Workouts G #3 &4 and H #3 &4: Lots of Goodness!! (workouts 48-51)

I love workout G -- this one is fun and hard and
feels so good! 

We took one week off from working out a couple of weeks ago, because I had a cold, so I wound out missing one Monday and one Thursday workout. We were also insanely busy and pretty stressed and Patrick had to work late a couple of days. We got right back on the routine on Saturday and have since been back to reliable -- even went to the gym on Thanksgiving morning (so we'd be feeling virtuous about feasting in the evening).

I probably wasn't sick enough to have missed one of those two skipped workouts, but was just so wigged out by work and stress we took one more day off. I was afraid that I'd do poorly my first workout after two days off, but really that didn't happen. It was a great workout  and I did just fine. That was cool!

Workout G of awesomeness!! On Thanksgiving, I
did a lot of Insanity Intervals -- I wanted the
extra work! 

I'm not going to go into extreme detail on each of these four workouts, but I do want to catch up on posting. I know why I've gotten behind -- I was posting in the evenings after I got home from the gym but I've added a new hobby (knitting) to my other main evening activity (drawing and painting). The new hobby has kind of taken up some of my free time and pushed posting about workouts into something I do when I have a chance at work (which is most of my computer time anyway). And then I've been really busy at work. Anyway, I'll try to be better, because I don't like being behind on this. 

My workouts on Saturday 11/21 and Thursday 11/26 -- Workouts G #3 and #4 -- were:

• Plank - 3 x 60+ seconds - I have an eye on a clock in the gym when I do  these, so I tend to stop at 60 seconds when maybe I could continue a bit. On Thursday, I did go to 70 seconds for the first set because I was trying not to pay attention to the time. 
• Dumbbell PushPress - 2 x 8 (on Saturday) 2 x 10 (on Thursday) - I've gotten better at these and now feel like I'm really getting some good out of them. I used 17.5 lb weights both time, but I did do 10 reps per set instead of 8 reps per set on Thursday. For Monday, I plan to go up to 20 lb weights (and 10 reps per set). 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Romanian Deadlifts - 3 x 12 - I stuck with a pair of 35 lb dumbbells for both of these workouts, but am planning on going up to 40s for Monday. The 35s felt *perfect* on Monday, but a little light on Thursday. Which is the sign it's time to go up. 
• Lateral Raises - 3 x 12 - My shoulders and upper back are Not Strong, which is why I've been using 5 lb dumbbells for these. I've made a note for myself to raise the weights though next time. I'll probably try to bring the 7.5 lb dumbbells from the Far Corner of the gym, rather than doubling from 5lbs to 10lbs, which is a really huge jump. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Alternating Lunges - 3 x 12 - Still doing body weight with these, though I'd like to go up to using some weight next time. I also changed from doing all the reps on one side then all on the other to alternating each leg during a set. Among other things, I have a suspicion that this increases the number I do, because I lose count. :D But that's okay. If I do use the 7.5 lb dumbbells for the Lateral Raises, I'll probably get a pair of light weights (maybe the 7.5s to start) to use for these as well. (That's a logistical thing.)
• Kneeling Lat Pulldowns - 3 x 12 - I have finally gone up to 75 lbs on these. After like two months at 72.5 lbs, I finally moved up and now I'm ready to move up again. I'm planning on 77.5 lbs on Monday. That'll be cool. 
• Coordination Rows (Single-Leg, Single-Arm Cable Rows) - 3 x 12 - I've been doing so incredibly well with these, that I experiments with raising the weight to 20 lbs (after FOREVER at 15, but it actually didn't work out so well. I'm pretty much there with the balancing on one leg the whole time goal (goal 1) with these. Next goal is to get rhythmic and smooth. Third goal is to get powerful. Fourth goal is to raise the weight. I definitely I jumped up the weight too soon. So -- now I'm working on rhythmic and smooth (without backstepping on the balance thing). 
• Cardio Intervals -- I didn't do these on my first exercise after a week off because I had worked really hard doing the workout. On Thanksgiving I did 5 x 30:30 Jumping Jacks and 5 x 20:40 Jump Squats. It was *awesome*!! 

So yes, with Workout G, I have five of the seven exercises that I'm planning on raising the weight on. Rock on!! :D :D 

Workout H is a lot harder -- harder on my
shoulders and more strenuous. And it
takes a lot longer, which is a bit of a problem.

Workout H, I don't like as well - it takes a lot longer which is just awkward and it puts a but more strain on my shoulders. That said, I like most of the pieces just fine, just not how they go together into a workout. 

My workouts on Monday 11/23 and Saturday 11/28 - Workouts H #3 & #4 - were:

• Side Plank - 3 x 45+ seconds - This is another one where I tend to watch the clock. On the other hand, I really am *done* when the 45 seconds are up. I made it to 47 seconds for one set. That's it. That said, this exercise is part of why 
• T-Stabilization - 3 x 12 - These are really tough, but I think they're good. They are a bit much on my shoulders after the Side Planks; I don't feel like I'm hurting myself. Just putting a bit of strain on my shoulders. I do like these as well. 
• Dumbbell Hang Pull - 2 x 8, 10 (on Monday), 2 x 10 on Saturday - I was supposed to do 2 x 10 on both days, but I remembered wrong on Monday. I'm planning on going up to 3 sets of 10 (rather than raising the weights ) for next time. 
• Alternating sets of:
• Sumo Squats with a Single Dumbbell - 3 x 12 - I used a 50 lb weights both times. I like

  

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  this exercise -- it puts a lot of work on my inner thighs, which is a cool variation from the normal squats I've been doing. 
• Standing YTLWI Raises - 2 x 10 - These are really surprisingly hard. I like them and I'm definitely stronger with them, but I'm not at all ready for even 5lb weights with these. I'm also not ready for an additional set. So I'm still at 2 x 10 -- just better at that than I was.
• Alternating sets of:
• Single Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts - 3 x 12 - I tried these a different way on Saturday, after struggling with them for the first three times with this workout. I've been doing them trying to balance on one foot, but that adds a whole lot of difficulty just in the balancing. Which kind of keeps me from being able to work my hamstrings and glutes the way I want. On Saturday, I followed part of the instructions for Single-Leg Barbell Deadlifts, which had me putting the foot on my non-working leg onto a weight-bench rather than just holding it up off the ground. That kind of took the balance issue out of the equation and let me work my muscles a lot better. Between the first and second set, I went from 5lb weights to 10lb weights. Next time, I may go for 15lb weights. 
• Pushups - 3 x 12 - These are still really hard. I haven't been able to go lower than the windowsill I've been working on since forever, but I have been making a shallower angle and better form with them, which is something. 
• Cardio -- I didn't do Intervals of Insanity either of these workouts -- in both cases on account of time. Workout H takes a lot longer than Workout G and if we've gotten a late start on exercising (like on weeknights after work), it's hard to make Patrick wait for another 10 minutes while I insanity. Not that he has ever minded, let me be clear. It's just -- well, getting home after 8 and then having to make dinner and clean up, means that we have no evening. That was Monday. Saturday, I'd just worked so hard I was feeling really good about even the cardio workout I'd gotten. (The Single Leg Deadlifts with my foot on a bench made a huge difference -- instead of tipping and stumbling, I was able to lift and lift fast, which got me good and winded.)

Next workout is scheduled for Monday. It'll be Workout G #5, which kind of blows me away. I can't believe that I'm getting toward the end of this phase already. I feel like I just started. I think for the next phase, I'm going to be doing higher weights and lower reps -- maybe 3 sets of 8. But I'm not sure about that. Goal for the workout -- do my insanities again and have an awesome workout!