BOL by water prep workout

[Squirtgunsquirter]

I think rather than clutter up my thread on my BOL water route trip with the physical training I am doing, I will post it here.

I stay in OK shape. I am not starting from any great deficit. I'm 5'9" (175 centimeters) and 175 lbs (12.5 stone).

My current workout, concentrating on getting in shape for long distance paddling, and short, heavy portages.

1/17/2018

Stretching. I just bring a youtube vid and do 5 or 10 minutes of whatever looks good.

1 mile, 8 minute warmup run

10 minute rowing, 38 - 40 stroke per minute pace (this kept my heartrate way up, and was fairly intense).

no break, then free weight squats, 3 sets of 6 reps, bar (47.5 lbs) - 135 - 190

no break, back on rowing machine, 15 minutes at an easy pace 25 - 30 strokes per minute

no break, bench press, 3 sets of 6 reps, bar, 95, 135

pull ups - I did 3!

Things to work on: My squat form sucks balls. The VA says I have whatever they consider medium lower disk degeneration. I'm not looking to be a gym hero, so I wont be going much over bodyweight for squats. I would rather do more reps at a lower weight.

Pullups! 3! 'Nough said.

Still, I feel pretty good. I was rucking on my way to work for about a year (different job) 4 miles (one way)with a 40 lb pack, averaging 15 minute miles. I will be doing the same thing at my current job, I just haven't started yet. It is just a bit longer at 5.5 miles. Last year my hip was bothering me a bit, I think I will ruck a lighter weight, maybe 20 lbs.

I cut down on smoking over the last two months, I'm down to half a pack a day, from a pack and a half

That's about it.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

1/20/18
5 mile hike with full base pack and some water for weight. 30 lbs. Lots of hills, some snow and standing water, high of 48! With the pack adjusted, it was no problem.

I'm wearing Salomon Snow Cross shoes for the hikes right now. Not so waterproof. Spiked version of the trail cross with a short gaiter built in. Footbed is hard, but on steep slopes you can walk on the balls of your feet and really dig in.

The wife wore a twenty pound weight vest.

Did I not post yesterday?

1/19/18
Stretching and body weight stuff, regular old no gym no weights exercise. Push ups, sit ups, squats, jumping jacks.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Going to start walking to work tomorrow, as part of my training.

3.5 miles one way, so 7 miles total. I'm not going to start packing weight yet, just time it and try to get to the fastest walking time possible. Google maps says 1 hour 10 minutes.

Today, I didn't do anything. I just felt tired, so I took a day off. I think I didn't eat enough yesterday.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

1/24/2018

3.5 mile walk, 57 minutes (to work, 10 lbs)

3.5 mile walk, 1 hr 5 minutes (from work, less than 10 pounds because coffee jug is empty)

situps and pushups

stretching

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Didn't do so well today. Got to about 3/4 mile mark or a 1 mile run, and cramped up. Had to stop, and stretch, then run, repeat. Finished the mile.

Did squats and bench, and rows. Just wasn't feeling it.

My calorie intake is way down for about a week, playing around with calories. Apparently, I need a lot of calories to work out. Who woulda thunk it?

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Bummed that I have to take some time off training. I got sick, I truly believe there is a relationship between when my wife works at the hospital, and gets sick, and then I seem to get sick. My work doesn't involve a lot of public interaction.

Not sure what I can do about it. Maybe binge on vitamin C when I know she is going to be coming home after a hospital visit?

Anyway, I will get after the training later this week.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Still doing daily stretching situps/pushups

Went to the gym (really crowded) did a nice mile run, and managed 5 really clean pullups. I had a whole workout planned, but too many people. I'm going to start going at 6:30 am, and do a weight lifting workout, then come back in the evening to do the rowing workout. I need to up the intensity of my workouts, I am guilty of just kind of cruising through them.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

OK it turns out I tore (ruptured) a subscapular muscle under my left shoulder blade, and the swelling is causing a nerve impingement. YAY

So it hurts pretty bad, going on two weeks, and has set me WAY back on training. For the first week I had to drink just to get a few hours of sleep a night.

The problem is identified, and I'm getting cold/hot therapy, and massages from my loving wife.

Monday I will start stretching and push ups/sit ups again, and walking. No gym yet. Maybe next weekend if it is feeling ok. And NO HEAVY WEIGHTS clearly I can no longer do that.

I'm not taking painkillers because I have had a previous problem with painkillers, and I am sweet on them, so that's not a good idea. I can live with this pain level, and just whine in the morning when I wake up with my left shoulder/arm/neck stiff and painful.

I'm actually happy, I thought I tore my rotator cuff, which supposedly would have required surgery.

 

[DrHenley]

You don't want rotator cuff problems, let me tell you! I manage mine by restricting the range of motion of my right shoulder. No swimming the backstroke for one thing. Sometimes freestyle is a problem, but not lately. No reaching for anything more than a foot higher than my head.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Yeah, I started feeling like a hero and did a bunch of high rep kettlebell overhead presses, pullups, and then went back and forth on a monkey bar set a few times. After a bunch of deadlifts. Felt fine.

Next day WHAM! lol

I just overdid it, obviously didn't have enough base strength in muscles I haven't been working for a while.

So yeah, I will be going back at it, but extending the timeframe to be doing some heavier lifts, I better work on some basic body weight fitness for a while. Still on track for the April BOL trip. I can't wait!

 

[Tonto_]

Nice progress, keep up the good work! I'll be checking in on this thread!

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Actually, no, you won't. Which means, I can start posting in it again.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Threw around a lot of steel at work today, but hopefully once I get everything restocked, I can give my lower back a break.

Thank god its only 4 hours.

For those wondering about my work hours, my work has a base per hour pay, then performance bonuses on every check. (This is the steel place, not the sewing place). So If I can do what has typically been done in say, 6 hours by someone else, but I do it in 4 hours, then I am done for the day, and I still get that 6 hours pay, then other bonuses based on shipments out the door. So I work the steel job part time, but get almost a full time paycheck (depending on how hard I want to bust my ###, lol) and then do the sewing part time. The steel job is a little strange, but that's how the owner wants it, so I am not going to complain.

Then I go to the gym.

Today, I just did the basic workout, but no rows because my lower back hasn't been very happy. So light bench, overhead press, squats, and pullups.

I could feel the injury kind of lingering when I did pullups, so I stopped. It's fine, but still there. Ice, and a hot bath and I should be fine.

 

[DrPrepper]

I did a Pilate class today. Not very macho, but I feel it.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Anything helps. I was at the gym last week, and a guy was lifting wearing a paper mask and nitrile gloves. Should have known... anyway I got a raging chest cold. Feel a bit better, I'm going to try a 4 mile section of the Ice Age Trail today.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

10 mile hike today, with the wife, in 3 hours. Pretty hilly terrain, she is doing great. No packs. But still great.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Wrote up a schedule to reduce the number of cigarettes I am smoking. It has me quitting completely by the end of June.

Still have this nagging chest cold. I was worried it was going to be one of those ones that just lingers, and it is. I cant seem to hack anything up, but at least I am sleeping better, without waking up covered in snot and drool. The wife appreciated that.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Wrote up a schedule to reduce the number of cigarettes I am smoking. It has me quitting completely by the end of June.

Still have this nagging chest cold. I was worried it was going to be one of those ones that just lingers, and it is. I cant seem to hack anything up, but at least I am sleeping better, without waking up covered in snot and drool. The wife appreciated that.

Mucinex

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

lol the wife likes to try different home remedies. I'm game. But yeah, I need to get this crap cleaned out, can't wait to be able to breath again.

 

[DrPrepper]

I have done some small workouts at home. Seems this last week I have had to go somewhere or do something everyday after work. Tomorrow starts a 40 day step challenge at work. I am in it to win it.