Sagui Itay - Unity Assets, software development and mobile games

Training – maintenance during down times

This is another post on the subject of gym training(see the previous post about building up muscles and strength). This time, I’ll discuss how I train when I’m preoccupied, or just not really in the training mood. After the birth of my daughter, I had many long and sleepless nights. I also found that I obviously had less time to spend at the gym. A change was in order.

Instead of my usual A/B training, I decided, along with my trainer, to switch to total-body training, twice a week. This allowed me to stay in shape, while taking up less of my time, and being a bit less intensive.

Each training consists of all the muscles groups, with the exception that we alternate between deadlift and squats.

For each of the following, I perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions, trying to achieve 90% of my maximum weight:

  • Bench press: 90-100 kg (200-220 lbs)
  • Lat pullover: 60-70 kg (130-155 lbs)
  • Overhead shoulder press: 60-70 kg
  • Biceps and triceps super-set: 10-12 kg (22-26 lbs)

After that, I’m left with the alternating squats and deadlifts. The weights of the exercise varies depending on how well I slept during the night, what I ate during the day, and how much I worked. For squats, the weight can be anywhere between 120 kg to 170 kg (260-375 lbs), while for deadlift, it’s usually between 140 kg and 190 kg (310-420 lbs).

Although much simpler than the A/B training, these exercises cover all the basics, and make sure that I work in a balanced fashion, without over killing myself.