Finding RB

[FinallyMeRB]

My health journal is on the 3rd book, the 398th day. Keeping it has been a grounding experiment in consistency. I have been active to various degrees since longer than that, years. During those years I have been chronically ill, unknowingly so for the majority of it and undertreated for almost all of the remainder. In fact, I started keeping a health journal as a way to fight the systemic gaslighting of my doctor(s). The act of physically writing the details of my day is healing for me, but it's private. None of the professionals have wanted to see it. My voice sits alone on the page.

My health has improved with better medication and supplementation. I feel well enough to start expanding my physical abilities. And in my mental health journey, I am realizing that I want to participate in the world, have a voice in it, encourage and be encouraged. I have been isolated mentally and emotionally for so long, I don't really know what I want to say. But I think sharing my process here is at least a start. Even if it's 1 degree more open than a physical journal, I look forward to being able to review my history and reaffirm in those hard moments of the future that I have been living; I have been trying.

You're welcome here, too.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I found this website Wednesday this week and fell in love. I started the Amazon plan the same day. That day I had already been feeling well, so I did 50 each 10lb dumbbell bent over rows.

Later that evening, I was inspired by the cardio requirements of the plan. I did the Level I version of the Outbound routine and then ended the day with a 20 minute 2 mph walk on my treadmill.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Yesterday was a rest day per the Amazon plan. I had convinced my husband to use these resources to do something for his health, too. That's no small feat since he does have exercise related trauma to overcome. He and I both did the Mobility Matrix routine. I also did an ankle health routine recommended from my trainer, and I did my first core workout in years, the 2-Minute Abs routine! That hurt in the most awful, best way.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today I had my regularly scheduled personal training appointment. I got there early and did an extra 30 minute 2mph walk first. There was a lot of variety, so I won't be able to list everything categorically. I remember being grateful to do low-high woodchoppers because my obliques are particularly weak compared to the rest of my core. I remember elevated goblet squats just absolutely winding me but in a doable way. Cable triceps extensions could have gone a little heavier, but 20lbs total was happily comfortable.

I left feeling a sense of very sweaty well-being. Earlier in the day, my husband did the beginner dumbbell routine with 5lb weights. I was very proud of him because I know how uncomfortable it was for him to make that change. Solid work today.

 

[lizita]

Welcome to the hive and I hope you can enjoy the process. I think it is not easy for anyone and we all start our own path in different ways. But you will always find support and love from other bees.

I couldn't make my husband join me in the workouts, hope i will soon

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Welcome to the hive and I hope you can enjoy the process. I think it is not easy for anyone and we all start our own path in different ways. But you will always find support and love from other bees.

I couldn't make my husband join me in the workouts, hope i will soon

Thank you for the welcome, lizita. I can't speak for your relationship, but it's taken over a decade, a lot of emotional healing, and some physical health deterioration for my husband to start to overcoming his repulsion of exercise. Even still, he's fiercely independent and likes to exercise alone. I would love one day if it becomes something we can share together. I thrive with the social aspect of group exercise. For now, I'm happy he's gotten this far, and I think your husband is blessed to have your support and leadership by example.

 

[aku-chan]

 

[Anek]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Fremen]

Welcome

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Thank you all for the welcome, @Fremen, @Anek, and @aku-chan!

Hello, budd(b)ees. Today was a rest day for the Amazon plan. I expected to be catastrophically sore from personal training yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. Instead, my muscles felt engaged and vital. We had a busy day planned, so I did the Come Alive mobility routine and the 2 Minute Abs routine early in the day. Both elevated my heart rate and felt difficult but doable.

My husband's legs were very sore from his first strength day yesterday. I was so proud of him for sticking with the Guardian plan and doing his rest day Wake Up! Mobility routine. We're both responding well emotionally/mentally to the bite-sized practices. I hope everyone is having a pleasant weekend!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I find it supremely ironic in a good way that, as a chronically ill person, I generally never catch a cold. Well, my bad luck breezed past my good luck in the runny nose race. Thankfully, today is a cardio for we Amazons and Outbound is a gentle routine. I had some bright and sunny aspirations of doing a walk, but those faded with the setting sun and the rise of the flush on my face.

Husband brought me soup dinner and did his Guardian rest day Wake Up! Mobility with only a gentle reminder.

I would like to request from the Universe that I be not sick tomorrow but also still alive, haha.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good evening, budd(b)ees.

Well, today was just garbage. The universe declined to completely remove my sickness, so I have had the funk all day to varying degrees. Unfortunately, we're also involved in a legal dispute, and I spent the majority of the afternoon researching, organizing, and filling out paperwork while feeling like moths and bees were fluttering around in my sinuses. Still, even though we're both entirely drained right now, husband and I showed up for ourselves and moved our bodies.

We did the Not Perfect strength workout Level I, and I'm glad for it. I hope this helps me sleep, along with Nyquil.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Day 3 of being sick has been a mixed bag, but more positive than the last couple of days. Today was an Amazon and Guardian rest day. I did the Possum yoga routine. Pumpkin, the cat, taught me that the word "yoga" in felinese means "group cuddle project" so I did 100% of it with a friend on my chest.

I also ended up walking the length of our driveway for 20 minutes after closing up the barn. It was taking the guineas a long time to put themselves to bed, and I'm glad I took the opportunity to keep my little leggies moving while I waited for them.

Husband is a fan of the Wake Up! Mobility routine, and that's the one he chose to do when he got home from work. I still have to be the one to bring up the subject of exercise, but I've been relieved and surprised that he's been pushing himself out of his comfort zone to do these things. He barely even grumbled about it tonight and just got down to business.

Happy Wednesday damn it's only Tuesday, friends!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Day four of the ick is slightly better although it's now being accompanied by my cycle. It's trying to migrate into my chest (the cold, not my uterus. That's trying to migrate out of my pelvis in the opposite direction), so the sneezing/runny nose has morphed into stuffiness and a cough. My muscles don't care that my head feels like a turnip and my abdomen feels like a lemon being juiced. I had the audacity to feel restless today. As such and as it was a cardio day for Amazons, I did a 25 minute walk on the treadmill. My goal was 45 minutes but I had to call it early when my left ankle flared and wouldn't hold me up (#selfish). I'm still happy with what exercise I did get in.

Husband has had a time of it trying to catch up on life. He did a 2-for-1 and claimed vacuuming as his cardio.

Tonight, I would love a nightmare-free sleep and wish that for all of you as well. Toodle-oo.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Beeeeeeeeeeeees!

I did not want to move my body today. I did not think I would move my body today. I MOVED MY FREAKIN BODY TODAY!!! Did I automatically become a world-renowned athlete?

But I became 1% different than the person my habits would have me be, and THAT'S PRETTY FREAKIN COOL.

I am still being colonized by the microscopic enemies in my sinuses but that continues to resolve. Today it was some mucus and a pounding headache in my third eye any time I lowered my head below my shoulders. My uterus continues to function as is unpleasant and healthy. I did a few laps of the driveway while waiting on the birds to go to bed. When I came back in, I did the Better Balance Workout (cause that's definitely an area of improvement for me) and I did the Achilles Tendon Recovery Workout + tracing the alphabet with both feet. My left ankle is still being prissy, so it got some movement medicine. (I really wish their was a middle finger emoji I could direct at it.)

Husband also did the Better Balance Workout even though he did not want to. He even accepted my compliment positively. I do think regular activity is helping him feel better.

Onward to Victory and the Weekend! (And if I could stop ripping off my cpap mask in the middle of the night, that would be preferred, please, I beg you sleepy-time me. )

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Fridays are fun because I have personal training. Normally the trainer tells me what to do, but I flipped the script today. I just really felt like taking advantage of all the fun equipment to be able to pick up heavy things and put them down again. I'm still sick but on the tail end of recovery, so my only requirement was no cardio! The lifting was the cardio today!

And. I. KILLED IT!!!! A few times I even asked to up the weight. I fully credit this site for helping keep fitness accessible to me on a daily basis. Even though it feels like I'm barely doing anything given the scope of each day, I can feel a difference. As a person who has spent years feeling weakness and fatigue, I can't tell you how exciting this is. My only fear is that I have some kind of inflammation spike that sets me back, but I'm more excited to see if my current trajectory DOESN'T trigger one.

Lots to be excited about.

Husband ate a big dinner as we tend to do after I'm done at the gym so he initially delayed his Guardian strength duties. But with a little break to digest, he got the Beginner Dumbbells Workout knocked out! Like, legit he cranked out Level I and forgot to do the break between rounds.

Next time I'm going to encourage him to go to Level II, muahahaha.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good afternoon Bee-friends,

Happy to report very minimal fall-out from training yesterday. I have general fatigue, a pressure headache I think is leftover from my cold, and some right posterior chain tightness. I'm mentally clear, my mood is positive, and anxiety is low. And in general my body doesn't hurt. This is so much milder than past experiences of pushing myself where I've been down for the count physically/energetically for days and sometimes a whole week.

As homesteaders/hobby farmers with full-time jobs, there aren't that many days Husband and I have to just do nothing, but we've been gifted with such a day today. Errands were combined with a breakfast burrito date early in the a.m. Since then, we've pulled out the air mattress and made a kind of comfy camp in the living room with blankets and pillows. We briefly extricated ourselves to do some active recovery rest day yoga. Since my back is sore (and his usually is) we used a classic video in our toolkit.

Yoga for Back Pain with Yoga w/Adriene

Then we recused ourselves back to Comfy Town.

I hope you're also having the day you need!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today was D&D Sunday. Game days always take a lot out of me energetically, and I rarely do any additional activity outside of chores. I kept it really chill and just did Outbound for my Amazon cardio.

Husband did Wake Up! Mobility for his rest day ironically right before bed.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good evening Bees,

Today was an annoying Monday full of work nonsense. I'm not sure if that drained me and/or I'm still recovering from social exhaustion yesterday. I really truly didn't want to work out today, and my stomach dropped when I realized it was a full-body strength day. I was able to look at this log and see my progress. I thought it would be such a waste if I didn't keep my streak just because I didn't feel like it. So, I did Prime Shift level I. I was surprised how easy the squats were, and I was able to do the actual lunges as opposed to my normal preference of split squats. I was able to hold myself in full plank position for the shoulder taps and isometric hold. I did have to do the windmills from my knees. My wrists just aren't there yet. Overall, I did better than I thought I would, and it was a huge relief to have it over and done with.

Husband was also feeling the inertia, and his trauma response tried to kick in. This man impressed the hell out of me when he grumbled his way through doing Beginner Dumbbell level I and ALSO increased his weight even though he would have rather unloaded the dishwasher and put the whole thing off until it was too late tonight.

We're just two regular guys over here doing our best. We know how to move through space. (Bonus points if you get the fairly niche reference there. )

Buonanotte.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

This work week is already 6 years long...that's to be expected given the time of year. I worked late tonight and was really grateful it was a rest day. Husband and I did the Wake Up Mobility Workout together in solidarity. I even convinced him to do extra credit via Anywhere Abs. He's got some valid fear about core because of acid reflux, but he was able to do this one since it's standing. We did modify a little because it's late, but the goal was to move our bodies- not be perfect.

I also love seeing all the people updating their logs each day. Good job, everyone!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Short and sweet tonight. Worked late again. Did manage to split my time for cardio day and do 20 minutes of walking before evening chores and 13 minutes after while dinner was cooking. Did a total of 1.1 miles which is 0.1 over my average max.

Husband did a quick Wake Up Mobility as he is a handsome creature of habit.

Sweet dreams, Bees.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Hi, Bees.

I didn't make it to log here yesterday, but husband and I did Wake Up Mobility as we were getting in bed.

Today he did Beginner Dumbbells early in the day and was pleased to get it out of the way. I had personal training. It was meh, but work has me kind of burnt out. So they may just be me. Busy weekend ahead.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good morning!

Man, I have had just the hardest time logging during this holiday weekend. I am still doing the things, so hopefully that's just a sign that I've been very present in my days.

I've been doing the absolute bare minimum of my health journal. That might be because my food choices have been more delicious and less disciplined this weekend. I haven't talked about this here, yet, but food is a constant struggle for me. My body seems to be a great example of the Hormone Model of weight gain thanks to insulin resistance. And the celebratory foods we love are so carb based...
I could go on about it, but there's no point.

I just have to get back on track. I still won't see any loss from eating the right things, but I might feel better emotionally.

Back to the regular log: Saturday was a rest day and also a butchering day. We spent two hours doing that, which we took to be our active recovery.

Yesterday was special. I really enjoy hiking, so we picked a trail close to the house and took the dog out. It was crazy! I think they said it was 180ish feet of elevation over 300ft?! I didn't think I could do that many stairs, but I did it! We ended up walking around for 2 miles which is double my max distance when I'm inflamed/sick. And today I don't feel entirely spent! My feet and ankles aren't throbbing! This is maybe the best non-scale victory I could have hoped for.

Today is a strength day, but we have some chores and projects to do first. I'll make a separate post later.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today was a strength day for husband and me. We had a long list of things to do so we could have one last evening of quality time together during the holiday weekend. He was really stripped from the hike yesterday, and I felt more sore throughout the day. We settled for the I Can & I Will workout and modified it down to our energy and ability today.

A little is better than none, and I'm still going to bed tired. Good night, Bees.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Standard issue day. I saved a bit of time doing Come Alive while waiting for the birds to go up. Husband did his in his last few minutes at work.

Not a glamorous day, but we're plugging along.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Cardio day today. I set out to do another 2 miles now that I know I can. Ran out of time before chores, but got a solid 1.25 miles done. My hip is tight and my feet are a little sore, but otherwise no immediate setbacks for doing more than my average max distance. Given how I feel about my body today, that's a positive I am focusing on.

Husband is feeling ill again. He got a round of Outbound in before work to try something, and I'm proud of him for doing what he could.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Oh, Bees. Thank goodness today was a rest day. Husband has to stop kissing the goats--they've got the respiratory funk now, too! jkjk But truly, today felt like a day when all the problems of the world piled up at once. My nervous system was already heightened and didn't initially do well under the creaking load of more stress. Somewhere along the way, I must have recovered enough to participate in the day. That culminated in doing Come Alive and Gravity Hold II. It's days like today that make me so grateful for the accessibility of these workouts. Physical accessibility is one thing, but emotional accessibility also matters.

Husband did what he could of Come Alive at work before he got too out of breath. Good thing the lung tea ingredients are coming in the mail tomorrow.

How are you, friends?

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Happy Friday, friends. Today was a strength and personal training day and a long day.

It started at 5:30 a.m. when I had to sit outside the bathroom door with a squirt bottle to teach our cat not to yowl and take his claws loudly. Long story short, he was perfectly fine but has been very spoiled sleeping on my face at night. He's protesting being removed as only cats can.

Then it was up early to take the goats to the vet. The temperature has been so up and down, I was suspicious of pneumonia starting in a couple of them. Then back home for a bit before out to training and errands.

I asked for "a pump" in training today. He surprised me by pulling out an 80lb barbell, and I surprised myself by repping it for deadlifts! It was hardest on my grip strength, so I'm interested to see what of my lower body is sore tomorrow if anything.

I've also picked up Dr. Robert Lustig 's book, Fat Chance. It's amazingly detailed in a way that's still easy to read, and he lays out a roadmap around the modern obesity pandemic. I knew some of it from his interviews, but this book really takes the information to the next level. And I may not find a silver bullet for my ails, but I certainly think I'll come away with more direction than I've had lately.

Husband was too out-of-breath from this new cold to do his strength day, but he did enjoy the lung tea. I'm not a huge user of herbal remedies, so hopefully repeated dosing will support him and help him start kicking this ick.

As a complete aside, I thought I'd ask since this is an international group: would anyone who speaks Spanish or Italian want to work casually to help me learn the language? I've got some very dusty basics of both, but I always stalled out from lack of real-life conversation. It might be fun to have a pen pal. Let me know!

Good night, Bees!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Time to catch you all up on the weekend shenanigans. Saturday was a rest day, and Husband was in the throws of illness. He napped most of the afternoon, but we both did Wake Up Mobility before actual bed time. I could have done it earlier in the day, but I was enjoying a solo/productive afternoon.

Sunday was D&D. I've mentioned that I don't typically do much these days. I was somewhat sore from training Friday, and by the evening I was predictably mentally spent. I did have better physical energy than usual, but I somewhat consciously chose to not do anything extra. For some reason, organized/intentional cardio just wasn't something I could make myself do. Husband, the initial anti-exercise advocate, followed my example happily since he was feeling better but not 100%.

Today has been interesting. I've been reading Fat Chance by Robert Lustig. He has a particularly enlightening portion about exercise science and its impact on metabolic function. That, along with my improved recovery abilities, has inspired me to add more intensity to my training. I am an Amazon at heart, but I'm switching up as of this week to the Knight plan. I am nervous that I'll be too sore Wednesday for another full body day. If that happens, I'll finish the week as Amazon and transition to PPL instead. It really is amazing to have all of these educational resources to help guide me.

Tonight's full body was Princess to Queen Level I. I started with 20lb dumbbells. My legs could do them, but the overhead press made me have to drop down to 15s after about 8 reps. Once I dropped down, I was able to work the 15s through the end and reached failure or close to it. I was nervous about the renegade rows and had to look up a modification. I wasn't sure about doing them with the same weight, but 15s were a solidly good choice. Husband did his Beginner Dumbbell at 10lb dumbbells and Level I. It's hard for him to want to do anything when he gets home from work, but he put the effort in anyway.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

It's Tuesday, Tuesday- gotta get ish done on Tuesday-ay~~~

No, but for real...what a day. I'll save you the adventure stories. I am sore and low energy today, so it was a struggle to motivate myself to move the body. I did end up doing this 25 minute follow-along from Tom Morrison's channel on Youtube:

It was more than I planned, but I got into it and didn't feel like quitting. Husband did his OG Wake Up Mobility after he got home.

May your nights be sweet, and you sleep sweeter, friends.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

This week is not pulling punches. It was go-go-go alllll day. Even though I was sore and tired, I did manage to eek out a very basic full-body strength routine.

I did a standing bicep curl to Arnold press to incorporate more core with the upper body: 3 sets, 8 reps each, 15lb dumbbells. These were an appropriate amount of hard, and I came pretty close to failure on the press.

Holding those dumbbells, I did 3x10 squats. Muscularly I felt like these were actually easy to the point where my form actually felt off (it wasn't thankfully). I was in a hurry and did them fast enough that I got good cardio and engaged my need for balance too.

Husband did Outbound for his cardio day after work.

Him: "I reaaallly don't want to exercise."
Me: "Good, that's how you know you really need to. ^_^"
Him: *grumbles and does it

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Oh wow, I didn't realize it's been three days since I logged. I have been active. Thursday was a rest day, and as I was exhausted from the week and sore from the additional strength training, I did take it as a passive rest day.

Friday was personal training. I asked to continue to focus on lifting heavy. Notables included doing 3 sets, 7 reps of deadlift at 105lbs and bench press 3 sets, 7 reps of 75 lbs. I was hit by a ton of nostalgia working with the bar. It really reminded me of when I was my most fit/gym-ratty. I was happy to be immersed in that part of myself again. I'm just realizing that husband didn't make time to do his strength on Friday...naughty naughty.

But that's ok because today I got him outside to do 2ish hours of manual labor in the garden. So, I got him in the end. lol Tomorrow is a rest day that I'm really looking forward to. My shoulder injury is acting up, so I have plans on the maintenance routine I use for such an occasion. But that'll be for tomorrow. No use making up for lost logging time by future logging.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. See you then!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good thing I didn't log in advance. I did everything but my shoulder routine. And by everything, I mean another 2 hours of gardening. Pruned the peach tree, rose bush, honey berry bushes. Transplanted my herbs. String trimmed the asparagus bed. Shoveled a bunch of wet sandy clay... I'm whooped. Definitely put the "active" in active rest day, but I got the endorphins going.

Husband chased a goat for 15 minutes this morning which ended in a line tackle. Him tackling the goat, not the other way. He told me firmly that was enough movement for him today. I gotta respect it.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I should have done my shoulder routine yesterday. Ouch.

It's better as an off-day or cooldown exercise, but the consequences of not doing it on my actual off-day meant I had to do it as a warmup today.

If I catch the flare early enough, doing this video will patch me right up. But I waited a little long. So my right shoulder is achy and tense. It was up into my neck/jaw and down into my arm, but it's a little better now.

For the strength portion, I did the Iron Will Workout level I. I felt easily winded and kind of weak today, but I was using higher weights than I would have previously. I did have to modify reps down to 10 total per exercise, but I did 15 lbs dumbbells for the lunges and modified renegade rows. I pushed myself with 20lb dumbbells for the calf raises, alt bicep curls and chest press.

Because of the warmup length, I did a longer duration workout overall than usual even though it felt harder. I'm very happy with what I ended up doing today.

The last thing husband wanted to do was strength train today, but he huffed and puffed his way through Beginner Dumbbells. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get it over with as quickly as possible. That's a win in my book.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Husband 1-upped me today. He got his Wake Up Mobility done before he went to work. I let the day get away from me because I was busy (and also had a migraine this afternoon) and did not do the shoulder work I had planned. And after my evening plans, I hyperfixated on D&D prep. I had a very productive, creative, pleasant (except for the migraine) day, however. So I'm not too disappointed in myself.

I hope your Tuesday treated you each well.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Simplicity was the name of the game today. I had an unusual bout of insomnia and poor sleep last night. The mental and energy hit from that made today tough. I did get a nap in toward the end of my work day, and afterward I decided to still pursue strength training but maybe pick something easier.

I did Haul and Rise level I with 20lb dumbbells. It was tedious but that's kind of what made it perfect. Halfway through I could feel the buildup in my core, arms, and upper back. Grip strength was tough pretty much the whole way through, but that's good. I've been needing to work on that so I can keep up with personal training.

Husband saw the wisdom in my choice of workout and chose to do the same thing after he got home from work.

I also just noticed the Girl Power theme week going on right now. I feel very late to the party, but I may find a way to participate yet as long as I can fit the options into the Knight schedule. Everyone has been doing great!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today was a rest day, and it worked out well with Girl Power Week. I did the Not Perfect workout today *as well as a 10 minute walk and a couple of deadlifts and a 100ft goblet carry with ~100lb package.

Husband got thrown off game today because we had a tornado *watch very close to our house. We made a stress mug cake. I used protein powder and sugar free chocolate chips and topped it with SF vanilla yogurt and mixed nuts to help balance.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today was personal training day. My neck, trap, and shoulder were still painful, so I pulled out the big guns:

That helped a lot, but my trainer was able to help me even more. And after working the movements for a session, we think targeted movement plus weight will be a way forward.

Husband's back is acting up on him, so he voluntarily did Yoga with Adrien's Yoga for Back Pain video, another one we keep in our arsenal. He may or may not do work tonight. If he does, I'll edit and add the details.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good Sunday evening.

Yesterday was a rest day. We put together some raised garden bed frames, and I did some weeding. The raspberry shoots are popping up. The blackberry vines look good. This may be the first year we get fruit! And it's the first year the asparagus can be harvested if the Bermuda grass doesn't choke it out. We're really hoping the asparagus naturalizes, but it might not if the varieties don't make berries. We'll see! I also planted some lettuce starts I picked up from the store while I wait for my seeds to sprout.

Daylight savings kicked off today. I hate it so much and didn't get quite enough sleep. My excitement for D&D overrode my sluggishness and we had a great session! I tanked after I got home and involuntarily fell asleep on the couch. The cats and I sunbathed in the warm light from the window. It was glorious. After my nap, I begrudgingly rallied to do Lazy Abs level I.

I'm not an abs person, but it went well! Husband came home from work even more fatigued than I was, but he's right now on the floor doing the Yoga for Back Pain video. I feel warm and fuzzy that he's taking care of my favorite person.

I'm proud of what we've got going on over here. I hope y'all did something you can be proud of today, even if it seems small. Every bit counts!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I challenged myself today. I did NOT want to workout. I wanted to sit on my couch and watch t.v. I did do plenty of that, but I also carved out time for strength day with Power Row.

Modified Renegade Rows (knees): 15lb dumbbells
Bent Over Rows: 10lb dumbbells to baby my overactive traps
Goblet Squats: 20lb dumbbell
Upright Rows Alt Bicep Curls: switched this because of said traps. 15lb dumbbells
Deadlifts: 20lb dumbbells
Calf Raises: 20lb dumbbells with a 10 second hold at the end

Not only did I do a move with the rows that I'm not super comfortable with, but I kept weight higher where I could. AND the way this workout is organized, I did the equivalent of +1 round than I normally would.

Husband had a lot to do after work, so he did Haul and Rise for his strength day to keep things simple.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Hoo-boy. Yesterday was a ROUGH dumpster fire. I'm so glad it was a rest day because I had enough to do and not enough sleep to do it on. All's well that ends well, though.

Today is strength for the Knight plan. I did the Walk Strong level I workout with 20lb dumbbells. I actually did the reverse lunges, even though the form for them is awkward for me. I felt like I was getting better at them by the end. During my rest between sets I caught up on the first 6 days of the Epic Hold Challenge. Let me just say...I can do squats. I can do high plank. But the isometric hold in the squat position is ⓚ ⓘ ⓛ ⓛ ⓔ ⓡ. It's been a hot minute since I've had to do that. But I got it done!

Husband had a cardio day today. He did the 5-minute Rehit workout, and those high knees were BOUNCIN'.

'Nuff said.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I keep losing track of time...whoops.

Thursday last week was a rest day (except I think I didn't rest; I extended a garden bed and planted more potatoes). Friday was personal training. I'd been feeling more sore since running out of my Vit D supplement, and my shoulder/trap/neck was still flared up. I did the 15 minute Tight Neck/Traps/Shoulder video, then a 10 minute Mobility Follow-along (both Tom Morrison videos on Youtube). Then I did the 30 minute training session. That means I exercised for 55 consecutive minutes! Other than doing homestead projects, that's the longest I've been able to go in years! That's a great non-scale victory, especially since the scale has been rude to me 5eva. My plan after that was to take Sat/Sun to fully rest and recover....HA!

We ended up having to dig out a 12ft gate so some work could be done on our full property. Then Sunday I got a little rest during the day other than running around the yard collecting things out of the extreme winds. Buuut, I still ended up doing multiple sets of 80lb farmer carries that evening because the garden needed to be watered before the freeze. Full 5 gal buckets are heavy. *sigh*

I woke up today still sore, feeling burnt out. I have decided I am going to take it gently this week. No strength until training Friday. I'll still do chores, mobility, and add back in some cardio. Tonight I did an 18.5 minute walk to get things moving.

Husband still plans to do his strength day- Beginner Dumbbells. I plan on posting this before he completes it, but I'll let him know you're all cheering for him, too.

 

[AgileGrrl]

So how did his Beginner Dumbbell workout go?

I used to have horses and had to lug six 5gal buckets of water twice a day during winter because they would freeze before the horses finished or even got to them. I know and feel your pain. Hope you aren't as sore today.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

So how did his Beginner Dumbbell workout go?

I used to have horses and had to lug six 5gal buckets of water twice a day during winter because they would freeze before the horses finished or even got to them. I know and feel your pain. Hope you aren't as sore today.

It went well! He came home and knocked it out. Thank you for asking. ^_^

Wow, what kind of horses did you have? We watch a Youtube channel called Holdfast Alaska. They don't have running water and have to haul it in jugs from a stream for their 4 horses. Watching all that effort this winter...it takes a lot of willpower and love to do that for an extended amount of time.

I am finally less sore! I've actually had to remind myself today to keep it chill. I'm going to do a walk after dinner, but I need to go lay down some cardboard in the garden to protect the potato patch from the Bermuda grass.

 

[AgileGrrl]

Wow, what kind of horses did you have?

I had Arabians. Tough as nails and pretty to boot.

We watch a Youtube channel called Holdfast Alaska. They don't have running water and have to haul it in jugs from a stream for their 4 horses. Watching all that effort this winter...it takes a lot of willpower and love to do that for an extended amount of time.

It is a lot of effort but mine wasn't nearly as bad as those in Alaska. I just had to bring water from the house out to their pasture. That was one of the main reasons why I no longer have any once they all passed from old age. I'm too old for that amount of work. LOL!!

 

[FinallyMeRB]

This afternoon I did some gardening (light -moderate this time I promise.) And after dinner I did a 24 minute walk. We are trying out eating no added sugar, and I'm glad I logged my food today. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought I didn't eat enough. I feel noticably, uncomfortably hungry. My mood was also more grumpy as the afternoon progressed.

I did eat strawberries, milk, and sweet potatoes today which all have innate sugar. And for dinner I had to dip into some bbq sauce that has a minimal amount of added sugar (10 cal per Tbsp so really reasonable).

Husband is also attempting to cut back on his caffeine consumption, so he felt like that contributed to his 5-Minute Rehit cardio day feeling tougher than before.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Hello, friends. You have been on my mind in these days since I've posted last. My week of rest last week was very needed, and it culminated in personal training Friday. Husband did all of his strength and cardio days, if I remember correctly.

In training, the notable exercise we did was cleans with a weighted bag. They were so awkward to get the movement down. It felt like my body didn't want to work smoothly, and I think the deficit was in my abdominal core strength. But I made it through and even had some smooth reps. We weighed the bag after and it was 48lbs! Not bad for a first go!

We spent the weekend resting and preparing for spring break since both of us had some trouble sleeping.

This week I've been off work, but that's really just meaning I transition into doing homestead projects. Monday I got my lifting in when I went to pick up my bulk soil order. I helped load the trailer with ~20 bags of soil. We're also trimming one goat's hooves per day to get caught up, so I got some isometric holds in from being bent over for extended times.

Yesterday I had 25lbs of rabbit to process into sausage and then sewing class in the evening. By then I noticed that my whole body was aching, especially my back. Before bed, I did Perfect Start plus some various mobility movements that felt good. That helped.

Today was punishing, but the fact that I was able to complete it is a great sign of progress. I spent 6 hours in the garden setting up three new beds from scratch. It was slow because I was by myself in 90F+ temps. Lots of breaks but also lots of big pushes. I string trimmed, moved a bunch of cardboard against the wind, and hauled something like 45 bags of soil to fill up the beds. I'm very proud of myself. And also very sore and tired

I think I'll treat myself with a massage.

Husband has still had to work this week. I don't think he did his strength day Monday.
That really was quite a hectic day. He does plan on doing cardio tonight, and he may get some strength in if he has to drag me off the couch later.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

I definitely overdid it yesterday and in ways I didn't expect. My back ached, sure. But I didn't expect my forearms and wrists to hurt so badly! It felt like every time I shifted in bed last night, it set my arms and wrists to throbbing. Wild. Husband did give my back, shoulders, and hands a nice rub down this morning. That really helped my recovery.

Also, I have irregular cycles and have been waiting a couple weeks for it to decide to show up...boom. All it took was wringing out my hormones for every last drop of energy yesterday, and I started last night. I almost have to laugh.

Today was an adventure day. Plenty of driving to get to and from the city. While there, we got some lunch and dessert and then walked for a couple of hours around a large, densely packed greenhouse/plant nursery. It was gorgeous! And hot! I was sore and we moved methodically so I didn't miss anything, but there was a time fairly recently I wouldn't have been able to be physical two days in a row like this.

We got home after dark in time to catch up on chores and finish cleaning up from my project yesterday. We might get rain overnight so it has to be done. Even though we were ready to be done mentally, we were both able to push a little longer to make it happen.

My weight hasn't lessened, but I have grown more functional and vital. I'll take it. And I hope you all also had a good (or functional) day.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Today wasn't perfect, but it's been kind of lovely. I had trouble falling asleep last night (revenge procrastination), and the dog woke me up at 5:30 a.m. to go potty. Thankfully, he's okay. The last few times that's happened, he was sick. This time it seems like adventure day just threw him off schedule. Still, I couldn't fall asleep again until 7, and then we got up very late in the morning and had to rush.

I had training pretty much right after breakfast and then I got everything together and ran into town. It occurred to me that I could cancel since I wasn't at peak condition. Then I remembered all the lifting and physical work I'd done Wednesday... no way I could continue doing those things without consistent training. I mentally readied myself to push through. My trainer is a good one because he heard my inventory of physical woes and off we went into stretching, pressure point work, and active recovery. I lamented about it for a minute, but he reminded me that proper recovery is sometimes the hardest thing. And it did hurt/was hard (in a healing way). I left feeling better in some of my aches and generally more physically aligned.

After that, I had a 90 minute massage. It was transcendental. I made late lunch/early dinner when I got home, and husband and I vegged out. If you have room and don't have a good couch designed for cuddling, a sturdy air mattress will work wonderfully, FYI. We have a queen sized mattress with an attached headrest that autofills and autoempties. It's kind of bulky, but we love bringing it out for low energy recovery days.

Speaking of husband, he's pretty exhausted himself, today. He said his lower back is acting up, so he's going to do the Yoga with Adriene Yoga for Backpain video in a minute after he finishes closing up the coop.

Happy Friday, friends. Take care.

 

[FinallyMeRB]

Good afternoon, Bees.

An earlier posting today! Husband did his strength day Beginner Dumbbells early this morning before breakfast! A first! He said, "it sucks, but I'm glad it's out of the way. Let's eat."

I had my first day at work back from vacation. I technically started with some single side farmer carries with a full 5 gal bucket of compost tea first thing this morning. I think from the barn to the garden is about 400-500ft, so I had plenty of stops to switch sides along the way. The afternoon slump really hits hard even though I hadn't had any caffeine or sugary things. We did indulge in some special sugary treats a couple of times on vacation. I don't regret it, but I have been fighting sugar cravings all afternoon. Annoying.

Good thing it's bright and sunny. That helped motivate me to also get my main workout out of the way. I went a little off-piste with my routine today. I've been seeing videos from Coach John Noel on social media. I like that he's focused on accessibility and necessary modification. I started with a stretching video...he had me at "Do this for tight hips and this for lower back tension," hahaha.

That link is here if you have Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17VmgFf8yU/

And then I did his full body strength video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HYkmEjcnn/

Dynamic Warmup
3 Rounds
Big Arm Circles - 10 each direction
Hamstring Sweeps - 10 each
Knees to Chest - 10 each
No rest

2-5 Rounds (I did 2 because I was blown out and covered in sweat. Also, my wrists gave out. Phew!)
Pushups - 10 (Elevated from a low counter, but I have to find a better option. It was really uncomfortable on my hands.)
Full Planks - 30 seconds
Squats - 10 (The only exercise I made harder. I did deep goblet squats with a 20lb dumbbell.)
Side Planks - 15 seconds per side (from my knees but I had good tension!)
High Knees - 30 seconds (My ankles and feet make me nervous about jumping, so I modified this and did some test hops at the end of each set.)
Plank Shoulder Taps - 30 seconds
60 seconds rest between rounds

I was really proud of myself for doing the planks and plank shoulder taps in full form! I kept having to swallow my stomach contents because the tension was driving it up into my throat (anyone have a suggestion to help with that btw? Husband has the same issue but worse) but I did them!

A little time jump backwards--- Saturday we were both exhausted and our bodies said rest. We had planned on deep cleaning some of the house, but we enjoyed some cookie baking and gaming instead. Husband also helped me up pot my spring garden plant starts. My little grow tent is PACKED. ^_^

Sunday we compromised and did some deep cleaning of the spots that were most bothersome. Meal prep was simple, so we went into town to game for a bit and did weekly prep stuff when we got home. The entire vacation was great, even the hard parts. I'm so happy it's Spring and that we have our health. Great combo, A+ 10/10 recommend. haha