R2R IV: 72813 - 81013

SESSION IV Begins….

72813 [Sunday #40] wake 191.5  20  55.5 Day 6 – shoulder. Woke, iced the shoulder. Actually been doing forearm and leg exercises while I’m icing the injured shoulder.

This is Day 6 and it starts a new session. The unexpected break continues – not really a break as I’m rehabbing the shoulder. Hard not to work out, but it’s been even harder to walk or run. Just being hard on myself. Plus, been obsessed with bitstrips. Oh, made more progress with the shoulder today.

72913 [Monday #41] – jury duty, so I was off and didn’t eat much. Wake about 4am – 190 19 54. Been drinking too much tea. Too much non exercise time. Hope they kick me loose today.

Casein shake for breakfast – egg white om & tea, of course. To gym or not after this?

No jury duty for me. I think the break is doing some good. Pants feel looser and it’s easier getting up the El steps. Body looks tighter. Iced shoulder this eve. Day 7, movement improving and increasing. REPAIR!! GX tomorrow at temple.

73013 [Tuesday #42] AM – work; working on comics. Letting shoulder heal. Day 8.

GX was strong and fun – more ROM in shoulder, did some presses w/ light weights, 1 week recovery 1-2 weeks rehab – wonder if I can squat heavy. I need both shoulders for support.

73113 [Wednesday #43] wake 186.5 215 54.5 – I say I’m cycling off protein and creatine for the month of August, but I may just finish what I mixed. I still juice, maybe add wheat germ and hemp (already green) and see what happens.

So far, no exercise today. Thought about the Y, but told myself Friday, so I’ll stick to that – run? Maybe a walk… dunno.

AUGUST –

80113 [Thursday #44] wake 186 21.5 54.5

Donned the uniform of the day and went for a short run… in the rain, not even drizzle – Rain. ½ mile to the hill in the park and 3 sprints ½ way up the hill, then 3 backwards sprints, then jog ½ mile back. I’ll take this for now.

Feel energetic @ home – various squats and practicing moves for fall sessions. (Too bad it’s raining.) shoulder feels better, stronger – still therapy, still sore w/ certain rotation moves. REPAIR – still there. What will today bring? Work tonight. Measuring day Saturday, which is day 45 of R2R, which… I haven’t been very rugged, but the year’s still early. The year is less than 125 over.

Today starts year 4 of weight tracking. I don’t know whether I should go for more weight or less at this point. Perhaps I shouldn’t even look at it in terms of weight, but of muscle vs. fat. I’m still perceiving myself as leaner and more muscular  @ 186 – 194 (these past 43 days0 and stronger despite the injured shoulder, than two (?) years ago when I was weighing from 178 – 185; basically about a 10 lb difference. I like bulky lean better than fluffy or skinny lean.

Can’t wait to get back to squats… tomorrow. Maybe not as heavy, but maybe so. I’ll need the left shoulder to stabilize the bar.

80213 – [Friday #45] wake 187.5  23 53 odd numbers for some reason. Back to the Y, return to max legs starting with squats, flex, calves, extensions and curls, maybe seated leg presses, let’s see if the strength is still there – maybe light shoulder work.

YMCA – Maximum Leg Session – Feel like I took it to the wall today. Touched it,but didn’t hit it. 320 lb squats, figured that was a back off, but I didn’t officially start 370 last time… shoulder was not a factor in the squats. The weight became familiar by the 4^th round. Was tempted to add wt, but didn’t.

#1 – squats 320 lbs – 30/5

#2 – Rounds/tri-sets: shin flex 90 lbs: Calf press 225 – 275 lbs: Single leg body wt calf raises:  hi reps

#3 – leg-x singles 120 lbs 60 each in 5 sets. (Need to raise the wt for sure.)

#4 – leg curls  160  40/5… this is when I came to the wall…

Stretches and go home.

80313 – [Saturday #46] AM – work. Updating the log. Measuring day when I wake up. Then what??

Measuring Day – wake 187.5 20% BF 55.5% H2O

Top – 98cm … down 2 from 100

Mid – 90cm … down 1 from 91 (Getting closer to the goal)

Bot – 94cm … no change (Belly button zone is the toughest)

Und – 95cm … down 2 from 97 (excited about this)

This chart illustrates the circumference of my torso from
June 19, 2011 to August 3, 2013. My original goal was
to get everything in the 80 -89 cm range, but that has
been difficult. The "V" contour comes when the blue line
and the red line are farthest apart. (That came around
June of 2012.) 

Last measurements were taken in mid-June.

These are changes of less than an inch in just over 45 days, but I’m headed in the right direction. The numbers confirm my visual – getting leaner and more defined – but maybe getting smaller all around. May do shoulders, chest, legs later in the week, if not later today.

Home work; leg work with ankle weights, standing lifts, etc.

80413 [Sunday #47] – wake 188 22% 54%

½ mile warm up run… uphill sprints 6 fwd. – 6 bkwd… massage, calves on fire. Shoulder better but not done… Day 13.

80513 [Monday #48] – Wake 188 20% 55.5%: woke early last several days getting needed sleep.

Drank breakfast, hemp protein, wheat germ, & oatmeal – thick – use more liquid, maybe 16oz. & more fruit.. doesn’t taste bad.

Max Legs – YMCA calves are sore, but it’s been two days, so hit ‘em again. Early leg work (raises) with ankle weights. Same leg routine as Friday… maybe go heavier on the squat – def heavier on leg-x (135 lb singles).

MAX LEGS

Thought it better to warm up with 320 then 2 sets of 5 reps @ 370… Solid, not very low, but made it.

Calf & shin rotation, smoothed out the soreness. Worked shin flex with 100 lbs & calf raises with 250 lbs 5 rounds plus body weight calf raises.

Leg-X 135 lbs – 36 each leg in 5 sets.

Leg Curls 180 lbs went pretty easy, got to about 36-40 stick with this weight.

Stretch and triceps push down low wt (50-60 lbs) shoulders stables. It was a good… 6 day.

80613 [Tuesday #49] – wake 188 28% 50% - 1 mega, but no wt change and no dinner last night. Got to bed early, like 9PM and awake at 4:30/5am, some light biceps curls and shoulder therapy.

Last T-GX until sept, only about 3 weeks.

Got some good work in on these GX tours. Wiped out. Nite off, went to bed early again.

Running has always been a challenge for me,
but this Session more than ever before.
I don't know why.  Aug 1
determined to run and sprint uphill, I did so in
the rain... I promised myself I would.... just so
happens it rained that day. 

80713 [Wednesday #50] – wake 186.5  28%  50% (something like that) – Up around 3am, some chores and back to sleep til 9-ish.

Maybe make the Y today – leg presses, shins and calves of course. Measured calves yesterday, added 2cms each since May of this year. Maybe I can hit 40cm by the end of the year. I can step up calf work some more.

Day 15 of shoulder recovery. Still need more leg work, balance stuff, wall sits, etc. been doing ankle wt work @ home and air squats… more is needed. Maybe uphill sprints tomorrow before the dentist. I should have time.

YMCA

#1 – Leg press 7 rounds two warm ups for reps 5 at max wt. last two sets no momentum… hold & press. + calf press + weightless calf raises.

#2 – Shin flex 100 lbs, bat hang (toes over bar) rev calf raises.

#3 – wall sit  4x total.

#4 – Triceps press down (first set is usually 20 reps) and OUT!

Pizza slice and early sleep.. sick nite off.

80813 [Thursday #51] – wake 186.5  26.5%  51.5% waking #’s high, probably more dehydrated than when I work. Up early, close to 6AM. Chores, some shoulder, biceps, forearms work. Upper thighs are sore from yesterday. Good!!

Solid stir-fry meal and casein shake and back to sleep for 2 hours. Up again, let’s check out the weight for kicks 188.5 19%  56% Meet for afternoon tea. Like it, back home and sleep before work.

80913 [Friday #52] – AM – Gig. Work on strips. Shoulder still repairing itself & healing. Doing some isometric chest 7 traps work. Biceps curls 10 lbs 7 triceps push downs @ the Y – isolating shoulders, no pain when I do this. Not icing as much. Doing exercises Keanne gave me. Should do more often.

Wake 188 16% 55% post ritual. Good amount of sleep. Didn’t wake before the alarm.

Question? Y today? Squats or chill or run up hills – I’m leaning towards squats.  But I could also chill. No or very little soreness in legs, so squats might happen. Quick upper thigh measure shows no significant gain in mass. (Even after doing squats for months.)

Opted to chill @ la casa. Rain & sun mix… not mad about it, got some paper work done. Should get back to HIIT next week. Shoulder should be solid enough for that.

Another big drop, but the bounce wasn't as high.
Recovering from an injury usually means weight
gain, unless you are cognizant that this will happen
and you take steps to keep it from happening. That's
why I keep an eye on it. It's a ritual now. 

81013 [Saturday #53] – end of session 4

Wake 188.5  17% 57.5% [came in at 191 13% 61% dropped 3.5 lbs while sleeping] or whizzed it out. Maybe the hemp protein drink or fruit, or what? Hit a triple on the job so… what’s happening? No exercise at the gig, weight’s staying in the 180s – low 190s.

Made it to the Y – decent day. Call it a sprint.

Squats – don’t know how many sets or total reps. Started with 320 and ended with 370 – a series of calf exercises, shin flex 5 sets 100 lbs. barbell lunge squats – stated with the bar and reached 40lbs of plates, progressively. Wall sits, triceps push down, stretch.. OUT 5 day.

Good way to end a session even if I didn’t know it was ending. Ending this section also.