I’ll be honest, it been a hot second or two since I have hit the gym. Something about the smell of sweat and grunting males has deterred me from going. I mean that, along with the crazy busy past few weeks and the fact that I have really been enjoying running outside. However, I decided yesterday that it was time to cut the slack. After a few hours of mentally convincing myself, I finally was able to make myself go to the White building. Even though it was a Friday night and I expected it to be less crowded than usual. Unfortunately, I walk in and every squat rack was taken and the same sweaty smell I was avoiding all this time was more prevalent than ever. I was not in the mood to wait, so I improvised my leg workout that usually takes place on a squat rack to just some dumbbells.
I started out with goblet squats. You begin by selecting a singular dumbbell that you can lift with just your legs and without straining your back. Usually, something around the 25-45 pound range is typical. Lift this one dumbbell up with both your hands like the image shown below:
Then proceed to squat down while keeping your back straight and weight controlled with your arms. A good round and reps to do are 5×12 with weight increase after the first three rounds.
Next, I moved onto dumbbell lunges, which are just like lunges with a barbell, which was mentioned in my previous leg day post. In this exercise, you are using two dumbbells, so I recommend somewhere between 15-25 pounds. I did 5 rounds of 16 lunges, 8 on each leg. The proper form for this exercise is as seen below:
Finally, I closed out with some calf raises. I used the same dumbbells that I used for my lunges. For this exercise, you go from standing flat-footed to on your toes and back down. I did 5 rounds of 20.
I woke up today, and I can barely stand. I guess that is what I get for skipping so many gym sessions. Honestly, though, I am notorious for not stretching properly before and after exercise, so here are some stretches for both before and after a workout. Additionally, it is important to feed yourself correctly after a workout. I, for instance, enjoy an apple and some greek yogurt after a lift. Here are some other suggestions.
I can totally relate to this depiction of White, it’s busy no matter what and smells pretty bad. Glad you made it back to the gym. I’ve been super busy and haven’t been able to go in a week, but these look like some good exercises to try! Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoy reading your posts about working out and all the workouts you do. I also enjoy hearing about your struggles and how you manage to overcome them. It is very interesting to read all the different workouts and see what changed.
The white building is terrible yet unavoidable honestly. If I had a suggestion to help avoid the sweaty, gross crowd, I would recommend going in the morning. I have found the gym to be the least crowded in the early hours, and it is a great way to start the day. Overall awesome leg day, looking forward to the next workout!
As an architecture major that’s in the studio for long periods of time, going to the gym has been a challenge. However, when I do find time to go to the gym, it is great to vary my workouts so I can always be exercising different muscles. Next time I’m at the gym, I’m gonna do some goblet squats and dumbbell lunges. Great post!