The 16 weeks are broken into four equal segments, each calling for four days per week of weightlifting. That's an increase for me ... even when I wasn't training for a marathon, I was generally lifting weights three times a week. Four times is really unusual for me.
On each of the four days, we work a few different muscle groups. The exercises and muscle groups remain constant throughout the entire 16-week program. What changes is the number of sets/reps and how much weight we're lifting.
The beginning of the program calls for 5 sets of 18-20 reps, all at relatively low weights. Then, as the weeks progress, it gradually does the inverse. By the end, it calls for just 2 sets of 5-8 reps, at much heavier weights. I'll be curious to find out if I can see any difference in myself when we're through -- although I'm planning to get a body fat percentage test as soon as possible after we wrap up, and then I'll really know. I'm tempted to do before/after pictures but worried that would be weird ...
So, we're now in the fourth week of the first segment. Things are going well. We've gotten used to the individual exercises and we've been able to increase the amount of weight we're lifting on most of them. I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say that we're looking forward to next week, when we decrease the sets/reps and increase the weight. It will be a nice change of pace, for one thing, and it will also be good to spend a little less time on exercise. I do love working out but I've been spending at least two hours at the gym on weight-training days since we started this program. Fortunately I've had the time but I've been ignoring some other stuff and it will be nice to get back to it.
Will I be a ripply musclebound 42-year-old mom 12 weeks from now? Time will tell ...
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