Gym Workout - Weights and Precor 100i Elliptical/Stepper

This will sort of be my Tolstoyish entry.  I went to the gym and did an hour workout and then did cardio.  I ran the watch for the weight workout and then the cardio.

Weight Workout at Gym

FYI, when I say 3 sets, my first set, I try to do at least 10, my second set I try to get close to ten and my third set I do as many as I can, but at the very least 5.

Here is my routine I completed today:

• 5 minute jog to the gym from my apartment
• Strecthing
• Shoulder Press w/ Dumbbells 30lbs each hand, 3 sets
• One arm rows with dumbbell, 45lbs, 3 sets
• Dumbbell Bench Press/Fly (I twist the dumbbell on the way up and bring them together making a hybrid of the two exercises), 45lbs each hand, 3 sets
• Icarian Leg Press - 90lbs each side (2x45lb plates a side), 3 sets
• Icarian Calf Raise - 55 lbs in plates, 3 sets
• Preacher Curl - 75lbs, 3 sets (25 lb plate on each side, curl bar is usually 25lbs)
• Abcoaster Elite Machine (spelled as typed), 20lbs addon on each side (max allowed), 3 sets
• Push Down with v bar at Icarian Cable Station - 80lbs, 3 sets

So here are the stats for the workout:

Avg HR = 123 bpm
Peak HR = 161 bpm
K Burned = 600
Time of Workout = 55 minutes, 23 seconds


Cardio Workout - Precor 100i

The Precor 100i is sort of a hybrid between an elliptical and a stepper.  You can control stride length to do a stepping motion (least width in stride), jog (medium) or running (large stride).  It has the moving handles that go with the steps as well to give your upper body something to do.  This is the one that has the yellow steps you see in many gyms.  What's nice is the machine also picks up your chest strap and so I did not have to reach down to check my heart rate.  It gave a constant heart rate and that matched what my watch was getting since they both had the same source.

I did the "Fat Burner" workout, which last 28 minutes.  I changed the lower resistant bars up to a level 6 and the higher resistant part of the workout up to a 12 (both are out of 20).  As the heart rate info was the sameon the machine and watch, all I can compare is the calories (k) burned.

Avg HR = 145 bpm
Peak HR = 159 bpm
K Burned (watch) = 416
K Burned (Precor 100i) = 347

As you can see the machine is more conservative with my watch with the same info.  The machine has the added benefit of knowing my resistance and my actual age, which i entered.  Both the watch and machine had my weight.  At any rate, it seems my watch may be a bit aggressive with the calories burned, and so you may want to take a grain of slat with some of the results I have been getting.

Ab Ripper X - 2/24/11

Tonight I just did a solo ab ripper exercise as I got home quite late from work.  For once I seemed to have a normal resting heart rate going into the exercise routine.  I started in the 70s when I turned the monitor on.  This is probably mnore indicative of the calories burned and hr achieved when doing this exercise routine by itself and at the level I am at now (70% or so).

Avg HR = 96 bpm
Peak HR =126 bpm
K Burned = 98 (my lowest yet to date)


So perhaps a light warmup or stretching or jogging in place would be advisable before doing this routine if you want to burn an extra 30 or 40 calories.  I keep learning with this monitor.

Cardio X & Ab Ripper X (sans caffeine)

To correct my mistake of having Starbucks too soon before these workouts on Saturday, I decided to repeat these late at night hours after any caffeine intake.  Since I just described these workouts, I'll keep it brief.

Cardio X

Avg HR = 125 bpm
Peak HR = 157 bpm
K Burned = 501

You'll notice my peak and avg hear rate is down a little bit and I burned 60 less calories.  This is probably more accurate, unless of course your are taking caffeine or stimulants before working out.

Ab Ripper X

Avg HR = 111 bpm
Peak HR = 128 bpm
K Burned = 144

I did this only 15 minutes after cardio x and I must admit I was quite gassed.  Also cardio x ends with some core work (steam engine and superman-banana poses).  So while I was working hard to do the workout and thus burning through some calories, I was actually completing less than I normally do if that makes any sense.  I'd rather complete more and burn 15 less calories as I am ultimately trying to strengthen the abs.  Next time I will wait more like an hour before doing ab ripper.  (Ideally you'd do one in the morning and one in the night).

Perfect Pushup - Power Punch Pushup

This is one of the extra exercises from the Power 10 workout which are extra exercises that can be found on their website. (see prior perfect pushup entry...you can use the tags).  This exercise involves slowly lowering yourself but instead of turning the pushup bars sideways you do a full 180 degree turn.  When you reach the bottom you explode up, again turning it 180 degrees.  By explode, I mean the upward movement should only take one second (literally).  These pushups are supposed to focus in on the bicep, although I still feel a burning in my chest.  For my two minute drill I did 14, 10 and then 6 reps.  Forgive me but I finished in 2:02.  Given the intensity of these, and my rush to get them done when I saw I was falling behind in the time, my heart rate increased more.

Time = 2:02
Avg HR = 129 bpm
Peak HR = 147 bpm
Calories Burned = 24 (yes, double my prior ones, it is intense).

Cardio X & Ab Ripper X

Today I did cardio x, took a 30 minute break and then did ab ripper x.  I was at starbucks before working out.  Starbucks coffee has a lot of caffeine.  Even after a 60-90 minute break after finishing my coffee, my heart rate was elevated at the start of the cardio x workout.  I was starting at 106 or so.  This just shows you what caffeine and supplements like no-xplode can do to your workouts.  In moderation they can increase your hr and thus calories burned, but of course with too much (and this varies from individual to individual) they can put too much strain on your heart and send you way over your zone.  For cardio X I have nothing to compare it to yet, but for ab ripper x, notice my avg hr was up and my calories burned was an extra 40 than usual.  Another explanation is that I usually do these workouts later at night, hours removed from any caffeine (I cut myself off of caffeine by 1pm every day normally).

Cardio X

Cardio X is a supplemental routine in the P90x system for those that want extra hard training or feel they need to burn extra calories in a particular day or week.  Since for many it will be an extra workout, it is slightly shorted, at around 43 minutes.  It is a hybrid of (in this order) warm up, ballistic yoga manuevers (sun salutations and warrior poses), kenpo, plyometrics, and finally core work before a cool down.  Each unit takes 3-5 moves from the P90x workout.  If you're not feeling doing just one type of workout, this is a nice change of pace, expecially if you don't have as much time.  You get a little bit of everything.  You get the fun of Kenpo, the loosening from yoga, and the heart rate spikes from plyo.

Avg HR = 135 bpm
Peak HR = 167bpm
Calories Burned = 568

Ab Ripper X

For the life of me, I'm not sure when I will be able to do the entire routine, but I will say even at my 70% or so, my abs are starting to look great (of course doing core synergistics and yoga are helping too). 

Avg HR = 123 bpm
Peak HR = 149 bpm (a new record courtesy of starbucks, lol)
Calories Burned = 180 (again new record courtesy of Starbucks caffeine)

I will caution, that caffeine and supplements that spike your heart rate are in general not a good idea, since if your heart rate spikes too much you can get dizzy or even pass out.  In rare occasions extreme amounts have lead to death (think FDA banning ephedra in supplements that were supposed to make you ripped).  Despite my increased calories burned and heart rate, in the future I will wait longer after consuming caffeine (and even longer if it is Starbucks).  I could only imagine what would have happened if I attempted a complete plyo workout.  For now take today's results with a grain of salt and I will try to repeat cardio x at a later date.

Ab Ripper X - 2/17/11

Since I am dealing with a cold I stuck to ab ripper.  You may notice ab ripper is the most frequent.  If I was doing the full P90x, I would be doing this 3x/week in addition to all workouts.  since I am using this for my abs, I am doing it close to that.

For some reason my heart rate was up tonight even when i was first starting.  I think I started at around 100.  I'm not sure if this has to do with the cold or maybe too much caffeine today?  At any rate I checked my pulse myself and the watch was pretty much correct.

Avg HR = 116 bpm
Peak HR = 147 bpm
Calories Burned = 157 (notice the 50 calorie increase tonight due to my heart working harder...it just shows how calories can be affected by good and bad workouts and outside sources).

P90x - Core Synergistics

Core Synergistics uses ab work, lower back work and some leg and arm work, many times at the same time (synergy) to work the core.  It is a grueling workout that made me pour sweat.  I am coming down with a cold, but given tha my blog has been empty, I went for the workout.  I completed most of it and tried the bonus exercises.  However I am exhausted and headachey now, and so i don't recommend doing this or any other P90x routine with a cold.  I may have to take another break after today.

Avg HR = 131 bpm (this includes before and after stretches, I would say I was in the mid to upper 140s on avg during the workout)
Peak HR = 165 bpm
Calories Burned = 723 (as you can see, a little tougher than Kenpo, not as tough as plyometrics)