New Again Monday

I’m trying to create a workout program that accounts for both my and my son’s difference in ability and experience. He’s a newbie and better served with a full-body, three-day-a-week program. I’ve got what’s referred to as “mature muscle” so hitting each body part once a week with some overlap is fine. The point where we converge is doing cardio, and core.

Today is Monday and my son’s bio clock has been reset by a week at Boy Scout Camp. He actually gets up without me having to rouse him. It’s also a Push Day, but we start off with our basic cardio: 15 min of recumbent bike and 30 min on the treadmill. However, I do increase the incline to 10 degrees so that makes it a tad harder. Pull ups are another matter. I have my son rest after his first set. He doesn’t get 10, but close. I get my 20. I ask him to just get 5 more, and he does but he indicates that’s about all he can do for now.

We continue with push ups and core movements before going back to the weight area. The Smith is free as is the smaller flat bench. I show my son how to bench press and we take turns, using the same bench. His reach is longer so he sets the bar a notch higher. As we move to heavier weight, I make sure my son keeps his form. At least with us alternating turns, my son is forced to rest between his sets. Since I’m just getting back to lifting after 6 weeks of doing nothing but mild cardio, I’m easing into the routine. I’m not quite ready to push as hard as I’m used to, so this works out well for introducing my son to the rhythm.

We get to 80 lbs and I worry that it’ll be too heavy for my son, but it isn’t. I tell my son that I like to end with a low-weight high-rep set of 25 reps. My son is able to match me without any issue. That’s so great. I’m less worried now and next week I’m going to increase the weights a bit more. The next movement is for shoulders. My son tells me he wants to do the Lat Raise Machine. 35 lbs is more than I remember him doing last, but he’s able to get his reps. Then he stands around staring at his phone while I do my DB Supersets in the free weight area. I’m hoping to regain my strength quickly and return to the 20-25 lbs. Right now it’s just the 15s for both Standing Laterals and Reverse Inclined Flyes.

I like to finish Push Day with triceps so I give my son the choice between Rip Skulls and Bench Dips. He’s never done Bench Dips before but he definitely feels them in his triceps so he continues with them. He’d rather not do them at all, but that’s not the choice I give him. (It’s best to limit choices when dealing with kids, otherwise they’d rather not do anything at all!) I do my skull crushers with 30 lbs and they feel light. Next time I’ll grab the discs and add 5 lbs. I still have to ask the front desk how to add increments to the new cable stations.

When we’re done, my son is ready to stretch out a little, and then leave. Tomorrow we plan to see Hotel Transylvania 3. It’s a little young for us and it didn't get great reviews, but we’ve enjoyed the previous two movies, so we’ll probably laugh at this one too.


Monday Push

15 recumbent bike
Level 1
Calories 66
Miles 2.13
Average Heart Rate 105

30 treadmill
10% Incline
Speed 3
Calories 263
Miles 1.49
Average Heart Rate 114 / maximum hr 131
776 ft climbed

Max HGPU 8, 5
HGPU 20

Push Ups 30
Max 20 + 7

Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12 (M 12)
70 x 12 (M 12)
80 x 12 (M 12)
50 x 25 (M 25)

Max DB Lateral Machine
35lbs x 12 x 3 sets
DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
15lbs x 12/15 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
(Max Bench Dips 10, 12, 12)
30 lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Another Monday

We had surprisingly pleasant weather over the weekend, only to have the heat return last night. Well, at least it's not as humid, although I'm reading about a hurricane barreling up the Atlantic. That's right, it's hurricane season! The sump pump is flooding the back of the yard, adding to our already high water table. The domino effect means our septic pump alarm has been sounding off every two to three hours for a good minute or two. Then the pumps reset and the alarm shuts off. You can silence the alarm, but only temporarily. Until the next time the tank floods, usually in two to three hours.

I've asked the peat moss septic system maintenance company to come a month early to pump the tank, and disconnect the alarm. Because it's not neighborly to have your alarm sound off every two hours in the middle of the night. All it does is make everyone really irritable. Seriously. I get the alarm disconnected. Whew! Hurricane season means a lot of rain, and potentially a lot of flooding. Never mind we're halfway up a big hill and everything flows down to the lake. Our property is akin to a pocket, with underground springs coursing under the clay and between the granite boulders. I put the hose from the sump pump into the pot with the milkweeds. Mine haven't flowered yet, although the wild ones by the school bus stop are in full bloom. Yet, I don't see any butterflies except for the dancing white cabbage butterflies, aka sulphurs.

My son did not want to get up this morning even though I actually let him sleep in for an extra two hours. Boy Scout Camp is going to be really rough for him next week! We do the recumbent bike and treadmill. I find my heart rate increases when I start singing along with my tunes. But I hate keeping my hands up on the heart rate monitor since it's way over my head. This makes my hands and shoulders numb in spite of the increased heart rate. Neither of us is sore from Friday's lunges, so that makes us both happy. Not planning to add weights to the lunges either. My hands will go numb carrying DBs (yes, I've done it before), and I want my son to do this for both the hip and hamstring stretch as well as the quad and glute workout. Weights are not necessary.

My son gets 8 pull ups and I'm happy. Hopefully, my eye doc will tell me tomorrow that I can resume my normal exercise routine. I can't even guess how many pull ups I'll be able to muster after being "inactive" for nearly 5 weeks. It's like being an invalid! (I ate half a bag of potato chips last night and expected the scale to record water retention due to salt intake. Instead, it read 109.8 lbs. I'm relieved and yet somehow disappointed. Still, I shouldn't be eating all this junk...)

My son does his 20 push ups and then we do a few planks. He looks tired but we still have weights to knock out. The Smith Inclined Bench is very inviting so my son does his sets there. I suggest moving up just 5lbs past the 60, but he resists. Okay. I know he can do more, but I don't want him to fail either. Failing would be discouraging and it's too early for him to be able to weather this properly.

We move to the Lateral Shoulder Raise machine, but my son complains about feeling too much stress in the back of the right side of his neck: trapezius muscle. That's not where he's suppose to feel this. He seems to be shrugging slightly on the right side, hence the tension. But he doesn't know how to not do that. He does his sets and we move on. I give him the choice of pull downs or cable rows. Pull Downs are fine. His hands are still closer on the bar than I think they should be, but I remind myself that he's just a beginner. I was in college the first time I tried this contraption. He's still in Middle School.

Earlier, while we were wiping down the Recumbent Bikes, I could hear The Mayor. Today he has his teenage son with him. He's quieter when he's spotting the kid on the bench. Later, when he's loud again, he's surrounded by other young men. Not sure if they're his son's peers or just other other summer rats. They look older, bigger than the kid, who looks older and bigger than my kid. I also see two other fathers with their noodle-arm boys, one struggling with a Shoulder Press station.

Because I'm not cleared to lift weights yet, I just hang around my son and record his sets. When I'm back to my routine, I'm not quite sure how we'll work this out. I'm used to doing a lot more sets. My Push Days are a lot more intense than just three sets of 12. Hopefully he'll be inspired to try and keep up with his mom as opposed to just sitting with his eyes glued to his phone. We'll see...

I've joined an online ichthylosis vulgaris (IV) support group, because my skin seems to be getting worse. The dryness and scaly flakes are readily apparent, even a day after vigorous exfoliation. I really need to slather on the lactic acid cream, even though it makes me sticky and smell like milk. Some of those scale-dissolving creams reek of ammonia, so things can always be worse. High humidity is suppose to calm this condition, but many of us get intense prickly itching when temps rise. I suffer from this if I can't break a sweat (and find myself scratching mercilessly), but who wants to be sweaty all the time? I'd rather be cold! But of course, my skin really hates that. Of course.

Monday with Max

15 Recumbent Bike
Manual Level 1
Calories 66
Miles 2.19
Average Heart Rate 118 (70%)

30 Treadmill 5% Incline
Speed 3
Calories 191
Miles 1.49
Average Heart Rate 119 (71%) / 130 (77%)

Max pull ups 8
Max push ups 20

Elbow Plank 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Max Smith Inclined Bench
Bar (30) x 12 warm up
50 x 12
60 x 12 x 2

Max Lateral Raise machine
20 lbs x 12
30 x 12 x 2

Max Lat Downs
70 x 12
85 x 12, 12

Stretch