Weight Routine

I’ve been lifting weights 3x/week since October, getting into a nice pre-work routine at Anytime Fitness in Springfield.  A gentleman “regular”, who I see routinely, recently approached me and requested that I write out what I do each day.  Apparently I fly around fast enough that he can’t quite tell.  I wrote it out, so I figured I might as well post it here. 

Focus:

• General strength
• Aerobic/Anaerobic stamina
• The ability to work one group, then work a separate/opposing group while the previous group is resting
• EFFICIENCY – trying to get in and out of the gym quickly!

 Strategy:

• Alternate UPPER and LOWER body
• Alternate “flexion” versus “extension” exercises (if applicable)
• CIRCUIT-STYLE – do one set of an exercise, the quick rotate to next
• Two sets of TWO different circuits

CIRCUIT ONE

• Horizontal Row
• Squat (either bar or dumbbell)
• Lat Pulldown
• Calf Raise
• Ball Push-ups
• Side Plank/Leg Raises

CIRCUIT TWO

• Bicep Curl
• Single Leg Good Morning
• Bent Flys
• (Roman Chair – sometimes, now phasing out due to time/redundancy)
• Leg Extension
• Pull-Ups (Assisted à Full)
• Leg Flexion

NOTES:

• I do a 2 minute elliptical warm-up
• I do TEN reps of everything except for ball push-ups (x20) and single arm/leg exercises (x10 each = x20)
• When possible I RUN/JOG between machines or lifts (if it’s more than 10’ or 20’ away)
• The entire routine – the warm-up, 300 total reps – takes <20 minutes
• The goal is NOT to rush the reps – I try to take at least 2 seconds / rep

 Runners need to RUN.  However, resistance strength is vitally important. I fault my lack of weight training in my TCM build-up for the calf/heel issues I've had since.  And you can't argue with an hour a week for that quality.