Workout Log 9/18-9/19: Cardio Days

Cardio Days

9/18/12: Attempted Chest & Biceps

Cardio:

On Wednesday I went into the gym with the intent to do my Chest & Biceps day, moving me closer to "back on schedule." It turned out to be really silly. I did a 10min warmup on the treadmill before doing my rotator cuff lifts, then had to wait for the decline bench press.

The guy on the decline bench was the definition of a "pacer," or someone who paces him/herself during workouts so they can perform maximal reps with the minimum of effort. Unless you're going for absolute strength gains, pacing is a really poor habit...and one that pisses off everyone else in the gym. Most people are trying to tone, lose body fat, or build muscle. For each of these goals, shorter rest periods are better. Specifically, research has shown that about 1min rest between sets is optimal.

In any case, while waiting I just used a recumbent bike, thinking it would help my legs recover a bit from the day before when I hit them pretty hard. I think it worked somewhat, as my legs don't feel so bad today as I expected. In total, I did 20 minutes of cardio at a moderate pace. Nothing crazy, but my heart rate was over 140 for that duration, so it was something.

The Importance of Rest:

When the decline bench opened up, I set it up at the weights I used last time. My first warmup set was 155lbs for 10 reps. It was WAY harder than it should have been, which made me nervous. I figured it was possible I just needed the warmup, so I added weight for my next warmup set of 175. I only did 9 reps at 175. My elbows, biceps, and triceps all felt really tight at this point, so I decided I should take the rest days as recommended in the program after the end of the "work week."

Notes:

Not sure if my triceps and elbows are going to be an ongoing problem or not. They seem to get inflamed on Delts & Triceps days. All three of the triceps workouts on that day cause tension and swelling in the top part of my elbow, where it meets the triceps muscle. I need to figure this out right away. I can decrease weight on triceps exercises, but I don't want to sacrifice muscle development. Better than getting hurt or not being able to perform other exercises, though. I think that's what I'll do next week, drop weight and see if that helps at all. I'll also move my pushdowns to the back of the workout because I maxed that machine out. Should help out a good deal I think.

9/19/12:

Cardio: 

Decided to take my rest days, so I just did 20 minutes of cardio on the stair-stepper. I went pretty fast and kept my heart rate around 150bpm the whole time, so I called it good after that. My legs were still pretty sore. I'll be building up to longer sessions though as I get back into good "cardio shape."