Exercise Log (8/9)

Yard Work – general 30.0 -245.0 calories
Elliptical trainer: general 25.0 -389.0 calories

My general yard work was pushing around the lawnmower. We have a pretty big yard, so we do have a riding mower (which I used on the backyard), but to try and make up a little bit for pigging out this week, I did the front yard, the edging of the backyard, and the drainage ditch by hand with the push mower. Even though it was a rare non-humid, non-hot, non-sunny day here in Kentucky, it was still a beast to push that mower around.

I hate cutting the grass.

Exercise Log (8/8)

Elliptical trainer: general 25.0 -389.0 calories
30 biceps curls
hamstring and back stretches

I’m working hard to get my flexibility back, but it’s a slow process if you don’t have someone around to help you stretch.

Exercise Log (8/7)

Elliptical trainer: general 25.0 -389.0 calories
30 biceps curls
Hamstring stretches

Not too shabby. I’d like to get the time to go back to hitting the elliptical and the bike both on the same night, but this is my busy season, and everyone wants a piece of the birthday boy.

Exercise Log (8/6)

30 biceps curls (10 preacher, 10 hammer, 10 twisting)
stretching (back, hamstrings, knees)
Absolutely no cardio!

My job has two aspects that we generally do. One of these is sedentary desk work (typing, very hard on the hands and eyes). The other aspect is printing work (we do this in the summer when we have no typing to do). Printing work is a lot of standing, twisting, throwing boxes around, sweating, and suffering (also hard on the hands, depending on if you have to spiral bind books or sort). I’d spent all day in printing, so by the time I got home, my back was screaming at me (I hurt it over there a few years ago and it hasn’t been the same since).

I like to take at least one day off a week anyway, and since I was already sore from physical stuff, I made last night a light night. One thing I did do is start some light stretching. At one point I could do a full-out Chinese splits, and I’d like to get that flexible again one of these days. I’ve lost most of that Gumby-stretchiness (that was at least 15 years ago), but I can get it back if I work at it.

Exercise Log (8/5)

Elliptical trainer: general 25.0 minutes, -389.0 calories
Bicycling – stationary, light 15.0 minutes -135.0 calories

Nothing special to report here. Another impressive night of the elliptical, and I’m proud of myself for having energy enough to hit the bike for 15 minutes afterward, even if it was already well past 1AM. I need to start working out earlier, I think, so I can get more done.

Exercise Log (8/4)

Elliptical trainer: general 25.0 minutes, -389.0 calories
30 dumbbell curls (10 preacher, 10 hammer, 10 twisting)

A new personal best on the elliptical! Thanks to a timely phone call from a friend, I was able to bulldoze through my usual 20 minutes, then add another 5 to crank it up to 25 minutes of non-stop elliptical training! I’ve done 40 minutes before, but that was always 20 in the morning and 20 later in the day, but this was a new best for straight walking.

My arms got a hell of a workout, too. Not only did I do 30 curls again (twice this week, which is a sign that I might be serious about doing something to make me look better as well as feel better), I also got an early birthday present from my parents in the form of Rock Band. You know how everyone says rock drummers are the fittest people on the planet? That’s no lie. Even playing the plastic toy drums on easy wore me out! I wonder if it would help my arms if I wore those jogging weights on them while playing… maybe I can turn my love of video games and my renewed interest in fitness down the same path.

Has anyone out there lost weight using video games?

Exercise Log (8/3)

Elliptical trainer: general 20.0 minutes -311.0 calories

Note: I really wanted to do more, but it was already well past 1 AM when I got on the elliptical, and by the time I did my 20 minutes I was feeling too lousy to continue on. It is probably related to the fact that I MSG’d myself half to death satisfying my craving for something spicy and Chinese. I still don’t feel at my peak, truthfully. Feeling a little groggy and dull from lack of sleep.

Fitness Log (8/2)

Elliptical trainer – general 20.0 minutes, -311.0 calories
Bicycling – stationary, light 30.0 minutes, -269.0 calories

I also did 3 sets of 10 biceps curls. Not a lot of weight on the dumbbells, but it’s a start.

Fitness Log (8/1)

Elliptical trainer: general 20.0 minutes-311.0 calories
Bicycling – stationary, light 30.0 minutes-269.0 calories

I was going to do an hour on the bike, but I kind of got bored as I’d finished reading all the books handy and quit early. Plus my legs were starting to cramp up, thanks to the 20 minutes on the elliptical. They feel fine today, so I may shoot for it today.

I never dreamed I’d like that elliptical machine as much as I do.