New Year, New Plan!

Happy New Year!

For the past few months I've been doing a pretty basic weight-lifting plan:

• One exercise per body part
• 2 sets
• 10 reps
• Moderate weight

So if I was working my chest, I'd do 10 Chest Presses with moderate weight, then I'd rest for a minute, then I'd do another 10 Chest Presses with moderate weight.

I was basically trying to ease my body back into strength training after an extended vacation from exercise.

However, it's smart to change a weight-lifting program every so often--like every 6 to 8 weeks--so the body stays challenged. I think my muscles are ready to take on a more serious load, so I am switching my plan to this:

• Two exercises per body part
• 3 sets total
• 8-10 reps
• Moderate to heavy weight

So a chest routine would be:

• 10 reps Chest Press (moderate weight)
• 8 reps Chest Press (heavy weight)
• 10 reps Chest Flye (moderate weight)

It's still a relatively light plan, and I don't expect to add significant muscle with it. But since I plan to continue my HM training program, I figured my strength training routine needed to be serious enough to help prevent muscle loss, but not so serious that it would detract from my running.