Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – The Numbers are Going Down.

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Coronavirus, family, Friends, Guidelines, health, Safety, Thankful, vulnerable

After watching today’s White House briefing, I was encouraged by Dr. Birx’s analysis of the models we have now, based on the numbers they are receiving from healthcare providers across the area. New York’s numbers are still high, but their cases are going down. Only time will tell.

That being said, I am thankful for the American people for sticking with the guidelines that have been provided. According to Dr. Birx, these lowered numbers (about 60,000, instead of the earlier numbers between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths). 60,000 deaths is still high, but it’s a much better number than the scary numbers that were put out a week ago.

I’m also thankful that all of my family in Michigan and Arizona is safe and healthy. I talked to a colleague of mine who is an ESL teacher in Vietnam. His grandmother died from the coronavirus, and his aunt is on a ventilator. Due to travel restrictions he can’t get home. Bad news indeed.

Finally, I am thankful for all the healthcare professionals, military, first responders, scientists, and other members of our critical supply chains continuing to go to work at great risk to themselves. I’m also grateful for the folks who work in our grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants (the ones that are still open for pickup or drive-thru). What a great collection of heros.

Please continue to stick with the guidelines that have been put in place. They are working. I realize being stuck at home is a pain, but if it saves the lives of those in our society that are most vulnerable, it’s worth it. I hope all of you continue to stay safe, stay informed, and follow guidance provided by our government.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Workout Log – Online Training Programs

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Bodybuilding, Cardio, Diet, Exercise, Health Living, Safety, Taking it slow, Weightlifting

I started the Kris Gethin Hardcore Trainer this week, instead of elevating my last workout routine with cardio. I’m glad I did. This workout is awesome!

This routine is a 5-day split, coupled with 2 cardio sessions each day. This week is 20 minutes, but next week and the following weeks will increase by 5-minute increments. Cardio has always been one of my weaknesses and I look forward to improving my cardiovascular fitness over the next 8 weeks.

I wanted to address the importance of following a workout, but keeping it personal. The reason I stress this is because you may not have the same equipment available in your gym or you may not have the ability to do a particular exercise a certain way because of a previous injury.

Follow the workout as best you can, but always treat these routines as yours. I workout to stay in shape. I’m not looking to compete at a show or anything like that. I like to gain strength and improve my cardiovascular fitness, but feeling good is the primary goal of my workout routine.

If deadlifts, for example, won’t work because of a previous back injury or something like this, you can always substitute the exercise for something else. Exacerbating an injury or trying to do something you just can’t do is ridiculous. Do the best you can and always consider your personal safety and health a prime consideration when using someone else’s routine. Remember: Most of these online trainers have more than a decade of experience working out. If you are just starting out, or in your first year or so, don’t try to do all of the things these workouts require.

I was talking to an old Army buddy of mine recently. He hasn’t worked out in quite a while. He wants to get back into it. I cautioned that he should make a gradual start. You can’t begin a program like this if you have not worked out in a few years. The same goes for any of you.

I’ve been working out for the bulk of my life. I’m no Spring chicken, but I can hold my own in the gym. It’s better to make slow and steady progress instead of trying to bite off more than you can chew and getting injured. Injuries will stop your progress in its tracks. Be careful!

I also cannot stress the importance of diet when you are beginning any workout routine. You have to eat and hydrate! A program like this will kill you if you are not eating, supplementing, sleeping, and hydrating. Weightlifting is a taxing enterprise.

Take your time, when beginning a new routine. Warm up, stretch, and follow the form of the exercises as best as you can. Most gyms will have a local trainer available. If you have any doubt about how to use a machine, ask someone to show you. Some of these machines bite!

You also need to really control the weights you are working with. If you are jerking the weights, using crazy body movements to get a dumbbell or barbell up, you are probably using way too much weight. Back it down and really control the movement as you perform the exercise. I see people everyday using improper form, jerking weights, and dread the day they tear or dislocate something. It is not worth it.

That’s it for today! I hope all of you are getting to the gym or getting exercise daily. It really makes a huge difference in your mental outlook, your self esteem, and sets you up for success in many areas of your life, if not all of them.

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Workout Diary

Tags

Adapting your routine, Bench dips, Bodyweight workout, Pushups, Safety

Michigan got hit with SNOW today. It is so nice to see this white stuff everywhere as we approach Christmas. In light of hazardous driving conditions, I did a bodyweight exercise routine today. Because today was a chest and Triceps day I focused on doing a variety of pushups (wide, close, and normal placement) and one of my favorite triceps exercises, bench dips. I just kept running through these things until my chest and arms were screaming.

I can’t stress the importance of personal safety. If you aren’t comfortable driving to the gym, adapt and improvise. Today and probably tomorrow will be too nasty out to risk a drive to the gym. So, I’ll be coming up with some interesting things to do to hit the body parts I need to.

See you later today folks!

Dave