Workout 1 of 84 - Upper Body lifting

Well here we go! Day 1 of a 12 week training schedule that should take me through my spring half marathon and up to Memorial Day. I'm really going to try to get through the entire 12 weeks this time. My last couple of efforts on this have only lasted about 4 weeks before I either get sick, hurt myself or I just lose focus for a bit and fall out of the routine. I hope that I can keep it up this time. That's why the accountability posting earlier. I really need to get back to this too, it just makes me happier when I get the workouts done.

So on to the workout report. Bench presses felt good, my heaviest set was 85# but I feel that I could go a bit higher. Dumbbell flyes felt ok, need to smooth those out a bit. Side raises felt better than they have in a while with my past shoulder injuries so I am encouraged about that. Front raises are still one of my favorites just because of how they feel, I can really feel them working! Dumbbell rows for the back are a bit boring, but still really effective. I added deadlifts for my lower back into the routine and that was interesting. I think I like them and will keep working with them for the full 12 weeks. I tried a new tricep exercise called dumbbell cross body, where you lay on your back and extend your arm out and then touch the dumbbell to the opposite shoulder and then back up. They are kind of weird, I'm not sure if they are working. It is hard for me to find a dumbbell tricep lift that I like as much as cable machine extensions. I'll keep working on it though. Finished up my tricep work with dips. I really like those for blasting the big part of my triceps. Then for biceps I stick to straight incline curls. I just like the isolation it gives on that muscle.

That's it for the weight training today. I need to pick up the pace next time I work out to keep the heart rate up as well, but you gotta start somewhere. Everyone let me know if you have any tips for great free-weight exercises for a certain area of the body. I'd love to hear them. I'm always collecting new workout moves to get in better shape.

Tomorrow is cardio day, I plan to run 2 miles and see how my return to the road goes. It's kind of snowy and wet here, so I'll probably have to slow my pace a bit.

Current weight: 193.5#
Current body fat: 25%

See you on the roads and in the gym folks!
Alex