I choose pain

[Joe King]

As for pain... I've been walking 1/2 mile up to the clubhouse in our community.

Then using the machines to lift weights. I started out with 8 lbs per arm, 10 reps... haven't lifted for 40 years and being an old fart I'm starting out slow lest I tear something. Been doing this for about 2 weeks. Still learing how the machines work.

I have 10 lbs on the next machine because it feels about right. The plan is to push it from 10 to 11 to N reps before I raise the weight to the next stack.

There's free weights available, but I'm starting on machines.

After working on 3 machines I head to the treadmill for 1 mile of fast walking before walking the 1/2 mile back... total 2 miles.

That's great man!

Weight training is really good for us as we get older, because our muscle mass wants to go away faster once we hit late 50's early 60's.

Only way to prevent that, is make 'em work.

Keep it up! Your future self will thank you for the effort.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track. Left leg/knee felt fine - no twinges.

(later)

Crucifix Crunch - Today I was focused from the first rep. 3 sets of 15 reps slow, controlled (no momentum) and with focused abs squeezing. I was feeling the abs working mid way through the first set. The last 5 reps of set 3, I did in super slow motion and holding the squeeze for half a second before releasing. Abs were working, but again not sore or burning.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms slightly higher than parallel to my legs at about a 35 degree angle to the floor. I kept my back off the floor through breath 28. Finished the last two breaths with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I tried to keep my feet low to the floor. Today it was slightly easier to keep the lower back flat to the floor that yesterday, but it still took effort to keep the abs fully engaged. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I focused on keeping the abs tight and the lower back flat tot he floor. My legs rose a bit as they kicked. 30 breaths done. Whew. Abs did work.

Side planks
Left side - I could feel the obliques isolated and working from the first rep. I had good form today. Obliques felt strong until I reached rep 20 today. I pushed to 25 reps and was able to maintain good form for the last 5 reps. It felt good except for my shoulder which was complaining loudly for the last few reps. If the shoulder had felt better, I might have tried pushing for more reps.
Right side - 25 reps. Shoulders popped a few times and registered a twinge of pain by the last few reps, but I could easily have pushed more reps.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Today, I found the correct form (foot positioning, hips thrust properly, spine straight) after a few breaths. Quads burned, but only mildly today. I felt the inner thigh area where it connects to the groin was working hard again today. No trembling/shaking in the knees today. I went to 70 breaths because 60 felt surprisingly easy (relatively - I was still straining of course). Legs felt tired when I finished, but standing up again was not not a Herculean feat like it has been.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Good form, moderate burn in the quads. Knees started to vibrate mildly at breath 59. I decide to push for a record today. I reach breath 80 and the quads are burning like it was my first time. Knee starts to vibrate moderately as I reach breath 85. I stop after 90 breaths and I'm able to stand relatively easily using the wall shimmy technique. Quads still burning as I'm resting.

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Just like last time, I'm in position with the core tight and straight and my elbows in tight to my sides. Around breath 32, my pecs start to struggle and lower my chest/head. It took supreme effort, but I last until breath 40 with my chin a centimeter off the floor before I collapse. My pecs were straining since breath 30 and feel sore when I'm done.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Shoulders/arms started trembling around breath 70 and get progressively stronger with each successive breath. Around breath 80 the trembling was full on shaking and my head is bobbing up and down from the shaking. I push through. I feel great relief when I release/quit at 90. Shoulders are tender, but it isn't as severe as the last time I did this.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - Shoulder pain was relatively mild today while holding the bridge. Trapezius/scapulas/shoulders start shaking around breath 80 and ramp up with each breath. By breath 88, my head is bobbing from the shaking. I finish breath 90, release and get up slowly. Trapezius, scapulas, shoulders are very sore. Lower back also felt a bit strained from working to support the bridge.

(break for lunch)

Active Dead Hang - Closed grip today. Belly still full with lunch (not ideal). I get a good grip and activate the back muscles and start breathing. Breath 10 and all feels normal. Around breath 12-13 I start feeling an odd twinge in my right side trapezius. At breath 15, that twinge presented with a sudden and sharp sensation like pain. I stop. I felt like I was about to risk injury. It wasn't the good pain from a muscle that was exhausted from work. I'm going to let the trapezius rest for a day or two.

 

[Joe King]

Six and a half more just now.

When it's 107, you count the half mile. lol

 

[Goldhedge]

That's great man!

Weight training is really good for us as we get older, because our muscle mass wants to go away faster once we hit late 50's early 60's.

Only way to prevent that, is make 'em work.

Keep it up! Your future self will thank you for the effort.

Thanks!

Already noticed improved arm strength picking up 40lbs birdseed from Costo.

Today I bumped up the weight to 10lbs per arm. I figure a week at that should condition me for the next 'bump'...

 

[Casey Jones]

Thanks!

Already noticed improved arm strength picking up 40lbs birdseed from Costo.

Today I bumped up the weight to 10lbs per arm. I figure a week at that should condition me for the next 'bump'...

And I can't do any of that, without surgeries...by mind-controlled quacks, who believe the political dogma about the Miracle of mRNA....

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

Yesterday, I jogged a mile at the track and did not work out (rest day).

This morning I jogged a mile at the track. When I finished, I put my hands behind my head while catching my breath. When I did so, I noticed that my trapezius and shoulders were still sore. I'm going to skip the latter half of my workout today to let them rest a bit more.

(later)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow, controlled (no momentum) and with focused abs squeezing. Abs were working, but again not sore or burning.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. I kept my back off the floor through breath 23. Finished with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor. It took effort to keep the abs fully engaged but I managed to keep the lower back flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I focused on keeping the abs tight and the lower back flat to the floor. My legs stayed fairly low as they kicked today. 30 breaths done. Abs did work.

Side planks
Left side - I could feel the obliques isolated and working. I had good form today. Obliques felt strong, but shoulder started complaining so I quit at 20 reps.
Right side - 20 reps. Shoulders popped a twice but no real pain today. Obliques felt mildly tired by the 20th rep. I could have done more on the right side.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I really focused on keeping the knees in line with my ankles so that my shins were perpendicular to the floor and not leaning inwards. Quads barely registered a burn today. The inner thigh area where it connects to the groin was doing all the work today. Knees started shaking at breath 50 and I barely made it to 60 today. I almost stumbled trying to stand up. Oof!

I had intended to conclude with the Wall Sit, but I'm out of time. Lunch is ready. Maybe I'll squeeze it in this afternoon.

 

[pmbug]

I'm taking a total rest day today. No morning jog. no workout.

My legs were feeling a bit tired and I haven't let them rest (from jogging and/or yard work) in over two weeks. Leg muscles were feeling tight and my left knee was feeling on the edge of tender so I don't want to push them to the point of injury.

My upper back (trapezius/scapula area) still feels a bit sore. Shoulders feel fine, but I haven't put them under any stress today. In any event, I'm going to let them rest a bit more before resuming the workout.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track. Left leg/knee felt fine until I got back home and was done jogging & walking. Then it felt a little tender for a while.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled. Abs barely noticed that I had completed 3 sets. Not sure if I was mentally checked out and not focusing the effort on the abs enough or if the abs just find it too easy now.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. I kept my back off the floor through breath 30 (but just barely).
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor and really focused on the keeping the abs tight. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - Today I kept my kicks low to the ground and again really focused on keeping the abs tight. I was huffing a bit here and there but managed to finish 30 breaths with the lower back on the floor.

It took some real mental effort to keep the abs tight throughout, but when I finished, the abs weren't even sore. It felt kind of weird to be honest. Abs felt like they had only had a mild exercise when I had finished.

Side planks
Left side - Today I could NOT feel the obliques isolated and working while I was doing the reps. Shoulder was signalling pain as I reached rep 20 and I thought I could push to 25 reps, but the pain got really strong as I finished rep 22 so I stopped. After stopping, I could feel the obliques sore from the work. Left side obliques just feel different from the right side when I do these.
Right side - 22 reps. Shoulder popped on rep 5 but otherwise was quiet.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Today, I found the correct form (foot positioning, hips thrust properly, spine straight) right away. Quads burned mildly today after about 10 breaths. Inner thigh area feels tight. Knees and inner thighs start trembling/shaking around breath 20 After breath 30, I'm starting to feel light headed and pain in the legs is getting intense. I reach breath 40 and wonder how much longer I can sustain the hold. I reach breath 50 and consider it a miracle. Every breath after 50 was a huge struggle to maintain the form. I reach breath 60 and immediately put my hands on my knees, but it takes a couple beats before I can push myself upright. Legs are jello today.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Good form, moderate burn in the quads. Knees started to vibrate mildly around breath 40. I reach breath 60 and the quads are burning intensely but knees aren't shaking. Knees start to vibrate moderately as I reach breath 70. I stop after 80 breaths and I'm able to stand using the wall shimmy technique. Quads still burning as I'm resting.

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Just like last time, I'm in position with the core tight and straight and my elbows in tight to my sides. Around breath 20, my pecs start to struggle and I really focus mentally to keep them working. I manage to stave off the slow lowering of the chest/head until my breath cound reaches 30. At breath 32 I manage to stop the lowering briefly (for a few breaths). I last until breath 40 with my chin a short distance off the floor before I collapse. My pecs feel sore.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Shoulders/arms started trembling around breath 60, but the trembling stays fairly mild. I finish at breath 90 and my shoulders are a bit sore, but nothing like the other day when the shaking was much worse. My quads were totally fine - no burning.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - Shoulder pain was relatively mild today while holding the bridge. There wasn't any trembling/shaking from the upper back or shoulders today. Today, my lower back (just above the hips) was signalling strain from breath 20 or so onwards. It felt like the muscles down there were having trouble keeping up with all the rest that were holding the core tight. But I mentally relaxed and trusted my abs to hold the core straight and just counted my breaths out to 90. When I finished, I lowered my butt to the floor, but I had to move very slowly to take the weight off of my shoulders. They were tired more than sore, but needed a moment to recover.

Active Dead Hang - Closed grip today. Around breath 20, my upper back area starts trembling. I'm not sure which muscle(s) are offending. Around breath 26, I feel and hear my spine pop in the middle of my back like the crack of a knuckle - no pain and actually some pressure relief. The back trembling is moderate as I finish breath 27 and my arms and head are starting to shake from it. I reach breath 30 and stop. My grip was solid and could have gone longer. Upper back was seemingly the weak link. Shoulders seem fine.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track. Left leg/knee felt fine during and after.

(later)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled. Abs barely noticed that I had completed 3 sets. I was focused today and it's definitely the case that the exercise is just easy now.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20 degree angle to the floor (I kept the feet low today). I kept my back off the floor through breath 16. I finished 30 breaths with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor. Abs were working hard to keep the lower back flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I tried to keep my kicks low to the ground, but I did elevate them a bit from where I had kept them during Forms 1 & 2. I was huffing a bit here and there but managed to finish 30 breaths with the lower back just off the floor but not arched.

Once again, it took real effort to keep the abs tight throughout, but when I finished, the abs weren't really sore.

Side planks
Left side - Once again, I could NOT feel the obliques isolated and working while I was doing the reps. Shoulder was signalling pain as I reached rep 20 (again), but I managed to finish 25 reps without the pain reaching acute levels. I feel the obliques shortly after finishing the reps.
Right side - 25 reps. Shoulder pops throughout the first 15 reps or so, but there is no pain. Obliques started to feel fatigued as I approached the end of the set.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Today, I found the correct form after a few breaths. At first, quads are burning mildly and inner thigh area feels tight. Knees and inner thighs start trembling/shaking around breath 20 again. Around breath 30, I'm mentally starting to question my life choices and the desire to quit gets very strong. I push through and the pain in the legs is getting intense. At breath 40 or so my knees are shaking moderately. Once again, every breath after 50 was a huge struggle to maintain the form. Once again, I reach breath 60 and immediately put my hands on my knees, and once again it takes a couple beats before I can push myself upright. Legs are jello again today. Horse Stance once again brings the pain.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Around breath 30 or so, there is a moderate burn in the quads. Knees started to vibrate mildly around breath 50 I think. I reach breath 60 and the quads are burning intensely. Knees start to vibrate moderately as I reach breath 70. At breath 80, the burning in the quads is extremely intense. I keep going though. I get to 90 breaths and stand using the wall shimmy technique. Quads still burning as I'm resting. From breath 75 on, the burning pain was intense.

(lunch break - to be continued?)

 

[pmbug]

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
I start with the core tight and straight and my elbows in tight to my sides. Around breath 26, my muscles start failing in slow motion as my chest and head start lowering. I'm summoning every bit of mental energy I can muster to keep the muscles working and stop the descent, but it's like a slow motion train wreck that won't stop. I last until breath 36 before I collapse. Rats.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Shoulders/arms started trembling around breath 65, and this time, the trembling intensifies. By breath 75, my head is bobbing up and down uncontrollably from the shaking. My whole body is wracked with the shaking. i can't even tell where the origin point is though I assume it's my shoulders and upper back. No muscle group is burning or signalling pain/soreness except my shoulders' usual complaint. I finish at breath 90 and my shoulders are not really sore at all. My quads were totally fine - no burning.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - Shoulder pain registers early but remains mild throughout. Lower back signals strain/soreness around breath 20 or so. Shoulders/arms start shaking around breath 79 and my head starts bobbing. Every breath from 80 to 90 was a struggle, but I finish at 90. My shoulders were pretty sore as I relieve the pressure on them.

Active Dead Hang - Closed grip today. Shoulders/back felt weak today. I stopped after breath 20. Shoulders were crying.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track. Left leg/knee felt fine during and after (so far) today.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Today I decided to see if I could lift my back off the floor if I started with Form 2 position first. I think I was able to barely lift it for a few breaths - maybe 6. Then I stopped, took a very short rest and proceeded with the normal routine.

Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. I kept my back off the floor through breath 16. Finished 30 breaths with shoulders up.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor and really focused on the keeping the abs tight. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - Today I kept my kicks low to the ground and focused on keeping the abs tight. After breath 8, I just stopped. I'm honestly not even sure if it was a conscious decision. I was struggling to keep the lower back from arching and it felt like the lower back was still sore from yesterday's Iron Bridge exercise.

I'm not in it mentally today. I'm just going to finish the side planks and call it a day. I should have just taken a rest day I think.

Side planks
Left side - 25 reps. I tried to use good form, but couldn't feel the obliques isolated or working. Shoulder held up surprisingly well.
Right side - 25 reps. Done faster than normal, but with good control. I could feel the oblique isolated and working.

 

[Joe King]

couldn't feel the obliques isolated or working.

That means you need to up your game a bit, and take 'em to the next level.

 

[pmbug]

My plan is to work left and right the same. I don't want to have one side unbalanced/stronger/weaker than the other.

 

[Joe King]

59 miles.
Two trains, three Waymo's, and a bunch of coyotes.
....but no skunks or gunshots.

 

[pmbug]

I was looking back over the my first few posts in this thread and it's wild how much progress I've made.

... my blood pressure readings have gone from ~140-150 over 95 (stage two hypertension) to ~120-130 over 90 (more or less normal range), so I think it is definitely helping.

BP readings these days are consistently in the 110-125 over 75-85 range.

 

[Joe King]

I was looking back over the my first few posts in this thread and it's wild how much progress I've made.

I noticed that awhile back.

It's amazing how progress just kinda sneaks up on us.

BP readings these days are consistently in the 110-125 over 75-85 range.

That's really good.
....and proof that isometrics really are good for lowering blood pressure.

Now ya just gotta keep it up and you'll be good to go.
....for life.

 

[pmbug]

... Now ya just gotta keep it up ...

 

[pmbug]

I've been jogging in the mornings (yesterday and today), but no workout yesterday and I'm going to take another rest day today. I didn't get good sleep last night and my energy level is off today.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled. Abs did the work, but weren't sore afterwards.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. I felt the back start to lower to the ground with each breath starting around breath 26, but I did keep my back off the floor through breath 30.
Form 2 - Back hit the floor when I transitioned (as always). I kept my feet low to the floor and really focused on the keeping the abs tight. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - Today I kept my kicks were all over the place (high and low). I was more focused on keeping the lower back as low the floor as possible.

When I finished today, the abs weren't even sore (again). It feels strange - especially as I am having to struggle a bit to keep the abs as tight as possible. They are working, but not sore when I'm done.

Side planks
Left side - Today I could somewhat feel the obliques isolated and working while I was doing the reps. Shoulder started signalling pain as I reached rep 20 and got worse with each successive rep, so I stopped after rep 25.
Right side - 25 reps. Slightly less shoulder pain than the left side.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
Today, I found the correct form right away. I was mentally more relaxed today than normal. I made a conscious effort not to let the exercise intimidate me. Instead of treading the trauma of previous efforts, I told myself that my muscles were getting stronger and it would be easier today. I counted my breaths. I didn't even feel muscles burning or straining until breath 30 or so. Knees/legs started to tremble around breath 52 or so. At breath 60, I stood up without using my hands on my knees. Legs are feeling the burn right now, but nowhere near the jello state they usually are after this exercise.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
As much easier as the Horse Stance was today than recent attempts, the Wall Sit was harder today than recent attempts. I suspect I didn't rest long enough after the Horse Stance. Quads are burning early. By breath 30, my quads are starting to tremble. By rep 40, the quad burn is getting intense. By rep 50, knees are starting to vibrate modestly as quads are screaming. I mentally want to quit at breath 60, but I push on. Quads are in pain. At breath 70 the pain either plateaus or I'm too numb to notice the difference any more. I quit at breath 80 and shimmy up the wall to standing. Even though the quads were screaming pain, I think I might have been able to push longer if I really put my mind to it.

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Around breath 29, the slow lowering of the chest/head begins. At breath 35 or so I manage to stop the lowering briefly as I really exert 100% mental effort to keep the muscles engaged. Surprisingly, my triceps are burning today. My chin gets to a couple of hairs off of the ground around breath 42 and the lowering stops. I finish breath 50 before I collapse. I didn't feel my pecs while doing the exercise, but pecs feel sore afterwards. My triceps felt like the weak link today and they were burning pretty good during the exercise.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Quads were burning mildly after breath 30 or so. Today I was mindful to keep lift my chest (expanding my shoulder blades). Back/shoulders/arms started shaking around breath 60. Shaking got stronger as I went on from breath 70, but upper torso muscles weren't burning or signaling tiredness - they were just spasming. I stop after breath 90. Shoulders are NOT sore which is new.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - Around breath 18 or so, I could feel my lower back muscles working hard to keep the core tension. Both left and right hamstrings signalled they were on the edge of cramping around that same time and throughout the rest of the hold, but they never did cramp (huzzah!). Around breath 66, the shoulders started trembling. Around breath 80 or so, the trembling got strong enough to cause the head bobbing. I finished at breath 90 and relaxed all the muscles. The shoulders were tender, but much less so than they normally are after this exercise.

Active Dead Hang - Closed grip today. I felt strong after a good rest, but around breath 20, I can feel the muscles tiring/trembling. I think I can push to 25, maybe 30 if I get lucky. However, I stop after breath 22 as my shoulders once again just flared up a sharp pain signal and I didn't want to risk injury. Hands/grip were fine and good to go.

Pronation Lever - I added a new exercise to my routine. YT vid won't embed. Basically rest your forearm on something while holding one end of a dumbbell in your hand. You rotate your hand back and forth slowly (don't let momentum or gravity control the motion).

I didn't count reps today. I just experimented with a dumbbell bar at first and then again with a light 1.25 lb weight on one end. I didn't put a locking nut on to secure the weight. I just used slow and controlled movements to make sure the weight didn't fall off. I could feel a slight burn in the upper forearm so I suppose it was working where it was supposed to. I rotated the weight while exhaling and held it horizontal while inhaling. Probably 20 reps total each arm (more or less).

 

[Joe King]

I am having to struggle a bit to keep the abs as tight as possible. They are working, but not sore when I'm done.

That's called "progress".


BTW, have you been back to see your doctor since the time he got on to your ass about your blood pressure being high?

 

[pmbug]

Not yet. My appointment got rescheduled. I will see the doc again at the end of this month.

 

[Joe King]

Not yet. My appointment got rescheduled. I will see the doc again at the end of this month.

I can't wait to hear his reaction to the new and improved Mr. 'Bug.

 

[pmbug]

I'll be happy with a "You were right. You don't need to take any blood pressure medications."

 

[Joe King]

71 miles tonight. Pretty close to 100 degrees at ride time, so a little cooler today. Lol

That makes about 170 for the week. Prolly my highest in awhile.

 

[pmbug]

Thu - Jogged a mile; no workout
Fri - Did yard work (2-3 hours in the morning sun); no workout (drank a gallon of water + electrolytes all day long)
Sat - No jog (knees felt tender); no workout (was too busy)
Sun - Jogged a mile (knees felt tender during first lap, then felt fine); workout pending

I ran across this video:



It is confirming a couple of things I have been noticing for myself lately:

longer rests between sets and exercises = more effective subsequent exercise. I struggle sometimes with trying to balance a good rest with time constraints as the whole exercise routine has grown a bit as I've added to it and what initially took me ~20 minutes now takes 1-2 hours depending upon how much I rest. When I rush it, I can tell immediately. I can't hold isometric tension as long and the workouts are not as satisfying when I'm done.

Perfect form = strong muscles. Just good form = working muscles. This is especially pertinent for me when doing the side planks. When I started doing them initially, it took a good while before I could even feel the obliques isolated and working. I was really confused by them and couldn't tell if I was doing them correctly or not. Perfect form is the goal, but imperfect form is the journey. I've got to mentally relax on imperfection and just do the work (as much as my shoulders will allow).

workouts when muscles are exhausted isn't productive. This might be less true for the abs as they can endure daily workouts, but the back, shoulders and legs need rest to recuperate. I think I'm going to split my routine like so:

Daily
Crucifix Crunch
Core Hold Series
Side planks
Active Dead Hang (only on days when I'm not doing upper body)
Pronation Lever (still getting a feel for this one)

Every 3 days (legs)
Horse Stance
Wall Sit

Every 3 days (upper body) (different 3 days from legs)
Bottom Push Up Hold
Bear Crawl Hold
Iron Bridge

 

[Joe King]

I struggle sometimes with trying to balance a good rest with time constraints

That's the problem most people who start a new exercise routine inevitably run into.

Before starting stuff like that, everyone's time was already filled with things we were already doing.

Until someone invents a personal device to stop time, we gotta stop doing what we were doing, in order to do a new thing.
.....but if that new thing is not something that can be maintained long term, it will be stopped.

Seen it in so many people. It's why people happily sign up for gym memberships than 6 months later are lookin' to get out of the contract they signed.

Ie: they ain't got time for that shit no mo'. Lol


Which is why it helps, if at all possible, to try to find ways to incorporate some of it into and around activities you already do.
Ie: find ways to kill two birds with one stone, as they say. Use your imagination on this.

In my case when a hair under 200#'s I started riding to work.
....and then for other utility purposes.

If I would have had to do it only with recreational rides in my off hours, I doubt I would've stuck with it long term, simply due to time constraints

I would've prolly still lost some weight, but then stopped.
....and then my old habits would've put that weight right back on.

The utility uses is what kept me going and then allowed me, because I was in better shape, to transition into mtb'ing for recreational riding. Which is even better for ya, because it's much more of a workout than road only.

longer rests between sets and exercises = more effective subsequent exercise.

That's kinda what I was trying to get at a few pages back when I suggested breaking your routine up into different areas of your body on alternating days, and to take one day a week off.

Perfect form = strong muscles. Just good form = working muscles.

And poor form = injury.

Or at least greater chances of it.

 

[pmbug]

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled. Abs did the work, but weren't sore afterwards.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. Lower back firmly on the floor. Feet low to the floor (maybe 3-4 inches up. I kept my back off the floor through breath 30.
Form 2 - Back hit the floor when I transitioned (as always). I kept my feet low to the floor. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I kept my kicks low to the floor and focused my abs tight. Finished 30 breaths with low kicks and lower back on the floor.

When I finished today, I could barely even tell that I had worked out the abs. It took mental effort to keep the abs tight enough to keep the lower back on the floor, but the abs weren't really straining per se.

Side planks
Left side - I stopped at 20. Left shoulder was feeling wonky. Pain level was mild, but it felt ... "off" so I didn't want to push it.
Right side - 20 reps were easy. I could have gone to 30 easily. Shoulder was popping a lot, but no pain.

Active Dead Hang - Closed grip today. 29 breaths today. I could feel my triceps, shoulders, upper back, and lower back all straining with the tension. Grip/hands weren't a problem. Shoulders/upper back gave out at 29. I was pushing to failure today, but found it a bit faster than I expected.

Pronation Lever - I'm just doing these off and on throughout the day as I remember (mostly when I am watching TV).

While resting, I've noticed my forearms are slightly on fire - no doubt soreness from the pronation lever exercises becoming evident after the strain of the active dead hang. Interesting. I'm not really feeling any burn or anything while actually doing the levers. I guess they are working though.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I settled into the stance and was mindful to mentally relax - zero expectation or anticipation of pain. The stance felt relatively comfortable until breath 40 and then I start to notice the burning a bit. I just keep calm and count breaths. At breath 52, I almost had an irregular panic breath, but I immediately lock down mentally and continue. I push past 60 and my legs are holding the tension, but not trembling/shaking like weeks past. I stop after breath 75 and stand up without having to push with my hands on my knees. I can feel whatever muscle connects the thigh to the groin right now on fire. Quads are burning mildly.

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I settled into the stance and relaxed. I counted breaths. Quads start burning strongly around breath 30. The burning increases slightly through breath 40 or so and kind of levels out. It's intense, but I ignore it. I reach breath 60 and my knees are not trembling yet, but they are on the verge of it. Around breath 70, the burning pain gets very intense but I continue to count breaths. I reach breath 80 and the burning pain has almost transformed into numbness. I stop at breath 90 and can barely stand up again even with the wall shimmy technique. Legs are jello.

 

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Mon - Jogged a mile in the morning. No workout (too busy w/family holiday plans)
Tue - No jog (gave knees/legs a rest). No workout (overslept and it threw off my whole day)
Today - no jog - there's thunder/lightning at the moment, so rain check time. I hope to get a workout in today.

 

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Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled. Abs did the work, but weren't sore afterwards.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I positioned my arms parallel to my legs at about a 20-30 degree angle to the floor. I did kept my back off the floor through breath 30. The back didn't do the "slightly lower with every breath" bit today. It lowered slightly around breath 26 and stayed in place until breath 30.
Form 2 - Back hit the floor when I transitioned (as always). I kept my feet low to the floor and really focused on the keeping the abs tight. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - Today I kept my kicks low. Lower back did come off the ground by a millimeter or so, but the lower back did not arch. 30 breaths done.

Abs are not sore (again). It feels like I did a few sit-ups and nothing more.

Side planks
Left side - I did not feel the obliques isolated and working while I was doing the reps. Shoulder signalled moderate pain. I stopped at 25 reps. Obliques were starting to tire (even though I couldn't feel them working, lifting into position was getting harder).
Right side - 25 reps. Slightly less shoulder pain than the left side. I could have done more reps easily.

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Around breath 28, the lowering of the chest/head begins. I bear down with maximum mental effort on my pecs and triceps, but the muscles are not listening to my brain. The chin lowers to the ground faster than in past attempts and touches the floor on breath 36. My pecs and shoulders are on fire. Triceps cooled off as soon as the tension was released. I'm thinking too much time elapsed since I last did this exercise.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Today I was mindful to keep my shoulder blades expanded (lifting the chest from the shoulders). Quads never burned the entire time today. Back/shoulders/arms started trembling around breath 60. Trembling increased to full on shaking around breath 80, but upper torso muscles weren't burning or signaling tiredness - they were just spasming. I stopped after breath 100. Shoulders are NOT sore again. I'm feeling the muscles between the shoulder blades and spine though.

Iron Bridge - 1 set of 60-90 seconds is MY goal
"easy mode" straight plank bridge - Goodness. It felt uncomfortable today. Around breath 15 muscles were working to keep the core tight. Around breath 26, my left eye started itching like I need to clean an "eye boogar". That itching sensation just persisted throughout the hold. Around breath 30, my left hamstring and my lower back started signalling potential cramping/pain. Around breath 40, shoulders and upper back started trembling. Around breath 60, trembling became shaking. Around breath 70, my head was bobbing from the shaking. I stopped at breath 80 and immediately took care of my left eye. Upper back and shoulders are sore.