X-ZACT Training Session XXV: 51913 - 60113

SESSION XXV [25]

51913 (Sunday #331) Thirty days to go and as usual my count’s off, but I’m not going to go back to try and find where I went wrong. Oh well. AM – work updating what needs to be updated and not exercising. Maybe I’ll get something done at home in the afternoon, or maybe late night. Have to get some health tests done on Monday, so hopefully I’ll have some improved numbers to plug into my over all chart.

This week I start my seventh year as a group fitness trainer at the University. A nice lucky milestone, however what I’ve noticed in the last two weeks is that I seem to have fallen off my discipline in cooking dinner and preparing salads for work. I need to get back on that. I am very happy with my strength increases, this slow burn; patience stuff is a good thing. I don’t feel rushed to pile more weight on the bars or go for personal bests every week. I’ve been working my legs out the way I’ve worked my chest back when I re-started my fitness fanaticism somewhere around 1996/97.

As for this sore throat and coughing, I have no idea where it came from, [do we ever?]. Just the environment I suppose. I haven’t had any decadent adventures lately so my immune system and organs should not be otherwise engaged in filtering toxins, such as alcohol. It could be one of those “things” that’s going around. I’ll keep an eye on it, count the days and see my doc if necessary. Being susceptible is pissing me off! I DON’T get SICK, but sick is trying to make a liar out of me.

Wake 192 Seems like a purge. House cleaning, maybe some home work. Throat still sore & coughing, elixir and grapes, probably veggie dinner. Have to fast – blood tests tomorrow [I may have mentioned this already]. Runny & stuffy nose, cough and sore throat. Tracking this for posterity.

52013 – (Monday #332) Wake 188.5: Fasting for the blood test, not much sleep. Stuffed up in the head. Not much coughing or sore throat.

Looks like this will be sort of a [unscheduled] break week with The Bug on my case and appointments and hangin’ and Andee’s graduation – nonetheless, 150 (3 x 50) squats. Maybe I can sweat the bug out tonight.  Made my own saline nose drops, that and cayenne pepper bread (on grilled cheese sammich) seemed to help. Less stuffy but still week.

52112 – (Tuesday #333) Wake 188.5: I have to stop claiming [asserting] that I don’t get sick. In the last two years something has changed and I have to figure out what it is. [Note to those who use age as an explanation; although you may be right, “age” is my final excuse. Once I’ve eliminated a score of other possibilities, I may have to accept age as the culprit.] I feel like I’ve lost track of time. The worst of this has passed – I think. Nose is still stuffy and running. This episode reminds me of Mad Dog. I’ve been asking my self what has changed in the last two years besides my age, my first guess is food… maybe I don’t eat enough. Maybe I should be more scientific about the food?

Anyway – 2 GX classes @ Temple today and maybe squats afterwards depending on how I feel.

Smoothie for breakfast. I need more supplies. This I’ll have some proper tea also. Still dreary out – that affects mood and recovery.

Taught GX. I’m at 75% today. I really felt the drag but this sucker has got to go. We dealt it a deadly blow. Walking into the pool area knocked me down another 5 – 10% but I rebounded and got through the session. Wisely opted out of squats and may not resume them until next week or after I’m back to 95% or better. I’ll try 250 lbs. even if I have to back off reps. Remember, slow burn, slow build.

Just planning to rest at work. Maybe some one-armed push outs if I get restless.

52213 (Wednesday #334) AM – Gig – Chillin’ recovering – coughing & beatin up on the monster!!!

Wake 188.5 Good sleep, some weight lifting, but mostly just polishing off the Bug!

52313 (Thursday #335) AM – work

Water Bottle squats – 16 [guess I should get back into it – feeling weak, but that’s alright. I can do some easy stuff.]

1 arm push-outs 12

Jump rope.

Y-GX later today, should be 90 – 100% by then. I wonder if I can squat before class today. I only need 20 – 30 minutes. Maybe leave early? Hmmm? Might make a difference.

Wake 187.5 20.5% 54.5% after dp. Choppy sleep, much noise outside, but I’m off the weight plateau if only for today. The Bug is lingering – some mild coughing. Drank breakfast, going to try and get some squats in before GX. El steps are still tough, you’d think I’d be more used to climbingthem by now.

SQUATS!!! 250 lbs. 45 in 5 sets – Felt the weight, but didn’t (?) Some part of the weight vs. energy feeling was missing. Maybe it’s what’s left of the bug or getting stronger.

Y-GX was good but some cough and runny nose [PND] ha ha!! Very humid today.

52413 (Friday #336) AM – work Coughing, runny nose Day 7 of this.

Feeling the upper thighs, beginning to think it’s from jumping rope more than anything else. Playing with the bands tonight (triceps) and will probably do some push-outs at some point. Sleepy, but don’t really know why. It’s probably boredom. Back to hermetic study.

I have to get back to the suspension routine and wake up squats and pushups.

Wake 188 – drank breakfast 3 before work. Did a couple of low rep squats sets, some shoulder presses and they ARE getting easier, and a set of standing triceps extensions [60 lb dumbbell]. These are some of the random, casual exercises I do between piddling around the house and a more formal routine. [yes, I know – No Life.] BTW – woke up clear and unstuffed but nose started running after tea. Hmmm, connection?

HOME Work – Chest Day

1. Dumbbell Bench press 50 lbs.; 21-12-10-15-12-16 = 86 total

[Throwing punches in between most sets at least 100 (total)]

2. Flat Hammer Flies – 20 lb 25 rep warm up: then 20 lbs: 20-20-20  85 total, I think I can do 30s next time.

3. Triceps extensions 30 lbs: 9-8-8-8 = 25 One more than last time, but that’s progress!! My tris need work. I MUST conquer this weight.

4. Incline press 50 lbs: 10-10-10 30 reps. Brutal! Fatigued! HR racin’!! Got to push through the last station.

And done. Big chicken & mushrooms, cheese & tomatoes for din-din.

52513 (Saturday #337) AM – Gig. Updating and thinking about suspension stuff. This place is keeping me from healing,

I’m convinced of this. Although I’ve been on this shift for many years, I’m beginning to believe it’s playing a role in weakening my ability to battle bugs. I should train this morning because this eve I’m headed to Brooklyn and that will certainly cost me a few pounds.

Suspension + Pulls + Crucifixes, just a casual thing to keep me awake. Some one arm pushouts.

Wake 191… travel day, Brooklyn Bound.

 52613 (Sunday #338) – Brooklyn: Body movement, dynamic stretching and flexings.

 There’s a smell that’s been following me around, metallic. First noticed when cooking. It seems to be showing up in clothes and potatoes, books & magazines. [I’ve since found out that this is a symptom of a nasal infection, or pregnancy. I’m going with the former since this showed up around the same time my symptoms came on.]

52713 (Monday #339) Brooklyn: some cough, nose is dry & clear. Some leg work (lifts) and dynamic leg stretches, torso opening, after a night of drinking. Thanks to drinking much water there was no hangover. Walking around today and lamb burgers at Oskar’s, a framily tradition.

 52813 (Tuesday #340) AM – work Philadelphia. 2 gone. El steps interval 143 BPM HR. Double GX was pretty good. Strong but PND.

 Got my blood test results and was psyched about the cholesterol drop. I’m in the zone at 185 [down from 218 about two years ago.] Blood sugar is 98 [low is 60 high is 109, so right in the zone here too]. The other results I’m sure you’re not interested in, except maybe triglycerides which are a bit high – my only option to correct this is to lose weight because I do most everything else already and I’m not taking meds.

 52913 (Wednesday #341) – AM – gig. Restless, trying to allow muscles to recover. Practicing some off center squats, but that’s about it. My ligaments and tendons are tight in my legs, I lack both [the] flexibility and balance [core strength] to do what I want to do, so I just have to keep on trying and practicing to get more flexible and stronger in the ways I want to. Trying to program myself to go to the Y later today for squat/intervals – want to hit the 60 reps mark in a week or two.

 Wake 189.5 30.5 49.5 – hot ass day, woke sweaty, no wonder I’m in the 180s again and very dehydrated. Woke a little clear, some sniffles as the day went on, minor coughing. Day 13.

 Squat/intervals turned into leg therapy with squats leading the way. Did a creatine/beta alanine pre-work + stack.

Increased the squat wt to 255 [+5 lbs.] and did 30 reps in 5 sets. Felt very weak doing it too, that 5 lbs shouldn’t have made that much of a difference… I know it’s the cold. Shin flex, 125 reps with 65 lb dumbbell, need to increase the weight on this for sure. Calf raises, no wt – 100 reps [about 4 rounds for both of these stations]. Leg extensions 195 lbs 50 reps in 4 sets = increase wt next time. Leg curl 180, 26 reps in 4 [the extensions wiped me out].

 I want to call this worn-out Wednesday. I was too tired to do anything, including sleep! This is the last day of chicken week – back to fish and vegge eating for a while. I stocked up on fruits & greens so I can go back to my morning green protein shakes.

 A colleague at the Y mentioned how much different I look in my picture from 2008 (which is still hanging on the Personal Trainers’ board.) he says I’ve bulked up. I don’t think I was weighing myself every day in ’08 but I was taking a daily self portrait. I know for the most part I was in the low-mid 180s. It was just in the past year that I put on the weight – mostly muscle.

 The blood results also show that the daily diet of supplements hasn’t harmed my blood, maybe they’ve helped. Between the last blood test and this one my cholesterol dropped 14 points, which is the biggest single drop since I’ve been keeping track. It may have been a stricter diet, but I do have to reveal that I took red yeast rice very regularly between the last two tests, so that may have had an influence also [aside from the green shakes and vegan eating weeks.]

53013 (Thursday #342) AM – Work – another month almost over, 34 more left, for me to be a badass and walk out of here.

Back room training. Trying a new move, suspension pushups [on bars] feet in the straps, elevated, some hanging pull ups and probably some dumbbell work for shoulders and some bands as well.

 

Suspension pushups 10-10-12-10; this is exhausting; I wonder how many I can get to. This strengthens the core also.

Hanging pull ups 3-4-4-3; I feel this deep and low in the lats almost to the obliques. I good feeling of soreness.

Front raises – 20 (tot)

Cruciflies practice set, then 8 (lower than usual)

Standing Arnold presses – 10

Suspended knee crunch [after the 3d & 4h set of pushups] 8 – 7

Bent lunge flies – 10

Curls – 25 [alt] 10

Just a bunch of random stuff and a few camera clips too.

53113 – (Friday #343) AM –Home: after passing out for several hours I woke up and weighed in at 187 – if that’s a fasting drop or correction remains to be seen. I love being awake at home @ 3am – one of those bennies of living alone. The only thing better would be to have a partner who kept unusual hours like me. 4am meetings at diners and/or 3am workouts @ Planet Fitness or some such spot.

6AM – Wake up – 189.5

Saying goodbye to Mayo. Got a few hours rest, if I slept I didn’t notice. Got to run the woods today – with the pack. I may or may not do anything else. The goal is to run/walk the whole path [2 miles]. Time to get this fat weight off. I have to change my belief that I need weight to move weight. I need to drop 15 lbs of fat and then lift more than ever.

Park run, first mile just over 10 minutes. Second mile (intervals) almost 20 minutes.  Max HR 168, but wasn’t really too tired or out of breath. Spent the last 30 mins stretching the legs.

I don’t like that I stop running and have to start again, but it’s been my pattern for many years now.

8:45AM – Recovery & shower. Casual walk to 69 [erreands]. Funny, choppy sleep. I don’t eat right when I’m off work. Better planning. Happy Hour photo shoot – that’s right, I’m a photographer too.

Glad I ran the woods today. Dancing & Body Rock to close out the month.

JUNE!! Home Stretch!

60113 (Saturday #344) – Wake 188. 12 hours sleep. House chores and random squats work. Wide legged, horseback stance, etc. Need to open hips more and make lower body joints more flexible. Kung fu exercises in addition to everything else.

Krazy dancing at 700 Club. Great weekend with the Fram. End of Session 25, by the way.