We have two months of the summer left and I thought it was time to really kick my fitness regime into gear. I have been too inconsistent with my workouts and training and have gained weight back and this makes me far too unhappy. I tend to work better when given targets to achieve each day. So having an entire month scheduled for my workouts is perfect for me. I feel having this typed down and for the world to see, makes it more real than just saying it in my head, as then I can lie to myself. I can’t lie here. It is out there, I have said it for realsies. So… Shall we?
Running
I would be remiss if I didn’t start with running wouldn’t I? So I am planning to do something simple running wise, I want to run 400 miles this month. I plan to break this up a bit, but this month will be mostly long distance running and aiming to get into a great training prep for the Autumn marathons and half marathons. I am also hoping that this will then give me a respectable time on an upcoming 10k race being held in August. I like to push hard, to begin with, to get instant results and then bring it back and read just for the next month. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be neglecting my short runs either, you need to build up the speed somehow and I will be doing those probably on days I am in work for long periods. I remember a period of time that even if I was in work later on that day. I would still go for a 10k run before it. I always felt good for doing it and I will be starting this again.
Cardio
Running isn’t the only cardio that I do! I love basically all forms of cardio and I will be implementing that into my daily workouts too. On my days off from work, I am going for long cardio and gym days because I need to and if I am just working out and blogging… I am not being lazy and doing nothing. I have fallen into a real lazy attitude for the past 8 months and it isn’t like me. So out with the lazy and in with the sweaty… Sorry for that image…
With cycling, I have been enjoying the levelling up every minute until I am at the max level sessions, but I think I will try and make the levels longer so I can increase my endurance levels.
This is the same with the stepper. I plan to reach 200 floors every few days at a decent pace. But the general aim will be to get that 100-floor target below 10 minutes. I think this is achievable and it is actually quite fun to try for it each time.
Rowing wise I have been loving the 30-second on, 30-second rest workouts. I am aiming to go above 140 metres each 30 seconds and will only stop if it dips below that after the 30 seconds. Also, I will be doing some endurance sessions as I am aiming to complete a marathon from rowing by the end of the year. I will be posting up a quick post during the week about my aims fitness wise by the end of 2017.
I have found a recent love for the ski erg and while I haven’t used it too much lately, I will be doing so more as this month continues. 30s on 30r seems a good start for explosive workouts and then endurance on different days as my arms are not as strong as I would like, Which leads us too…
Weights
I had fallen in love with weights earlier in the year, but I still feel slightly unconfident at completing weight workouts at Puregym, and I haven’t been near my other gym because, well I am not sure why, I feel like that because it is a smaller gym with regulars, that if they saw me with my current weight gain then I would be judged because of it and I can’t handle that. I thought at the time that this was just a little blip in my progress, but it has turned into the opposite. It is now a problem and it is a problem that I am not resolute on fixing. So I will have to suck it up and go in and workout and ignore it… Though knowing me I will go in during the day time when I know others won’t be there. I am dopey that way. Anyway, I have gone off track! (moves that topic to the side for a more detailed post next week)
So, with weights I had felt that I was seeing some definite progress and was doing well, so I feel a bit relieved to know that I just have to start a bit lighter and I should be able to build it back up quickly enough. The trouble I had before, was that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Now I have 1% more of a clue, so it is a start. I have some simple aims for weights that I will share with you for July, they are:
Front squat – 70 kg – 155lbs – My front squat is quite weak as I haven’t been confident in doing them, but I have started and I will get there. I am currently sitting at 50kg – 110lbs. Which I know isn’t much, but I am a novice!
Back squat – 120 kg – 265lbs – As you can see, I have been doing back squats a lot more than front! This is still light, but my current personal best is 100kg and I hope to break through that this month, even for just one rep!
Deadlift – 100kg – 220lbs – As with the front squat, I am quite new to deadlifts and have done them even less than I have the front squat! So my aim is not the loftiest in the world. But I will get there! Slow progress and by the end of the year it should be a normal weight! Hopefully!
Bench press – 100kg -220lbs – I have weak arms alright!? I am more a fan of the incline press if truth be told. I have no idea why though! I get a rush from the bench press as I almost run around adding another 1.5kg – 3.3lbs on each side as I complete the set. This is probably the biggest climb up, but I feel I can get there for 1 rep, the others I would hope to complete a set in.
Thrusters – 60kg – 133 lbs – I really love thrusters, almost as a body circuit workout, but feel that I could go much heavier with them if I put the effort into it. As my front squat and bench improves, I feel these will improve too!
Now I am wary that I have gone on for an eternity, so I am going to split this post up until tonight/tomorrow morning (time depending) as I have a lot more to talk about in the exercises I do!!
So expect to read about the following later bodyweight exercises, dumbells exercises, circuits and with its own little section… Core!
Thanks for reading and until next time…
Scott H Gilliland 