Dedication > "You get out what you put in!"

"Work till you're wet!"...one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Oz.  This is of so very true.  I'd been working out a couple of days a week from 2005 into 2009.  I thought I was doing pretty good.  I'd do push-ups and sit-ups.  I'd go on a little 2 mile run a couple of times a week.  I thought I was in shape.  Even when I deployed in the spring of 2009, I still thought I was in pretty good shape.  As I was travelling around the Southeast going from one training center to the other  in preparation to go overseas, I still didn't realize how far I'd fallen.  I worked out in the post gyms about every working day.  I just didn't realize that I wasn't really pushing myself.  And then two things happened.....first, I got a new ID card.  I looked at the picture.  I looked at my weight.  The picture really caught me.  I wasn't in as good a shape as I thought.  The 2nd thing that happened was I ran in a 5K after I'd gotten to Kuwait.  Wow!  I realized I might not even be able to pass the Army's physical training test.  It hit me that I was just going through the motions.  The good news was that I'd mastered Success Rule #1.  I was showing up.  I now realized just showing up wasn't enough.  I needed to start pushing myself.  What I did was write out a work-out plan designed to push my limits with goals.  I wanted to break 22 minutes in the 5K and I wanted to max the Army APFT.  Now, everybody's plan is going to be very different, and I suggest speaking with someone like Mark Rountree about a plan for you, but you need a plan that begins to push your limits.  That's how you get results.  Simply as a reference, here is my plan from the summer fo 2009.

WEEKLY WORK-OUT SCHEDULE

Work-out Words of Wisdom:
1) Show-Up Every Day
2) Set Goals
3) Plan to Work-Out at Least 1 Hour Each Day

Daily Tips:
1) Do 3 sets of each exercise with 10-15 repetitions per set. Increase weight to get resistance. Work to muscle failure at the end of each set. Try to use free weights as much as possible.
2) Work quickly. Allocate 7 minutes per exercise with just 30 sec rest to move to the next exercise. The goal is to complete 8 exercises in an hour. If you have less time, simply eliminate an exercise or two.
3) Feel free to substitute new exercises. Don’t be afraid to experiment.


DAY #1: Chest & Triceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of upper body stretching
2. bench press
3. triceps press with cables
4. incline bench press or incline machine chest press
5. curl bar overhead triceps press
6. decline bench press
7. dips
8. chest and triceps press down machine
[2 Mile Run]

DAY #2: Legs & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. squats or leg presses
3. incline sit-ups & crunches (40+ per set)
4. leg curls
5. crunches (75+ per set)
6. groin press
7. leg/knee lifts
8. calf raises
[15-20 min on Bike]

DAY #3: Back & Biceps [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. upper back pull down machine
3. bicep curl machine
4. lower back pull machine
5. bicep curl with cables or curl bar
6. rows
7. single arm dumbbell curls
8. dumbbell bent over row
[1.5 Mile Interval Run]
- Break the run into ¼ sections. Run ¼ as fast as you can and then jog a ¼ mile. Do this for 1.5 miles. Work to increase the intervals over time.

DAY #4: Shoulders & Abs [1hr 20min]
1. 5-7 minutes of stretching
2. shoulder bench press
3. swiss ball jack knife
4. lat pull downs
5. ab machine or crunches with weight on chest
6. single arm dumbbell shoulder lifts
7. lower back exercise (inverted, right side, left side)
8. chin-ups
[15-20 min on Bike Intervals or Elliptical]
- A tip for the bike intervals is to do it to music. Ride as hard as you can for an entire song. Slow down and rest on the next song. Repeat.

DAY #5: Mega Stretch and 5K [1hr 20min]
1. stretch entire body for 15-20 minutes
2. joint exercise – neck rolls, wrist rolls, knee rolls, etc.
3. run a 5K (approx 3.2 miles)

DAY #6: Sport / Aerobic Activity [1hr]
1. go for a swim
2. play a game of pick-up basketball
3. go for a hike or a climb
4. ride a “real” bike
5. play tennis
6. Do something fun, but get the heart rate up!

DAY#7: Rest

 

Here are the before and after pictures.  Take a picture of yourself now.   Then, when you have mastered LifeFit take another one.  Think of this as a goal. 

 

March 2010





May 2009