Sunday: September 10, 2023
Today was supposed to be a Rest Day, but I was struck with the urge to complete a short workout before attending a meeting. I planned on hopping on my Concept 2 Rower for steady-state cardio, but time was an issue. Instead, I decided to do a Kettlebell Complex that I came across on TikTok.
The Kettlebell Complex was titled the Gimli
and demonstrated by Pat Damiano. It is designed to be a short but effective routine that quickly works up a sweat and taxes the muscles. It comprises 7 Sets of 5 Kettlebell Swings, 4 Kettlebell Deadlift High Pulls, and 3 Kettlebell Goblet Squats with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
Since I am limited to only a 30-pound Kettlebell, I didn’t quite get the desired effect. I bumped the number of sets to 10 with five reps of each movement. I also cut the rest time to 60 seconds between sets. My modifications had the desired effect, and I was sweating heavily in no time.
Monday: September 11, 2023
Today was my first day using my new CAP Barbell 150-Pound Dumbbell Set. Not many exercises called for the new dumbbells, but putting them to use for the first time was fun. Having more options is nice, and I can already feel the urge to start collecting heavier weights for future workouts.
Even though the workout routine is difficult to complete, I can feel my body changing. My heart rate isn’t climbing as high as it used to, and I’m recovering more quickly. As a result, the total caloric burn seems to be dipping from previous workouts.
One small change in the routine was I extended the Plank and Superman holds by an additional 5 seconds. I may need to do the same with the Rower (Cardio) and add five seconds every few weeks as my strength and conditioning improve.
Tuesday: September 12, 2023
Tuesdays have become my default rest day. It is the only day throughout the week when I can’t work out until after 3pm. It also happens to be the day when I meet up with the guys. We usually share a few stories, crack a few jokes, and enjoy a cigar or two along the way.
We got together for a Cigar and Bourbon Night at the Iron Gate Biergarten this week. This is the second of their events that I’ve been to, and they do a good job. The cigar selection was good, as was the bourbon, and the dinner was excellent.
I didn’t have time to work out between work and the event. I don’t feel bad about that – it was a nice break before I get back to it on Wednesday.
Wednesday: September 13, 2023
While Monday was my first workout with the new CAP Barbell 150-Pound Dumbbell Set, today was the first time I used the dumbbells extensively. I increased several exercises from 15 pounds to 20 pounds, making a massive difference.
Because I have more weight, I made a couple of tweaks to the program. I removed the crunches and speed curls and replaced them with lateral raises and cross-body bicep curls. The weight change increased my fatigue and caused the workout to run ten minutes longer.
I’m not seeing much change in the mirror, but the scale seems to be dropping regularly. I’ve been pleased with my progress and look forward to future workouts.
Thursday: September 14, 2023
Today, my daily routine was thrown a curveball. I had to take an unplanned trip to the office for a meeting. It didn’t look like I would have time for a workout after I got home due to plans later that evening. As it turned out, I was able to shoe-horn a workout in.
I decided to do my Lower Body routine and stick with strength training since I enjoy it more than rowing for a half hour. A few sets into the workout, I felt my energy level plummet, and I began to struggle. I pushed through and managed to get a second wind. I’m not sure what happened, but I felt fantastic and added a few extra exercises to round things out.
I’ve been watching a fair amount of workout videos on TikTok – primarily videos that detail form and the proper way to perform exercises for maximum benefit. It has been beneficial and allowed me to clean up a few exercises, and I feel the resistance in the muscles much more.
Friday: September 15, 2023
Late this morning I reached a point in my work day that made a good stopping point. I glanced at the clock and realized that my youngest daughter would be home from Kindergarten in about an hour. If there was a good time to slip out of the house for exercise, this was that time.
I decided that a bike ride was in order. Four laps around the development would take approximately fifty minutes and cover roughly eight and a half miles. So I threw on a pair of shoes and got to pedaling.
I didn’t get far into my ride when I felt it in my legs. The weariness of Thursday’s Lower Body Workout was apparent, and I knew it would be challenging. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I doubled back on a small section of my route to push the distance a little farther than usual.
With the added distance incorporated into each lap, the last was a special hell. There were a few moments when I only wanted to stop the bike and walk for a minute or two. I didn’t allow it and frequently changed gears and pedaled to the end.
Saturday: September 16, 2023
When I got out of bed this morning, I planned on taking a rest day. It wasn’t that I felt like I needed a day free from exercise to recover; I just had so much going on with Superior Shop Drawings that I didn’t think I’d have time for a workout.
By mid-afternoon, I was in a good place to stop and take a break. I was going to kick back on the couch and watch a little TV when I had an idea. Why not sit on my Concept 2 Rower and get in a little cardio while I watched?
So that is what I wound up doing. I loaded up the Hulu App on my phone and rowed for thirty minutes while I consumed some mindless entertainment. Being away from running (and trading my longer rower workouts for strength training) made it a little more difficult than I would have liked.
While my cardio endurance seems to have taken a slight dip, I felt I could pull harder thanks to the strength training. After a half hour, I had covered 6,591 meters, and I felt pretty good about that.
When I compared it to my personal best on the rower – I was shocked to learn that I beat it by 21 meters! So, while my endurance feels like it might be slipping, the numbers say otherwise.