Can't stop now, Clown will eat me.

Photo of weight rack by Andrew-Hyde, licensed CC-By

Week 1 is in the books, and I am still alive and kicking.  Albeit slower, since I'm exhausted by the time 3.oo pm rolls around.

This was the first official week of working out again, and with the memories of the infamous "Misguided Pyramiding Shoulder Incident"* still fresh in my mind, I am starting slowly.

The program: M-W-F is 5 minutes on the bike (again, please remember that I am pathetically out of shape, and even getting my hooves in the foot straps on the bike is a major undertaking) plus 3 sets of 10 reps of arm exercises (bicep, tricep, shoulders) with 4lb / 6lb / and 8lb weights.  Tu-Th is 7 minutes on the bike only.

I was able to work out every weekday this week, although I did sleep in on Wednesday and had to do the workout in the evening.  But that still counts, so I have retained the moral high ground in my mind.

The results this week:  I have lost 1.9 pounds this week, for a 12.4 overall weight loss since the start of this quest.  I have also lost half an inch in my bust since last month, so I am seeing progress (although this does not fill my partner with a sense of delight, since he likes 'the girls'). 

We'll talk when I've been working out for a month and it is becoming more habitual.  For now, each morning is punctuated by my Tourette's-like cursing whilst exercising.  But I am doing it, so I feel great.  Plus, and this is the main thing, I LOVE when the workout is over, so there's that.

Photo of scale by Michael Coghlan, licensed CC-By

* The infamous "Misguided Pyramiding Shoulder Incident" shall never be repeated.  For those of you who aren't hard-core bodybuilders, according to <livestrong.com>, "pyramiding" refers to "an advanced technique for experienced weightlifters who have plateaued with their current routine and are looking for a new challenge. Pyramiding involves multiple sets with the repetitions decreasing for each set while the weight increases."  The key words in that paragraph are "experienced weightlifters".  Which I was not.  Nor was I seeking to dramatically increase my strength and muscle mass, which what pyramiding is good for.  And most particularly, I was not Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wrote the book with the pyramiding routine that I attempted.  Not being any of those aforementioned things, and possessing all the upper body strength of a Tyrannosaurus Rex with its stumpy arms, I attempted a pyramid program on my upper body.  And I went for it.  The routine, the reps, the weight increases until failure - oh yes, I did it all.  And I felt great, at the time.  Sure, there was a burn, but that was to be expected, right?

Fast forward to the next morning when I could not lift either of my arms (admit it, you knew where this was going).  I could barely dress myself, and spent the entire next week trying to function at work without lifting my arms above my waist.  Try that at home sometime, and you'll see that it's tricky.  I had apparently managed to blow out both my shoulders with that stunt, and it took a long time before I was back to normal.  My shoulders still click when I move them a certain way, but I prefer to think that the clicking is from advanced osteoporosis rather than bone chips in my shoulder from insanity-induced workout injuries.