Spring Summer Strength Workout Challenge

Following around 12 weeks of my Winter Strength Workout Challenge, I’ve decided its time for a bit of a mix up and I’ve created a new Spring Summer Workout Challenge for 2012.

I’ve really enjoyed getting back into the gym 1-2 times a week over Winter: doing my Lower body and Upper body workouts, along with some plyometrics for good measure.  But it’s time to change things about.

When you weight train it’s always advisable to mix things up every 6-12 weeks to avoid a plateau with your progress.  I’ll do more about this in another blog post one day.

With my new Spring Summer Strength Workout Challenge, I still want my strength work to compliment my running and will continue with Bodypump on Mondays, Circuits on Wednesdays and include double Spinfit on Tuesdays now Helen is back fighting fit (good for some cross training).

Weekly Routine
So the plan is to do:

• 4-5 strength workouts a week:
  1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Plyometrics  & Abs – 45 mins – 1  hour
  1 Legs, Back, Plyometrics & Abs – 45 mins – 1  hour
  1 Circuits – 45 mins
  1 Bodypump (1 hour)
  1 kettlebell – 45 mins (optional)
• 3-5 runs (short, medium, long including one speed or hill workout)
• 1 double Spinfit or 1 Spinfit and a 7 mile tempo or speed run

See my Updated Highland Fling Training Plan here.

Here’s how I hope a week in March will look:

Mon AM: Legs, Back, Plyo, Abs session.
Mon PM: 30 min easy run & Bodypump
Tues AM: Kettlebell / Other / Rest
Tues PM: Double Spinfit
Wed AM: Circuits
Wed PM: 6-8 mile run (hills/tempo) / Rest
Thu AM: 5M easy run
Thu PM: 60 min speed (or missed hills/speed)
Fri: AM: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Plyo, Abs session
Fri PM: Rest
Sat AM: Long run (10-40 miles)
Sun: Rest / Teach swimming / catch up workout.

Here’s the strength workout I’ll be doing:

TIMINGS

WEIGHTS & PLYO: 3-4 TRIPLE SUPERSETS

PLYO OR ABS: 3 CIRCUITS OF 6-10 EXERCISES

KETTLEBELL OR BOSU BALL: 3 CIRCUITS OR 10 OR 12 EXERCISES

Weights Workout Structure, Supersets & Reps 

Last time, I was doing:

45-60 min workout: 5 mins warm up, 30 mins weights, 10-20 mins abs/plyo (or 40-50 mins weights not including abs)

This time I’m doing:

• a 5 minute cardio warm up (bike or steady run),
• 3-6 supersets of 2 weights exercises each,
• then around 6-10 Plyometric / Abs exercises (10 in total – example here)

Then it progressed to cutting out the Plyometrics / Abs (example here)
I started with 3 x 8 reps, then went onto 3 x 12 reps, in double supersets, or 30 secs work, 6 secs rest for the Plyometrics / Abs.

This time, I’ve changed it up a bit and will do the following:

45-60 min workout: 5 mins warm up, 25-35 mins weights & plyo, 20 mins abs

• a 5 minute cardio warm up (bike or steady run)
• Triple supersets of 2 weights sets and one plyometric (30 secs work, 15 secs rest)
  Legs or Chest/Shoulders: 3-4 triple supersets
  Back or Triceps/Biceps: 1-2 triple supersets
• Then 6-10 Abs exercises in circuit format (one after the other, repeated 3 times, 30 secs work: 6 secs rest)

Sound complicated or a lot to remember? I’ve got it all printed on a tiny wee bit of paper which I’ll take into the gym with me.  Sorted!  🙂

Hopefully that will mix things up and help me to include Plyometrics, and raise my heart rate as part of my supersets in my weights workouts.  😀

First one is: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Abs: Friday morning.  Wish me luck. 🙂