Week 27! Whoohoo! This pregnancy seems to be flying by. I guess chasing a 3 year-old, working, and trying to stay active can do that. I had an OB appointment yesterday, everything is great, and I promised I would update on the weight gain so far. 16 lbs which I'm very happy with and is average for 27 weeks. I also got in another 4 workouts last week as follows:

5 rounds-5 Deadlifts 135#, 5 ring push-ups with toes on box (ring height equal with box height) much more challenging than regular push-ups, involved way more core stabilization and upper body strength. Not the hardest workout I've done by any means, probably could have done heavier deadlifts due to the low reps.

"Michael" (scaled for pregnancy) 3 rounds-600m run, 15 toes to bar, 20 good-mornings. Talk about some hamstring soreness. I was sore for almost a week after those 2 workouts in a row! Toes to bar are still manageable. I hope to be able to do them as long as possible to maintain ab core strength.

Shoulder press-1,1,1,1,1,1,1 45,55,65,70,75,80,85×2 followed by 3rds 10 pull-ups, 10 dumbbell squat cleans 25# for a short metcon. I was really happy with my shoulder press numbers, pretty much the same as pre-pregnancy. My 1 rep max for a strict press was 90# so I hope that's increased. I guess I'll find out post-partum :)

5 rounds-200m run, 8 clean & jerks 75# When I'm out of ideas I tend to do workouts involving runs which is kind of where this one came from. Our gym was doing "2 minute Defense" which involves a short sprint in combination with a clean, front squats & push-jerks. It gave me some inspiration for this workout. My Olympic lifts are still coming along just fine. I haven't found that my belly impedes my cleans or snatches. I'm sure I'm bringing the bar farther out in front of my body to avoid hitting the belly though, but I believe it's pretty minimal.

Energy Systems

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the energy molecule needed by our body to produce mechanical work & fulfill all biological and chemical activities in our bodies. ATP is stored in our muscles and is readily available when a stimulus is provided, but this supply is limited to a few seconds. The need for more ATP must be further provided by the breakdown of carbohydrate (CHO) in the form of glucose or stored muscle glycogen.

Anaerobic Systems
-Creatine phosphate system-very rapid system where ATP is limited and oxygen is not needed. Examples where this system is used are power related: sprints, football line plays, gymnastics routines
-Anaerobic glycolysis-the rapid breakdown of CHO also without involving oxygen. This breakdown leads to lactate/pyruvate (lactic acid) as a byproduct, lending that "burning" sensation to the working muscles. Although considered anaerobic, pyruvate can readily participate in ATP production when oxygen is available, so it can be considered a first step in aerobic metabolism. Examples where this system is used include power/endurance activities like 200-400m sprints or 100m swims. Also short high intensity exercises lasting a few minutes.

Aerobic Metabolism
This system can use CHO, fat and protein to produce abundant supplies of ATP in the presence of oxygen to sustain muscular endurance over long periods of time. This system is primarily used in endurance events lasting longer than an 800m run, or during activities of low-moderate intensity lasting 30 minutes or more.

Although protein can be broken down to form ATP in aerobic exercise, CHO's and fats are the primary sources used in healthy adults. CHO is the fuel of choice at the onset of exercise and high intensity work, but a gradual shift to fats is seen during prolonged exercise of low-moderate intensity lasting 30 minutes or more.