Workout D #3: Groovin'! :D (Workout 20)

It's not the tidiest workout log, but it is very much me. 

Yesterday's workout went really well -- we went out between grocery shopping and lunch (a couple of hours after breakfast is the most important point). I didn't get a chance to post all day because I had a big project at home (major wardrobe purge and re-organization, much needed) that took up the whole afternoon until we spent the evening with friends.

It was a good workout. The big surprise (and lesson) of the workout was how much of a difference it makes having my hands a little farther apart on the lat pulldowns. The first two sets (where I did 7 and just barely 8) I had my hands further apart. The last set I had my hands closer together (a little wider than shoulder width but not a lot wider) and did 10 relatively easily. Huh. I need to keep an eye on that. 

It's also apparent when working with weights that are at the limit of my ability that my left arm is weaker than my right. Which is really weird because I'm extremely left-handed. 

Though actually, that's not weird now I think about it -- I need my left hand to do things so I tend to hold stuff in my right. When I worked in bookstores, I regularly carried a stack of books as long as my arm in my right hand and shelved with my left. Okay, so actually it makes perfect sense and I need to focus on strengthening my dominant arm. 

Yesterday's workout was: 

• Spiderman Planks - 2 x 10 - I worked on remembering to keep my tush down while doing these and it worked well. The big problem I have with these (though they are exhausting and good work) is that my foot slips. I suppose part of the point is stabilizing myself despite that. So I  don't know if I need to exchange my weight lifting shoes (really cross trainers) for a different kind with maybe better grip. 
• Coordination Rows - 2 x 10 - These are the single-leg, single-arm cable rows which involve standing on one foot and moving and pulling a very slight weight. I'm still awfully wobbly at them, but definitely improving. There weren't many people back at the cable machines on Saturday, so I didn't get anyone looking at me kind of confused this time. (That was last Monday -- someone was watching me wobble my way through these obviously wondering what the heck I was doing and what I was getting out of it.) Yesterday, I did a lot better though I'm still working on the first goal -- doing all the reps with good form and remaining balanced on one leg throughout the set. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Offset Loaded Step-ups - 3 x 10 - I used a 30 lb dumbbell and stepped up onto the deck of a treadmill. This was too easy this time, I got sweaty and worked but it wasn't nearly hard enough. I need to move up to a 35 lb weight next time. No question. 
• Shoulder Press - 3 x 10 - I used a 20lb weight again. I'm not sure on this one whether it's time to move up -- the first two sets were good, the third was really hard. But I didn't have to take breaks, not even between one side and the other. I'll probably stick with 20 lbs. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Dumbbell Squats - 3 x 10 - I used a pair of 35 lb dumbbells here and that felt really good. I don't think I'm ready to move up to 40s yet, though, so I'll stick with 35s next time. I'll just focus on going *faster* to ramp up the difficulty a bit. 
• Lat Pulldowns (cable machine) - 3 x 7, 8, 10 - The first set I miscalculated so I think I had 72.5 lbs (rather than the 70 I wanted to start with). I also had the wider grip (as mentioned above), so I wasn't bringing as much strength and muscle to the process as I might have been. So the first set was rough. Second set, I took the weight back down to 70 (where I'd wanted it) but still had the wider grip and still was just not pulling with strong muscles. Third set, with 70 lbs, I had a slightly narrower grip and it was fine. Next time I'll either do 65 with the wide grip or 72.5 with the narrower one. 
• Cardio Intervals - 7 x 20:40 Intervals of Insanity -- I'm getting an interesting (and vaguely irksome) mix of better and not better at these. And my experience of them is changing. The 20 seconds of "Go Insanely Fast" seems longer and longer each time (which I totally didn't expect). My cardiovascular/respiratory system are definitely getting better able to handle the load. On the other hand, the elliptical machine still works my quads like crazy and my legs get extremely tired during those 20 seconds of insanity. So I have to pull back a bit, which means my cardio system isn't getting the workout I want. It's a tough balance. I'm managing it right now, but I need to start thinking of what to do for my Insanity Intervals next if the elliptical stops working for me. 

All in all, I need to kick it up a notch for my next go-round with Workout D. It was good, but I want better. Next workout is scheduled for Monday -- it's going to be Workout C #4, so I'll be doing deadlifts and reverse lunges and push-ups and rows. Logistically that's a very easy workout -- all free weights in the same corner of the gym. I like it! Goal for the workout -- make it harder and do it well.