Exercise Journal # 1

Just decided for my own amusement I'd start writing down what I actually do for exercise, probably expanding into free time activities so I can see how much time I'm freakin wasting and hopefully solve the accompanying insomnia problem. Anyway, yesterday I took a day's rest to recuperate from Sunday night's run (3.2 miles, 28 minutes) when I thought I might have strained a hamstring (I didn't). So today I did this circuit training routine I call "The Exhaustion Workout", which takes about an hour to finish. It's made up of 4 circuits and goes like this :

Warmup
- 5 min walk @ 3.5 mph on the treadmill
- 10 min stretching (I'm old, cut me a break)

Circuit 1 - 5 rounds, no stopping in between, then rest for 2 minutes

Round 1 :
- run on treadmill at 8 mph @ 10% gradient for 40 seconds
- 10 dumbbell squats with 25 lb weights
- Front bridge for 40 seconds

Round 2 :
- repeat run from round 1
- 20 bodyweight squats
- Side bridge on left arm for 40 seconds

Round 3 :
- repeat run from round 1
- 10 dumbbell squats
- Side bridge on right arm for 40 seconds

Round 4 :
- repeat run from round 1
- 20 bodyweight squats
- Front bridge for 40 seconds

Round 5 :
- repeat run from round 1
- 10 dumbbell squats
- Hold bottom of pushup for 40 seconds

Circuit 2 - do 3 rounds, then rest for 2 minutes

Rounds 1-3 :
- run on treadmill at 8 mph @ 1% gradient for 80 seconds
- rest for 20 seconds
- Do pushups for 30 seconds (I can usually fit in 15-20)
- Dumbbell bent-over row w/25 lb weights - 10 reps

Circuit 3 - do 4 rounds, then rest for 2 minutes

Round 1 :
- run on treadmill at 9 mph @ 1% gradient for 60 seconds
- Single-leg rotation squat - 5 reps/leg (I use the treadmill for balance)
- 20 crunches

Round 2 :
- repeat run from round 1
- repeat squats from round 1
- 20 elbow-to-knee crunches, left side

Round 3 :
- repeat run from round 1
- repeat squats from round 1
- 20 elbow-to-knee crunches, right side

Round 4 :
- repeat run from round 1
- repeat squats from round 1
- 20 back extensions (lie on your stomach and raise head/feet)

Circuit 4 - do 3 rounds, then collapse, puke, cry and/or pass out

Round 1 :
- run on treadmill at 10 mph @ 1% gradient for 40 seconds
- rest for 40 seconds
- Hold bottom of a pushup - 40 seconds

Round 2 :
- run on treadmill at 9 mph @ 1% gradient for 40 seconds
- rest for 40 seconds
- Hold bottom of a pushup - 40 seconds

Round 3 :
- run on treadmill at 8 mph @ 1% gradient for 40 seconds
- rest for 40 seconds
- Hold bottom of a pushup - 40 seconds

It took me 2-3 tries over a couple weeks just to be able to make it all the way through this workout, but now I'm to the point where I'm making the runs harder to push myself. But seriously the first time I didn't even make it past circuit 2 before I felt like I was gonna hurl so if you're trying this at home, be sure to build up to it.