Getting into shape

[Freed Roger]

how are you doing w/o booze? tempted?

facebookish update.

way too early to make an overall assessment. and again, not really a normal situation for me, health-wise - with that other BS with my back&nerves going on.

My drinking was normally an end of the day chill with 1-3 beers (some high ABV though) . Maybe once a month I'd have some sort of occasion to have more on a weekend, to get into the groggy almost hungover state the next AM.

last night was the hardest. Trying to relax -help along a not-so-good movie "The Forest" w/ the kid, Sunday blues, managed to get some [expletive] done over the weekend, felt like a reward was needed. But I plodded thru without.

Main thing I notice on day 10 here -transferred lack of willpower-nothing crazy but I'm caving in on junk-snacks a bit more late at night. Also, when I drank, hunkering down to TV or movie stupor was a way to chill. This seems boring, lack patience for it - and I now end up reading something instead. knocked out a book that I had been languishing thru for months. Slightly feel better in the AM.

The big positive -and yep it is still early - (I'll try to avoid being facebooky update until the end now) - is that I am getting the feeling I didn't/don't really have a drinking problem. yeah, what it took for enjoyment purposes can creep and get skewed. Still have to watch it when I'm tired and run-down physically. but I got that largely under control a few years ago -then I had more occasions I associated with drinking - from just getting home from work, to being off on a weekday, to whenever I cooked anything, or watched anything on TV etc etc. That all wasn't really a problem, just made me tired and fat.

I plan on sticking this out for January. However, if an emergency came up like a friend/family member really needed someone to have a beer with - I'd have to make an exception.

Beer was and will be again, something I just enjoy. After hitting a re-set button.

[Michael]

I've had 2 drinks since early Sept and I have no regrets. The first few mos were the toughest, but now it's easy sailing.

[Jocephus]

it could be one big scam but i do like it and don't mind doing it. i'm glad you are trying it and hope you find it beneficial.

[Fat_Bulldog]

Went to chiropractor yesterday. Felt pretty good.

This morning = pain.

[Freed Roger]

Went to the gym last night, because the kid is On It, and makes me go. Am impressed by her healthy sensibility with working out - typically a half hour recumbent bike ride - followed by walk/running on the track. sometimes she carries the light weights around. Mixes in some jump rope, box jumps or step-ups. She stays away from the weird Triple T Pack Supplement SuperStore! clowns on the weights and machines - technically she is underage by the gym's rules - but she is safer, more adept than 90% of the clowns up there.

About an hour altogether - doesn't get OCD about cutting it short or staying a little extra to accommodate my routine. kudos to her PE teachers.
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I thought it was poor form on squats that did me in, but now I think it was the chin-ups that played a role in screwing up my back. I tested it out. Ouch. I use the chinup thing that has separate grips for each hand an assist option below (hell-no). I am as far in as possible on grip, but I think it is still too wide. Kind of like the wide grip barbell bench press, it tends to put too much strain on the extremities, rather than doing the pull from the core. And when I struggle to get that last one or two - I probably [expletive] things up.

off the cuff- the Trainer friend who gave me a primer on this form stuff once -he gave me a good analogy -said shoulder, knee joints and vertebrae are like machine parts (go figure, since they can be replaced with parts) they have X amount of times you can use them before you wear them out. Use them the wrong way, and they wear out quicker. He stressed keeping muscles packed at the joint level for stress absorption instead of using a joint as an exposed lever.

He says he does the isolated bicep curls still, mostly out of vanity -but says it's not the best for the joints, and he'd get plenty of bicep strength from non-isolated exercises.

[cardsfansince82]

Went to chiropractor yesterday. Felt pretty good.

This morning = pain.

That's been about the extent of every experience I've had with chiros. They can make you feel better for a little bit, that's about it.

[jim]

Went to the gym last night, because the kid is On It, and makes me go. Am impressed by her healthy sensibility with working out - typically a half hour recumbent bike ride - followed by walk/running on the track. sometimes she carries the light weights around. Mixes in some jump rope, box jumps or step-ups. She stays away from the weird Triple T Pack Supplement SuperStore! clowns on the weights and machines - technically she is underage by the gym's rules - but she is safer, more adept than 90% of the clowns up there.

About an hour altogether - doesn't get OCD about cutting it short or staying a little extra to accommodate my routine. kudos to her PE teachers.
-----
I thought it was poor form on squats that did me in, but now I think it was the chin-ups that played a role in screwing up my back. I tested it out. Ouch. I use the chinup thing that has separate grips for each hand an assist option below (hell-no). I am as far in as possible on grip, but I think it is still too wide. Kind of like the wide grip barbell bench press, it tends to put too much strain on the extremities, rather than doing the pull from the core. And when I struggle to get that last one or two - I probably [expletive] things up.

off the cuff- the Trainer friend who gave me a primer on this form stuff once -he gave me a good analogy -said shoulder, knee joints and vertebrae are like machine parts (go figure, since they can be replaced with parts) they have X amount of times you can use them before you wear them out. Use them the wrong way, and they wear out quicker. He stressed keeping muscles packed at the joint level for stress absorption instead of using a joint as an exposed lever.

He says he does the isolated bicep curls still, mostly out of vanity -but says it's not the best for the joints, and he'd get plenty of bicep strength from non-isolated exercises.

The pullups were at least the straw that broke the camels neck for me. And interesting that you bring up hand position - on Thursday I did 9 sets of 4 where I alternated grip - hands together, normal, wide apart.

My schneck is not doing well. It has to be something pinched, because there are times where it is really painful and then I kind of roll my head around and then it goes away. Tomorrow is my lifting day and I will be again doing the alternate routine, which may go on for a few weeks. This is no fun at all. I thought exercise was supposed to make you feel better?

[jim]

Friday checkin day. Baseline numbers compared to today:

Weight: 206/198.5
Pullups: 11/0
Burpees/min: 20/0
1-mile: 8:24/7:18

My gym has a 1/8 mile track. It's possible I miscounted for my baseline, but too bad it's in the books. I kind of doubt I improved it that much with 2 weeks of interval training. I am not a runner so I can't judge, so 8:24 seemed about right to me. If I did run 9 laps that day my baseline was probably about 7:28, which makes more sense. But [expletive] 'em. I definitely did not miscount today, running intervals gave me a good idea of how fast I wanted to run each 1/8 mile, and I did every one in under a minute starting with a :50 one.

Schneck is still not good. Starting to worry that it's something a little more serious than a tweaked muscle. It's hard to explain, but sometimes the pain can be pretty strong just sitting and then I can move my neck around and it goes away. So something is getting pinched or something. If I put my palm on my forehead and move the skin too and fro, I feel some pain in the back of my skull. Lifting my arms I feel pain in the back of my head. I feel general tightness down the trapezoid. May need to see a doc. Pushups are out, I tried doing a test today and 1 pushup and clearly that is aggravating it. This is the same side where I have a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff muscles, I'm sure it's related/contributing.

[Fat_Bulldog]

I popped my pelvis out of place on the right side. They put it in place on Wed. I am still in pain. Going back Monday.

[GeddyWrox]

OUCH! I didn't even know that was possible!?!