Great idea, an exercise Journal. While I do keep track of this in my main journal, I can see how having this would be beneficial. I don't really have any specific goals with regard to working out, I have been doing it for 13 years because it makes me feel good; inside and out.

I have recently begun resistance training / lifting some weights in an effort to tone up and increase lean muscle mass. Slightly increase muscle mass that is. I am most interested in upper body, as my lower body has always been toned from the nordictrack, years of joggin and just as many years of biking. I actually like my legs go figure. Abs and biceps, triceps are my bigger concern. Again, I want to be careful with shoulders and back as I spent my youth as a competitive swimmer and wider shoulders are something I do not need! Although I have noticed that they are much more square of late, and overall my posture has improved.

This is my schedule for yesterday:

5:40 a.m. 35 minutes on Nordictrack ~ medium intensity
stretching and cool down - 7 minutes

5:30 p.m. No cardio today, stretching then straight into Ab workout:
3 sets of 15 side bends (using broom handle over shoulders)
3 sets of 50 crunches
2 sets of 20 side crunches
3 sets of 40 reverse crunches
more stretching.

Ok, I have a question if anyone is reading I feel nothing from the crunches the next day. Occaisionally I can tell i've worked the obliques; but that's cause I just started with them a week ago. I am doing these properly, I pull the muslces in and I contract them for every move, I will occaisionally hold the move or to 20 very quick ones for variety. But today? nadda. I did feel them at first, mind you. And it is much easier now than it was 6 weeks ago, I can feel the muscles working, the pulling in and down instead of the reaching up as in a sit up. Just curious, should I be feeling more the day after? In my defence, I dont feel the squats or lunges like I used to either, and I never feel the calf raises, and I work those (all of those muscle groups) to exhaustion.

Any comments would be welcome.


Nat