Zen and the lifting of heavy things.

DB flies: 2×8 @ 22. Better form, but the left shoulder is complaining, which is why I didn’t go to 27. I should be doing 2×8@27, but frankly I’m nervous about ruining a shoulder.

DB press: 3×8 @ 27. So this can come up 10 next week, and down to 2×8, if I’m managing 3 comfortably.

Pushups: 23/20/20

Crunches: 60/40/40

French Press: 3×8@22

Alternating shoulder press: 2×8@22 Same exercise I’ve been doing, but one arm at a time. this increases the time spent holding the weight, obviously. Again, a slower cadence. But can come up a few pounds next week.

Side Raises: 2×8@15/10. Erring on the side of caution – the left shoulder started to twinge on the last rep of the first set, so I eased off. Better form and slower cadence!

Lunges: 3×8@64

Crunches:50/40/50. About the only thing that’s improving.

Overall, a bit slack, really. Yes, new workout, it’ll improve. But today was really going through the motions. Mind you, after Tuesday/Thursday, and Boot Camp in between, I forgive myself. Just have to pick it up a little. But I can see – and feel – my body changing.

jai.

DB rows: db, 2×8@66. What it was 3 weeks ago, but that’s ok. Better form.

Bicep curls: db, 2×8@22. Disappointing. I was doing 3×12 at this. But my form is much, much better and my cadence much slower.

Crunches: 50/40/35. Shoulda kept my mouth shut about these on Tuesday. They were agony today.

So overall, my form is getting better – bicep curls with a 2 second up/2 second down count are much harder than yanking the weight around. At least, that’s what I tell myself. We’ll see how I improve. Pullups when I get to work.

jai.

2 weeks on day crew has also translated to one week off, one week sick. I’ve been very slack, I think I’ve actually had 3 weeks off. I went jogging … once. So this is back into it, with new routines, split for chest, back, and legs. This is chest

db flys: db, 2×8@22. Can come up a little, but form is hard on this one.

db press: 2×8@22. Can come up, a lot.

pushups: 20/20/15. Playing with slower timings here. That’s a small number, but 2 seconds down, 2 seconds up, which is slow, and harder.

French press: bb, 2×8@22. Which is where I was, but can come up, now that I’ve dropped the reps.

crunches: 50/40/30. I think I must be doing something wrong – these weren’t that hard, and my gut doesn’t ache as much as it should.

On balance, I like the “get in, get out” element of the more focussed routines. My chest and arms are trashed, but it was only 35 minutes. Boot camp tomorrow is going to kill me, though.

jai.

So because I’m back on day crew, I can’t go to bootcamp anymore. Which means doing my own bootcamp/circuit training. Tonight, I went and did the timed hillrun we do on bootcamp test day. 6.52 – 10 seconds slower than last time ,20 seconds faster than the first time. In the pitch dark, after a week of doing nothing, with no-one to push me, that’s acceptable. Hopefully it’ll get better next month. Then some lunges, crunches, stepups. I just don’t push myself anywhere near as hard as Ji does, of course.

Need a workout buddy. I can’t believe those words just left my mouth.

Also, need to go to Hong Kong and get a harness so I can go climbing with the boys on a Monday night. Mmm, climbing again.

jai.

40/25/20/20/20 == 125 pushups.

Bleh. Deep down, I knew that a week off would do this. “Oh, sure, I’ll come back refreshed ….” But apparently a week eating, drinking and smoking doesn’t help. Who’da thought?

So this week, back into it. No more boot camp, cos I’m back on day crew, but running and climbing and weights. No excuses.

Mind you. 6 weeks ago I was proud of 58.

jai.