Regain Thy Former Self

[Mosasaurus]

you seem very organized and efficient with your planning!

Do you schedule your workout times- or just grab them when you get a chance?

And, if you do schedule, do you have a favorite time of day.

 

I have tried the "first thing in the am" plan and I really don't like it physiologically, but it is beautiful psychologically!

[Caius]

Thanks! I appreciate the compliment.

 

This turned into a long reply, and I'm sorry about that. Here's my short response: I do what I want when I want.

Below is my thought process:

 

I have workout days based on my schedule and if I'm following a 3 or 4 day split routine. I'm currently on a 3-day total body routine, and based on my schedule Monday, Wednesday, Friday are actually good days for me, but sometimes Fridays get crazy and I'm not able to workout. In these cases, Saturday is a good option for me but not always. I'm ok with pushing a workout back a day if needed. Sundays and Thursdays are the only really bad days for me, so my plans will be made around them.

 

Through experience, I know that working out after work is not best for me, so I chose to workout before work. In the past, I used to have a very rigid workout time and it was nice because it was first thing in the morning, but these days I am more flexible with the timing. See, I got really fixated on that workout time and developed an idea that if I didn't workout at that time, then it wasn't effective or I failed. It was toxic and looking back at it regretted the whole situation. I still generally exercise at the same time, 10:00 for example, to give me time to get my coffee in and do a bit of housework. But sometimes I just don't feel like doing it so I will push it back a bit, 10:30 or 12:00 for example, until I can get into the mood and hungry to train. But either way there is always a cutoff time to start a workout, 14:00 would be that time for today, so that I can get it in for day. Even if it's just one set. 

 

If I did one set, and after that set I still wasn't in the mood, I'll call it quits for the day and try again the next day. This happens, and I'm ok with that. My body just needed extra time to recover or something. It's fine. Usually though, after the first set, I get into the groove or mood of exercising and can finish the plan. A lot of this second situation comes from my past where I was forced to exercise and give 100% regardless of the weather, time, or feeling. I can't describe it, but if I start exercising my body pushes the negative thoughts about working out away and says, "Right, time to get to work and we have to do this thing."

 

I guess most of this started from a habit formation. I started small doing one thing, then added and evolved what I did over time to what you see in the battle log. I still tweak things as I find that something isn't working for me, but at the end of the day, I'm at a point where I feel bad or dirty if I didn't exercise as most people might feel if they didn't brush their teeth for a day.

 

Dang I type too much. I'm sorry for the novel. 🙇‍♂️

[Mosasaurus]

Oh, I like the novel 😀

I am great at grabbing onto things and getting quickly discouraged, so I have to really work to keep faith with myself or this will just be another thing that I quit.

Maybe trusting the process should actually be a goal of mine.

 

Thanks for your thoughtful explanation of your workout timing and approach.

I don't like to do it first thing, but if I don't it sorta preys on my mind all day until I get around to it.

[Caius]

🗓 2020 09 28

1. Ruck March [2.0 kg // 3.87 kph // 25.2 RW] 12.6 km @ 3.28 hr

🗓2020 09 29
Training Time: 11 mins

1. External Rotation Low 10 RP [2.3 kg]
2. External Rotation High 10 RP [2.3 kg]
3. Low Trap Press 20 RP [2.3 kg]
4. Reverse Fly 20 RP [2.3 kg]
5. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown 20 RP [5.9 kg]
6. Scapular Protraction 20 RP [5.9 kg]
7. MB Lateral 10 RP Ladder Walk [13.6 kg]

[Caius]

🗓 2020 09 30
Training Time: 36 min [3 sets of 12-15 with 1 minute rest]

1. 1. Band Wood Chop 9.4 kg 15 / 15 / 15 RP
2. 2A. Bridge Curl 12 / 12 / 12 RP
3. 2B. DB Overhead Press 10.0 kg 15 / 14 / 12 RP
4. 3A. DB BSS 7.0 kg 15 / 15 / 13 RP
5. 3B. Band Pulldown 12.7 kg 15 / 15 / 13 RP

Note to self:

• OHP and BSS freeze

 

[Caius]

🗓 2020 10 02 [3 sets of 12-15 with 1 minute rest]
Training Time: 32 mins

1. 1. Reverse Crunch 60 / 60 / 60s
2. 2A. Pushup [BW] 15 / 13 / 12 RP
3. 2B. DB Squat 13.5 kg 15 / 14 / 14 RP
4. 3A. Band Row 17.7 kg 15 / 15 / 14 RP
5. 3B. DB 1-Leg Deadlift 13.5 kg 12 / 12 / 12 RP

[Caius]

🗓 2020 10 05 [1 round of 60:0s ea]

Training Time: 18 mins

1. Alt 1-Leg Box Squat > 1.5 RP Squat > Jump Squat
2. Pushaway > Knee Rot Pushup > Knee Cobra Pushup
3. ALT 1-Leg Heel Touch Squat > Alt Sprinter Lunge > High Plyo Sprinter Lunge
4. Seated Pullup > BW Sliding Pulldown > Inverted Chin Curl
5. Rev Corkscrew > Black Window Knee Slide > Levitation Crunch
6. Angels & Devils

 

Note to self:

• focus on the muscles being worked: angels and devils, 1-leg squat L, heel touch squat
• focus on form: cobra pushups
• more RoM on the pulldown

[Caius]

🗓2020 10 06
Training Time: 11 mins

1. External Rotation Low 10 RP [2.3 kg] 
2. External Rotation High 10 RP [2.3 kg] 
3. Low Trap Press 20 RP [2.3 kg] 
4. Reverse Fly 20 RP [2.3 kg] 
5. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown 20 RP [5.9 kg]
6. Scapular Protraction 20 RP [5.9 kg]
7. MB Lateral 10 RP Ladder Walk [13.6 kg] 

🗓2020 10 07
Training Time: 34 mins [2 rounds of 60:0s with 2 min rest between rounds]

1. Floor Bridge Curl > Bridge Straight Leg March > Feet Elevated Hip Thrust
2. Knee Decline Pushup > Knee Shoulder Rotation > Tricep Extension
3. Alt Stepup > Alt Rev Lunge > Alt Split Jump
4. Jack Chinup > Bent Knee Inverted Row > Back Widow
5. Ab Halo > Knee Tuck > Twisting Situp
6. Rev Hyper Extension

[Caius]

🗓2020 10 08
Training Time: 10 mins

1. External Rotation Low 10 RP [2.3 kg] 
2. External Rotation High 10 RP [2.3 kg] 
3. Low Trap Press 20 RP [2.3 kg] 
4. Reverse Fly 20 RP [2.3 kg] 
5. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown 20 RP [5.9 kg] 
6. Scapular Protraction 20 RP [5.9 kg] 
7. MB Lateral 10 RP Ladder Walk [13.6 kg] 

[Caius]

🗓 2020 10 09 [2 rounds of 60:0s with 2 min rest between rounds]
Training Time: 34 mins

1. Alt 1-Leg Box Squat > 1.5 RP Squat > Jump Squat
2. Pushaway > Rotational Pushup > Knee Cobra Pushup
3. ALT 1-Leg Heel Touch Squat > Alt Sprinter Lunge > High Plyo Sprinter Lunge
4. Seated Pullup > BW Sliding Pulldown > Inverted Chin Curl
5. Rev Corkscrew > Black Window Knee Slide > Levitation Crunch
6. Angels & Devils

🗓2020 10 12 [2 rounds of 60:0s with 2 min rest between rounds]
Training Time: 34 mins 

1. Floor Bridge Curl > Bridge Straight Leg March > Feet Elevated Hip Thrust
2. Knee Decline Pushup > Knee Shoulder Rotation > Tricep Extension
3. Alt Stepup > Alt Rev Lunge > Alt Split Jump
4. Jack Chinup > Bent Knee Inverted Row > Back Widow
5. Ab Halo > Knee Tuck > Twisting Situp
6. Rev Hyper Extension

[Caius]

🗓 2020 10 14 [2 rounds of 60:0s with 2 min rest between rounds]
Training Time: 34 mins
1. Alt 1-Leg Box Squat > 1.5 RP Squat > Jump Squat
2. Pushaway > Rotational Pushup > Knee Cobra Pushup
3. ALT 1-Leg Heel Touch Squat > Alt Sprinter Lunge > High Plyo Sprinter Lunge
4. Seated Pullup > BW Sliding Pulldown > Inverted Chin Curl
5. Rev Corkscrew > Black Window Knee Slide > Levitation Crunch
6. Angels & Devils