Respawn and Rethink

[gabrielle_of_poteidia]

So I got knocked down by a seasonal bug and basically didn't do anything except go to work and sit on the sofa for 2 months. Every time I tried to exercise, my sinuses flared up. I'm now much better, but my instructor looked at my routine and said I needed to switch it up and spread it out more, because my training might well have flattened my immune system. (Essentially I was doing all weights and running and spending 2 hours working out and not resting properly. D'oh!) I'm back on my feet now, but I've been told to take it light for the next month.

 

I have one heavy lifting day a week, one long run, and then I can mix it up with other stuff that's less strenuous. I'm keeping my Friday Body Combat class (because I love it and it's cardio so I'm allowed) and then I'm doing some shorter body weight routines at home before work.

 

Really hard not to beat myself up, especially as I gained a bit of weight over the winter due to Christmas junk and my inactivity due to ill health. The urge to "go big or go home" is strong, but that's what tanked my immune system in the first place! And switching to body weight workouts feels like starting from scratch, because I'm used to "slow and heavy" workouts with big weights and pauses in between. So my confidence has taken a real knock, and changing habits is a challenge because I much prefer getting in the zone with a long workout! My new workouts are super short but I'm wobbly and sweaty afterwards and feel like I'm starting over!

 

Sympathies and advice are welcome!

["Jake"]

I'm so good about beating myself up and people don't even know about it. In the last 8 months I've had a few bouts of overdoing it with an injury. Keeping patience and personal restraint has been really frustrating. Regular check-ins here about my progress has helped me with my accountability and keeps me in the habit of looking forward and planning forward.

If you haven't looked into it, eating habits are a huge factor when you are pushing yourself. A piece of citrus fruit daily will aid in your daily muscle recovery as well as help boost your taxed immune system. There's much more but I won't talk your ear off.

You got this!

[gabrielle_of_poteidia]

Hi Jake! Thank you for the tip, I've been having an "easy peel" orange each morning with breakfast since you posted this.

 

Situation has changed somewhat - my entire country has been on lockdown with the pandemic for a good while now, so I'm stuck on home workouts. The bodyweight training is coming in very handy! I am still doing my one big routine a week, but with my gym being closed I've had to swap to a high-reps/low-weights option, because the only weights I own are tiny store bought dumbells (1.1kg, 2.3kg, 4.6kg) and anything larger would have cost a small fortune. I also have a yoga mat, a yoga ball, and as, of last week, a pull-up bar. (I cannot do pullups, but I can stand on a chair and do assisted ones). It's not much of a home gym and I really miss having proper gear and all at the gym, but I'm working with what I have. I bought a stepper as well, but it hasn't arrived and I think the seller has shut up shop for the time being.

 

Oh, and Les Mills have put all their classes online for free while my gym is closed, so I'm doing my Body Combat class in front of the computer once a week as well.

["Jake"]

Admittedly Covid-19 has been my biggest excused to once again fall off the horse. Everything is closed here too.
I have a Barbell but no squat rack and no weights. It's in my mind to pour some concrete ones. Thanks for bringing me back! Time to get honest.

Good on you for staying at it throughout the Covid-19 setbacks! Do you have resistance bands? Hang them on your pull up bar and hook your knees for less assist when you get there. I have a homebuilt set of monkey bars for my kids that I should be getting on more often...

[gabrielle_of_poteidia]

Hi Jake!

 

Yeah, the lockdown is a bummer. I'm one of those people that struggles with the "getting started" part of a workout, so going to the place where my workout happens is a big part of my routine. Obviously that's now gone, and without the drive/run to the gym or the booking of the class, it's harder to commit. But all we can do is our best. I always feel good after a workout, so that's good inspiration.

 

In other news, my high rep weight routine is tough as nails! I've been resting for 3 days because I just hurt for days afterwards! (I'm also out of clementines.) This morning I just did a run. It's been several months since I did high reps and I forgot how it takes such a different toll on the body. I was so proud of myself last year when I "graduated" to full body pushups, but 3 sets of 25 and I'm back to the knee variant and still struggling!

 

I do have resistance bands! But they are the shorter variety and I don't think would have enough stretch to go from the bar to my knees. I have one longer one from physio, I'll see what I can do with that one. I've also ordered a stepper that should be a good height to help, too. Your monkeybar setup sounds awesome, though! Lucky kids!

 

Thanks for checking in. Stay safe and good luck with your concrete weights!

["Jake"]

Yesterday it rained, I hate rain, but it was not windy, I hate wind worse. I got out there with the dogs and got my muscles warmed up.
After a towel off of myself and my two furry friends I rearranged stuff in our over cluttered laundry room, I hate this room, I hate the mess, I hate that I had JUST enough space to do some lifting but it was quiet and uninterrupted... I did some air squats followed by 3 sets of barbell squats, bar only. Each set ended with a superset of overhead press.

Your right getting started is the worst, that's why I didn't do all this 2 weeks ago outside in the warm sun. The fact that I drew a line and things didn't go my way on my designated day was my penance for procrastinating and I'm glad I persisted. I work out again tomorrow, join me! (figuratively)

["Jake"]

I did good today! how about you?

[gabrielle_of_poteidia]

On 4/9/2020 at 2:12 AM, "Jake" said:

I did good today! how about you?

 

Hey Jake! I've been doing pretty well. Just finished my routine this morning, and the past few days I've also completed a bodyweight workout yesterday, a run on Sunday, and last week I dragged my partner around the woods nearby for a 90 minute hike.

 

Oh, and I have officially "levelled up" on the NF Academy!

 

I also bought NO junk food at the store this week. Instead, our treat over the week has been homemade ice cream (we've had a warm week here in England), which is still "naughty" but less so than the commercial variety because we can decide what to put in it.

 

How have you been doing?

["Jake"]

I hit all my goals last week and I hope to this week too!

Keep it going!

 

P.S. your profile name just clicked in my head, your a Xena Fan. 😛