my new workout: OMG i'm so sore!

I regret asking my trainer if it's time to change my workout. I'm so sore this week!

I've been doing the same basic workout at the gym four days a week for quite awhile now. I'm a bit bored, but it's at the point where I know what to expect, how I'll feel when I'm done, and I'm kind of on auto pilot.

My current workout looks something like this:

• Warm-up on the treadmill for 15 minutes, typically walking at 2.8 MPH while reading a book on my phone. I usually do this since I've been sitting at my desk all day (the gym is at work) and I need to loosen up; it helps relieve the back pain.  (I do a different warm-up when I go to see the trainer since time is limited and he's there to make me do it:  three sets of jumping jacks, mountain climbers and jogging in place.)
• Three sets:  15 kettle bell swings (20 lbs.); 15 reverse lunges with kettle bell (15 lbs.); 15 sumo uprights with kettle bell (25 lbs.); and 15 lateral pulldowns (60 lbs.)
• Three sets:  20 walking lunges (sometimes with two 10 lb. weights or a 10 lb. medicine ball); 20 body squats (sometimes with a 10 or 15 lb. weight or 10 lb. medicine ball); and either 15 pushups (floor or incline) or 10-15 squat jumps
• Three sets of exercises on the weight machine. This varies from day to day and depends mostly on how my back is feeling. I typically do two of the following exercises:  10-15 chest presses with 40-50 lbs. of weight; 10-15 biceps curls with 30-40 lbs. of weight; 15 triceps pushdowns with 50 lbs of weight; or 15 cable squat rows with 70 lbs. of weight.
• At the end I may add in a plank or wall sit for one minute, also depending on how my back feels.
• I end with three different stretches.

To someone who doesn't really workout or does a different workout, this may look like a lot (or not), and it is. But having done it for a long time now, I'm much more efficient at it, which means I'm not working as hard as I could since I'm not really changing it up or challenging myself. Yes, I sweat and feel like I worked hard, but it's not difficult anymore. So, I asked my trainer last week if it's time for a change and, of course, he said yes. (Not sure why I thought he'd say no...) When I went to my appointment last week he showed me a preview of the new workout and...I'm really sore!

My new workouts look like this (he gave me two different ones that I will rotate throughout the week):

Workout 1, which I will do on Mondays and Wednesdays:

• Warm-up (same as above)
• Three sets:  20 walking lunges; 20 body squats; and 15 squat jumps
• Three sets:  20 flies using two 10 lb. dumbbells; and 15 push-ups
• Three sets:  20 chest presses  (30 lbs.; I may need to drop this to 25 lbs. since it was almost impossible to get through all three sets at 30 lbs.)
• Three sets:  Left and right leg crunches, 15 on each side; and 15 flutter kicks
• End with a one-minute plank or wall sit several times per week
• End with three different stretches

Workout 2, which I will do on Tuesdays and Fridays:

• Warm-up (same as above)
• Three sets:  20 lateral lunges; 20 wide body squats; and 15 scissor jumps
• Three sets:  20 lateral pulldowns (40 lbs.); and 20 biceps curls with either two 10 lb. dumbbells or on the weight machine with 20 lbs. of weight
• Three sets:  20 kettle bell swings (20 lbs.) and 20 wall ball using a 10 lb. wall ball
• Three sets:  20 ins and outs; and 20 bicycles
• End with a one-minute plank or wall sit several times per week
• End with three different stretches

Today is Wednesday and I've done both of the new workouts this week. How did it go? Well, I made it through the whole thing both days; however, I couldn't do all the ins and outs, and bicycles. I was able to do 10-15 each time, but not 20; it was really, really hard and my abs felt like they'd rip apart. Partly because they were sore from the previous day, and partly because it was just hard--I'm not used to doing ab work. And also it was rough on my back, even though the trainer showed me how to minimize pressure on it. Also, 30 lbs. on the chest press was almost impossible. Basically, the way it should go is that it should be really difficult to push out the last few reps during the third set. Instead, it was super difficult midway through the second set, so I'll need to bump it down to 25 lbs. until I get used to it. I found the scissor jumps to be difficult, mainly because I'm not used to the movement--it's basically a squat jump but you land in the lunge position) and my balance isn't what it used to be. For the next week or so I'll concentrate more on getting the movement right and improving my balance, and then I'll move on to speeding it up a bit. And finally, I found the wall ball/kettle bell swing portion to be difficult. It wasn't that it was hard on my back or too much weight, but, rather, it winded me for some reason. I'm guessing that's because I'm engaging the core during both exercises, which can cause me to become a bit winded usually.

So, to sum it up: I got through it, but I'm really sore and I want to die when I cough (well, maybe it's not THAT bad...). But I'm hoping this helps me get eating habits going back in the right direction again.