Your Body Is Your Barbell Day 1 (Monday Musings 61)

Gaddour's Your Body Is Your Barbell

This is my first day where I did Gaddour's Your Body Is Your Barbell Level 1 Ground Zero Bodyweight Burners Program exercises (pp. 192 to 193), including the calf leg raises x 20, which is 9 exercises total.

I didn't need to time the 15 seconds rest in between each exercise, because by the time I got into position for the next exercise (using correct posture), it takes about 15 seconds, making this program even easier to follow.

I then used iPhone countdown alarm for 1 minute and 3 seconds (the 3 seconds to account for pushing the start button and getting into position).

Indeed, it's easy to follow, but I was wiped out after only 1 cycle, and he suggests 3 cycles. I had the endorphin rush that I get when I do moderate aerobic exercise intensity x 30 minutes. 

Further, I couldn't do the "Hanging Bridge" exercise where you're underneath a sturdy table and hold the top part of the table, with your entire body off the floor. My neck started hurting keeping it straight from my body, so I had my head resting on the floor. My body was only slightly elevated, so I was only lifting part of my upper body.  

For the wall sit, I did squats, and for the single-leg wall sit which I couldn't manage to do, I did the wall sit instead.

The Dead Hang I had to assist myself, so I couldn't hang with full bodyweight for the whole minute.

I know my body will get adapted to these exercises, as is always the case, though it'll take time of course. It's amazing how fast your body can get adjusted to things. 

After resting, I then did the jumping jacks portion of his cardio chapter x 50 seconds since, ironically, my Stairmaster Stepmill died completely (it was on its last legs the past 5 years or so).

Since I was exhausted and didn't want to read what the next cardio exercise entails, I then walked up and down the stairs for about 5 mins.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to do the cardio chapter, learning all the exercises he lists since they're very unfamiliar movements to me, except for the well-known jumping jacks, which didn't hurt my knees as much as I thought they would.

Though I prefer the Stepmill because you can space out the whole time, I'd like to learn the cardio chapter just in case I can't go to the gym.

So, sadly, because of the Stairmaster dying, I'll keep my membership, though I'm hoping I can downgrade to the Basic membership. The only difference between the Basic and Black Card Membership, is with Basic, you can't use other Planet Fitness gyms, the massage chairs/beds, or take a friend with you for free.

I'll update Thursday on how the cardio exercises go, and on Friday (Day 2), I'll update and hope to achieve 2 cycles of Level 1 Ground Zero.

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