ROAD TO MY FITNESS GOALS

    My palms and fingers were still recovering from the high volume of climbing last week. So, I reduced the number of climbs slightly. I still climbed 4 times this week.      I also gave a break on my running running only two times during the week. My calves were sore due to increasing mileage to 3 or 4 miles per run from 2 miles per run until week 3.     Just like last week, I have re-started new barbell exercises like Snatches and Cleans.  Monday 4 sets of: - 250 meters Row - 10 reps (Each hand) Dumbell Snatch (25lb) - 10 Burpees 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 5 V2 routes 5 V3 routes 1 V4 route Tuesday 4 Mile Outdoor Run Wednesday 6 V0 routes 8 V1 routes 6 V2 routes 3 V3 routes Thursday 3 Sets of: 5 reps Overhead Snatch (65 lbs) 5 reps Strict Pull-Ups 10 reps Box Jumps 10 reps Burpees 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 4 V2 routes 3 V3 routes 3 Mile Outdoor Run Friday  - Rest Day Saturday 4 V0 routes 5 V1 routes 4 V2 routes 3 V3 routes 4 Se

   I am sore from the workout this week. I did a lot of climbing again. On Thursday, I completed 27 climbs. My hands are beaten up with blisters. Using tape helped climbing with the blisters on Saturday.   I ran a total of 11 miles this week. This is the most I have run in my minimal shoes. My calves are a little sore - But I am getting more comfortable running in these shoes.  I am slowly adding exercises to my workout. I tried dead lifts after more than a year. So, I focussed on the form and used light weights. More barbell lifts to be added in upcoming weeks Monday 4 V0 routes 5 V1 routes 5 V2 routes 6 V3 routes Tuesday 4 Mile Outdoor Run Wednesday 3 Mile Outdoor Run 4 sets of: - 10 reps Kettle Bell Swings (35 lb) - 10 reps Push-Ups - 10 reps Goblet Squat (35 lb) - 10 reps Burpees 4 sets of: - 250 meters Row - 1 minute Plank Thursday 7 V0 routes 8 V1 routes 6 V2 routes 5 V3 routes 1 V4 route Friday  - Rest Day Saturday 6 V0 routes 8 V

    Carrying on from previous week, I did more climbing. On Saturday, I climbed a total of 20 routes. That was exhausting.     I also added couple of runs during the week and few other workouts. My high intensity routine and running feels off. I have not been very consistent with those over the last 6 months. I will start adding more exercises and increase training intensity as I get more comfortable. Monday 3 V0 routes 3 V1 routes 3 V2 routes 5 V3 routes Tuesday Warm-up: 250 meters Row 2 Mile run on treadmill 3 sets of: - 250 meters Row - 15 reps Kettle Bell Swings (35 lb) - 5 reps Strict Pull-Ups - 10 reps Push-Ups Wednesday 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 3 V2 routes 1 V3 routes Thursday 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 3 V2 routes 3 V3 routes 250 meters Row 2 Mile run on treadmill 2 sets of: - 10 reps Kettle Bell Swings (35 lb) - 10 reps Kipping Pull-Ups - 10 reps Goblet Squat (35 lb) - 10 reps Burpees Friday  - Rest Day Saturday 4 V0 routes

        Unfortunately, my training got interrupted after week-1 due to an emergency. In any case, I am back to my routine and hope to catch up on the lost time. Here is the workout for this week - Monday - Rest day Tuesday 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 4 V2 route 2 V3 routes Wednesday 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 3 V2 routes 1 V3 routes Thursday 4 V0 routes 4 V1 routes 4 V2 routes 4 V3 routes Friday  - Rest day Saturday  - Rest day Sunday 3 V0 routes 3 V1 routes 3 V2 routes 3 V3 routes 1 V4 routes         I completed my first ever V4 climb on Sunday. Apart from bouldering, I did not do any other workout this week. I will start incorporating them next week.         You can read about bouldering V-scale here         As always, suggestions are welcome!

        I ran only 4 miles this week instead of the planned 6 miles. I don't mind starting slow. Especially since I just started to try forefoot running style.         For bouldering, the route difficulty is indicated by the v-Scale. V0 is the easiest routes and the difficulty increases with higher grades. Bouldering felt good at the beginning of this week.  On Wednesday, my muscles got tired fast and I could not complete few v3 climbs that I completed earlier in the week. So, Thursday was an easy day to help the muscles recover. Monday 3 V1 routes 5 V2 routes 5 V3 routes 1 V4 route  (3 failed  attempts. Need to work on finger strength) Tuesday 3 V0 routes 5 V1 routes 1 V2 route 2 V3 routes 1 failed V3 route (Need to work on finger strength) 1" campus board pull ups - 10 X 1 rep 2 X 10 reps pushups 2 X 10 reps bodyweight squats 1.5 minutes plank 2 mile run at 10 min/mile pace Wednesday 2 V0 routes 6 V1 routes 4 V2 routes 2 failed V3 routes (Tired

This series is a weekly log of my training. I will also talk about the logic over how I am defining and modifying the training plan. Over time, this series will highlight the progress I am making.   The main focus areas for my training is listed below.   For Climbing: Focus Area Activity Weekly Frequency Finger/Arm/Shoulder Strength training Campus boards, Pullups, Rope Climbing, Barbell, Kettlelbell Training 2 Core Fitness Planks, Push-ups, Situps 2 Legs and Balance Squats, Barbell, Kettlelbell Training 2 Balance Stretching/Yoga 2 Full Body Climbing, Burpees 3     For Running: Focus Area Activity Weekly Frequency Running Muscles Running 3 Endurance Jump Ropes, Rowing 1  

Before I answer this question, here is a back story about me. My interest in fitness started about a decade ago when my friend took me to try kickboxing. Going with a friend helped since we kept each other motivated. While learning punching and kicking techniques was fun, I preferred the strength exercises. Soon, doing 100 reps of pushups, squats, pull-ups, mountain-climbers, burpees, kettle-bells with a lot of punches, elbows, knees and kicks was not too tiring. It felt great! As I was getting more comfortable with the routine, I started looking for other activities to challenge me. I came across a Dragon Boat Club. If you haven't seen a Dragon Boat race, take a look at this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPTD-CdQDWs I went for the tryouts and got in. Without the kickboxing classes, I wouldn't have been strong enough to get into the team. My team was a close group with amazing camaraderie. This meant everyone worked hard. No one wanted to be the one who lets the