Jai's Health and Fitness: Muscle

Showing posts with label Muscle. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Wednesday Workout Log - 30 Days of HIIT Day 9 - Arnold Blue Print Day 1

Grand Opening at YouFit Mesquite! First day at my new job! Access to full set of equipment, instead of just bodyweight exercises, so I started the Arnold Blueprint for building muscle mass, as well as continuing my 30 days of HIIT, and Daily Yoga. Hey, I get paid to be at the gym, so why not hit it HARD!!?

20 Minute Daily Yoga for Body Toning Routine
30 Days of HIIT Day 9 - Planks!

20 Second Plank
20 Second Elbow Plank
40 Second One Arm (20 Second each Arm)
20 Second Elbow Plank
20 Second Plank

Arnold Blueprint Day 1

Barbell Bench Press

Set 1 - 135lb - 25 Reps
Set 2 - 135lb - 11 Reps
Set 3 - 135lb - 10 Reps
Set 4 - 135lb - 7 Reps
Set 5 - 135lb - 6 Reps

Barbell Incline Bench Press

Set 1 - 95lb - 20 Reps
Set 2 - 95lb - 12 Reps
Set 3 - 95lb - 10 Reps
Set 4 - 95lb - 8 Reps
Set 5 - 95lb - 6 Reps

Superset - Dumbbell Flys/ Bent Arm Dumbbell Pullover

Set 1 - 25lb - 20 Reps/ 30lb - 25 Reps
Set 2 - 30lb - 12 Reps/ 30lb - 12 Reps
Set 3 - 30lb - 10 Reps/ 30lb - 10 Reps
Set 4 - 30lb - 8 Reps/ 30lb - 8 Reps
Set 5 - 30lb - 6 Reps/ 30lb - 6 Reps

Chin Ups - I'm not very good at these, yet!

Set 1 - 4 Reps
Set 2 - 3 Reps
Set 3 - 3 Reps
Set 4 - 3 Reps

Superset - Bent Over Barbell Row/ Bent Over 2 Dumbbell Row

Set 1 - 70lb - 20 Reps/ 25lb - 20 Reps
Set 2 - 70lb - 12 Reps/ 25lb - 12 Reps
Set 3 - 70lb - 10 Reps/ 25lb - 10 Reps
Set 4 - 70lb - 8 Reps/ 25lb - 8 Reps
Set 5 - 70lb - 6 Reps/ 25lb - 6 Reps

Hanging Leg Raise - I suck at these, too. Will attempt modified sets next time.

Set 1 - 10 Reps
Set 2 - 5 Reps

Ok, that is the grand total for today! Keep up if you can!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Saturday Workout Log

If you Don't look like this when you get off the treadmill, you're doing it wrong! via jaiblevins

Alright, it's that time again. Keeping those logs up to date! I was given a free 7 day pass to the 24 Hour Fitness location in my neighborhood, and since I have an application in with them, I thought this would be a great chance to go meet the manager, and check out the gym. Today's Workout looks something like this:

20 minutes of Sworkit Pro Yoga Full Sequence
30 Minutes Treadmill Interval training

2 minutes fast walking 4-4.5 miles per hour
2 minutes running 6-6.5 miles per hour
Total distance 2.5 miles

Strength Training - 60 minutes

Chest Press - 125lbs 10 reps - 3 times
Seated Row - 110lbs 10 reps - 3 times
Preacher Curls - 75lbs 10 reps- 3 times
Standing Dumbbell Curls - 35lbs 10 reps - 3 times
Triceps Pull Downs - 70 lbs 10 reps - 3 times
Lat Pull Downs - 110 lbs 10 reps - 3 times
Leg Press - 270lbs 10 reps 5 times

It's been awhile since I've been in the gym. Honestly, I HATE treadmills. The scenery never changes, and it's exceptionally monotonous. I will probably use the Elliptical, and stationary bike, instead of the treadmill, during this 7 days, and take advantage of any nicer days, to run outdoors. Using the weights, was nice. You really can't build exceptional strength gains, without lifting heavy.

Health & Fitness Mistakes - Weight Lifting is Only for Bigger Muscles

Strength Training (Photo credit: Rtist MrB)

There are two basic types of people in the gym: the cardio fiends on the machines, trying to stay thin, and the muscle heads hitting the weights, trying to get bigger muscles.

There are definitely benefits of cardio for weightlifters, but what about the benefits of strength training for those who want to stay lean?

Most who just do cardio, don't lift weights, because they want to maintain a lean, athletic look, and don't want to "bulk up". However, to achieve the body that most of us want, actually requires, not only losing fat, but adding a lot of lean muscle mass, and the best way to do that, is strength training.

There are other benefits, as well. Most of us start developing sarcopenia, sometime in our 20s. Basically, this means that our body will naturally start losing a little bit of muscle mass, each and every year, unless we do something to counter it. Research has shown that between 20 and 60, we lose up to 40% of our total muscle mass. This can also lead to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Also, it leads to shorter lifespan, declining metabolism, and disability as we age.

A lot of people build muscle just to look good, but it's also very healthy. Muscle mass fights the effects of sarcopenia, as well as, but also helps the with metabolic benefits, once thought to be the sole realm of cardio. Basically, having increased lean muscle mass is one of the best things you can do to stave off the effects of aging and disease.

EVERYONE, both men and women, should be doing some form of strength training as part of their exercise regimen. How often, ultimately depends on you, and your health goals, but even if you're just trying to "stay healthy", you should be doing more than just cardio. Ideally, you should do some resistance training, at least twice a week, and you don't need any special equipment. Just some basic bodyweight exercises, like push ups, dips, pull ups, and squats, can increase your overall lean muscle mass.

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