- Monday: Pilates/free weights and weight machine for strength.
- Tuesday: Running for endurance.
- Wednesday: Yoga for flexibility.
- Thursday: Ski machine for endurance.
- Friday: Repeat Monday workout for strength.
- I replaced the Monday TRX with weights and machine, making it the same as Friday. The TRX was great, because it gently rehabilitated my shoulder and helped build the base for more strength work with increased weight. This poses more risk of injury, but has been working well.
- I swapped the days for running and yoga, in order to split the endurance days.
- I tried increasing my running pace, but returned to the previous pace and even ended up splitting it into 5-minute intervals. This is definitely part of keeping it at a manageable level; I'll build it up over the longer term.
- I replaced swimming with the ski machine to save the cost of pool membership and simplify the logistics (no need to drive to the pool).
- I increased the stretching times to about 10 minutes, using the full sport-specific stretch routines from Bob Anderson's Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition.
The one thing that's been a little more persistent has been lower back twinges during the day. In addition to a little more back stretching, I've reduced the weight I use for squats. That seems to have managed it.
My back is definitely something I want to protect. I can limp around for a day with a sore leg and get over it quickly, but back issues can turn into serious problems with long term consequences.
It's also worth noting that we're currently in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, so staying healthy is paramount. Being cautious and conservative, maintaining my workouts within my limits, is more important than pushing those limits and risking injury.
The medical system is already at risk of being overburdened, access to non-emergency care is getting more difficult, and being full-body healthy gives me the best chance of riding it out. And really, that's the goal of all this. Not peak physical performance, but peak longevity.
But I can tell I'm firming up my muscles and have definitely improved my endurance since starting out. I'm not aiming for muscle mass, just for good solid general fitness.
I generally don't work out on weekends, since those are when I do other activities, often including some kind of physical outdoor recreational activity.
I try to make sure to have time available for each full daily workout, but if I'm short of time, I can cut the number of reps, sets, or laps down, cut the time down, cut the rest periods by 15-30 seconds, or skip some yoga poses.
Monday: Pilates/Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength
Warm-up: 5 minutes on rowing machine or elliptical.
Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's weightlifting stretch routine.
Strength part 1: 15-25 minutes of Pilates mat work.
Strength part 2: 25-30 minutes of free weights and weight machine following Strength Training Past 50 by Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle. 3 sets of 8 reps for each of 11 separate exercises at slow, controlled pace, with 15-60 seconds rest after each set. I make sure the amount of weight I use doesn't cause any joint pain during or after completing all the sets.
The exercises and weights (pounds):
- Squat, 40
- Leg extension, 55
- Leg curl, 25
- Chest press, 55
- Chest fly, 35
- Seated row, 55
- Shoulder press, 35
- Lat pull-down, 55
- Tricep push-down, 45
- Bicep curl, 25
- Ab flex, 55
These are mostly an increase of two 5- or 10-pound plates from the previous program, except for the squats, which is a reduction of 30 pounds to reduce the strain on my lower back.
I don't like the bicep curl station on it, so I do those with either Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells, or the dumbbells that come with the barbell. I have a range of hex dumbbells from 10-30 lbs., which is convenient for doing a variety of free-weight exercises without having to change plates.
I use a Bicep Bomber for bicep and tricep isolation with both the free weights and the machine.
Weight machines generally isolate the targeted muscles and joints well, so all the effort is directed to them. While that's good for building just those areas, it also means higher force on them and higher risk of injury. I pay close attention to make sure I'm not overdoing it.
I built up from the previous level by adding weight every 6 weeks, cutting back to 6 reps for each set for two or three workouts, then increasing to the regular 8 reps.
Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on elliptical.
Tuesday: Pilates/Running For Endurance
This workout can be done almost anywhere outdoors, good for traveling. Also, many offices, hotels, and resorts have treadmills in their gyms. I do post-workout stretching to prevent tight or sore muscles the next day.
Warm-up: 5 minutes on treadmill.
Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's pre-run stretch routine.
Endurance: 30 minutes on treadmill in 5-minute intervals: 1 minute walking at 3 mph, 4 minutes running at 5 mph.
My goal is still to work up to the USMC Timed Run requirement, which is 3 miles in 28 minutes or less (6.4 mph continuous running), but I realized it's going to take me longer to get there.
Cool-down: 5 minutes on treadmill.
Stretching: 10 minutes of Anderson's post-run stretch routine.
Wednesday: Yoga For Balance And Flexibility
This workout is very portable after memorizing the sequence of moves, good for traveling.
Because yoga workouts generally incorporate warm-up, stretching, and cool-down, I don't do those separately.
No matter what else I do during the week, if something disrupts my routine and I have to skip one or more workouts, I make sure to do this one, because of its general therapeutic and stress-reducing effects.
Balance and flexibility: 60 minutes of Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs by Rodney Yee. I cycle through the different programs on different weeks. They're all very similar, but with slightly different emphasis. I use a Yoga Mat, Block, and Strap Set. Sometimes it's convenient to have a second block. The 3rd program on that DVD shows best how to use the blocks and strap.
I'm not nearly as flexible as Yee, so I limit postures to only the degree I can do comfortably.
The postures, or asanas, not all of which appear in every program (most of the names from the book 50 Best Yoga Positions):
- Tadasana, mountain pose
- Adho mukha svanasana, downward-facing dog
- sun salutation (this is actually a sequence moving through several poses, including mountain pose, lunge, plank, pushup, cobra, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, standing forward bend)
- Biralasana, cat pose
- Virabhadrasana I, warrior I
- Virabhadrasana II, warrior II
- Virabhadrasana III, warrior III
- Trikonasana, triangle pose
- Uttanasana, intense forward stretch/standing forward bend
- Dandasana, staff pose
- Navasana, boat pose
- Balasana, child pose
- Single-leg forward bend
- Paschimottasana, double-leg forward bend
- Upavista konasana, seated wide-angle forward pose sequence
- Baddha konasana, cobbler's pose
- Supta padangustasana, reclining big toe pose/raised leg stretch
- Jathara parivartanasana, revolved abdomen pose
- Marichyasana III, sage twist III
- Garudasana, eagle twist
- Kapotasana, pigeon pose
- Anjaneyasana, crescent moon pose
- Dhanaurasana, bow pose
- Setu bandhasana, bridge pose
- Purvottanasana, upward-facing plank
- Urda dhanurasana, upward-facing bow pose
- Virasana, hero pose
- Utkatasana, chair pose/power pose
- Prasarita padottanasana, wide leg stretch/wide leg forward bend
- Savasana, corpse pose/relaxation pose
Thursday: Ski Machine For Endurance
Warm-up: 5 minutes on ski machine at low to middle incline, and light but increasing resistance and pace.
Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's cross-country skiing stretch routine.
Endurance: 30 minutes on ski machine at middle to high incline, at middle resistance, doing intervals of 2 minutes at fast pace, 1 minute at slow pace.
Cool-down: 5 minutes on ski machine at middle to low incline, at reducing resistance and pace.
Friday: Pilates/Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength
This is an exact repeat of Monday's workout.
