Going to the gym... (Jan 2015)
Lately, as we have moved boarding to Ferringi Residences, the boarders now have access to a gym and a pool. I am not very fond of swimming laps, as I am not a strong swimmer, but I do like to run and maybe I can start to experiment and work with weights. Going to the gym, I think that I will be able to hopefully gain weight in muscle mass and get stronger. I want to gain weight in muscle mass because I am weak and would like to have more muscle and to be stronger. At about 48kg, I think I would like to gain about 2kg in muscle mass, if possible by the end of next February. I would first have to become familiar of what I can and cannot do, so I can mark my goals as I progress. I also hope to have higher stamina, so I can run for longer at higher speeds (I know I am not a fast person), but first I must get some data collected before I can do this.
Data from last year: (Feb. 2015)
I had been going to the gym a for a few weeks before I realised I could use it as a CAS activity, but after a session, I recorded my time for running, which is 1.55km in 10 minutes, but I pushed myself to get this. I usually start the exercise by warming up by running or going on the bike for 10 - 15 min then doing weights and body-weight exercises. I think I should start having a definite schedule, and doing just cardio (running) once a week to improve my stamina at a faster rate. The boarders can only use the gym with the houseparents that allow us to go, and some houseparents have not been allowing us to go, for reasons that are unavoidable such as being sick.
Day 1:
So far I have been using the app for bodyweight training that would make increase my strength. I have completed day 1 in 36 minutes, and I hope to keep the number between a 5 minuted range (or below, if possible) as the exercises get harder.
Setting some goals:
With this activity, I hope to meet the goals of:
- Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth through discovering my own physical strengths and weakness. I already know I need to work on the strength on my arms and upper body, and I will measure this with my ability to do pushups.
- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process through challenging my physical fitness, and increasing my stamina for my 10-15 min runs before my workout.
- Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience through establishing a workout schedule and finding the app for my routines, so I train properly.
- Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences through sticking to my routine, or at least meeting my personal goal of working out at least three days a week. I also want to be able to run 1.5km in under 9min 35 seconds, taking 5 seconds off of my beginning data of running it in 9min 40sec.
After the first 2 months... (Apr. 2015)
So far I have been going to the gym for nearly two months, and I'm finally starting to notice some changes in my fitness levels. The first thing I noticed was that I am finally able to do around 10 pushups easier than I was able to do before. I also recently noticed that I can run faster in my warmup. I have also noticed more definition in the muscles in my arms and abdominals, as well as more strength in my legs. I stopped using the app on my phone, as the workouts were starting to take too long to complete in the time that is available to me. Instead I have started to fall into another routine that works my whole body. I first start off my running or doing some sort of cardio for the first 10 minutes. At first I started running at around 9.5 km/h but now I can at the same comfort level at 10 km/h. It's a small change, but it is still an improvement. After I finish, I usually take about 5 minutes to rest my muscles and slow my heart rate and lower my blood pressure. Then, using the bench with leg support, I do sit-ups. My core is where I have seen and felt the most improvement. I do both regular and twisting sit-ups to work my sides. I started with 10 to 15 reps per set, but now I have moved up to around 20 to 25 reps per set with the angle of the bench at the steepest angle. I then move on to weights. I use dumbbells, as they are the best for strength training. My arms are definitely the weakest part of my body, and I may make changes to my routine to focus on them more. Right now, just using my biceps, I can curl only 2.5kg, but this seems a bit light. The next level up is at 5kg, but this is too heavy for me. I think I will do more pushups in my routine to gain more strength so I can move up to the next level of weights. After working on my arms, I do squats. At first, I was holding the pair of the 5kg weights in each hand as I completed my sets, but this was a bit light. I was able to do 25 reps with not too much effort. I just recently changed to a single 17.5kg weight, and this felt better. The thing is, I can't even lift the weight with one hand, so it demonstrates the large strength difference between my legs and my arms. I hold the weight in front of me with both hands, then do 3 or 4 sets of 10 reps. After I finish the squats, if i'm not too tired, I will work on the machines to work my back muscles. There is a machine where you pull back on the handles at a certain weight, and your shoulders and back will be worked. At this point in time I usually put the weight at 10lb but sometimes I will go up to 20lb.
I hope to work on my arms more so I can be able to curl 5 kg by the time the CAS program ends in February.
A few months in... (Dec. 2016)
Over the past few weeks, I have been doing the same routine and increasing the difficulty with different weights, increasing number of reps, etc. I also have been able to run an a higher incline. Unfortunately, I have been getting bored with this, and I have also been getting sick, so I decided to decrease the cardio workout and focus on my muscles. I found a 30-day fitness challenge that (surprise surprise) looks challenging. I have completed up to day 6, however I am one day behind because I got sick again. I was sore after the first few days, but recently, I haven't felt much, but I think as the reps increase, it will come to me :( . I hope with this I will be able to focus on my strength to work towards my goal of curling a 5kg weight by February.
Injury and a fresh start (Feb. 2017)
On day 27 of the 30 day Fitness Challenge, I injured a nerve in my lower back while doing leg raises. Unfortunately, this was further irritated on Sports Day when I did the Long Jump. I ended up having to stop working out for a few weeks until it got better. However, by doing this, I was used to not working out. During this time, I had lost muscle definition in my core muscles, and I could tell my stamina decreased. By the time I had got back to school and was doing exams, I didn't have the motivation to work out. I also didn't have a programme to help me focus on exercises that would help me get results. On the bright side, I recently found a weight-training programme that helps me gain strength. The programme is perfect for me because it doesn't take too long and I can fit it within my limited time at the gym. It is supposed to be done for 4 weeks, with a decrease in the time for rests, and in weeks 3 and 4 the workouts are circuit-style. Workout 1:
- Leg press (I change these to regular squats, as there is no leg press machine at the gym)
- Goblet squats
- Seated cable row
- Dumbbell Hammer curl
- Leg press (changed to regular squats)
- Walking lunges (with weights)
- Dumbbell bent arm side raise
- Lying dumbbell chest fly
- Straight bar tricep pushdown
So far, the programme has been going well. I have completed week one, and am going onto week two. Week one was alright, however it made me a bit sore. I am happy with the amount of time it takes, and the range of difficulty you can choose the workout to be. It is suggested that you workout at least twice a week with this workout, and that suits my busy schedule quite well. Workout 1 is completed first and the workout 2 the second time you workout that week.
Week 1:
"Complete the exercises in each workout as Straight Sets. For example, you'll do one set of leg presses, rest for 30 seconds, do a second set, rest, do the third set. Then, move on to the next exercise. You'll complete all movements in both workouts this way. Complete 12 reps of all movements for 3 sets each, and rest for 30 seconds in between each set. Choose a weight load where the last two reps of every set are extra hard, where you wouldn't be able to do a 13th rep. You may find that you increase the weight load for each set while keeping the 12 reps for all three sets."
Week 2:
"This week, you'll continue with the Straight Set format for both workouts. But now, you'll complete 15 reps of all movements for 3 sets, and you will only rest for 15 seconds in between each set. Therefore, this week, you'll complete more work in less time. This is a great stimulus to take your fitness to the next level."
Week 3:
"Instead of Straight Sets, you're going to complete your workout in a circuit style. This week, you'll complete 1 set of each exercise for 15 reps, then you'll immediately move on to the next movement with no rest in between. For example, on the Day 1 workout, you'll perform your first set of leg presses for 15 reps, then you'll immediately go to the goblet squat and perform 15 reps and then continue on to the next exercise with no rest in between movements. At the end of these four movements, you'll rest for one minute, then complete the circuit two more times."
Week 4:
"This week you're going to continue with the circuit-style sets; this time you'll perform only 12 reps of each movement, but there are two (tough!) changes: You'll complete a total of 4 full circuits (that's four sets of each exercise for both workouts) and there will be no rest in between each circuit. This week is all about keeping you moving! After you finish the last movement of either workout, you'll immediately return to the first movement and begin a new circuit!"
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/4-week-weight-training-plan-women
I want to gain strength because I want to be able to reach my new ultimate goal of being able to do proper pull ups. This is actually very difficult for women to do, as it is difficult for women to get the same muscle strength as men. With my body structure, it is quite possible for me to be able to train and do this, hopefully by the end of this year.
Week 1:
"Complete the exercises in each workout as Straight Sets. For example, you'll do one set of leg presses, rest for 30 seconds, do a second set, rest, do the third set. Then, move on to the next exercise. You'll complete all movements in both workouts this way. Complete 12 reps of all movements for 3 sets each, and rest for 30 seconds in between each set. Choose a weight load where the last two reps of every set are extra hard, where you wouldn't be able to do a 13th rep. You may find that you increase the weight load for each set while keeping the 12 reps for all three sets."
Week 2:
"This week, you'll continue with the Straight Set format for both workouts. But now, you'll complete 15 reps of all movements for 3 sets, and you will only rest for 15 seconds in between each set. Therefore, this week, you'll complete more work in less time. This is a great stimulus to take your fitness to the next level."
Week 3:
"Instead of Straight Sets, you're going to complete your workout in a circuit style. This week, you'll complete 1 set of each exercise for 15 reps, then you'll immediately move on to the next movement with no rest in between. For example, on the Day 1 workout, you'll perform your first set of leg presses for 15 reps, then you'll immediately go to the goblet squat and perform 15 reps and then continue on to the next exercise with no rest in between movements. At the end of these four movements, you'll rest for one minute, then complete the circuit two more times."
Week 4:
"This week you're going to continue with the circuit-style sets; this time you'll perform only 12 reps of each movement, but there are two (tough!) changes: You'll complete a total of 4 full circuits (that's four sets of each exercise for both workouts) and there will be no rest in between each circuit. This week is all about keeping you moving! After you finish the last movement of either workout, you'll immediately return to the first movement and begin a new circuit!"
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/4-week-weight-training-plan-women
I want to gain strength because I want to be able to reach my new ultimate goal of being able to do proper pull ups. This is actually very difficult for women to do, as it is difficult for women to get the same muscle strength as men. With my body structure, it is quite possible for me to be able to train and do this, hopefully by the end of this year.