2020's Exercise Regime

As 2020 nears an end, I feel that the fitness level has slipped in this crazy year that ought to have been canceled. This feeling is relative. My body has slipped from peak fitness, of course, compared to the first three months when I was working out six times a week, and that included a ton of strength training. I'm sorely missing that. I have weights at home, but I didn't go the whole hog to get a Les Mills SmartBar plus weights and work out to the on-demand videos (subscription). 

Now, the fitness regime is adjusted. I work out five times a week, aiming to get a mix of aerobic and anaerobic. I'm less keen on HIIT things. I complain about it, but during the week, I move the lazy ass to fit in two 30-minute Aaptive workouts at home. Anaerobic is also acquired through swimming and running. Swimming is easy to fulfill thrice a week, so I do sprints in the pool late at night or early in the morning when nobody else is there. I never liked running. So from not running at all, I started running thrice a week from April to July. Then I stopped. From August till now, on top of it all, I fit in one run a week. I don't like running, so even putting on the Vibrams to sprint 5km once a week is more than enough.  

I've fallen off the bandwagon when it comes to lifting weights. It's not instinctive for me. Am back to using my own body as leverage for strength-training. Krav Maga classes always help with all-body conditioning and reflexes training. Pilates help loads too. There's the Reformer with its resistance and straps, and also the Cadillac with all its bars for me to hang off of or to practice pull-ups in all manner. I can still do five regular pull-ups at a go. Yayyy. 

I still keep to doing 25 press-ups a day. And planking for two minutes daily. These help to stabilize the core muscles and keep them toned. Just drop and do to Netflix. Planking at home works fine. But when the instructor piles on the resistance and makes me plank on the Reformer, whatever time I've improved on at home is negated because it's a huge effort holding on to that carriage. Hahahaa. It's not about planking for six minutes. It's about optimizing strength versus time, and it doesn't have to be done till muscle fatigue.

A typical segment of planking at Pilates.