Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
I just finished the first set of my weekly exercise plan and have come to a profound conclusion. I will definitely need to revamp the reps I’m doing for my workout. Again, I bit off more than my body can handle at the moment. On the upside, I have data concerning calorie burn for using weights.
Again, I set up my workout plan according to what I could do back in 2018. And again, my body demonstrated how inadequately out of shape I am compared to the past.
Although I am still shaking from the intensity of the workout, I view this as a good thing. I now have a baseline of what I can handle and can make adjustments accordingly.
Why I’ll Revamp the Reps in the Workout
If something seems too difficult or mundane, there is less chance you’ll continue the activity. No one wants to be bored to tears or dread looking at the dumbbells lying on the floor.
Pushing yourself too hard from the get-go is only going to give you a negative experience. And when I say “pushing too hard,” I’m referring to pushing yourself to the point of pain and increasing discomfort.
Yes, there is such a thing as going too hard when it comes to weight lifting. That’s how you injure yourself. Don’t get sucked into ego lifting. You’re really not impressing anyone, especially if you wind up pulling something or hurting yourself.
Then, you’ll just become a clip on Tik Tok or part of a “gym fails” video on YouTube.
Fitness isn’t a race. Sure, I have an added incentive to do what I can before the photography shoot in 10 weeks. But, it doesn’t mean I need to hurt myself in the process.
For now, I’ll reduce the reps by 4 for each set. So, instead of 20 curls with 20-pound dumbbells, I’ll do 16. This might actually be a bit low for me, even after taking such a long hiatus from working out.
But, starting at 16 will also give me a better idea of whether I can safely increase the reps or not.
Keep in mind, I’m not going for the bodybuilder look. I just want to add a bit to what I have now while getting rid of quite a bit of fat. Nothing more.
Why Not Use Lighter Weights?
Doing more reps with lighter weights helps with building new muscle. It also contributes to preparing your body for increasing the workload by strengthening joints and bones.
However, I know my limits and what I strive to achieve. I know what 20-pound dumbbells do for me on a physical level, and I’m pretty happy with the results that were coming back in 2018.
Not to mention the fact that I don’t have lighter weights here. I suppose I could curl a gallon of milk, but it’s fairly awkward.
Back in the day, I started with 10-pound dumbbells. And that worked exceptionally well as my beginning level. Since then, I’ve added quite a bit of muscle mass, even after taking such a long break from actually working out.
Truth be told, if I had those 10-pound dumbbells today, I’d probably use them as a way to get the momentum going again.
Still, I’m fairly confident I can continue with the 20-pound set and simply revamp the reps in the workout to get the desired results I want.
Shouldn’t You Still Push Yourself to Achieve Greatness?
The whole purpose of a goal is to push for self-improvement. But, there is a thin line between pushing and overworking yourself. Sometimes, a nice and easy swing to guarantee a base hit is better than trying to crush the ball only for the outfielder to catch the fly.
In other words, trying to do too much today may lead to injury.
After a while, you’ll get an idea of what you can handle. Then, try adding a bit more to see how you feel. I may just do one set of 16 and figure out I can do 18 the next time.
This is one of the reasons why I like keeping track of personal records. At any point, I can look and see where I am and what I need to do to break those numbers.
I’m still pushing myself, but I also don’t need instant gratification. I know that exercise is more of a long-term commitment, and it may take time to really shatter some of those records.
I’m not one for magic pills that will give me results within days. I need to work for it myself and relish the feeling that I get when I accomplish something.
Still Burning Calories through Cardio…Kind Of
One thing I am pretty excited about is keeping track of the workouts. So far, it appears there is far more cardio work in weight lifting than I initially thought. Well, I knew I’d elevate my heart rate, but I didn’t really know by how much.
Though, I’m not burning nearly as much fat as playing something like the Xbox Kinect. That’s because when I play my games, I am in constant, high-speed motion.
At any rate, I’m looking forward to tracking the data so I can write a blog post about how many calories you can burn through weight lifting.
It’s not really as cut-and-dried as that, though. There’s a lot more going on than simply burning fat. For one thing, your body is converting what you eat into muscle mass and density. So, it’s a bit beyond just melting fat off of certain areas.
What can I say, I love collecting data and crunching numbers. I might go so far as to see how many calories I can burn according to the total weight lifted.
Remember, it’s all about gamification and what you find to be fun. So, even though I’ll revamp the reps for my workout, I’ll still have actionable data to improve later on.
And I find it fun to process data in a spreadsheet. Because I’m a dork like that.
It All Comes Down to Personal Preference
I have no intention of looking like a muscle-bound jock, or have reason to build up to the point of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I am a desk jockey who spends most of the day typing on his computer or playing games.
As I’ve said before, I would like to be somewhere in between Deadpool and Captain America. Or, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans. Part of this is because I really don’t have the time nor dedication to really put towards bodybuilding.
But in reality, I won’t really know until I start getting rid of the body fat percentage. Who knows, I might actually accidentally surpass what I want to achieve. And that’s OK to me. But, I’m not going out of my way to make it happen.
Instead, I’ll continue to revamp the workout according to my wishes, not what someone thinks I should look like.
That’s what fitness and health all comes down to, really; personal preference and what you want and need to survive. Everyone is unique and will have different points of view, dietary needs, and physical restrictions.
Now, there are plenty of people who get “stuck” and have a hard time understanding why. That’s when you spend some time analyzing yourself, your habits, and your capabilities.
The biggest part of this, though, is being honest with yourself. Many people have quite a dim view of themselves and can easily be led astray thanks to depression and self-confidence issues.
At which point, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to surround yourself with friends or a community with a similar mindset. It can help with motivation and be a confidence booster as most of these groups focus on building each other up.
It’s part of why I want to start the podcast next week.
Doing a Revamp of the Workout Doesn’t Mean Failure
As long as you’re comfortable working towards your end game, who’s to say you’re doing it wrong? You’re getting something out of the experience, and as long as you’re happy with the results, that’s all that matters.
Sure, I could still push myself to meet the demands of the workout. But, I would rather not risk being sent to the emergency room. I don’t have the time or money for that.
Instead, I’ll look at what I’m doing and make logical adjustments to meet my personal needs and wants.
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