Feb 9 to 16

 

This was on my phone while I stretched

Ah, my steadfast and loyal readers - it is a holiday Monday in the part of the world where I live these days. So, technically this isn't late. I mean technically it is, but we must abide the times.

Got all my morning sessions done this week - although one or two were actually done later in the day, but they at least got done. I keep seeing social media posts with baseballs for biceps on 80 year olds, so I'm just going to keep myself steady and moving forward.

Morning sessions are still:

SHoveLWOD strong, comrade!

10 minutes of hip and shoulder mobility - baby pose to start, then to downward dog, to plank, to cobra pose. 90/90 hip movements, seated groin stretch, push ups, world's greatest stretch, hip opening stuff I see on Youtube. Push ups.

10 minutes of ab work -  seated knee tucks, swimmer's kicks, hollow abdominal poses, push ups, planks, side planks, alternating heel touches, frog crunches, hamstring bridges. Push ups.

10 minutes of arms, shoulders and standing hamstring work. Banded arm curls, banded overhead presses, push ups, standing hamstring stretches. Some TRX squats and double arm face pulls and bodyweight rows. Push ups.

The cardio sessions were SHoveLWODs. (I'm going to trademark that spelling of it, by the way ... we got like 30 cm of snow on us over the last five days. Great for reading, squishing Zerg and yoga. Also a much coveted snow day as well. But the Apple Watch was slapping me on the back for everything I did this week while covered in snow.  

Feb 2 to 8

 

This could be a pic of me, but I don't do hollow ab poses with socks

A pleasantly boring week for my fitness journey this week. Lots of two a day sessions working on mobility and strength on the mat in my garage gym. I did have to get out on Thursday and replace an iPhone charging cord and came across one item on my wish list - a massage gun recommended by another rugby playing kettlebell enthusiast. It was on sale for forty bucks and so I grabbed it and took it home.

A revelation in recovery help. Oh my goodness, I had it on my hip/quads for  ... let's say ten minutes ... and it was such a benefit to release and recovery. Honestly, just wow. 

I wish I could tell you that I woke up Saturday morning and all was well, but somehow my right ankle got twisted into a pretzel while I slept and I woke up with it inflamed. Had to get stuff done before a major snowfall came, so I soldiered on. But so annoying to have my hip not hurt and something else get in the way of enjoying an average busy Saturday.

Morning sessions are still:

Alternating heel touches for the win

10 minutes of hip and shoulder mobility - downward dog, to plank, to cobra pose. 90/90 hip movements, seated groin stretch, push ups, world's greatest stretch, hip opening stuff I see on Youtube.

10 minutes of ab work -  seated knee tucks, swimmer's kicks, hollow abdominal poses, push ups, planks, side planks, alternating heel touches, frog crunches, hamstring bridges

10 minutes of arms, shoulders and standing hamstring work. Banded arm curls,, banded overhead presses, push ups, standing hamstring stretches of various yoga poses and things that I recall from Wrestling and Rugby sessions in the past. 

Evening sessions tend to be just the first two 10 minute blocks, sometimes intertwined but no arm/shoulder work in the evenings. Just don't need that stress. 

Jan 19 to Feb 1

 

Don't laugh, it was harder than it looks

To my loyal readers - sorry man, this is never a good time of the year, kind of stressful at work and lazy moments on the weekends. Whatever, things will be the way things will be.

All morning sessions done, all exercise circles closed, all standing circles closed. I just didn't want to get out into the cold and go for a swim - edit what a lame excuse. 

I did do some thinking on this topic and will be switching things up. I did a retirement planning workshop and I need to get back to my Vision Board - which I literally just reworked- and focus on making those things come to reality. 

To that end, I'm doing better on my Fitness, not necessarily my desire for limitless cardio but at least my mobility is much better than last year. Certainly my shoulders like the yoga and stretching and the not swimming. Rotator cuffs are grinning to each other as I type this. I will continue my careful exploration on "Adventure" as well. Various RV and Outdoor Shows are this month and next - I plan on attending and learning just a bit more than I already know. Come April and I'd like to be out on Lake Ontario in a kayak and my protective gear. Hypothermia is not my kink.

I had to change "Side Hustle" to "Side Hustle and Retirement" - as there were so many things I got flicked in the head with while sitting in a workshop to that end. Finding important papers and certificates is the easy part and sending copies to where they need to be. Planning the who's and wheres and the whats is the stuff I should be thinking about next. I'm honoured that I even get to consider ending my career with my current employer and move on to way better stuff. 

I also had to alter "Culinary Arts" to "Nutrition and Culinary Arts" as I need to get a hold of what I stick in my mouth. I always knew the adage that you can't out train a bad diet, but I never really lived it. Well, I should really start looking at living more intentionally and with a focus on my heart health. No scares yet, <<knocks on wood>>  but I know the days of eating like a teenager are going to come home to roost. 

These help my hips: BJJ leg pummelling

The last two are staying the same: "ASL"  and "Writing and Blogging". I should carve out some time for the first one as hearing loss is catching up to me. I do make time for writing every day and I have to blog for work - I just need to keep developing increasingly sophisticated skills for the future. 

In any case, morning sessions are looking like this:

10 minutes basic mobility - 90/90s, baby pose, push ups, one leg out hip stretches, classic groin
stretches, warrior one poses, starting to work on hand stand pose as well.

10 minutes ab work - seated knee tucks, flutter kick, BJJ leg pummelling, side lying leg lifts, back lying wipers and more push ups

10 minutes arms and shoulders - banded curls and overhead presses, TRX aided squats and face pulls, TRX curl ups and more push ups. 

Jan 12 to 18

Shoulder mobility is important

Something weird just happened to my keyboard. Odd that. Anyway, got a pair of push up handles this week and started using them - they are nice - helpful with all kids of bodyweight poses and presses. I also got a yoga pillow in the garage gym as well - helpful for mobility in the mornings.

Which brings up doing mobility in the evenings, too. I did get at least one swim in this week in the evenings, but stayed at home and did an evening session in the garage gym of mobility/bodyweight training instead of HIIT or swimming. Not sure I'm able to connect attaining the "boundless cardio" goal I have with mobility training, but I slept just as well and moved a little better.

I also heard back from the lab coat about the x-ray. Seems my hip hurts. "Marked joint space narrowing" and "marginal osteophytes" ... seems I have to go for swims, start to doing some mobility training, recover from chronic injury and overuse as well as aging and wear. 

When people say "You are doing everything right." ... I seriously want to rattle their ancestors. 

So ... just to mention it, I did do mobility training every day this week and went for a swim once. 

"You are doing everything right."

Jan 5 to 11

Yup, had this on the screen for the HIIT sessions

Not a bad week over all. Closed the rings three times so far and got back to HIIT sessions as well as getting in to the pool this week. A bit of snow and really cold kept me from hikes - and my hip ain't being nice these days either. 

HIIT sessions were pretty ordinary with getting rounds of these done until I got to 30 or 35 minutes:

3 minutes air bike

2 minutes kettlebell swings/cleans/snatches with the 12 kilo bell.

Nothing daring there, but basic cardio. Gloves on the kettlebell were a necessity for these old hands.

I did the morning sessions barefoot in a rather chilly garage gym this week - I did wear a hoodie and shorts so I looked like a teenager, I guess. Ah well, whatever. 

I do like the quiet for the AM sessions but need a movie on in the evening sessions. Shrug, I can handle that. 

Dec 30 to Jan4

 

A bit hazy, but it is correct

Holidays / vacation / recovery time continued this week. It was nice to be able to sit at home and listen to the rest of the family hack up their lungs. Quite pleasant. I did get a chance to hike a few times in the local provincial park, get in the pool twice and hit my morning sessions every day. I even did the correct date on January first, 2025. 

I even squeezed in some work time here and there. Had a lovely family NYE celebration and generally tried to recover from stress and prepare for what is next. I did get two RV weekends booked, and made myself a promise that I would get a kayak out onto water for at least one of those weekends. 

On a sad note, my Apple Watch fell off and the screen smashed enough while getting a couch to the curb this week. I thought it would be fine and wore it into the pool the following day, but ... the water just got in and that was enough. I got on to Fb Marketplace and will be off this afternoon to pick up another new-to-me replacement. 

Morning sessions went like this:

10 minutes hip mobility, general mobility, push ups. Did three rounds of each. 

10 minutes ab work- hollow holds, swimmers kicking, seated knee tucks. Dead bugs as well. 

10 minutes TRX squats to face pulls, banded curls and overhead presses, banded lateral raises.  

Dec 23 to 29

 

Hip, hip hooray!

Back to vacation workouts this week - but getting things done in and around the requirements of the season and family illness.  It always happens at this time of the year - my family gets to this week and everything just drops. Daily routines shift and health and just everyone is tired. Fighting that physical exhaustion and  ability to stave off illness is what is key.

Lots of sleep and water is always a good start. 

Morning routines were completed all days - just sometimes later in the day instead of at 6 am. It is all good. Actually also got a hip x-ray done this week as well. I'm waiting for the results/comments from the dude. I'm hoping this is just a stretching issue, not a bone issue. In chatting with the guy, I noticed my BP was a little high and that swimming was done only twice the last week.

Morning routine looked like this:

10 minutes hip mobility, general mobility, push ups, other body weight exercises as thought up. 

10 minutes ab work- hollow holds, swimmers kicking, seated knee tucks. I'd like to get my big fitness ball out to the chilly garage to help with other ab exercises. 

10 minutes TRX squats to face pulls, banded curls and overhead presses, banded lateral raises.