That’s great news, Cedronella.
As a returning member of a gym he obviously knows the ropes. There are so many variations of weight training and it’s always good to diversify your training routines from time to time to keep oneself interested. Wish your nephew well please and thank him for his interest in my workouts 
Hi, Cedronella! So nice to hear from you and I’m equally pleased to know you are still running. You have made Floydy’s day by sharing his posts and inspiring your nephew to start back into training. I sure wish him well.
Exercise today mostly involved twelve hours of driving from Kansas (seeing my parents) to northern Alabama, where it is forested and hilly. It was dark when I arrived so I stopped in the gym for an hour of treadmill and elliptical, but as soon as I sign off here, I am going to try to find a trail system here that I might try in the morning. Home tomorrow! Finally.
Happy moving!
You sure do some travelling, Suzie don’t you? Hope your parents are in good health and that you enjoy running ‘the trail’. Please let us know how that goes 
Safe journey home too
As I mentioned on Wednesday I was undecided about my next training session as yesterday I needed a rest - my arms, legs, just about everything was ‘overtrained’ and I felt very stiff all day. Also I was debious about visiting the gym today too because of a singer-songwriter I was going to see tonight locally. Unfortunately Bob Cheevers is very unwell and has been hospitalised in Texas so can’t make it.
I’ll be at the gym then!
Friday 1/3/19: Strength training (upper body). 1hr.05mins.
(All weights in kgs)
With no real plan today and not wanting to thrash myself silly doing high reps, I settled for a few exercises doing some accumulative strength training. This basically involved a series of between 4-7 sets of increasing weight, reaching a maximum lift with a maximum of 10 reps per set or fewer. My arms were still a little weary from Monday’s efforts but I did reach some good lifts and all in all it wasn’t a bad hour or so at the gym.
Smith flat bench press:
10x30, 10x40, 10x50, 5x60, 5x70
Shoulder press:
10x50, 6x60, 5x70, 5x80, 5x90, 3x100
Incline chest press:
6x60, 5x70, 5x80, 3x90
Single-arm low row, alt.:
10x70, 6x80, 6x90, 6x100, 6x105
Fly delt dec:
10x80, 10x95, 10x110, 10x125, 10x140, 10x142.5 full stack
Seated row:
10x53, 6x59, 6x65, 6x71, 6x77
Tricep extensions:
10x60, 8x65, 8x70, 8x75, 8x80, 8x85, 8x90 full stack
As you can see I am now at the stage where certain exercises are reaching their limit. As with the sled press on the legs, the weight just doesn’t go high enough. This is why doing some of this strength training occasionally can compensate by doing more reps if the weight isn’t now enough for my capabilities. Yes, it’s all very pleasing that my muscles are still in such fine fettle in both strength and size and that’s obviously important in later life when I start to wither away.
No training tomorrow, I need a rest.
Thanks for reading:cool:
Saturday 2/3/19: “50-reppers” (upper body). 1hr.45mins.
(All weights in kgs)
My final words yesterday were “No training tomorrow, I need a rest”. Never take words like those for granted. I awoke this morning feeling out of this world for some reason. No expected aches and pains from yesterday’s workout, so I quickly capitalised on that mood by driving to the gym for a nice, early start at 8.35 am before I could even think about taking my “rest”. What followed was a great session of fifteen different exercises of increasing weight which invigorated my muscles wonderfully and set me up for the rest of the day.
To refresh on this routine, it’s three sets totalling fifty reps. The first set of 20, plus 5 slow reps of tension training, the second is 10 reps +5 and the third a very slow and controlled 8+2 reps. Each set is heavier than the previous one for maximum gainzz.
2xDB press, incline bench:
25x20’s, 15x24’s, 10x28’s
Single DB press, flat bench:
25x42, 15x42, 10x42
*I forgot to add weight to this but next time I’ll be starting the lifts at 46kg.
Smith bench press, close-grip:
25x30, 15x40, 10x50
Chest press:
25x40, 15x50, 10x70
Lat pulldown, hammer bar:
25x35, 15x45, 10x60
Seated row:
25x41, 15x53, 10x65
Shoulder press:
25x30, 15x50, 10x70
Pec dec:
25x35, 15x50, 10x60
Fly delt dec:
25x95, 15x110, 10x125
Triceps pulldown, reverse-grip bar:
25x25, 15x30, 10x35
Lying bicep curls:
25x15, 15x20, 10x25
Arm curl machine, both arms:
25x20, 15x25, 10x30
E-Z preacher curl, low pull:
25x23, 15x30.5, 10x40.5
Tricep extensions:
25x40, 15x60, 10x75
DB preacher curl, alt.:
25x10, 15x14, 10x16
Really enjoyed that one. So much so, I decided to take a new avatar photo.:roll:
This afternoon I’ll be going for a few jars with my pals around Beverley.
Tomorrow the same gym routine but on the legs.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekends all 
Realspeed, wow, you really do sound sore! Good plan to start training for Japan. Your excursions sound extraordinary and you sure wouldn’t want to have sit on the bus. A little stretching a few minutes into a walk and stretching afterwards can help with your flexibility and soreness as you get back on track.
Nice avatar there, Floydy, showing the benefits of all your hard work :-D! Great bonus workout too but don’t forget that recovery day! It seems that mine have been spent behind the wheel.
This country is beautiful, but the last week has been almost five thousand miles of white-knuckle driving because of road construction and the sheer numbers of cars driving bumper to bumper at excessive speeds. In Kansas I was able to get a few days of running in the grim, gray weather, but the gym was better, and in the morning I awoke to be reminded of a few muscles that were none to happy about having done a solid gym circuit.
For two whole days, I am back in Florida for a couple of days to enjoy the pleasures of home (most especially the dogs) before driving back to Birmingham (Alabama) and then off to North Carolina for more treatment for my daughter. It’s two steps forward and one back, but I am determined to get her, my dad, and my mom back to full health. Pressing on!
Spring is in full swing here. The azaleas, dogwoods, and redbuds are all in bloom making for a colorful run later in the day. The biggest decision I plan to make today is whether to run the beach or the forest trail. I wonder whether it will be a fast, long outing or a slow, struggling one. It seems you never know until that first quarter mile.
Happy weekend!
Still reading all your posts, but I’ve had some sort of chest bug which causes a bit of discomfort and a slightly dry, wheezy sensation right at the top of my chest area, I was worried it was some sort of heart problem again, but I remember my son had the same symptoms for a couple of weeks. No gym for me until whatever it is sorts itself out. 
Keep up the good work everyone!
Just a quick check of my journal and it reveals that over the first two months of 2019 I’ve managed to rack up 209.7 miles…Not too shabby a start to the year…
I knew it was going to be something special this morning.
The blustery North Westerly would be in my face on the last mile or two, but with the temperature showing a heady 9*C and feeling quite chipper, the decision to pass through the kissing gate and on to the grassy bank alongside the canal was never in any doubt.
I zig zagged and tripped over the tufts of grass and molehills with the wind behind me and made short work of this two mile off road stretch. Through the gate at the end and onto the road. Four miles covered, but I couldn’t catch the runner in front who bobbed out on the bridge just in front of me. I followed him for half a mile before I turned off to loop back round onto my usual eight mile route. A few years back he would have been easy prey…
Out came the snarling barking dog from the farm on the bend, impossible to out run him I turned to face him as he tried to manoeuvre himself behind to feast on a juicy lump of calf muscle. With bared teeth and slaver trickling down [and that was just me] I spoke in a soft gentle voice and offered my hand in friendship, and after a few half hearted lunges the barking stopped and he walked back from whence he came with occasional glances over his shoulder…:shock:
Hadn’t seen him for quite a while…So only losing about a minute [that seemed like five] on I ran to the next village. I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t affected my pace, I suddenly felt tired and awkward [could have been worse with only half a calf muscle] and now facing the last two miles into a strong head wind I leaned forward and ‘Dug in’ until I had come to the end of this slightly raised open stretch.
I was back in the village now and the wind had subsided and seemed to come from various directions as it swirled around buildings and walls, I even felt better although it could have been psychological as I neared the end of this nine and a half mile run, the first time I had run this far since 2017 before last years problems…A good start to March…
Sorry to hear about your chest infection Tachyon, can’t be too careful with breathing problems and I often think the worst when I get the odd chest pain only to find it was just a bit of indigestion and usually a good burp does the trick…
Hope you’re back training soon…
Thanks Suzie Yes, I’m feeling good right now. I guess a lot of my doubts about my health were controlled by my ear and chest infection problems throughout January. Since the past three weeks weeks though I’ve been performing some better than expected workouts and the results as you say are quite pleasantly surprising
You are an amazing woman though and I know your drive and determination will ensure your family are very well looked after, despite all the travelling you need to do.
Sorry to hear about this too Tachyon. I’m sure it’s just a bug as you say. This year has been a nightmare for people contacting chest and coughing fits. You’ll be soon pumping the iron again buddy
A fantastic effort again Bob, you’re really racking up those miles now!
I took advice from you folks on here and had a rest day today, but that was really because on waking this morning my wife wanted to go up the coast again to Hornsea. A lovely beef roast later and I was bloated enough to say goodbye to the gym for a day. back with my legs session tomorrow though! 
OGF what an outstanding distance you have run for the year! By comparison, I appear to have been sitting in a chair for most of 2019. Oh, wait…that’s right, I have!
One of the best things about running outdoors, track not included, is the adventuresome nature of it. Though sometimes it means a grumpy dog, splashing into a muddy puddle, or getting soaked to the bone, it’s never uninteresting!
A short run here in a few minutes so I can hop in the car and make yet another five hour drive this afternoon (starting a week that will put another five thousand miles on the car, but I if I don’t start now, I will be forever cast into the runner’s Hall of Shame 
.
Tachyon, fast healing your way and to Floydy - well done! Enjoy your day and dinner!
See you in hills of northern Alabama!
I feel a lot better than I did yesterday and this morning, when I was contemplating heading to hospital because the pain and breathing impairment felt just like my heart attack. Then I had a coughing fit and some nasty stuff came up and that made a big difference.
As you say, it’s been a rough year for chest ailments, and I’ve had family and friends who had a chest bug and they’ve all had a bad time. I’m hoping the low dose of chemo hasn’t supressed my immune system too much because I want rid of this fast. 
Hopefully it is just a bug as you say, Tachyon. Feeling better today may well be a sign of you getting over this ‘bug’.
You’ll be back at the gym in no time!
Take care on your journey, Suzie. Keep in touch
Thank you very much.
Went for a swim this morning, it was ruddy packed, didn’t realise Aqua Aerobics was on!
Surely they have a timetable, Lion Queen? Aqua Aerobics for half an hour then general swimming maybe?
Yeah they do but I hadn’t checked, one lane cordoned off for peeps who didn’t want to do aqua aerobics but too many people in that lane lol. Still I managed 20 lengths before getting out.
Won’t be going at 10.30am to 11.15am on a Sunday again I tell ya!
I’ve been going to the gym about 3 times a week.
I’m still jogging 2 kilometres to warm up, riding about 4 or 5 miles, doing some weight lifting, using a few machines then doing a cool down stretch which usually takes me about 1 1/2 hours.
With the size of this gym and all the equipment this place has, there hasn’t ever been anybody who has taken a bike, or cross training machine right beside me. Last week there were plenty of empty machines but one man decided to use the machine right beside me. It was so uncomfortable that I had to leave.
I’m not comfortable being that close to others while I’m working out but I’ve since discovered that most people don’t so I don’t feel so unusual
It’s been 3 1/2 months since I joined this gym and I AM definitely noticing muscle tone. Yayyy.
Have fun everyone.
Great news on your exercising, Bratti. Your gym workouts sound like they’re espcially doing you some good. Big increases is where it’s at!
Never worry about others though, nobody bothers you. They all concentrate on their own thing, so it’s best to just get on with it