Lifting Program - week 3

As I mentioned earlier, I've started a weight-lifting regimen based on a program developed by my sister-in-law. I had two goals when I started, mix up my workouts and get a bit of a kick in the pants to refocus my attention. Any strength and fitness gains are purely incidental ;)

The good news is that both of my goals have been achieved, I have been interested in going to the gym more and have managed to get there 4 times a week for 3 straight weeks now. I've also felt better and feel like I'm moving things around. My upper body feels a bit more defined already and my legs feel very strong. I have noticed the difference in my racing the last couple weeks as well as I was able to bike and run faster.

Two good components that I would particularly recommend; foam rolling and combination lifts. Foam rolling had intrigued me for a while, it's essentially self deep tissue massage. Laying on the roller and slowing moving through the muscles feels pretty good, and when you hit a sore spot... Ouch! It can be painful, but almost immediately afterward the muscle feels much better. Secondly, the combination lifts are something she has recommended that puts a couple different exercises together. For example, this morning I was doing a squat, then stand up and curl the weight and then military press above my head. I also do a lot of these kind of exercises standing on one leg. This works the arms, but also makes your core and leg muscles fire the whole time as well. It makes for a bit more complete workout, and feels like I'm doing more than just trying to pump as much weight as I can.

Looking forward to a few more challenging weeks...