Month: March 2021

20 March: incline presses come back

Workout and friends related post: right now, I can hear the music coming from a maskless student party across the street..

Good news: the Walgreens app worked and shot 1 is scheduled for Tuesday (higher ed employees are now eligible)

I did have a nice walk with Lynn this morning (only 2 miles) and then experimented with a “still sore shoulder” upper body workout:

Ache: some dull. Pace: about 20 mpm for 2.

The weight workout: slow pull ups (including 2 sets of 10; mostly singles)

rotator cuff

incline press: played with settings: 10 x 94, 10 x 105, 5 x 134, 5 x 134

shoulder press: 10 x 105, 9.5 x 105, 10 x 99

rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134

curls: 3 sets of 10 x 50

bench: 10 x 44, 10 x 94, 10 x 114

It took some time as I played with my new adjustable bench and pin settings

Note: on the shoulder press, I could not lock out that 10’th rep.

Doing these after the incline presses was tougher.

Finally eligible

Monday: Higher Ed people are now eligible

Today: ok walk; alright…I got to the point of being achy but ..aches came on at about mile 3

Later: my lightweight adjustable bench came. I can bring this outside and I can now do incline presses. I am at a point where I can do every exercise I used to do, pre-pandemic.
Yes, the squat rack, spotter arms and now bench make my spotter bench redundant, but ..that is such an awesome bench, and it is more rugged.

This light weight bench has a user plus weight capacity of 600 lb, so if I start incline bench pressing 400 lb, I’ll have to upgrade. 🙂 (last year, 135-150 was good for me..)

Those instructions!

Not quite on empty

Did some tasks..got irritated..survived it.

Workout notes:

Pull ups: sets of singles (4 10’s, 2 5’s)

bench: light: 10 x 94, 10 x 114, 10 x 124 (just enough to get range of motion)

deadlift (low), 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 224 (not as easy as I’d hope)

rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134

shoulder press (new spotter arms); 10 x 99, 10 x 105, 5 x 116, 10 x 105

curls: 3 sets of 10 x 50 (20 kg plates, 1 kg collars)

lots of rotator cuff and hip hikes

These babies are HUGE.

Productive

A reasonably productive day today; in large part thanks to a nice walk with Lynn ( 1.6 miles; 19 minute pace) Some ache.

Then, a leisurely weight workout:

rotator cuff and hip hikes (many different types)

pull ups: sets of 10 singles, 3 sets of 5 and a set of 5 singles; 50 reps total (decent reps)

bench: 10 x 44, 10 x 94, 10 x 94, 10 x 114 (slight feeling)

curls: 3 sets of 10 x 50? (22 lb plates, 1 kg collars..very light bar)

rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134

shoulder presses: 10 x 94, 10 x 110, 8 x 110, 10 x 99

Resentment: toxic and intoxicating ….

My vaccine envy…yes it is illogical.

Would I rather I have a job where I couldn’t isolate from the public? No.

Would I rather be older than I am? No.

Would I rather I have a “non-optional” comorbidity? No.

Would I rather I regain all that weight..(to become obese again) or to take up smoking? No.

Would I rather I live in a red state where my current age make me eligible?

Not if it means not protecting essential workers first.

Not if it means that there is a lot of a vaccine left because I lived among COVID deniers, anti-maskers or conspiracy idiots.

The line is long where I live because of the blue collar nature of the place (lots of workers can’t isolate), poor public health (lots of fat smokers and others with comorbidities) and because …people here WANT to be vaccinated (a good thing). I note that my neighborhood store has masked patrons.

And let’s face it; I am busy this semester; I am teaching overload (tons of grading) ..in fact just some this afternoon…and it isn’t as if I am going anywhere. I go to the office to teach (and had the option of teaching online only) I workout at home or in my neighborhood, maybe go get takeout or groceries, or to the drug store. That’s pretty much it.

Baseball doesn’t start until May 18 so…I have nowhere to go anyway.
Given I have type O blood, I am about as safe as any non-vaccinated person can be (only higher risk is age)

Nevertheless, resentment is hard to stop and my goodness, does the self-righteous feel good..even unjustified.

And the Republican politicians understand this in a way that Democrats do not, which is why the only reason we ever win is when the Republicans govern so incompetently.

Another take:

Bonus:

Without the Naproxen

I decided to try to workout sans the Naproxen. Some ache..but my worry about last week’s deadlifts being a fluke were unfounded.

Low: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 3 x 224

Work sets: 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 265, 3 x 265 (low)

Work sets: 3 x 284, 3 x 301 high (last set wasn’t that bad.)

The progression continues; did some extra rotator cuff.

Kind of a sore walk with dull ache toward the end:

Last mile was kind of slow.

3 x 260 (first working set)

3 x 265, 5’th working set (last “low” set)

3 x 301 high…not really that difficult.

My deadlift progression. I am getting stronger; I do not want to take that for granted.

And…yes, the Bradley Women’s team won the MVC tournament and advances to the NCAA.

Vaccine Envy: back of the line blues

Vaccine envy I am seeing more and more people get it. I remain ineligible.

Ok, live in Illinois. I am 4 years too young to be eligible by age (I am 61)

People whose jobs are unable to be done remotely are ahead of me. Ok, they SHOULD be. Totally agree.

Some…like prisoners…well, I might not like them but they cannot isolate and they can infect workers, guards, nurses, etc. So, I agree.

Some have comorbidities…a few which are self inflicted (obesity, smoking…yes, being a smoker is classified as having a qualified comorbidity. I note with irony that if I had not maintained my 120 lb weight loss I’d be eligible )

I don’t like all of it..though I sympathize with the “by no fault of theirs comorbidity”….but I agree, on public health grounds.

So my vaccine envy is really….cursing the fact that I am almost dead last in line because I have a safe job and I have good health. Those are usually considered blessings..at least by rational people.

Oh, I have type O blood..so in terms of the body I was blessed with, I am about as safe as a non-hermit can be.

So, I’ll leave it at that; bitterness helps no one.

Workout

Ok, the piriformis felt better than the shoulder but the shoulder…didn’t feel that bad. Maybe things are looking…better?

First: 5K walk.

I did the Williams set and the McKenzie set first.

Then came the weights; pull ups (sets of 6-10 singles, 5-6 reps..50 reps total) with rotator cuff/hip hikes

shoulder presses: 10 x 94, 10 x 105, 9 x 110, 10 x 94, and a failed attempt at 115..felt pain so I stopped immediately and retreated to 94 lb.

curls: 3 sets of 10 x ?? 50 lb? (10 kg plates, 1 kg collars, bar weighs very little)

rows: 3 sets of 10 x 134 (better position)

bench press: full reps: 10 x 44, 10 x 94, 10 x 94, 10 x 94 I decided to use a weight that made full reps painless and just work back, taking as long as it takes.

Pull ups: very cautious

9 x 110 supported shoulder press

115 felt awful from the start (felt “bad pain”) , so I bailed..retreated to 10 x 94 instead.

Who isn’t vaccinated?

Me. That’s who.

My current wife. My ex wife got her first. My “Facebook wife” is scheduled for her first next week. Several of my work colleagues…my friends…just…not …me.

FMD.

Oh my walk; Some prifiromis issues at about mile 2.7 ..up from 2.5. Damn..I need to get vaccinated so I can swim.

But yeah…I am remembered when it is time to give money to charity..or time for the Red Cross to stalk me for blood/platelet donations..or the county give me a jury summons.

But when it comes to vaccines…dead last. FMD.

Got those “Last in Line Blues….”