Fitness/Self Care Check In

Barbell squats....8 sets. (Home use Rack stands with Catchers)
Leg Extensions....8 sets (Home use seated machine)
Leg Curls......8 Sets (Same as above)
Standing Barbell Calf Raise....8 sets.

What reps are you shooting for?

Hiya Zwangsstörung.

First four sets aim for ten reps...hit 8 or 9.
Second four sets...aim for eight reps...hit 6...maybe 7.

Variants occasionally ...20 - 25 reps.....
Or incorporate .. 2 reps....4 reps...with loaded bars.

Cheers.


Warm up.
10 Sets Dumbbell bench press (Negative last)
6 Sets Dumbbell flys.
5 Dumbbell side bends.
Sit ups to crunches.

Are you shooting for strength or muscle growth? You're doing rather a lot of reps and sets for reaching muscular (fancy word for muscle growth xD). Typically, for optimal muscle growth with little risk of injury or overworking the muscles, it's apparently around 5 sets and around 7-12 reps per set, and with high weight, and focus on time under tention, 'though the number can vary slightly

I'm not enormous or anything, I'm only sharing what I've learned in the hopes it might help. Personally, I think it's awesome you're doing so much, but doing lots doesn't always mean it's best. If you're getting slow growth/results, that might be why.

I see you're using machines, so it's likely you're using a public gym, in which case you likely have people much wiser than I giving you advice, so if I'm speaking crap, just ignore me and carry on as you are. xD Either way, it's awesome that there's someone else here looking to pimp out their muscles.

Went jog/walking with my dog this a.m. Today was my last (third) day of doing 1 minute jog interval 3 times. Friday I will move up to 4 times and hope it doesn't cause a fibromyalgia flare. Slowly but surely is the name of the game.

For self care today have T appointment after I volunteer at an AA administrative office.

If only I had met you 30 years ago!

Thank you so very much for taking the time to share.
I appreciate greatly.

I agree....safety is absolutely paramount.

Took a while to work up to routine now, experimented a bit.

Had some good coaching (Gym) mainly focused on technique.

Have free weights, stands , machine, and bicycle at home.

At one point did get clicky wrists (Not an issue now) but Cod liver oil capsules helped greatly.

Have. sent PM...to elaborate further.

Kindest regards.

Oh dear. Make bread + Eat bread = Bloated.

Supposed to be cutting down/ eliminating bread & potatoes.

Will have to do some miles to burn that off. Half a loaf!

Apart from that, doing well. No great cravings for booze, yet. Prepare for that.

Rest day for me today. No time, really, to even walk the dogs - - at least not this morning. Looking forward to increasing the amount of time jogging on Friday.

I hear you on the bread! I made bagels the other day. Bad idea. Today there is no bread in the house and I miss it terribly.

Spent 90 minutes shoveling snow yesterday. Did squats with weights, some curls.

Warm up.
8 Sets Barbell curls...
Alternate with 8 Sets Barbell standing Tricep press.
5 Sets Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension.
Sit ups to Crunches.

Meditation with Iron.

Thinking tea, toast and marmalade.....

As I posted, I'm increasing the number of times I jog during my jog/walking today to four times and really hoping it doesn't cause a fibromyalgia flare.

Also having a horse riding lesson. That's more self care I guess than exercise. The other bit of self care is going to an AA meeting.

30:30 resistance workout done.

It appears I've gained 3 or so lbs. Only have myself to blame. Either that or gained a load of muscle in a few days, but something tells me that's not what happened, since I've mainly worked my legs via those long distance walks. ¬_¬ I'm agry and disappointed in myself.

(sorry for double-posting.. didn't realise I did that)

Bummer on the weight gain. It *could* be muscle. I find that my weight easily fluctuates 2-4% from one day to the next. I'm avoiding the scale because I can tell my clothes are snug and I just don't want to know.

I shoveled for about 45 minutes today.

Looking into local support groups, courses, and whatever else that's mental-health friendly. (set up by a big mental health organisation) I need to get out a little more, because I don't like being trapped indoors. I also wanna MEET more people. I'm sick of being Billy (almost) no mates. I have no friends in this town. x_x

xD Yeah, I'm noticing that tightness a little too, but that could just be the clean, recently washed jeans being tighter again... let's hope so. xD Ignorance is bliss, after all. I had a bit of a ragequit from crap food earlier. I went to the shops in a "fit of rage" (yeh, not really xD) and bought a load of vegetables and some apples. Later on I made a delicious spicy salad, when I would have previously eaten crap.

I dunno why I veered off course so much... but I largely blame Christmas. Unlike a lot of people it seems, if I stray from my routine even just a bit, it can get out of control. Problem is, I had very little support from the people whom it mattered the most. My dad, for example... kept offering me crap food. And lately, every time I go around there, there's a load of sweets right in-front of me. >.< I guess he means well, but he just doesn't understand how I work.

Yeah, I had a case of extremely tight jeans yesterday, but then I remembered that I had just washed them.

Rest day for me today. I think I may be in a mild fibromyalgia flare from increasing my running time yesterday. Very frustrating because I only added on one one-minute run to my regimen. This body of mine is really resisting my fitness efforts.

Will take the dogs for a walk today.

I ordered myself a quality pair of wind pants yesterday, that way I can be more comfortable when I start taking walks again

Done a bit of pushups and chinups today, spread out throughout the afternoon to now, almost midnight. (I'll likely sleep around 3-4am as the recentish usual seems to be) Feels amazing. I feel, as they say, "pumped". I imagine it'll do something, 'though I can't imagine it'll do tons... I just love how it feels.

Haven't made another loaf after binging on the last one. Instead, bought some crispbreads, and ate them with tomatoes, celery & spring onion on top. How virtuous is THAT!!!

I'm toying with the idea of making my own rye bread. Supposedly better for you than wheat. Fills you up and keeps you feeling filled for longer, so I'm told.

Another rest day for me but will probably walk the dogs. I guess that's a little exercise but not much since we only take them on about a 10-minute walk near our house.

Self care: forcing myself to do an activity despite my depression: cooking beef stew with my husband

Warm up.
Barbell behind head shoulder press......8 sets.
Dumbbell side lateral raise......4 sets.
Overhead Dumbbell Reverse Lateral raise......4 sets.
Negative reps included.
Barbell Upright Row......4 sets.
Deadlift (Stood on Triumph Six block, for extra drop.)......4 sets.

Did a 4 mile walk, perhaps a bit more. 1 hour and 27 minutes. Felt good, but was tough at first, which is annoying and confusing, given I not long did 5 and a half hours walk. Perhaps it was just the pace I was going at. I did go fairly fast. Got to the village 4 minutes earlier than my usual. The route is good because there's a lot of hills.

Did jog/walking again this morning and feel lightheaded (again). I may have to face facts and quit the jog portion since I seem to be able to walk without getting the lightheadedness. Or maybe I could try riding the stationary bike. We'll see . . .

Barbell squats....8 sets. (Home use Rack stands with Catchers)
Leg Extensions....8 sets (Home use seated machine)
Leg Curls......8 Sets (Same as above)
Standing Barbell Calf Raise....8 sets.
Weight run.

Another walk, 1 hour and 34 minutes. Came back and made a lush tuna salad. Afterwards, did a resistance workout for about 35 minutes. Pushed myself fairly hard. Got out the barbell for a change, which was cool, but I was really paranoid I was gonna screw my body up with bad form.. I'm not so experienced with the bar anymore, so I tend to just use other things.

Oh, and according to a sign I saw while walking, my 4 mile walk that I do has actually been probably about 7 miles; I don't really get it, personally. How can I walk 7 miles in an hour and a half, yet take 5 and a half hours to walk a touch over 15 miles? Signs and Google Maps seem to contradict each other. Either that or I'm misreading the sign and the number doesn't mean miles but perhaps something like km, but as far as I know, England uses miles. xD