StrongerGeek’s BodyBlog

Abs and Upper Body

I was planning on doing Abs and Cardio today, but after the abs work, I just felt like hitting the upper body instead.  It was a fairly good workout.  Nothing terribly exciting, but it felt good to get in there and blast it a little bit.

Well another non-exercise related post, but I can’t help myself…
I couldn’t get to the gym today (although if I can, I’ll try to go tonight).  The reason was that today was parent-teacher conference day.  It took up a good chunk of the day, since I have 3 kids in school.  The great news was that all three things got glowing reviews from their teachers.  I’m one proud papa today.

This is a bit off the normal topic of conversation, but since there are many military people on this site, I thought it make be as good a place as any to ask…

So… I’ve never fired a gun in my life.  Not once.  And I’ve started to have the desire to learn how.  I’d like to everntually feel confortable enough to buy and keep one or more guns in my home for self-defense, etc.  But honestly, I feel completely overwhelmed by the idea of it.  I wouldn’t even know where to begin…  Are there places one can take a class for "Guns for Dummies?"

Legs

So yesterday I just took a 3-mile walk.  It felt really good.  Today I hit the legs.  Not super-hard or anything, but it was a good workout.

Last night I bashed the bejeezus out of my pinky toe getting out of the shower.  I suspect I broke it.  It doesn’t particularly hurt that bad, but it looks horrible.  I did something similar to another toe several years back, and later found out I had broken it.  Apparently there’s not much to be done about a broken toe.  Just let it heal and deal with it.  I’m a moron.  It didn’t really interfere with my workout, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

My back is feeling quite a bit better today, even after a leg workout.  Phew.  Glad that’s over with.

Okay, so with all my bitching about my back and yada yada yada, I want to tell you about something positive.  My major success of last week.  This wanna-be bodybuilder didn’t eat a single piece of halloween candy…  That’s two years in a row.  Damn, I’m good
The three Things got more loot that you could imagine.  As usual, my wife played her game of buying off most of their candy at 10cents a piece.  I took it to work today.  It was heavy! Pounds and pounds of candy.  I put it out in big bowls in the kitchen here… and guess what?  It’s gone people.  Nary a piece left.  That just grosses me out.

Upper Body

Well a week off, and not by choice.  I did a doozy on my back, no joke.  Honestly I don’t think it was the gym.  I was putting a lot of insulation up in the sills in my basement and there were some pretty damn hard places to reach.  Lots of reaching over my head and twisting stuff.  Bad idea.

Anyway I felt good enough to get back to the gym today.  It was okay.  I felt a little weak and off, but my back was happy after all was said and done.  I’ll take what I can get.

I’ve sort of purposely avoided this site while I was not in the gym.  I found it depressing to watch everyone else kicking ass while I sat on mine.  So I’m back and playing catch up.  Miss me?

Saturday: Abs and Legs

Sunday: Back and Biceps

I got back from NYC on Friday and got too workouts in this weekend.  Saturday was legs which was fine, if not terribly exciting.  I did squat 135 lbs, which is the most I’ve put on my back in a long time.  I also did some much needed abs work.  Sunday was back and biceps day.  I got 12 pullups (one off my record of 13).  I’m also continuing to hit the biceps a little harder, which felt good.

Nothing else major to report.  I’ve got a cardio and abs day coming up today.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Upper Body

I’m leaving for NYC in 1/2 an hour, but I managed to squeeze one more workout in!  I decided since I will take at least two (and likely 3) days off from the gym, to combine my chest and back workouts back into a single upper body workout.

Some of the numbers were a little off today, but I had very little sleep last night so that’s understandable.  I only got 11 pullups (my record is 13).  My best bench was 185 lbs x 7.  I was happy with my DB curls today.  I’m still using the lighter weights to keep my elbow happy, but I did seated, alternating dumbbell curls at 32.5 lbs x 12 and I did them agonizing slow.  Man that’s one way to make a light weight seem heavy.

My back is a little sore today because we played a kids vs adults soccer game at Thing #2’s practice.  That was a hell of a lot of fun, but I got knocked down (by a 9 year old!) and my old body doesn’t take that as well as it once did…  I never was a soccer player as a kid, but Things 1 and 2 love it, and they’re teaching me how to play.  (I missed Thing #2’s game last week, but everyone, adults and kids, were talking about this amazing corner kick he did.  Apparently he bent the ball and scored a goal directly from the kick.  I guess that’s not a normal thing for a 10 year old to be able to do…  Okay, proud parent stopping now…)

I’m off to the city.  Be good while I’m gone and don’t eat too much ice-cream…

Legs

Solid leg workout.  I upped the weight on my walking lunges to 45 lbs.  Now they are getting a little difficult.  I also upped the weight on leg-curls today and did an extra set more than usual.  My PT said I could put mild weights on my back now if I was very conscious of form, especially making sure my abs were tight.  So, I threw caution to the wind and squatted… wait for it… 95 lbs today.  Hah!  Well… you do what you can do…  Someday I will squat 250 lbs again.  But not today…

Actually the back hasn’t been to bad.  It’s not great, mind you, but I no longer wake up in agony.  [It used to be I would wake up with a lot of pain and not be able to move much and then within an hour or two things were a lot better.]  So I’m stiff a lot, but it’s not debilitating.  The price I pay for this improvement is about an hour of stretching a day.  I stretch in the morning, at the gym after the workout, and before bed.  It’s boring and a pain in the rear, but it does help.

Sunday: Abs and Cardio

Took Saturday off (had no choice in the matter… my Saturday was booked solid with stuff for the 3 Things). Sunday I had a very good core workout followed by 20 minutes of kick ass HIIT on the elliptical.  Today is leg day.  My legs are sore from yesterday though, so it should be interesting.  I’ll tell you how it goes shortly…

I leave tomorrow for NYC for 4 days of schmoozing.  Ugh.  Last year I was sick as a dog at this conference.  At least this year I seem to be healthy.  I’m hoping at least one day I can get to the hotel gym, although I’m not holding my breath.  As far as diet goes, I’m not too worried about eating.  Usually I can find reasonably healthy choices at these things.  I am, however, worried about the drinking.  I basically gave up drinking when I started this lifestyle (coming up on two years now…) but it is hard for me to say no when everyone around me is drinking.  I will be strong.  I will be strong.
I need new music for my workouts, I’m getting sick and tired of my old playlists.  The SG challenge for today is : send me your favorite workout song.