Lab Rat 1.1a - Week 1 Re-Do

Here is the quick and dirty workout (as always, use at your own risk...provided for informational purposes only), with my notes below. The TRX moves are my design (may be the same as someone else, but inadvertently), and I will post pictures in the morning. Sorry for the delay, but had an emergency and wanted to make sure this was published.

1. Run - 10 minute warmup, 8x45 second sprints with 45 seconds jogging/walking recovery, 10 minute walking cooldown.
2. TRX - Front squat (single leg), Power squat (single leg), Leg curls, Bent row, Incline press, Bent lateral raise, Arm Curls, Reverse crunch, Side crunch (single leg)
3. Run - 30 mintues easy.
4. TRX
5. Run - 10 minute warmup, 4x90 second hill climbs with 90 second descents, 10 minute jogging cooldown.

Alright, so what does that mean?
1. I jogged until I was comfortable (about 8 minutes), then sprinted for 45 seconds...a comfortable sprint, not something I was out of breath after 5 seconds with...I managed to jog between the first 5. After this, I was walking between them, which led me to modify the end to walking. I was looking for 125 HR on my monitor within 30 seconds of recovery. It hurts the next day but feels good. I am working on increasing my 5k speed.

2. Hard to describe without the pictures. I did 10 each (10 each side for singles), and will up for week two. I think it hit most of the full body. Try not to stop during it. If single leg stuff is too hard, start with both feet on the ground, and build.

3. Uhm, yes. HR should be kept well below 80% of your max for this one.

4. Repeat 2.

5. Ok. This is the big one. I kept the same pace throughout. Do not plan on slowing on the hills, so start at a slow pace. I kept the same pace on the downhill. This is not a use your neighborhood and go up and down bumps. If you can't go a steady 90 seconds up, find a new hill. Keep the same pace on the cooldown. If you practice at a steady pace, hills on races will be inconsequential...except on the California 70.3...but that is another story.

Do not put more than one workout in a day, and you get two days off in the week. This will help you; took my extra one the day after the first run as it beat me up! Use your equipment, HR monitors are a must, and if you don't have a great Suunto set-up like I do, there are plenty of ways to track your pace on your smartphone. Make sure that you drink enough water...64 oz to 80 oz a day plus extra to replace sweat while working out.

Keep a log of your feeling during the run and the next morning. Are you having trouble controlling your HR or are your muscles setting the pace? This is especially important to discern during the 5th workout with the steady pace. If you are having to work to keep your HR down, even when breathing easy, you need to focus on cardio during your recovery. If you are feeling the fatigue in muscles first, more TRX for you! Now, do you see why it is hard to post a generic workout? Nothing is a perfect fit...but, my hope is two-fold:

-Most importantly, get out and do something. If you can follow a workout, any workout (almost), is better than none.

-Hopefully, you will see the need for a personalized plan to get you to your goals. If not through our company, find a trainer at a local gym. It's worth the money.

If you have questions, please post them here so that all may see, and I will respond.

See you next week.

Q & A - Train or Workout?

Q: Should I be training for something or just working out?

A: Whether you are starting a new program, or already working out consistently, this question seems to enter everyone's mind at some point.  Sometimes it seems like everyone around you is training for something; sometimes it seems like you are the only one you know in the gym.  The easy answer for us is three part:

1. You are content with your body and your routine.  Unless you feel the need to become increasingly competitive, you could probably go "run your race" any day.  As long as you are content where you fall out in the mix when you complete any activity you participate in, just keep enjoying your workout time.  If you feel stuck in a rut, a new Peak Functional Fitness plan can help.

2. You are competing some, but not as well as you would like.  Try picking an activity 60-90 days out, and order an Athlete plan for you based on your goals and the time you are willing to dedicate.  Stick with it, even if you don't like it at first.  This is a change, and all changes come with ups and downs.  Make sure you get to see the results.  If you like the results, the plan can always be changed to make it fun and enjoyable for you.  If you don't, well you are in better shape (hopefully) than when you started and can always return to working on your Peak Functional Fitness.

3. You are the couch potato or have just started your foray into the wonderful world of fitness.  For many people here, the goal tends to be weight motivated.  While there are numerous "Couch to..." programs out there, we have one simple question: Do you want to say you completed one event, or do you want to transition to a lifestyle of lasting fitness?  A good Functional Fitness plan can get you to that same race, and keep you moving forward.  Once you are fit, and ready to progress to winning your age-group, then seek out the Athlete plan that is right for you!