My Strength Based Aerobic Workout

[Guest guest]

I love reading this board but hardly ever contribute, so today I thought I

would (for what it's worth).

In my strength training I like to keep my reps low most of the time (2 - 4

reps for most lifts), it just suits me best, and I always keep my rest

periods between sets short (under a minute). This has all worked rather well

for me, but is not the main point of my post, just background info.

I train like this twice a week (two different routines), but I always wanted

to go into my gym more, i'm sure lots of you can sympathise. So over the

past year or so I have added in an extra workout that fulfils two purposes -

first I get in my gym three times a week, and second this workout becomes

very aerobic, but at the same time working me in a muscularly 'explosive'

way. A true 'old-timers' kind of lift.

Now i'm not trying to come across as someone who has rediscovered some old

lost in time exercise, in fact lots of you probably do it anyhow, but the

exercise / lift I am on about is the one hand dumbbell snatch. After a quick

warm up, I place the bell between my feet (bar going left to right, not front

to back), grasp it with my right hand in a half squat / deadlift type

position. I put my left hand on my left knee, then basically pull the bell

in a snatch fashion to overhead. When there I raise my other hand to support

it to help lower it, then change lifting hands and repeat. I do four reps

(right, left, right, left), time a rest of 45 seconds, then start over (I

usually do 12 sets). After this I would use the bell for either weighted

situps or side bends.

This whole routine takes about half an hour I think, satisfies my urge to go

lift weights three times a week, is a really fun lift once perfected and (in

my case anyhow) doesn't adversely affect my other two heavy workouts.

Oh and lastly, just a bit of fun at my new job the other week (i'm a

maintenance electrician in a factory). The guys there found out I like to

lift weights (I don't normally bother mentioning it due to daft challenges

and remarks etc). By the fitters door was one of these block type weights.

Not sure what they are for, but they are square blocks with a handle on and

its weight printed on it. The guy who had been showing me around for a few

weeks said in front of everyone " Hey, Simon lifts weights, before you go mate

see if you can pick that up " . I looked, and it was only 56lb, and I had been

d/bell snatching about twice that for sets of four, so I strolled up,

snatched it about 6 times pressed it a few then walked off. Made me laugh

anyhow.

Bottom line, i'm no expert, but I just thought i'd do a post of my own

letting you know how I like to keep my lungs in shape. Gotta be more fun

than jogging.

Simon Pitt