Push-up | Just a journal

I never blogged about my friday workout but it was an insane upper body history and coming in this morning we kept on pushing for a total body workout. We haven’t been using the barbell that often lately but today we started out with 15 curls straight into 15 shoulder pushes. We were really pushing the shoulders on friday so I was a little sore but I find it so effective using different equipment still targeting the same muscle group.

Today working the shoulders

Friday one of the exercises working the shoulder and pecks.

The circuit didn’t finish there so we moved on to the TRX and did 15 pull ups and although you mainly work the back, arms and the pecks you also should contract the gluts so the backside of the legs gets a nice burn 🙂

The next movement was a build up and started with 15 regular pushups, round #2 15 push ups from a bosu ball and for the final round I was supposed to do 15 pushups with the hands on the bosu ball and the feet through the loops of the TRX. I will admit that I only did 14 as my hands was slipping of the ball and I pretty much hit failure. We finished out the circuit with a 1 minute high resistant on the bike.

The next circuit was as long and intense as the first one. We started with 20 hammer curls followed by 10 shoulder raises to the side and 10 shoulder raises to the front. I don’t think I ever will like the shoulder raiser but I do believe you should practice a little extra on the thinks you don’t like because most likely you suck at them and that’s why you don’t like em 🙂

We moved over to the tire and did 30 weighted step up, dips and 10 barbell weighted lunges. Instead of kicking the cardio hard this time we gave out core some attention doing 30 seconds leg raises, 30 sec oblique crunches, 30 double crunches and a 30 sec extended plank, I love the extended plank because it is painful in a nice way 😉

The last 5-10 minutes we finished with intervals on the rope finishing off the shoulders and arm (and some legs). I think this is the first time I am actually sitting down and relaxing today and I can really feel how tired my upper back, neck and shoulders are. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning, I’m glad I’m not running with my arms… lol

Today we completed an awesome workout over at Lifestyle Fitness that Jonathan had put together for us. Being somewhat sore on backside we decided to work upper body and first out was the abs and the TRX that turned into a beautiful love story.

First exercise we were putting the feet through the straps of the TRX, standing in a pushup position and piking the hips into the air.

Now this is not unmanageable the first 10 reps, it is the last 5 that will get you as you are not only feeling it in your abs but also in your shoulders and arms. This was just the first movement out of 4 consecutive exercises, the second one we stayed in the TRX, piked up and did push ups! Don’t say I know…both the abs and the arms are burning like they are on fire and them the goal is to touch your head to the floor…challenging…

After completed at least 10 push ups (I managed 12-14) we dropped straight into a plank, feet still in the TRX…and if you not feeling it at this point you must be the incredible Hulk or something not from this world! We stayed in plank for 30 seconds then we jumped up to our feet and finished out with 15 rows.

Coming into the third set my arms and shoulders really did hit failure, you know when your trainer say do as many as you can. You do what you’re told but yet you don’t because if you dig deep you have at least 3-4 reps left. Well, this time I didn’t because I ended up on my head, haha.

When our “warmup” was completed we moved on to lifting some weights and we started off with 20 pounds dumbbells rowing into a scull-crusher moved across the gym and did 10 heavy triceps pulldowns followed by 10 lightweight.

I did mentioned before that I have a goal of wanting to be able to do “real” pull-ups just like Linda Hamilton did in the Terminator 2. I’ve never been a big Terminator fan but wow that was something and I guess 22 years later!!! it stuck with me…i’m really starting to get old…haha. So anyhow I’m far from doing anything like it but I’ve promised myself to practice and Jonathan was kind enough to through the movement into the circuit together with triceps extension and weighted dips with legs on a bench.

The last 10-15 minutes we did rope intervals and at this point the only thing we could do was to put the head down and count the seconds until it was over…painful…

I loved this workout especially the crazy “warmup” because every time I do different movements or something I have not done in a while I chock the body. I believe that is when I also improve the most….so Thank you Jonathan and happy birthday!