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