My Paleo routine mainly consists of a mix of outdoor cardio exercises that involve the dogs (dog walking, dog running, canicross racing, bikejoring, biking using springer attachments, dog-hiking) AND a regular strength training routine at home using freeweights.

Sometimes I focus mainly on running - especially during the winter when I train for canicross races with the dogs; but at other times I focus on strength training and reduce the running.  Additionally I like to walk long distance during the summer.  I also often go on medium-length walks (3 to 12 miles) where I also interval jog and interval sprint with the dogs, especially now that racing is finished until next September.  Even when I've had a bad day at work and its raining - I have to at least bike or walk the dogs a few miles.  Thats the great thing about keeping dogs - they guarantee that you WILL make some effort to get off your rear end EVERY DAY.  Working long shifts in a control room, it is important that I exercise.  Walking, running, and sprinting with dogs recreates the pack hunting experience for both the dogs .... and me!

My strength training routine at the moment is based on the StrongLifts.com 5x5 barbell routine.  My best 5x5 squat so far has been 97.5 kg, but I have deloaded since in order to concentrate on improving my form.  My best deadlift so far is 112.5 kg x5, but I'm sure that I haven't yet maxed on the deadlift.  Even so, I recently deloaded following a break from lifting while I trained for a canicross race.  I really enjoy lifting - its my meditation.  The dog activities get me outside - but I equally enjoy the strength training, even though I don't have a dedicated gym (I have to cart my gear out intothe dining room every workout.

By the way, I'm no kid - I'm a 45 year old married man with three kids.  I spent the first 43 years of my life going to pot.  I want to be fit and healthy into my fifties and beyond.

Now for todays entry:

12 hour day shifts but fitted in the following after:

Usual 3.5 mile bike ride with the dogs.

Then weightlifting.

5x5 barbell routine.

Squats 67.5 kg 5x5

Overhead Press 35 kg 5x5

Deadlift 87.5 kg 1x5

Pull ups 8, 4, 3.

Strength training day:

but... first I exercised the dogs.

Biked with the assistance of the dogs on the springers 4 miles.

Took this photo on the common:



Then during the afternoon, it was time to strength train.

5x5 barbell routine A

Squats 70 kg.  5x5.  Now that I have got back up to squatting with 1xbodyweight, I'll repeat this weight two more times before increasing.  I want to keep a good form with deep squats.

Bench Press 45 kg 5x5

Barbell Row 52 kg 5x5

Press ups using handles (deep) 20, 10, and 8.

Recovering from night work and now into days off.

No doggy cardio today.  Instead, family day out (with the dogs) to the local Sunday market.  However, walking through a long and busy sunday market with two dogs pulling like crazy is still a pretty good workout!

Later during the evening back home, strength training:

5x5 barbell routine.  Workout B

Back squats 70 kg 5x5

Overhead press 37.5 kg 5x5

Deadlift 90 kg 1x5

Chin ups 9, 4, 3 reps.

Below:  Belle with one of my new 20kg plates

Strength training day!

5x5 barbell workout routine B

Back squats  72.5 kg 5x5

Bench press 47.5 kg 5x5

Barbell Row 52 kg 5x5

Press ups using handles 21, 10, 8.


After the strength training I took the dogs for their favourite 4 mile cross country bike ride   It had been a very hot sunny day, but the sun was going down - we saw several deer including a close encounter with a roe deer.

Inexcusably lazy day - 12 hours at work, but little activity - I should have lifted weights this evening - but never got around to more than bringing out my squat stands and placing the barbell on them

I did however give a bike ride / run to my dogs for 4 miles before dark.

It is very hot at the moment, so I have to be really careful with Wolfy (the husky).

I did have a job interview today - lots of pressure, my excuse for spoiling myself and being lazy tonight.

I'm on night shifts, but it was a gorgeous sunny summer afternoon, so I managed to organise a few hours to take the dogs for a walk.  I had to plan the 4.45 mile route around water stops so that the dogs could keep diving into the river for cool downs

I work 12 hour shifts in a power station control room.  No breaks, no windows, just artificial light.  During the winter I often go 48 hours without seeing any daylight.  I manage to see some evening / morning daylight during the summer, but what it has done to me is make me appreciate daylight, fresh air, and sunshine.  This is going to sound strange, but I seem to really enjoy taking in greens and blues - that is, green wild vegetation, leaves, grass, riverside growth, - but especially when combined with a beautiful blue sky - and the smells!  Its almost as though the colours are richer than they were years ago.  I don't know if it is anything to do with good diet and exercise or aging and depreciating eyesight

So - thats what todays walk was like for me - fresh air, blue sky, the smell of all that plant growth, the blue sky, and lots of green.  Working shifts isn't natural, and it is certainly not good for long-term health.  But after today's dog walk, I can get through tonight.

Picture of the day, I took this photo of a red deer hind while walking Wolfy on a long distance footpath last year, that follows the route of an old Roman Road.  We walked lots of local long distance footpaths last year, usually around 22 miles per day.  This hind was hiding near the footpath, and hoped that we hadn't spotted her in the flowers.  We see LOTS of wild deer on our doggy cardio exercises, but I wasn't sure if I should have posted this photo in my Food Journal instead ... seeing as I recently added wild venison to my diet

Yesterday was a rest and recovery day.  Too hot to run with the dogs.  Its hot and sunny again today.  This week I have been concentrating on simply getting out, and taking in the sun as much as possible.  I have to be careful though, as I have fair skin.

Strength training day

5 x 5 barbell program workout B

Warm ups before each exercise

Back squats 75 kg 5 x 5

Overhead press 37.5 kg 5 x 5

Dead lift 97.5 kg 1 x 5

Chin ups 10, 5, 5

Later in the day I took the dogs for a bike ride.  We headed out west into the forest for a change.  It had cooled down, and Wolfy was on fine mushing form - pulling me down the trails at full husky speed, as Belle ran off leash.  We came around a corner into a large open sandy area - when a pair of lurchers appeared from no where.  I was afraid for Belle - she's such a little thing still - they circled us like a pair of wolves before their owner came running after them.  I think that he had been doing a little illicit rabbiting with them.  No harm done.

12 hour day shifts at work

... then 4 mile cross country bike ride with the dogs.

then...

Strength training day

5 x 5 barbell program  workout A

Back Squats 77.5 kg 5 x 5

Bench Press 52.5 kg 5 x 5

Barbell Row  55 kg 5 x 5

Press ups with handles 20, 12, 10

time to eat again - then bed!