The last week aside, during which I've done no REAL exercise since the 23rd (!) - rare for me, but it is XMAS - I've had a pretty successful last couple of months on the circuit training.
I've got into a nice routine in which I do a 25-30 minute session 4 times a week, and I've been able to maintain those four sessions without too much of a problem.
Sometime around 16.30 works best for me, sometimes it's an effort after a day or work, but thankfully normally I just have 'work' days rather than work days, so it's been FINE the last couple of months.
The go-to session and stats...
I do the following usually 2-3 times a week, and then something a bit different 1-2 times a week. The standard session is...
- Warm up
- Squats (body weight plus 9KGs), Push ups (16-20), bent over dumbbell rows (14 times 18KGs) - TIMES 3.
- Lunges, Shoulder presses (9KGS) times 14, curls (9KGS) times 12 - times two.
- lateral raises - around 5KGs times 14, then tricep dips, just body weight
- 2-3 sets of various abs exercises alternating with shadow boxing for another 5-10 minutes
The weights are quite lite for me, I don't want to go too heavy, but enough, and what I've got.
Hopefully I will be able to up the weights gradually without too much effort, that's the idea!
I have bought some dumbbells, a 30KG set and they work well with my weights bags for lighter weights to give me two weight sets without having to change anything round....
Training effect...
I Garmined a session the other day and my heart rate stays pretty low for most of the session, only getting to around 120 BPM towards the end with the more aerobic shadow boxing..
I defo feel an affect after with a little bit of that good old muscle ache.
The idea is to tone rather than build huge amounts of muscle, but more muscle is good as it means I can eat more!
Future plans...
I'm going to try and maintain 3 sessions at least into early 2024, probably won't manage 4 as my work schedule gets a little more intense.
And of course I'll always do the two runs a week, once New Year is done with!!!