Fitness and prepardness.. but im tired today

[JaguarJaguarGolf]

Floor exercises after coffee, PT sort of stuff, heel slides, leg lifts, bridges, with situps, stretching. Pitchforked compost pile for 1/2 hour. Shower, breakfast with the bride, sausage and eggs, no toast, water.
At pool, bicycle kicking for 20 min. at deep end, jogging in place 10 min progressively shallower water. Laps for 1/2 hour, walking back and forth shallow water 10 minutes, water resistance, flies, trunk rotations, front kicks 3 sets 12 reps(used to do round house before hips went bad) cool down laps, sauna 10 minutes, shower. Grilled chicken and salad early supper watching hockey. Pool towels in wash ready to go for tomorrow.

 

[Doc8404]

Nice. Been outside working all day. Yesterday too. Pool is an invigorating 68 degrees.

 

[Celt]

So, the next thing on my agenda is ordering 2 inch by 40 foot long battle rope. It's a weighted rope that you hook off the something mid-span and you can do all sorts of exercises with it.

Then, for several years I've had a large tractor tire that weighs 210 pounds. I originally got it for doing Tire flips but because of my herniated disc ill have to avoid that, but I have a 12 pound sledge hammer so I can do a bunch of reps of Tire smashes.

I'm going to build a drag sled, something I can load a bunch of weight on and I've got a body harness so I can do weighted Sprints. I was doing some reading about how doing weighted Sprints for 10 to 30 seconds over the course of 20 minutes will actually set up your metabolism to burn more calories all day then long distance running. Plus long distance running also eats muscle where is sprinting builds muscle.

In short, I can do the weightlifting for each body-part once per week, and then I would do the following routine once a week. I'm looking forward to trying this out. I'm gearing up to get it started and I will post up progress as it goes along.

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS DAY

Warmup 10 min

15 - weighted sled sprints 10 sec min
2 - 2' box jumps for 10 rep min
3 - weighted sled rope pull
3 - battle rope wave 10 sec min
3 - farmers walk concrete filled buckets
3 - plyo pushups
3 - sledge hammer tire smash


Current body stats are 200 pounds even. Perhaps 199 after I take a leak in the morning. I have body fat calipers but I haven't checked myself yet however from doing that for so many years I would estimate that I'm around 15% right now which I am definitely not happy with. I'm used to being under 10% but getting older and fighting with injuries makes it harder. Also my diet has been progressively getting better and better. Cutting out little snacks and eating nuts fruit or protein bars when I have hunger cravings

 

[togmaster]

Exactly why my workouts are first thing in the morning. I can push past being physically tired sometimes but I can't push past mental exhaustion at the end of the day. It gives me a great start to my day and in the afternoon, I think to myself, "I already worked out today."

Wish I could Doc. I'm at work by 6 every day and Saturdays too. My only chance is evenings.

 

[Celt]

Wish I could Doc. I'm at work by 6 every day and Saturdays too. My only chance is evenings.

Same here man. I get home about 6-630 each night, eat a light dinner, walk the dog, and start warming up. I start lifting about 30 after dinner. Thats not ideal, but thats why its a small portion. Then i lift for 1 hour. My boys are in the gym with me either playing on treadmill, elliptical, or smashing toys with weights. Im at the point where i look forward to it, and if i miss a day i get cranky.

 

[Celt]

Lastly, this thread serves 2 purposes for me.

1. I want to motivate others to be healthier, stronger, etc.. being a warrior means being the best YOU can be (regardless of limitations)

2. Its like a journal to track my progress, and motivate myself to improve.

 

[masterswimmer]

So I gained a bit back...but not nearly as much when I first started (278)...only 245. Not good..but i got a 30lb headstart this time

Let that 30# start be an inspiration!

 

[JaguarJaguarGolf]

Today, 2 months since right knee replacement, yesterday at PT bent knee measurement unassisted by therapist 115 degrees. First day that I have not had bent knee assist. Graduated to lunges, forward and backwards.
Today, floor exercises after coffee, PT stuff, heel slides, leg lifts, rolling around on the big ball, situps, planks, stretching. .... Into cellar, hyper extension back machine to work lower back gently. total gym type machine, start off with just leg presses trying to increase range of motion, transition to side pull down flys, front pull down flys, lat pull downs. all with leg presses, about 400 reps total.

Onto the bench, first time on the bench in 2 months, can't get right leg bent enough to rest heel on bench. Started with 2 1/2" thick piece of rebar about 5 ft long for bench presses. Couple of sets of a dozen reps. switch to dumbbells 10, 15, 25 lb. bench press, flys, curls while sitting, shoulder rotations.

Hiking boots, bdu pants, orange vest,ski poles, brand new R-1 Carry Commander and Glock 20 that I had a Comminoli safety put on before surgery. Over to hunting club across the street, First time in the woods in 2 months. 1/2 mile down first leg of trail to "pushup rock" where I stretch and do fake pushups on a knee high rock (and the pup used to get her first sip of water)
Back up the trail 200yds from the parking lot I put a sporting clay on big wood chip pile. 5 mags through each pistol, distance 20 yards, Clay was broken on first round and gone with second. Shot at hole in wood chips (couldn't miss!) No failures.

Brocilli and eggs for brunch, went shopping for dinner for me and the bride, grilled salmon, green beans, salad. Raspberries for dessert. Hockey tonight!

 

[Celt]

Just finished my weight sled. 2'w x 2.5' l. I have carriage bolt sliders for dragging on the road. I also grabbed 4- 50lb bags of sand so i can load it with weight as needed for sprints, or hand over hand pulls.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Mountain biked 2 hours today at Blue Mountain in Peekskill. Talk about a freaking workout!

 

[Jezman]

Pool is an invigorating 68 degrees.

Translation Nut freezing 68 degrees

 

[JaguarJaguarGolf]

Up in Potsdam! Drove through the park diagonally with the bride. Lunch in Minerva. Daughter in music festival at Crane School of Music for a week. She's very happy, we get to see her perform this afternoon.
Yesterday out of car and into hotel exercise room. 20 min. on elliptical machine, lift dumbbells, kick and water resisistance in shallow pool for 30 min.

Today hotel exercise room, 30 min elliptical machine cranked resistance and range all the way up. Dumbells on bench. Left shoulder was groaning with first reps of incline press with 30 lbs. Switched to lower weight and cable machine then came back to incline bench, all OK 3 hours later. Shower, breakfast with bride and daughters in-laws.

 

[Bananabandit]

I broke a sweat just reading that

 

[Celt]

Did 14 sets on back, and 7 on bis today.. pretty typical. 10 minute warm up with lots of rotator cuff work. I slept terrible last night so my energy was poooooor. And in my middle right trap i have a strain that i made worse last week doing the farmers walk so no trap work today. As im getting stronger i feel my body protesting a little so i might have to dial back my intensity for a few weeks.

 

[Robin]

Left arm is getting weak, too many cans, er, reps, er reps of cans.
robin hic

 

[Doc8404]

Left arm is getting weak, too many cans, er, reps, er reps of cans.
robin hic

have the same issue with the right arm. Did they change the weight of a Utica Club can?

 

[JaguarJaguarGolf]

Up at 6am. Coffee in hotel lobby. 30 minutes on hotel elliptical machine. mix and match range and resistance. 3 sets basic dumbbells exercises. shower. breakfast with the bride and my daughter. 7 hour ride home from Potsdam. Hockey tonight!

 

[Celt]

I recently picked up a set of 75lb hex dumbells. Now i have a ton of weights already (seriously almost 2000lbs of steel ; ) ), but i like lifting hex dumbells over plate dumbells. At any rate, up until i hurt my back i used to use the 110lb dumbells for flat db presses (chest), and this is my frst good stretch of lifting since then. Lately ive been using 50's, but they are feeling light so last week i stepped up to 60s which i could get 8-10 reps with.

Soooooooo, yesterday those 75s were staring at me, taunting me, really they were flat out fucking with me; so i grabbed them on my last set of flat bench and started squeezing them out.

Keep in my the left rotator cuff tendonitis I've been keeping at bay.

Well, the 2nd to last rep is where i should have stopped as that last rep went up, but i think i tweeked my shoulder.

All day ive been stressing about it because ive been going steady since last august and in the last 2 months ive made great gains in strength and in physique.

Im icing it alot and gonna take a few days rest to hope its only a minor tweak.. i will be seriously bummed if this puts me down.

 

[Catskillkid]

It's the Total Gym and an exercise bike for this gym rat...lol. Well and mowing the lawn with a walk behind mower, weed whacking, cutting firewood, etc. etc.

While I'll never claim to be a fitness buff or nutritional whiz I found that few simple things have helped me. Namely everything in moderation, though I mostly cut out after dinner snacking (this weekend's birthday cake was the exception). Same with soda and most sweets. I try to limit my portions and basically just try to have will power when it comes to food.

The results: Last year I lost 35 pounds (180 down from 215). It's not the skinniest I've been (when I graduated college I was 145...probably too skinny in a lot of ways) but it's a big improvement overall to my physical health at least. Be active, eat healthy and stay away from sugary beverages and processed foods. It's not rocket science but I'll admit it's pretty easy to let oneself go if you're not paying attention.

 

[Celt]

I normally eat pretty good, but when my lifting is going well i eat muuuuuccchhh better. Im focusing on getting 200grams of protein a day and balanced calories. I rarely eat any sweets and drink mostly water with some fruit juice. Breakfast today is oatmeal and a can of solid white tuna in water (right from the can).

 

[Celt]

Well, shoulder doesnt feel too bad so fingers crossed. Just gonna take a couple extra days rest. Ill get an extra leg day in instead.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Took the week off after finishing my 90 day cycle. Back at it Monday.

 

[Celt]

Dr. Evil, I know you're very experienced in this world of strength training. I've been doing a lot more reading and research the past several months that has helped me get much stronger and make the best gains I have since I started back at it in August.

In spite of all my years of training and all of the Fitness and Nutrition classes I had taken when back in college I honestly was never taught the smartest way to do strength training. And I was certainly never taught about de-loading. I've learned more in the past 2 months by watching experienced strength trainers on YouTube then I did from all my years in the past. I wish I had the resource of the internet when I was younger as I could have been a much healthier and stronger version of myself with a whole lot less injuries and downtime.

I really wish I didn't listen to my ego when I grabbed a 75 lb dumbbells because I'm afraid it is going to be a minor setback for me. My shoulder still has a little bit of a weak feeling in it so I've decided I'm going to take the next week, hopefully not more than that, and I'm just going to focus I'm doing extra leg work and conditioning. I'm going to have to give my upper body a little break.

On another note I was doing my weighted sled Sprints yesterday and it felt really good. I had a 50 lb sandbag in the sled and then I gave my boys turns riding in the sled which made it about a hundred pounds of weight plus the sled which probably weighs about 20 pounds or so. I was doing 50-yard Sprint and I did about 12 of them. Then I did a bunch of bodyweight squats lunges and calf raises.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Dr. Evil, I know you're very experienced in this world of strength training. I've been doing a lot more reading and research the past several months that has helped me get much stronger and make the best gains I have since I started back at it in August.

In spite of all my years of training and all of the Fitness and Nutrition classes I had taken when back in college I honestly was never taught the smartest way to do strength training. And I was certainly never taught about de-loading. I've learned more in the past 2 months by watching experienced strength trainers on YouTube then I did from all my years in the past. I wish I had the resource of the internet when I was younger as I could have been a much healthier and stronger version of myself with a whole lot less injuries and downtime.

I really wish I didn't listen to my ego when I grabbed a 75 lb dumbbells because I'm afraid it is going to be a minor setback for me. My shoulder still has a little bit of a weak feeling in it so I've decided I'm going to take the next week, hopefully not more than that, and I'm just going to focus I'm doing extra leg work and conditioning. I'm going to have to give my upper body a little break.

On another note I was doing my weighted sled Sprints yesterday and it felt really good. I had a 50 lb sandbag in the sled and then I gave my boys turns riding in the sled which made it about a hundred pounds of weight plus the sled which probably weighs about 20 pounds or so. I was doing 50-yard Sprint and I did about 12 of them. Then I did a bunch of bodyweight squats lunges and calf raises.

The biggest thing I learned in all of my years of training (being a certified personal trainer/competing in natural bodybuilding) is that form is key. Proper form is crucial to prevent injury and lead to steady muscle strength and growth. I've seen way too many folks in gyms working out incorrectly cheating and really not isolating the muscle they are working on enough. Also, it is very easy to over train. Growth occurs during rest as well as during breaking down muscle fibers (workout). Many over train body parts with poor form, which leads to injuries, and wind up plateauing when it comes to results.

 

[masterswimmer]

The biggest thing I learned in all of my years of training (being a certified personal trainer/competing in natural bodybuilding) is that form is key. Proper form is crucial to prevent injury and lead to steady muscle strength and growth. I've seen way too many folks in gyms working out incorrectly cheating and really not isolating the muscle they are working on enough. Also, it is very easy to over train. Growth occurs during rest as well as during breaking down muscle fibers (workout). Many over train body parts with poor form, which leads to injuries, and wind up plateauing when it comes to results.

Nicely said doc. Said succinctly though, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

I was a competitive swimmer back in HS (mid 1970's). We were taught that the proper hand entry into the water at the top of our freestyle stroke was thumb first. I'd been doing that stroke entry until a shoulder injury in 2015. I took 3 weeks off for recovery. Shoulder felt better. Got back to my routine and within 2 weeks the pain returned. Another 2 weeks out of the pool. Had a masters swim coach evaluate my stroke. He explained that my hand/thumb entry was causing my shoulder to rotate therefore putting undue stress on my rotator cuff. My style of freestyle stroke was indicative of a 1970's swimmer. The most current training method is flat hand so that the fingertips enter the water first, not thumb first. I was amazed at how that slight adjustment to my hand position changed my entire stroke. My shoulder has been great for 2 years now.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

 

[Celt]

Nicely said doc. Said succinctly though, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

I was a competitive swimmer back in HS (mid 1970's). We were taught that the proper hand entry into the water at the top of our freestyle stroke was thumb first. I'd been doing that stroke entry until a shoulder injury in 2015. I took 3 weeks off for recovery. Shoulder felt better. Got back to my routine and within 2 weeks the pain returned. Another 2 weeks out of the pool. Had a masters swim coach evaluate my stroke. He explained that my hand/thumb entry was causing my shoulder to rotate therefore putting undue stress on my rotator cuff. My style of freestyle stroke was indicative of a 1970's swimmer. The most current training method is flat hand so that the fingertips enter the water first, not thumb first. I was amazed at how that slight adjustment to my hand position changed my entire stroke. My shoulder has been great for 2 years now.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

I've been battling shoulder problems since I was 19 years old. I had a shoulder injury from snowboarding and due to learning bad techniques and performing certain exercises like behind the neck presses only exacerbated the shoulder issues.

I've had two shoulder surgeries and currently still have the rotator cuff tendonitis in my left shoulder. I've really been doing good keeping the pain at Bay with rotator cuff exercises and I let my ego get the better of me and I overworked the shoulder. I know better, and I shouldn't have done it so it's another lesson learned.

I now avoid all exercises that put too much undue stress on the shoulder joint and I still manage to get stronger in many ways and build good lean muscle.

I'm going to link 3 separate YouTube channels that I've been watching a lot of that I think provide good sound information.




These are just some random videos from the channels but these guys have a ton of videos covering all sorts of different aspects.

 

[Automan21]

Started going back to the gym after almost a year. Being lazy and having other projects to do but now I'm getting back into it. Built a little belly from eating crap and drinking but that all stopped on Sunday. Gotta get fit for my vacation in August. All the posts here will definitely help with my crunch time workout. Keep it up guys and I will too.

 

[Automan21]

Nicely said doc. Said succinctly though, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

I was a competitive swimmer back in HS (mid 1970's). We were taught that the proper hand entry into the water at the top of our freestyle stroke was thumb first. I'd been doing that stroke entry until a shoulder injury in 2015. I took 3 weeks off for recovery. Shoulder felt better. Got back to my routine and within 2 weeks the pain returned. Another 2 weeks out of the pool. Had a masters swim coach evaluate my stroke. He explained that my hand/thumb entry was causing my shoulder to rotate therefore putting undue stress on my rotator cuff. My style of freestyle stroke was indicative of a 1970's swimmer. The most current training method is flat hand so that the fingertips enter the water first, not thumb first. I was amazed at how that slight adjustment to my hand position changed my entire stroke. My shoulder has been great for 2 years now.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Cool to see another swimmer here.

 

[masterswimmer]

Good luck @Automan21

Best advice I can offer, start slow, SLOW, SLOW.
Start too hard and you'll risk injury and setback. It's not a difficult routine to get back into, but too much enthusiasm has derailed many a good intention. Done slow and deliberate and the results will show.

Eliminate all soda/soft drinks completely. You'll thank me later.

 

[masterswimmer]

Cool to see another swimmer here.

Awesome! Do you swim to stay in shape too? Just gym? Nice to add swim for cardio & cross training.