Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 210

Day 210 Last night I decided to move my morning around a bit so that I could get a little more sleep and finally kick this head cold. I still felt a bit crumby in the morning but definitely a lot better. I felt staying away from using my lungs would a good idea, so more strength work was the plan.

Yesterday, I said today would be an uncomplicated workout. I kept in line with the plan and did a workout consisting of just one exercise, chin-ups. A slightly more complicated part of the workout was that it was done in 5 to 10 minute chunks over the course of 3 hours. I ran out of time during the day to get a full workout in, so I had to resort to using the last 5 minutes of each of my afternoon training sessions to fit in sets of chin-ups.

Today's Workout

Exercise 1: Weighted Chin-ups

3:50 - 4:00 pm Set 1: Body Weight + 25lbs x 5 reps Set 2: Body Weight + 45lbs x 5 reps Set 3: Body Weight + 70lbs x 5 reps

4:55 - 5:00 pm Set 4: Body Weight + 90lbs x 4 reps Set 5: Body Weight + 115lbs x 3 reps

5:55 - 6:00 pm Set 6: Body Weight + 115lbs x 3 reps

6:45 - 6:50 pm Set 7: Body Weight + 135lbs x 1 rep (Unsuccessful - made it 3/4 of the way up) no rest - Body Weight + 90lbs x 3 reps - no rest - Body Weight + 45lbs x 5 reps

Like yesterday, I decided to get into some heavy weights. I attempted a personal best of 3 45lb plates (135lbs). The attempt was unsuccessful but I was close.The spread out nature of the workout was a little different but I think it actually helped in enabling me to move more weight. Obviously taking 3 + hrs to do a workout is not very efficient but I think I discovered that it may have some benefits.

My cold seems to have passed. I think the longer sleep last night was a big help. I was a little worried that I was going to have to get on a plane this weekend with a head cold, but thankfully, it's gone.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 209

Day 209 I woke up this morning feeling pretty yucky. My cold had progressed from my head into my chest. I wasn't super sick, but I definitely felt compromised. My hope is that if I can pound enough vitamins and get enough sleep, I'll be able to kick this thing before I leave for Ireland this weekend.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was thinking about doing a little more heavy lifting this week. Being away on vacation next week, will likely mean a little less access to the iron, so I'm going to try and get some weights in while I can.

Today's Workout

Exercise 1: Front Squat 6 sets / 2 min rest between sets Set 1: 135lbs x 6 Set 2: 155lbs x 6 Set 3: 175lbs x 6 Set 4: 195lbs x 6 Set 5: 195lbs x 6 Set 6: 205lbs x 6

Exercise 2: Inclined Barbell Press 4 sets / 2 min rest between sets Set 1: 135lbs x 8 Set 2: 185lbs x 5 Set 3: 185lbs x 5 Set 4: 185lbs x 5

It felt good to get under some heavy weight. My cold didn't affect me too much. I felt a little more out of breath after the front squats than I normally would but overall I think I did well. Hopefully by tomorrow this cold will be on the way out. It hasn't been too bad, just a real nuisance.

My workout tomorrow will likely be another strength focused day. Like today, I'll keep the number of exercises limited but high in total sets. If I'm feeling better, I may add a bit more variety, but overall the goal will be to pick a couple exercises that give the best bang for my buck and work away.

Richard's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 207 and 208

This weekend was got away on me a little bit. Yesterday I just couldn't find time to sit down at the computer, so today I'm including yesterday's workout posts with today's. Day 207 (Saturday)

This morning we took Nicole's Mom out for a birthday hike and picnic. Her birthday is actually next weekend, but because we will be away in Europe, we decided to celebrate a week early. The weather wasn't great but the trail we hiked was still enjoyable. The idea was just to get out and enjoy being in the mountains. We weren't looking for anything too vigorous.

After about 45 minutes, we stopped and found a spot for a picnic. Despite the rain and the mosquitoes, we had a nice little meal. Things got very entertaining when Nicole's Mom put this Chinese oil on her forehead to ward off the bugs. The next thing we knew there was this overwhelming smell of Tiger Balm. The oil was burning her skin and the vapor was so strong that she couldn't open her eyes. Hilarity ensued as we tried everything we could to get the oil off with the limited means we had in the middle of the woods. In the end it took Nicole rubbing half a strawberry on her Mom's forehead to stop the burning. I have no idea how it worked but it did.

When we got back into town after a really nice time in the mountains, we had a few errands to do before meeting some friends for dinner. Next thing I knew I had an hr to workout, have a shower, get dressed and leave for dinner. I thought about going for a quick run, but I had forgotten my runners at work. In the end I decided to do a quick body weight workout in my bed room.

Today's Workout:

Air Squats (Body Weight Squats): 100 reps Push-ups: 50 reps

x 5 = 500 squats / 250 push-ups (Approx. 20 minutes)

It was just two really simple exercises, but they definitely did the trick. I had to wait a few minutes after finishing to stop sweating before taking a shower. I haven't been able to push as much weight on the bench lately as earlier in the year, but my push-up endurance is quite impressive at the moment. The 5 sets of 50 push-ups were actually pretty easy. I can see myself using this workout as a go to session while I'm traveling.

Day 208 (Sunday)

In less than a week Nicole and I will be leaving for Ireland. We figured that today would be our only real day to get ourselves organized for the trip because with our work schedules during the week we'd have no time to get anything done. Nicole did all the various things around the house while I drove around, making trips to home depot, the mall, and the grocery store.

I feel like a bit of a broken record, but once again the day flew by and my workout, like yesterday had to be squeezed in. I had borrowed a dolly from work to move some boxes at home, so when I brought it back half an hr before the club closed, I quickly popped up to the gym and put together a workout.

Today's Workout

Turkish Get-ups: 50 reps (12kg) 25 left / 25 right (Continuous)

Kettlebell Swings: 100 reps (16kg)

Chin-ups: 50 reps (no kip) 23, 12, 8, 7

The Turkish Get-ups were a lot more difficult than I had expected. I lay on the ground for a couple minutes after finishing, trying to catch my breath. The kettlebell swings weren't that difficult. I'm getting fairly efficient at them, where as I haven't been doing enough get-ups to develop the same kind of proficiency. Chin-ups however, I've been doing boat loads, and performed them pretty well as I expected.

Well I didn't exactly take the week off strength training as I had planned, but I did back off lifting weights. I used mostly body weight and circuit training workouts. This week, I may actually get back to lifting some heavier weights again. I don't think I'll be able to get to a gym very often while we're away, so I might as well get in a few heavy lifts before we leave.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 206

Day 206 I was really looking forward to doing some Yoga today. I've been meaning to go to my friend Kim's class for months now, but things always seem to get in the way. I thought, with today being a Friday and finishing work earlier than usual, I'd get to go for sure. Alas this was not the case. I had to shift my work schedule around to accommodate a couple clients, so work ran longer than usual. Unfortunately yoga with Kim will have to wait.

With yoga not working out, I had to come up with something else. I was actually quite disappointed that I wasn't going to get to Kim's class. I didn't have anything else planned and I wasn't feel too energetic, so I really wasn't feeling like doing something in the gym. On top of all that I think I might be fighting a summer cold. I've been working a lot lately. The hours might be catching up to me. Hopefully, I can nip it in the bub.

I didn't feel up to lifting weights or doing any form of cardio, so I decided to play around the TRX. The load wouldn't be too much on any one muscle and but would definitely give my body a good overall workout.

Today's Workout

TRX Circuit: 2 sets / no rest between exercises / no rest between sets

• Single Arm Chest Press: 12 reps per side
• Single Arm Power Pull (I call it the Matrix): 12 reps per side
• Superman Tricep Extensions: 15 reps
• High Row to External Rotation: 15 reps
• Hip Drop Oblique Crunch: 15 reps per side
• Pallof Press: 15 reps
• Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press: 15 reps

It wasn't the longest or most strenuous workout, but considering that my day was thrown for a loop and I wasn't feeling my best, it was a suitable last minute activity. I'm hoping that with a better sleep tonight, a sleep in tomorrow, and a day off from work I will feel better. I still have a week to go until I'm on vacation, which I'm super excited for, but I don't want to get to my Aunt's house in Ireland and feel like a piece of crap. I still have 159 days to go. Measuring my effort level and listening to my body as always will be paramount if I'm to succeed.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 205

Day 205 After a good 3 days in a row of circuit training, I decided to give my body a real break from any sort of resistance training and go for a run today. I had some company, which is always welcome during cardio sessions. My good friend Steve Smith joined me as my running partner. The plan was to just go for a good paced but not crazy fast run. However, Steve can be somewhat unpredictable. In fact the one thing about Steve that is predictable is that he's unpredictable. He said he was stiff and wasn't looking to set any records, and for the most of the run It seemed as though we were going to stick to the plan, but as we approached the last 800 m home stretch up a hill, Steve changed his mind and turned on the jets.

Today's Workout:

25 minute run / Moderate Pace until the last 800 m, then it was time crush it trying to keep up to Steve Smith.

I did my best to keep up with Steve as we ran hard up this hill, but he was determined to win this last minute race. I could have maybe given him a better run for his money, but I wasn't prepared mentally to take on Steve Smith. As soon as I saw him but his head down and start to pump those arms, I knew it was game on. I knew that know matter what happened, Steve was not going to let me win. He was prepared to suffer a lot more than I was. I finished strong, but Steve finished stronger.

Tomorrow, I have a broken up day of work and errands. I really want to try my friend Kim's yoga class. I've been meaning to go for a really long time, but just haven't been able to get there. I will do best tomorrow. I could really use a good deep stretch, and of course the strengthening, and stability that you gain from yoga is always great too.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 204

Day 204 Last week I was able to get access to one of the Glencoe's fitness studios for my group. It was actually a really nice change of pace, especially from a programming perspective. I was able to get access to some equipment I couldn't bring outside, so I was able to through in some extra added variety.

Last week, I didn't get to join in the circuit because I had to coach people through the session. Today however, I was able to take part. My group was familiar with the set-up, so we were able to get things going without needing too much direction from me.

Today's Workout:

60 seconds per exercise

• Spin Bike (Standing) - Gear 24
• Kettlebell Swing - 16kg
• Jam Ball Slams - 30 lbs
• Strength Band Resisted Sprint
• Battle Ropes
• Squat Jumps
• TRX Squat to Row
• Bosu Push-ups
• Wall Balls - 20lbs
• Dumbbell Jumping Jack Shoulder Press - 10lbs
• DSL Ball Standing Twist
• Kettlebell Alternating Lunge - 10 kg
• Aerobic Step Straddle Jumps
• Ab Bicycle

I wanted to do 3 rounds of the circuit like the rest of my group, but I had a last minute participant show up, so I gave up my spot after the 1st round. I still got in a really challenging workout. The strength band resisted sprint, battle rope, squat jump sequence was especially challenging. In all I think the workout was a great success tonight. The music was blasting, people were giving great efforts, and the energy was fantastic.

I think tomorrow, I'll get out of the gym altogether and go for a run. The weather is supposed to be nice, and I haven't gone out for a run in a bit. I think I'll end up running quite a bit Ireland, so probably not a bad idea to get my legs feeling up to it.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 203

Day 203 For my workout today, I decided to focus on cardio. However, instead of doing your typical bike or treadmill session, I used a number of different exercise modalities to elevate my heart rate and keep it there for about 40 - 45 minutes.

Today's Workout:

Circuit

Rowing Machine: 1000 metres (3:52)

Jam Ball Med Ball Slams: 50 reps

Treadmill: 1/2 Tabata 10 mph / 5% Inclined / 20 sec on, 10 sec off x 4

Battle Ropes: 20 sec: Double Waves 20 sec: Jumping Jacks 20 sec: Alternating Waves 60 sec: Rest Repeat Twice (3 sets Total)

Rowing Machine Pyramid:- all intervals done at sub 1:50 / 500 m pace 200 m / 30 sec rest 400 m / 30 sec rest 600 m / 30 sec rest 400 m / 30 sec rest 200 m / 30 sec rest

Band Resisted Sprints:

10 metres x 3 sprints (30 seconds between sprints)

Well I did a better job of staying away from resistance training today. The Jam ball and the battle ropes are pretty close to moving weights around but I found their main training effect to be anaerobic conditioning versus increasing strength.

Tomorrow, I'm going in for a long overdue, Active Release session with my chiropractor Helena. I have a feeling it's going to hurt a bit more than last time. I've let a little longer than I maybe should have between treatments. I'm not feeling injured or anything but I know that I could definitely benefit from some deep tissue work.

For my workout tomorrow, I think I might join my conditioning group. I put them through a really fun circuit last Wednesday. I didn't get to join in, but maybe tomorrow night I'll be able to sneak myself in.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 202

Day 202 Yikes, I almost forget to post this. I got home later than usual and just completely skipped the step before bed, where I write my workout post. Oh well, as usual sleep didn't come quickly for me, so here I am writing away. It's a good thing really, feeling like I missed doing something is sure fire way for me to have bad sleep. Hopefully, after getting this done, I'll fall asleep faster.

The other day I mentioned that I was going to take the week off of weights. Well, I didn't do a good job of sticking to that plan. My first workout of the week was nothing but weight training. However, I didn't use any dumbbells, barbells or any other source of external load. My workout today consisted entirely of body weight exercise and as such resulted in more reps and less heavy loads.

Today's Workout:

Air Squats: 100

Push-ups: 100

Chin-ups: 100 10 sets of 5 for first 50 with approx 10 sec rest 5 sets of 10 for second 50

Box Jumps: 50 Followed Immediately by another 50 Air Squats

Even though it didn't involve any equipment it was still very difficult. I found myself quite out of breath. When you're only moving your own mass around, you're whole body is involved in the movement. You may not be moving a lot of weight, but everything is involved and as result, it doesn't take too long to get tired. I was quite spent after this workout. My arms felt jelly.

Well it wasn't exactly the break from the weights that I had planned, but after thinking about it, I think it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In 10 days I will be on vacation in Ireland. I don't foresee getting to the gym a ton, while I'm there, so non weight training exercise modalities will likely take precedence. If I get a couple more sessions of lifting before I go I don't think it will be the end of world. My body will get a break from the iron when I replace my dumbbells for pints of Guinness and running up rolling hills.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 201

Day 201 Today I actually got around to a true regeneration day. My body has been feeling really stiff and sore lately. I needed to take it easier today and try to do something to improve the quality of muscle tissue. Early in the week I didn't have to mental capacity to sit on the bike and flush it things out, but today I felt more up to it. I still didn't enjoy sitting on my butt for 20 minutes, but I did make me feel better.

Today's Workout

Stationary Bike: Level 10 / 90 rpm / 20 minutes

Pre-hab Circuit: 3 sets / 60 sec rest between sets

• Tubing Y x 10 (Yellow Tubing)
• Tubing T x 10 (Yellow Tubing)
• Tubing L x 10 (Yellow Tubing)
• Tubing Fwd Raise x 10 (Yellow Tubing)
• Mini Band Standing Hip Rotation x 10 per side (Blue Band)
• Mini Band Side Shuffle x 10 per side (Blue Band)
• Mini Band Glute Raise / Alternating Leg Lift x 5 per side

Soft Tissue Work:

Foam Rolling: 60 - 90 seconds per technique

• Upper Back
• Lats
• Lower Back
• Glutes
• Hip Flexors
• Quads
• IT Bands

Strength Band Assisted Stretching

• Band Assisted Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: 2 minutes per side
• Band Assisted Pigeon Stretch: 2 minutes per side

It was a helpful session, but I could still do with a bit more recovery work. I haven't been to my chiro for some active release for awhile, so first thing tomorrow I think I'll give her office a call. I always feel better after seeing Helena, however the process isn't much fun. I might also see if I can fit a massage as well. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to try and take the week off the weights and focus on some other forms of exercise. I think by changing up the stress on my body and adding in some more thorough recovery tools, I'll be able to come back strong next week.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 200

Day 200 Today marked my 200th day in a row of working out. It's amazing to think how fast the time has gone. There have definitely been some moments where I wanted to skip a workout but overall I've really enjoyed this process. I feel healthier than I've ever felt. I have more energy, I sleep better, and generally I've just felt really positive. Not everyday is great like I said, but I can truly say that my life with exercise everyday is better.

I haven't been posting progress photos. I'm not that big into posting shirtless photos of myself but at this point in time, I think it would relevant to this process. Below is a photo of me today and beside it a photo from Nov of last year when I was in Mexico. The lighting is different, but it's safe to say my body has definitely changed.

July 20th, 2013                                   Nov 21, 2012

The exercise everyday, has been a big part of the change but I would be remiss if I didn't emphasize the importance of nutrition. In a later post I'll get into some of the specifics a bit more but generally I followed the following principles:

• Protein with every meal. I don't really count grams but I aim for at least gram of protein per lb of body weight (175lbs)
• The 1st 2 months (Where I noticed the biggest change) I was dairy and wheat free.
• I eat every 2 - 3 hrs
• 6 days a week I ate no wheat and virtually no starches. Saturday's I ate whatever I wanted.
• I eat vegetables until I'm green in the face
• I increased my fat intake. Especially healthy fats. Fish Oil everyday. Some weeks I ate up to 5 avocados.

I don't know what my body fat percentage is. I may get it checked sometime next week if I have time. In the meantime I'm happy with my body composition at the moment. In the next few months I'd like to see how much muscle I can add to my frame while maintaining do my best to stay lean.

Today's Workout:

Rowing Machine: 1000 metres (4:05)

Db Complex: 10 lb Dumbbells

• Backwards Arm Circles: 10 per side
• Full Forward Raise: 10 reps
• Db Curl to Press: 10 reps
• Reverse Db Fly: 10 reps
• Db Punches: 10 reps

Superset 1:

Exercise 1: Chin-ups 3 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 30 seconds rest Set 1: BW x 15 Set 2: BW x 15 Set 2: BW x 12 Exercise 2: Tricep Dips 3 sets / 15 - 20 reps / 30 seconds rest Set 1: BW x 20 Set 2: BW x 20 Set 3: BW x 20

Superset 2:

Exercise 3: Keiser Rope Pull-in 3 sets / as many reps as possible in 30 sec / 30 sec rest Exercise 4: Push-ups 3 sets / as many reps as possible in 30 sec / 30 sec rest

Keiser Arm Blast

Exercise 5: Tricep Pushdowns 2 sets / as many reps as possible in 30 sec / 30 sec rest Exercise 6: Bicep Curls 2 sets / as many reps as possible in 30 sec / 30 sec rest

Battle Ropes

Tri-set (no rest between exercises)

Alternating Wave: 20 sec Double Wave: 20 sec Jumping Jack: 20 sec 2 sets / 1 min rest

Well 200 workouts down, 165 to go. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about reaching my goal. In 2 weeks Nicole and I will be in Ireland. Working out on travel days will be a bit challenging but I think I can make it work. There may be a couple days I'm jet lagged but I'm used to being tired. I typically do a good job of enjoying all that Ireland has to offer. This includes generous portions of mashed potatoes and pints of Guinness (It does actually taste better there). It will interesting to see what I look like when I come home.

My body has been feeling a bit more sore than usual the last couple weeks, so I think I might actually try to take a week off the weights. I've been dying to try a gymnastics gym, so I might do that. I think it would be so cool to be able to do a back flip. Also, my friend Kim Wiebe teaches a great yoga class. I think my body would definitely appreciate some focused flexibility work. I feel like I've been getting a lot of yin, maybe its time for some yang.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 199

Day 199 Well I managed to get through the work week and still get my workouts in. I put in some crazy hours but luckily for me I work in a gym. Even though I might have been really tired, at least I didn't have to pack up a bag and drive to a gym for my workout, I was already there. Then again, I had also been in a gym for 12 hrs and really wanted to go home and have dinner. Never the less, I got it done, the weekend is here and I can get a little more rest.

For my workout today I got back to some athletic based movements. Sprinting, Jumping and lifting were all the agenda, meaning it was time for a hard but fun workout.

Today's Workout:

Exercise 1: Band Resisted Accelerations 4 sets / 10 metres / 60 seconds rest

Exercise 2: 24 inch Single Leg Box Jumps 3 sets / 5 reps per side / 60 seconds rest

Note: I noticed during the box jumps that my left leg was collapsing inward quite significantly. I knee my left side was an issue but I had never noticed such obvious dysfunction. It would appear I still have quite a bit of work to do on that leg.

Exercise 3: Barbell Jump Squats 4 sets / 10 reps / 95lbs / 2 min rest

Exercise 4: Barbell Deadlift (Muscle up attempts during rest period. I managed one) 4 sets / 6 reps / 3 min rest Set 1: 205 lbs x 6 Set 2: 205 lbs x 6 Set 3: 225 lbs x 6 Set 4: 225 lbs x 6

Treadmill Sprints: 10 mph / 13.5% Incline 20 sec on 20 sec off x 4 reps (I wanted to 5 but my hamstrings were seizing up)

I enjoyed the workout. I felt really good in the beginning but found I ran out of gas toward the end. I guess the busyness of the week had caught up to me. Tomorrow is a much less busy day. I can sleep in, have a good breakfast, and recoup some of my energy, which is important as tomorrow is workout number 200. Can't stop now.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 198

Day 198 My tentative plan today was to do some form of cardio to loosen up my legs, then do a deep stretch and some rolling, but by the time I was finished my work day and got around to a workout, I just couldn't sit on a bike. After another 12 hr day I needed something stimulating, yet not too difficult if I was going to spend any more time in the gym.

I decided to do a light shoulder workout. My legs were fried from my squats the day before and my chest and and lats have been pretty sore all week, so I felt hitting my shoulders would be ok as long as I didn't go to heavy.

Today's Workout:

Exercise 1: Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets / 10 - 12 reps / 90 sec rest Set 1: 35 lbs x 12 Set 2: 45 lbs x 12 Set 3: 50 lbs x 12 Set 4: 50 lbs x 12

Superset 1

Exercise 2: Barbell Upright Row 4 sets / 10 - 12 reps / 30 sec rest Set 1 through 4: 65lbs x 12 Exercise 3: Dumbbell Alternating Forward Db Raise (Thumbs up) 4 sets / 10 per side / 60 sec rest Set 1 through 4: 20 lbs x 10 per side

Superset 2

Exercise 4: Seated Rope Face Pull 3 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 30 sec rest Set 1: 55 lbs x 15 Set 2: 55 lbs x 15 Set 3: 70 lbs x 12

Exercise 5: Db L-Raise 3 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 30 sec rest Set 1: 17.5 lbs x 15 Set 2: 17.5 lbs x 15 Set 3: 17.5 lbs  x15

Well I didn't do cardio and I didn't do any stretching or rolling like I had planned but I did get a workout in. I probably could have really used some regeneration but mentally I just couldn't do it. I really wanted to leave the gym after a long day. Doing mindless cardio is tough for me at the best of times but doing it when I'm fried is truly painful.

Tomorrow, although not as busy as today is still packed with back to back to sessions. I won't have a ton of time to get a workout during the work day, so I will likely have to get one in at the end of the day. I start an hr later and end an hr earlier, so I'm hoping to have a little more energy than I did today.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 197

Day 197 Well even though it was another big day of back to back training sessions, I still managed to get my workout in. Thankfully, as usual my client Ryan was keen to have me as his workout partner. Earlier in the week we worked on some Olympic lifting and some upper body, so today I felt it would be worthwhile spending a good chunk of time in the squat rack.

I haven't had a really intense squat session for awhile. I think I was a little hesitant to to load things up as I came up to and passed the halfway mark. I was scared to do derail myself so close to that point with a back injury, but I've been feeling really good and was looking forward to getting that deep burn you can only get from a really hard leg workout.

Today's Workout:

High Rep Squat Session

Exercise 1: Back Squats

Set 1: 135 lbs x 20 (90 sec rest) Set 2: 185 lbs x 20 (2 min rest) Set 3: 205 lbs x 20 (2 min rest) Set 4: 205 lbs x 20 (2 min rest) Set 4: 155 lbs x 20

TRX Circuit

• Inverted Row: 15 reps
• Single Leg Squat: 12 reps per side
• Roll-out Tricep Extensions: 15 reps
• L (High Row to External Rotation): 15 reps

High rep squat sessions are always challenging. Getting yourself mentally prepared to gas out your legs is the toughest part. You know its going to hurt, but it's a good hurt. About halfway through your set you feel like you're going to throw up but you have to push through. By the time you finish that last rep you really feel like you've accomplished something.

I have a feeling I'm going to be sore tomorrow but that's ok. I have another super busy day tomorrow, and have a feeling my workout will be something fairly low key. I may ride the bike for 20 minutes at the end of the day and do some core and injury prevention. Getting the blood flowing will help move the recovery process along and of course working on preventing injuries is always beneficial. However, for some reason I may feel pretty good and end doing something much more difficult. I guess I'll find out in the morning when I get out of bed.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 196

Day 196 After having a really slow couple weeks of work with the flood and the Calgary Stampede, things really picked up this week. Today was an 11 session day with no breaks. This made mustering up the energy for a workout a little harder than usual. It was nice to get back in the swing of things but holy crap was I tired.

My workout tonight was short and extremely random. I needed to get something in fast before I got too tired or hungry. I was really mentally tired, so I started on the rower and made it up as I went along.

Today's Workout:

Rowing Machine: 1000 metres (4:04)

20 lbs Wall Ball (9 feet high): 50 reps

Skipping (Double Unders): 100

Rowing Machine: 1000 metres (4:06)

I had energy for a little more, but mentally, I really needed to get out of the gym. Tomorrow is going to be a repeat of today, with back to back sessions all day. That being said, I don't think getting a workout in will be too tough. I have my group in the evening, and my client Ryan at noon, who I often workout with, so I'll have a couple opportunities to get some exercise.

I foresee the next couple weeks being very busy as I try to get in as much work as I can before Nicole and I leave for Ireland. Getting my sleep and fueling properly will be important, as working a lot and keeping up the workouts will require a lot of energy. I think I can manage the fueling, but sometimes the sleep can be a challenge. We'll see how it goes.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 195

Day 195 After really enjoying getting into some Olympic lifts on the weekend, I decided to work on some snatches today. On the weekend, I was able to get under some weights that I hadn't been able to before, so I was keen to keep working on it.

Today's Workout

Warm-up: 500 Metre Row (2:05)

Db Complex: 10 lbs

• Backwards Arm Circles: 5 per side
• Full Fwd Raise: 10 reps
• Squat to Press: 10 reps
• Reverse Lunge / Lateral Raise: 5 per side
• Db Punches: 10 reps

Olympic Lifting Component - 2 min between sets

Exercise 1: Hang Snatch Set 1: 5 x 95lbs Set 2: 5 x 95lbs Exercise 2: Hang Squat Snatch Set 1: 5 x 95lbs Set 2: 5 x 95lbs Exercise 3: Squat Snatch (Floor) Set 1: 5 x 95lbs Set 2: 5 x 95lbs

I didn't push the weights too much with the snatches instead I decided to work more on getting under the bar into the deep overhead squat position. My hips and lower back felt a bit stiff, so I took me a little bit feel comfortable, but overall, I has happy with how I did.

After the Olympic lifting, I decided to work on some upper body strength a bench press / pull-up superset. I've felt my strength has been progressing with pulling movements, but my bench has kind of stalled a bit.

Upper Strength Component

Superset:

Exercise 4: Bench Press (60 sec rest after each set) Set 1: 10 x 135lbs (2 sec pause at bottom, explode up) Set 2: 8 x 205lbs Set 3: 8 x 205lbs Set 4: 10 x 155lbs (2 sec pause at bottom, explode up)

Exercise 5: Release Pull-up (Release hands, launching chest above bar as high as possible) - 90 sec rest after each set Set 1: BW x 10 Set 2: BW x 10 Set 3: BW x 10 Set 4: BW x 10

I wasn't able to get as many reps on the bench as I'd hoped but it wasn't necessarily a poor showing. I just have to get back to moving some heavier weights. The pull-ups went really well. I was able to get my chest pretty high above the bar. I've been spending a lot of time on my chin-up and pull-up movements so I wasn't surprised that things were working well.

Tomorrow, I have a pretty crazy day. I have training sessions booked back to to back from 7 am until 6 pm, so needless to say making time for a workout is going to be tough. The question will be how I am going to feel at the end of the day. We'll see, but regardless I'm getting in a workout.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 194

Day 194 Nicole and I didn't quite make it to the gym this morning. Instead we met my friend Owen for a big breakfast that involved a pretty epic cinnamon bun. Then a couple hrs later we topped up our bellies with a massive lunch at my parents before hitting the road and driving back to Calgary. Needless to say the muscles that got the most work today were our jaw muscles. When we got back to Calgary, I did my best to put in a dent in the calorie surplus by going for a quick run.

Today's Workout:

20 minute run / 3.5 km / Moderate Intensity

I did my usual run down 17th ave. Not the best running route, I know, but I find the people watching takes my mind off of what I'm doing. For some reason, some guy in sandals and a cowboy hat decided to run beside me for about 2 blocks. I was actually pretty impressed with how well he was able to keep up. I felt really good during the run. The last couple runs I felt kind of sluggish, most likely because I hadn't recovered from a previous workout. Whereas today, I felt really good, probably because I had definitely topped my carbohydrate stores this weekend.

It was a really nice quick trip out of town. It's always great to spend time with family. Although, I think my body composition would definitely go the wrong direction if every weekend was like this one. Tomorrow, I'll get back in the gym for a lift. I had fun yesterday doing some Olympic lifting, so I might throw some more in the mix.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 193

Day 193 Nicole and I went to the Royal Glenora club for our workout this morning. As I've mentioned before, I enjoy working out at the Glenora because they have a sports performance room where you can throw med balls against walls and drop weights when you're doing things like cleans and snatches.

Today's Workout:

Medicine Ball Circuit: 3 sets / no rest between exercises / 1 minute rest between sets

• Med Ball Slams x 10
• Med Ball Fwd Chest Pass x 10
• Med Ball Side Toss x 10 per side
• Vertical Toss x 5

Olympic Lifting Component

Exercise 1: Squat Cleans 4 sets / 4 reps / 2 min rest (60 kg)

Super set

Exercise 2: Clean Pull 4 sets / 4 reps / 1 min rest (80 kg) Exercise 3: Muscle Up Attempts 4 sets / 5 attempts (none successful but close)

Skipping Doubles: 100 reps

I mixed in a few sets of muscle up attempts. Unfortunately, I didn't have any succesful attempts, although I was getting pretty close. I don't understand how a week ago, I was able to do a couple muscle ups and now I can't. Oh well, I'll figure it out.

My Olympic lifting on the other hand went quite well. I didn't go very heavy with my cleans, but I felt really good about my timing. In fact things felt so good that I tried a couple snatches with 60 kgs and was successful. I know for some people this is not very heavy, but it's more than I've ever snatched. For some reason I've always had a mental block with putting more than 50 kgs over my head. I now know I can do it, so I feel reproducing that effort will be a lot easier going forward.

Tomorrow, will be another travel day, as Nicole and I will be heading back down to Calgary. The plan is to try and sneak in another workout at the Glenora, and perhaps even play some badminton. However, nothing is set in stone and ultimately everything will depend on what time I get out of bed tomorrow. One thing is for sure, from my sisters chocolate cakes to gelato after dinner, I've definitely been taking in the calories. So regardless of when it happens getting in some form of caloric expenditure tomorrow will be a good idea.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 192

Day 192 This morning I had a full morning of work and as I predicted a workout before my first training session did not happen. That meant that with my plans of driving to Edmonton in the afternoon, getting in my workout before the days end would be tough.

Nicole and I got to my parents place just in time for a nice home cooked meal. Bison burgers, lamb burgers, and chocolate cake, all fantastic but not exactly what you want in your stomach when you have to workout, especially when the workout you choose is swimming.

I'm not exactly sure why I chose swimming. As I've mentioned before I am absolutely terrible at swimming but for some reason going down to the Glenora club and getting in the pool seemed like a good option.

Today's Workout: Swimming

Flutter Board: 8 lengths (20 seconds rest between lengths) Front Crawl: 8 lengths (30 - 40 seconds rest between lengths)

This was really hard and once again incredibly humbling. It took me 20 minutes to do what some people could do in less than 10, but I legitimately pushed as hard as I could. I really do need to make the time to take some swimming lessons. It never fails to amaze me how people can swim and swim and seemingly not get tired. I get about half a length when every muscle in my body and my lungs start to burn. With each subsequent length the end of the pool seems further and further away. Lets hope I don't have to do any open water swims anytime soon.

Tomorrow, Nicole and I will be hitting the Royal Glenora gym. Aside from being spent from the the swimming my body feels really good, so I'm looking forward to being able to do a really good tough workout tomorrow. However, I still have to do my foam rolling.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 192

Day 192 Today I was a good boy and did my injury prevention homework. Before jumping into the meat and potatoes of my workout I spent about 15 minutes foam rolling my quads and hips. I also capitalized on my client training sessions by joining in with each stretching component. I could tell that I still had some junk left in my legs, but I was feeling a lot better.

For my workout today I decided to do a GPP (General Physical Preparedness) day. As I mentioned earlier, my legs still needed a bit longer to recover, and I thoroughly worked my upper body yesterday, so I needed to do something that didn't overemphasize any one particular body part, but instead challenged the whole body as one.

Today's Workout:

Exercise 1: 1000 Metre Row (4:10)

Exercise 2: 30lbs Jam Ball Slams: 4 sets / 20 reps / 30 seconds rest

Exercise 3: Kettlebell Swing: 26 kg / 50 reps

Exercise 4A: Farmer Walk: 3 sets / 100 lbs / 30 seconds / no rest Exercise 4B: Side Plank 1 Arm Cable Row: 3 sets / 30 lbs / 10 reps per side / 30 seconds rest

Exercise 5: Battle Ropes (High Alternating Wave): 2 sets / 2 minutes / 2 minutes rest

I was happy that my body held up really well today. I know that one foam rolling session isn't going to cure all, but the fact that it did make me feel so much better obviously means I need to take more advantage of it's value. I've also let a long time pass since my last active release session. I guess I've been letting things slide a bit this summer. I'll do my best to dial it back in. I still have another 6 months to go, so I can't let things slip too much.

Tomorrow, I'm driving up to Edmonton right after work, so my time for a workout will be a bit limited. I might see what I can sneak in before work but that's not likely. This guy isn't too good at early morning exercise. We'll see what happens. If I can get into Edmonton early enough, I might be able to get in a run before dinner.

Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 191

Day 191 I was a little worried I'd wake up feeling pretty worse for wear today, but fortunately my quad wasn't feeling too bad. However, my left knee has also been feeling a bit cranky, which leads me to think my body is telling me I probably need to adjust and back off on certain things a bit.

I'm not recovering as well as I'd like to. Last week was pretty tough, but I shouldn't be feeling this tight and bound up. The one thing I'm definitely guilty of lately, is not committing enough time to my stretching and recover methods. So, as much as I need to back off a bit, I probably need to contribute more time to preventing injuries and increasing the rate of recovery.

My workout today was a somewhat random upper body workout. I usually superset most of my strength exercises, but today I felt like focusing on one exercise a time.

Today's Workout

Exercise 1: Close Grip Bench Press 4 sets / 10 reps / 2 min rest Set 1: 185lbs x 10 Set 2: 185lbs x 10 Set 3: 185lbs x 10 Set 4: 185lbs x 10

Exercise 2: Tricep Dips 4 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 2 min rest Set 1: BW x 15 Set 2: BW x 15 Set 3: BW x 15 Set 4: BW x 20

Exercise 3: Dumbbell Lying Tricep Extensions 3 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 60 sec rest Set 1: 27.5 lbs x 15 Set 2: 27.5 lbs x 15 Set 3: 30 lbs x 15

Superset

Exercise 4: Standing Barbell Curl 4 sets / 12 - 15 reps / no rest Set 1: 75 lbs x 15 Set 2: 75 lbs x 15 Set 3: 75 lbs x 15 Set 4: 75 lbs x 15

Exercise 5: Fwd Cable Shoulder Raise 3 sets / 12 - 15 reps / 60 sec rest Set 1: 30 lbs x 15 Set 2: 30 lbs x 15 Set 3: 30 lbs x 15

Exercise 4: Dumbbell Zottman Curl 2 sets / 10 - 12 reps / 60 sec rest Set 1: 30 lbs x 12 Set 2: 30 lbs x 12

Obviously being a workout consisting of mostly arm exercises, I stuck to the plan of giving my legs a rest. It didn't involve any recover methods but I did do my best to stretch and roll as much as possible throughout the rest of my day. I trained my group tonight but unlike last night decided to stick to just instructing.

I'm optimistic that I'll be able to push really hard again soon. Occasionally I just need that little reminder from my body that I will only let me do so much. Tomorrow, I still hope to get a lot of work done but I think the balance will be swayed more toward corrective / pre-hab exercises rather than things like squats or sprinting.