Workout C #2: Lifting Weight Before Breakfast (Workout 18)

Three sets -- at least for some things, and the ones I didn't
was because of time, not because of being worn out.

Workout C went *much* better yesterday than last Saturday -- I was more comfortable with what I was doing and didn't feel quite so awkward and out of place. That was all very much to the good. 

I did have to curtail things a little bit because I had a hard and fast time I needed to be done by because I was meeting up with some friends to go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. We were meeting up at 9am and I wanted to workout before that. So I got up early to go to the gym, showered there, and went straight from there to the meet-up (with a stop for coffee and a breakfast sandwich). If I'd had longer, I would have gone for three sets of the deadlifts and push-ups. (Actually, as it turned out, I'd allocated a bit more time than necessary to go from the gym to the meet-up, via breakfast, so I actually had the time those additional sets. I just didn't know it.

I also skipped the Cardio Intervals of Insanity because I was going to be spending most of the day walking around the Ren Fest and didn't want my legs all worn out and too tired to do  that. So I didn't get nearly as much of a cardio workout, but I was moving and standing for most of the day.

Today's workout was:

• Side Plank with Reduced Base of Support - 2 x 30 seconds was the goal - I actually did 37 seconds the first set but only 28 the second. The second set I felt like my shoes were slipping on the floor. I did manage to sort of reduce my base of support, at least a little. I wasn't able to raise my upper leg but I did bend the knee of my upper leg, so it wasn't contributing much to my stability. But that's not the slipping problem I was having. 
• Jump Squats - 2 x 8 - I did 10 the first set because I forgot I wasn't doing that much. . The second set I did 8. Still getting quite winded with these so I don't need to think about how to ramp them up. 
• Alternating sets of:
• Reverse Lunges - 3 x 10, 8 - I didn't have any problems with my quads hurting today, which was nice. I spent some time this week working on stretching them and also practicing how I stand up when I'm sitting or kneeling on the floor so I don't put so much pressure on them. Whatever it is, it's really been helping, it seems. I used 25 lb dumbbells, which is what I used last time, and ramped it up by adding a third set. I could only do 8 on the last set. I'm aiming for 10 on both. 
• 3-Point Rows (with one hand and one knee on a weight bench) - 3 x 10, 8 (aiming for 10 on both) - I used a 25lb dumbbell here as well (convenient that) and added a third set. Again on the third set, I could only do 8. I'm hoping to increase either weight or volume (number of sets or reps) on each exercise each time I do these Phase 2 workout and this time I increased the number of sets. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Dumbbell Deadlifts - 2 x 8.10 (aiming for 10 on both) - I did fewer reps the first set because I didn't wait long enough between sets, I think. I was using 35lb dumbbells, which was hard and my hands needed a bit of a rest just for gripping purposes. As mentioned above, I would have done a third set if I'd not been running up on my stop-time. These are really good, by the way -- I love the way I can feel my muscles working with these. 
• Push-ups (Plus) - 2 x 8 (aiming on 10 on both) - I did these off the windowsill again but this time remembered to keep my body straight and my tush down, which made a *huge* difference! Done right they're much harder. I'm just sayin'. I was really only able to do 8 in a set with these once I started doing them right. But I was able to do them, which is good. 

As mentioned above, I skipped the cardio intervals because it was going to be low-grade cardio All Day Long at the Renaissance Faire.

It was a good workout and much much smoother this time, for which I'm glad.

Next workout is scheduled for Monday. It'll be my second time with Workout D and I'm hoping for much the same improvement in knowing-what-I'm-doing-ness. Very much hoping. Goal for the workout: Aside from generally getting better and doing more, my specific goal is to look a little less like a baby giraffe doing the the one-arm, one-leg cable rows, which I've taken to calling Coordination Rows because it fits in my book better. .