Sunday, February 25, 2007

It's time to upgrade my fitness routine

I think. I have this fear of pushing my heart too much, which I'm not sure where it comes from exactly, but when I listen to my body, it does tell me it's time to upgrade my fitness routine. Looking around for dumbbells exercises I've found the Official Body-for-LIFE Weight-Training Plan and the Official Body-for-LIFE cardio workout links.

Checking and reading the cardio workout routine, I thought it was a nice boost to what I was doing till now, and I decided to try it. Basically, it's a 20 minutes routine which I'll do on the treadmill, and it goes like this:

» Warm up - minutes 1 - 2 going up from Intensity Level 3 to Intensity Level 5.
» Minutes 3 - Intensity Level 6 (maintain for one minute).
» Minutes 4 - Intensity Level 7 (maintain for one minute).
» Minutes 5 - Intensity Level 8 (maintain for one minute).
» Minutes 6 - High Point at Intensity Level 9 (maintain for one minute).
» Minutes 7 - 10 - Second cycle of going from Intensity Level 6 to Intensity Level 9 (maintain each Intensity Level for one minute).
» Minutes 11 - 14 - Third cycle of going from Intensity Level 6 to Intensity Level 9 (maintain each Intensity Level for one minute).
» Minutes 15 - 18 - Fourth cycle of going from Intensity Level 6 to Intensity Level 9 (maintain each Intensity Level for one minute).
» Minute 19 - High Point at Intensity Level 10 (maintain for one minute).
» Minute 20 - cool down to Intensity Level 5 for one minute.

So yesterday I did it for the first time, and manage to walk at a speed of 2.7 mph. This means I didn't walk a full mile for these 20 minutes, but that was a good start, and I burned more than 160 calories. My heart was pumping, and for the first time I walked an incline higher than 7%. And since I had to change the incline every minute (still don't know how to program the bloody machine), I was busy and the time went out quickly. The fact that the difficulty degree had to be changed every minute helped me get motivated even when it got harder, and do it all the way.

That was a good boost to my routine, and of course... since I do a full hour on the treadmill, I continued later for another 40 minutes on 3.2 mph speed and 0% incline, for a total of 3 miles for the full hour.

It felt VERY VERY good!!! *s*... so good that this morning I did it again! Now I have to figure out the Weight-Training Plan and assemble one that fits me.

On top of that, I've been watching the TV infomercial of Turbo Jam for a few times now, and I feel an itch to try it. I'm not interested in the diet part of it, because I feel I'm in control in this area. What I do want to achieve is a good workout on my core, which I didn't do till now. I don't tend to believe what any infomercial tells me in general, because some so-called "facts" are so fabricated anyone can see right through them, but still, I know one thing: If I workout hard on my core - I'll see results after few months, and this particular workout looks like fun to me.

So... I've looked around the net and read some good opinions about Turbo Jam (there are bad reviews out there as well). All I need is this feel that I'm able to do it. I have no doubt I'll enjoy it, I just have to be sure I'm in such fitness level that will allow me to do it, and not drop dead after 5 minutes and waste my money. Will do some more thinking about it before I commit myself to do it, because if I'll buy it - I'll do it! *s*.

Lorien @ 03:10 pm MT

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