Friday, 28th December

28 December 2007

Physical Measurements

Size Measurements

Weight:		85.9 kg
BMI:		26.2 (Overweight)

Strength Training

Weights

Lower Body Workout

This is Tim Goodwin’s warmup for the Drop a Jeans Size ’08 Challenge, which he wants us to start practising. I did this instead of the usual walk around.

Vertical Woodchop with Dumbbell

Tim just calls this a “Chop”. It seems very like a kettlebell swing, but with less drive from the hips.

Warmup

11/2 kg x 15

Ok.

By the end of the set, I was getting some drive from the hips. Given that I was going to do deadlifts, that’s probably a good thing.

Reverse Woodchop with Dumbbell

The standard reverse woodchop.

Warmup

11/2 kg x 15

Ok.

Dru Twist with Dumbbell

Tim calls this a “Torso Twist”. It’s basically the Yoga exercise I’ve always known as a Dru Twist (that’s the name Gordon used when he taught me, but I think he really meant “this is a twist I learnt from the Dru Yogis”). There’s a few minor differences: the arms are held in front (to hold a dumbbell) and the reverse drive through the hips is omitted.

Warmup

11/2 kg x 15

Ok.

Without the hip drive, the inertia of the dumbbell tended to twist the hips and upper legs. By the end of the set, I was adding in a partial hip drive to counter this.

An interesting popping noise from the lower thoracic spine while doing this—interesting as it’s normally the lower lumbar which goes snap, crackle, and pop.

Sagital Plane Leg Swings

Tim just calls this a “Leg Swing”. I’ve added the term sagital to specify in which plane the swinging is happening.

Warmup

0 kg x 15

Ok.

Took the first half dozen reps before the hips loosened up, after which this went well.

Frontal Plane Leg Swings

Tim calls this a “Lateral Leg Swing”. I’ve used the term frontal, which is the anatomical term for the plane in whic the leg is being swung.

Warmup

0 kg x 15

Ok.

Again it took five or six reps before the hips loosened up and the movement flowed.

This is the end of Tim’s warmup. It’s very quick, but my lower back didn’t feel properly warm, so I added…

Cat Pose

This is the Yoga posture Bidalasana done a faster than I would do it in a Yoga session.

Warmup

0 kg x 15

Ok.

This seemed to do the trick. I think I’ll do this before the woodchops next time.

Okay, on with the motley…

Hamstrings

Parallel Grip Deadlift with Shrug Bar

Warmup		45 kg x 10		Ok.
Warmup		60 kg x 10		Ok.
Work Set		72 [+1/4] kg x 20		Ok.

Needed to reset my grip twice during this set, but there were no extra breaths between reps this time, although I was puffing like a steam train by the end.

Rader Chest Pull

Set

0 kg x 15

Ok.

Threw this in to help bring the breathing back under control.

Parallel Grip Deadlift with Shrug Bar

Work Set

91 [+1/2] kg x 5

Ok.

Hip Flexor

Leg Pull with Low Cable

Warmup

10 kg x 5

Ok.

Back

Chin with Chin Stand

Work Set

0 [+75] kg x 15

x 7

Leg Pull with Low Cable

Work Set

141/8 [+1/8] kg x 15

Ok.

Struggled with these, particularly the left leg.

Chin with Chin Stand

Set

0 kg x 6

Ok.

13 reps over two sets is as good as it has ever been. Went on and did the last two reps with just a short break.

Set

0 kg x 2

Ok.

Leg Pull with Low Cable

Work Set

18 [+1/4] kg x 5

x 6

Chin with Chin Stand

Work Set

3/8 [+1/8] kg x 5

Ok.

Very slow going up for the last rep—almost static. Eventually I got my chin over the bar.

Chest

Dip with Dip Stand

Work Set

1/2 kg x 15

Ok.

Very scrappy towards the end. If the form had degenerated any more, I would have ended the set.

Work Set

101/4 [+1/8] kg x 5

Ok.

Biceps

Bicep Curl with Barbell

Warmup		20 kg x 5		Ok.
Work Set		221/2 [+1/4] kg x 15		Ok.

A very scrappy, stop/go affair—I don’t own this weight.

Work Set

271/2 [+1/4] kg x 5

Ok.

Obliques

Side Bend with Low Cable

Warmup		25 kg x 5		Ok.
Work Set		361/4 [+1/4] kg x 15		Ok.
Work Set		443/4 [+1/4] kg x 5		x 6

The handle moved slightly on me while doing the right side. Having your hand pinched between two bits of metal by almost 45 kg isn’t much fun.

Generally a good workout—I made some progress in most of the important lifts. Two things are holding me back: the lack of cardio fitness from the months off the bike, and the spare tyre I’m carrying (again courtesy of the time off the bike).

Start:				7:09 pm
Finish:				8:13 pm
Time:		1:00		1:04

Summary.

• 16 work sets.
• 6 made progress.
• 4 recovered lost ground.
• 3 succeeded.
• 1 remained the same.
• 1 failed.
• 11 warm-up and other non-work sets.

Flexibility Exercises

Yoga Exercises

Poses

• Parsvottanasana (Pyramid)
• Parighasana (Gate)
• Ustrasana (Camel)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes)
• Hasta Garudasana (Eagle Arms)
• Hasta Gomukhasana (Cow Face Arms)
• Baddha Konasana (Cobbler)
• Parivrtti Agnistambhasana (Revolved Fire Log)

Another interesting pop from the lower thoracic.

Duration:

15 minutes