Month: October 2021

Random rants and raves

First:

The I-74 bridge looks cool. Yoga today was a lot of lower back stuff and the walk…was probably about 3.3 but I didn’t start the watch until I was .25 into it (by mistake). Took breaks at 1, 2, and 2.6 miles to stretch it out.
Averaged 14:52 (outside walking is slower, and today was windy). Not super, but much better than Tuesday.

Now for general rants

Wokeness: this is a classic example. Yes, I know: these are college undergraduates, but unfortunately, the rest of us on the “left of center” are tarred by such antics (in this case, some students are upset that genetic males will be doing radiator repair and they want a “safe space” from genetic males.

Oh I know..they are saying “cis-males” which is a biological male that identifies that way.

I honestly think that colleges are doing their undergraduates a huge disscervice by not standing up to them. In the real world, these complaints would be considered ridiculous.

And that brings me to my second rant: it seems that many on the left see tantrum throwing as an agent of change. Yes, it might work on a college campus, but that is a very limited bubble.

In reality, the world is not going to rearrange itself to meet what you think your experience should be.

Oops, dinner calls.

Two more days

I do have a bit more to say than this, but for now, I’ll stick with my workout stuff.

I admit that I am weary of a surge as people move indoor with the upcoming chillier weather.

Yesterday: yoga, 1.5 miles walking (2 breaks), 34 minutes cycling. The glute was very sore from the weekend; too much sitting, not enough stretching.

Today: MUCH better. rehab, weights, 32 minutes cycling.

The pull ups: 40 singles (10 seconds), 4 sets of 5 (2 were chin ups),

push ups: 5 sets of 20: 2 sissy, 2 feet elevated, 1 almost level (shown)

weights deadlifts: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 226 (low), 10 x 245 (4 inch), 10 x 260 8 inch.

Note have to remember the hip hinge even with high handles. Note: point soreness RIGHT glute?

Note: as I increased the weight, it got EASIER due to the better leverage.


Rehab

Colts trip; getting back

Sunday I kind of wore myself out doing an out and back trip to take “the crew” to a Colts game. That out and back added to the time and by the time I was driving home, I was tired, it was dark, and let’s just say that next time, I’ll get a hotel room *before* or *after* so I am not driving while tired.

The game itself: very pleasant; Colts won 31-3 and dominated all phases of the game.

Two big plays: the pass was completed right in front of us. The run: you could see that hole open up…huge.

\Some facts: lines are longer at concession stands, no cash is accepted (they have a cash to card machine); concourses are a bit more crowded due to longer lines, and this 400 loge section is in the sun later in the game.

Still: nice experience; first time I’ve sat in this section.

Workout notes today:

pull ups: 2 sets of 10 singes, 2 sets of 5, 2 sets of 10, 2 sets of 5 chins, mixed with

sets of 20 push ups: 2 of sissy, 2 of feet elevated, 2 of almost normal

rows: 2 sets of 10 x 134, 10 x 114 (better ROM), curls: 3 sets of 10 curls, shoulder presses: 65, 76, 81 sets of 10 (latter went well), rehab. Late start.

Note: all the sitting made my butt painful to walk on, especially on the way back.

Weekend part I

Back to back football for me this weekend.

Today: North Dakota State (undefeated FCS powerhouse) at Illinois State: it went more or less the way I expected: 20-0 Bison. It was 10-0 at the half and going into the 4’th quarter. The Redbirds failed to gain 100 yards in offense (sound familiar?) though one good 4’th down stand and two red zone interceptions kept the score down.

This is one of the interceptions:

I worked out yesterday (weights only) and today (weights and exercise bike). I’ll have to get up extra early to get a few minutes of spinning on the bike so I can get a good stretch.

Yesterday:

pull ups: 40 singles, 10, 2 sets of 5 chins
push ups two sets of 20 sissy, 2 sets of 20 feet elevated, 20 almost flat (super-set with pull ups)
some shoulder rehab:
curls: 3 sets of 10, rows: 3 sets of 10; 94, then 116, 116,

shoulder presses: 10 x 65, 10 x 75, 10 x 81 (went ok)

more rehab.

Today: 31:30 on the bike; rehab…deadlifts came first:

10 x 94, 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 224,

work sets: 5 sets of 3, every 3 minutes; 256, 256, 256, 261, 261

4 inch handles: 3 x 274 (easy), 3 x 301 (tough, but had another rep or 2 left)

8 inch handles: 10 x 260.

Videos:

Getting it in

2:21 included 40 minutes of deadlifting and 32 minutes of stationary cycling. I felt ok but am dragging now.

Of note: I moved to 100 total pushups (5 sets of 20; 2 were “sissy” but good range of motion, 1 was feet elevated.
pull ups went pretty well; 3 sets of 10
deadlifts: I was able to do a bit better with 134, 184. First set of 224: bailed at rep 6 as I just wasn’t situated correctly.
Tried again and got 10 rather easily; but I was bent over, as I usually am.
the 10 x 260 was no problem..and by the time I finished my legs were quivering slightly.

Made myself get on the bike; glad I did.

As a bonus: my PT filmed me doing a baby 1 legged Romanian dead lift; I need to practice these.

Break Day 2

Well, the mini break was good but it too will end.

Sunday: rehab, 55 minutes of walking: 10 minutes, 31 minutes (with one break), 14 minutes (probably 3.5 miles?)

I cheered the marathon and halt marathon runners going past my house. Yes, I wish I were with them, but more thoughts about that later.

Monday: I kept track this time;

Upshot: 1:35 to do…I mixed sets of push ups with pull ups and chins (and it went well), and in the shoulder press, I managed a set of 8 full reps with 81 before I quit, partly out of a twinge, and partly out of fear. I am perhaps 85 percent back with respect to my shoulder.

And today: yoga with Ms. V (was going to sleep in as I stayed up too late watching the Colts lose in overtime to the Ravens..thought the Colts were going to win it..) and 3 miles of walking, with breaks at 1.15, 1.88, 2.7..3.19 total. Not quite there; pain is less but it does come back, though I do have 10-15 minute stretches where I feel almost normal.

I was wrong

Started with weights and 32 minutes on the exercise bike, and then I went to the Wisconsin at Illinois game.

I honestly thought that Wisconsin might be on its heels after playing (and losing to) Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan. Wrong. What happened was that Illinois seemed like an easy opponent in comparison.

And Illinois close loss to Maryland? Maryland got slammed 51-14 and 66-17 in their last 2 games (Iowa and Ohio State). Game post in the second half of this post.

Weights: (rehab, right now, right arm is achy) and 32 minutes bike:

Deadlifts: 10 x 134, 10 x 184

working sets: 10 x 224, 4 sets of 3 x 256, 1 set of 3 x 261 (new set every 3 minutes for the set of 5)

High handle (4 inch): 3 x 274, 3 x 301 (easier than the 8 inch..slight twinge on final rep)

8 inch: 10 x 260 to finish off my quads.

Then the bike.

Rehab: I did fight off some tingles, but once again made it to the game and back without breaks. Injury is improving. I did stretch my back before walking.

Football game when with Harry; game was a beatdown from the first snap as the Wisconsin offensive line just pushed Illinois all over the place. Wisconsin’s drives stalled due to bad passing: field goal, interception (deep) but it was 10-0 at the half, and the lead felt like much more.

Surprisingly, Illinois didn’t even try to run the ball much at all at first; all passes. Wisconsin didn’t try to pass at first, all runs..long time sucking drives.

Two long drives in the 3’rd pushed it to 24-0.

Late in the game, thanks to pass interference penalties, Illinois had the ball 4’th and 10 at the Wisconsin 25 and fans in my section were yelling to kick the field goal to avert the all but certain shutout! Illinois went for it, didn’t make it, and toward the end, Wisconsin took a knee rather than a final “style points” score.

Photos: Harry and me, a bit of action; I was amused that the special teams had to work around the band to get their second half warm ups in, and the ugly stats line. Game felt a lot worse than 24-0.

Upper deck: not very well filled in.

Fall Break

I admit that COVID is going better than I thought it would, at least on campus. The vaccine mandate appears to be helping, as well as indoor masking.

Campus is probably the safest indoor place to be, at least in town.

Workout: weights and 31 minutes of indoor cycling. Not enough rehab, but some (banded walk); felt it a bit.

pull ups: 2 sets of 10 singles, set of 10, 4 sets of 5, then set of 10 single chin ups

push ups: 30 (slanted), 25 regular (shown), 20 feet elevated

Then the curls (3 sets of 10), rows (10 with 94, 2 more sets of 10 with 114), then 4 sets of 10 shoulder presses: 60, 60, 70, 75. Almost normal here.

Then the bike.

Somewhat busy but

We are closing in on half way through the semester; COVID counts are very low on campus, thanks to masking and a high vaccination rate.

This morning’s workout:

rehab

pull ups and chins: 40 singles on the 10 second, 2 sets of 5 pull ups, 2 sets of 5 chins (60 reps
push ups: 25, 25, 20 (angled, almost level, elevated feet); happy with the depth..

dead lifts: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 224 low, 10 x 260 high.

That, plus rehab, took about 80 minutes? Seems strange in that this doesn’t look like much. But I did several rehab exercises.

I wonder if mobility issues are holding me back on my low-handle trap bar deadlifts. I’ll have to check out some videos.

Shoulder: fine. glute: somewhat tired at the end of the work day.