Gym Routine

I was struggling on which idea to go with for my first post for the year - then I realised given it's a new year and everyone is on the "new year new me" bandwagon a lot of people will be heading back to the gym. To give you and idea of a new workout, some new exercises or just out of interest I thought I'd put together what I do when I go the gym. Towards the end of the year I was getting a bit slack - it'd been a long winter, I was pretty worn out and run down which resulted in a once-a-week-if-I'm-being-good workout. Now it's a new year, I've had a bit of a break and the weather is beautiful (not to mention it's bikini weather here in New Zealand too) so I'm back into my three days a week routine. Rather than trying to describe how to do each exercise I thought listing what I do with links would be more helpful.

Blurry photo because I was hauling ass and the screen clears if you stop for more than a few seconds. 

Cardio - Generally I like to start with a bike to warm up - I used to avoid cardio like the plague as with my metabolism/body type I tend to drop fat quite quickly this way when I'm more aiming to put on muscle. However I can't seem to stop with the cycling, I usually crank it up to fairly high intensity and smash out a 5K ride in about 10 - 15 minutes (depending on how energetic I'm feeling). This warms up your muscles nicely and I find I can do heavier weights more easily afterwards. This is especially important in the cooler months when your circulation often isn't as good and your overall body temperature is lower. Cardio before weights seemed (to me) to decrease the amount of achy bits the day after.

Weights - I'm not sure if I love weights more or less than cardio but they're definitely something I look forward to doing. Seeing the amount you can lift increasing is always satisfying.

Leg Press. 
I like to get straight into leg work after my bike, starting off with leg press. With all exercises I tend to do 3 sets or 8 - 12 reps. With anything super heavy I'll often do a slightly lighter load to start off then move onto the heavier weights after. E.g. start on 40 kilos for a set of 10, then do 2 - 3 sets of 8 on 50 kilos. Leg press is great for your legs all over - depending on where you place your feet/how deep back you can let the plate move towards your body it's fantastic for your quads, hamstrings, inner thighs and butt muscles. If I've done a hard set on leg press the day after you often feel like you've been sitting on a horse for too long but I like to tell myself that just means I'm building muscle (hah!).

Following this I do sumo squats.
I use a kettle bell to make them harder (at present only 12 kilos) and am working my way on getting back to the bar and doing heavier weights again. Typically I do 3 x sets of 12.

Chest press 3 x 8 - 12 reps (depending on the weight). 
This guide is actually really comprehensive and helpful - I've noticed a big difference in all over upper body strength from these and actually really enjoy doing them.

Shoulder press - 3 x 8 - 12.
Similar concept to chest press in that you're lifting the dumb bells above you into a diamond shape but this time it's using different muscles in your arms and shoulders meaning you're more balanced. Doing too much of one exercise and not balancing it out with others will mean your muscles can only gain so much - you need all over increases to make much progress.

Dumbbell row - 3 x 8 - 12. 
This one is really hard to explain but very simple once you see it. It's important to keep your elbow close to your side while lifting like this to avoid injury and actually engage the muscles correctly.

Core work - as much as I don't really enjoy it I think a flat/toned stomach is one of those things that's worth the short period of unpleasantness. I don't do a hell of a lot but these two balance each other with core and lower back and keep everything looking the way I want it. Aside from the exercise I do at the gym I sit on a swiss ball all day at work - it doesn't sound like much but doing this for around 8 hours a day really helps build up your core strength and balance. If you can stand the odd looks from colleagues it's actually totally worth it.

Russian Twists - Not sure how Russian these actually are but they're great for working your abs. I do 3 sets of 50 with 4 kilos in my hands and my legs raised to make it more difficult. If you're finding this too tough keep your legs flat on the ground instead. Three sets of 30 is an OK place to start if you're getting back into things.

Back extensions or 4 point kneel - Either of these help strengthen your lower back which takes some pressure off your core. I tend to do 2 sets of 20 for these and they help stretch you out after your workout.

Phew - I think this is one of the most word heavy posts I've written here! Hopefully it's of some interest to some of you - I often get a bit bored and change things up but I'm not really a fan of doing only one muscle group per workout - it feels a bit limiting to me. In terms of fitness goals for this year I mostly want to maintain the level of strength I've gained and increase my weights. I'm presently leg pressing more than my body weight and ultimately would like to be getting to 60 kilos (only ten more to go...!)

What are your goals for this year?

Claire x