A Saturday Sister Workout

My sister Summer and I have been meeting up to go to the gym once every couple of weeks or so.  I'm not sure how we're able to get in such a great workout when it seems like all we're doing is laughing and making stupid Simpsons or Friends jokes. This past Saturday we got to the gym, and by reading the blank look on Summer's face when I asked, "What do you want to work on today?", I knew I had to take charge.

 

"Okay, Tabata sprints or rowing machine?" I asked.

 

"I don't want to do Tabata sprints!" she giggled.

 

"Perfect." I wanted to row today anyways! AND, I love being the one to come up with our workouts.  I'm hoping to get a certification in personal training {this year? next year?} so I love having Summer as my guinea pig. She's great at letting me boss her around and pick apart her form! Okay, that just makes me sound evil...

We started with 1000m row at a 7 resistance.  I beat my previous time for 1000m {4:38} by only a few seconds.  I ended up rowing 1019m and my time said 4:36 so I don't know what time I got at exactly 1000m, but I think I calculated it out to about 4:31. 

 

I swear Summer looked like Mary freakin' Poppins perfectly perched on the rowing machine, just as giddy and gay as can be, and it was cracking me up.  She definitely makes going to the gym a lot more fun than when I'm by myself!

 

After catching our breaths, we alternated doing assisted pull-ups and upright rows with a 35- pound weight plate. {3 sets of 8 reps for each}.

 

Then, one of my favorite parts of a workout...the squat rack.  I love working at the squat rack because there's usually no one using it and it freaks the living daylights out of the muscleheads to see a woman lifting.  

We started with front squats {45 lb x 8 reps, 65 lb x 5, 95 lb x 3, 115 lb x 1}. The trick is to try to keep your weight on your heels instead of the balls of your feet, and you want to drop your butt down far enough so that your thighs go past parallel with the floor. And elbows up!

Then back squats {45 lb x 8 reps, 65 lb x 5, 95 lb, x 3, 115 lb x 3, 125 lb x 1}.  Widen your grip on the bar than your grip for front squats. I was super stoked because 125 lbs is the highest weight I've ever done for back squats...my first time lifting more than my bodyweight! Another personal record!  We started to do deadlifts but our legs were pretty tuckered out so we moved on.

 

Tricep dips and oblique side bends with 35 lb weight plates were next.  For the first time, I was able to do full bodyweight tricep dips for 3 sets of 8 instead of using the assistance from the machine.  We did 2 sets of 15 side bends for each side. 

 

We finished up with me challenging Summer to a plank {on elbows} contest, and giving her a forewarning that the longest plank I've held was for 5:20.  She made it to 2:45 and I stopped at 3:00.

 

Here's the day's workout:

1000m row

Alternate assisted pull-ups with 35lb upright row {you can use a weight plate, resistance band, dumbbells, kettlebell, or a barbell} for 3 sets of 8

Front squats {45 lb x 8 reps, 65 lb x 5, 95 lb x 3, 115 x 1}

Back squats {45 lb x 8 reps, 65 lb x 5, 95 lb x 3, 115 lb x 3, 125 lb x 1}

Tricep dips {3 sets of 8}

Oblique side bends with 35 lb weight plate {you can also use dumbbells or kettlebells} for 3 sets of 8

Plank hold on elbows

 

Let me know how you do if you do this for your workout!