My Workout Schedule - 5/20-6/9

Here's a look at my workout schedule for the weeks 5/20-6/9.  Depending on what I have going on that week, some workouts are done in the morning and some in the afternoon.  This is my own version of P90X, mixing strength training, yoga, interval training, and rest.  

• Monday - Shred415 - Arms & Abs (see previous post about Shred415)
• Tuesday - P90X2 Chest, Back, and Balance
• Wednesday - Off
• Thursday - P90X2 Total Body
• Friday - P90X Shoulders and Arms
• Saturday - P90X2 Yoga
• Sunday - Track workout with friends (usually 400m intervals with pull-ups and dips)

Now, not every week will be in this order.  Things come up sometimes so I might move my rest day to earlier or later in the week.  But in general, I try to workout between 4-7 days per week and change up my workouts every 3-4 weeks.  I'm not perfect though, so I might have bad weeks where I workout 3 days per week.  But in general, I try to be consistent with my workouts and workout more days than not in the month.  

Shred415 and Circuit Training

As I became more interested in becoming certified as a personal trainer, I looked into classes to take in my area that would expose me to new training methods. One of the classes I came across was called Shred415. I've been to about 6 Shred415 classes with multiple instructors, so I feel like I have a good understanding of what they are all about.

In short, Shred415 alternates between intervals on the treadmill and weight-training. I've seen classes where the intervals are 15 minutes long, 10 minutes long, or pyramid style (15,10,5). Most classes are an hour long and have themes for the weight-training section (Arms & Abs, Legs & Butt, Total Body).

Country Video of the Week: Florida Georgia Line - Get Your Shine On

Here's the first of what I think will be a weekly posting of some of my favorite country songs. I need to start using the line "slide that little sugar shaker over here" more.

P90X2 and the NASM OPT Model

As I was studying the National Academy of Sports Medicine's Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model, I could not stop thinking about how Tony has followed it in P90X2. It makes sense considering Tony worked Steve Holmsen, a NASM certified trainer, and Dr. Marcus Elliott of the P3 Peak Performance Project, while developing the program.

The OPT model is divided into three different levels of training - Stabilization, Strength, and Power.

The main focus of the Stabilization level is to increase muscular endurance and stability while developing optimal neuromuscular efficiency (coordination). The progression for this level of training is proprioceptively based. This means that difficulty is increased by introducing a greater challenge to the balance and stabilization systems of the body (think med balls and stability balls) versus simply increasing the load. The stabilization phase is the first phase because inefficient stabilization can negatively affect the way force is produced by the muscles, increase stress at the joints, overload the soft tissues, and eventually, cause injury.

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my blog! This is going to be a place for me to discuss anything I find interesting related to fitness, nutrition, and health with a few random topics thrown in there. More to come...