What Was Your Work Out Today?

DiscusTank5

@nossmf -- thanks for clarifying. The mental image I was starting to get as I read fast food restaurant after fast food restaurant . . . have you ever seen a Big Boy's sign? Really, though, I'm glad they do that. My dad usually gets a free meal from a local Tex-Mex place, and that's it.

15 min. walk today, split into two. A rest day, basically.

nossmf

Treadmill - 1 hr, 3.0 mph, 12% incline

DiscusTank5

Treadmill workout, much like I've been doing these last few weeks, except today I ran for 12 minutes straight instead of dividing it up. Then sit-ups, a few push-ups, medicine ball circles, lunges. Lots of streching but the front of my upper left leg (rectus femoris muscle?) still feels pretty sore. My right leg is fine. I didn't stretch before running, only after.

drmwc

I've been working on my ankle rehab, which has been going OK but slowly. I seemed to recover reasonably quickly for most things; climbing is proving to be the slowest. I suspect that climbing puts a lot of strain on the ankle. I had one session a couple of weeks ago, where I climbed for 2.5 hours and was limping heavily by the end. Walking to the station afterwards seemed to be good, and I had recovered by the time I got there.

Yesterday I climbed for 2 hours, and did OK. It wasn't my best effort, but my best since the injury and not too shabby.

nossmf

DiscusTank5 wrote: »

I didn't stretch before running, only after.

Back in my school track days, coach made sure we stretched both before AND after, but very different types of stretches. Traditional static "touch your toes" types are for after, with dynamic stretching before. Think doing deep lunges or walking while kicking your feet up high before you.

nossmf

Upper Body - Hypertrophy

Incline Bench Press 4x10
DB Bench Press 3x10
BB Row 4x10
Pulldown 3x10 (1 set each hands over, under, neutral-grip)
Machine Reverse Fly 3x10
Machine Lat Raise 3x10
DB Shrugs 3x10
Preacher Curl 3x10 (3-second negatives)
DB Preacher Hammer Curls 4x10
Cable Pushdown 3x10 (5-second negatives)
Perloff Press 3x10, 20, 30sec

The preacher curl station was super popular today, busy the entire time I was at the gym. So when it came time for my preacher curls (saved for last just in case the station opened up...no dice), I had to improvise away from the machine station and instead propped up a weight bench at a maximum angle, propped my armpit at the top, and did DB hammer curls using the bench to keep my arm motionless. (I had to do hammer curls because the torque was uncomfortable doing them with wrist facing up.)

nossmf

Lower Body

Squat 4x10
Rack Pull 4x10
Leg Press <<superset> Leg Press Calf Raise 4x10
Seated Leg Curl 4x10
Cable Crunch 4x10, 15, 20, 25

nossmf

It's been about 10 days of taking the HCl version of creatine, I've gotten in a half dozen workouts using it, thought I'd put on paper some observations:

1. Aesthetically - the tiny amount does nothing to change my morning drink taste-wise, but is far more effective in dissolving for maximum consumption, as opposed to the monohydrate creatine which leaves a residue of undissolved powder on the bottom of the cup
2. Functionally - my lifting workouts using either form are virtually identical in terms of weights used etc, though my cardio sessions are noticeably easier using the HCl
3. Visually - from my reading, the HCl version works without drawing extra water into the cells, which implies using it will allow water currently there from the monohydrate to leave the cells. I can confirm this both from my weight dropping 5 lbs in the last two weeks, as well as in the mirror where I simply look smaller. Smaller, yet at the same time slightly more muscular, as the definition has increased. Haven't decided which I prefer yet, looking swole or looking cut.

AnnPT77

Thank you, @nossmf: That's very informative.

The dissolving thing doesn't matter to me, as I take my creatine monohydrate mixed in a bit of plain yogurt.

The cardio benefit perks up my ears, though, as you might expect. (Someday, I expect to do cardio again . . . 🙄 . . . this head injury stuff is pretty weird. Even making my morning coffee is still feeling like a lot of effort. 😐)

I appreciate you taking the time to give a detailed review of your experience.

nossmf

Upper Body - Power

Bench Press 5x8
Cable Row 5x5
Mac Decline Press 5x5
Machine High Row 5x12, 10, 8, 6, 4
Seated BB OHP 3x12
Preacher Curl 3x8
Cable Pushdown 3x10
Cable Woodchoppers 3x10

drmwc

I went climbing yesterday. It was fun; I was finally in form and my ankle didn't hurt. It was a training session: we were trying our anti-styles. I got two overhanging, powerful v4s. 2.5 hour session.

nossmf

Treadmill - 1 hr, 3.0 mph, 12% incline

nicsflyingcircus

Chest press 3x8 (65 lbs)
Pectoral fly 1x10 (55lbs), 21x12 (50lbs)
High row 2x12, 1x9 (90lbs)
Row 1x10 (85lbs), 1x12, 1x10 (80lbs)
Shoulder press 3x12 (60lbs)
Lateral raise 3x12 (25lbs)
Triceps press 3x12 (105lbs)
<<<<<superset>>>>>
Bicep curl 3x12 (55lbs)
Abdominal crunch 3x12 (125lbs)

Out of the gym two weeks (travel and not feeling great) and could tell, especially on the bigger lifts.

However, I am handling those weights at a lower body weight now, than before.

nossmf

Treadmill - 1 hr, 3.0 mph, 12% incline

DiscusTank5

Yesterday: 60 min of working out -- 25 min. of that was walking, 13 min on the elliptical, 4 min. Helix trainer, 10 min stretching, 8 min. free weights and sit-ups.

Today: 20 min. walking outside--very briskly because of the wind and drop in temp.

drmwc

I did a 10 mile walk, then went climbing for 2.5 hours. It was fun; I was in good form. I seem to be back to the form I was in pre-injury. My ankle was slightly swollen at the end, but not painful. (I can do pistol squats again.)

DiscusTank5

Treadmill time: 21 min (10 min at 5 mph; 11 min at 3.5 mph). Rowing machine: 6 min. Planks: 2 min. Stretches: 6-8 min. Outdoor walk: 10 min.

I'm purposefully backing off of jogging too much to avoid re-injuring my leg muscle. Disappointing to be back at only 10 min. of jogging when I had gotten up to 16, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

nossmf

Lower Body

Squat 4x10
Rack Pull 4x10
BB Hip Thrust 4x10
Leg Press <<superset> Leg Press Calf Raise 4x10
Seated Leg Curl 4x10
Cable Crunch 4x10, 15, 20, 25

Must have slept wrong, as my lower back was grunting during squats, and the smart move was to not do rack pulls in that situation. So I swapped in hip thrusts instead. Been a while, felt awkward.

nossmf

DiscusTank5 wrote: »

Disappointing to be back at only 10 min. of jogging when I had gotten up to 16, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

10 is still greater than 0, which is what you were doing before you started working your way up.

DiscusTank5

20 min. of outside walking today; 18 min. on the stationary bike; 2 min. of sit-ups and skullcrushers. Not much stretching--I ran out of time before an over-the-phone meeting.

DiscusTank5

Gym today: 12 min. rowing machine--high effort; 10 min. elliptical--moderate effort; calisthenics / free weights circuit x 2 for 20 min min. (lunges; shoulder press; bicep curls; lat raises; battle ropes; hips thrusts with feet on a bar; plank and pigeon pose at the end).

drmwc

I went climbing on Saturday. 3 hour session; it was fun. I climbed OK.

I did a 21 mile walk today; from my house to Bushy Park and back. The park was shut due to high winds.

At one point, there was a sign saying "footpath closed". This struck me as inaccurate: for example, I was I on the path. Therefore it was not closed. It was clearly more of a suggestion than an order.

However, by a strange coincidence, the mud did get to just below my knees at that point.

DiscusTank5

drmwc wrote: »

At one point, there was a sign saying "footpath closed".
However, by a strange coincidence, the mud did get to just below my knees at that point.

LOL -- "strange coincidence" indeed!

nossmf

Upper Body

Bench Press: 5x8
DB Bench Press: 3x10
Cable Row: 5x5
Pulldown: 3x10
DB Shrugs: 3x10
Seated BB OHP: 3x12
Preacher Curl: 3x10, 12, 15
Cable Pushdown: 3x10
Cable Woodchoppers: 3x10

Due to Thanksgiving week, I knew I was only going to hit upper body once this week, so I did a hybrid of exercises from both of my routines.

DiscusTank5

Gym today:

First, treadmill 12 min. at 5.0 mph; 1 min. at 6.0 mph; 17 min at either 3.5 mph or 3.0 mph pace with a 5% incline.

Second, calisthenics / free weights circuit x 2 for 20 min. of bicep curls; lat raises; standing skullcrushers; shoulder press (only one one set, someone else got to it then); sit-ups on exercise ball; plank and pigeon pose. Other stretches before and after running, maybe 6-8 min total?

nossmf

Treadmill - 1 hr, 3.0 mph, 12% incline

AnnPT77

Off topic, kinda: I'm still out here reading (and recovering from head injury so not working out at all so far , which I hate).

Just wanted to say that continuing reading here feels like it helps keep me afloat . . . all of you, but perhaps a bit extra @drmwc and @DiscusTank5, who I know have been rehabbing from some things themselves.

I hope to rejoin you soon. Happy upcoming US Thanksgiving even if you don't live in the US, and thanks in that context for the ongoing discussions here. Good stuff!

nossmf

I can always be more verbose in my recordings if you desire, my lady. 🤓

On an unrelated note, in the past when I opened the emoji box, the displays were so small I had to guess what half of them looked like. But between actually wearing my glasses like I'm supposed to do, plus this time the box opening to twice the size, I just spent several minutes scrolling through the available images and actually seeing what they are, lol.

AnnPT77

nossmf wrote: »

I can always be more verbose in my recordings if you desire, my lady. 🤓

On an unrelated note, in the past when I opened the emoji box, the displays were so small I had to guess what half of them looked like. But between actually wearing my glasses like I'm supposed to do, plus this time the box opening to twice the size, I just spent several minutes scrolling through the available images and actually seeing what they are, lol.

Please don't feel bad that you haven't (that I've seen you mention recently) injured yourself so very severely that you needed major rehab after an annoying injury-cause hiatus! I know you've had some musculoskeletal issues, needed some extra recovery and changes to your routine, so I'm not dissing you or your commitment.

I always enjoy your posts, appreciate the good work you do most Mondays over in Introductions, think you've written some of the best advice posts here (good advice and well written), plus have a fun sense of humor.

Please be as verbose as you have the mood for, and I'm sure I'll enjoy the result.

The thing is that the rehab posts here recently on the thread are helping me connect more viscerally to the fact that even though I'm going through a personal low point right now, I'm very lucky (didn't die, didn't need the brain surgery that was in the range of prognoses when I was in the ER) . . . and helping me know that I can and will get better if I have patience and commit to whatever track proves needful to do it.

I appreciate all of you here, among others on MFP.

nossmf

Of course I do not intend to compete against the posts from recovering MFP'ers, I was just offering to draft up something more literary than the super-quick blurbs I normally do in this thread. To whit:

Overnight it snowed, which was anticipated and the reason I did not go to work today (the commute between cities involves travel through a stretch famous for piling up massive snow drifts, so my boss, who lives near me and makes the same commute, told us to simply start our Thanksgiving break a day early). What was unanticipated was the degree of snowfall at my house: Last storm I got over 18 inches of snow, but this time I had maybe an inch on the driveway. On a hunch, I set aside the shovel and grabbed the shop-broom (extra wide) and it proved perfect to sweep the snow off the driveway. Took less than 10 minutes, not enough to log as cardio.

Weights: Lower Body

Squat 4x10
BB Hip Thrust 4x10
Leg Press <<superset> Leg Press Calf Raise 4x10, 15, 20, 25
Seated Leg Curl 4x10
Cable Crunch 4x10, 15, 20, 25

Increased the weight used on squats for the first time in months, felt paradoxically good as well as the body staring back at me as if to say, "dude, what the...?" I think I will stick to doing the hip thrust for a while in favor of the rack pull, since both involve the same muscles but the hip thrust doesn't require gripping the bar and wrecking your palms.

After the gym, I went to the store and got a replacement pair of weightlifting gloves to protect my wedding ring from getting scratched to pieces by the unforgiving metal bars of lifting. My last pair wore out a few weeks ago, and I have been living with my ring removed and placed in my pocket to protect it (it's a massive fight to get it on/off my finger each time, so I've just been carrying it instead of wearing it). When I went to put my ring on after buying the gloves I couldn't, my finger was swollen a little bit, will try again later. (When my daughter found out I had bought the gloves she was NOT happy, since getting a pair for me was her idea for Christmas, and I just sent her back to the drawing board as it were.)