This past week of workouts was my last workout week with my normal schedule for this year. Because of the holidays, I have slightly different workout weeks this week and next. But I’m excited about those weeks with different schedules, so it should be fun. But this past week, it wasn’t quite as good as those should be. I just had to do what I could and push through when I could.
Monday’s workout was a strength-based class. I was dealing with my normal pain and nausea so I knew it would be a bit tough for me no matter what the workout was. So I tried to do my best to follow the workout but I made changes where I needed to. It was also a switch class, so we had 3 blocks for cardio and 3 blocks on the floor and we switched after each one.
For cardio, all 3 blocks had a similar pattern. We had a 2-minute push pace, a base pace, a base pace with incline, a regular base pace, and we ended with an all out at an incline. The base pace with incline got shorter each block, but the incline went up each block to make up for it. But for me, I used the same higher resistance level on the bike each time we were supposed to be at an incline. It was a high resistance level, but it was easier for me to keep it the same. I really tried to do my best each block to keep going, but I had to take a lot of breaks to let either the nausea or the pain subside. It was frustrating, but I also know that I did my best.
For each of the 3 floor blocks, we started with a 1-minute row. The goal for each of the rows was to be within a certain stroke rate. I lucked out because they were around my normal stroke rate, but I know they were slower than what most people do. Then for each block, we had 1 exercise with a drop set (when you do a lower number of reps with a higher weight and then immediately do a higher number of reps with a lower weight) and one core exercise. The drop set exercises were hip hinge low rows, pullovers, and bicep curls. And the core work was double crunches, seated torso rotations, and plank work. I had to modify the plank work, but besides that, I was able to do all the exercises without modifications.
Wednesday’s workout was a mix of endurance, strength, and power and I was finally starting to feel a bit better so that was good. We had 3 blocks in each section of the room. We had a 5-minute block, a 4-minute block, and a 3-minute block. But we didn’t switch between blocks so we did all 3 blocks in one section back to back.
For cardio, we had a push pace, base pace, push pace, and all out. The base and all out were always 1 minute long. The push paces started at 90 seconds and went down 30 seconds each block. I had a few moments when I had to take a break to let the pain or nausea end, but I was able to do a lot more work than I could on Monday. I didn’t do anything with the resistance levels on the bike, but I did focus on my pedaling speed.
For the rower, each block had 1 row and then we had medicine ball exercises. The first block was 750-meters, the second block was 500-meters, and the last block was 250-meters. The goal with the rowing was to keep our strokes per minute the same with each row. It’s not easy to go as slowly as you did with a long row when you do a sprint row. But it was a good challenge and I liked to see what my speed naturally was with each distance and adjust it from there. The medicine ball exercises were things I couldn’t do, so I modified them to be squats with overhead presses. And we did the medicine ball work after each row until the block was done (so we were on the rower just once per block).
And the floor had a mix of strength and core work. The first block had all weight work. We had deadlifts, overhead tricep extensions, and upright rows. Then the next block had one round of the weight work again and then the rest of the block was Bosu work. We were supposed to do bicycles, crunches, and single-leg v-ups on the Bosu. But my body just wasn’t letting me do those exercises. So I did sit-ups, crunches, and then tried to do a different type of crunch to get a third exercise in. And for the last block, we only had the Bosu work, so I continued doing my modified core work. Toward the end of that last floor block, I was starting to get a little nauseous, but I think I was leaning back too far with the sit-ups and that was the cause and it wasn’t my normal nausea.
Friday’s workout was a strength-based class, and I was almost back to my normal self so I could do a lot more. I knew that I would still have to be a bit cautious about how hard I pushed myself, but I could do more than I had done earlier in the week.
The cardio had 2 blocks. Both blocks had a push pace, a base pace, hill work, a base pace, and an all out. I kept my resistance level at my base level (I really should probably stop calling it a base level since I use it so much) and then I went higher than what I used to do for my all out level for the hill work. When we were doing the hill work, I really did slow down a lot with how fast I could pedal but I think that is to be expected. And it was nice to have the other work without hills so I could go faster and feel like I’m doing more.
On the rower, we started with a 90-second row with the focus being on staying within 22-24 strokes per minute. Then we were supposed to have squats with leg lifts and calf raises using the medicine ball. I had to skip the leg lifts, but I was able to do the squats and calf raises. Then we were back on the rower and we were supposed to repeat what we just did, but decrease the row by 50 meters each time. I made things a bit easier on myself by rounding up the number on the rower so I could keep track, but I figured that way I was also doing a bit more work than necessary.
And on the floor, the first block was a mini-band block. We had walking side squats, bench tap squats, and hip raises with the mini-bands. The walking side squats were very difficult on my hips, so I had to go very slowly and take small steps. But I managed to get through them. And the second block didn’t have any mini-band work. We had side lunges while holding weights and full sit-ups.
Saturday’s workout was called Ellen’s Workout and it was named after Ellen Latham who is the founder of Orangetheory. She designed this workout to be the best representation of what Orangetheory is all about. And I really loved this class!
For cardio, we had 2 blocks. The first block was coached with lots of 1-minute intervals and a few 75-second intervals. It was mainly push to base paces with an all out at the end. After doing those intervals, then we had another block where we paced ourselves. We had rounds of .1 miles on the treadmill (or .4 on the bike) and then 30 seconds of recovery. For me, that was just under a minute of pushing myself and then 30 seconds to recover. They were intervals that I’m very comfortable with and feel like I can do well.
Then on the rower, we started with a 1000-meter row. After that, we were supposed to do lunges but I did squats instead. Then we had 3 rounds of doing 200-meter rows with the exercise between each row. And we finished the rowing with another 1000-meter row. I was working on that second 1000-meter row when the block ended and we switched to the floor.
The floor also had 2 blocks. The first block had single-leg squats (which I had to modify and do as regular squats), overhead presses with rotations with weights, bird dogs, and v-ups while using the Bosu (which I had to modify and do as full sit-ups). And the second block had lateral lunges with weights and front raises with weights while kneeling on the Bosu. When this workout was done, I really felt awesome! It was the best I had felt all week and I thought the workout was really good!
I’m excited for this week of workouts. I know we should have some holiday-themed classes this week and next, and I love those themed classes. And I’m excited to see if I can accomplish anything else amazing before the year is up!
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