For the past few weeks, I have been doing a new weekly workout routine. It involves lifting 3 days a week, and works specific muscles a bit more than my last phase of lifting, which was more designed to get my muscles reacquanted with lifting weights.
Each day of the workout, I concentrate on a different group of muscles. I will post the specific sets that I do for each day on the day I am going to do it, and the links below will become live on those days. Each exercise is followed by 50-60 seconds of rest before starting the next set. The muscles worked each day (and the number of exercises for each muscle group) are:
- Monday
- Chest (3)
- Biceps (2)
- Triceps (2)
- Abs (2)
- Wednesday
- Quads (3)
- Hamstrings (2)
- Calves (2)
- Abs (2)
- Friday
- Back (3)
- Shoulders (3)
- Abs (2)
If you decide to follow this workout, you do not need to do the same workouts on the days that I do them; it just happens to fit my schedule. I would try to have at least 1 day of no lifting between each session, however. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have either been taking the day off or getting into the pool to swim for half an hour or so. The first 2 or 3 laps can be a bit interesting depending upon how sore I am, but I always loosen up shortly thereafter. Now that I have started running again, I will probably go out for a 5 mile run on days that the weather is conducive for doing so and swim on the days that it is not. I am also planning on getting at least 1 run if not 2 on the weekends.
What are your lifting goals? Just wondering if you’re building strength in areas that you’ll need for running and swimming, or if there’s something else in mind.
My overall/annual goals are to improve my running. However, right now I am in my off season and I am working more on general strength training and putting a little weight on. In January and possibly february, I will concentrate on my core, and once I know when my next marathon is I will work back what I need to do to prepare for that with both the weight lifting and the running. After my next marathon, I will be working on short distance racing until it is time to get ready for the next marathon, and then I’ll be back to my next offseason.
Sounds good. Is this lifting at home, or in a commercial gym somewhere?
I am back to lifting at a gym; it’s fairly expensive so when I am in full marathon training mode I usually quit it since I don’t have time to get my money’s worth. Starting in February I am going to try a new gym though that will cost me 25% of my current gym’s cost. If I don’t like it, I’ll go back to my original one after a few months. If I do, I will probably keep the membership year round. The location won’t be quite as good, there won’t be a sauna, and there won’t be classes, but I don’t use the sauna or classes too often at my current gym. The outside of the building is huge, so hopefully it will be good equipment and the like.