I felt tired today before I even started but I knew it was the last day of the week so I was determined to not go too easy on myself. I was just worn out from the week full of events. I was still enjoying what I was doing, but I was getting pretty beaten up and definitely was starting to already look forward to the weekend of rest. I had bruised up legs, bruised up arms, aching knuckles, shin splints, the jumprope torture on my toes was starting to get really old and I was just generally feeling the effects of cardiovascular fatigue.
I headed out for a normal 4km run to start things off. I didn’t feel much like doing it, but I knew I should so I went ahead anyway. My run went well and I finished in exactly 20:30 without pushing myself so I wasn’t as bad off as I felt. My lower legs started acting up a little bit but walking around a little after the run stretched me out and cleared things up pretty quickly. It gave the dog a chance to chase me around — he’s got really short legs so me walking is about like him running…
The dog chasing after me — slowly
I wound up getting to the gym to lift weights a little bit later than I had intended. I had also missed my shoulders workout that I had intended to do yesterday so I made today an arms and shoulders day. I combined my sets into a “super set” to get this done in a short time period… but there is nothing super about “super” sets at all. In my case where I am strictly looking for strength and could care little for “mass building” and absolutely nothing for “Xtreeem bUrn!!!11!” doing super sets works against me by increasing my lactic acid buildup and introducing cardio fatigue as a factor in my weight workout. Not exactly an optimum way to lift when placed in the middle of a day already full of running and boxing.
Another funny shrug face
I combined barbell shrugs with preacher curls and wound up with this routine:
20 reps @ 80kgs [shrugs]
12 reps @ 20kgs [curls]
20 reps @ 80kgs [shrugs]
10 reps @ 30kgs [curls]
10 reps @ 130kgs [shrugs]
8 reps @ 35kgs [curls]
10 reps @ 130kgs [shrugs]
5 reps @ 40kgs [curls] (planned 6 but failed at 5)
20 reps @ 80kgs [shrugs]
12 reps @ 30kgs [curls]
20 reps @ 80kgs [shrugs]
Yay… curls…
Upright row doesn’t seem to produce as funny a face as shrugs…
I then combined upright rows with concentration curls and did this:
15 reps @ 25kgs [row]
10 reps @ 20kgs [curls]
12 reps @ 30kgs [row]
10 reps @ 20kgs [curls]
10 reps @ 35kgs [row]
10 reps @ 16kgs [curls]
8 reps @ 40kgs [row]
6 reps @ 45kgs [row]
12 reps @ 30kgs [row]
Still not enjoying these, particularly when winded and tired
I then decided to do some overhead press, but having not taken any breaks but to change weights between all previous sets I was very tired and it finally got to me. I pushed a nice 12 reps at 30kgs out but I started feeling tired at only 40kgs and decided 50 and 60kgs was just going to have to wait for another time when I’m really focusing on weight lifting and not on boxing.
RAAAR!!! Oh… nevermind… I’m tired…
Overhead press:
12 reps @ 30kgs
8 reps @ 40kgs
Tried to lift 60kgs but it just wasn’t going to happen today
I gave a last attempt at a tricep-engaging exercise but it simply wasn’t to be today. I called it quits after one ridiculous set that showed me I really just didn’t have it in me to do everything I wanted in the very short time I had.
No, really… I’m too tired for this
Tricep overhead extensions:
10 reps @ 20kgs
I was just too burned out after my earlier sets to get anything real accomplished without a significant rest period. I needed time if I was going to continue my lifting workout and time is exactly what I didn’t have which is why I decided on doubling up my sets in the first place. I did a few sets of neck exercises in the little time I had left. After that it was time to head out to eat.
I only did 15 rounds of boxing today, but it felt pretty good even though I went in knowing I was tired before I ever even got there. The sparring brought a lot of defense work into play today and gave me a chance to really work on combos — in particular trying to sneak my hard kicks into the middle of my punching combos. The only bad thing about my boxing workout today was getting my toes beaten up by the jumprope (I couldn’t jump for anything today) and sparring exhausted is a pretty difficult thing to do for a beginner like me.
Sparring: the only way to really get any better
Boxing:
Jumprope, 2R
Front kick (heavy bag), 2R
Knees (heavy bag), 2R
Shadow, 3R
Heavy bag, 2R
Sparring, 4R
I had a good time today but I was pretty happy to see it all over with, too. I needed rest and the weekends are the only time I seem to get any (and not always then, either).