Wed 12/21 - Upper

Workout: Golds
(DBInc)65x10,70x8,8
(115#IsoPull)3x8
(45#DBShldr)3x10
(115#IsoRow)3x10
(73#RopeExt)10,68x10,10
(25#Crunch)3x15
(70#PCurl)2x10
(Crunch)3x12
(20#RDelt)2x12+10#x12

47 + 7 = 54 mins

Started with DB incline. 65#’s felt good so I bumped to 70#’s. Trying to take it easy and keep reps at at least 8. 3 good sets of real controlled paused reps. Supersetted incline with a new plate loaded pulldown machine I liked. The Golds gym is getting almost all new equipment. Hope I like it. Newer isn’t always better. One of my favorite gyms is the gym we go to at Hilton Head every year. It’s old school and half the equipment is rusty, but it’s great.

Next I did DB shoulder press supersetted with plate loaded rows. Normally I like doing these 1 arm at a time, but to save a few minutes, I did them 2-armed.  Next I did rope extensions with crunches. I did the crunches with a plate on my chest, reversed on the back extension machine. I finished up with preacher curls (bumped the weight from what I’ve been doing), crunches and rear delt work.  Good WO. Felt a bit better about my pressing today.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 172.8 this morning. Feeling good. I’d like to be “bulking” and really trying to add a bit of muscle this winter but I can’t really push the weights too hard due
to my shoulders and I don’t just want to add fat.

Sun 12/19 - Upper

Workout: Snap Fitness
(55#DBShldr)9,9,7,6,45x8
(205#PullDn)2x8,190x8,8
(60#DBInc)3x8
(InvertRow)3x12
(80#Skulls)9,8
(60#PreacherCurl)12,11
(40#RDelt)2x10
(RevCrunch)20,15,12,10
(120#RopeExt)12,11

70 + 10 = 80 mins

Sarah and I went to the gym this morning for an upper WO. Started with DB shoulder press and pulldown combo. Shoulders still wonky, but decent work for 4 sets plus a back-off. Went heavy on pulldowns and they felt good. Next I did DB incline with inverted rows. Incline felt pretty good at first, but my left shoulder the last rep or two of each set just started to feel really unstable.

Next we did skull crushers with preacher curls. Skulls were OK, curls were good. Finished up with 2 sets rear delts, 2 sets rope extensions with 4 sets reverse crunches.  Good WO despite the shoulder issues.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 173.8 this morning.

Sat 12/17 - Lower

I was really busy all day, really active, but wanted to get a quick WO in. Sunday is going to be an "upper" day, so I went to the gym for some quick leg and ab work.

(LegPress)3x25

(Crunch)3x15

(65#SLDL)2x10

(Crunch)2x15

Thu 12/15 - Pull day - Birthday Pullup WO

Workout: Golds
(Pullups)15,10,9,9+4
(90#IsoRow)3x10/10
(35#RDelt)3x10
(55#PCurl)2x10
(10#RDelt)2x10
(140#SeatRow)2x10

49 + 5 = 55 mins

Pull day. Decided to celebrate my 45th birthday workout with 45 pull-ups.  I was hoping I could get 45 in 4 sets, but couldn’t do it. I went 15,10,9,9 (43), then rested a minute and did 4 more to get over 45. Haven’t been doing pull-ups much, so I was fairly pleased even though it took more than 4 sets.  Then I did 1-arm iso rows that felt great. Next I did rear delt DB raises.  Then I did preacher curls with light rear delt fly’s. Finished up with some seated rows. Really good pull WO.

Nutrition:
Weight was 171.6 this morning.  Pretty decent shape for 45 :)

Wed 12/14 - Push Day

Workout: Golds
(55#DBShldr)10,9,8
(20#Crunch)3x10
(50#DBInc)2x10
(Crunch)2x12
(45#Pullover)3x10
(80#Skulls)9
(65#RopeExt)2x9

37 + 7 = 43 mins

Push Day, mainly because I wanted to work out today and also want to have a workout tomorrow on my 45th birthday. Started with shoulder press and it went a little better than last WO from a # of reps perspective, but something still going on with my left shoulder I can’t figure out. No pain, just weak. Supersetted with weighted crunches. Then I did 2 sets DB incline, controlled paused reps with short rest. This should be a warmup weight, not a working weight. Supersetted with BW crunches. Next were 3 sets pullovers. Plan was for 2-3 sets of skull crushers next. During the first set my left shoulder felt REALLY unstable when weight was at the top. Weird and made me nervous, so I switched to  rope extensions for the last 2 sets.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 171.8 this morning. Down from about 178 after the weekend.

Mon 12/12 - Upper

Workout: Golds
(55#DBShldr)3x8
(180#PullDn)3x8
(70#IsoShldr)2x8
(140#SeatRow)2x8
(RopeExt)73x10,65x10,9
(35#FacePull)3x10
(25#SideInc)2x10

35 + 8 = 43 mins

Quick WO today. Started with shoulder press and pulldown superset. I feel like 55# shoulder press should be easy, but this was pretty hard work. I couldn’t have gotten 8 reps on a 4th set.  Next I did iso shoulder press with seated rows. Something funky still going on with left shoulder. Next I did rope extensions with face pulls. Finished up with 2 sets of side incline. Decent WO.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 177.8 this morning. Ate a lot over the weekend after 2 hikes in/near the Great Smoky Mountains.

Sat/Sun - 12/10-11 - Hiking

Sarah rented a small cabin on the river just outside Dillsboro, NC.  Dillsboro is a great small mountain town. They were having an illumination for Christmas. We walked around, went in all the shops, bought some xmas presents and some good candy/chocolate at a bakery.  We both want to move here.  We also visited Sylva and Franklin, 2 more great small towns nearby.  We talked of downsizing, simplifying and moving somewhere between the 3 small towns that are all w/in 15-20 minutes of one another. Just beautiful.

When we walked down main street in Franklin, you could see mountains rising from either end. Again, just such a beautiful place.

Saturday, 12/10
Sarah and I hiked the Yellow Mountain Trail. It was an out and back to a fire tower with fantastic panoramic views.  I loved this out and back because most hikes like this go up a big mountain to a view, then back down. So it's 5-7 miles up, up, up and 5-7 miles back down. This hike went up and over several mountains so the terrain was more varied.  Enjoyed it very much.
10 miles, 5 hours (with lunch at the top soaking in the view)

Sunday, 12/11
We drove into Gatlinburg, TN to see the fire damage. Lots of homes and hotels burned down with fireplaces and a few brick walls the only thing still standing. The forest floor was black where the fire had gone through, but the trees looked fairly healthy for the most part. Hopefully it wall all come back in the Spring.  Unfortunately, over 700 structures burned and those families are all displaced.

We hiked from Newfound Gap toward Clingmans Dome. Out 1:30 and back 1:15. About 7 miles. No great views, but real pretty forest. Cold and chilly.
7 miles, 3 hours.

Wed 12/7 - Upper (worst WO in a LONG time)

Workout: Golds
(60#DBShldr)7,4,50x8,8
(155#BOR)3x8
(70#IsoShldr)7,55x9,9
(160#PullDn)2x10
(73#RopeExt)8,65x10
(Crunch)2x12
(115#ChestFly)2x10
(Crunch)2x12
(100#RDeltFly)2x10

37 + 9 = 46mins

Holy crap, I hope this WO was so difficult because I’m still sick.  If not, I’ve somehow lost a shit load of strength in the last couple of week. 2 weeks ago I did 60#DB Shoulder Press for 4x8.  Today I went 7 reps, then 4 and had to drop the weight.  Same thing with Iso Shoulder press. Something is also going on with my Left shoulder now. My R shoulder is painful, but the last 2 WO’s my left arm/shoulder has felt really weak and can’t press the weight my injured Right  arm/shoulder can. There’s NO pain, but it’s weak and seems ferked up somehow.  Really discouraging.

The rest of the WO was just blah. Going through the motions.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 173.2 this morning.

Sun 12/4 - Upper

Workout: Snap Fitness
(60#DBShldr)6,55x6,6,45x10
(190#PullDn)3x8,130x10
(70#IsoInc)2x8
(175#SeatRow)2x8
(120#RopeExt)2x12
(60#PCurl)2x10
(15#RDelt)2x10
(RevCrunch)20,15
(BandDelt)2x25
(Crunch)2x12

52 + 10 = 62 mins

Sarah and I were both sick with cold and had a long day hiking yesterday. We went to the gym this morning and neither of us felt strong and struggled. What should be fairly light weights were a struggle.  Tough workout to get through, mentally and physically.

Nutrition: 
Weight was 170.6 Saturday morning, by Saturday evening it was 182.  This morning I was 178#’s.  Lots of carbs after yesterday’s hike.

Sat 12/3 - 8 Mile Hike

8 Mile hike in Pisgah National Forest on the Tanawah trail.  Beacon Heights to Rough Ridge Overlook/Boardwalk.  3 hours out, 2 hours back.  Upper 30's.