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.

X-ZACT Training session XXIII: 42113 - 50413

Session XXIII starts today!! I’m in the final 60-some days of X-ZACT and it seems that the first part of 2013 has been wrought with attempted illnesses, injuries and various incidents that have attempted to hold me back and challenge my goals. Despite these non-setbacks it seems I’ve made noticeable gains in size, muscularity, definition and a different kind of strength. My body, however seems to miss running. I can’t remember the last time I ran more than five miles, or even three. As the weather gets warmer I’ll start running the woods again. My buddy wants to do a series of mud runs, so I need to get my butt and mostly my joints in gear for those – just in case they actually happen. There are a few days of travel scheduled in this session which could either result in a break/rest or an opportunity for me to do some body weight “guerrilla” training when and where ever I can. Might be a good time to put a little Tabata in my routine. But who knows. It’s a good thing these introductions are not promises because I’d likely break every one. I go day-by-day. I heard a good quote that goes “Never go to bed today without knowing how you’re going to exercise tomorrow.” The practice exists in the back of my mind; the quote is there just in case I forget. 

For the past four (? Maybe 3) weeks my routine has been such – Monday, Park workouts: Tuesdays GX & Aqua Classes (teaching): Wednesday aqua & Squats: Thursday Y-GX: Friday Lift therapy Saturdays Random usually home work: Sunday – random. Plus Back room training at the gig. So I’ve been pretty consistent. OK let’s get #23 started.

42113 (Sunday #303) – wake 192.5 Party, nothing else to say.

Session XXIII starts on a high note… high weight, but I was celebrating so let’s see how long it will take this to level out and see if it will trigger a great fall.

Massage Day – Feedback: Shoulders got bigger (more muscular). Ice right back (trapz/shoulder – done). Scar tissue build up at rt shoulder/triceps area. No training tonight, but I can still work legs & core. Rt forearm was kind of tight but not as bad as last time. Wonder if I’ll go back to acupuncture. Hello again 23. 

I can still run through the park, squat, jump, kick & role up – taking the workout stack daily, protein shake + recovery before work. Back to salads tonight and fruit+veggie shakes. 

42213 (Monday #304)
Tonight’s casual Lineup: deep assisted squats (maybe try some unassisted), uneven (1 leg elevated) lunge-squats, toy soldiers and walking with the weights on my ankles… like I say, casual. I may not even record reps. (And updated the journal.)

Wake 195  31.5 – 49%  3 gone!! Didn’t take a lot of wake up notes, so let’s see what I can remember. Drank breakfast and the wake stack, then the pre-workout stack and off to the park.

Park work 3 (from the phone);
Conditions 47, sunny, breezy. Pre-work stack, NO Xplode during, protein & recovery after.
I think I may have had too much protein today.
Run/jog thru woods, then across field… 12 minutes
Calisthenics – cross legged side run bk & forth.
Run fwd & back.
Jacks
Fwd & back base run/sprint 3 x 2 (fwd & bk = 1 rep)
Side bench jumps 8 – 12
Turn 180 degree side bench jump (must video this at some point) – new move 6 – 8
Jumping front kicks (march style)
Cross leg side run, bases (on diamond from home to 3rd) 2 x 2
Rope 45 degree squats 20 – 30 – 31 (had to get more than 30 last set)
Bench 1 legged lunge squats 2 x 12 each leg
Surf interval (just 1 pants ripped)

PISTOLS –
Off the low bench no count, two rounds, getting more control
High rope – 8 ea. (Maybe do more high before lowering, maybe 2 rounds each.)
Low rope – 4 ea. Got cocky and made it harder second round.
Stretch time 10 mins stretching/yoga barefoot in the grass – nature.
Backwards walk up hill.
Max HR 168!!!

This was pretty good. Legs feel really good. Give me more!!

Calorie burn data:
1114 first hour
2243 @ 2 hr mark
2570 @ 3 hr mark
2886 2 4 hr mark = 721.5 cph, slightly better than last week.
Salmon & veggies before work.

42313 (Tuesday #305)  -  AM – work: feeling very energized. Wonder if I should chill or do upper body? Probably should give the arm(s) a rest from pushing and pulling. Got the next five days off from work. Zona bound.

TU-GX later today. I should be okay for squats on Wednesday. I think I’m still burning good calories. Looks like I averaged 10 times more cals per hour than sleeping 4 hours yesterday including 1 hour of training.

Wake 191; 26% - 51.5% - the process continues. Stacks, pbh – finish my shake before heading out.

Good GX – thought my cal-burn was light 320 – 2468/ 200 = 740.5 ph – but it’s actually better averaged.

42413 (Wednesday #306) – Wake 189.5 (drank breakfast)  - just eeked back into the 180s – 3 so far. Practiced some 1 arm pushups on knees with yoga block, some regular push pushups, and some off the wall with the right. Air squats, misc exercise b/w chores & wasting time. Ankles are sore, both evenly. I’m thinking exercise/impact even light…

Good aqua GX – broke sweat. Squats: (225 lbs) 44 in 4 sets. 13 reps 1st set.  2 sets of calf presses. Pre-meal, grilled cheese, toms-shrooms-spinach.

42513 (Thursday #307) – Wake 189.5 after a short 90 min. nap (4 AM). Zona bound, drank breakfast. Walked to 69th st.

42613 (Friday #308) – Tucson, AZ.

Ate at the frat house last night. No doubt eating and training differently this weekend. Long sleep, jet lag, time change, etc. hotel gym is only ok, probably do more and better in my room. Woke with sore/tight low back, so more core work @ work. 

Morning cals: squats, pushups, bridge presses, toe touches, - still not done. Aqua Box style pool workout. Pretty rough at first but not bad: jump kicking is beastie, sunning, meditation, 30 mins.

42713 (Saturday #309) – Tucson, AZ. Saturday morning chill. Walked to Waffle House for breakfast, maybe get some pool time or can I see how far I can walk? Keeping no meat breakfast, but still getting some during the trip. No terrible effects.

Chillin' in Tucson - Got a couple of Aqua Workouts in, which I 

immediately incorporated into my aqua sessions at the university.

Pool workout done!! Some new ideas for class, if I can remember. Took a lot out of me. It’s HOT  today!!

42813 – (Sunday #310) – Tucson, AZ – rough night at the hotel. Alarms kept going off. I did get some zzz & dreams. Travel day. No workout today I imagine. Straight to work or call sick// hmmm.
Tucson – 2 Dallas – 1

42913 – (Monday #311) – PHL – wake 189.5 – Took a sick day. Right thing to do. Dreary and rainy… sucks to be here but time is passing, maybe some morning calisthenics, especially back stretch work. Plane got the lower back tight.

100 squats, slow & steady to start the day off. 20 bridge presses, 50 knee lifts – just trying to get started.

Home Work!! Kind of a new combo method. Choose weights, choose reps and try and reduce rest time and sets. 
Two 30 lb dumbbells. We increase reps as the exercises become easier.
#1 Squat-Curl-Press  20 reps in 4 sets  (uneven sets)
#2 Squat-Thrust-Press – 20 reps in 4 sets (even sets of 5)
#3 Squat-Press – 20 straight (probably should have done more)
#4 Shrugs – 25 – 20 – 25 – 30 (change hand position each time)  100 total, they’re shrugs.
#5 Dead Lifts (straight legs) 20 – 20 (slow) will probably increase this as well.
#6 Mat press + pushups (wide off the dumbbells) super sets
              Press – (2, 50 lbs) 15 – 12 – 13 – 15 [the less time between sets the less reps produced]
              Pushups 8 – 7 – 8 – 6  [these buggers were hard, especially wide and right after fatiguing the muscles with the presses. I’ll take it tho.]

Done Deal!! New home work sequence. Keep at this, increase reps, increase strength and power.

43013 – (Tuesday #312) – AM work. Recovering, relaxing and preparing for GX later today.

Wake 189.5 – 100 squats, drank breakfast, PBH Sammich.
Home – 3/Temple – 1/Home 1 – that should clear things up. Extra normal cleaning up from the weekend.
Good gx & Aqua – wiped out as usual. Cal counter went off on me 2742 cals in 2:22, about 1350 per hour. 3026 @ the 2:36 mark. Call it a day. Seems like a lot of intermittent measuring. Clock kept turning off/stopping.

MAY!!! [About 60 days to go]

50113 (Wednesday #313) – Wake 188: drink water. 100 squats; 30 bridges; various other body wt stuff; 120 front kicks (3 x 20 ea.). Thinking I should add the wt vest, but let’s just do more squats. Imagining new routines for TU-GX. Last Aqua Box of the session today – Squats after, try to increase to 50-ish!! Get stronger!!!!

Measuring Day – small reductions throughout [maybe I’ll transfer the data to this log. I don’t feel that excited about it for some reason.] Most lean muscle zones stayed the same. Leaner and hopefully denser all over. Better definition in the belly. Yes!! 

MEASURING DAY RESULTS:
Torso measurements ever 45 days:
Top – 102 cm was 101  +1cm (insignificant)
Middle – 91 cm – was 93 -2cm (less than an inch but going in the right direction)
Bottom – 95 cm – was 97 -2 cm (same)
Under – 97 cm – was 98   -1 cm (right direction): Get my torso measurements down into the 80s, again.

60 DAY MEASUREMENTS
Chest 101 cm – was – 104  -3cm (hopefully this is a loss of fat and not muscle. Definition suggests fat)
Shoulders 122 – was 125   -3 (same)
Butt 104 – was 106    -2 (same)
Thighs 61 [both] was 61
Calves 35.5 [both] was 36 essentially no change
Forearms 29 [both]  29 no change
Upper Arms [bent] – 39 – was 40
Knees both 38 [knees were measured b/c the rt seems bigger, swollen.

Good Aqua!

Squats: 225 – 55 in 5 sets. 15 reps first set. Feeling stronger by the 3rd set. Maybe I should do 5 or more sets a week. Still doesn’t feel any lighter. [155 total squats today.]
Cal-Burn: 3107 @ 3 hr mark. 1036.6 CPH – 7462 @ 8:12 mark. 910 CPH – not bad. Have to note 3 hours at a Limpbizkit concert, may have skewed the results. Hot dog, beer & pizza slice may negate the burn however. This is basically two lbs of fat burned in 8 hours, (waking.)

50213 (Thursday #314) wake 189.5: H2O first thing:110 squats in 4:40 (mins:secs); 50 pushups [felt the burn in my chest and not the pain in my arms/shoulders. Can I get back to 100 a day (in one set)??] Don’t forget one-arms. 40 bridges: 100 knee lifts. Drank breakfast, then almonds, fruit, yogurt covered raisins second breakfast.

To Media – (Great blackened duck salad at Quotations)

My strength and balance in doing this move has diminished from lack

of practice. I've found it difficult to get back into it. As you can see, my 

form is also lacking. Yet another challenge.

Need to get back to practicing planges & back to suspension training at work tonight. I think this session ends this week. Two weeks off from Temple, I should do some run- or jogging. Park tomorrow of lift therapy??
Y-GX: Strong 2505 cals @2:30. Started the cal counter 1 hr before class. 3667@3:41
2:30 – 1002 CPH
3:41 – 995.5 CPH

Y-GX kicked my ass today. I don’t think I ate enough. Protein & meal replacement mix after, but no energy boost. Need to find the formula for high E!!

50313 (Friday #315) AM – work. What to do? Still kind of tired, first night back I never seem to get enough sleep. I think I can hit the park this afternoon, but can I do that and suspension training in antemeridian as well? We will know later…

Wake 188.5
125 Squats, just over 5 minutes
50 pushups
30 bridges
100 knee lifts
20 each side plank (knee) leg raises
Veggie patty for breakfast, stack. Park training, wiped me out. Protein afterwards.

It didn’t feel as intense as previous sessions until I finished. The wake up stuff probably fatigued me. Good.
Run thru grass ten minutes – very rough, slow and embarrassing.
Base Intervals (home plate to 3rd base)
Side shuffle 3 sets.
Cross leg run 3 sets
Run fwd & back 4 sets (walked last set). I am very slow but trying to build speed and endurance. 
Left knee doesn’t hurt but it’s weak. So it slows me down.

This may appear to represent yo-yo dieting, however the weight span is
only a couple of pounds (188 - 189.5). The drama does help to keep me
on top of things. For what it's worth, i think I like the discipline; the
exercise of recording my daily weight, making charts and watching the
numbers more than I am concerned about losing weight. I've been
rethinking the benefits of being at 175, I do believe I'll be faster and
more agile at 175; if I can maintain and or increase my strength that
would be BONUS!!

Bench Jumps (Video); side jumps (16) 180 degree front turn; 180 degree back turn combos

Bench Pistols – Rope pistols – One legged lunge squats off the bench.
Rope pushups easy style. Pushups/Dips bench combos.
Max HR 156 probably higher. Wrecked afterwards
1474 cals at 2:10 680 CPH, low compared to the rest of the week.  Funny I’m burning these cals but have lost no significant weight. Must be the food. I feel like I’m not eating enough. Need to get back to the wake up veggie shakes and perhaps have post workout food on hand. 

50413 (Saturday #316) AM – work. Last day of the Session XXIII – wow, 50 days to go. I’m thinking leg therapy at the Y later today. More leg extension stuff rather than presses etc. I wonder if I should give the wake up squats a break? I’m afraid I won’t come back to them. We’ll see when I wake up. I think my body/mind expects me to do them.

Wake 189 – no workout, just did chores and tried NOT to exercise. Nice way to end a session. Session XXIV starts at midnight (Cinqo de Mayo) and session XXV will be the final session ending midweek June 18th.

Went back to veggie breakfast drink today and decided to add an extra ½ scoop of protein, but I still feel sluggish and heavy. I think maybe my body is missing red meat, or maybe it’s just adjusting. I may have to introduce some lamb back into the diet every so often and maybe even a little pork, or maybe goat. It was sunny and warm today so I can’t blame the weather. I thought I should go to the Y for leg therapy today, but opted to catch up on chores, plus I wanted to get back to the back room workout – suspension training and pull-ups. Oh yeah, the left knee and rt ankle joints need strengthening, they are causing me to be wobbly going up the El (double) steps.