Much has transpired since my last post. Sorry for the gap…I’m most inspired immediately following a workout (gym or intervals) but rarely inclined to write at that time. So. I completed my fourth week of bootcamp, which means I’ve ramped it up for the next 4-week period. Intervals are now four times weekly and four rounds within a set (?) instead of three and three. And man is it hard to do all that!! The left knee is still being a real problem child. I’m thinking of naming it Krysten…it’s a basically good knee and I love it, but it demands attention in negative ways on occasion. And right now it’s whining quite a bit.
I haven’t missed any workouts nor intervals. Today I’m down a pound. Yay. Not that I trust it to stay away. I’ve lost seven inches from my body. I first measured on January 31st and then again this past Saturday, February 20th. That’s seven inches in three weeks. The best part is that I take two measurements around my middle…sort of a high stomach (well below the waist) and a lower stomach (but above the rear)…I lost two inches on each of those two measurements!! And the belt is still at one notch tighter. So I’m good. Not great–that would take a five-pound loss over this past 4-1/2 weeks. But good.
As I mentioned on the 16th, I really whacked out my knee (lovely Krysten), and spent the next several days icing, eventually heating, and after a couple days, downing massive quantities of ibuprofen. I’m still taking 800-1600 grams of ibuprofen every day, because the knee has not yet gone all the way down, nor has it stopped hurting entirely. Yesterday afternoon I actually felt largely pain free, no joint stiffness nor muscle pain, for about 5 hours. Then I went to the gym. I’ve been pushing myself as hard as I can every time I work out at the gym. Saturday was frustrating because we all (about 14 of us) showed up at once, and there were a bunch of men working out on the weights as well. I ended up riding my bike home and finishing up in my dining room. So now I show up at my regular time slot (the second one) which means over half of my health-cohorts are wrapping up when I arrive.
Tuesday night (last night) we were doing weighted lunges and ‘bendy-squats.’ Nick (kind and wise Yoda) had us using 20 lb bars, held up on the back of the shoulders, and doing lunges. Because all the bars were in use he said to use 20 lbs in hand-held weights. So I did. But because I had 20 lbs in each hand, I was lunging and bendy-squatting with 40 lbs. Yoda was impressed.
When I say ‘bendy-squats,’ of course that isn’t what they’re called. But I can’t remember the actual name. Probably have some Eastern European name with a torture word…like Hungarian Pull Aparts. Just kidding. Anyway, holding the 2o lb hand weights, I bent over at the waist and back up again. Form: knees slightly bent, back flat (which means stick out my butt). He threw in some ‘bend slightly at the knees while jumping up a tiny bit as you push hand weights all the way up from the shoulders to the ceiling’ things for good measure. Then the second set included something new. I pulled weights from a standing weight stack, once pulling down and to my side, and another time pulling from the floor, way up past my ears. Both of these were done on each side of my body. Having done this, I can visualize what I’m describing. I’m sure anyone who’s worked out at Loprinzi’s with Nick can visualize it. The rest of you are probably glazing over right about now. Just know it was doable but hard.
The lunges re-traumatized the problem child. I woke up in the night and my knee was numb and hurting. Today going down stairs is harder and it’s more swollen than yesterday. But I’ll take a day off of exercise (do my intervals tomorrow morning) and ice it this evening when I have time. I wrapped it tightly with an ace bandage and covered that with a sleeve wrap before my workout…but lunges are brutal. I really felt the burn in my thighs at the time.
One great note: The wise and kindly Yoda told me I can add a few cheat-calories to my diet 3 meals a week. I’m guessing only about 100 calories each…but I can easily, happily throw some carbs in there periodically! It is scary to risk weight gain, but if Yoda says I can, I’m going to give it a try. Castagna’s, here I come. Either half of one of their luscious burgers, or a Margherita pizza! Yummmm.
What a fitting name for your “problem child”. I like it!