Fitness Experiment No. 4: Results

For the last six weeks I’ve been working out twice weekly.  Twenty minutes of man-makers alternating with Turkish get-ups, followed by 15 minutes of high intensity intervals on the stationary bike.  So 70 minutes a week.  Click for details.

I re-tested my fitness today and compared with my numbers of July and August:

• weight: no change (170 lb or 77.3 kg)
• maximum consecutive push-ups: 36 before, 28 after
• maximum consecutive pull-ups: 9 before, 8 after
• maximum consecutive sit-ups: 34 before, 39 after
• time for one-mile walk/run: 9 minutes and 30 seconds in August, down to 8 minutes and 30 seconds now
• vertical jump (highest point above ground I can jump and touch): 276 cm in July, 277 cm now
• toe touch (wearing shoes, stand and lock knees, bend over at waist to touch toes: 22 cm in July, 20 cm now

lessons learned

It’s not fun.  I’m glad it’s over.  It’s harder than Experiment No. 3.  The program significantly improved my 1-mile run time, but I did just as well with the more enjoyable Hillfit plus treadmill intervals (Experiment No. 2).  Total work-out time per week is about the same for all three programs.

I do sit-ups with my arms folded across my chest, hands on my shoulders

I’m disappointed in my big drop in total push-ups.  The increase in sit-up performance is cold comfort.

I’m enjoying the intervals on the bike more than the treadmill, and they’re probably easier on my lower limbs.

Although I can’t see myself doing this regimen long-term, I can imagine going back to it periodically just to mix things up, to avoid boredom.

Working harder doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get better results.  Work smarter, not harder.

Steve Parker, M.D.