11/14/09: strength assessment

I'm slowly going out of my mind due to boredom and lack of exercise. The cold has flared up again and now I also have pink eye. Earlier this week, I checked out Tripower: The Ultimate Strength Training, Core Conditioning, Endurance, and Flexibility Program for Triathlon Success from the library. It's a book specifically dedicated to building strength in muscle groups that are used in triathlon sports. It begins with a strength assessment that is supposed to repeated every month. I really like tests like that because they're a great way to measure progress. I was missing a few vital pieces of equipment, so I made a quick shopping trip to TJMaxx.



I picked up a physio ball, some tension bands, and a yoga mat (total cost: $35). My spending has increased lately, but I blame it on the change of seasons. Home exercise is the only way I'm going to stay in shape over winter and is the most time efficient way to incorporate workouts into my schedule.

pushups* in 60 seconds: 10
wall sit using physio ball (time to exhaustion): 1'07"
side plank (time to exhaustion): 30" (R), 32" (L)
side plank with bent knee (time to exhaustion): 43" (R), 29" (L)
prone plank (time to exhaustion): 32"
extensor chain [balancing on physio ball parallel to ground while facing down] (time to exhaustion): 2'02"
core strength: 100%

*didn't even touch the ground