This Is How I Train: A Sample Week For Your Perusal!

You may have seen on Facebook that I’m taking a ‘Skins’ challenge.

If you haven’t heard of Skins, they are one of the most popular brands of compression clothing; designed to improve recovery from exercise. A lot of my trainer and athlete friends use them, but I’ve actually never tried them myself … which is somewhat shocking now that I think about it! Sooo … I decided to set out on a 2-week challenge*

week 1: a peek at my no-skins training journal

To do the challenge properly I’ve needed to record all of my training and recovery comments, so I figured I may as well share them with you. Here’s a peek at what I do in a typical week! I’ve only just entered week 2, so what you see here is without the Skins.

Training

• Mon March 28, 8.45am: 20 minute up and down hills walk with stroller … repeated at 11am. (exciting stuff!)
• Mon March 28, 12 noon: 45 minute bicep and tricep GVT, interspersed with 20 kettlebell swings … after a massive rainforest hike in QLD over the weekend my poor legs are getting a beating at the moment. I do love those swings though …
• Tues March 30, 6.30am: 90 seconds of body-weight squats, lunges, and wall pushes before eating my meat and nuts breaky.
• Tues March 30, 8.45am: 210 x 24kg kettlebell swings. I do 20, then 19, then 18, then 17, and so on. Adds up to 210. Took 15 minutes incl. rest.
• Tues March 30, 3pm (yes, I do sometimes train 2-3 times p/day … doesn’t take long though, as you can see): 45-minute German Body Comp style full-body circuit at R.B.T.

Recovery notes

Quads feel quite fatigued after constant kettlebell swings the past few weeks (every 2-3 days). Did a great arm and then kettlebell session yesterday and I really felt it this morning when I did my 90 seconds of air squats. I do believe that we are supposed to use our big muscles (and probably the little ones too ;-)) every day, and I often find it strange that my legs constantly feel fatigued. Surely they should be able to keep up with an everyday active life?! Well, they do, but with a  little more pain than I’d sometimes appreciate, especially considering how great my diet is. Is it unrealistic to think I can train every day???

Training

• Wed March 30, 8.30am: 20-minute sprints; one minute on and one minute off. My first time back sprinting in over a year post-giving-birth! Ouch! Need to ease back into it.
• Wed March 30, 10.30am: Charles Poliquin classic GBC (German Body Comp): 60 minutes of pure controlled-tempo torture, on 30 sec rest times today. Highlights included killer hammy curls, rows to waist, Peterson step-ups, and some mirror-lovin’ bicep curls.
• Thurs March 31: did 2×20-minute up and down hill power walks (to and from cafe!) with the stroller; that’s it today.
• Fri April 1: This morning I did 30-minutes kickboxing at 9am, and then a 40-minute weight circuit at R.B.T at 3.45pm.
• Sun April 3: 30-minute GVT (German Volume Training) biceps and triceps at home: 10×10 supinated DB curls w. tricep push-ups. Making room in my belly for Yum Cha lunch!

Recovery

Thurs: I usually like to walk slow but I unwittingly left my friend sitting on my doorstep so I had to really charge home! Was great to have a day off ‘real’ training and get some recovery … I feel like my legs haven’t had a break in weeks! I kind of don’t mind the constant fatigue because I’m used to it; but I do notice my strength dropping from time to time.

Fri: As well as the double training session, I also spent 2.5 hours in heels today as I had to give a lunch-time seminar in the city and was walking around a fair bit before and after, as well as standing during. My lower back is not used to this, so I think it has added to general training fatigue. Overall I feel about normal. Legs are tired as always, hips are so tight I think I need to get in there with a cricket ball (tennis ball ain’t gonna cut it!), and my upper back is seriously grouchy.

Sun: Legs are really still feeling stuffed! I did do heavy front squats in my circuit on Friday, but I honestly don’t think my quads have been this sore in ages. I think it’s all the KB swings creeping up on me … hence taking the weekend off from them when I usually do them religiously!

what’s your take on compression clothing?

I had a massive amount of comments on my Facebook post about this challenge. Quite a few people use some of the other brands out there, but from what I can see Skins is still the fave, which just makes me all the more curious to see what all the fuss is about. Here’s what a few people had to say:

I’m curious to hear from you as to whether you’ve tried Skins or any other compression gear?

*The 2-week challenge has now turned into 3. Based on some of the comments on my Facebook post I’m extending it so that I can spend a third week sleeping in the Skins as well! Not sure how excited I am about that one; but I really want to feel this supposed amazing recovery for myself!

** For a regular insight into how I train, be sure to ‘like’ the Woman Incredible Facebook page!