I thought it might be helpful to explain exactly what exercises I do, rather than just vaguely referring to the workouts.
The Weekend
I wasn't particularly active this weekend, with only a few gentle walks and one 30-minute session on my exercise bike.
Day Sixty-Four
Mondays are always cardio sessions, although this week I had to skip my badminton since I needed to take my car to Inverness for a gearbox service. Usually, however, I play social badminton for two hours and I may or may not go on my exercise bike for 20-30 minutes if I feel particularly motivated.
Day Sixty-Five
Tuesday's workouts are my favourite and they consist of:- 5-minute warm up on the exercise bike
- Side Lying Clam - 3 sets of holding the knee up for 60 seconds (a peculiar exercise that I don't find stretches me very much)
- Glute Bridge - 2 sets of 15 (lying on my back and raising my hips/tummy 15 times)
- Hamstring Curl - 2 sets of 15 (attaching 30 pound resistance bands to my ankles and lifting my feet, pointing my toes to make sure the hamstrings are thoroughly exercised)
- Squat - 3 sets of 15 (using 22 pound dumbbells)
- Reverse Lunge - 3 sets of 15 (basically lunging by sticking your legs backwards and holding onto 22 pound dumbbells)
- Half Plank - 3 sets for a minute at a time (I used to hate these but lately I've become stronger and now look forward to lying still for a bit at the end of the session!)
Day Sixty-Six
- 5-minute warm up on the exercise bike
- Wide Row - 3 sets of 15 (no idea what a "Wide Row" is but I basically hold the resistance bands and bring my arms back and forward)
- Half Push Up - 3 sets of 15 (I can actually do a normal push up but I haven't told my trainer this in case he makes me do them!)
- Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 15 (using the resistance bands and lifting them in a standard shoulder press)
- Side Raise - 3 sets of 15 (I'm absolutely hopeless at this one. Basically, it involves raising your arms out to the side as high as you can while being weighed down by 25 pound resistance bands)
- Tricep Pushdown - 3 sets of 12 (I could do these all day. I hook my resistance bands to the top of a door, making sure they're secure, and then raise them up and down)
- Half Side Plank - 3 sets for a minute at a time (I still hate these exercises. Side planks seem harder than normal planks for some reason.)
Day Sixty-Seven
Thursday is dedicated to cardio, with either a 2-hour badminton lesson and/or 20-30 minutes on my exercise bike, depending on how energetic I feel. I find the badminton lesson a real workout.
Day Sixty-Eight
- 5-minute warm up on the exercise bike
- Hamstring Curl - 2 sets of 12 (same exercise as Tuesday)
- Reverse Lunges - 2 sets of 12 (same exercise as Tuesday)
- Wide Row - 2 sets of 12 (same exercise as Wednesday)
- Half Push Up - 2 sets of 15
- Lateral Raise - 2 sets of 12 (for this I use 20 pound resistance bands and that's about the only weight I can actually do this exercise properly)
- Tricep Push Up - 2 sets of however many I can do until I break down and cry (not quite, but almost!)
