Metabolic Triad Training, 2022: Cycle I

Bare Lee

Barefooters
Jul 25, 2011
6,103
6,617
113
Saint Paul
Assessment of last year. Whew, another year of mediocre fitness. At least I was more consistent I think, but still struggled to make much progress. But the dog walks solidified into a daily routine, and got up to three miles towards the end, with close to 300 feet total elevation gain, so that's good. I think I will be able to continue with that, as I have no choice; whenever I become inconsistent I can feel it in my blood pressure and chest.

Goals for this year. Become more consistent with the lifting, and get better about scheduling in a separate conditioning component, and/or start running up some of the hills on my walk. I would also like to get more limber and continue to gradually lose weight via time-restricted dieting.

Goals for this cycle: I'm going to keep up with the three-mile daily dog walks for as long as my knees are okay with it. I'm going to try an Upper-/Lower-Body split late morning, before I go on my walks. Once the loads start to go up, I'll resume my Ramp-to-Target protocol, and try to do at least two target sets. If possible, I'll come back from the walk for some quick conditioning on the machines. I'll maybe try stretching before or after each workout, or maybe first thing in the morning with something like a Sun Salutation or less ritualized mobility work.

---------------Week 1: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.02

Monday, 22.01.03
AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.

Tuesday, 22.01.04
NOON
Resistance: Upper
OP: 3 x 3 @ 45
PD: 3 x 3 @ 150
BP: 3 x 3 @ 95
RW: 3 x 3 @ 95

Heart feels better today, but kept everything super light.

AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.

Wednesday, 22.01.05
AFTERNOON
Persistence
1 mi walk with dog to store and back for taco supplies. It was very cold! Subzero windchill.

Had a afternoon doctor's appointment for my chest tightness/pain. Turns out it's probably mild gastritis, not a heart issue, and easily treatable. More tests next week but that's a huge relief and I should be able to start pushing the weights again. Still, it was good to experience the fear of a serious health issue, should make make me more consistent and motivated.

Thursday, 22.01.06
NOON
Resistance: Lower
SLDL: 2 x 3 @ 185
SQ: 2 x 3 @ 135

Got the green light from the doc yesterday. OK to start lifting again in earnest, but going to build up slowly. It's been a month or two, maybe more, since I did anything close to capacity.

AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft. -5F, WC -23F

Very invigorating! My Whitin sockwear held up well with wool sock liners.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095LVDKDF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Whitin socks are almost identical to the Skinners at half the price. And the quality and fit seems better.

Friday, 22.01.07

Saturday, 22.01.08
AFTERNOON
Persistence
1 mi walk with dog to store and back.

---------------Week 2: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.09
Furniture moving.

Monday, 22.01.10
Aorta ultrasound, because my dad had a 'AAA'--Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm--that nearly killed him in his early 80s. Everything looked good, except a little plaque buildup, common for my age I guess.

Tuesday, 22.01.11
Stress Echo Test.

Just six and half minutes, but I guess that's the workout for the day. They start at a comfortable pace and low incline, then increase it to a brisk walk after three minutes, with a greater incline. I hit the target heart rate during the second period, but then they gave me another 30 seconds bonus at the next level. I had to remove my mask at that point, as I started to feel a mild panic. Good to be reminded how out of shape I am. Then I had to quickly dismount for a second imaging. It was in the same hospital as the Cancer Center, directly above on the second floor, so it was a sad visit overall. Did get to use the one remaining parking voucher I had though.

Wednesday, 22.01.12
More furniture moving

Results from both tests show everything is normal.

Thursday, 22.01.13
NOON
Resistance: Upper
OP: 3 x 3 @ 45
PD: 3 x 3 @ 120
BP: 3 x 3 @ 95
RW: 3 x 3 @ 95

Keep everything lite again. If I catch a rhythm, I'll start adding weight until I get up to the first training block's target loads.

5 Ramps to Target.21.09.jpg

Would be nice to get there by the end of the cycle, but the main goal remains consistency.

Friday, 22.01.14

Saturday, 22.01.15
NOON
Persistence
2.9 mi walk with dog, dropping off son for sledding. 250ft.

The late morning/noon time slot is looking pretty feasible. Very few chances for interruptions, although some will always be inevitable. So, ideally, I'll lift, then walk, then get in some kind of conditioning before lunch every day. We'll see . . . .



---------------Week 3: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.16
NOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.

Monday, 22.01.17

Tuesday, 22.01.18
AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.

Wednesday, 22.01.19

Thursday, 22.01.20

Friday, 22.01.21

Saturday, 22.01.22
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.2 mi Hills walk with dog. 205ft.

Saw my new doc yesterday, a DO. Everything looks normal, so time to get back to it.

---------------Week 4: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.23
NOON
Resistance: Upper
PD: 10 @ 100
OP: 3 x 3 @ 45
BP: 3 x 3 @ 95

Persistence
2.2 mi Hills walk with dog. 205ft.

Monday, 22.01.24

Tuesday, 22.01.25
NOON
Resistance: Lower
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 135
SLDL: 3 x 3 @ 185

EARLY AFTERNOON
Persistence
1.7 mi Hills walk with dog. 0F, -18F WC. Nice and bracing! I wore socks under my rubberized socks.

Wednesday, 22.01.26
AFTERNOON
Resistance: Upper
PD: 3 X 3 @ 100/120/140
OP: 3 x 3 @ 45/65/75
BP: 3 x 3 @ 95/115/135
RW: 2 x 3 @ 135

Starting to build back up. Man, I don't when the last time was that I felt this weak before.

Thursday, 22.01.27

Friday, 22.01.28

Saturday, 22.01.29
Nordic skiing, maybe 2-3 miles?

---------------Week 5: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.30

Monday, 22.01.31

Tuesday, 22.02.01

Wednesday, 22.02.02

Thursday, 22.02.03

Friday, 22.02.04

Saturday, 22.02.05


---------------Week 6: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.06

Monday, 22.02.07

Tuesday, 22.02.08

Wednesday, 22.02.09

Thursday, 22.02.10

Friday, 22.02.11
1.9 mi Hills Walk with dog. 180ft. 17F -3WC, more on top of the hills. Borderline sock weather.

My rib is getting a little better every day, might even try some lite lifting before the cycle is over. It'll be nice to get off the ibuprofen. I switched from four-hour to six-hour intervals for dosing.

Saturday, 22.02.12


---------------Week 7: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.13

Monday, 22.02.14
AFTERNOON
Resistance: Upper
PD: 10 @ 100
OP: 3 @ 45

Pulldowns felt fine, but I could feel my rib a bit on the Overhead Press.

Persistence
1.95 mi Four Hills walk with dog. 180 ft. 16F

Tuesday, 22.02.15

Wednesday, 22.02.16
NOON
Resistance: Lower
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135

Squat seemed fine, but I won't push it until the rib is completely pain-free.

Persistence
2mi Five Hills walk with dog. 190ft.

Thursday, 22.02.17

Friday, 22.02.18
LATE MORNING
Resistance: Upper
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140

Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.

Still a little rib pain on the Overhead Press, none on the Pulldowns. Should be all healed up by the end of this cycle. I'm only taking ibuprofen once or twice a day now. Felt good to get a longer walk in. The late morning schedule makes a lot of sense, just got to stick to it. Luckily, I have to lift lite for a while so that will help ease into the schedule.

Saturday, 22.02.19

---------------Week 8: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.20

Monday, 22.02.21
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 200ft.

Tuesday, 22.02.22
NOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 200ft. And then shoveling . . .

Wednesday, 22.02.23
LATE MORNING
Resistance: Lower
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 135
SLDL: 3 x 3 @ 135

Baby steps . . .

NOON
Persistence
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 186ft.

Normal steps . . .

Thursday, 22.02.24

Friday, 22.02.25
NOON
Persistence
3.15 mi "Nine Hills" walk with dog. 303ft. Slight diversion to dump poop bag in street trash can.

AFTERNOON
Resistance: Upper
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140

Saturday, 22.02.26
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 186ft.
 
Last edited:
Assessment of last year - last year was a good year fitness wise, with a major move, house hunting and buying and starting a new job I was still able to have really good consistency in the gym while also gettig back into the ultra scene (albeit slowly!). Another very positive step was the elimination of my back (SI Joint) pain that has been plaguing me for about 4 years when I initially hurt it deadlifting. It's still will flare up occasionally but it's pretty rare these days. Weight wise it has been a stagnant year. Although I have not been very diligent about minimizing calories and have been enjoying the benefit holding more weight while lifting heavier in the last few cycles.

I must admit, I should have listened many years ago about squats are king. I do attribute squatting to essentially getting me over the back pain hump. I think it has been excellent from a back/hip/connective tissue strength perspective but also mobility in the pelvic region. Deadlifts are still out of the equation now although I have been thinking about the missing piece of the mode in my 8 lift philosophy, hinges and wondering if I should slowly start to work them back in?

Squats
Hinges
Plank or Folds
Vertical push
Vertical pull
Horizontal push
Horizontal pull
Weighted Carry

Goals for this year - Finishing the https://divide100.com/
Fixing my achilles/ankle issues
Working in mobility practice

Goals for this cycle - This will be a weight loss focused cycle. I am going to come at this with a multi pronged method:

Increase running mileage - work on getting back to running 5 days a week for ~ 60 min with one long run every 1-2 weeks
Calorie restriction by limiting processed foods and alcohol, this shold be pretty easy to do, will need to prep food more frequently. I will also try to supplement more protein.
Frequent bouts of activity throughout the day - I will try to do 20 body weight squats every hour or so throughout the day for 8 hours. Seems like some research shows it is beneficial for fat loss.

I will keep lifting the same hit the 8 lifts and then two days of rest between alternating between Front squats and Back squats with various exercises for the other 7 movement patterns. I am assuming some strength loss over the next cycle.

---------------Week 1: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.02
PM Lift
WU Front Squats, Push ups
Front Squats - 5@135, 3@185,195 1@205,215 these were hard
GHD SU - 10@15, [email protected]
Press - 5@115,125 4@135, 2@145
Pull Downs - 8@175, 6@190, 5@205
Calf Raises - 3x5@395
Bench - 8@135, 5@185,205, 3@225

Monday, 22.01.03

Tuesday, 22.01.04
PM Lift
WU Suqats and Push ups

Wednesday, 22.01.05
AM Lift
WU 10 min Stair Stepper
Press - 5@115,135,135 2@155
Pull Downs - 3x8@160
GHD SU - [email protected]
Low Pulls - 3x8@175
Farmers - 3x60m@70 per hand
Plank - 3@40sec

Thursday, 22.01.05

PM Lift
WU Squats, Push ups
Calf Raises - 3x10@270
Front Squats - 5@135, 3@155,175,195,205 1@225
Pull Downs - 6@160
Press - 5@115, 4@135, 4@135

Cut the workout early, one of my sons was with me and finished early.

Friday, 22.01.07
PM Walk - 0:49

Saturday, 22.01.08
AM run - 0:55
First run of the year! It has been a rough week at work. A pretty lackluster start to the new year. Time to get running more.
PM Walk - 0:52

---------------Week 2: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.09
AM Lift
WU Squats, Push ups
Calf Raises - 3x10@270
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225,245
Pull Downs - 3x8@160
Bench - 8@135, 5@205,225, 3@245
Low Pulls - 3x8@175
Press - 5@115,135,135 2@155
Plank - 3@40sec

Monday, 22.01.10
Run - 0:41
Bike - 0:24

Tuesday, 22.01.11

Wednesday, 22.01.12
AM Lift
Bench - 10@135, 3x10@185
Low Pulls - 15@130, 12@145, 10@145
Front Squats - 5x3@135

Woke up with a sore back, figured a light day was in order. The gym was also busy. It's been a crap start to the year so far...

Thursday, 22.01.13
Run - 0:28

Friday, 22.01.14
AM Lift
WU Squats, Push ups
Plank - 3@40sec
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225,235
Pull Downs - 10@130, 5@175, 5@175
Press - 5@115,135
DL - 3@135, 225, 3x3@275

Afternoon run - 1:01

Saturday, 22.01.15
AM Lift
WU Squats, Push ups
Plank - 3@40sec
Pause Squats - 3x5@135
Bench - 10@135, 5@205, 225 3@245, 1@255
Calf Raises - 3x8@375
Farmers - 120m@70ph, 2x60m@70ph

Afternoon run - 1:01

---------------Week 3: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.16
AM Lift
WU Front Squats, Push ups
Front Squats - 5x135, 3@155, 185, 205, 215, 225
Low Pulls - 2x10@145 2x6@190
GHD SU - 3x8@25
Press - 5@115, 135, 135 2@155
Calf Raises - 3x10@315
Back extensions - 3x10

Snowboarding in the afternoon

Monday, 22.01.17
AM Lift
Stair Stepper - 15 min
WU Squats and pushups
Pause Squats - 3x5@135
DL - 3x135, 225, 275, 295, 295

Afternoon run - 0:35

Tuesday, 22.01.18
Working in the DL's again, so far so good regarding the back pain. There is a little more this morning but after squatting a bit it's going away. I have also been lifting more frequently but doing less. I really like squatting some weight everyday and it supports the additional lifts too. Recovery has been fine. I also need to up the running more too. Start to work in longer runs.

Wednesday, 22.01.19
WU Squats/PU
Planks - 3@40sec
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,225,245,255
Bench 5@135,205,225 3@245
Low Pulls - 3x8@190
Calf Raises - 15@300

Thursday, 22.01.20
WU Squats/PU
Planks - 3@40sec
Pause Squats - 3@5@135
Press - 5@135,135 #@155, 1@165
Pull downs - 12@145, 6@175, 5@175
GHD SU - 12, 8@25, 8@25
Farmers - 3x60m@225

Friday, 22.01.21
WU Squats/PU
Front Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205,215
Bench - 10@135, 5@205,225,225
Low Pulls - 6@190, 3x6@205
Calf Raises 10@375, 8@375, 4x5sec@375
Back ext - 3x8

Saturday, 22.01.22


---------------Week 4: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.23
WU Squats/PU
Planks - 3@40sec
Squats - 5@135 3@205,225,245
Press - 5@115,4@135 4@135, 5@135
DL - 3@135, 225, 275, 295

Monday, 22.01.24

Tuesday, 22.01.25
WU Squats/PU
Pause Front Squats - 3x5@135
Back ext - 3x8
Calf raises - 3x15@295

Wednesday, 22.01.26

Thursday, 22.01.27
WU Squats/PU
Front Squats - 5@135 3@185,205,225
Press - 9@95, 5@115, 3@135, 2@125
Low pulls WG - 10@115

Friday, 22.01.28
Stair stepper - 0:20
Walk 4.5mph - 0:30

Saturday, 22.01.29
WU Walk 4.4mph - 0:30
3x 10 Squats/PU, Plank 40sec
Main lifts
Squats - 5@135, 3@205, 225, 245, 255 1@265
Pull downs - 3x10@130
Bench - 5@135, 3x3@185, 3@205
DL - 10@135, 3@225,275,295 1@315,335
Low Pulls - 3x10@145

I seem to have injured my right shoulder, it's extremely sore doing mundane things like cleaning, cooking and running, with real bad pain at night when I am trying to fall asleep. Ibuprofren helps a lot but I am frustrated with the lack of running this cycle. Between the shoulder issue and the snowy weather running outside is on hold for now. I started stair stepping and fast walking on the treadmill. I may start to do weighted treadmill walking next time. I guess I will work on my fast walking pace of 4.5mph and slowly increase the inclines.

Oh and weight headed the wrong direction, 208 right now....

---------------Week 5: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.30

Monday, 22.01.31
WU 20 min walk, squats and presses
Pause Squats - 3x5@185
Press - 3x6@115
Wide Low Pulls - 3x10@145
Calf Raises - 3x8@390

Walk 0:52

Tuesday, 22.02.01

Wednesday, 22.02.02
WU F Squats and pushups
GHD SU - 3x8@25
FSqauts - 5@135, 3@185, 3@205, 225, 2 @235
Pull downs - 10@130, 145, 8@160
Bench - 10@135, 5@185,205, 3@225
Calf Raises - 3x8@375
Low pulls - 10 @160
Walk/Run - 40 min

Thursday, 22.02.03

Friday, 22.02.04
WU Squats/PU
Planks 3@40sec
Squats - 5@135, 3@225, 235,245,255, 1@165, Fail@275
Pull downs - 10@160, 8@175,175
Press - 5@115,125,135, 2@145
DL - 5@135, 3@225,275, 1@295,315,335

Saturday, 22.02.05


---------------Week 6: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.06
WU F Squats and pushups
GHD SU - 3x10
Pause FSquats - 3x5@135
Pull downs - 10@130, 145, 8@160
Low pulls - 14 @160, 10@145
Bench - 5@135, 185,205, 3@225,225
Famers - 3x60m@70pa
Walk - 30 min

Monday, 22.02.07

Tuesday, 22.02.08
Snowshoe - 0:52

Wednesday, 22.02.09
WU F Squats and pushups
Planks - 3@40sec
FSquats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225 1@245
Press - 3x10@95
Calf Raises - 3x5@495
Back ext - 3x5
Pull downs W/N- 10@130/12@95, 8@145/6@160

Walk - 0:54
Bike 0:41

Thursday, 22.02.10

Friday, 22.02.11
Run - 1:10
Bike - 2:07

Saturday, 22.02.12
WU Squats and pushups
GHD - 3x10
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225, 245
Low Pulls - 15@130, 8@160, 9@175
Press - 2x10@95, 7@115
Bench CG - 10@135, 5@185,185
Calf Raises - 3x10@315
Hip raise - 10@60,90,120

---------------Week 7: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.13
Stairs - 0:10 min
Walk - 0:10 min
Run - 0:20 min

I pulled out the bike this week and started riding, it's much too snowy on the trails still but the roads and paths are clear. Still had some decent climb, somewhere in the 500m range over 30k. It's pretty slow going on a mountain bike compared to my gravel tourers.

The shoulder pain has eased up. Presses don't seem to bother it as much as heavy benching. So I will give it a week or two more at lighter weights and higher reps.

Also it's time to gear up for the summer racing and begin the long slow climb back to running 50 miles a week. I am also tentatively planning a bikepacking trip on the CO trail, although due to timing issues I may have to break this one up in two this summer.

Monday, 22.02.14
WU FSquats, PU
Plank - 3@40sec
FSquats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225
Pull downs - 10@130, 5@145, 8@160
Press 5@95,115, 4@135, 5@135
DL 3@135,225,275 1@295, 315, 315, 315
Calf raises - 3x10@315

Tuesday, 22.02.15

Wednesday, 22.02.16

Thursday, 22.02.17
WU Squats, PU
GHD - 3@10
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205,225,245
Low Pull - 10@145, 8@160, 8@175
Bench 10@135, 5@185,205 4 @225
Calf raises - 3x10@345
Hip raises - 3x10@120

Friday, 22.02.18
Stair stepper - 0:15 min
Run - 0:30 min
Bike - 1:30

Saturday, 22.02.19


---------------Week 8: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.20
WU Squats and pushups
Planks - 3@40sec
Pause Front Squats - 3x5@135
Pulldowns - 10@130, 8@145
Press - 8@115, 5@125, 2x4@135
DL - 3@135, 225, 275, 275, 275
Bent Rows - 3x10@95

Monday, 22.02.21

Tuesday, 22.02.22
WU Squats and pushups
LM Twist - 3x10@25
Front Squats - 5@135, 3@185,205
Calf raises - 3x10@315
Hip raise - 3x10@130
Farmers - 3x60m@70pa
Bent Rows - 3x10@115
Push ups - 25, 20, 15

Wednesday, 22.02.23

Thursday, 22.02.24
Snowboarding

Friday, 22.02.25
WU Gob Squats and pushups
Squats - 5@135, 3@185,225,245, 2@255, 1@265
GHD SU - 3x10
Pull down - 10@130, 8@145, 6@160, 4@175
Press - 8@95, 5@115, 4@135, 3@145
DL - 8@135, 3@225, 275 1@295,315,335
LM Twist - 3x10@25

Snowboarding again

Saturday, 22.02.26
 
Last edited:
Assessment of last year. Whew, another year of mediocre fitness. At least I was more consistent I think, but still struggled to make much progress. But the dog walks solidified into a daily routine, and got up to three miles towards the end, with close to 300 feet total elevation gain, so that's good. I think I will be able to continue with that, as I have no choice; whenever I become inconsistent I can feel it in my blood pressure and chest.

Goals for this year. Become more consistent with the lifting, and get better about scheduling in a separate conditioning component, and/or start running up some of the hills on my walk. I would also like to get more limber and continue to gradually lose weight via time-restricted dieting.

Goals for this cycle: I'm going to keep up with the three-mile daily dog walks for as long as my knees are okay with it. I'm going to try an Upper-/Lower-Body split late morning, before I go on my walks. Once the loads start to go up, I'll resume my Ramp-to-Target protocol, and try to do at least two target sets. If possible, I'll come back from the walk for some quick conditioning on the machines. I'll maybe try stretching before or after each workout, or maybe first thing in the morning with something like a Sun Salutation or less ritualized mobility work.

---------------Week 1: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.02

Monday, 22.01.03
AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 285ft.

Tuesday, 22.01.04
NOON
Resistance: Upper
OP: 3 x 3 @ 45
PD: 3 x 3 @ 150
BP: 3 x 3 @ 95
RW: 3 x 3 @ 95

Heart feels better today, but kept everything super light.

AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 285ft.

Wednesday, 22.01.05
AFTERNOON
Persistence
1 mi walk with dog to store and back for taco supplies. It was very cold! Subzero windchill.

Had a afternoon doctor's appointment for my chest tightness/pain. Turns out it's probably mild gastritis, not a heart issue, and easily treatable. More tests next week but that's a huge relief and I should be able to start pushing the weights again. Still, it was good to experience the fear of a serious health issue, should make make me more consistent and motivated.

Thursday, 22.01.06
NOON
Resistance
SLDL: 2 x 3 @ 185
DQ: 2 x 3 @ 135

Got the green light from the doc yesterday. OK to start lifting again in earnest, but going to build up slowly. It's been a month or two, maybe more, since I did anything close to capacity.

AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 285ft. -5F, WC -23F

Very invigorating! My Whitin sockwear held up well with wool sock liners.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095LVDKDF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Whitin socks are almost identical to the Skinners at half the price. And the quality and fit seems better.

Friday, 22.01.07

Saturday, 22.01.08


---------------Week 2: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.09

Monday, 22.01.10

Tuesday, 22.01.11

Wednesday, 22.01.12

Thursday, 22.01.13

Friday, 22.01.14

Saturday, 22.01.15


---------------Week 3: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.16

Monday, 22.01.17

Tuesday, 22.01.18

Wednesday, 22.01.19

Thursday, 22.01.20

Friday, 22.01.21

Saturday, 22.01.22


---------------Week 4: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.23

Monday, 22.01.24

Tuesday, 22.01.25

Wednesday, 22.01.26

Thursday, 22.01.27

Friday, 22.01.28

Saturday, 22.01.29


---------------Week 5: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.01.30

Monday, 22.01.31

Tuesday, 22.02.01

Wednesday, 22.02.02

Thursday, 22.02.03

Friday, 22.02.04

Saturday, 22.02.05


---------------Week 6: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.06

Monday, 22.02.07

Tuesday, 22.02.08

Wednesday, 22.02.09

Thursday, 22.02.10

Friday, 22.02.11

Saturday, 22.02.12


---------------Week 7: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.13

Monday, 22.02.14

Tuesday, 22.02.15

Wednesday, 22.02.16

Thursday, 22.02.17

Friday, 22.02.18

Saturday, 22.02.19


---------------Week 8: Cycle I---------------

Sunday, 22.02.20

Monday, 22.02.21

Tuesday, 22.02.22

Wednesday, 22.02.23

Thursday, 22.02.24

Friday, 22.02.25

Saturday, 22.02.26

Glad to hear you got the ok to resume lifting, that's great news and definitely a less scary diagnosis! I was checking out your gripped socks too. Nice to find a less expensive pair that work.

It's been a rough first week of the year here too, frigid temps and quite a bit of snow. It's really hampering any outdoor activities. It's good you have a partner that demands you to take them for walks.
 
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Glad to hear you got the ok to resume lifting, that's great news and definitely a less scary diagnosis! I was checking out your gripped socks too. Nice to find a less expensive pair that work.

It's been a rough first week of the year here too, frigid temps and quite a bit of snow. It's really hampering any outdoor activities. It's good you have a partner that demands you to take them for walks.
Yah, it's a huge relief. It was good to feel a little fear though.

Funny you mentioned working out a bit throughout the day. I had a similar notion of getting on my machines for a minute or two every hour or so. I hate the machines, so doing them for short periods at greater frequency might work.

Doing a lot of reorganizing this weekend, including moving furniture, but should begin working out consistently this coming week.

What do you mean by 'folds'? Like ab rolls or hanging sit-ups?
 
Yah, it's a huge relief. It was good to feel a little fear though.

Funny you mentioned working out a bit throughout the day. I had a similar notion of getting on my machines for a minute or two every hour or so. I hate the machines, so doing them for short periods at greater frequency might work.

Doing a lot of reorganizing this weekend, including moving furniture, but should begin working out consistently this coming week.

What do you mean by 'folds'? Like ab rolls or hanging sit-ups?
Yeah some type of sit up or leg lift. I couldn't think of a better word for it but should probably just call it ab work.
Funny I also organized the garage today. It was a disaster and I had wanted to get thing organized so little home projects go faster.

Yeah I have tried doing it before but the I let it fade away. I was thinking like 20 squats and pushups every 30 min or hour. And to do them really fast so I will be a bit out of breath. I will try to keep a record how it goes starting tomorrow.
 
Yeah some type of sit up or leg lift. I couldn't think of a better word for it but should probably just call it ab work.
Funny I also organized the garage today. It was a disaster and I had wanted to get thing organized so little home projects go faster.

Yeah I have tried doing it before but the I let it fade away. I was thinking like 20 squats and pushups every 30 min or hour. And to do them really fast so I will be a bit out of breath. I will try to keep a record how it goes starting tomorrow.
I like that term.

Had a stress echo test yesterday. Seems like it went well. Will see the results today or tomorrow. It's pretty lousy breathing heavily with a mask on though. I can see how waterboarding people is a pretty nasty torture. Gotta admire the creative minds at the CIA.

Later . . .
Tests show everything's good. So time to start pushing it again . . .
 
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I like that term.

Had a stress echo test yesterday. Seems like it went well. Will see the results today or tomorrow. It's pretty lousy breathing heavily with a mask on though. I can see how waterboarding people is a pretty nasty torture. Gotta admire the creative minds at the CIA.

Later . . .
Tests show everything's good. So time to start pushing it again . . .


Good news! It will be great to see you lifting again. I feel like I am getting waterboarded when I swim and at times have lost my skill to keep my head out of the water... It's not nice in any way.

I am tentatively hoping I can get things moving in the right direction after today. My hope to run more has not materialized at all and doing more frequent bouts of exercise has fallen to the way side. Work is calming down so I will try to get more disciplined now. We have some sort of illness going around the house although I feel fine, I am sure its covid and hopefully this will be it for a while at least.

I think I have figured a plan for hinges, I might try to get in three lifts a week and keep two of them the normal squat lifts and then the third add in deadlifts starting very light at first. I might do a couple of other lower back lifts like back extensions and SLDL. This way I can do Farmers that day as well and maybe focus it a bit more on the folding work.
 
Good news! It will be great to see you lifting again. I feel like I am getting waterboarded when I swim and at times have lost my skill to keep my head out of the water... It's not nice in any way.

I am tentatively hoping I can get things moving in the right direction after today. My hope to run more has not materialized at all and doing more frequent bouts of exercise has fallen to the way side. Work is calming down so I will try to get more disciplined now. We have some sort of illness going around the house although I feel fine, I am sure its covid and hopefully this will be it for a while at least.

I think I have figured a plan for hinges, I might try to get in three lifts a week and keep two of them the normal squat lifts and then the third add in deadlifts starting very light at first. I might do a couple of other lower back lifts like back extensions and SLDL. This way I can do Farmers that day as well and maybe focus it a bit more on the folding work.
Sorry to hear of the illness. Hopefully it's the mild version. Me and the kids continue to escape Covid's clutches.

But yah, it would be nice if both of us made some progress at the same time for a change!

With your back issues, be sure to go easy on the back extensions! If I ever do them again, I will probably do them unloaded. I've also concluded that loaded situps were never a good idea for me. If I do ab work/folds again, I'll probably do hanging sit-ups or the ab wheel, where there's no strain on the lower back. I think SLDLs are excellent though, and feel very safe for me to do. Gives a nice hammie stretch too.

Anyway, yah, good to be cleared health-wise, but also good to be scared a bit. Hopefully I'll be more motivated. Facing the prospect of a lifelong health issue reminded me how nice it is to be relatively fit and healthy.

As we discussed, I ordered a Torque Fitness Tank TM1 sled, free shipping. It's based in a Twin Cities suburb. Hopefully I can sell my Airdyne for close to what the sled costs. Should've sold it a year or more ago when the pandemic had pushed the price of exercise gear up or they were out of stock. I put my Rogue Echo Dog Sled up for sale too, but looking out the window at the snow, with more on the way tomorrow, it probably makes sense to keep the friction sled for use in the winter, so the wheels of the Torque sled stay nice.

Now the trick is to actually use them, and get back to the Metabolic triad idea!
 
It's been a crap start to the year so far...
Yah. After my bloodwork last week, I was prescribed a statin for cholesterol. Picked it up yesterday. One of the potential side effects is muscle soreness, so I'm not going to lift until Monday so that if I do experience some soreness, I'll know what the cause is.
Oh well, let's hope the last six weeks of this cycle go better.
 
Sorry to hear of the illness. Hopefully it's the mild version. Me and the kids continue to escape Covid's clutches.

But yah, it would be nice if both of us made some progress at the same time for a change!

With your back issues, be sure to go easy on the back extensions! If I ever do them again, I will probably do them unloaded. I've also concluded that loaded situps were never a good idea for me. If I do ab work/folds again, I'll probably do hanging sit-ups or the ab wheel, where there's no strain on the lower back. I think SLDLs are excellent though, and feel very safe for me to do. Gives a nice hammie stretch too.

Anyway, yah, good to be cleared health-wise, but also good to be scared a bit. Hopefully I'll be more motivated. Facing the prospect of a lifelong health issue reminded me how nice it is to be relatively fit and healthy.

As we discussed, I ordered a Torque Fitness Tank TM1 sled, free shipping. It's based in a Twin Cities suburb. Hopefully I can sell my Airdyne for close to what the sled costs. Should've sold it a year or more ago when the pandemic had pushed the price of exercise gear up or they were out of stock. I put my Rogue Echo Dog Sled up for sale too, but looking out the window at the snow, with more on the way tomorrow, it probably makes sense to keep the friction sled for use in the winter, so the wheels of the Torque sled stay nice.

Now the trick is to actually use them, and get back to the Metabolic triad idea!

Cool I am interested to hear how you like the sled. I would imagine you can use the wheeled one in the winter it's pretty well built and some water shouldn't hurt it, the wheels either. It's a pretty basic build with the resistance on the tire.

Yeah back extensions seem ok for now, I go slow and really try to focus on the glute engagement. I doubt I will ever load them. Deadlifts are plenty of hinge for me. I agree about the abs, I do like doing GHD sit ups but I actually prefer that for extension mobility for my back. Otherwise planks and ab roll outs are plenty to supplement for squats.

Everyone is good now, seemed like it was a 3 day thing.

I hit a 3x225 front squat, I am definitely happy with the squatting progress. It probably has something to do with the lack of running so I am going to enjoy the gains while I can.
 
Good to see you making progress! I started taking a cholesterol med on Friday. One of the possible side-effects is muscle soreness, so I put off lifting to eliminate a potentially confounding variable. So far so good though, so I'll try to lift lite in a bit.

The Torque sled is held up in a port on the West Coast somewhere, due to supply chain issues. So I took my friction sled postings down. People were low-balling me anyway. I like NextDoor and Facebook marketplaces better than Craigslist. Without the latter's anonymity, people on the former are better mannered, and there are never any scammers. Still, Craigslist seems to attract the most attention.

Got an Apple watch. It has health monitoring on it, but I only wear it on my walks. I've never liked wearing a watch. It also makes it easier to listen to field recordings and music while walking.
 
Good to see you making progress! I started taking a cholesterol med on Friday. One of the possible side-effects is muscle soreness, so I put off lifting to eliminate a potentially confounding variable. So far so good though, so I'll try to lift lite in a bit.

The Torque sled is held up in a port on the West Coast somewhere, due to supply chain issues. So I took my friction sled postings down. People were low-balling me anyway. I like NextDoor and Facebook marketplaces better than Craigslist. Without the latter's anonymity, people on the former are better mannered, and there are never any scammers. Still, Craigslist seems to attract the most attention.

Got an Apple watch. It has health monitoring on it, but I only wear it on my walks. I've never liked wearing a watch. It also makes it easier to listen to field recordings and music while walking.

I feel for you right now, it's frustrating restarting after a break. Hopefully the medications don't affect much and you can start building the weight back up. Slow and steady!

That's cool about the watch I have been wearing a fitbit religiously for the past 5 years or so. It's interesting seeing HR and weight trends over the course of months and years. I don't use the music connection though, but maybe I should. Carrying a phone isn't always convenient.

Oddly enough last weekend my shoulder is having issues, it seems to have come on slowly and wasn't from something specific. I am wondering if I have been loading the pulls up too much and it's causing an impingement issue? I have been dosing pretty heavy on the vitamin I this week, it's the only way I can fall asleep. Presses and benching is very weak on the one side, almost comically so. I have been going lighter on the pulls too. Hopefully it's a temporary issue, lifting does not seem to make it worse and actually may make the pain more bearable throughout the day?
 
I don't know, but for me, the presses are the hardest on the shoulders, not the pulls, and your press loads seem pretty reasonable, although you were getting up there not too long ago. It could be something subtle like sleeping on one side too long when in deep sleep.

That's the main reason I'm trying an upper/lower split instead of a push/pull split, so that my shoulders have more time to recover. The shoulder is the most complicated joint on the human body, so probably the easiest to mess up. Mine definitely get cranky with everyday frequency. But I also think doing the two heaviest lifts on the same day might help with motivation. Having to motivate for a heavy lift every day was a bit hard. The upper body lifts are usually easy to motivate for.

I just went Nordic skiing with a friend and my son--the first time since high school. My friend came along to teach us. It was a humbling experience, and then I slid backwards going up the first decent hill and fell forward on top of my right ski tip at the bottom. A spot on my rib cage is seriously hurting right now, but hopefully it's just a bruise that will heal up in a few days. Damn, I was getting psyched for the second half of this cycle. Now I'll probably have to put off lifting for a week or more.

I found a buyer for my Airdyne, which justifies the purchase of the Torque Tank M1, which was delivered yesterday. But now it's going to be a chore moving the Airdyne outside for the buyer tomorrow. I wish I had one of those blue tents that the NFL uses when players get hurt. They always come out ready to play again!

But yeah, it's funny how with some issues, like my degenerative meniscus, lifting can help, whereas with others, like my bruised rib, it just makes it worse.
 
I don't know, but for me, the presses are the hardest on the shoulders, not the pulls, and your press loads seem pretty reasonable, although you were getting up there not too long ago. It could be something subtle like sleeping on one side too long when in deep sleep.

That's the main reason I'm trying an upper/lower split instead of a push/pull split, so that my shoulders have more time to recover. The shoulder is the most complicated joint on the human body, so probably the easiest to mess up. Mine definitely get cranky with everyday frequency. But I also think doing the two heaviest lifts on the same day might help with motivation. Having to motivate for a heavy lift every day was a bit hard. The upper body lifts are usually easy to motivate for.

I just went Nordic skiing with a friend and my son--the first time since high school. My friend came along to teach us. It was a humbling experience, and then I slid backwards going up the first decent hill and fell forward on top of my right ski tip at the bottom. A spot on my rib cage is seriously hurting right now, but hopefully it's just a bruise that will heal up in a few days. Damn, I was getting psyched for the second half of this cycle. Now I'll probably have to put off lifting for a week or more.

I found a buyer for my Airdyne, which justifies the purchase of the Torque Tank M1, which was delivered yesterday. But now it's going to be a chore moving the Airdyne outside for the buyer tomorrow. I wish I had one of those blue tents that the NFL uses when players get hurt. They always come out ready to play again!

But yeah, it's funny how with some issues, like my degenerative meniscus, lifting can help, whereas with others, like my bruised rib, it just makes it worse.

Sorry to hear the rib is still bothering you, did you get an xray? Not that there is much you can do for it beyond what you are doing. Nordic skiing looks cool, I have been looking at both the nordic skiing and the Skimo set ups with skins ala Kilian Jornet. I haven't skied in many years though so I might push this out till next winter to try out.

Did you get the tank out yet?

I took your advice and backed out the presses and benches, that pretty much did the trick and also alternating between press and bench seems to help. I actually think its the heavy benching that may be more or the antagonist, it's definitely the more sensitive and weaker of the two lifts right now. But I am finally off the ibuprofen for a week and I can run again without any shoulder pain now, that was actually my bigger worry about the injury. Anyway benching and pressing heavy is completely pointless for my race goals this year so I probably will just lay off the weight for both lifts now.

I did a few sets of deadlifts, once a week seems more than enough. Although every morning now I warm up with squats and I honestly think deep squats everyday is the magic cure to my back issues. I still also have some ankle issues after running but it's more minor these days, could be the weighted calf raises. I am hoping to alternate running and biking though to give them a day of healing between runs. Now I am just hoping for the snow to melt so I can get back on the trails, although I did go snowshoeing which was an ok alternative, but definitely much slower going than hiking and running.
 
Sorry to hear the rib is still bothering you, did you get an xray? Not that there is much you can do for it beyond what you are doing. Nordic skiing looks cool, I have been looking at both the nordic skiing and the Skimo set ups with skins ala Kilian Jornet. I haven't skied in many years though so I might push this out till next winter to try out.

Did you get the tank out yet?

I took your advice and backed out the presses and benches, that pretty much did the trick and also alternating between press and bench seems to help. I actually think its the heavy benching that may be more or the antagonist, it's definitely the more sensitive and weaker of the two lifts right now. But I am finally off the ibuprofen for a week and I can run again without any shoulder pain now, that was actually my bigger worry about the injury. Anyway benching and pressing heavy is completely pointless for my race goals this year so I probably will just lay off the weight for both lifts now.

I did a few sets of deadlifts, once a week seems more than enough. Although every morning now I warm up with squats and I honestly think deep squats everyday is the magic cure to my back issues. I still also have some ankle issues after running but it's more minor these days, could be the weighted calf raises. I am hoping to alternate running and biking though to give them a day of healing between runs. Now I am just hoping for the snow to melt so I can get back on the trails, although I did go snowshoeing which was an ok alternative, but definitely much slower going than hiking and running.

Yah, I got an xray a few years ago when I fell on top of an angled snow shovel handle over glare ice hiding underneath the snow. It showed a slight rib fracture, but like you say, there isn't much to be done--the intercostal muscles hold everything in place like a cast would--so I skipped the xray this time. And the pain isn't as bad, so I'm pretty sure it's just a bruise. It's getting a little better every day now, so I'm might try some light lifting tomorrow and see what happens.

Nordic skiing is harder than it looks. I think I got the technique fairly quickly, but the balancing was hard so I kept to a slow speed. Plus the used skiis I got are hard to pop off, so I'll probably exchange them for better ones if the skiing sticks. It is a good way to get outside in the winter, that's for sure, and my daughter wants to join the high school team next year, so I'd like to encourage that. If I get better skiis, I'll probably just walk up the hills until I get better at flat skiing. We have a golf course nearby that doubles as a Nordic ski course and it's well-maintained by the university. So no excuses, except my rib probably won't be fully healed until the season is over this year.

I had never heard of Skimo before, sounds like it would be right up your alley!

Haven't taken out the tank yet. I might try the friction sled tomorrow. Don't want to overdo it on the rib though.

Good to hear your shoulders are getting better. I think the barbell bench press with its pronated grip is hard to do without some impingement, and like you say, it's not really useful for racing. I actually think it would probably be the first lift to go if I had to pick one of my six lifts to get rid of. You could also try dumbbell bench presses. Starting off with a neutral grip is a lot easier on the shoulders I think. I would do them more but they are hard to set up, so I got rid of my entire rubberized dumbbell set--25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65-pound pairs-- and rack a few years ago. I still have my small plates and dumbbell handles though. The barbell bench press is probably best for overall strength development, while the dumbbell bench press is better at isolating the pecs, like the body builders do.

Yah, Rip recommends only doing Deadlifts once a week. My deadlifts are so light these days that it isn't an issue, but if I get up over 300 pounds I might alternate with lower-weight Stiff-legged Deadlifts. I'm anxious to see what happens if I can complete a full cycle on the Upper/Lower split.

I like your idea of daily squats, maybe I could try something like that too. I do feel like I need to do something first thing in the morning, maybe my walks when it warms up a bit. But a kind of sun salutation with a few other things like bodyweight squats might be good. It would be nice to habituate to a year-round start to the day that didn't depend on the weather.
 
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Yah, I got an xray a few years ago when I fell on top of an angled snow shovel handle over glare ice hiding underneath the snow. It showed a slight rib fracture, but like you say, there isn't much to be done--the intercostal muscles hold everything in place like a cast would--so I skipped the xray this time. And the pain isn't as bad, so I'm pretty sure it's just a bruise. It's getting a little better every day now, so I'm might try some light lifting tomorrow and see what happens.

Nordic skiing is harder than it looks. I think I got the technique fairly quickly, but the balancing was hard so I kept to a slow speed. Plus the used skiis I got are hard to pop off, so I'll probably exchange them for better ones if the skiing sticks. It is a good way to get outside in the winter, that's for sure, and my daughter wants to join the high school team next year, so I'd like to encourage that. If I get better skiis, I'll probably just walk up the hills until I get better at flat skiing. We have a golf course nearby that doubles as a Nordic ski course and it's well-maintained by the university. So no excuses, except my rib probably won't be fully healed until the season is over this year.

I had never heard of Skimo before, sounds like it would be right up your alley!

Haven't taken out the tank yet. I might try the friction sled tomorrow. Don't want to overdo it on the rib though.

Good to hear your shoulders are getting better. I think the barbell bench press with its pronated grip is hard to do without some impingement, and like you say, it's not really useful for racing. I actually think it would probably be the first lift to go if I had to pick one of my six lifts to get rid of. You could also try dumbbell bench presses. Starting off with a neutral grip is a lot easier on the shoulders I think. I would do them more but they are hard to set up, so I got rid of my entire rubberized dumbbell set--25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65-pound pairs-- and rack a few years ago. I still have my small plates and dumbbell handles though. The barbell bench press is probably best for overall strength development, while the dumbbell bench press is better at isolating the pecs, like the body builders do.

Yah, Rip recommends only doing Deadlifts once a week. My deadlifts are so light these days that it isn't an issue, but if I get up over 300 pounds I might alternate with lower-weight Stiff-legged Deadlifts. I'm anxious to see what happens if I can complete a full cycle on the Upper/Lower split.

I like your idea of daily squats, maybe I could try something like that too. I do feel like I need to do something first thing in the morning, maybe my walks when it warms up a bit. But a kind of sun salutation with a few other things like bodyweight squats might be good. It would be nice to habituate to a year-round start to the day that didn't depend on the weather.

Thanks for the advice about dumbbell bench, I think I am going to swap these out for benching for a while. The neutral/45 grip makes a lot of sense especially down at the chest level. It should keep the lift more of a chest/tricep lift and take some pressure off the shoulder. I hit the press relatively heavy yesterday and have no soreness at all, pushups are fine too. I actually bought a new bar for my mountain bike that has flared handles, it also helps well with the shoulder fatigue.

That's cool you have a ski course close by, Its definitely a great excuse to get out in the winter. I think that was Scott Jurek's sport before he became a runner up in Duluth.
 
Thanks for the advice about dumbbell bench, I think I am going to swap these out for benching for a while. The neutral/45 grip makes a lot of sense especially down at the chest level. It should keep the lift more of a chest/tricep lift and take some pressure off the shoulder. I hit the press relatively heavy yesterday and have no soreness at all, pushups are fine too. I actually bought a new bar for my mountain bike that has flared handles, it also helps well with the shoulder fatigue.

That's cool you have a ski course close by, Its definitely a great excuse to get out in the winter. I think that was Scott Jurek's sport before he became a runner up in Duluth.
Cool, glad it worked out for you. Down to one dose of ibuprofen a day now, should be able to start next cycle with more consistency.

Yah, the course is less than one and a half miles away, and it's not too hilly. There are some really beautiful courses in nearby state and regional parks, so if we take a liking to Nordic skiing, we could get in some nice outings.

Yah, during my cycling travels, and put on some end handles before the brakes, about shoulder-width, so it's like a slightly raised top of a racing bike handle. Very comfortable for cruising, then I would switch to the wider grip for stability on tougher terrain.

Nice numbers on those loads btw!
 
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Cool, glad it worked out for you. Down to one dose of ibuprofen a day now, should be able to start next cycle with more consistency.

Yah, the course is less than one and a half miles away, and it's not too hilly. There are some really beautiful courses in nearby state and regional parks, so if we take a liking to Nordic skiing, we could get in some nice outings.

Yah, during my cycling travels, and put on some end handles before the brakes, about shoulder-width, so it's like a slightly raised top of a racing bike handle. Very comfortable for cruising, then I would switch to the wider grip for stability on tougher terrain.

Nice numbers on those loads btw!

Thanks, yeah I have been slowing down the increases this week. I feel like the weight loss and strength gains are not quite congruent. Good that your rib pain is more manageable, it's tough to have to sit on the sidelines for too long.

So I tried the dumbbell presses again and am still having the same stability issues in the right shoulder. I cut them short and just did a bunch of pushups which doesn't bother my shoulder at all. I guess I can always do presses and pushups every session, that should be plenty for the shoulders and chest for a while till at some point I can work back in bench press of some sort.

Oh and I should send you a picture of my current bars. I found a bar made by Surly, up in your neck of the woods I believe, that basically has built in bar ends inside the brakes. Then I added some ergon grips and bar ends and added my aero bars. So now I have like 4-5 different positions to sit in. I probably will drop the aero's when I go bikepacking, but they are great on the roads. Seems like every day is a windy day where we are at.
 
Thanks, yeah I have been slowing down the increases this week. I feel like the weight loss and strength gains are not quite congruent. Good that your rib pain is more manageable, it's tough to have to sit on the sidelines for too long.

So I tried the dumbbell presses again and am still having the same stability issues in the right shoulder. I cut them short and just did a bunch of pushups which doesn't bother my shoulder at all. I guess I can always do presses and pushups every session, that should be plenty for the shoulders and chest for a while till at some point I can work back in bench press of some sort.

Oh and I should send you a picture of my current bars. I found a bar made by Surly, up in your neck of the woods I believe, that basically has built in bar ends inside the brakes. Then I added some ergon grips and bar ends and added my aero bars. So now I have like 4-5 different positions to sit in. I probably will drop the aero's when I go bikepacking, but they are great on the roads. Seems like every day is a windy day where we are at.
Hard to lose weight and gain strength at the same time, unless you're more overweight like me. I guess the closer you get to optimizing things, the harder it becomes.

Maybe give the right shoulder time to heal/rest before you try DB Presses again? Anyway, for your purposes, pushups are fine, right? To add difficulty, you can always raise your feet on a bench or something. But I guess that might irritate your shoulders.

Wow, I looked up Surly, and there are a lot of options these days. I should've figured.

Got in some lite Squats and Stiff-legged Deadlifts today. Felt the rib a little bit, mostly on the SLDLs, so I'll build up slowly. But it's almost pain-free now and I haven't taken any ibuprofen for two days.
 
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