Cal's Big Log

Training
721

Snaps - mini carb-up, heh. Normally carb up fully on weekends but go strict during the week. That’s worked for me thus far, but my BF is still much higher than I’d like. Problem I have is I’m sitting around my set point. I’ve never had much definition, let alone visible abs, during my life, even during my thinner phases (and the thinner phases have always been accompanied by a pack of Marlboro a day. Which won’t happen now). I need to find a happy medium where I can still lose fat without losing all my energy.

Kimba - it’s not so hard, just stick your feet on a bench or box. I’m sure the lady who can do weighted dips can manage a few decline push-ups. :wink:

Spirited - thanks. Now there’s an idea. Where the hell did I put my TENS?

722

Agreed! Carbs help concentration. I just realized this myself.

Nice Chins/pushups superset!

I forget, when’s holiday, and where are you going again?

723

Nice training in here as usual!

I hope things improve with your mom. It’s good to hear you got her out of the hospital if she wasn’t happy there. They aren’t very uplifting places to be.

724

Masch - USA, starting in Carolina and working my way up the east to Toronto. In a coach, full of rollercoaster enthusiasts. Yep.

No sprints today, btw…I had a bit more energy but also the start of a cold, and felt crappy. Need to get rid of it before visiting my parents. What’s an inconvenience to me could potentially kill them, so I decided it was better to give my immune system time to kick some ass. It usually does, btw…last time I had a cold that last more than a day was, hmm, Feb 2008.

725

I hope you dodged that cold.

Forgot to try decline pushups yesterday. Tomorrow.

726

I did, thank you - my immune system seems to have reverted to its old shark-like ruthlessness (sharks don’t get sick, ever) and kills everything that dares encroach upon it. A far cry from 2007 when I came down with everything and actually busted my white cell count.

Anyway, the parents have taken a turn for the worse. On Friday night their cleaner (who helps them out a lot) called me to say that my dad had fallen and was in hospital. She’d found him on the floor in the bedroom and he’d been there for a whole day. He does have an emergency buzzer but wasn’t wearing it. Very scary.

He thought he’d had a mini-stroke but Denise (the cleaner) said she’d spoken to the doctor and they said no, the only thing he had was a UTI. Anyway, yesterday I visited him and my mum.

My dad seemed bright but he was mentally confused (apparently confusion is sometimes the only symptom of a UTI in the elderly) - he kept talking about someone I didn’t know who I’d met at a job I’d never done in Yorkshire, where I’ve never lived (obviously he had me confused with someone else) and little stuff like that.

It was a bit worrying. I hope it is just a symptom of the UTI and not dementia setting in. That would be frightening.
I visited mum in her temporary nursing home as well. She has a big room with her own television and the staff seem nice, but she’s rather listless.

I took her the CD player and talking books I’d bought for her but she didn’t take a lot of interest in them. Denise was saying she had lost interest in the garden (she was always a keen gardener) and she doesn’t eat much any more (she used to love food, and cooking).
I think she’s had enough and wants out, now, which Denise agreed.

So anyway, I am back early (was planning on coming back Sunday evening - but no point with no one in their house). Shame as, had they both been OK (relatively) I was planning on taking my mum out in the wheelchair and getting her some air, showing her the spring flowers and the like. Though I’m not sure she’d appreciate it like she once did.

But, well, if there’s a silver lining I get an extra day at home and another chance to exercise. Hardly ate yesterday due to running around (can of tuna for breakfast, half a packet of brazil nuts on the train down and the other half on the train back - that’s it) so it probably won’t be an awesome workout but I’ll report back soon.

727

So anyway, I dragged my arse out through the rain and into the gym. Felt good to move but even though I didn’t have any gnawing hunger pangs, I felt unsurprisingly weak, which lead to a short workout.

Military Press

Bar x 10
25kg x 5
30kg x 5
32.5kg x 4 (was actually quite pleased with that)
35kg x 3 (equal to PB)

Arms felt lacking in juice but I’d done OK thus far so decided to try for 37.5kg and failed (my left RC also voiced its displeasure, but it didn’t feel serious, just a twinge). Enough.

Superset

Chins: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
Decline Push-ups: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Wasn’t displeased with this - 4 chins is good for me. Sign I’m getting lighter, for sure. Ran out of gas at the end, though. My arms just gave out.

Was going to do dumbell rows but got a paltry 4 reps with 30kg, realised I had to eat RIGHT NOW and left.

Weighed myself. Down to 10st5lbs (145lbs). I’ll gain one of those back when I refeed, which I’m about to do. Plan today is consume at least 2000 cals then go for a run tomorrow (seeing as I have a 5K in 3 weeks).
Right, breakfast!

728

sorry to hear about your parents…are you close to both of them?

If something happened to my mom, I’m all the family she has…I haven’t talked to my dad in three years. :confused:

729

I was always closer to my mum than my dad. He was the disciplinarian and had a short temper. I used to get spanked as a child, and although he’d do nice things sometimes like take me to the fun fair, I was always wary of him. He’s not an easy man to deal with even now - he’s managed to alienate all his neighbours so now he and mum don’t have anyone save Denise to help them out. I always thought he’d be the first to go, being older and having had a stroke ten years ago - and then my mum might be able to live with her friends or something. She has close female friends but they’re all far away.
Dad, on the other hand, has no real friends. It looks as though mum will go first and I have no idea what’ll happen with my dad then.

730

Tough situation w/your parents. Its something I think we all have to deal with at some point in life. I am very close with my mom too. I don’t want to think about life w/o her.

My dad passed when I was 19. He had a rare disorder, related to, but not Parkinsons. We went through the falling, the 24 hr care, all of it. He was in a nursing home the last 6 months of his life, I was so young it was extremely difficult to deal with and go see him. My poor mother was his primary care giver for a long, long time. Bless her, she gave so much of her own life to care for him until the last 6 months. She was totally drained by the time he passed; she had to learn to start all over. I don’t even like to talk about it; its upsetting and its almost 20 yrs later. I carry a lot of guilt for not going to see him during his last days. We didn’t always get along either, and I was young and very confused. I think I could have been more compassionate though…OK, I am done talking about me…

I have heard the same with confusion and UTI issues. Take care of yourself too, caregiving and worrying about elderly parents can take its toll.

BTW = Nice on the military presses, congrats on the PB. You training arms at all? I ask because I never train biceps unless trainer makes me. Ironically, i started getting more serious with biceps and i was finally able to knock out a WG pullup. Just a thought…

I hope you have a good day Cal

731

I’ve started training arms directly again - mostly because I can’t squat or deadlift and need something else to do! (Back pain is a…pain).

732

Hey Cal - sorry to hear about your parents. You need to keep track of your bicep measurments if your to target your amrs. I look forward to reading about your 16 inch canons :wink:
cheers
N

733

Sorry to hear about your parents. I can’t even imagine dealing with that right now.

You have got to get a welcome to the gun show shirt, it’ll be awesome.

734

My awesome guns are about 12 inches, to be honest. That’s why they need training.

735

Aw Cal, sorry to hear about your parents. I bet it is both scary and worrying. Hang in there.

On another note - well done with the MP and the chins! Could you be getting lighter and stronger?..Methinks yes.

736

I’m happy to hear that gym time is happening despite all the worries. What do you put your feet on for the decline pushups?

737

When I’m supersetting with one armed rows, I put 'em on the bench I use for that. When it’s chins, it’s a step (since I can’t reach the bar without a step!) Same sort of step you use for box squats. I usually have four or five risers.

738

sending u an e-hug and holding a drink up to ur nose.

739

Sorry to hear about more health troubles for your parents. That’s got to be tough for you to deal with, and scary, too.

Glad to hear you’re still getting some training in, though. Hope it helps you feel better. And very nice work on your pressing & chins!

740

Thanks for the well wishes, ladies. At least I know my parents are being looked after, for the time being - it’ll be more of a worry when they’re back home and able to fall over and hurt themselves again. Ack!
To make matters worse, my boss is putting the pressure on because I’ve not made a placement this year (I’m in recruitment). Same thing happened last year and I nearly lost my job over it. I was down to my final warning when I got one in. Not sure I’ll have any warnings this time as I’m still on a year’s probation. Sickening thing is, I’ve been working harder than ever, having more interviews and sending out more CVs than last year, yet for fuck all result. It’s a tough market out there.

Enough of the poor me shit.

I did train this morning - wish I hadn’t. Despite eating a shitload of calories yesterday and Sunday, I was weak sauce. Had energy, but no strength at all. I’m so ashamed of my performance I’m not even going to write it down but I was getting half the reps I normally get with the weights I used. I guess I will put it down to a combination of factors including parental stress, various injuries, and Flo’s imminent appearance. One thing, though, is that I’m going to have to give benching a rest because my right shoulder’s being a sucky bitch right now. I will stick to closed chain exercises (push-ups, basically) until it calms down. So great, I can’t do any of the big three due to injuries. Sometimes I hate my body.

On the plus side, I can get into my skinny jeans - a pair that used to be my favourites when I was 30. They are too tight and I can’t lift my leg in them, but I can do them all the way up. A few more pounds and I should be able to wear them again.