Workout Plan - Apr/May 2018
March was a bit of a struggle for me. Anyone who is or has been on a fitness journey can tell you that some months are great, filled with positivity and results, while others are not-so-great, usually due to confusion or lack of direction. I attribute this setback to changes in seasons, as I spent most of March loathing the gym and wishing I was outside running instead. My husband and I were both in the midst of transitioning jobs, which resulted in more of a psychological burden than I was equipped to handle. This meant several skipped gym sessions (sometimes in favour or a run, and sometimes not!), and a general lack of motivation when I was there.
As far as diet, the incredible results I had seen at my previous weigh-in actually had me feeling confused about the numbers that my nutritionist and I had worked out together. We had planned out a calorie deficit that should have resulted in ~4lbs / 2% fat loss over the course of 3 months, but I hit that goal in half the time. At first glance, this seems like GREAT news (!), but as an athlete I didn't want to be losing weight too quickly. Since the only way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit, this means that quick weight loss = big calorie deficit = potential to impact energy and performance. I found myself tracking my intake less often, and eating more than usual to try to counter my fear of performance issues. I decided not to do a body composition test before this month's training session, but weighed myself and confirmed that my weight was exactly the same as it was at my last session.
Basically, March was a bit of a wash.
Knowing that, for me, the path for success lies in working towards goals that I really care about, I sat down with my trainer and told him that my goals had changed (again :)). Rather than focusing on building muscle 4 days/week in the gym and having running as a secondary exercise, I am cutting down my gym time in favour of following a more aggressive running program. I will be hitting the gym 2 (maybe 3) days/week, and following a 4 day/week running program (base-building for now, and then transitioning to a half-marathon or marathon training program).
Day 1 (Monday):
Warm up, 5 minutes
Barbell clean - 6 sets, 6 reps
1 arm kettlebell squat - 3 sets, 12 reps
Plate front raise - 3 sets, 12 reps
Kettlebell sit-up on bosu - 3 sets, 12 reps
Dumbbell pullover - 3 sets, 12 reps
1-arm barbell row - 3 sets, 12 reps
Superset:
Swiss ball push-up/knee pull-in - 3 sets, 12 reps
Isometric lumbar extension - 60 seconds
Day 2 (Thursday):
Warm up, 5 minutes
Barbell front squat and press - 6 sets, 6 reps
Overhead barbell front lunge - 3 sets, 12 reps
Plate front raise - 3 sets, 12 reps
Kettlebell sit-up on bosu - 3 sets, 12 reps
Dumbell pullover - 3 sets, 12 reps
1-arm barbell row - 3 sets, 12 reps
Superset:
Swiss ball push-up/knee pull-in - 3 sets, 12 reps
Isometric lumbar extension - 60 seconds
Images courtesy of Physigraphe, using the Hexfit app
