My attempt to finally stick with something

agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Tuesday 28/04/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
Other
  • 7 km bike ride
  • 9 mins meditation
Short meal break at a location without a gym today, so no opportunity for a big workout. Did everything at home except the meditation. The bike rides lately have been fantastic - it keeps my son entertained and I'm getting exercise and a hobby in. I'm still doing all the other stuff with him (reading books, playing hide and seek, going to the park etc) but the bike rides really break it up a bit.

My knees have been really off recently, particularly after doing the couch stretch for my quads instead of the standard one where you stand on one leg and lift the other one behind you with a bent knee. It's a way more intense quad stretch - this, probably combined with the strain on my knees from the pigeon poses and all the Epic Legs sumo squats is what I think is causing the issue. Maybe the calf stretches too; I find unless my knee is locked I don't get a good stretch in my calf, though to be fair I've been doing calf stretches like that for as long as I can remember and it hasn't caused knee issues before.

So today I have done a knee rehab workout. Kneehab, if you like. I can't believe the workout isn't called that. @neilarey you're leaving "kneehab" on the table!
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Wednesday 29/04/2026 *****

Warm Up
Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Lower Adductor:
    • 3 x 45 s isometric adductor holds (object between ankles)
Workout
Stretches
  • (2 x 60 s) active self myofascial release for quads
  • (2 x 30 s) hamstring end range expansion
  • (2 x 20 s) glutes, adductors
Other
  • 10 mins meditation
So I've given the first two exercises/stretches in this video a go and they appear to have worked! Quads and hamstrings are sufficiently stretched/relaxed without putting tonnes of pressure on the knees!

I decided to push my luck a bit with the rotator cuffs today by doing the negative pull-ups and it turned out fine! The days off have really helped as they were a lot easier than they used to be.

Knees felt a little funky maybe half an hour after the workout but nothing like they were.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Thursday 30/04/2026 *****

Warm Up
Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
Stretches
  • (2 x 60 s) active self myofascial release for quads
  • (2 x 30 s) hamstring end range expansion
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
End of April, time to check in with my Darebee goals for the year. Did the last two days of Zero Hero to get the satisfaction of finishing it on the last day of the month (that last day of Zero Hero was kinda scary - imagine being the version of you from 30 days ago and suddenly you're face to face with this jacked up version of yourself that you have to win against in a race or (presumably) die! I like to imagine that new Zero waited at the top of the stairs for the old Zero and they went through together). That means I've done 4/12 programs for the year, so I'm on track. No challenges completed this month so I'm still at 5/24 for the year.
 
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agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Friday 01/05/2026 *****

Warm Up
Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
Stretches
  • (2 x 60 s) active self myofascial release for quads
  • (2 x 30 s) hamstring end range expansion
  • (2 x 20 s) glutes, adductors
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
This year is going by quick.

Did two days of the Negative Pull-Up Challenge because I was so close to the end and I won't have access to the pull-up bar again until Tuesday.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
Thank you all! Very excited about finishing the negative pull-ups. Hopefully I can blitz through the assisted pull-ups now and gradually bring that counterweight to zero.

***** FITNESS LOG - Saturday 02/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
Workout
Other
  • 3.9 km bike ride
Day off work today. Had some friends over and we played Draw Steel. I'm GMing a published campaign to massively cut down on prep time, and this was session 2 (session 1 was a few months ago, and the last TTRPG we played prior was Pathfinder before my son was born!) - wife was extremely generous in looking after bub and allowing me that time, so I took him out of the house for a while in the evening so she could watch Lord of the Rings in the bath alone.

The table top crawls were basically me following my son and his cousin around the house.
 
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agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Sunday 03/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
Workout
Other
  • 2 km bike ride
  • 5 mins meditation
Finally got my bicycle back from the shop. It has flat handlebars now instead of drop handlebars, so it'll be easier to reach over my son while riding. The bike ride today was on my wife's e-bike as bugalugs didn't give me much of a chance to set up the child seat on my push bike.

Went around to my parents' place for a seitan roast. Son was very grumpy, which tracks after getting up once or twice every hour last night. Tonight seems better so far.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Monday 04/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
Workout
Other
  • 9.5 km bike ride
  • 5 mins meditation
First family bike ride today! I had bugalugs in the child seat on my push bike and my wife rode her new e-bike. He's fascinated by the bikes, spent about fifteen minutes just playing with the wheels and touching all the parts after we got back.

I tried the exercises from this video. Apparently it's good for the neck. My normal neck physio exercises are pretty good when I do them regularly, though if I sleep with the wrong pillow or lay in a position where my neck is too upright/in a weird position it can cause considerable discomfort that lasts days. So I'm always willing to give things a go in case I find the magic exercises that bring my neck back to what it was like 10 years ago.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
Thank you!

***** FITNESS LOG - Tuesday 05/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
Maintenance
  • 60 s dead hang
  • 90 s clench/unclench
Stretches
  • (2 x 60 s) active self myofascial release for quads
  • (2 x 20 s) adductors, pecs, pecs and rotator cuff, triceps, lats
Other
  • 7.7 km bike ride
  • 5 mins meditation
Went for another family bike ride before work. Couldn't find the front light for my bike, otherwise I would have ridden my bike to work as well (on late shifts this week).

I think I've figured out what might be wrong with my right knee - patella or quadriceps tendonitis or a tear. I'm no big city physiotherapist but I also can't afford one right now so I'm going to try some basic rehab exercises (seems to be any quad exercises at a 2-3 on the pain scale to strengthen without making things worse).

Also I guess all the survivors in the Pathfinder Program are going to die because I can't do 10 mins of high knees or 20 mins of running. Will have to revisit it when I've improved my endurance.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Thursday 07/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retraction (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
  • Tricep Dips Challenge (Day 1/30)
  • 3 x 4 assisted pull-ups (-21.9 kg)
  • 1 unassisted pull-up
  • 30 s table top crawl
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
I'm avoiding challenges/programs involving my legs so I can better monitor pain levels from the rehab, so I picked up the Tricep Dips Challenge.

Also, turns out that the unassisted pull-up a couple of weeks back was not a fluke. I did one from hanging today after doing the assisted pull-ups. It is slightly easier, and I think it's because 1. the bars I did an unassisted pull-up on are angled so my arms are facing a few degrees inward (as opposed to the bar being straight on the machine) and 2. when I'm not standing on the assisted pull-up machine my legs are slightly forward which I think lets me engage my core more? I dunno but I'm definitely using my core more when unassisted.

Really looking forward to my knees feeling better again, it seems like it's going to take forever. On the bright side, before Darebee an injury like this would probably kill my momentum and I wouldn't work out for a couple of months, so at least I'm still going.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Friday 08/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
  • Tricep Dips Challenge (Day 2/30)
  • 2 x 5 Bulgarian split squats
  • 60 s dead hang
  • 2 x 30 s crab setups
  • 60 s crab walk
  • 4 x 15 s three-point bridges
Stretches
  • (2 x 20 s) pecs, pecs and rotator cuff, triceps, lats
Other
  • 10 mins meditation
 
LiteraryMatcha

LiteraryMatcha

Well-known member
Warrior Monk from Germany
Pronouns: he/they
Posts: 306
"No Rain, no Flowers."
agc said:
Also, turns out that the unassisted pull-up a couple of weeks back was not a fluke.
Click to expand...
Congrats on the achievement!! It is not everyday that a person can manage to do pullups unassisted.
agc said:
Really looking forward to my knees feeling better again, it seems like it's going to take forever. On the bright side, before Darebee an injury like this would probably kill my momentum and I wouldn't work out for a couple of months, so at least I'm still going.
Click to expand...
Sending good energy. I hope things settle and heal soon. As you said, it is important to be optimistic. The fact that this hasn't killed your momentum is on itself a success.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
Thanks @LiteraryMatcha, it feels pretty surreal! It's been a goal of mine for upwards of ten years now. Thanks for the support re: my knees too. The good thing is that there's always plenty of other exercises and workouts to do in the meantime!

***** FITNESS LOG - Saturday 09/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
Workout
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
  • 11 km bike ride
Day off work today; I have to work on Mother's Day tomorrow so today was a stand in. Wife spent the day in bed watching movies and relaxing, I took bub out and about for the day and then we met up again for some Chinese food for dinner (with fake chicken and pork). He's really starting to walk a lot now, I reckon he walked almost a kilometre today. If he's anything like his father he'll be going on long walks in no time.
 
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agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Sunday 10/05/2026 *****

Warm Up
Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Rotator Cuffs:
    • 4 x 6 internal rotations (with resistance band)
    • 4 x 6 external rotations (with resistance band)
    • 4 x 6 external rotation 90° abduction (with resistance band)
Workout
Stretches
  • (2 x 20 s) hamstrings
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
Accidentally did Day 4 of Tricep Dips Challenge instead of Day 3 yesterday, so I'm going back to check that day off.

Got 2 pull-ups done in a row today. Second was slower and I only just reached my chin above my hands, so I'll work on making sure that second rep is good before pushing it to 3.
 
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agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Tuesday 12/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Workout
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
  • 3.3 km bike ride
  • 2 km walk
Bugalugs must have his molars coming through. Hasn't cried this much since he was a newborn, poor thing.

Passed my tests today at work. Got a practical assessment tomorrow.

Knees are still playing up. Above and below my knee is feeling a little better from the split squats, but the sides of my knees still hurt and exercise is apparently bad for that. Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Will have to bite the bullet and go see the physio soon.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Thursday 14/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 8 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Other
  • 7.2 km bike ride
  • 5 mins meditation
Neck is causing lot of pain and headaches today so I have opted not to do pull-ups or tricep dips. Knees aching, whinge, whinge, whinge. I'll be alright, just gotta take it easy for a little bit!

The bike ride probably didn't help the knees but my son was adamant and, due to the virus he has at the moment causing him to be sick and upset, I preferred the knee pain to trying to distract him inside (plus it was a bit quieter for my wife who was catching up on sleep).

Work was alright besides all the neck stuff. Day off tomorrow.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Friday 14/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 10 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 20 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
Sick and body is aching (bones feel cold regardless of how much I'm wearing) so took it easy again. Just did the neck exercises to try and alleviate the pain a bit and a meditation.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Thursday 21/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 20 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 3 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Workout
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
Over the virus now! It got worse before it got better - within an hour of posting that last update I threw up violently - but a few days later and I'm feeling good.

Went to see the physio - looks like the issue (on my right knee in particular) is an inflamed Hoffa's fat pad (the stuff right behind your knee cap). So I'm doing some basic rehab while waiting for time to do its thing and heal me up.

Did the tricep dip hold and then remembered I'm supposed to avoid having my knees locked straight where possible, so I'll either skip that going forward or will do it with slightly bent knees. Probably the former to be on the safe side.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Saturday 23/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 3 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Other
  • 7.7 km bike ride
  • 4 km walk
Probably shouldn't have done the bike ride (for the knees) but bugalugs seemed to enjoy it.

Wife had a girls' night tonight, so I took my son around to see his grandparents.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Sunday 24/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 3 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
Almost didn't bother posting today because I didn't really do a workout or exercise, just rehab and my exercises to stop my neck hurting. Gotta keep at it though - there are plenty of upper body workouts that don't rely on straight legs or leg movement and I'm well and truly feeling better have been for a bit. It's bedtime now but I'll pick a challenge or program tomorrow (and just add the Exercise of the Day for tonight if it's suitable).

I should finally get the chance to use the pull-up bars at work again tomorrow (I've had no access to them for a bit and won't again for a few weeks after tomorrow - a week of shifts away from the gym and then a couple of weeks of annual leave).
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Monday 25/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 3 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Workout
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
***** FITNESS LOG - Sunday 31/05/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 3 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Other
  • 5 mins meditation
Busy week and I'm still feeling a bit dejected about so many exercises being off limits at the moment because of the knee rehab - I can feel my hamstrings starting to tighten again, my general flexibility and energy levels fading. There are still upper body things I can do but I'm not enjoying exercising much, which is affecting motivation in a week where it's been very easy to do the bare minimum.

I've been consistent with my physio exercises, and on one of the days since my last update I did a pull-up and a dead hang, but that's about it. Feeling mildly sick again, hoping it doesn't develop into anything worse (since having a kid I've been getting sick so much more often - whether that's cos of kids spreading germs or due to a weakened immune system from the lack of quality sleep, or both, who knows).

Might continue taking it easy for a little bit longer depending on how this sore throat develops. Then it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get stuck into some challenges and programs.

End of May and nothing new completed; the knee injury has put a bit of a halt to my 2026 goals, but that doesn't mean I can't keep trying to get as close to it as I can!
 
TopNotch

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 3,411
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Knees are really really annoying things. But there is so much upperbody work you can do instead. Keep up with those pull-ups - you're doing great there. And whatever you do (and I'm sure you don't need to be told this but I'll say it anyway) don't rush that rehab! As someone who ignored knee rehab for far too long, I can say that it will take a lot longer if you mess it up early. Stick with it, go slowly, and you'll be golden.
 
agc

agc

Well-known member
from Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 367
@TopNotch thank you for the encouragement. Reassuring to know that it does get better eventually. Feels like my knees will be stuffed forever at the moment. I will be booking another physio appointment later this month once I've got money in the budget for it.

Since my last update I've just been pretty religiously doing my physio exercises and the occasional bike ride or walk and that's about it. Still on annual leave.

***** FITNESS LOG - Wednesday 10/06/2026 *****

Physio
  • Neck:
    • 5 x 10 s neck retractions (standing with resistance band)
    • 10 wall angels
    • 6 x 10 s thread-the-needles
    • 3 x 20 s cat-camels
  • Knees:
    • 4 x 20 s half depth wall sits
    • 2 x 12 single leg bridges
    • 2 x 12 lumbar rotations
Workout
Other
  • 1.5 km bike ride
  • 10 mins meditation
Tiny bike ride around the block because I was in the shed with bugalugs and he pointed at the child seat excitedly and I couldn't say no. Knees seemed to handle it, rode my wife's e-bike with electric assistance in a low gear to avoid having to put too much strain on them.
 
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