9: Scattering Workouts
I am very fortunate to have the gym in the same room as my workspace, so I have been really enjoying doing sets of exercises between periods of laptop work.
Of course, I could have done this before with bodyweight exercises but never did. I have been trying to think about what the difference is.
I think one thing that’s different is that in the past I’ve viewed “workouts” as being done in a part of the day that’s separate to my work. While working, I would have arbitrary little exercises that I’d try to force myself to do in between long periods of sitting, like a deep squat or a sun salutation or some postural physio-y things, but I rarely did those things because I just didn’t care about them or find them interesting.
I think I conceptualised them differently - as a sort of boring-but-necessary redemption for the terrible sin of sitting down, even though I need to sit down to do my work; whereas my workouts were a chance to get excited about getting stronger, learn new skills etc. They weren’t very fun in comparison. And the stupid thing is that it’s the workouts and general strength training that seem to make the real difference to undoing the damage that can be caused by sitting…
I also think that it helps that I have a standing desk now - it feels like a more realistic prospect to go from standing to training than to go from sitting to training.
It’s early days but this current approach of splitting up the workout between periods of working is going well so far. It will also potentially avoid fatigue and allow more volume with higher weight (since I will effectively be having much more rest by spacing it throughout the day), which should mean I get better strength and hypertrophy results.
Today’s Workout
1x20 bench scapular retractions with 1.25kg on a broomstick (better for retraction)
1x20 face pull-like movement face-down on the bench with two 1.25kgs
3x12 bench press with 15kg barbell
3x12 hip thrusters with no weight
3x12 double kettlebell squats with 2x 10kgs
3x15 barbell bicep curls with 15kg
2x20 chest-supported tricep kickbacks with 1.25kgs
1x20 lateral raise with 1.25kgs
3x10 paused pike compressions
3x12 Romanian deadlifts with 15kg barbell