Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Gauntlet

Ok, so I took an extra couple days to report last week's (now a week and a half) progress. I think I'm going to stick with Wednesdays now.

I'm happy to report losing 3 pounds this "week". That was good and a little suprising given the fact that my old friends, the Cheeseburgers, showed up for a visit. They were good house guests this time around and didn't stay long.



Highlights of this week's exercise included a frigid ride on Saturday at the center. We did all of Denman's, massive fields of ice and all, and a couple laps of Hillside (12 miles). The studded tires are awesome. None of the Center would have been ridable without them.

Later this week I start a new weightlifting routine. I've been doing the fat loss routines in the heralded "New Rules of Lifting" book. The philosophy is high intensity, muscle confusion workouts. I've done the first two routines - each a month long and they were pretty killer.

Now on to three...This one trades out supersets (2 exercises paired) for giant sets (4 exercises without rest). It goes (10-12 reps each exercise) deadlift, explosive pushup, bulgarian split squat, two-point dumbbell row - repeat circuit 4 times with rest of 60 whole seconds after a complete giant set. Wait, you're not done! Another giant set (20 reps) box deadlift, dumbbell bench press, walking lunge with side bend, cable seated row - repeat 2 times with 60 glorious seconds of rest in between. Wait! you're not done! do 2 sets (10 reps) of hanging leg raises. Okay, you're done you can cry now.

Oh, and that's just Workout A. You are supposed to alternate Workouts A and B, lifting 3-4 times a week. I'll describe the evil of B next week, I haven't the strength to face it now. I've been trying for 3 but sometimes only getting 2 in.

I read somewhere once that you should fear your workout, if you don't it isn't hard enough. This workout is like friggin' Poltergeist wrapped in The Shining topped off with The Ring.







Oh yes, I fear it.

5 comments:

Nick said...

Great job on the 3 pounds, especially with the cheeseburgers showing up. Sounds like a killer weight lifting routine, are you seeing results yet? Is it time to start calling you Hulk?

Brian said...

I think lifting gets the credit for the success I've had. I hit it really hard last winter, sometimes doing much more cardio work. I lifted as well, but stuck to pretty much the same circuit training routine. I thought my fitness improved quite a bit, but I lost very little weight.

I'm still Bruce Banner, but you wouldn't like me when I'm angry :-)

Buckshot77 said...

So, is it in bad taste if I try to play along too?

Brian said...

Oh, I don't know...yous pretty skinny. Just kidding, you're welcome to throw down some meltdown. We will only require gluttonous consumption of cheeseburgers up front - you know in order to make things fair.

Buckshot77 said...

Well, if you consider a quarter pounder with cheese probably tips the scales around .33 pounds in fully dressed and cooked form, I'd need to consume in the range of 150 of them (without dying, puking, or evacuating any of them) to put us on near equal footing. Actually, I'm trying to get rid of the last 3-5 pounds and it seems I may be stuck where I'm at.