Gym and Cybex 750AT Arc Trainer

Gym

• 5 minutes jog outside
• 4 flights of stairs (ran up)
• 3 sets Cybex hip abduction @ 110lbs
• 3 sets Cybex hip adduction @ 110 lbs + 1 warmup set @ 55lbs
• 3 sets Freemotion Rope Pulldown @ 50lbs (max that machine goes to)
• 3 sets Nautilus Nitro Bicep Curl @ 80lbs

Time = 28:45
Avg HR = 101 bpm (yep, pretty low)
Peak HR = 149 bpm
K Burned = 196

I went to the gym at 9:30pm and for the life of me, I could not keep my heart rate up.  It spiked when I ran and went up the steps, but during the weight training I could not keep it up.  It could be because it was late night, or perhaps I am just getting in better shape, not sure.  Of course, I hadn't had any caffeine anytime near the workout either.

Cybex 750AT


I selected the heart rate program (P9) and put in 152 bpm and 30 minutes.  Unlike the Precor 100i, this is really just 30 minutes.  It had me on really high resistance since my heart rate wasn't going up as much as it normally does and so it was as much an endurance/strength training as it was cardio.  It works with my chest strap, so I just compared calories this time (and the machine didn't display the other info).

Avg HR = 141 bpm
Peak HR = 158 bpm
K Burned = 322 (750AT); 420
(watch)

Precor 100i Elliptical

Yesterday I went to the gym around 1pm, lifted for 45 minutes and then went on the 100i to do my heart rate workout for 30 minutes and a target of 152 bpm (80% of my max heart rate according to the machine...which would be 191)

Time = 38 minutes (3 minutes warmup on single digit level, 30 minute workout, 5 minute cooldown on Level 16 of 20)

Avg HR = 148 bpm (watch); 149 bpm (machine)
Peak HR = 163 bpm (watch); 164 bpm (machine)
K Burned = 589 (watch); 481 (machine)

I forgot to write down the distance this time.  My levels hovered between 12 and 16 for most of the workout.  This was different than my nighttime weekday use of the Precor 100i when I was at Level 20/20 for most of the workout.  This further proves that it is much easier to get your heart rate up earlier.  Of course the earlier in the day, especially on weekends, the closer I am to when I consumed caffeine.  I have yet to try this or the ab ripper before eating and drinking in the morning.  I will at some point.

Ab Ripper X - Midday Workout w/ warmup

I did this workout in the middle of the day approximately 2 hours after finishing my coffee.  I also did my usual 3 minute warmup.  As you'll see, being earlier in the day, and closer to the time I had caffeine intake, my results were a little better.

Avg HR = 116 bpm
Peak HR = 147 bpm
K Burned = 155

Gym Workout at 9:45pm

Pre-cardio

• 5 minute job to gym
• stretching
• 3 sets of 25lb dumbbell overhead arm extension (triceps)
• 3 sets concentrated curls w/ 25 lb dumbbell (sitting, elbow on knee, palm facing inward twisting on your way up so palm ultimately faces outward as much as possible before lowering, in slow controlled movements)
• Cybex Assisted Chinup/Dip Machine (4 wide grip pullups w/ no assistance, 4 with #8, then 6 dips with #8) (my arms were too jelly like by this point to do that many)

Time = 24:11
Avg HR = 112 bpm
Peak HR = 154 bpm
K Burned = 213

Precor 100i Elliptical

I did the heart rate workout, and as usual this machine read my chest strap.  I selected 152 as my target this time.  Again, the late at night workout proved to make it quite difficult to get my hear rate up.  The machine had me on resistance level 20 of 20 most of the workout.  I was on single digits resistance for the 3 minute warmup and on 16 for the 5 minute cool down.  You'll notice tonight the machine was more aggressive than my watch, perhaps because I was on such a high resistance level.  My watch can only monitor heart rate and has no idea what the strain is on my muscles other than my heart.  So it is getting harder and harder to say when my watch is being aggressive or not aggressive enough.

Time = 38 minutes total
Distance = 4.27 miles (a little low because of the really high resistance)

Avg HR (machine) = 139                 Avg HR (watch) = 139

Peak HR (machine) = 157                Peak HR (watch) = 157

K Burned (machine) = 553               K Burned (watch) = 523

Perfect Pushup 4 Routine Workout & Ab Ripper X @ 11pm - 99% complete!!!

So tonight I did the same thing that I did last Wednesday, but instead did the full 4 set (i.e. second week) original Perfect Pushup workout.  Besides the regular, wide and close pushups, there is also a chair pushup which is where you do a regular pushup, but with your feat on top of a chair seat  while the Perfect Pushup bars are on the ground in their regular pushup position (kind of like doing a decline press).  I did my usual 2 minute drill of 14 reps, 10 reps and then 6 reps.  I did the 4 over the course of 75 minutes.  I meant to do it within an hour again, but I got sidetracked by the phone, lol.  I waited fifteen minutes after completing the last rep (the close pushup), and then did an ab ripper workout.  I did not do my warmup since I had done the Perfect Pushup routine.  Shockingly this put me at my usual 11pm Ab Ripper workout.

Here are the results in the order the routines were done.  You'll notice that with each successive pushup routine my heart rate and calories burned go up, until the last one.  I got my phone call between the third and fourth and took too long of a break.  My ab ripper x routine gave similar results to other 11pm workouts when done with warmups.  The pushups were my warmup tonight.

Chair Perfect Pushup
Time:  2:00
Avg HR = 106 bpm
Peak = 111 bpm
K Burned = 15

Regular Perfect Pushup
Time = 1:54
Avg HR = 111 bpm
Peak HR = 126 bpm
K Burned = 16

Wide Perfect Pushup
Time = 1:55
Avg HR = 122 bpm
Peak HR = 136 bpm
K Burned = 20

Close Perfect Pushup
Time = 2:00
Avg HR = 113
Peak HR = 124
K Burned = 18

Ab Ripper X
Avg HR = 108 bpm
Peak =  141 bpm
K Burned = 131

Tonight I did 344 of the 349 Ab Ripper X reps.  Not bad for only completing around 170-190 when I first started.  I completed the reverse bicycle for the first time ever.  On fifer scissors, I did 23 of 25 and did the first 20 in a row.  On heels to the heavens I did 22/25.  I completed everything else.  I did all 50 mason twists, did the hardest version of leg grabs (one grab, leg in), and did cross leg situps instead of wide leg.  I even put my hands in the air for the in and outs.  This just goes to show if you stick with it and don't get frustrated during the first several weeks of doing the routine, you'll get there!

Late Night Gym Workout - Cybex 750AT

I went to the gym at around 9:45 tonight and stayed until about 10:40.

Pre-cardio Workout

• 5 minute job to gym
• Stretching
• 3 sets of upside down V bar push downs @ 90lbs (triceps)
• 3 sets of preacher curls @ 75lbs (biceps)

Time = 22:37
Avg HR = 114 bpm
Peak HR = 148 bpm
K Burned = 208

Cybex 750AT (arc trainer w/ moving handles, newer model with fan)

The Cybex 750AT turned out to be compatible with my chest strap.  I selected the target heart rate program (P9) similar to what I have selected on the Precor 100i.  I entered 155 as my target heart rate this time along with my age and weight.  I selected 30 minutes, however the workout started at 28 minutes.  The machine worked me very hard on very high resistances to get me that high heart rate.  Therefore in 28 minutes I only went 0.74 miles.  Each step was grueling and required a lot work for my legs and arms.  Below are the results of the machine vs my watch.

Avg HR (Cybex 750AT) = 144 bpm
K Burned (Cybex 750AT) = 309

Avg HR (watch) = 148 bpm
Peak HR (watch) = 161 bpm
K Burned = 434

As you can see the machine and my watch had a slight difference of opinion on my heart rate.  I didn't sync the watch and machine perfectly on the start and stop (I started the watch 10-15 seconds late, and stopped it 10 seconds late or so.  I observed a difference of 2-4 bpm between my watch and machine at various points.  The Precor 100i seemed to do a better job of reading my chest strap, although this wasn't terribly off and is close enough for all intents and purposes.  It was a damn tough 28 minutes on those high resistances.  As usual my watch was aggressive on the calories...oh well.

Ab Ripper X 11pm w/ modified warmup

So for some reason I can't seem to find time to do this workout until late at night.  At any rate since my heart rate is lower late night, I did my usual 3 minute warmup, but after stretches, right before I started the video, I ran in place again for another 30 seconds to get the heart rate back up over 100 for the start of the workout.  Sadly I don't think this made a tremendous difference.  More experimenting to come in the future to keep these workout entries fresh.

Avg HR = 110 bpm
Peak HR = 136 bpm
K Burned = 136