Workout N#4: Got to play in the Playground Room!!

I had a great workout on Saturday, including Insanities
in the Playground Room

On Saturday we got up early to go to the gym before breakfast -- we had a lot of errands to run the rest of the day and wanted to get the gym in and done before everything went all crazy. 

Unfortunately, working out before breakfast is a tricky balance, especially for Patrick who often needs something of a java-slap to get going in the morning. So he pooped out early, but encouraged me to keep going for as long as I needed. So I did. :D

At that time of morning, there was no class in the room at the gym that I call the Playground. This is the room with the TRX hanging strap system, the battle ropes, the tires for flipping, a couple of heavy bags, and all kinds of fun stuff. Because the room was free, I was able to do my Intervals of Insanity in there, which was absolutely *awesome*!! I had so much fun! After 10 minutes, I'm usually about dead, and I'd certainly worked hard and was wringing with sweat, but I could have gone longer because I was enjoying myself so much!

Saturday's workout was:

• Push Aways - 3 x 12 - This continues to still be the right number of these because they continue to be surprisingly hard. The key to them seems to be keeping my core firm (appropriate as they're a core exercise) so I don't collapse my lower back. (I'm pretty sure I posted pictures about this last time I wrote about this exercise.) 
• Dumbbell Push Press - 3 x 12 - This was my third time using a pair of 20lb dumbbells for these and the first time I made my reps with them. That was pretty cool!! 
• Coordination Rows - 3 x 15 - I did much better this time than the previous workout. I was perfect or nearly so for all three sets. (Perfect as far as standing on one foot the whole time.) I'm really pleased about that. 
• Alternating sets of: 
• Dumbbell Front Squat - 3 x 15 - I used a pair of 20 lb dumbbells for these. They are really really hard. One of the things that I'm finding most difficult about squats as I get better at them and can squat deeper is that I'm inhaling as I'm squatting down and my torso is getting kind of compressed. On the flip side, I'm exhaling as I exert to move the weights back up as my chest is getting more extended. It winds out making me feel a little short of breath. Or like my body and my breathing are out of sync. I've been consciously trying to breathe out on the downs and in on the ups, but it's hard to force that. Anyway, made my reps but not ready to move up, at all. 
• Pullovers - 3 x 15 - I used an adjustable pulley station (at the highest point) on the cable machine rather than the fixed high arm for these. Like I did with the pulldowns, I noticed a *huge* difference in difficulty, though I still don't know why. Both the pulldowns and the pullovers are *tons* easier with the adjustable pulley than the fixed one. Maybe the height is enough different to change the leverage, I don't know. I wound out raising the weight from 30 to 35 lbs after the first set because it was just too easy. I don't remember being close to raising the weight. 
• Alternating sets of : 
• Offset Loaded Step Ups - 3 x 15 - I used a 20lb weight for these and did them on the step box again, which is nice because I think it's a little higher than the step on the stairs. I might be ready to go up to 25 lbs with this, though I didn't make a note of it this time, so I'll see what happens after the next time. 
• Alternating Press and Twist - I used a pair of 8lb dumbbells again and am now feeling like I might be ready to go up to 10lbs next time. I made a note to anyway, which is super cool!! Last time I tried 10 it was too much. It'd be cool if it was right this time. :D 
• Cardio Intervals - 10 x 30:30 Intervals of Insanity in the Playground Room -- I did a couple of rounds making sine waves with the battle ropes, a few doing "slams" with the ropes (rise up on tip-toes then slam the ropes down into the floor), a few flipping a tire up and down the room. It was *awesome*!! I was so blown at the end but could still have kept going just because I was having such a good time. :D (Usually by round six of the Insanities, I'm thinking I can maybe justify stopping at eight, though I don't. In the Playground Room it didn't even cross my mind. 

It really was an excellent workout. Afterwards, Patrick and I went out and got ourselves some camping gear, so we're ready to do some car camping this summer. I'm super excited, though the crappy cold weather last weekend definitely harshed my squee about it a little bit. Fortunately, warmer weather is on the way and I'm really excited to go camping. :D

The next workout after this one was yesterday (Monday) evening and I'm going to post about it in just a little bit so I can be caught up again. :D