Curl 3 Sets of 8-12
Ab Wheel 3 Sets of 8-12
Knee to Hip Raises 3 Sets of 8-12

Meal 1:
Coffee and protein bar
Meal 2:
Banana
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli

Thursday February 9, 2012

I completed a lot of Cardio yesterday so I am taking the day off from Cardio. However, I did continue my lifting routine.

Dead lift: 3 sets of 8-12 Reps
Wide-Grip Lat Pull down: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Lying T-Bar Row: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Middle Back Shrug: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Smith Machine Shrug: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps



Meal 1:
Coffee
Meal 2:
Banana and Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli

Wednesday February 8, 2012

All about the Cardio today. I would have done hills but Mother Nature decided for it to snow. I took today's gym day to focus on cardio. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill, followed by 10 min. on the stationary bike, and ended with some ab work. Nothing impressive but I got the job done and back to the weights tomorrow.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Protein Bar
Meal 2:
Banana
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Pre-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Grilled Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich and Casein Protein Shake

Tuesday February 7, 2012

Back to my normal lifting routine. I am trying to gain a little size before the Tough Mudder.

Warm up: Pushups: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossover: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dips: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Overhead Tricep Extension (Rope): 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Decline Crunch: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Ab Roller: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

Meal 1:
Coffee
Meal 2:
Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 4:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Tilapia and carrots

Monday February 6, 2012

New Month New Me! On Friday the doctor called me back into the office because he saw a light shadow on my heart. Turns out it was an error by the ultrasound technician. My cardiologist cleared me to run all the races this summer. This month will be concentrated on the strength in my legs. As I mentioned last week, the hills in last year’s Tough Mudder were my main weakness and this month will be concentrated on just that. Today's workout was completed in the gym and consisted of all Legs.

Warm up: Jump Squats: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Wide Stance Barbell Squat: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Narrow Stance Leg Press: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Leg Extension: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Romanian Deadlift: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Seated Leg Curl: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Calf Press (on Leg Press): 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Standing Calf Raise: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

Meal 1:
Coffee and Protein Bars
Meal 2:
Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
Chicken and Carrots
Meal 4:
Post-workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5:
Salmon and Tilapia


 

Wednesday February 1, 2012

I had to visit the doctor today for an ultrasound of my heart. They want to make sure everything is the normal size and nothing is wrong in order to clear me for the races this summer. It was such a nice day out today, after the doctor I ran sprints up my street. I completed 20 full sprints of roughly 50-60 yards each. These were tough but I was glad to get some speed work in to my workouts. Soon I will need to work on my hills because that was my weakness in last year’s Tough Mudder.

Monday January 30, 2012

Today I had a light workout. I went to the gym and ran 2 miles on the treadmill followed with pushups and pull-ups. As I am getting more and more into fitness, I am realizing that rest is important for your muscles to recover as well as for your nutrition. Push-ups and Pull-ups are crucial to my Tough Mudder training because of the variety of motions I will need to complete in each obstacle. A light day followed by a day of rest will trick your metabolism and help your muscles heal.

Saturday January 28, 2012

Today was the 4.4ish mile Pickle run at Ridley Creek State park. The weather was beautiful and I had a great run. I was aiming to run this race in 40 min and 20 seconds and actually finished at 36 min and 14 sec. I pushed it really hard and the results were great. Afterward I felt excellent and could tell I was in good shape. The last 1.4ish Miles was on the trails and this is what separated the men from the boys. No one passed me during the whole race and I past 2 people on the trail portion of the race. Overall it was a great day and I am looking forward to the future.  

Tuesday January 24, 2012

Burning the fat is today’s concept. Since I ran for distance yesterday, it’s healthy to stay off the legs and let them rest. Today's workout is mainly Biceps, triceps, and abs.

Barbell Curls 4 Sets of 6-8
Skull Crushers (triceps press with bar) 4 Sets of 6-8
Incline Dumbbell Curls 4 Sets of 6-8
Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdown 4 Sets of 6-8
Preacher Curls 4 Sets of 6-8
Triceps kick back 4 Sets of 6-8

Abs Sets
Decline crunches 2 Sets of 1 Minute each
Leg raises while lying on the bench 2 Sets of 1 Minute each
Bicycle Kicks 2 Sets of 1 Minute each

Meal 1:
Coffee and protein bar
Meal 2:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 3:
Post workout Protein shake
Meal 4:
Chicken and Salmon
Meal 5:
Pre Bed Casin Protein Shake

Monday January 23, 2012

Monday seems like it is turning out to be my long running day. Since, I completed 5 miles last Monday, I figured I would push myself and go for 6 miles this week. I completed 6 miles on the treadmill at a pace of 8:57 min/mile. I felt really good breathing and my muscles seemed relaxed. The Pickle trail run that was supposed to be Saturday the 21st was postponed to the 28th due to snow. Naturally, after this 6 mile run today, I am excited to see what I can do at the pickle run. I will push it to the limit since this is more of a training exercise for me than an actual race.

Meal 1:
Coffee

Meal 2:
8 oz Grilled Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 3: 

Post workout protein shake 
Meal 4: 
 16oz Grilled Chicken

Friday January 20, 2012

Today I had my stress test. The doctor told me that no one ever reached stage 5 before which is 15 minutes at an 18% incline on the treadmill. I am thinking probably their average patient age is 60 but who knows. The stages, as well as the incline, went up every 3 min.  It was tough but I completed it and everything was fine until I rested for 20min after and my heart rate wouldn't drop below 110. They told me usually an athlete’s heart rate drops quickly when they rest. Since I have an ultrasound scheduled for Feb. 1st, they are going to wait to see what that tells us.

Wednesday January 18, 2012

My brother finally got off the couch today and came with me to the gym. Today we built the upper body and here is the workout:

2 Mile run as warm-up

Warmup: Pushups: 2 sets of 15 reps 

Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

Cable Crossover: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

Dips: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

Overhead Tricep Extension (Rope): 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

Decline Crunch: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

 Ab Roller: 3 sets of 8-12 reps 

 Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Meal 3:
Chicken and broccoli
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
8 oz Grilled Chicken
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread

Tuesday January 17, 2012

Today I went to the Cardiologist to check my heart and make sure everything is working properly. As a precaution he wants me to schedule a stress test (treadmill test) and an Ultrasound (Check the size of my heart). These will be coming up within the next few weeks.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on wheat bread
Meal 3:
8 oz Grilled Chicken and Broccoli
Doctor Visit

Meal 4:
8oz Grilled Chicken

Meal 5:  
Almond Butter Sandwich on wheat bread

Monday January 16, 2012

With the pickle run coming up this Saturday, I decided not to go hard this week but I still need to continue to workout. I completed 5 miles at a reasonable 9 min/mile pace today. I did a few sit-ups afterward but today was mainly focused on the cardio and distance of my running. I enjoyed running the 5 miles and I felt like I could have ran more because immediately after my run, I was still able to hold a conversation without being completely out of breath. Overall today was a success.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
High in Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
8 oz Grilled Chicken
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
8oz Grilled Chicken

Thursday January 12, 2012

Today was my day to get some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Cardio in. My goal is to get my heart rate up, keep the body moving, and burn that fat. I was wearing my vibram 5 finger shoes during this whole training as well. Last year I wore the Vibrams during the whole event. They are a whole new workout for your legs and take some time to get used to. Your calf muscles have to adjust because, with these shoes, it is a constant pounding on the calves. Start out slow and build your way up.

Run Half Mile (In Vibrams)

50 Pushups
50 Pull-ups (Assisted Machine)
1 Minute Jump Rope
20 Pushups
30 Crunches

1 minute rest

1 Minute Jump Rope
20 Pushups
30 Crunches

Superset
30 Sit-ups on the Back Extension Machine
10 Back Extensions

I never realized how tough jump roping was but I was definitely tired after 1 min. The last superset was not planned but I saw the Back extension machine and couldn’t resist.


Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
High in Protein Yogurt
Meal 3:
Chicken
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Salmon
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake

Wednesday January 11, 2012

LEGS

Run 2 Miles

Complete the following circuit:

Warm up: Jump Squats: 2 Sets of 15 Reps
Dumbbell Lunges: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Dumbbell Step Ups: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Stiff Legged Barbell Deadlift: 3 Sets of 8-12
Seated Leg Curl: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Leg Extension: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps
Standing Calf Raise: 3 Sets of 8-12 Reps

I am going to start Carb Cycling my meals. Carb Cycling is when you lower the amount of Starchy Carb intake for 3 days to a week and then go back to your normal carb intake. This will trick the body and hopefully speed up the metabolism to burn more fat. Carbs are used as energy or fuel for the body if you will. The more carbs you intake the more fuel you have to burn but if you lower the fuel intake then the metabolism will be tricked into burning the stored fat as energy. Therefore, you will lose weight and look more toned. I have heard plenty about this and as you can see, I have researched this so I am hoping it works.

Meal 1: Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2: High in Protein Yogurt
Meal 3: Chicken and Tilapia
Meal 4: Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6: Pasta

Meal 7: Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake

Tuesday January 10, 2012

With the Pickle run 10 days away, I need to focus on my cardio and trail running. This weekend will be an important weekend to run the trails. Even though I mentioned that I will be focusing on cardio I still think it is also important to continue to get stronger. I need to keep lifting so that I can continue to push forward. Needless to say this week I will be spending along time in the gym for both cardio and weights.

Run 1 Mile

Warm-up: Pushups 2 Sets of 20
Upright Barbell Row 3 Sets of 10-12
Barbell Bench Press 3 Sets of 10 - 12
Lying Triceps Press 3 Sets of 10 - 12
Bent over Barbell Curl 3 Sets of 10 - 12
One Arm Dumbbell Row 3 Sets of 10 - 12
Straight Arm Pull Down 3 Sets of 10 - 12
Superset
Crunches (on the back extension machine)
Back Extensions

Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on 1 slice of wheat bread
Meal 3:
Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake

Friday January 6, 2012

Cardio and Big Guns

Run 3 Miles

Then do 3 Sets of the Following Biceps Circuit:

6 Dumbbell Curls Each Arm (12 total)
Increase weight by 5lbs
4 Dumbbell Curls Each Arm (8 total)
Increase weight by 5 lbs
2 Dumbbell Curls Each Arm (4 total)
Decrease weight by 5lbs
4 Dumbbell Curls Each Arm (8 total)
Decrease weight by 5lbs
6 Dumbbell Curls Each Arm (12 total)

Ab Wheel  1 Set of 10
Back Extension 1 Set of 20
Knee Ups 1 Set of 15
Crunches 1 Set of 30

I learned this workout in highschool and I like the pyramid style. If done right, this workout burns the biceps.

Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on 1 slice of wheat bread
Meal 3:
Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake

Thursday January 5, 2012

Today back to the weights, I wrote down some exercises that I thought would work every muscle group. Getting stronger and staying positive without quitting.

Jog a Mile

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12
Decline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets of 8-12
Dips 3 Sets of 8-12

Leg Extension: 3 Sets of 8-12
Leg Curl: 3 Sets of 8-12

Superset
Lunges with Weight: 3 Sets of 8-12
Standing Calf Raises: 3 Sets of 8-12

Ab Knee Ups: 3 Sets of 15

This workout was mainly focused on the chest but I also got some leg and ab work in there too. I pushed the limit on some of the exercises which felt great and I felt the burn probably because I maintained tempo consistency throughout the workout.

 Meal 1:
Coffee and Egg Whites
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Meal 3:
Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 4:
Pre Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Post Workout Protein Shake
Meal 6:
Chicken and Broccoli
Meal 7:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake

Wednesday January 4, 2012

Today, I went to the doctor to get a checkup and make sure everything is running correctly for the Tough Mudder. He said I am healthy but due to family history of sudden death (my 18 yr old cousin in 2008) the doctor wants me to see a cardiologist to check my heart. I am not expecting anything wrong but I will make the appointment to make sure.

I signed up for another race called the Pickle run. The pickle run will be a good warm-up/training run for the Tough Mudder. This run is located at Ridley Creek State Park where my entire trail running takes place so I am familiar with the area. The pickle run is on January 21st and the distance is about 4.4ish miles. They claim it is "4.4ish" because on a trail run you can almost never get an accurate reading for the distance. I am sure it will be freezing cold and possibly snow on the ground so I am looking forward to this run as a measuring stick to see where I am at for my Tough Mudder training this year.

Tuesday January 3, 2012

Well I am finally back from the holiday break. I didn't work out as planned due to the holiday laziness. My last recorded workout was December 20th and for having 13 days off, I felt surprisingly good during today’s Hi-Intensity Workout.

Ran 3 miles on the treadmill

10 Pullups ; 10 Pushups
9 Pullups ; 9 Pushups
8 Pullups ; 8 Pushups
7 Pullups ; 7 Pushups
6 Pullups ; 6 Pushups
5 Pullups ; 5 Pushups
4 Pullups ; 4 Pushups
3 Pullups ; 3 Pushups
2 Pullups ; 2 Pushups
1 Pullup ; 1 Pushup
2 Pullups ; 2 Pushups
3 Pullups ; 3 Pushups
4 Pullups ; 4 Pushups
5 Pullups ; 5 Pushups
6 Pullups ; 6 Pushups
7 Pullups ; 7 Pushups
8 Pullups ; 8 Pushups
9 Pullups ; 9 Pushups
10 Pullups ; 10 Pushups

50 Ab Wheels
Jog a half mile to cool off

This workout was intense and I was exhausted the rest of the night. I have 4 months until the Tough Mudder 2012 and I am going hard for the next 4 months, no holding back. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow to get my annual checkup and make sure I am healthy enough to complete this event and any other races I plan to join this summer.

Meal 1:
Coffee and 2 protein bars
Meal 2:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Meal 3:
Chicken and Spinach
Meal 4:
Post Workout Whey Protein Shake
Meal 5: 
Chicken and Brown Rice
Meal 6:
Almond Butter Sandwich on Wheat Bread
Pre-Bed Casein Protein Shake