Leverage your Body's Strength

“Every-Other Day” Template

Select from this outline to create your workout every-other day or at least twice a week (at least 48 hours of rest between workouts).

Jump to:

• Cardio
• Resistance Training
  • Push
  • Pull
  • Squat
  • Core
  • Supplementary Exercises
  • Stretches
• Notes

Cardio (e.g. bike, Treadmill, Arc Trainer, or Animal Flow)

Once or twice per week:

20 minute interval training:  6 minute warm-up at a low intensity followed by 2 minute work and rest intervals.  Each work interval should be sufficiently intense (resistance, speed, etc.) to cause you to “fail” the talk test. This is the point at which you have to catch your breath every 3-5 words in conversation.

Remaining workout days:

20 minute steady-state training: 6 minute warm-up at low intensity followed by 14 minutes at constant moderate intensity (just below talk test failure).

Resistance Training

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Push – Choose 3 sets x 10 repetitions of any of the following exercises:

[TRX Length: Long]                 [TRX Length: Long]
Assisted Push-Up (TRX high press OR TRX low press)

 

Dumbbell Chest Press (High OR Low Press)

Dumbbell Shoulder Press 

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Pull – Choose 3 sets x 10 repetitions of any of the following exercises:

[TRX Length: Long/Medium]                 [TRX Length: Short]
Inverted Row (TRX High- OR Low-Back Row)

One-Arm Dumbbell Row (High- OR Low-Back)


Pull-up (Squat-Assisted, TRX or shoulder-height bar)

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Squat – Choose 3 sets x 10 repetitions of any of the following exercises:

[TRX Length: extra-short]
Squat (Row-Assisted, Full Body Weight, OR Sumo Goblet)


Step-Ups (Body weight OR Dumbbell-resisted)

Reverse Lunge (TRX-Assisted, Full Body Weight, OR Dumbbell/Plate Resisted )

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Core Exercises (Optional if TRX/Body Leverage chosen for Push/Pull)

Pelvic Tilt   1 set x 8 reps

Bird Dog   1 set x 8 reps

Cat/Cow   1 set x 10 reps

Bridge (Knee, Full, One-Leg, or Dynamic)     2 times for 30 seconds

Side Bridge (Knees Bent, or Full)    2 times for 20 seconds

Hamstring Bridge (low, medium, OR highest resistance)   2 times for 30 seconds

Hamstring Curl (Stability Ball OR TRX)    2 sets x 8 reps

Modified Cobra (Sphinx Pose)    1 x 20 seconds

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External Shoulder Rotation (Dumbbell, Band, OR TRX)

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OPTIONAL Stretches – Hold each stretch once (per side, where applicable) for 30 seconds

Piriformis (Outer thigh, supine, seated OR standing)

Butterfly (inner thigh, seated or supine)

BOSU Ball Chest / Shoulder / Cervical Spine

Child’s Pose with Side Stretches

Hip Flexor Stretch

Quadriceps Stretch (lying or standing)

Hamstring and Calf Stretch (Supine / Standing, toes on wall, chest up)

Shoulder Circles (8 circles in both directions)

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Notes

8Feb2023:
Goals:

1. Be able to perform activities of daily life without fatigue (e.g. carrying groceries/long duration typing)
2. Avoid “hitting the wall” with fitness program (4-6 weeks into training)
3. Improve posture 

Considerations: 

1. Myasthenia Gravis (affecting wrists/hands, and full body)
2. Scoliosis diagnosed and orthotic prescribed sophomore year of high school
   Orthotic buried in basement but left leg appeared significantly shorter than right. Sole of right shoe removed, flipped, and placed in left shoe. Use this only if helpful/until orthotic is available!
3. Osteoporosis (maternal grandmother), and prednisone can exacerbate.
4. Just got hemoglobulin infusion—energy will wane until next one in four weeks
5. Occasional sprained ankle (left, right or both)
6. Occasional low back discomfort, usually triggered by bad sleeping position.
   Avoid stomach sleeping when possible.
7. Flat feet observed. See short foot exercise at bottom.

P.U.F.F. up any sugar or simple carbohydrates you might consume to reduce blood sugar spikes, which result in food comas, pangs of hunger, and fat cell growth.

Add:

1. Protein
2. Unrefined food
3. Fat 
4. Fiber

The best nutritional advice can be summed up as follows:

1. Eat food—what your great grandparents would recognize as food, not the stuff in the center aisles of the grocery store)
2. Not too much. Eat to 80% satiety. One helpful hack: drink a glass of water before each meal.
3. Mostly plants. Whole, unprocessed, and packed with fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals!
4. Not to often. Extend your nightly fast as much as possible/convenient. Optimal for weight loss is likely something like an 8am – 2pm feeding window. In other words: 
5. Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a pauper for dinner. Get a good breakfast with complex carbohydrates in order to feel energized all day long!

Metrics:
8 Feb2023:
Weight: 162.4 lbs

Body Fat: 41.7% (more info)

Resting Heart Rate:  85 BPM

Blood Pressure:   110 / 74 mmHg (left arm – more info)

22Jul2024: 
165 lbs
41.7%


Do This Not That: exercises to avoid and some alternatives

Pointers for Minimalist Running Technique:

1. Forefoot/midfoot strike instead of heel
2. More frequent steps (120 – 180 steps x min—two to three per second!) and shorter strides
3. Soft landings (earplugs will help you hear the ground reactive force)
4. Grip the ground gently with your toes and sweep back to reduce “braking”
5. Keep your feet engaged by lifting your arches and centering your ankle over the foot (see short foot exercise)
6. To the extent comfortable, keep knees/toes pointed in the direction of travel
7. Ramp up this style of running gradually—you’ll feel soreness in muscles you didn’t know you had! Take a 1-2 days off from it anytime you need for full recovery and consider using the arc trainers on your rest day(s) instead of the treadmill.