Colds are the mother of invention, right? A bug was going around this week and i felt a cold coming on. So, as of Wednesday, i laid low hoping the bug wouldn't notice me. It didn't take much of an interest and i was left to feel schleppy and a tad scratchy for three days.
But of course that made a shambles of my routine which on account of one interception or another never seems to last consistently more than two weeks. With one day to the left i hadn't exercised my chest/tricpes or back biceps. The solution: work out both and forego the "running" seeing as you're getting over a pre-cold. So now i have three routines
A. Split
Day One (Mon / Thu)
machine press + leg extensions + military press
incline sit ups + dips
pseudo run (cardio)
balance & stretches
Day Two (Tue / Fri)
machine row + leg curls + bar curls
hyperextensions + (eventually chin ups)
pseudo run (cardio)
balance & stretches
B. Major/Minor Push Pull
Day One (Mon / Thu)
machine press + leg extension + machine row
incline sit ups + dips
pseudo run (cardio)
balance & stretches
Day Two (Tue / Fri)
military press + leg curls + bar curls
hyperextnsions + chin ups
run
stetches
C. Combo
Mon Wed Fri
machine press + leg extension + machine row
military press + leg curls + bar curls
incline sit ups + dips
hyperextensions + chin ups
Optional: machine chest flies & deltoid reverse flies
Tue Thu Sat
pseudo run (cardio)
balance & stretches
The nice thing about this arrangement is that i can mix and match without completely loosing track.
If I do a split on Mon & Tue, I can switch to do a push pull on Thu & Fri. If, as this week, i missed three days, I can do a Combo on Saturday a make up run on Sunday and pick up with a Split Routine on Monday; or do the combo for the week.
On average i should get 3 to 4 runs a week and four (or three) chest/back tricep/bicep work outs per week.
This routine is a general fitness/major body part routine. which is hardly impressive for those with time, energy and cartilege to waste. But for those with other things on their minds, i have found that complex, specialized routines tend to be self defeating. I am more likely to consistently do what i think of as a "three exercise" routine than a six or 12 exercise routine that is so daunting i put it off to a better day (which is always tomorrow).
-oOo-
On related matters. I was internet surfing and checking out gyms in various parts of California. Ack! Maybe ninety percent of what i saw were Total Fitness Palaces, which offered everything under the sun including power slurpy bars, tanning beds, kiddie kare and banks of aerobic machines stuffed together in airconditioned rooms with large fans and full wall panels of flat screen teeVees. The whole "offering" bespeaks hyper-alphoid exercise frenzy.
I can't think of anything i'd want to do less than be stuck in a row of treadmills or stationary bikes, literally elbow to elbow with intense, goal driven, hysterics, plugged into iPods staring glassy-eyed at the screen thump thump thump thumping and pant pant pant panting while stereo fans cool them down and give me a chill.
When i got to my gym today, i was truly grateful it was 1/5th the size and gave me three times more room to do my routines without waits, hindrances or annoyances. It is somewhat limited in free weights but has a double set of machines and offers all the usual "courses" including senior pilates, dance-aerobics, bootcamp, core-this and corps that... But best of all there is no crowding and no one gets in the way of anyone else. The ages range from 17 to 77 and no one gives anyone any hassles, guff or sneers.
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