With my focus being mostly on improving my overall strength and core - I'm finding it more challenging to share those details than it was to share my running or cycling stats. But, I'm going to continue to try as I think there is some value in it. (For some reason it feels more personal. Maybe because I'm not seeing others sharing it.)
My seventh week is almost over (just my Friday routine remains). Last week I logged a number that I am going to use to help monitor progress. I'm calling it a 'work' number. By 'work' I mean the traditional meaning in Physics: "In physics, mechanical work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance." I'm calculating a representation of that number by multiplying the number of reps * weight. (EX: if I do a set of 12 reps at 135 lbs: = 1,620.) I will use this 'work' number for my Th bench routine as this is my weekly Heavy routine. For Pull ups I will use my Friday pull up ladder total. For core, I will modify my Friday routine to have a 1 minute sit up max rep test and include that number too.
So, today's routine was my Heavy bench and my 'work' number increased from 5,420 last week to 6,425 this week: an increase of 1,005 or ~18%. That gain was accomplished by one more rep at 175, 195, 205 and adding a new set of 2 at 215.
I know that this isn't just an increase in strength from last week, but a combination of strength and intensity - a pushing closer to my limits. (If I were on the bike this would be seen as a high HR - like my short time trials over the bridge this past cycling season where I saw a max HR of 191.)
I do train alone and have many times reached a point of failure on an exercise before completing the rep. Not to big a deal most of the time, but on the bench it's a bit of a pain: having the bar siting on your chest while you push it off to the side until it rests on the safety and then squeezing and crawling out from under it the other way. So, I expect over the next 4-6 weeks I will run out of intensity improvement and will see the 'work' number slow down - but at that point it will be more of an accurate measure of strength increase.
I have gotten in two runs so far this week: a 5 mi and 3 mi. The runs are not happening as the days are full - so I'm turning down my expectations with them and just wanting 3 or 4 per week. Mostly it's a filler until I start back on my bicycle - sometime next month. There is a ride in TN on May 1 called the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge that I'm hoping to ride in. I have one riding friend that is doing it and a few others that are warm to the idea... :-) It would be a neat way to start the season.
As for other possible cycling dream/goals for 2010:
My seventh week is almost over (just my Friday routine remains). Last week I logged a number that I am going to use to help monitor progress. I'm calling it a 'work' number. By 'work' I mean the traditional meaning in Physics: "In physics, mechanical work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance." I'm calculating a representation of that number by multiplying the number of reps * weight. (EX: if I do a set of 12 reps at 135 lbs: = 1,620.) I will use this 'work' number for my Th bench routine as this is my weekly Heavy routine. For Pull ups I will use my Friday pull up ladder total. For core, I will modify my Friday routine to have a 1 minute sit up max rep test and include that number too.
So, today's routine was my Heavy bench and my 'work' number increased from 5,420 last week to 6,425 this week: an increase of 1,005 or ~18%. That gain was accomplished by one more rep at 175, 195, 205 and adding a new set of 2 at 215.I know that this isn't just an increase in strength from last week, but a combination of strength and intensity - a pushing closer to my limits. (If I were on the bike this would be seen as a high HR - like my short time trials over the bridge this past cycling season where I saw a max HR of 191.)
I do train alone and have many times reached a point of failure on an exercise before completing the rep. Not to big a deal most of the time, but on the bench it's a bit of a pain: having the bar siting on your chest while you push it off to the side until it rests on the safety and then squeezing and crawling out from under it the other way. So, I expect over the next 4-6 weeks I will run out of intensity improvement and will see the 'work' number slow down - but at that point it will be more of an accurate measure of strength increase.
I have gotten in two runs so far this week: a 5 mi and 3 mi. The runs are not happening as the days are full - so I'm turning down my expectations with them and just wanting 3 or 4 per week. Mostly it's a filler until I start back on my bicycle - sometime next month. There is a ride in TN on May 1 called the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge that I'm hoping to ride in. I have one riding friend that is doing it and a few others that are warm to the idea... :-) It would be a neat way to start the season.
As for other possible cycling dream/goals for 2010:
- do my first sub 5 hr century
- ride 7 century's in 7 days (did 4 this year in May)
- ride for 12 hrs straight
- do my first triathlon
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