I want to thank VDOT for having the roads scraped today so that I could get to the Y. I just got back, put the rice on to boil, did my farm chores, and am sitting down for a few minutes to update the blog.
I have switched from pretty much mostly running mode to full mountain climbing training mode as my goal is to climb a 4,000-meter peak this summer. My routine is lifting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then cardio every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Sunday is my rest day. I'm thankful for our local Y. I don't attend any of its classes -- yoga, spin, etc. -- but I do take advantage of the weight room. Here's my resistance training routine:
SHOULDERS
Seated dumbbell press.
Bent over dumbbell raises.
BICEPS
Incline dumbbell curls.
Seated dumbbell curls.
Standing dumbbell curls.
Dumbbell hammer curls.
TRICEPS
Pulldowns.
Dumbbell rows.
BACK
Pulldowns.
Dumbbell rows.
CHEST
Dumbbell press.
Incline dumbbell press.
Dumbbell flys.
Barbell press.
QUADS
Leg extensions.
CALVES
Standing calf raises.
Dumbbell calf raises.
I go through all these exercises once without stopping, then rest and repeat two more times for a total of 3 sets. That takes me about an hour to accomplish. My new routine won't produce any miraculous results. I'm not expecting it to. If I take off body fat but add muscle, my weight probably won't change very much. As you can see, 80 percent of my training is on my upper body, in part because that's where you'll need a lot of strength while climbing. My goal is to lift to the point of muscle fatigue, meaning that you lift to the point where you can no longer lift the weight with good form. You should reach this point between 8 and 12 repetitions. If I can't lift the weight 8 times, it's probably too light. If I can lift it all day long, it's undoubtedly too heavy.
Off to cook supper!