It was a two-cup-of-coffee with Bailey’s morning for a good reason: I was plowing through my To Do list. The caffeine kept me buzzing right along. I also ended up skipping Pilates in order to capitalize on my productivity, but it was worth it since I got so much accomplished.
Lunch
Around noon, I took a break from working to make my favorite new salad for lunch. Three of the ingredients come from cans, but I swear it’s delicious!
I also ate an Apple Cinnamon & Pecan KIND bar and drank some water with lunch.
After lunch, I headed to Boston Sports Club to cash in my Groupon for a 30-day membership. Remember how I mentioned that I was bored with my workouts? Well, this is one of things I’m trying to spice up my exercise routine.
Hello, BSC!
This location is a lot nicer than my current gym. It has brand new equipment, fancy treadmills with TVs, towel service, and other nice amenities. It’s no Equinox (< — I’m obsessed), but it has a lot going for it. I’m excited to workout there for the next 29 days.
Workout
At the gym, I ran 3.3 miles on the treadmill and then hit the weight room for a workout, which was inspired by my NASM textbook. Ok, ready for another interesting exercise science term? Peripheral Heart Action.
Peripheral Heart Action is a type of strength training that alternates upper and lower body exercises throughout a circuit. This type of training forces blood flow away from the heart to the upper and lower body, which results in a more demanding cardiovascular workout. However, because you alternate upper and lower body exercises, your muscles don’t fatigue as quickly, so you can keep up a good pace moving from exercise to exercise, which leads to a greater caloric burn while building muscle at the same time.
I’ve done workouts like this before, but I never realized it was a specific type of training with a name. It sounded challenging and like a good way to shake up my workouts, so I created the following workout and did it at the gym this afternoon:
I planned to do three sets of this circuit, but it ended up taking longer than expected, so I called quits after the second set. I liked this workout a lot, so I’ll definitely do three sets next time.
If you’re wondering what the Standing Scaption is all about, here’s a video. At the NASM Live Workshop, I learned that this shoulder exercise strengthens both the front and middle part of the shoulder and the motion is a safe alternative for people with shoulder pain or who are susceptible to shoulder injuries.
Snack
Just now, I ate two three bowls of granola with soy milk. Granola is one of those foods that I shouldn’t keep in the house. I want to eat it ALL! Why is it so delicious!?!
Time to walk the pug!
