Summer Shape-up!

[Chromatophore]

Hello everyone.
I found this site a while ago and was really happy to see such a positive environment--I hope I can contribute too!

My name is Marya (I go by "Mar"), and I am just graduating from a Community College with my AA Honors Transfer Degree. I am going to be at Western next Fall, which makes me inexpressibly happy! Apart from studying natural science and language arts, it has become my goal to make the rowing team as well.
I have been conditioning with weights since February this year, and I plan to make use of my time this Summer to get stronger and faster, and most importantly to build endurance (at least enough to make the team). I think that keeping track of things on this log will help me be consistent--I am not even sure where I need to be by September, but I know that I can do my best.

I was actually feeling a little guilty that I had not exercised today, so before I wrote this I went for a two mile run (two and a half counting the warm-up?) and then four 150 meter sprints (two forward and two backward). I feel a bit better now.
I also did a lot of stretching, two sets of 100 crunches, and three sets of 10, slow, pushups.

Right now I run about an 8 minute mile, for two miles. I hope to get to at least 7:40 per mile by the end of July.
During the week, I weight-train two-to-three days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
This usually consists of two set of ten for each of the exercises I do.
Bench press, ( 80 lbs)
Deep Squats, (140)
Pec-deck, (50)
Standing row,(90)
Lat pulls,(80)
Shoulder Complex,(15)
Military Press,(20)
Bicep Curls, (20)
Tricep Extensions,(15)
Ham-Curls,(45)
Weighted calf raises, (2X30/140)
Glute/Ham raises,(Self)
....and then about 15 minutes on the stationary bike.

I also try to run about three miles 3-4 times a week.

I am still not very confident about how much I should be pushing myself--I have a habit of pushing too hard/too much weight and injuring myself, so I have tried to keep things pretty mild until I know I am stable--only, I am not sure when that will be.

I look forward to learning from the forums here about new ways to become a better athlete.

I have been a little discouraged because I have put on a teensy bit of weight since the last time I was active in a sport (Right now I am 6 feet tall and 176 lbs, with a 22% BMI)...but I am pretty sure I will get a more athletic looking body soon, with some more work.

Anyway, thank you for being here! I can't wait to make my next entry!

In Gratitude-

Mar

[stingo]

Welcome to the forum. Since you're doing sets of 10, try choosing a weight where you can do 11 reps of the exercise, but not 12. This should put you close to failure, but not at it - which will help keep you from injury/burning out.

[kfisherx]

Wow! Another PVWer... Okay now we are in a place to have a mini-Summit out here. Check out Willie's log. She is in Seattle and huge into rowing. Welcome to the forum and the logging! Great AVI by the way...

[Chromatophore]

Thanks for the advice, Stingo! I will have to try that tomorrow.

--And Kfisherx, I become acquainted with Willie, I may get a chance to see her practice! Seriously, there are some awesome people here.

Thanks for the compliment, too. I just love finding little creatures and that moon snail was a pretty big catch!

[Chromatophore]

Ok, So up until a week ago I was doing pretty well, but it may have been a little silly to assume that I would have access to a gym all summer.
I will probably not have the funds or the time to get set up with a gym while I am settling into Bellingham, so I am going to have to rethink things a little.

My main concern is staying in condition and in good health so I can get back into using equipment again in September.

I am thinking of just sticking with some basic high intensity cardio (running, cycling), push ups, sit ups, crunches, and i will have to look up some more calisthenic exercises too.

Ack! Does anyone have any recommendations for equipment-less workouts?

[stingo]

I think all you'd really need is to find some kind of resistance you can use, because your body doesn't know a dumbbell from a barbell from a kettlebell - they just put the weight into a more convenient package. That said - water jugs, bags of groceries (like 2 liters of soda), bags of books etc can all be used to good training effect.

To my mind, a workout might look something like:

Upper Body

Pushups

Rows (If you can find a suitable bar, Inverted rows with your own body, or use some of the resistances listed for bent over rows)

Pike Press (Feet on a bench, with your upper body perpendicular to the floor. Lower yourself til your head touches the floor and push yourself back to start) - or use the resistances mentioned above for shoulder presses

Pull-ups or Chin-ups - This is probably the one thing you will need gear for - some kind of pullup or chinup bar. A decent substitution would be a pullover.

Skull Crushers

Bicep Curls

Lower Body

Squats (more likely than not, Suitcase squats with the resistances mentioned above)

Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (Again, with resistances - or a Single Leg Bridge if you want solely bodyweight)

V-ups

Side Planks

If you want something more metabolic, burpees, mountain climbers and the like are great for raising heart rate.

[Chromatophore]

Super!
Thank you, I will try to use these for maintaining thing through the summer!