Sun, November 8th

Today turned out to be an involuntary rest day. Both my husband and I had a bunch of stuff going on, so I couldn’t block out some time to do a formal workout or go walking. I liked the Deck of Cards workout back when I used to travel a lot. The general idea is you assign exercises by suit, such as Full Squats when you draw a club. You do the number of reps corresponding to the number on card with, say, 10 reps for a face card and 20 reps for an ace. One can make the workout easy or complicated as one chooses.

Usually one completes the workout in a single session. I did it a little differently. When I had a few moments I’d reach in my pocket and draw out a couple of cards and knock out some reps of whatever was called for. I did this off and on all day long. It wasn’t ideal, but I found a way to work in some exercise.

Calories: 2104, Protein 120 g.

Mon, November 9th

• Morning Walk: 2.97 miles.
• Afternoon Training
  • Captains of Crush Gripper (T):
    • (Set 1): Right = 8mm x 8 reps, Left = 16mm x 8 reps
    • (Set 2): Right = 8mm x 8 reps, Left = 16mm x 8 reps
    • (Set 3): Right = 8mm x 8 reps, Left = 16mm x 8 reps
    • (Set 4): Right = 8mm x 9 + 1 reps, Left = 16mm x 8 + 1 reps
    • (Set 5): Right = 4mm x 3 + 1 reps, Left = 14mm x 5 + 1 reps
• Leg Complex: FOUR SETS {Full Squats: 20 reps, Romanian Dead Lifts (12 lb. db’s): 12 reps, Walking Lunges (2-ct): 6 reps, Alternating Sets of Side-Kick Stretch and Front Kick Stretch (2-ct): 12 reps}
• Exercise Complex: Standing Calf Raises: 25 reps, Bell Tower Crunches (ea. side): 15 lbs. x 12 reps, Cossack Squats (partials, ea. leg): 6 reps, Single Leg Standing Calf Raises (each leg): 6 reps, Dead Bugs (2-ct): 20 reps, Jumping Jacks (4-ct): 20 reps
• Did a little stretching to end the workout.

Calories: 1993, Protein: 105 g.

I’ve been hiking off and on past this old, rotting log for some years now. I always thought that the SL on one end meant “San Lorenzo” for San Lorenzo Valley. Then, we recently came upon a guy cutting up some trees alongside another trail and I saw the MD and so I wondered and the mystery deepened.

• 

• 

I wasn’t going to say anything but the guy happened to turn off his chainsaw and started taking a break so I asked him about it. Turns out that the people cutting down the trees like to indulge in carving their initials with their chainsaws. If I’m remembering correctly, the M in MD is for Mike, and Mike thought that the S in SL was Steve but he wasn’t sure. Mike had quite a laugh when I told him about my San Lorenzo Theory. Glad we’ve gotten that mystery cleared up! I’d have asked Mike more about it, but I didn’t want to bother him on his break.

Tues, November 10th

• Afternoon Training
  • Twenty-One’s: (Sets #1 – #3) 12 lbs., (Set #4) Lateral Raises 15 lbs., Front Raises 12 lbs. x 5 reps + 10 lbs. x 2 reps, Rear Delt Raises 15 lbs.
  • Standing Push-ups using cellar stairs:
    • (Sets #1 – #2) 15 reps (Feet on stairs)
    • (Sets #3 – #4) 12, 8 reps (Feet on floor rather than steps and hands on 3rd riser, which makes things a little harder.)
  • Arnold Press:
    • (Set #1) 20 lbs. x 12 reps
    • (Set #2) 20 lbs. x 8 reps + 15 lbs. x 4 reps
    • (Set #3) 20 lbs. x 9 reps + 15 lbs. x 3 reps
    • (Set #4) 25 lbs. x 7 reps + 20 lbs. x 5 reps
    • I’m going to add a new long-term goal: I want to be able to do four sets of 12 reps using 40 lb. dumbbells.
  • Heavy Spring Bar (alternating pronated and supinated sets): 4 sets x 5 reps
    • I think that with continued effort I have a good chance of reaching my goal of four sets of eight reps by the end of the year. We’ll see!
  • Cable Flies: 10 lbs. x 15 reps, 12.5 lbs. x 3 sets x 12 reps
  • Super Set: Tricep Pushdowns (str. bar): 40 lbs. x 4 sets x 12 reps +
    • (Set #1): Dead Bugs (2-ct): 20 reps
    • (Set #2): Two-Handed American KB Swings: 15 lbs. x 15 reps
    • (Set #3): Crunches: 30 reps
    • (Set #4): Fitness Bag Pick up and Shoulder x 8 reps
  • Exercise Complex: Spread and Raise Hands (light orange band) 15 reps, Small Arm Circles 50 revolutions each way, Front Squats 20 reps, One-Handed Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdowns (d-handle) 10 lbs. x 12 reps
  • Did a little stretching to end the session.

Calories: 2046, Protein: 110 g.

Wed/Thur, November 11th – 12th

Spent the past two days working on our house and doing some light demolition, including moving out an old, dead woodstove that has been cluttering up a corner in our living room since 2014!

The dead stove might easily have sat for another six years, but I’ve been spending a lot more time at home, as have many I’m sure, so it seems like a good time to get these sorts of projects done.

• Wed: Calories: 1825, Protein: 104 g.
• Thur: Calories: 1980, Protein: 131 g.

Fri, November 13th

• Afternoon Training:
  • Captains of Crush Gripper (T):
    • (Set 1): Right = 6mm x 5 + 3 reps, Left = 14mm x 5 + 1 reps
    • (Set 2): Right = 6mm x 6 + 1 reps, Left = 14mm x 6 + 1 reps
    • (Set 3): Right = 6mm x 6 + 1 reps, Left = 14mm x 6 + 1 reps
    • (Set 4): Right = 6mm x 4 + 2 reps, Left = 14mm x 5 + 1 reps
    • (Set 5): Right = 4mm x 3 + 3 reps, Left = 12mm x 3 + 3 reps
  • Standing Cable Rows (straight bar): 60 lbs. x 15 reps, 65 lbs. x 3 sets x 12 reps
  • Cable Pull Downs (d-handles): 50 lbs. x 13 reps, 3 sets x 12 reps
  • Standing Bicep Curls (cat litter fitness bag) : 4 sets x 12 reps. Finished with a set of DB curls: 25 lbs. x 8 reps
  • Farmer’s Walk (40 lb. DB’s): 115 steps or from where the dumbbells were sitting on my bench, out the door, looped the drive and back inside.
  • Fitness Bag Cleans (alternating sets of parallel and overhand grips): 2 sets x 12 reps, 2 sets x 13 reps
  • (Exercise Complex) Wood Chops (ea. side): 15 lbs. x 15 reps, Bell Tower Crunches (ea. side): 15 lbs. x 15 reps, Dead Bugs (2-ct): 25 reps, 2-hd American KB Swings: 15 lbs. x 15 reps, Full Squats: 25 reps
  • Finger Extensions (8 lb. band): 4 sets x 15 reps
  • Over Head Press (Fitness Rock): 25 reps. (I think I might start seeing if I can do these one-handed for fewer reps.)
  • Stretched a little to end the workout.

Calories: 1995, Protein: 115 g.

Sat, November 14th

Rest day. Not sure what my calories were today. (I lost 0.4 pounds for the week, so my total lost is 17.6 lbs. so far.)