Year 2, Week Five: Tuesday, 3/20/2018
62 Schwinn minutes, LWs. The whole shebang . . . except for the 20 4-count toe-touches. I haven't had anywhere near the back pain that crippled me a few weeks ago--after which I stopped doing sit-ups and leg-lifts--but I have still been having some pain every now and then, and I thought I'd see if leaving out the toe-touches helped any. They're pretty low-key exercises, anyway, and I feel that the other stretches sufficiently loosen up my legs for the biking. We'll see if it makes any difference at all. I'm not really willing to give up any of the other exercises I'm doing now, though, so if the pain continues I might just have to live with it. Or take some Old Man drug like Aleve.
Post Exercise Weight: 193.5 lbs.
Speaking of . . .
I think (I checked, but it got boring fast so I'm only pretty sure) that my lowest wake-up weight was 184.4 lbs. So that's a good ten pounds ago. And I'm thinking that it might be time to bear down again and see if I can make those ten pounds disappear. I know it will be hard, and there's a part of me that really doesn't even want to do it. But it won't be as hard as going from 276 pounds to my current weight, will it? And there's a part of me that really does want to do it.
So I'm going to see what I can do. And I'm going to try to do it without calories counting. Don't know if that is going to work out, but ahmo give it a try.
Details as they happen.
Year 2, Week Five: Wednesday, 3/21/2018
Snow day. They used to be little gifts from above. Now they just mean that I'm on duty. Which is totally okay with me . . . but it does have an impact on my day . . . especially my exercise day. So Joe was with me, and we went to the YMCA together. I managed to get in 30 minutes on the stationary bike, then we played some basketball. As for the stationary bike . . . the readout said that in my 30 minutes I burned 
calories. Which ain't bad. Only about half of what my lyin' Schwinn says I burn in 30 minutes, but I knew that that wasn't accurate long ago. But it's good to know that my hour's worth of ride is burning up 650 or so calories. I suspect a little more, because the Schwinn is a tougher ride . . . but I did get a bit of a sweat on at the Y.
calories. Which ain't bad. Only about half of what my lyin' Schwinn says I burn in 30 minutes, but I knew that that wasn't accurate long ago. But it's good to know that my hour's worth of ride is burning up 650 or so calories. I suspect a little more, because the Schwinn is a tougher ride . . . but I did get a bit of a sweat on at the Y.
Now comes the hard part: the other 30 minutes and the stretching and the HWs. The Schwinning is definitely the most important bit, though. In fact, I'm starting to question my wisdom in hitting the weights every day. I've long known that it was contrary to conventional wisdom, but I defied that because I was so focused on burning calories and building muscle and losing fat. But at this point, I'd have to say that there have been several times in the past months wherein my muscles were truly crying out for some relief, and I am sure that the weight lifting doesn't burning nearly as many calories as the biking does. So maybe I should see about mixing that up a bit. Having hit Burn Out once, I am anxious to avoid a repeat of that experience.
The Hard Part: did my 32 Schwinn minutes. Also did all of the stretching stuff and all of the HWs. Didn't do a post exercise weight, though, because I had to break between the last sections of weights to eat dinner. But the important thing to me is that I did it. I did all of it. Not just some of it, all of it.
The Hard Part: did my 32 Schwinn minutes. Also did all of the stretching stuff and all of the HWs. Didn't do a post exercise weight, though, because I had to break between the last sections of weights to eat dinner. But the important thing to me is that I did it. I did all of it. Not just some of it, all of it.
Year 2, Week Five: Thursday, 3/22/2018
So, with that
in mind, I decided to try an experiment today. I did my leg stretches and then went straight to the Schwinn for a (very long) 62 minute ride. It was really tough. I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to make it at a couple of points, and it was really hard on my "down there," but I hung in and made it. Interesting: this was really harder than the four 15 minute spurts, but my final figures were 1215 and 62rpms . . . significantly less than 1441 and 67rpms from my last 14 x 4 session. Of course, I know that the "calories burned" number the Schwinn shows is not accurate. In fact, as best as I can tell it's about twice the actual number, so using that as a guide it'd mean I burned about 608 calories today as opposed to 721 on the other. That's a pretty big difference.
So I'm torn. On the one hand, I like hitting a full 62 minutes for several reasons. But if it's not burning the calories . . . .
in mind, I decided to try an experiment today. I did my leg stretches and then went straight to the Schwinn for a (very long) 62 minute ride. It was really tough. I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to make it at a couple of points, and it was really hard on my "down there," but I hung in and made it. Interesting: this was really harder than the four 15 minute spurts, but my final figures were 1215 and 62rpms . . . significantly less than 1441 and 67rpms from my last 14 x 4 session. Of course, I know that the "calories burned" number the Schwinn shows is not accurate. In fact, as best as I can tell it's about twice the actual number, so using that as a guide it'd mean I burned about 608 calories today as opposed to 721 on the other. That's a pretty big difference. So I'm torn. On the one hand, I like hitting a full 62 minutes for several reasons. But if it's not burning the calories . . . .
Year 2, Week Five: Friday, 3/23/2018
Stayed up too late Thursday night watching UK get their asses whipped, so I was really tired when I got up Friday, and that got worse as the day went on. And on top of that, I was literally on the go from the time I got up until I dropped the kids off at Jo Ann's house at 4:30. Got home hungry around 5:00. And just had to eat. And after that I didn't have it in me to do any exercising. Felt a little bad about it, but sometimes it just bes like that.
Year 2, Week Five: Saturday, 3/24/2018
But I made up for it today. Not only full stretching (etc.) and full 62 Schwinn minutes (at a pretty good 314/63, 335/65, 347/67, 380/65, for a total of "1376 calories burned," which is pretty damned good, and the full LWs . . . but I also did my three sets of 15 with 15 pound dumbbell concentration curls, which I usually do on the HW day. I am thinking about trying to shift all but the bench press and lateral raises over . . . in other words, doing away with the HW / LW distinction and instead having what amounts to a rest from weights every other day. I don't much like the idea, but I am thinking it might be for the best. For now I'm just going to experiment a bit. Have to say, though, that it wasn't a big strain to add the ccs, so that's a good sign.
Year 2, Week Five: Sunday, 3/25/2018
Another tough one, what with church and Best Buddies and Special Olympics Track and Field, but I managed to squeeze in most of the exercises--full stretching and etc., full HWs, and 15/15/16 Schwinn minutes.
Year 2, Week Five: Monday, 3/26/2018
Got through all of the stretching etc. and the first two 15 Schwinn sets before I thought, "Oh, I don't feel very good." Which made me remember that on Friday, Joe's OT was not well. Mmm-hmm. I managed to tough it out, though, and finished the other two Schwinn sets and all of the LWs, including the 15/15/15 concentration curls. Actually wanted to see if I could add in the 20 lb dumbbell set, too, and just have the lateral flies and bench presses for the HW day (thus achieving full separation of the muscle groups), but I mos def didn't have it in me today. Maybe mañana.
I was just poking around on YouTube TV (about halfway through my Free Trial Week, and it is looking like my next Television Provider unless something goes awry; details elsewhere on this blog if you want em) and saw that Jillian Michaels was sitting on the couch with Harry, and hey, I don't have any great love for her, but she is kind of hot, so I stopped there and settled in. She was talking about exercise and weight loss myths. Everything that she said made sense to me. Some of it confirmed things that I'd been thinking before which other people had told me were wrong--and even though I didn't believe them, I tended to think they knew more than I did, so I bowed to their "knowledge." For instance, JM said that what you eat had an effect on your health, but so far as weight gain was concerned, it was just a matter of how many calories in vs. how many calories out. Yep. Eating at night? She said it made no difference in and of itself, it was just a matter of most people had already had all of their calories for the day, so the night eating was "extra" stuff--which means heading for fat. Some other things. But then she said something about exercising that stopped me in my tracks. She said that you shouldn't exercise more than 300 minutes a week, and that if you did, you were (1) risking injury and (2) not giving your body enough time to recover. At my peak, I was exercising over twice that amount. Of late I've been feeling a little bit stalled and haven't been hitting it nearly as hard, but I'm even my worst week was more than 300 minutes. So I had to take a big swallow.
And now I'm thinking it's time to go back to the drawing board.
Not sure exactly what that means. But even though it goes against my grain to intentionally back down from what I've been doing (because it feels like slacking off), I have to admit a couple of things: (1) I've been feeling really tired, (2) some days my muscles have been hurting, (3) I injured myself exercising for the first time a few weeks back, and it really hurt a lot, and (4) my appetite had increased to such an extent that I have not only not lost weight, but have gained a little bit. Not enough that I'm worried about it, but enough that I want it to stop and go the other way again.
So I'm going to try to do a little re-thinking.
Today I did a couple of quick stretching exercises and then went to two twenty minute sets on the Schwinn.
Year 2, Week Six: Friday, 3/30/2018
Hey. Been awhile. I've had some troubles. I have actually exercised most of the days since I last wrote things down, but I just didn't feel like putting it up here. Which is probably indicative of some troubles. Which I've had.
I'll go into them eventually. For now, though, here's today's exercise information:
Did all my stretches, but only the first two sets of push-ups / plank / ab stretches.
Did all 62 Scwhinn minutes (294/61, 327/65, 318/64, 363/64, so not bad) and did all of the "LW" stuff plus the three concentration curls sets. So it was a good work out.
And I had a good workout yesterday as well--all stretches, only the first set of push-ups / plank / ab stretches, though, and only the 20 lb dumbbell cycle, but all 62 Schwinn minutes.
So at least I got that down. I think I need to force myself to do this every day, to get myself back up in this thing.
So I just started, didn't I?
Funny and kind of stupid, I know, but writing this shit down really helps me. For one thing, it gives the illusion of permanence, which, in turns, lends credence to the idea that this shit matters. And of course we have to believe that something matters if we're going to keep at it. Cause you gotta have faith a faith a faith. You've got to have faith a faith a faith.
Mowed my lawn: 9529 - 2662 = 6,867 steps . . . which seems a bit on the short side but I guess it’s not . . . equals about 3 1/2 miles. And even though that's not much, it's all that I had in me today.
Year 2, Week Twelve: Wednesday, 5/9/2018
stretching +
25/1:12/25
20/1:02/25
20/1:0225
20/1:02/—
Schwinn
15:04 / 345 / 66 Just to see, I tracked this set with pedometer on armband: 2,571 steps and I tracked this set
15:04 / 341 / 66 with pedometer in pocket: 1,089 steps. Less than half. Glad I got that armband.
15:04 / 336 / 66
17:05 / 389 / 66
1,411 total . . . hey, that’s pretty damned good! No wonder I’m so tired now.
Also did . . .
LWs
20 lb cycle
15 lb 20 cycle / 15-10-5 cycle
concentration curls 15 / 15 / . . . decided I needed a little rest before hitting the last set, so I went back and picked up those last 26 ab stretches, then . . .15 . . . which means Ta Da! today was a full on LW day. Proud of that, gotta say.
Year 2, Week Six: Tuesday, 3/27/2018
You know what this is?
Yep. It's a drawing board.I was just poking around on YouTube TV (about halfway through my Free Trial Week, and it is looking like my next Television Provider unless something goes awry; details elsewhere on this blog if you want em) and saw that Jillian Michaels was sitting on the couch with Harry, and hey, I don't have any great love for her, but she is kind of hot, so I stopped there and settled in. She was talking about exercise and weight loss myths. Everything that she said made sense to me. Some of it confirmed things that I'd been thinking before which other people had told me were wrong--and even though I didn't believe them, I tended to think they knew more than I did, so I bowed to their "knowledge." For instance, JM said that what you eat had an effect on your health, but so far as weight gain was concerned, it was just a matter of how many calories in vs. how many calories out. Yep. Eating at night? She said it made no difference in and of itself, it was just a matter of most people had already had all of their calories for the day, so the night eating was "extra" stuff--which means heading for fat. Some other things. But then she said something about exercising that stopped me in my tracks. She said that you shouldn't exercise more than 300 minutes a week, and that if you did, you were (1) risking injury and (2) not giving your body enough time to recover. At my peak, I was exercising over twice that amount. Of late I've been feeling a little bit stalled and haven't been hitting it nearly as hard, but I'm even my worst week was more than 300 minutes. So I had to take a big swallow.
And now I'm thinking it's time to go back to the drawing board.
Not sure exactly what that means. But even though it goes against my grain to intentionally back down from what I've been doing (because it feels like slacking off), I have to admit a couple of things: (1) I've been feeling really tired, (2) some days my muscles have been hurting, (3) I injured myself exercising for the first time a few weeks back, and it really hurt a lot, and (4) my appetite had increased to such an extent that I have not only not lost weight, but have gained a little bit. Not enough that I'm worried about it, but enough that I want it to stop and go the other way again.
So I'm going to try to do a little re-thinking.
Today I did a couple of quick stretching exercises and then went to two twenty minute sets on the Schwinn.
Year 2, Week Six: Wednesday, 3/28/2018
All of the warm-up stuff, 62 Scwhinn minutes, and HWs. So that's about 90 minutes there, I think. So ITWATJM *, I only have 210 more exercise minutes to spread over the next six days. Oh, wait, I forgot to include yesterday as the first day of the exercise week. So that was a 40 minute day, so I have 170 more minutes to spread over the five remaining days. I don't think that's going to be enough.
Year 2, Week Six: Thursday, 3/29/2018
Or maybe it will be. I took Thursday night off.
But was back at it on Friday. Only did 45 Schwinn minutes, but did all of the warm-up stuff and all of the LWs. So that's about 80 minutes total.
210 minutes total
90 minutes remain on the JMS
Year 2, Week Six: Saturday, 3/31/2018
All of the warm-ups. Not just some of them, all of them. 45 Schwinn minutes at the moment, but I'm thinking I'll do that last set of 17 after I catch my breath. And the HWs have no become 15 lb dumbbell lateral flies 30 / supine French curls 30, then 20 lb dumbbell bench press 30. Second set just the bench presses, but I pushed it up to 35 repetitions without problem. And then a final set of 35, which still wasn't what I would call hard. I'm not going to do the 20 lb dumbbell curl 20 reps each curl, rowing, shoulder roll, press, and toe raises today, since most of those are arm exercises I do on the LW routine. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can add that cycle to the "LW" routine. That would insure that other than the push-ups and planks and ab stretches that I would be exercising different muscle groups on each day. Which is what you're supposed to do. Dunno about adding that 20 lb cycle, sounds pretty fuckin' rough . . . but ahmo give it a try.
So let's go.
And . . . did it. And my post exercise weight was 194.8. Which was disappointing, but it's going to change.
Year 2, Week Six: Sunday, 4/1/2018
Easter Sunday . . . AND April Fool's Day. How could I possibly exercise?
Year 2, Week Six: Monday, 4/2/2018
Today was a big day, though. Did the full warm up and 62 Schwinn minutes and the LWs . . . but also did the 20 lb dumbbell cycle. And it didn't kill me, so I'm going to try to make this the thing. Might need some new nomenclature, though, as this most certainly isn't a Light Weight Day thing anymore. So it was about a 90 minute day. Maybe even more, but we'll call it.
New Exercise World Order:
300 minutes total
Oh, hey, it's the end of the week. I did a JM.
Year 2, Week Seven: Tuesday, 4/3/2018
New Exercise World Order:
Warm-Up
Stretch Push-ups Plank Minutes Ab Stretches
20 wing 25 1:12 25
leg 30"x6 20 1:02 25
calf30"x6 20 1:02 25
20 toe touch 20 1:02 26
Footnote: I'm also trying out a new approach to the "I'm too tired to do the whole thing" thing. Instead of stopping, I have just been taking as much rest as I feel that I need. It has worked pretty well so far. And I like that I haven't had to "punk out" early even when I've missed a day (sometimes two, but I don't think I've missed more than that in the past year plus seven weeks). It's all about the reps, 'bout the reps, 'bout the reps.
Speaking of time, I did a Real Time (paused when I stopped for a rest) of the warm-up today, and it was right at 21 minutes. Which sounds about right: I mean, 10:18 is right there to see, so that only leaves another 10 minutes and change for 85 sit-ups, 101 ab stretches, 20 wing stretches and 20 toe touches. Actually, that sounds like a pretty quick pace to me. No wonder I'm sweaty and my heart is beating hard at the high points of this section.
15:04 / 330 / 65, then 30 lateral flies + 3o supine French curls + 30 bench presses with 20 lb dumbbell
15:04 / 320 / 64 . . . and I decided to call it quits at that point. Partially because I was tired, partially because of Jillian Michaels and partially because I was hungry. So there's that. Still . . . .
60 minutes total
Year 2, Week Eight: Wednesday, 4/11/2018
Hey. Been awhile. I've had some troubles. I have actually exercised most of the days since I last wrote things down, but I just didn't feel like putting it up here. Which is probably indicative of some troubles. Which I've had.
I'll go into them eventually. For now, though, here's today's exercise information:
Did all my stretches, but only the first two sets of push-ups / plank / ab stretches.
Did all 62 Scwhinn minutes (294/61, 327/65, 318/64, 363/64, so not bad) and did all of the "LW" stuff plus the three concentration curls sets. So it was a good work out.
And I had a good workout yesterday as well--all stretches, only the first set of push-ups / plank / ab stretches, though, and only the 20 lb dumbbell cycle, but all 62 Schwinn minutes.
So at least I got that down. I think I need to force myself to do this every day, to get myself back up in this thing.
So I just started, didn't I?
Year 2, Week Eight: Thursday, 4/12/2018
Only 45 Schwinn minutes today, but a full set of the exercise routine formerly known as HW.
Year 2, Week Eight: Friday, 4/13/2018
4 mile walk, which turned out not to be such a good idea when I realized that I had to cut my grass, because after that (90 minutes worth of pushing a reel lawn mower), I was definitely done for the day. Still, that's a good two and a half hours' worth of exercise, so no sneezing. And hey, look: Friday the 13th come on a Friday this month.
Year 2, Week Eight: Saturday, 4/14/2018
Prospects were not good for today. Woke up before 3 a.m. and just could not get back to sleep, and that always has an ill effect on my motivation to exercise. But you know what? No whining. I just did it. And I did it all.
Funny and kind of stupid, I know, but writing this shit down really helps me. For one thing, it gives the illusion of permanence, which, in turns, lends credence to the idea that this shit matters. And of course we have to believe that something matters if we're going to keep at it. Cause you gotta have faith a faith a faith. You've got to have faith a faith a faith.
Year 2, Week Eight: Sunday, 4/15/2018
Ironically, I missed today. Church and Les Miserables were all I could handle.
Year 2, Week Eight: Monday, 4/16/2018
Back in the saddle again. And full on, without too much awfulness encountered. So . . . all stretches, push-ups, planks, and ab stretches. 62 Schwinn minutes (and -1384c) . And all of the "HW"s.
Okay, something is fucked up with my dates here, and I don't have the patience to go back and figure it out, so I'm just going to reboot. According to the calendar, this Week 12 of Year 2 started Tuesday, May the 8th. Going to take it from there.
Year 2, Week Twelve: Tuesday, 5/8/2018
Year 2, Week Twelve: Wednesday, 5/9/2018
stretching +
25/1:12/25
20/1:02/25
20/1:0225
20/1:02/—
Schwinn
15:04 / 345 / 66 Just to see, I tracked this set with pedometer on armband: 2,571 steps and I tracked this set
15:04 / 341 / 66 with pedometer in pocket: 1,089 steps. Less than half. Glad I got that armband.
15:04 / 336 / 66
17:05 / 389 / 66
1,411 total . . . hey, that’s pretty damned good! No wonder I’m so tired now.
Also did . . .
LWs
20 lb cycle
15 lb 20 cycle / 15-10-5 cycle
concentration curls 15 / 15 / . . . decided I needed a little rest before hitting the last set, so I went back and picked up those last 26 ab stretches, then . . .15 . . . which means Ta Da! today was a full on LW day. Proud of that, gotta say.
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