Workout Schedule


This is the workout schedule that I have followed for about the last fifteen years. It is a maintenance workout schedule which I do seven days a week, not a workout to get in shape or get bigger, just a workout to stay in shape, stay flexible, maintain a set level of endurance, etc. I have only missed two workouts in the past 15 years.

When I was still working, before I retired, I would get up an hour early and work out every day before going to work. I supplement this workout with doing a hike* several times a week in the woods carrying a 20 lb pack. Sometimes, in the past, I would bicycle 20 miles, instead of hiking but I have worn out two bicycles and need to have them rebuilt before starting to do that again.

*Beginning with the COVID pandemic, after I retired, I added an indoor walking routine at the end of each day's workout. Poor outdoor air quality due to the Canadian wildfires then limited my outdoor activities, so I decided to make indoor walking a permanent part of my regular exercise routine. Some days, at the end of my daily workout and instead of indoor walking, I put on a 20 lb pack and do five laps from my basement to the second floor of my house which takes about ten minutes.

When I worked, I got a lot of extra activity each day by taking the stairs at work or walking around the building, etc., which I consider to be normal work activity. Normal work activity is NOT a substitute for a structured exercise program as described below.

I start every daily workout by first doing Rodney Yee's Morning Yoga for Beginners routine which is to get me emotionally, spiritually and physically centered, balanced, warmed up and stretched out before entering the main part of my daily workout. This routine consists of 20 minutes of stretching and weight bearing exercise, various yoga poses and meditation. This is a yoga routine I also used to do before more strenuous Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga sessions, etc. to get warmed up. It is a great pre-workout routine:

https://tinyurl.com/4cs294hs


Monday and Wednesday

Rodney Yee AM Yoga

Decline Pushups - two sets of 50

Sit ups - two sets of 60 (I do 30 bent leg and then 30 twisting bent leg)

Three back exercises:

Back arches  (AKA Supermans) - 2 sets of 10
Rear Delt Fly - 2 sets of 10
Prone Cobra - 2 sets of 10

https://whitecoattrainer.com/blog/calisthenic-back-exercises

Chin ups - 1 set of 10

Headstand - three minutes (going into headstand by lifting both legs together, knees straight), alternating breathing between normal breath and Yoga kapalabhati breathing every 30 seconds to release toxins. At the end of three minutes, lower legs to floor, touching toes to floor and return to headstand. Repeat three times. 

Child pose - 60 seconds (balances body after doing inversion)

Seated mediation - 60 seconds, followed by 10 clockwise neck rotations, 10 counterclockwise neck rotations.

Cow Faced Pose - 30 seconds each side. I stay upright for 20 seconds and then bend head to knee for 10 seconds.

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cow-face-pose/

Full Plank - 40 seconds (really just the downward part of a pushup)
Upward Facing Dog - 40 seconds
Downward Facing Dog - 40 seconds

Indoor walking routine 11 to 17 minutes or stair laps with weight.

Done.

Tuesday and Thursday
Rodney Yee AM Yoga

Two sets of 10 Theraband twist for each arm while standing on balance board. This is to prevent issues that I experienced at work from repetitive stress injuries. I keep doing them as they are a great preventative for that kind of stress. I do it on the balance board to work on balance and knee strength at the same time, which also gets me warmed up for the next exercise. It also seems to help with pain from the biceps re-attachment surgery I had in the late 1990s.

Half Squats with weights - two sets of 20 using 50 lbs of weight. Just keeping my quad strength up without putting too much stress on my knees.

Calf Raises - two sets of 30. I do this on an elevated platform to improve the range of motion.

Full squats - two sets of 10, butt to the floor, with no weight, to maintain flexibility. After the last rep of the second set, I stay in full squat for 30 seconds.

Arm Curls - two sets of 10 with 25 lb dumbbells. I do full range of motion, not just focused on my biceps, but on maintaining the ability to pick up fairly heavy stuff. Also doesn't irritate my torn bicep muscle this way.

Triceps Dips - two sets of 20. I use a chair to do this and also elevate my feet.

Headstand - same as on Monday and Wednesday, but only for 60 seconds and only touch my toes to the floor and return to a full headstand one time.

Child pose - 60 seconds (balances body after doing inversion)

Seated mediation - 60 seconds, followed by 10 clockwise neck rotations, 10 counterclockwise neck rotations.

Cow Faced Pose - 30 seconds each side. I stay upright for 20 seconds and then bend head to knee for 10 seconds.

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cow-face-pose/

Prep for leg lifts - rest butt on hands, lift legs about 8-10 inches and hold, do 30 chin to chest reps and then 30 bent legged leg lifts (to avoid stressing hips).

Go directly into Shoulder Stand for 30 seconds and then into Plow for 30 seconds.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6214/10-Reasons-to-Practice-Shoulderstand-Every-Day.html

Downward Facing Dog - 40 seconds.

Indoor walking routine 11 to 17 minutes or stair laps with weight.

Done.

Friday and Sunday

Rodney Yee AM Yoga

Headstand - same as on Monday and Wednesday, but only for 60 seconds and only touch my toes to the floor and return to a full headstand one time.

Child pose - 60 seconds (balances body after doing inversion)

Seated mediation - 60 seconds, followed by 10 clockwise neck rotations, 10 counterclockwise neck rotations.

Cow Faced Pose - 30 seconds each side. I stay upright for 20 seconds and then bend head to knee for 10 seconds.

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cow-face-pose/

Crab walk - Just a few yards each direction.

https://fitnessvolt.com/crab-walk/

Alternate Arm and Leg Raises - 20 each side

https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Do-Plank-Alternating-Arm-Leg-Raise-45751575

Several other balance exercises which vary by what I feel I need to do.

Downward Facing Dog - 40 seconds.

Indoor walking routine 11 to 17 minutes.

Done

This is lighter workout to allow recovery from Monday-Thursday workouts which are pretty strenuous.

Saturday

Saturday is usually my lightest workout as I still feel the need to work on flexibility and balance every day while also resting my body a bit. I still walk or hike if the weather permits.

Rodney Yee AM Yoga

Headstand - same as on Monday and Wednesday, but only for 60 seconds and only touch my toes to the floor and return to a full headstand one time.

Child pose - 60 seconds (balances body after doing inversion)

Seated mediation - 60 seconds, followed by 10 clockwise neck rotations, 10 counterclockwise neck rotations.

Cow Faced Pose - 30 seconds each side. I stay upright for 20 seconds and then bend head to knee for 10 seconds.

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cow-face-pose/

Downward Facing Dog - 40 seconds.

Indoor walking routine 11 to 17 minutes.

Done