Since we have so many guys and gals here getting on the heavy-duty fitness bandwagon, here's my update. Friday is mostly Heavy Calisthenics Day for me - moving day - and each time it is different to prevent habituation. This morning 5 am:
- 3-minute elliptical warm-up
- Four sets of leg press, just 340 lbs, 15 reps each after an 100 lb. warm up of 20 reps. I can do it. I can do more. Barely. Grunting.
- A four set rotation of heavy rope variations, step-and-press with heavy ball, and big ball wobbly planks
- Four sets of jump (speed) rope alternating with variations of heavy ball slams. (I am working towards 100 jumps without slip-ups). How is your jump-rope coming along? It is a tough calisthenic exercise.
- 3 sets of hamstring curl with big ball to balance the leg presses
Yes, that is mostly intense cardio/general fitness, not strength, on Fridays. One hour, more or less, with minimal breaks for a sip of water or coffee. I can feel my heart pound for about an hour afterwards and I can not climb the stairs. That is the good sign that I have exerted myself to my max. One hard-boiled egg with salt for breakfast is enough for repair.
Tomorrow is my normal cardio day regardless of global cooling: 5 minutes stair machine intervals, 10-20 minutes elliptical intervals, 25 minutes treadmill intervals (while watching the Food Channel), with plank variations plus calf lifts with 20-30 lb. weights between each item. Could do more, but the trick is to find the right amount and be done with it. No point in over-doing it but a good point to doing it.
Sedentary people like me without manual labor jobs need to move with intensity - or face decay. Mrs. BD's knee problems were solved by some weight loss plus weight- lifting and other leg-strengthening exercises. Bad knees need weight loss and muscular compensation. It is a vulnerable joint, like the shoulder. These joints were just built to get us past breeding age.
After almost 8 months, I am getting to the point where I can truly begin to work hard, and all of the aches and pains in the first 6 months have resolved by building strength and endurance. Remarkable adaptation of the middle-age body, but nothing ever gets possible before the bar gets raised. Goals! 10 reps of 200 lb. deads!
