three months in

[swan_tower]

I don't always exhibit this kind of good sense, but I've excused myself from going to the gym this week on account of the move. Next week is still open to debate, and I'll be out of the country for a week later this month, so May is going to wreak havoc with my usual schedule.

But it seems like a good time to post about what progress I've made in the three months or so since I started working out at the gym.

Mid-February, my numbers looked like this:

• Bench press: 2 x 12-15, 12 lbs.
  
• Shoulder press: 2 x 15, 12 lbs.
  
• Row: 2 x 15, 5 lbs.
  
• Lat pulldown: 2 x 15, 30 lbs.
  
• Back hyperextensions: 2 x 12, no weight.
  
• Crunches: 2 x 15, no weight.
  

Here's what I'm doing now:

• Bench press: 2 x 12, 15 lbs.
  
• Shoulder press: 2 x 12, 15 lbs.
  
• Row: 2 x 15, 12.5 lbs.
  
• Upright row: 2 x 15, 12 lbs.
  
• Lat pulldown: 2 x 15, 45 lbs.
  
• Modified pulldown: 2 x 15, 45 lbs.
  
• Back hyperextensions: 2 x 12, no weight.
  
• Crunches: 2 x 15, no weight.
  
• Peggy spins: 32 cts. each side, 9 lbs.
  

As you can see, I've added a couple of things, substantially upped my weight on a couple of things, minorly upped my weight on a few more, and changed nothing whatsoever about the back extensions and crunches. Can you tell my core muscles are weak?

I'm also doing 30 min. or so of cardio on the elliptical twice a week, with interval training instead on Saturdays. And I'm stretching: I can put myself on the floor again in the side splits (provided I approach it slowly), though on a good day I'm still four or five inches from the wall, which means we are not in walkover territory yet. Oddly, my front splits are making slower progress than the sides are, which I would not have predicted.

It is progress. I am not G.I. Jane-era Demi Moore yet; I cannot do a one-armed pushup like she's doing in my icon. I may never be there. But at least I can take some small satisfaction in watching my numbers go up.

Comments

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

But at least I can take some small satisfaction in watching my numbers go up
Rock on!

I should really start doing that, myself. I got out of practice with weights when I developed an intense dislike for working out in front of all the Barbies at the SRSC, or in front of all the jocks at HPER.

(Though, I'm hoping that kendo club will have a reasonable practice time, this summer - one that does NOT involve practice from 9:30-11:30pm on a work/school night!)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I joined a commercial gym with kniedzw. I felt a bit dumb doing so, since I could work out at the SRSC or HPER for free, but that's been true for years now and I've never done it. Now that we're paying for it, I'm more motivated to go.