Physical Fitness Program 2023-03

It's been nearly 2 year since my last physical fitness update.

We made a big change this past year: after 31 years in Massachusetts, my wife and I moved to Maine. That meant packing up and selling our a house of 18 years.

That turned out to be a huge job! We had accumulated a lot of stuff to sort through with 5 people in the house over time. We started in late March, and it took until November, the week before my 62nd birthday.

I realized after the first couple months that I was going to need to dedicate more time to the task, so I stopped my morning workouts to spend the time on moving.

That meant a good 6 months without exercise. In October, that resulted in a problem in my left knee; it was loose and sore. By the time we completed the move in November, my knee had gotten so loose that I was afraid I was going to suffer a fall or serious injury. I was extra cautious while carrying moving boxes around.

First thing while we were getting settled in the new location, I joined the Boothbay Region YMCA, just 5 minutes away. The new house is actually 150 years old, with no space for a home gym, so I had given away a lot of my exercise equipment.

The Y is an outstanding facility that has just completed a major renovation. It has a 6-lane swimming pool, rows of ellipticals, treadmills, two rowing machines, a spinning room, aerobics and yoga rooms, a basketball gym, two raquetball courts, indoor track and tennis courts, and weight rooms with free weights, circuit machines, and combo machines.

It's also a fantastic community resource with a great after-school program and STEM focus. I've started teaching an after-school introduction to engineering class there using Arduino for embedded systems development.

It has this very interesting TRUE Stretch cage. Looking like a cross between a shark cage and a medieval torture device, it's an amazingly effective static stretching frame.

Going through all the stretches pictured on the instruction panel is the closest you can get to a deep tissue massage without actually getting a massage. That takes about 20 minutes.

This is my current weekly physical fitness program, following my Physical Fitness Principles:

• Monday: Swimming for endurance.
• Tuesday: Circuit weight machines for strength.
• Wednesday: Rowing for endurance and yoga for flexibility.
• Thursday: Repeat Monday workout for endurance.
• Friday: Repeat Tuesday workout for strength.

In addition to switching from a home-based gym to a public facility, I've made a few tweaks from the previous version 2021-05:

• I swapped the strength and endurance days because I've always enjoyed swimming as a primary whole-body exercise, and I wanted to include the rowing endurance in the middle of the week.
• I added the rowing machine because I wanted to learn to row. I've bought a used Alden Martin rowing shell and want to be able to take it across the street to the Damariscotta River public boat ramp.
• I kept the strength sets at 2, but reduced the weight to carefully restrengthen my joints.
• I replaced the stretching routines from Bob Anderson's Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition with the TRUE Stretch cage.

This worked well to recover from my 6 months without exercise. By keeping the endurance work at relaxed pace with moderate intensity, and the strength work at light physical therapy rehabilitation weight, my knee was fully recovered in 2 weeks.

I'm very slowly increasing the intensity and weight, paying careful attention to my joints. In addition to my left knee, my left shoulder rotator cuff and right elbow are the most sensitive and prone to soreness. Those are the joints to manage.

I continue to focus on eating healthfully with a mostly-plant-based diet augmented by small amounts of animal-based foods in accordance with the Blue Zone recommendations (as opposed to the typical Western diet that is the opposite).

I also continue to use deep breathing meditation for general stress management and as a sleep aid when I wake up in the middle of the night, based on Dr. Herbert Benson's 1975 book The Relaxation Response.

As before, I generally don't work out on weekends, and I try to make sure to have time available for each full daily workout. If I'm short of time, I can cut the number of reps or sets down, cut the time down, cut the rest periods by 15-30 seconds, or skip some yoga poses.

---

Monday: Swimming For Endurance

Stretching: 20 minutes on TRUE Stretch cage.

Endurance: 10 x 100 yards (1000 yards, 40 laps total). I split that up into two 5 x 100's, doing a 100 kickboard on each third one. I rest 30-60 seconds between 100's. I use my first and last 100's as warmup and cooldown.

---

Tuesday: Cybex Circuit Weight Machines For Strength

Warm-up: 5 minutes on rowing machine.

Stretching: 20 minutes on TRUE Stretch cage.

Strength: 25-30 minutes of weight machines following Strength Training Past 50 by Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle. 2 sets of 12 reps for each of 12 separate machines at slow, controlled pace, with 15-60 seconds rest after each set. I make sure the amount of weight I use doesn't cause any joint pain during or after completing all the sets. On some machines I keep it down to the first 2 or 3 plates to protect my joints. On others I can go with a heavier level, about half the weight stack or so.

The exercises and weights (pounds):

• Leg press, 130
• Leg extension, 70
• Leg curl, 70
• Hip adduction/abduction, 50
• Lat push-down, 50
• Bicep curl, 50
• Lat pull-down, 70
• Shoulder adduction/abduction, 50
• Shoulder press, 50
• Chest press, 70
• Abdominal flex, 110
• Back extension, 110

Weight machines generally isolate the targeted muscles and joints well, so all the effort is directed to them. While that's good for building just those areas, it also means higher force on them and higher risk of injury. I pay close attention to make sure I'm not overdoing it.

Cool-down: 5 minutes on rowing machine.

---

Wednesday: Concept2 Rowing Machine For Endurance And Yoga For Balance And Flexibility

The yoga workout is very portable after memorizing the sequence of moves, good for traveling.

No matter what else I do during the week, if something disrupts my routine and I have to skip one or more workouts, I make sure to do this yoga session, because of its general therapeutic and stress-reducing effects.

Endurance: 30 minutes on rowing machine: 5 minutes of warmup at 25 strokes per minute, 20 minutes of 1:1 minute intervals at 35:30 strokes, and 5 minutes of cooldown at 25. I set the air damper in the middle at 5. I learned how to use the machine primarily from these YouTube videos by RVA Performance Training and this New York Times article by Dana G. Smith.  

Balance and flexibility: 25 minutes of asanas (postures) based on Power Yoga - Flexibility and Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs by Rodney Yee, and Yoga With Adriene.

I'm not nearly as flexible as either of them, so I limit postures to only the degree I can do comfortably.

The asanas that I choose from based on how I feel (most of the names from the book 50 Best Yoga Positions):

• Tadasana, mountain pose
• Adho mukha svanasana, downward-facing dog
• sun salutation (this is actually a sequence moving through several poses, including mountain pose, lunge, plank, pushup, cobra, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, standing forward bend)
• Biralasana, cat pose
• Virabhadrasana I, warrior I
• Virabhadrasana II, warrior II
• Virabhadrasana III, warrior III
• Trikonasana, triangle pose
• Uttanasana, intense forward stretch/standing forward bend
• Dandasana, staff pose
• Navasana, boat pose
• Balasana, child pose
• Single-leg forward bend
• Paschimottasana, double-leg forward bend
• Upavista konasana, seated wide-angle forward pose sequence
• Baddha konasana, cobbler's pose
• Jathara parivartanasana, revolved abdomen pose
• Marichyasana III, sage twist III
• Garudasana, eagle twist
• Kapotasana, pigeon pose
• Anjaneyasana, crescent moon pose
• Dhanaurasana, bow pose
• Setu bandhasana, bridge pose
• Purvottanasana, upward-facing plank
• Urdhva dhanurasana, upward-facing bow pose
• Virasana, hero pose
• Utkatasana, chair pose/power pose
• Prasarita padottanasana, wide leg stretch/wide leg forward bend
• Savasana, corpse pose/relaxation pose

---

Thursday: Swimming For Endurance

This is an exact repeat of Monday's workout.

---

Friday: Cybex Circuit Weight Machines For Strength

This is an exact repeat of Tuesday's workout.

Physical Fitness Program 2021-05

It's been over a year since my last update.

This is my current weekly physical fitness program, following my Physical Fitness Principles:

• Monday: Free weights and weight machine for strength.
• Tuesday: Running for endurance.
• Wednesday: Yoga for flexibility.
• Thursday: Repeat Monday workout for strength.
• Friday: Repeat Tuesday workout for endurance.

I've made a few tweaks from the previous version 2020-03:

• I eliminated the Pilates for simplicity and time.
• I reduced the strength sets from 3 to 2, but increased the weight a bit.
• I separated repeated workouts by 3 days, including across weekends. That allows a little extra recovery time to avoid repetitive stress injuries.
• I use running on the treadmill for all endurance workouts and warmups/cooldowns. This was the result of participating in the Massachusetts Virtual Endurance Challenge, running a 55-mile virtual course on the treadmill. I enjoyed adding up the miles on my main run days and the warmup and cooldown segments on other days.
• I shortened the run interval cycle to 3 or 4 minutes, depending on how I'm feeling. Once again, this is part of keeping it at a manageable level.

I continue to use the full sport-specific stretch routines from Bob Anderson's Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition.

This has worked well. I haven't had any back twinges or persistent muscle or joint soreness, and my left shoulder is doing much better, so for now this seems to be a well-balanced program. But it does show I can vary the specific details of workouts as my whim sees fit.

The other big thing of course is that we're still in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, it seems to be winding down in the US. I've had my first vaccination shot and will be getting my second in a couple weeks, and have been working from home for the past 15 months. Unfortunately, there are parts of the world that are not doing as well, with many people suffering.

For the most part our extended family has fared well; one person lost their job due to it, as well as suffered a mild case of it. But the overall stress has definitely taken its toll. I've put on 10 pounds that I attribute directly to stress eating, despite the exercise and otherwise eating healthfully.

One thing I've done to manage the stress is use deep-breathing meditation more regularly. That includes daily practice sessions to be able to trigger the relaxation response described in Dr. Herbert Benson's 1975 book The Relaxation Response. I've also been reading Dr. Judson Brewer's 2021 book Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind. I've found these to be genuinely helpful.

Benson's premise is that stress is a direct contributing factor to medical conditions that can lead to death. While that was controversial back in the '70's, we've come to accept it these days. Therefore, actively managing stress and anxiety is an important part of long-term health.

I've largely stabilized my dietary changes to about a 50% reduction in animal-based foods. Where I used to have some kind of animal-based item at every meal, now many meals are entirely plant-based, or only a smaller amount of animal-based foods. That strikes a balance with my wife's more animal-based diet.

As before, I generally don't work out on weekends, and I try to make sure to have time available for each full daily workout. If I'm short of time, I can cut the number of reps or sets down, cut the time down, cut the rest periods by 15-30 seconds, or skip some yoga poses.

---

Monday: Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength

Warm-up: 5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's weightlifting stretch routine.

Strength part: 25-30 minutes of free weights and weight machine following Strength Training Past 50 by Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle. 2 sets of 8 reps for each of 11 separate exercises at slow, controlled pace, with 15-60 seconds rest after each set. I make sure the amount of weight I use doesn't cause any joint pain during or after completing all the sets.

The exercises and weights (pounds):

• Squat, 85
• Leg extension, 75
• Leg curl, 25
• Chest press, 75
• Chest fly, 55
• Seated row, 75
• Shoulder press, 55
• Lat pull-down, 75
• Tricep push-down, 55
• Bicep curl, 25
• Ab flex, 65

These are mostly an increase of two 5- or 10-pound plates from the previous program, except for the squats, which is an increase of 45 pounds after my lower back recovered (which I did 10 pounds at a time each week for a month).

Since my weight machine doesn't have a leg press, I do squats with a barbell.

I don't like the bicep curl station on it, so I do those with either Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells, or the dumbbells that come with the barbell. I have a range of hex dumbbells from 10-30 lbs., which is convenient for doing a variety of free-weight exercises without having to change plates.

I use a Bicep Bomber for bicep and tricep isolation with both the free weights and the machine.

Weight machines generally isolate the targeted muscles and joints well, so all the effort is directed to them. While that's good for building just those areas, it also means higher force on them and higher risk of injury. I pay close attention to make sure I'm not overdoing it.

I built up from the previous level by adding weight every 6 weeks, cutting back to 6 reps for each set for two or three workouts, then increasing to the regular 8 reps.

Cool-down: 5 minutes on treadmill.

---

Tuesday: Running For Endurance

This workout can be done almost anywhere outdoors, good for traveling. Also, many offices, hotels, and resorts have treadmills in their gyms. I do post-workout stretching to prevent tight or sore muscles the next day.

Warm-up: 5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's pre-run stretch routine.

Endurance: 30 minutes on treadmill in 4-minute intervals: 1 minute walking at 3 mph, 3 minutes running at 5 mph. If I'm feeling tired, I use 3-minute intervals.

Cool-down: 5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Anderson's post-run stretch routine.

---

Wednesday: Yoga For Balance And Flexibility

This workout is very portable after memorizing the sequence of moves, good for traveling.

Because yoga workouts generally incorporate warm-up, stretching, and cool-down, I don't do those separately.

No matter what else I do during the week, if something disrupts my routine and I have to skip one or more workouts, I make sure to do this one, because of its general therapeutic and stress-reducing effects.

Balance and flexibility: 60 minutes of Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs by Rodney Yee. I cycle through the different programs on different weeks. They're all very similar, but with slightly different emphasis. I use a Yoga Mat, Block, and Strap Set. Sometimes it's convenient to have a second block. The 3rd program on that DVD shows best how to use the blocks and strap.

I also do some of the workouts on Yoga With Adriene for variety.

I'm not nearly as flexible as either of them, so I limit postures to only the degree I can do comfortably.

The postures, or asanas, not all of which appear in every program (most of the names from the book 50 Best Yoga Positions):

• Tadasana, mountain pose
• Adho mukha svanasana, downward-facing dog
• sun salutation (this is actually a sequence moving through several poses, including mountain pose, lunge, plank, pushup, cobra, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, standing forward bend)
• Biralasana, cat pose
• Virabhadrasana I, warrior I
• Virabhadrasana II, warrior II
• Virabhadrasana III, warrior III
• Trikonasana, triangle pose
• Uttanasana, intense forward stretch/standing forward bend
• Dandasana, staff pose
• Navasana, boat pose
• Balasana, child pose
• Single-leg forward bend
• Paschimottasana, double-leg forward bend
• Upavista konasana, seated wide-angle forward pose sequence
• Baddha konasana, cobbler's pose
• Supta padangustasana, reclining big toe pose/raised leg stretch
• Jathara parivartanasana, revolved abdomen pose
• Marichyasana III, sage twist III
• Garudasana, eagle twist
• Kapotasana, pigeon pose
• Anjaneyasana, crescent moon pose
• Dhanaurasana, bow pose
• Setu bandhasana, bridge pose
• Purvottanasana, upward-facing plank
• Urda dhanurasana, upward-facing bow pose
• Virasana, hero pose
• Utkatasana, chair pose/power pose
• Prasarita padottanasana, wide leg stretch/wide leg forward bend
• Savasana, corpse pose/relaxation pose

I built up to this level by using Yee's Power Yoga - Flexibility, 25 minutes. This is mostly the same set of asanas as the Power Yoga Collection, so it's both good training to learn them, and a shorter session if I have less time. It's also a good light flexibility workout any time I need it.

Adrienne also offers a number of shorter videos, as well sessions targeting different body areas or situations.

---

Thursday: Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength

This is an exact repeat of Monday's workout.

---

Friday: Running For Endurance

This is an exact repeat of Tuesday's workout.

Physical Fitness Program 2020-03

This is my current weekly physical fitness program, following my Physical Fitness Principles:

• Monday: Pilates/free weights and weight machine for strength.
• Tuesday: Running for endurance.
• Wednesday: Yoga for flexibility.
• Thursday: Ski machine for endurance.
• Friday: Repeat Monday workout for strength.

Over the past 3 months, I've made a few tweaks from the previous version 2019-12:

• I replaced the Monday TRX with weights and machine, making it the same as Friday. The TRX was great, because it gently rehabilitated my shoulder and helped build the base for more strength work with increased weight. This poses more risk of injury, but has been working well.
• I swapped the days for running and yoga, in order to split the endurance days.
• I tried increasing my running pace, but returned to the previous pace and even ended up splitting it into 5-minute intervals. This is definitely part of keeping it at a manageable level; I'll build it up over the longer term.
• I replaced swimming with the ski machine to save the cost of pool membership and simplify the logistics (no need to drive to the pool).
• I increased the stretching times to about 10 minutes, using the full sport-specific stretch routines from Bob Anderson's Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition.

I occasionally have a random sore muscle or joint, a calf, knee, or ankle, so I spend a little extra time stretching it, and adjust the workout as necessary. That's usually sufficient to take care of it.

The one thing that's been a little more persistent has been lower back twinges during the day. In addition to a little more back stretching, I've reduced the weight I use for squats. That seems to have managed it.

My back is definitely something I want to protect. I can limp around for a day with a sore leg and get over it quickly, but back issues can turn into serious problems with long term consequences.

It's also worth noting that we're currently in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, so staying healthy is paramount. Being cautious and conservative, maintaining my workouts within my limits, is more important than pushing those limits and risking injury.

The medical system is already at risk of being overburdened, access to non-emergency care is getting more difficult, and being full-body healthy gives me the best chance of riding it out. And really, that's the goal of all this. Not peak physical performance, but peak longevity.

But I can tell I'm firming up my muscles and have definitely improved my endurance since starting out. I'm not aiming for muscle mass, just for good solid general fitness.

I generally don't work out on weekends, since those are when I do other activities, often including some kind of physical outdoor recreational activity.

I try to make sure to have time available for each full daily workout, but if I'm short of time, I can cut the number of reps, sets, or laps down, cut the time down, cut the rest periods by 15-30 seconds, or skip some yoga poses.

---

Monday: Pilates/Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength

Warm-up: 5 minutes on rowing machine or elliptical.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's weightlifting stretch routine.

Strength part 1: 15-25 minutes of Pilates mat work.

Strength part 2: 25-30 minutes of free weights and weight machine following Strength Training Past 50 by Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle. 3 sets of 8 reps for each of 11 separate exercises at slow, controlled pace, with 15-60 seconds rest after each set. I make sure the amount of weight I use doesn't cause any joint pain during or after completing all the sets.

The exercises and weights (pounds):

• Squat, 40
• Leg extension, 55
• Leg curl, 25
• Chest press, 55
• Chest fly, 35
• Seated row, 55
• Shoulder press, 35
• Lat pull-down, 55
• Tricep push-down, 45
• Bicep curl, 25
• Ab flex, 55

These are mostly an increase of two 5- or 10-pound plates from the previous program, except for the squats, which is a reduction of 30 pounds to reduce the strain on my lower back.

Since my weight machine doesn't have a leg press, I do squats with a barbell.

I don't like the bicep curl station on it, so I do those with either Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells, or the dumbbells that come with the barbell. I have a range of hex dumbbells from 10-30 lbs., which is convenient for doing a variety of free-weight exercises without having to change plates.

I use a Bicep Bomber for bicep and tricep isolation with both the free weights and the machine.

Weight machines generally isolate the targeted muscles and joints well, so all the effort is directed to them. While that's good for building just those areas, it also means higher force on them and higher risk of injury. I pay close attention to make sure I'm not overdoing it.

I built up from the previous level by adding weight every 6 weeks, cutting back to 6 reps for each set for two or three workouts, then increasing to the regular 8 reps.

Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on elliptical.

---

Tuesday: Pilates/Running For Endurance

This workout can be done almost anywhere outdoors, good for traveling. Also, many offices, hotels, and resorts have treadmills in their gyms. I do post-workout stretching to prevent tight or sore muscles the next day.

Warm-up: 5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's pre-run stretch routine.

Endurance: 30 minutes on treadmill in 5-minute intervals: 1 minute walking at 3 mph, 4 minutes running at 5 mph.

My goal is still to work up to the USMC Timed Run requirement, which is 3 miles in 28 minutes or less (6.4 mph continuous running), but I realized it's going to take me longer to get there.

Cool-down: 5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Anderson's post-run stretch routine.

---

Wednesday: Yoga For Balance And Flexibility

This workout is very portable after memorizing the sequence of moves, good for traveling.

Because yoga workouts generally incorporate warm-up, stretching, and cool-down, I don't do those separately.

No matter what else I do during the week, if something disrupts my routine and I have to skip one or more workouts, I make sure to do this one, because of its general therapeutic and stress-reducing effects.

Balance and flexibility: 60 minutes of Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs by Rodney Yee. I cycle through the different programs on different weeks. They're all very similar, but with slightly different emphasis. I use a Yoga Mat, Block, and Strap Set. Sometimes it's convenient to have a second block. The 3rd program on that DVD shows best how to use the blocks and strap.

I'm not nearly as flexible as Yee, so I limit postures to only the degree I can do comfortably.

The postures, or asanas, not all of which appear in every program (most of the names from the book 50 Best Yoga Positions):

• Tadasana, mountain pose
• Adho mukha svanasana, downward-facing dog
• sun salutation (this is actually a sequence moving through several poses, including mountain pose, lunge, plank, pushup, cobra, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, standing forward bend)
• Biralasana, cat pose
• Virabhadrasana I, warrior I
• Virabhadrasana II, warrior II
• Virabhadrasana III, warrior III
• Trikonasana, triangle pose
• Uttanasana, intense forward stretch/standing forward bend
• Dandasana, staff pose
• Navasana, boat pose
• Balasana, child pose
• Single-leg forward bend
• Paschimottasana, double-leg forward bend
• Upavista konasana, seated wide-angle forward pose sequence
• Baddha konasana, cobbler's pose
• Supta padangustasana, reclining big toe pose/raised leg stretch
• Jathara parivartanasana, revolved abdomen pose
• Marichyasana III, sage twist III
• Garudasana, eagle twist
• Kapotasana, pigeon pose
• Anjaneyasana, crescent moon pose
• Dhanaurasana, bow pose
• Setu bandhasana, bridge pose
• Purvottanasana, upward-facing plank
• Urda dhanurasana, upward-facing bow pose
• Virasana, hero pose
• Utkatasana, chair pose/power pose
• Prasarita padottanasana, wide leg stretch/wide leg forward bend
• Savasana, corpse pose/relaxation pose

I built up to this level by using Yee's Power Yoga - Flexibility, 25 minutes. This is mostly the same set of asanas as the Power Yoga Collection, so it's both good training to learn them, and a shorter session if I have less time. It's also a good light flexibility workout any time I need it.

---

Thursday: Ski Machine For Endurance

Warm-up: 5 minutes on ski machine at low to middle incline, and light but increasing resistance and pace.

Stretching: 10 minutes of Bob Anderson's cross-country skiing stretch routine.

Endurance: 30 minutes on ski machine at middle to high incline, at middle resistance, doing intervals of 2 minutes at fast pace, 1 minute at slow pace.

Cool-down: 5 minutes on ski machine at middle to low incline, at reducing resistance and pace.

---

Friday: Pilates/Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength

This is an exact repeat of Monday's workout.

Physical Fitness Program 2019-12

This is my current weekly physical fitness program, following my Physical Fitness Principles:

• Monday: Pilates/TRX for strength.
• Tuesday: Yoga for flexibility.
• Wednesday: Pilates/running for endurance.
• Thursday: Swimming for endurance.
• Friday: Pilates/free weights and weight machine for strength.

I generally don't work out on weekends, since those are when I do other activities, often including some kind of physical outdoor recreational activity.

I try to make sure to have time available for each full daily workout, but if I'm short of time, I can cut the number of reps, sets, or laps down, cut the time down, cut the rest periods by 15-30 seconds, or skip some yoga poses.

---

Monday: Pilates/TRX For Strength

This workout is very portable, good for traveling.

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes on rowing machine, ski machine, or elliptical.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of general stretching and twisting.

Strength part 1: 15-25 minutes of Pilates mat work from Anatomy of Fitness Pilates, by Isabel Eisen. 1 set of 5-8 reps for each of the 25 separate exercises, moving at slow, controlled pace. I use a Tune Up Fitness Coregeous Ball for the ball exercises, but any medium-size inflatable ball or a throw pillow would also work.

The exercises:

• Pointing Dog
• Wide-legged plie
• Standing leg extension
• Monkey walk
• Push-up
• Breast stroke
• Back burner
• Triceps dip
• Side leg series
• Waistline warrior
• Pilates ball roll-up
• Rollover
• Single leg drop
• Corkscrew
• Pilates ball heel tap
• Pilates ball double leg stretch
• Pilates ball hundred
• Pilates ball side-lying inner thigh
• Double dip
• Low-to-high plank
• Pilates ball tabletop-bridge
• Bicycle twists
• Teaser prep and teaser
• Frog
• Single-leg gluteal lift

This is excellent core body strength training using just body weight. It looks deceptively easy, so I make sure not to overdo it.

I built up to this level by doing 3 reps for the first few times.

Strength part 2: 25-30 minutes of TRX Go Suspension Training. 2 sets of 45 seconds for each of the 13 unique exercise from the "Burn Calories" and "Build Strength" workouts on the included instructional poster, moving at slow, controlled pace, with 45 seconds rest after each set. For single-leg exercises, I treat each leg as one set.

The exercises:

• TRX hamstring curl
• TRX low row
• TRX crossing balance lunge
• TRX chest press
• TRX squat
• TRX Y-deltoid fly
• TRX lunge
• TRX biceps curl
• TRX atomic pike
• TRX triceps press
• TRX single leg squat
• TRX hip press
• TRX spiderman push up

This is excellent overall strength training using just body weight. The dynamic suspension straps mean that it incorporates many muscles at once, not just the primary ones targeted in an exercise, often including core strength.

That also means the effort is less focused on the targeted muscles and joints than with a weight machine, reducing the risk of injury. I found this to be a good way to restore my shoulder, which suffers from rotator cuff difficulty.

Because it depends on body position and angle relative to the straps, it's infinitely adjustable. If I need to increase or decrease intensity, I just step forward or back an inch or two.

I built up to this level by doing 1 set of 15 seconds for each exercise with 15 seconds rest, then increased by 5 seconds each week until I was at 30 seconds. Then I switched to 2 sets, resetting to 15 seconds, and increased by 5 seconds again each week.

Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on elliptical.

---

Tuesday: Yoga For Balance And Flexibility

This workout is very portable after memorizing the sequence of moves, good for traveling.

Because yoga workouts generally incorporate warm-up, stretching, and cool-down, I don't do those separately.

No matter what else I do during the week, if something disrupts my routine and I have to skip one or more workouts, I make sure to do this one, because of its general therapeutic and stress-reducing effects.

Balance and flexibility: 60 minutes of Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs by Rodney Yee. I cycle through the different programs on different weeks. They're all very similar, but with slightly different emphasis. I use a Yoga Mat, Block, and Strap Set. Sometimes it's convenient to have a second block. The 3rd program on that DVD shows best how to use the blocks and strap.

I'm not nearly as flexible as Yee, so I limit postures to only the degree I can do comfortably.

The postures, or asanas, not all of which appear in every program (most of the names from the book 50 Best Yoga Positions):

• Tadasana, mountain pose
• Adho mukha svanasana, downward-facing dog
• sun salutation (this is actually a sequence moving through several poses, including mountain pose, lunge, plank, pushup, cobra, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, standing forward bend)
• Biralasana, cat pose
• Virabhadrasana I, warrior I
• Virabhadrasana II, warrior II
• Virabhadrasana III, warrior III
• Trikonasana, triangle pose
• Uttanasana, intense forward stretch/standing forward bend
• Dandasana, staff pose
• Navasana, boat pose
• Balasana, child pose
• Single-leg forward bend
• Paschimottasana, double-leg forward bend
• Upavista konasana, seated wide-angle forward pose sequence
• Baddha konasana, cobbler's pose
• Supta padangustasana, reclining big toe pose/raised leg stretch
• Jathara parivartanasana, revolved abdomen pose
• Marichyasana III, sage twist III
• Garudasana, eagle twist
• Kapotasana, pigeon pose
• Anjaneyasana, crescent moon pose
• Dhanaurasana, bow pose
• Setu bandhasana, bridge pose
• Purvottanasana, upward-facing plank
• Urda dhanurasana, upward-facing bow pose
• Virasana, hero pose
• Utkatasana, chair pose/power pose
• Prasarita padottanasana, wide leg stretch/wide leg forward bend
• Savasana, corpse pose/relaxation pose

I built up to this level by using Yee's Power Yoga - Flexibility, 25 minutes. This is mostly the same set of asanas as the Power Yoga Collection, so it's both good training to learn them, and a shorter session if I have less time. It's also a good light flexibility workout any time I need it.

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Wednesday: Pilates/Running For Endurance

This workout can be done almost anywhere outdoors, good for traveling. Also, many offices, hotels, and resorts have treadmills in their gyms. I do extra stretching to prevent tight or sore muscles the next day.

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes on rowing machine, ski machine, or elliptical.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of leg stretching.

Strength: 15-25 minutes of Pilates mat work.

Endurance: 30 minutes on treadmill at 5 mph (2.5 miles in 30 minutes).

My goal is to work up to the USMC Timed Run requirement, which is 3 miles in 28 minutes or less (6.4 mph).

I built up to this level by doing interval training, starting at 1 minute running with 1 minute walking, increasing the running time by 1 minute each week until I was up to 9 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking.

Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on treadmill.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of leg stretching.

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Thursday: Swimming For Endurance

This is limited to health clubs with lap pools. I buy a 10-swim card at my pool, which is more economical than a monthly membership.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of general stretching and twisting.

Warm-up: 2-4 lengths of freestyle at relaxed pace, 2 minutes per 50 (2 lengths of 25-yard pool).

Endurance: 32-36 lengths at workout pace, 1-2 minutes per 50, for total of 40 laps including the warm-up and cool-down. I break things up into groups of 5 50's: 2 50's of freestyle, 1 50 of kickboard, 1 50 of breast stroke, and 1 50 of freestyle. Sometimes I combine the 2 50's into a 100.

I built up to this level by starting with 5 50's, 2 minutes per 50, increasing by 5 50's every 2 weeks.

Cool-down: 2-4 lengths of freestyle at relaxed pace, 2 minutes per 50.

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Thursday Alternative: Ski Machine Or Elliptical For Endurance

Occasionally I can't make it to the pool. The ski machine and elliptical are both good alternatives, since like swimming they're full-body, low-impact aerobic exercises (as opposed to running, which is a lower-body, high-impact aerobic exercise).

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes on rowing machine, ski machine, or elliptical.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of general stretching and twisting.

Endurance: 30 minutes on machine at middle to high incline, at middle resistance, doing intervals of 1 minute at fast pace, 1 minute at slow pace.

I built up to this level by doing the same intervals, but with no incline and light resistance.

Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on elliptical.

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Friday: Pilates/Free Weights And Weight Machine For Strength

Many offices, hotels, and resorts have some kind of weight setup in their gyms.

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes on rowing machine, ski machine, or elliptical.

Stretching: 2-3 minutes of general stretching and twisting.

Strength part 1: 15-25 minutes of Pilates mat work.

Strength part 2: 25-30 minutes of free weights and weight machine following Strength Training Past 50 by Wayne Westcott and Thomas Baechle. 3 sets of 8 reps for each of 11 separate exercises at slow, controlled pace, with 15-60 seconds rest after each set. I make sure the amount of weight I use doesn't cause any joint pain during or after completing all the sets.

The exercises and weights (pounds):

• Squat, 70
• Leg extension, 35
• Leg curl, 15
• Chest press, 35
• Chest fly, 25
• Seated row, 45
• Shoulder press, 25
• Lat pull-down, 35
• Tricep push-down, 30
• Bicep curl, 15
• Ab flex, 35

My goal is to at least double these weights, up to triple for some.

Since my weight machine doesn't have a leg press, I do squats with a barbell.

I don't like the bicep curl station on it, so I do those with either Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells, or the dumbbells that come with the barbell. I have a range of hex dumbbells from 10-30 lbs., which is convenient for doing a variety of free-weight exercises without having to change plates.

I use a Bicep Bomber for bicep and tricep isolation with both the free weights and the machine.

Weight machines generally isolate the targeted muscles and joints well, so all the effort is directed to them. While that's good for building just those areas, it also means higher force on them and higher risk of injury. I pay close attention to make sure I'm not overdoing it.

I built up to this level by doing 1 set of 8 reps for each exercise at light weight with 15 seconds rest after each set, then increased the weight by 1 setting each week for the next 2 weeks. Then I switched to 2 sets, resetting to light weight, and increased by 1 setting again each week. Then I switched to 3 sets and went through the weight settings again.

This was a fairly long progression, but it allowed me to build up gradually without joint or muscle injury.

Cool-down: 3-5 minutes on elliptical.