Day 7 - Circuit Training Workout

I had another really good circuit training workout tonight. No problem with keeping my heart rate up or having too long of a break between exercises. I even manged to do a kind of jog on the step ups to get my heart rate pumping.

To give a little more detail on what I'm doing I use a 25 pound dumbbell for each exercise except for the step ups. I've been tempted to hold the dumbbells during the step ups, but holding onto the dumbbells throughout the entire workout might be more than my forearms can handle at this point.

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Warm up - 10 minutes - Two sets of 100 with a skip rope, two sets of 50 with a skip rope, with light stretching in between sets. With about three minutes remaining in the 10 minutes I go into the shed and do body weight versions of my circuit training exercises to get in the groove.

Step Ups - 40 repetitions in 2 minutes - Tonight I got a sort of jogging motion going on this exercise, first time for that. I do 20 repetitions with one leg going first and then switch and do 20 repetitions with the other leg going first.

Curls - 20 repetitions in 90 seconds - When I'm lowering a dumbbell from the curl, right before my arm relaxes to a hang, I try to start the curl for my other arm. I think this helps keep me from "rocking" to start my curl.

Steps Ups - 40 repetitions in 2 minutes -Same as above.

Lunges - 20 total, 10 each leg in 90 seconds - This is the hardest exercise for me. My form is shaky and I almost always feel like my hamstrings and the thigh on my back leg are working as hard as they can. I'm sure that's due to bad form, but I haven't figured it out yet.

Steps Ups - 40 repetitions in 2 minutes -Same as above.

Overhead Press - 12 repetitions in 90 seconds - Standing straight up I keep my head level, eyes forward, and press the dumbbells up. I feel this in my shoulder caps, lats, and I can feel the muscles along my spine working to keep me balanced. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not supposed to feel anything in my back and that I do because my form is shaky as I get tired.

Steps Ups - 40 repetitions in 2 minutes -Same as above.

Squats - 20 repetitions in 90 seconds - The site says to use two minutes, but my GymBoss goes in a two minute, 90 seconds, repeat, pattern so I fit my squats into that.

I don't take a break during any exercise and I don't take a break between circuits. After the beep for the end of my squats I start right back at the step ups to begin the next cycle. I do one more cycle for a total of two times through the circuit.

Cool Down - 10 minutes - I tried walking after this workout and ended up with sore a sore back and legs. I now do slow step ups and deep stretching to cool down from the workout. Putting all of the bikes back in the shed that I had to take out to get enough room to work out takes the last three minutes or so.