Overcoming Inertia Again

It's taking me far too long to get back to exercise to establish a routine. Working out at home may suit some people, but I'm much more motivated when I have a scheduled task, like driving my son to school. I really miss going to the gym, but not for the people. Especially not the people (who I find mostly annoying and gross).

What I miss most of all are the well-lit, hot showers with awesome water pressure. The water pressure in my house sucks and there's nothing I can do to change that (I've spoken to more than one plumber about it). I also enjoy using the cardio equipment, machines, and assorted free weights. And having squishy mats to use for stretching out afterward. My home mats are too hard and uncomfortable.

I've read that the state of Georgia is reopening some businesses like gyms, salons, and restaurants. I'm not sure how re-opening gyms during this pandemic is supposed to work. I have a hard enough time grocery shopping with a mask on (I start to feel overheated by the time I get to the register and the mask is in my lower peripheral vision all the time which is horribly distracting), much less doing vigorous exercise. Cardio gets me really sweaty and I'm constantly blotting my face or blowing my nose. Do I just sweat right into my mask? Ugh.

Gold's Gym has frozen the May fees but really, they should refund the April ones as well. They've provided an online community (on FaceBook) and an assortment of online workouts (the AMP program) but I prefer to do my own. After all, I'm the one who knows my limitations best so there are no jumping jacks, handstands, or going for a run in my fitness routine.

Trudging across a soppy lawn between rainstorms and the threat of hail just doesn't do it for me. I'd rather curl up on the sofa in front of my laptop. The garage is cold and it takes me a long time to warm up. Today, my fingertips were nearly numb in spite of the rest of me being warm enough to shed a few layers of fleece. Damn that Raynaud's Syndrome.

While there were some interesting exercises in the last post, I can't say that I felt as if doing all of them actually did much for me. Nevermind doing half of them on alternate days! Jeeze! So, I'm back to my own personalized routine. Personalized for me. Because it's been nearly a week since I last pedaled the elliptical, I'm convinced that I'm not going to make it to two and a half miles. And again, I'm thoroughly surprised and pleased when I manage to get past three. I just wish that I could lower the Resistance to zero (0) because even level 1 makes me feel like I'm slogging through thickening jelly.

I shoot phone videos of the pullups and pushups. I can't get a good angle for the latter to see where my elbows are. If I pull them in tighter to my body, my elbows hurt. At this position, they just click a little. And I have to be mindful of hand positions because the wrists can get cranky. The rest of the workout feels fairly routine. Except I decided to time how long it takes to do 25 air squats. That turns out to be 34 seconds.

Angle makes the plate
look huge! It's not! 

I'm still not happy with anchoring myself during Rip Skulls but I haven't been motivated enough to lug my husband's massive adjustable DBs over to the bench for me to rest my feet. The rest of the workout is just a few sets of standard DB and EZ bar shoulder and arm movements.

I end with some shoulder and upper back stretches. The stretch I have the most difficulty with is one where you clasp your hands behind your back, straighten your arms pulling your shoulders back and stretching the chest. Bending at the waist doesn't seem to change anything. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? A tight painful right shoulder and short thick arms make this stretch something to work at.

Friday workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.11

Calories: 288

HR 74-140

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 50

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25

HGPU 17

Bodyweight squats 25 (34 sec)

Strap Inverted Row 12, 12

DB Press 15 lbs each x 25

DB Flyes 15 lbs x 12

Split Squat 12 each leg

EZ Bar Rip Skulls 30 lbs x 12 x 3

DB Alt Front Raises 15 lbs x 15 x 2

DB Lateral Raises 15 lbs x 12 x 2

EZ Bar BB Curl 30lbs x 25

EZ Bar RG Curl 30 x 25

Quick stretch

Lazy At Home Workout

After sitting in front of my computer for a few hours, I decided that I really needed to do something more physical than walk to my car and go shopping. I'd already done that this morning. Being dragged up and down the road happens twice daily and I don't really consider that exercise. Maybe for the pup. It is a strenuous activity but I'm not counting it.

So, today I decided to try and do all 12 bodyweight exercises listed in the online article I referenced in my last post. Of course, at the end of the article, it states that these comprise two separate workouts to be done alternately every other day for only 30 seconds per movement for 3-4 rounds. Uh, maybe next time but not today.

I'm lazy enough to do all these movements in the clothes I happen to be wearing at the moment. So I'm not changing out of flannel shirt and pants and a pair of old Clark leather slip-ons. Some of these exercises are easy because I've done them before, and some are new and thus, more difficult. There's one that I find downright impossible and not because I'm doing all the exercises in the order that they're listed in the article.

I thought the Superman Pull would be hard, but it wasn't. Next time I'll do it to a timer instead of counting for reps. Alternating Bird Dogs are also too easy. Mountain climbers had me trying not to slide across the wood floor. The Split Squats actually made my quads too tired to complete a proper Pistol Squat. Instead, I wound up dropping onto a footstool like the model shows in the article's example, then standing up by pressing my hand into the bent leg's thigh. So not a total failure there.

Plank Up-Downs got the heart rate moving (as did Mountain Climbers). Alternating Side Lunges were a bit odd, probably because I had trouble not sliding across the floor for each rep. I'm not sure if I'm doing the Superman correctly because the model seems to have a greater range of motion, or she just has longer, thinner limbs than I do. And then we get to V-Ups. I put down a yoga mat folded in half for cushioning. At first, I'm only able to curl my upper body towards my legs, which is more a crunch than a sit-up movement. The exercise calls for a straight torso that hinges at the hips, which means the pivot point is for me, my tailbone. Supremely unpleasant and I'm only able to do 2 that way. I do a few more extremely imperfect ones, even testing out the suggested table-top leg position. But that doesn't alleviate my issue with all my weight balancing on my bony coccyx. This isn't an exercise I'm willing to practice.

I modify the Burpees because my knees do not appreciate jumping. My right shoulder isn't really happy with the faux push-up that starts the exercise either. But I get 14 done. I'm warmed up but not sweaty. Perfect. Stormy weather predicted for tomorrow. Maybe I'll use the elliptical if the power holds up. But I won't need electricity for the other things in my routine.

Lazy At Home Workout

Air Squats 12 reps x 3

Push-ups 25

Split Squats 12 each leg

Superman Pull 15

Alternating Bird Dog 60s

Mountain Climbers 60s

Pistol Squats 0 / half 12 each

Plank Up-Downs 60s

Alt Side Lunges 12 each side

Flexing Superman 60s

V-Up 8 imperfect

Burpees w/o Jump 14

Sunny Sunday Workout

I know I'm not the only one having trouble sticking with an exercise routine. Working out at home is fraught with distractions and excuses. Gold's Gym has a FaceBook group where members across the country can share, complain, question, and vent. Recently, I discovered that Gold's is closing several company-owned gyms, mostly in the midwest. Luckily, franchised gyms, like the one I belong to, aren't affected. It's also the reason I haven't put my $20/mos membership on hold like some people I know. That still costs $5/mos. Some gyms have graciously offered this perk to their members upfront, but mine has not. You'd have to ask specifically for it to be done. It's not an exorbitant amount so I'm inclined to let it go unless the gyms stay closed for more than a few months.

Right now, it seems as if the plan is to reopen restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms before schools. Today, in the tri-state area, marinas and golf courses are allowed to reopen, but only for private boats (not rentals) and individual golfers (no parties). It feels socio-economically discriminatory (I don't own a boat, do you?), but then again, people are really bad at following rules, even social-distancing rules. More than once, my husband has witnessed people pulling their masks down to speak to people in close proximity. Because people (sigh) are stupid.

It's a bright sunny Sunday and I have no excuse for not trudging out to the garage, unlike the past few days where dreary skies and rain not quite cold enough to form flakes was a constant threat. I get on the elliptical and know I'm not making 3 miles: I'm breathing too hard. I've reverted back to my cushy sneakers because my toes felt squished in the normally okay extra-wide 6.5 trainers. I don't think my feet are getting wider but at least my big toe is showing signs of a brand new toenail under the hard, scabby crust. Yaaay for the little things.

Panting makes me worried that I'll hyperventilate and faint, but I don't feel faint. My fingers go a little numb. My right foot hurts under the metatarsal joints. The bottom of my lungs hurt, but don't actually burn. I wish I wasn't mouth breathing but my sinuses feel congested and eventually, I'll have to blow my nose. I tell myself it's okay to quit early, quit after 25 minutes, quit after 30 minutes, quit after another 2 minutes. And then 35 minutes have passed. And I'm done. And I've made it past 3 miles. Yaaay for the little things!

My workouts are longer each session as I remember old exercises or discover equipment covered in dust and cobwebs. I feel a bit weak doing pushups which makes me realize that I'm not doing enough pressing movements. While I have exercises for triceps, the pectorals and associated muscles aren't very challenged. Shoulders are similarly neglected. I could do more than 25 pushups. But I told my glaucoma doctor I wouldn't, so I haven't. Maybe I could space them out throughout my workout?

My right shoulder and elbow are slightly achy, most likely due to the sudden exuberance of one of my dogs during walks. He's a skinny, skittish sled-dog type who has no trouble using both back feet to push off in front of me (I call it "bunny hopping") in an effort to drag me forward after squirrels, cats, robins, sparrows, whatever's in the hedges or skittering across the lawn... The elbow/forearm only bothers me when I attempt pullups so today I only get 16 reps. I do add a few "new" movements to the mix though, like a set of DB Presses with the 15 lb dumbbells I finally decided to dust off. Those presses aren't even close to being as taxing as pushups, or even the pressing movement I catch myself unconsciously doing with the EZ bar when getting into position for Rip Skulls. Funny, right? Especially since both equal 30 lbs.

With the Rip Skulls, I have to make sure I'm positioned properly on the bench because it's short and not only is it uncomfortable to have your head unsupported during this movement, but it feels downright dangerous. Like I'm running the risk of an internal decapitation, which isn't normally survivable. (You can see me inching myself backward after each rep until my head is on the bench in the video below.)

I replace Lunges with Split Squats and discover I'm too short to use the bench to rest my back leg. Instead, one of the plastic bins sits low enough for me. After a few sets of Rip Skulls, I'm bored enough to play with the DBs again, this time doing some straightforward Front Raises. That, of course, lends itself to DB Lateral Raises. Even with light weights, I'm careful not to lock my elbows or raise my arms too high. Shoulders are delicate joints!

Almost done. I lose count doing reps for EZ Bar Curls and do a few extra just in case. The same happens with EZ Bar Reverse Grip Curls. I check my phone to see how many reps. Okay, more than 25. I could probably go to 30 next time. There are no mirrors in the garage so I use my phone's camera and video function to sporadically check my form. Not as strict as I'd like but not horrible. It'll do.

Sunny Day workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.07

Calories: 285

HR 74-126 (66-89 avg)

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 60

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25 elbows flared

HGPU 16 

Bodyweight squats 25

Strap Inverted Row 12, 12

DB Press 15 lbs each x 25

Split Squat 12 each leg

EZ Bar Rip Skulls 30 lbs x 12 x 3

DB Alt Front Raises 15 lbs x 12 x 2

DB Lateral Raises 15 lbs x 12 x 3

EZ Bar BB Curl 30 x 27 reps

EZ Bar RG Curl 30 x 27

Quick stretch

Hump Day Workout

This gym rat is having a hard time staying motivated, especially when the weather's bad or there are other things that need my attention. Wind and torrents of rain kept me indoors except when we had to walk the pups on Monday. Yesterday, a bright sunny calm day with no expectations for any irregularities saw our power go out, the generator kick on, and the house remains dark. WTF?!

I had to drive toward town to get a strong enough cell signal to call my electrician. Our fuses looked good and the generator is fairly new. I shut the machine down. The power came back on by the time the electrician showed up. He ran a systems check on everything and couldn't find anything wrong. But he did show me where the transfer switch box was and how to determine if it was working properly. Ugh. At least he didn't charge me for the housecall.

Today's another bright sunny day but I'm only ready to head out to my garage by early afternoon. My husband is still working on site during this pandemic but seems to be coming home earlier and earlier each day. I'm seriously not used to having so many bodies in the house all the time. Plus the strain this is putting on our septic system, especially with a teenage boy whose showers run over 30 minutes each day.

It's been 3 days since my last workout and I feel like a pathetic, out of shape slug. As usual, I'm freezing and start pedaling while bundled in fleece. It takes me at least 5 minutes before I'm brave enough to grab the cold metal HR monitor handles with my ungloved hands. And I only do that because I want to keep an eye on my HR. It's too early to tell if it matters, but I did imbibe a dose of SuperBeets about an hour before I started my workout.

I still tell myself that it's okay if I barely make 2 miles today. Because that's how I feel. As if I'll just keel over from exertion midway through my set. I know I'm not going to beat my last mileage, but it'd be nice to get close to 3 miles. Oddly, my HR is higher at the beginning of my workout, averaging (if this machine can be trusted) 130 bpm. During the second half, my HR is considerably lower, bouncing between 74 and 86. Weird. I have no consistency. Also weird that it can drop to 64 for several seconds toward the last 10 minutes.

I bring a towel for extra padding. I'm such a princess that the hard cell mats are still too harsh on my tailbone. I'm not sure I can do pull-ups today but I give it a go, so I'm surprised (aren't I always?) when I can pull myself up. And I'm happy that I can muscle out one more than last time. Then I do bodyweight squats to give my upper body a rest before tackling Inverted Rows on the Power Straps. Then back to legs with lunges. Next time I might spice it up with Split Squats, which is just putting the back leg up on the bench during the "lunge." I'm not confident enough to even attempt a Pistol Squat, but I'll get bored enough if the gyms stay closed for another month. I really miss going to the gym.

The bench is flimsy enough that I put the towel on it to pad my tailbone. Doing Rip Skulls shouldn't cause your lower back discomfort as you try to anchor yourself when you pull your arms overhead. I had my vest and hat on but got too warm. But I got my three sets done. And my EZ bar curls, and then my RG EZ bar curls. Some stretches. And done.

Online, I've seen a few "workout at home articles" that cater to people without much equipment. Here's one that I like: Best Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home.

HumpDay workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.02

Calories: 280

HR 64-140 (avg 75-90)

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 30 x 2

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25 elbows flared

(No click no pain)

HGPU 18

Bodyweight squats 25

Strap Inverted Row 12, 12

Lunges 25

EZ Bar Rip Skulls 30 lbs x 12 x 3

EZ Bar BB Curl 30 x 25 reps

EZ Bar RG Curl 30 x 25

Quick stretch

Sunday Workout

I meant to work out yesterday but errands got in the way. Today, as my husband tends to a pork shoulder in the smoker for Easter supper, I decide to spend an hour (or two) in the garage. The sky is clouding up after a ridiculously bright sunny morning where I watched large birds circle high overhead. One, with a creamy breast and dark banded wings, makes a cry I've never heard before, sounding a lot like "cribbage! cribbage!"

Even though the thermometer reads 60F outdoors, it's considerably cooler inside the garage and I'm bundled up with a hat, fleece jacket, fleece vest, fleece pullover and a long-sleeve T. I'm wearing my gym pants and sneakers though because I don't want to ruin the plaid flannel cargo pants I had on earlier. Yes, those are hand-me-downs from my son and were his favorite type of pants for most of grade school. No one carries them anymore so they are a precious commodity. Because I'm not out in public, I don't care that my plaids clash!

Again, my lungs hurt as I push myself through 35 minutes and 3 miles. Today I promise myself that I'll start drinking my powdered beet again. And do cardio on a more regular basis. Again, I don't think I'll make it past 2.5 miles, but I do. I'm always surprised. My HR bounces from 64 to 134 but stays mostly in the 110 range. Twenty minutes in and I'm warm enough to strip off the jacket, gloves, vest, and hat. I'm panting hard when I finally finish. So not looking forward to doing this again anytime soon. But I will.

Core isn't hard. Pushups are fine. Pull-ups are slightly better as I squeeze one more rep out. I have on different sneakers today so I don't slide as much on the floor mats. It takes me a while to get my phone set up at an angle where I can see myself as I attempt Inverted Rows on the Power Straps. It's obvious by rep 7 that I need to relax my shoulders and back fully before pulling up for the next 5 reps. At least I can just sit down when I'm done.

Bodyweight squats and lunges tax my knees a bit but I pace myself. I look at the EZ Curl Bar and add a slight 2.5 lb plate to each side to bring the total up to 30 lbs. The additional weight creates a slight problem with my flimsy bench: with a heavier bar, I really need to anchor my feet as I bring my arms over my head but I'm too short for anything but my tiptoes to touch the actual floor.

The bench does not lay flat and has an unanchored inclined section with padded footrests. I'm not really sure what that's for: it's my husband's bench from a million years ago. Finally, I settle on placing one foot over the foam roller and one foot under as a way to lock myself in place. I'll stick to 30 lbs on the bar for a while.

Five pounds doesn't sound like a lot but the bar was definitely heavier when I picked it up for curls. I still knocked out 25 reps for regular curls and RG curls. If anything, the RGs were a tad easier. I always feel better after I work out so I really should do it more often. But of course, motivation has been lacking in these trying times...

Easter Sunday workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.12

Calories: 288

HR 64-136 (106-117)

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 30

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25 (elbows flared)

HGPU 17

Bodyweight squats 25

Strap Inverted Row 4, 13, 12

Lunges 25

EZ Bar Rip Skulls 30 lbs x 12 x 3

EZ Bar BB Curl 30 x 25 reps

EZ Bar RG Curl 30 x 25

Quick stretch

Back At It

You know there's a problem when you find yourself wondering if you should drag the fans out of the garage because the house is too damn hot, but it's only 66F outside. The indoor thermometer read 72F. It's never that hot inside. I have all the windows (that the dogs can't reach) open. I touch the baseboards and they're hot even though I've knocked the 3-zone thermostats down to 45, which effectively shuts off the heat. Ugh. Something's broken that I don't know how to fix. I call the boiler service fellow and he confirms that one of the controllers is busted.

He notes that the boiler itself could use some servicing, but perhaps at another time when we're all less stressed. He and his assistant both wear paper masks you use for house painting. One of my dogs barks non-stop for the entire hour that the service van is in the driveway. It's fixed and I write him a check. He tells me that in Guatemala, where he's from, there is a chain of movie houses that shares the same name as me. Yes, they're Chinese too. Well, that's something I didn't know before.

It's been over a week since I last worked out. I'm done with wrangling oriental bittersweet vines for now, having severed and wrestled as many as I could identify out of my privet hedges. My forearms and hands are sore from wielding the clippers. Sunny warm days bring out bugs. Lots of tiny kamikaze insects hurling themselves into every uncovered facial orifice. Best to have your eyes, nose and ears protected. Today, an Alberta clipper threatens to bring rain, sleet, snow, and high winds into the area. Oh boy!

It's raining and dreary and I'm totally unmotivated. I'd rather crawl back under my blankets and nap, but guilt makes me grab my sneakers, earbuds, and tunes to head out to the garage. It's 47F but feels much colder. My hands are numb holding the HR monitor handles on the elliptical and I'm totally convinced that I'll barely survive 2 miles. After 10 minutes, my fingertips throb painfully, courtesy of the Raynaud's syndrome. At least my toes haven't gone tingly. My lungs hurt at the bottom of each breath, as if I'd never run before in my whole life. This is probably because I haven't kept up with the concentrated beet powder I used to drink after each workout. I'm so regretting this today.

My mind wanders and when I glance back at the dashboard, I'm shocked to see my HR topping 194 bpm. It's never done that on this machine before. It drops back down to more normal ranges and stays there until the last 10 minutes when I'm breathlessly trying to make 3 miles. Then my HR seems to drop further, down to 67-75 range. Weird. But I'm not that concerned. I just need to do more cardio with a bit more regularity!

I knock out my core exercises and even pushups without much issue, to my surprise. No clicking in my elbows! I have more trouble with hammer grip pull-ups. By rep 14, I'm feeling a bit weak and tired and have to drop into a full extension. I don't normally because that position puts a lot of stress on my tiny forearm muscles and I'm prone to tendonitis there. However, keeping arms even slightly flexed is also tiring. Which means resting one part of the body might stress a different part. Trade-offs! I muscle through the last two reps.

The same can be said for Inverted Rows performed on Power Straps. Keeping the body straight and flexed throughout the entire movement is exhausting. Halfway through the set, I relax my back and shoulders at the bottom position for a good stretch. It's not pretty but it helps me to complete the rest of the set.

I toss my fleece vest onto the bench for added cushioning during Rip Skulls. It really helps! Next time I'll consider increasing the weight by a few pounds. I mindlessly do a set of BB Curls afterward before remembering they were supposed to be RG BB Curls. So I do those too. It's stopped raining but the wind has picked up and there's a weather advisory for tonight.

It's not as if I've spent the past week glued to my sofa. At least twice daily, I get dragged up and down my road by the bony pup we adopted. My son or husband handles the other pup who is slightly taller and heavier. That one will eat anything, and like a toddler, often has things in his mouth that shouldn't be. The skinny pup is more finicky, and skittish, scaring easily. He needs extra attention and my husband swears this is a cat in disguise. He's barely 40 lbs, but he can sure pull like a sled dog when he wants to go somewhere. Or he sees a squirrel. I guess that means at least one arm is getting a workout.

Thursday Home Workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.08

Calories: 286

HR 65-194 (75-125 average)

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 30

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25 elbows flared - No click no pain!

HGPU 16

Bodyweight squats 25

Strap Inverted Row 12, 12

Lunges 25

EZ Bar +10 (25) Rip Skulls 12, 12

EZ Bar (25) BB Curl 25

EZ Bar (25) RG Curl 25

Quick stretch

Yanking Weeds Instead of Weights

stock photo: Oriental Bittersweet

On the days that are rainy and dreary, I've had little incentive to work out in the garage or the yard. On days that are bright and sunny, I'd rather be outside in spite of the newly emerged biting gnats and pesky flying creatures that dive-bomb every orifice. It's those days that I've chosen to don a hat or scarf, sunglasses, long sleeve jacket, gloves and boots, and cutting shears.

The mission? To extricate and eliminate every woody vine twirling about my hedges and slithering into the maple in the front yard. In past years, I've been too late, when the privets have flowered and leafed. This year, bored by our confinement, I've noticed how the oriental bittersweet can be discerned not only by texture and viny shape but by the reddish-brown color of their bark. Vines have crept up the hedges and attached themselves to some of the southern-facing branches of our red maple. Without leaves, it's easy to trace the snakey vines upward into the tangle of branches. They aren't hairy vines like poison ivy. Whew!

stock photo

I cut vines as close to the ground as possible, wrap the vine around my hand and arm and then pull with my entire bodyweight. It's quite the workout. Vines often fork overhead and tendrils can extend for several feet. Ultimately, it's very satisfying to feel the vine succumb as you tumble backward with yards and yards of whiplike material. Thursday I cleared most the driveway hedges by myself. Yesterday, I got my husband into the fun. He's taller and stronger, so the obvious choice for muscling the snakey growth out of the canopy overhead. This morning, my son came out to help me with some of the hedges facing the road. After 90 minutes of sweaty exertion, we were satisfied with the bundle of vines we carted away. Really thick woody vines can't be peeled away so I just sever them from their roots and wait for them to disintegrate over time.

It's not the same as doing 30 plus minutes on the elliptical, crunches, planks and pull-ups. But it's nice to be outside, doing something useful. Schools and gyms might be closed for another month (who knows?), and I've decided that that might be enough time for me to tackle actually lopping the hedges down to a manageable height with hand-held clippers and shears, and a ladder. And probably bug spray. I'll still be visiting the garage for workouts though.

We are abiding by the CDC recommendation to wear face masks in public places like grocery stores. Cotton bandanas and hair ties are quick and easy, but are extremely uncomfortable (pulls on my tender ears) and hot with several layers of cloth catching my breath. Still, it's disconcerting to see so many (mostly middle-aged men) people blithely oblivious to everything except their own needs as they shop and touch literally everything.

Weekends are the worst time to shop. My son was incredulous at the empty shelves where flour and sugar used to be. Also sold out: paper towels, toilet paper, seltzer, eggs, and oatmeal. We went to the store because my son has class assignments. For German language class, he needed to make a German food item. He decided on Kirschenmichel (bread pudding with sour cherries). The recipe calls for artisanal bread (to go stale) soaked in milk and eggs before baking. No jarred sour cherries so off to the farm store the next town over because I know they have brandied cherries for sale. We can just soak the brandy out and it'll be fine.

April Fools Workout

It's April Fools' Day but no one is pulling pranks. People are stressed and aggravated. I go to the CVS to pick up glaucoma drops I had already ordered yesterday. Each time I go to the store, I have to wait in line for 10-15 minutes, moving from designated Xs taped to the carpet to the next, like we're real-life Parcheesi pieces. Today, when I get to the counter, I'm told she'll expedite the order and for me to wait in my car for the next 30 minutes. I did that yesterday and told the counter person I'd come back today. Obviously, we had different ideas as to what that would accomplish. I thought that my order would be ready today. Instead, they just didn't process it because I wasn't coming back until today. Ugh.

After running around all day, I note that some stores have their employees gloved and masked behind protective plastic counter shields, and other stores have nothing but signage suggesting customers keep 6 feet apart. I wear fleece winter gloves that I can toss into the wash as soon as I get home but no face mask.

It's a bright sunny day and the thermometer reads 60F, but only in direct sunlight. Otherwise, it's 50F. And less than that inside the garage. I wear actual gym clothes today to work out. On the elliptical, I get warm enough to strip off my gloves and jacket although I keep my hoodie on most of the time. I'm pedaling hard enough so that my lungs hurt a little. But my heart rate peaks at 140, which isn't bad at all. Maybe it's a defect of the HR monitor?

I do all my routine moves including hammer grip pullups and pushups. I'm stuck at 16 reps for the former and much better with widely angled arms for the latter. I try the Power Straps again for a form of inverted rows, allowing my feet to slide until I'm literally right below the bands. I have less success trying to video this since the angle of activity is much greater than my puny iPhone 6+ can accommodate. I swap the 2.5 lb plates for 5 lb plates on the EZ Curl bar to do Rip Skulls and RG BB Curls.

Surprisingly, what cuts my sets short during Rip Skulls is the pressure of my bony shoulders against a poorly padded bench as I rotate my arms overhead. I've never felt this discomfort at the gym! The benches there are newer and in better shape. No problems doing RG curls though. I'm starting to cool off so I don't stretch before I leave the chill of the garage.

It's been almost 7 months since I stepped on my home scale. I admit that since I last went to my gym over 2 weeks ago (Monday, March 16), I was worried about getting fat and weak, but not enough to curb my appetite. Of course, on the days I do work out in the garage, any hunger I started out with dissipates. I really need to work out more! The scale told me that I'd put on maybe a pound and a half. No surprise there. But it said my body fat was 16% and muscle mass 39.3. I was actually a little heavier last August, with a BF of 16.8 and MM of 36.1. Weird, right? Of course, these home scales are notoriously inaccurate. Still, it makes me feel better about myself.

Wednesday Home workout

Vision elliptical

Program: manual

35 min

Miles: 3.09

Calories: 286

HR 74-140

Crunches 60/60

Elbow Plank 60s

Bench Knee-Ins 30

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 25 elbows flared

(Left click no pain)

HGPU 16

Bodyweight squats 25

Strap Inverted Row 2, 6, 12, 12

Lunges 25

EZ Bar +10 (25) Rip Skulls 12 x 2

EZ Bar (25) RG BB Curl 25 x 2