FredMcKinnon.Com

So a couple of days ago I wrote this post about being motivated during “the dip“.  I’ve been in a serious “dip” lately with my fitness routine, eating habits, etc.  I talked to our trainer, “Eric” this morning, and he said it happens to everyone.

We were out late last night enjoying a big fall festival with the kids in Savannah – so we didn’t even get home until after 11:00 PM last night.  The 5:15 AM wakeup call for regimen is the LAST THING I wanted to deal with – especially since my supper was a bag of chips and a Diet Coke.

I dug deep and showed up this morning – after all, I did PAY for it.  It was tough … my shoulders were on fire.

The routine was called “Progression”.  You progress from a simple squat (there’s nothing so simple about it really), into a full series of exercises.  The keys to this routine were:

* don’t go to fast – take your time, rest as needed
* hold each exercise, have good form – don’t rush through the motion, but stop in each “progression”

1.  50 squats
2.  40 squats, progress into a thrust position
(ie. standing, do a squat, go into a thrust position, which is like a pushup/plank position w/o the pushup, stand up do it again)
3.  30 squats, thrust, pushup
(ie. #2, but this time, when you go to thrust position, hold for a second, do a full pushup in that position, stand up, do it again)
4.  20 squats, thrust, legs out/in (ie. like a horizontal jumping jack), pushup
(ie. squat, into thrust/plank position, spread legs out wide, legs back in, do pushup, stand up, do it again)
5.  10 squats, thrust, leg in/out, pushup, full stand/jump burpee
(ie. squats, into thrust/plank,  legs out, in, do the pushup, and complete by standing and raising hands fully over head, repeat)

I think I was the last one to finish.  I joined my comrades for a bonus lap around the Coast Guard Station.  My issues this morning were all upper body issues.  I think my legs have gotten better, as the squats weren’t killing me like they used to.  But by #3 where we were adding the full pushup, my shoulders were burning like crazy … all out hurting.  I’d take a break for a few minutes, but found no relief.

No pain?  No gain.