For the past few weeks, except for a couple of visits to the ship’s gym, workouts have consisted of lots and lots of walking. I lost a pound or two on the cruise – the food was only OK, but I think it had more to do with a lot less sitting still than in my usual life. I’ve lost some girth in the reasons where I needed to lose it, but I think I’ve also lost some muscle. Workouts for the next month or two will be focused on weights to build back some strength. It’s a bit tricky this year, though, because instead of the usual sprint races in spring, we have a 6K race in April (or possible two, a single on Saturday and a double on Sunday) so I can’t lose endurance either. Rowing in the Netherlands doesn’t seem to keep to the US convention of short races in spring and summer and long ones in winter; it makes training a bit trickie but is obviously not a worse system, given how well Dutch rowers do internationally.
To begin in the right way, I got up and did a weight workout this morning – nothing too heavy, just to begin getting used to our new weight setup. It’s all free weights, of course, so I think the challenge will be timing. It takes longer to move weight plates around than to use te sort of machines where you just have to shift a peg in a hole. On the other hand, I’ll bedoing more ‘real’ free weight exercises, like squats and deadlifts and lifts with dumbbells, which should be much better for core and general strength. Machines that are designed to isolate muscles don’t really go well with te varied demands of either rowing or real life.
And to start with a baseline, there are measurement numbers below the cut, along with the measurements from last August and June (the last two times I did this, and giving numbers from before and after the Virus that Ate July).
Today
weight:120.5
1″ below shoulders: 39.0
Upper arms, flexed: 10.5″, both sides
Waist: 27.0″
Hips: 36.0″
Upper thigh, flexed: 19.5″, both sides
Middle of calf, flexed: 14.0″, both sides
August 13, 2006
weight:123.5
1″ below shoulders: 39.0
Upper arms, flexed: 11″, both sides
Waist: 28.0″
Hips: 36.0″
Upper thigh, flexed: 20.0″, both sides
Middle of calf, flexed: 14.0″, both sides
Good luck with your strength training. I’ve been working on firming my middle and doing a lot of bend and stretch. I bulk up in a scary way when I use the free weights and machines. Even doing ‘strong not bulk’ work-outs. My peasant heritage comes to the fore. I might be part draft horse. It’s possible, who knows with gypsies?
I loved, loved, loved your cruise adventures! I didn’t comment on each, I was saving my gushing for one big WOW! then I got distracted. But thank you from this armchair traveler. You guys take me on the best adventures! ~LA