30-Day Challenge: Day #17 […and Pre-Workout Coffee]

May I please get a coffee, intravenously please?

I’m finally facing a new reign of terror in my life: I can’t snap back from late night parties like I used to. Oh my god. I’m old now. I’ve gone from Unquestionably Fun & Young to Hopelessly Old & Tame. The better explanation, though, is that I was already sleep-deprived and fighting a flu being passed around the office, so maybe the age thing is debatable. And hosting parties – while fun – can be exhausting at the same time. You want to make sure everyone is well liquored, fed, engaged, and having a good time. We started off the night with a little soiree at the office, then we all shuffled over to the ACC for a Leafs game. We continued the night at a pub for a few drinks, before I finally snailed through terrible traffic to get home. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I actually got out of bed this morning and managed to procure myself a cup of coffee to help bounce back from the late night festivities.

I used to hate coffee. The smell, taste, staining of the teeth and unavoidable bad breath was nauseating. I couldn’t understand why everyone was obsessed with this bitter beverage. When I was younger, a few of my friends thought that coffee was a gateway into the adult world. I survived university without relying on caffeine, and avoided it up until two years ago. Since then, I’ve developed an appreciation for the drink and have depended on it when my brain refused to function.

What makes coffee so amazing is its sheer simple pleasure. The warmth, the (acquired) taste, and the stimulation leaves you feeling so energized and motivated. These qualities have been useful for some of my workouts, especially during my lengthy runs. It makes me feel stronger, faster, and more focused for during my training sessions. It gives me an extra boost and increases the blood flow from the heart to the rest of my body. When you drink coffee before exercise, it will use fat cells as an energy source instead of glycogen, which delays muscle fatigue and increases your endurance.

While caffeine has all these benefits, one downside to it is that your body adapts to it overtime. If you’re a caffeine junkie, it will progressively take more and more for you to reap the benefits. Too much of a good thing can be destructive in excess – always do things in moderation!

I’ve finally made it to Day #17! I used one of my banked rest days yesterday, and will be using the other one tomorrow. Today’s workout focused on strength training – so it’s all weights and no cardio. Lisa did include a bit of optional skipping at the end, but the main goal today was to build muscle. The exercises looked short and easy, yet by the end my arms were shaking and muscles were burning. But I loved it – yes to girls and lifting weights!

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Here is Lisa’s workout taken her workout directly from her website with some of my modifications, and the link to her video.

DAY #17:

Complete the following exercises as quickly as possible, using as much weight as you can but without compromising on form.

Today’s Workout: (8 Reps Each, Repeat Entire Exercise x8)

1. Bicep Curl [using Barbell]
2. Tricep Dips Kickbacks [using Hand Weights]
3. Around the World [using Hand Weights]
4. Squats [using Barbell]
5. Shoulder Press [using Barbell]
6. Reverse Fly’s [using Hand Weights]
7. Chest Press [using Barbell]
8. Tuck Abs  [using Hand Weights]

To Finish: (Timer is set to 10 seconds rest & 50 seconds work)

• 8 x rounds of skipping