The Steampunk Strongman

[JustinW]

I've been toying with this idea for a couple of months off and on. When it comes down to getting back into trying to get into shape, I've been reading about a lot of the golden age strongmen, such as Professor Attila and Eugen Sandow... and, interestingly, a surprising number of them claimed to have built their physique utilizing high volume and low weight workout routines; Sandow's famous "5 lbs Dumbbell Workout" being high on that list.

In fact, according to Sandow, his exercise routine was primarily with his 5 lb routine, and his 'heavy lifting' so to speak, was done during his performances.

There's been a lot of talk about the efficiency of such a method, if you could, in fact, build muscle with it, let alone significant muscle or strength... or if it is, indeed, hogwash.

SO! With the latest attempt at Fitness coming up for many with the new year, I have decided to make a go of utilizing the methods of the old time strongmen (Attila, Sandow, Charles Atlas, etc) with a few modern tweaks here and there to see if I can, indeed, develop an impressive physique and strength.

So, this post is, essentially, outlining my thinking re: the process. And the steps I plan to take.

---

Thought #1, an important one to be certain is outlining WHICH workout I'm using. With a bit of research, it seems that Professor Attila is, perhaps, the best place to start. He seems to have influenced, if not trained outright, a number of strength performers and bodybuilders from Sandow's era... and, coincidentally, published his own 5 lbs Routine which seems (as some claim) to be the original that others have put their own spin on over the years.
https://physicalculturestudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/profattilasfivep00atti.pdf
There's an open PDF of the routine there. I've bought a copy on Kindle as well.

Thought #2, is that this workout appears to be meant (as some have suggested, including in David Bolton's book "The Lost Secret of a Great Body" was meant to be paired up with something similar to Maxick's "Mind Muscle Control", and essentially that you're intended to be also tensing, relaxing, and flexing your muscles with the workout tor that extra bit of 'oomph'. A sentiment that LOOKS like it it might have some merit considering Sandow's eventual release of special spring loaded dumbbells, where you had to keep an especially tight grip on the handle in order to keep the contraption closed!

 

Thought #3, Diet! Oh, the important part. Very few of these strongmen seemed to have much in common in the way of eating habits, so... I'm going to take a combination of Charles Atlas and Eugen Sandow to heart for my meals, which comes down to the usual advice of "avoid overprocessed foods. Don't overdo sweets" and, in Sandow's own words "I eat in an ordinary way, but I am conscious of my portions."

Final Thought: Such things as protein powders and supplementation may be added in as I'm no spring chicken and may want the occasional aid (hence the "-Punk" part of this title). In fact, in an interesting point, Sandow himself eventually began selling what seems to be protein supplements and his own special cocoa powder for 'power'.

---

In any case, this is more or less a post to organize my thoughts, determine my intentions and create a vague framework of how I'm going to go about it. As I have a few days before New Year's I can start getting my body a bit more used to the particular movements of Professor Attila's workout and work out the kinks in my planning (It seems to be recommended to perform the routine every day, for instance, but I may cut that back to add at least a couple days of cardio as well).

So... see you in the future of this log, and we'll see what becomes of my body!

[ReturnOfTheDad]

Best of luck on your challenge!

[JustinW]

Alright, it took a bit more time to get to the actual logging and working than I'd thought but, I suppose that's the nature of the Christmas/New Year Season, aye?

Anyway, today has been the first OFFICIAL day working Professor Attila's regime.

 

---

Day 1 Impressions: The 'high reps, low weight' approach has some interesting effects on a full body workout (and, indeed, despite focusing on dumbbell movements there's a good deal of lower body work too, including squats, leg lifts, calf raises, etc).

Currently I'm working the entire  process at its minimum suggested rep ranges which, with contraction of the muscles does, indeed, provide a surprising amount of tension.

Also, it's interesting that Attila's workout actually doesn't give names for the exercises, instead it just numbers them from 1 to 27. When I have more time, I might try and post the images of the exercises themselves and the name I've given to them but for now, I'm afraid you'll just have to use the above link if you're curious. In any case... the current numbers I'm putting up are...

 

At a weight of 5 lbs on the dumbbells...

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 50

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 50

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 20

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 10

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 15 - On an interesting note, on the backswing of the fly, they instructions also want you to rise up on the balls of your feet

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 20

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 20

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 12

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 12

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 12

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 15

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 10

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 10

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 15

18. Calf Raises (20), 20

19. Heel Raises (10), 10

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 30

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 3

22. High Knees (20), 20

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 10

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 20

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 10

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 10

27. Push Ups (10), 10

 

---

 

As it currently stands, the recommendation is to make this a daily workout, as I recall (or, at least, the Sandow version suggests it as a daily) and, as of right now, the work load seems reasonable for it. Although I'm going to attempt to gradually and consistently raise the reps a bit at a time. When I can comfortably max out the 100 reps for the curls, I'll likely do a slight increase to the dumbbell weight and maybe reset some, or all, of the rep ranges.

While most of the strong-men of the era seem to have claimed around a 5 lb dumbbell was sufficient, Bobby Pandour was known to have done up to 10 lbs and Sandow suggested repeating such a process until one was consistently utilizing a 20 lb.

[Elastigirl]

That looks like a long list of exercises. How long does it take you?  Interested to hear your results .

[JustinW]

41 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

That looks like a long list of exercises. How long does it take you?  Interested to hear your results .

I actually timed myself on it today, and it seems to take about 30 minutes, give or take. There's quite a few exercises, true, but some of them are just "Do previous exercise, but on the opposite side" and a lot have a fairly low rep range... in fact, it seems like the curls are the only thing that hits any particularly high reps outside of the more calisthenic exercises.

As things go on, I'll try and make this log a bit more detailed and maybe I'll start adding in elements like how long the routine takes to run through on a regular day or if I'm going faster or slower with the reps to focus on a specific effect or not, so thanks for the idea!

[Elastigirl]

1 hour ago, JustinW said:

I actually timed myself on it today, and it seems to take about 30 minutes, give or take. There's quite a few exercises, true, but some of them are just "Do previous exercise, but on the opposite side" and a lot have a fairly low rep range... in fact, it seems like the curls are the only thing that hits any particularly high reps outside of the more calisthenic exercises.

As things go on, I'll try and make this log a bit more detailed and maybe I'll start adding in elements like how long the routine takes to run through on a regular day or if I'm going faster or slower with the reps to focus on a specific effect or not, so thanks for the idea!

Makes sense.  Thirty minutes is certainly a very doable time frame

[JustinW]

Today (Jan. 6)

I have not, as yet, done my Attila workout, but I did do some LISS on my stationary bike.

I'm not sure what the best balance between any sort of cardio (which isn't mentioned by many of these Golden Age strongmen I'm basing my training program on). Which makes sense, as far as I'm aware the benefits of cardio on overall health may not have been completely understood at that time.

As I get more used to doing both exercises, though, I'll see if I can't start adding in cardio on my dumbbell days as well.

So, this post is an overly long way of logging today's workout as

"20 minutes, LISS on Stationary Bicycle"
 

Probably will at least do some of the stretches from the regular workout, though. Being able to eventually do real toe touches would be neat.

[JustinW]

Alright! Back to the Professor Attila Light Dumbbell workout today.

Readers may notice that some numbers have gone up. In an effort to get some of that sweet, sweet "Progressive Overload" going on I'm increasing the reps for some exercises (like the curls) by a small amount either every workout, or every other. The curls are going up by 5 each time I ramp it up, many of the other exercises are getting a single extra rep each.

Some, like the wrist stretches that only have a specific number to start with are going to keep their regular amount, while others will go up, at least to the maximum recommended reps by the book. However some, particularly the Calisthenic movements (or, I suppose, weighted calisthenics) I will probably just keep adding reps until it becomes impractical to continue doing so and, will either keep them at those numbers, or begin adding in variations to keep things interesting.

 

---

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 21

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 11

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 13

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 21

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 21

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 13

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 13

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 13

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 16

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 11

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 11

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 16

18. Calf Raises (20), 21

19. Heel Raises (10), 11

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 30

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 4

22. High Knees (20), 21

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 11

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 21

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 11

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 11

27. Push Ups (10), 11

 

---

Eventually, I hope to add other not entirely scientific bits of notation like my weigh-ins and maybe even what I'm eating, but for right now, just nailing down consistency with the workout feels like a bit of a win.

[JustinW]

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 22

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 12

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 14

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 22

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 22

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 14

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 14

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 14

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 17

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 14

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 12

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 17

18. Calf Raises (20), 22

19. Heel Raises (10), 12

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 31

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 5

22. High Knees (20), 22

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 12

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 22

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 12

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 12

27. Push Ups (10), 12

 

Today's workout... in the bag. Habit building is hopefully coming along nicely, too.

[JustinW]

Alright, yesterday I was feeling kinda sick, coupled with a few days' worth of bad sleep to catch up on. So decided to call it a "Rest Day".

 

Today, back at it, though!

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 55

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 23

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 13

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 15

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 23

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 23

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 15

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 15

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 18

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 15

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 13

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 18

18. Calf Raises (20), 23

19. Heel Raises (10), 13

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 32

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 6

22. High Knees (20), 22

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 13

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 23

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 13

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 13

27. Push Ups (10), 13

 

---

 

I haven't been able to go as in-depth on all of this as I'd like, but that's mostly because work has had be on overnights for the week. I've got some time off coming up, though, where I'll be trying to address some other tidbits to give more details so it's easier to track and see what results come from the experiment, haha.

[JustinW]

 

Weigh in: 237 lbs - I did weigh myself after work, rather than when I first woke up, but my shift will be swinging on to a different period where it'll be easier to take weight each day.

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 60

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 60

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 25

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 14

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 16

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 24

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 24

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 16

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 16

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15 - I think we'll still with the 15 Toe Touches until I can actually... y'know, touch the toes!

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 19

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 16

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 14

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 19

18. Calf Raises (20), 24

19. Heel Raises (10), 14

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 33

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 7

22. High Knees (20), 23

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 14

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 24

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 14

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 14

27. Push Ups (10), 14

 

To Be Done - Some cardio on the stationary bike

 

Notes: 

Finally restarted my use of the "Lose It" app to start tracking my calories, although I'm not looking too hard at Macros right now, this seems reasonable since portion size has always been my achilles heel with weight efforts.

I'm noticing that during the workouts I feel it most in the arms (naturally) and abdomen. This makes sense to me as the era this routine is taken from is before the bench press was a popular (or, perhaps even existing!) exercise. Overhead Press was kind of the standard then, and a lot of the strongmen from Sandow's era had comparatively small chests.

I'm also noticing that as I gradually ramp up the squats that my legs are beginning to feel it more and more, so it'll be fun seeing at what point daily squats starts to become... fun.

 

Also, will be looking into Sit Ups vs Crunches to see if one is better or worse for my back overall. I do have a family history of people needing a chiropractor and I've gone myself a few times.

 

Current reading studies: Muscle Control By Maxick and Eating for Health and Power by Bernarr Macfadden

Both influential men in the physical culture... um... culture of their era.

 

---

NOW! On a more entertaining note, lets take a look into the bodies of yesteryear...

 

THIS, my friends, is Professor Louis Attila. The originator of this particular dumbbell workout, and the man who mentored Sandow (and others).

 

[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Louis_Attila_1894.png[/img]

https://physicalculturestudy.com/2021/04/12/who-is-professor-attila/Note the legs, and while the angle is fantastic, he appears to have some pretty good arms, too. Overall, he has the appearance of an athletic physique but one that seems very achievable. Made more impressive by the fact that his career was "Strongman".

Anyway! I'll see if I can't find a tape measure to follow the advice Sandow gave to students of his course of recording the measurements of certain muscles in their body and re-measuring after a few months to see their progress. If I can find a good mirror, too, maybe I'll even put in a picture.

But that's all for now!

[JustinW]

Weigh in - 234

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 60

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 60

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 26

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 17

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 25

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 25

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 17

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 17

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 17

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 15

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 25

19. Heel Raises (10), 15

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 34

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 8

22. High Knees (20), 24

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 15

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 25

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 15

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 15

27. Push Ups (10), 15

Extra - 20 Minutes light cardio on stationary bike

[JustinW]

Alright, so... my job currently has me on a midday shift thanks to being on a swing shift. So, my updates will likely be coming later in the evening. But!

The experiment continues!

Weigh in - 233

 

--

 

Now, today was kind of interesting for my workout: I woke up way earlier than I was hoping to, so I decided to get my cardio in early and got on the bike for the usual 20 minutes, dealing with only my weights after work.

 

Also, just an update that the gradual increase in volume is bringing the Dumbbell workout closer to 40 minutes than 30. I may or may not tweak the volume with some of the work, but in likelihood I'll at least keep increasing (to a point) the more calisthenic based ones for the sake of endurance.

Anyway! Here we go!

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 27

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 18

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 26

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 26

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 18

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 18

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 18

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 16

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 26

19. Heel Raises (10), 16

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 35

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 9

22. High Knees (20), 25

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 16

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 26

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 16

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 16

27. Push Ups (10), 16

[JustinW]

Current Weigh in - 232

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65 

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 28

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 19

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 27

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 27

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 19

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 19

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 19

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 17

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 27

19. Heel Raises (10), 17

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 36

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 26

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 17

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 27

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 17

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 17

27. Push Ups (10), 17

 

--

 

Also kept up with the cycling, today I went for a higher speed and broke up the session into two 10 minute sets instead of one 20 minute session.

 

--

 

Will probably be starting to slow down the rate I increase the curls themselves. But when I get to 100 reps with the current weight, and can do so comfortably, that will probably be around when I move up to the next weight (probably 8 lbs or so).

Hopefully will soon be able to have some progress pics as well to do compare/contrast with.

[JustinW]

Weigh in - 234

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65 

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 65

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 29

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 28

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 28

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 18

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 28

19. Heel Raises (10), 18

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 37

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 27

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 18

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 28

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 18

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 18

27. Push Ups (10), 18

 

--

 

20 Minutes Stationary Bike cardio

 

--

 

I believe I'm going to also leave the Pistol Squats at 10 for the moment, since I'm still balancing with my other hand while I do them. Plus, following directly on actual squats... I might as well go a little easier on those for a bit.

[JustinW]

Whelp, after what looks to be six days going forth with the weighted and cardio exercises, I've decided that this evening will be another Rest Day to give myself a bit more zip when I get back to things.

Also, I realized I should probably take note of the average speed I'm managing on the stationary bike during my cardio sessions. So, will probably start adding that in, as well.

 

[JustinW]

Weigh in: 231 lbs

 

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 29

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 29

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 19

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 29

19. Heel Raises (10), 19

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 38

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 28

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 19

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 29

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 19

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 19

27. Push Ups (10), 19

 

Cardio: 14ish MPH on stationary for 20 minutes

[JustinW]

Weigh in - 230

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 19

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 39

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 29

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 30

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 20

 

Cardio - Stationary bike for 15 minutes at about 13 MPH

 

Kinda tired today, so went easier on the exercises than I might have otherwise, but still fairly pleased with myself for building the habit.

 

Overall impressions, so far: I'm having fun with the workout (the novelty of it being a historical routine and so kind of a 'fitness time capsule' is kind of neat!) and figuring out where to keep the increasing the reps for certain exercises and where to let them come to completion is still an ongoing issue, but I'm starting to find some equilibrium there.

I should probably start finding some heavy things and moving those to see if there's any noticeable strength gains going on. But between this and my minimal cardio, paired with efforts to get my eating habits under control and healthier, I am most definitely seeing improvements in general fitness and energy levels, but still need to reign in my sleeping habits.

Overall, eager to see where this continues to lead me as a fitness path.

[JustinW]

Weigh in - 230

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 20

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 40

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 30

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 31

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 21

 

Cardio - Stationary bike for 20  minutes at about 14 MPH

[JustinW]

Weigh in - N/A, letting my mother borrow the scale. I can't imagine my weight has changed TOO much, though.
If she isn't finished with it in a few days, I'll just have to buy a new one.

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 20

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 41

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 30

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 32

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 22

 

Cardio - Stationary bike 20 min at 14 MPH

 

Notes - I have begun slowly revamping my grocery purchases with an eye for higher protein purchases, both for the sake of satiety and for the fact that I'm technically on a cut but want to retain as much muscle as possible, if not attempt the semi-legendary 'body recomp'.

Whatever the case may be, it's quite an interesting journey to be more aware of my food and drinks' nutritional values as the diet was always the part of getting fit I struggled most with.

 

And while I'm planning to continue increasing the calisthenics based movements (even if they eventually reach a point where it's a 'throughout the day' goal, rather than an 'individual workout' goal, I'm debating whether or not to do the same with the calf and heel raises, so I guess we'll see where that takes me.

[JustinW]

Well... it turns out that yesterday I was having to handle some family business for longer than anticipated. But, never fear, I remain!

 

Weight in - Scale still on loan. Let's just hope I stayed at 230 if not lost weight.

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 70

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 20

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 41

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 30

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 33

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 23

 

Cardio: 20 minutes at 14 MPH

[JustinW]

Sunday - Rest Day

Although, another experiment today. Since I am currently on mornings for my swing shift, I tried combining a 'rest day' with just not bringing lunch to work with an eye for just having one big meal around dinner time.

Seems to have worked out fairly well, overall. I might implement that on my regularly scheduled Rest Days, at least for a couple more times to see how well it goes.

[Elastigirl]

On 1/19/2022 at 12:11 AM, JustinW said:

But between this and my minimal cardio, paired with efforts to get my eating habits under control and healthier, I am most definitely seeing improvements in general fitness and energy levels, but still need to reign in my sleeping habits.

Sounds  like a win on the eating habit.

Way to go on consistent workouts too!

[JustinW]

Weigh in - I'm glad to announce, even in the absence of a scale, I seem to have gone down. - 228 lbs

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 75

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 75

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 20

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 42

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 30

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 34

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 24

 

Cardio - 20 minutes, once again at 14ish MPH

[JustinW]

Unable to weigh in today, scale still at my mother's. I just weighed myself there yesterday, haha.

--

 

1. Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 75

2. Reverse Bicep Curls (50 - 100), 75

3. Alternating Shoulder Curls (20 - 30), 30

4. Simultaneous Shoulder Curls (10), 15

5. Standing Shoulder Flies (12 - 15), 20

6. Alternating Shoulder Press (20 - 30), 30

7. Front Shoulder Raise (20 - 30), 30

8. Dumbbell Wrist Rotations (30), 30

9. Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10
10. Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Circles (10), 10

11. Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

12. Opposite side Lunge Punches (12 - 15), 20

13. Toe Touches (12 - 13), 15

14. Shrugs (15 - 20), 20

15. X-Crosses over chest (10 - 15), 20

16. Side Bends (10 - 20), 20

17. Back Tricep Extensions w/ a rotation (15 - 20), 20

18. Calf Raises (20), 30

19. Heel Raises (10), 20

20. Squats w/ knees pointed out (30 - 40), 43

21. Pistol Squats (3 - 6 per leg), 10

22. High Knees (20), 30

23. Hip Raises + Rotations (10 - 20), 20

24. Dumbbell Sit-ups (20 - 25), 35

25. Supermans (10 - 20), 20

26. Leg Lifts + Pull overs (10 - 15), 20

27. Push Ups (10), 25

 

Cardio - 20 minutes, once again at 14ish MPH

 

---

 

Notes: Yesterday the workout was kind of phoned in and overall I wasn't doing as well with it as I liked, (possibly due to waiting too late into the night, since I was still digesting dinner) but today it felt good and strong. The pistols are getting easier although I still need something to support myself on. Additionally, my leg raises/pull overs are getting stronger, I'm starting to get them past my head, it probably wont be long before I'm able to get my feet to the floor on the other side, so that's pretty darn cool.

Overall, I'm seeing progress in interesting ways, some expected and some not so much!