Roger Bikes

Tag: strength

  • Writing is Exercise

    Writing is Exercise

    I try to get up every morning and workout. It is not something I have been great at doing regularly until about 4 years ago. When I turned 40 I knew I needed to start paying better attention to my body, and keeping it working well. Since then I have a pretty good success rate at getting up and doing some type of exercise. This helps me feel good which generally means I am in a good mood and therefore more productive and pleasant.

    Writing has the same effect, by getting me to think clearly enough to write this sentence. As I write more the easier it is to put my thoughts together and convey what I am thinking. Doing this every morning helps me organize my thoughts about the day. Whether I am reflecting on something that happened yesterday, or planning something for next year writing helps review what is happening.

    When I exercise I am thinking about my next bike ride, hike, or rafting trip. I think about how a strength movement is going to help me in different circumstances. I may also be thinking about how much pain I am in and to keep breathing and get through it. Which is a huge thing to work on and apply to a bike, hike, or rafting trip. In the end I am doing these things because I enjoy them.

    Writing is also an exercise in thinking. When I am writing this sentence I am trying to organize my thoughts to convey something. I am also thinking about work, or a meeting about the trails group. Mainly I am thinking about what the heck am I trying to convey here.

    Where I get stuck with physical exercise and writing exercise is thinking about what others will think. When this happens everything freezes and I forget why I am doing this. Instead I am worrying about how I look, or if someone might think this sentence is silly. There is no benefit to this during exercise. If those things are important to an activity then it isn’t exercise, it’s work.

    The fun part about exercising physically or mentally is that it is just an exercise to get better. I have no delusions about going to the Olympics or being hired as a model, but I do want to enjoy a long bike ride. Physical exercise will ensure that I can physically complete the ride, and hopefully have a smile on my face. I have no delusions that I will be a New York Times bestselling author, but I do want to improve my writing for work. Writing exercise here on my blog gives me a place to practice writing, and expose it to whomever cares to take a look. I hope that it is enjoyable to read, but I try not to take it too seriously. I am writing metaphorical push ups and jumping jacks here with the intent that my writing elsewhere will get better.

  • Strength Training and Recovery Ride

    Strength Training and Recovery Ride

    Today we are back in the gym, aka the living room, and doing some strength training. The prescription workout is for 1 hour of various exercises to strengthen the entire body. 2 sets of 20 reps per exercise is what is called for but I would lose my mind doing 20 reps of anything. It also calls for core work and stretching.

    I mentioned yesterday that last year I did my bodyweight routine when doing these workouts. There are a few issues I currently have with the bodyweight routine:

    1. It’s still cold here. It was 13F this morning and the bodyweight routine needs to be done outside with my pullup bar. Thats what they call a no-go for probably another month, or a third of the 12 week Training Program.
    2. The bodyweight routine is the same workout every time. I have done that routine over 100 times at this point. I need some variation and there are proponents of using variety to get even more gains from strength training.
    3. You need to track your progress on the bodyweight routine. The focus is on progression of strength by increases in reps and then altering the exercise to be more difficult, and continue. This means you need to count during the workout and then write them down. I use Google Sheets on my iPhone and its not a huge deal, but it is still one more thing to do.
    4. Pull Ups are still my kryptonite. I have been working on my pull ups off and on for a few years now and while there has been some progression I am still in the 2 to 3 rep range and its frustrating.

    The good news is that Apple Fitness+ workout’s solves all of these problems.

    1. I can do them inside.
    2. There is a lot of variety: The category of workouts are: HIIT, Yoga, Core, Strength, Treadmill, Cycling, Rowing, Dance, and Mindful Cooldown. There are 21 coaches many of whom teach multiple categories. The sheer volume of classes that Apple started with and continues to release is very impressive.
    3. Tracking is done by my Apple Watch. Sure I can see the numbers while I am working out; it can be interesting to know what heart-rate I have when I am in total agony. A bigger benefit is that I can then send that data into TrainingPeaks and compare things to what my Training Program wants me to be doing.
    4. There are no pull up bars, and therefore no pull ups in Apple Fitness+.😎

    Today was the second day that I used the Fitness+ classes for my prescribed strength workout. There are no 1 hour long classes in Fitness+. The longest classes are 45 minutes but the longest Strength classes are 30 minutes. So I build a combination of classes to get my workout done.

    On Monday I did a 10 minute Yoga class to warmup, then a 30 min strength class, followed with a 10 minute Core class, and finished with a 10 minute Cooldown class. It was challenging though never discouraging.

    Most classes have 3 people in the video with the main coach and 2 coaches from other disciplines to the left and right. Pretty much always the coach to the left on the screen is doing easier modifications of the main move.

    Today I changed it up and started with a 30 min Strength class, then two 10 minute Core classes, and closed with a 10 min Cooldown. This was a good challenge, and while I enjoy my Yoga I am also trying to adhere more closely with my overall Training Program. While some Yoga has a lot of strength work it is proportionally less than a specialized Strength or Core class.

    In the Strength classes the coaches use light and medium weight barbells most of the time. We do not currently own any barbells so I have just been clenching my fists. We are in the market for some barbells so I will eventually have those, but for the moment it seems like a benefit to not yet have them. Let me explain.

    The Strength classes are based around repetitive compound movements. You are squatting while holding barbells by your shoulders. When you stand up you also extend your arms up. You are working many major muscle groups at the same time.

    Using weights allows you to push the upper body workout further and there are studies that show it helps strengthen bones and all types of good things. They also allow you to overtrain and injure yourself especially if you haven’t been working out with weights in a long time. Right now I can go through the motions, focus on my form, and let my legs get torn up first.

    The amount of leg soreness from the Monday workout was still with me when I started todays classes. One good thing about working out though is that as soon as you start the soreness becomes a memory. (If it doesn’t then you are overtrained and need to take a break immediately.)

    The Core classes were challenging but kept things changing up enough that you didn’t dwell on how out of shape things are. The Cooldown class is becoming my favorite. They are like Yoga but even more simple movements and then a couple of minutes of stillness and meditation at the end. It definitely helps calm the mind and reflect.

    Then Kate and I went for a 30 minute recovery ride this evening just before sunset. A recovery ride is a really easy ride for letting the legs move and get the blood flowing. You get into a really easy gear and just let your legs fall over the pedals.

  • Rest Day! 11/100

    Rest Day! 11/100

    The existential dilemma of blogging. My colleague, Jon, talks about the difficulty of writing about your life’s personal details and publishing them for the world to read:

    I have this mental block when it comes to sharing the mundane details of my life in public on the internet. The mental block has nothing to do with privacy. Rather, I don’t think anyone should care that I worked out, what I had for lunch, or that I’m having a good hair day. And I feel a little narcissistic even going through the motions of posting about the mundane.

    Day 11: Musings on Self-Disclosure and a Workout Log

    I commented on his blog that I have this issue every. time. I. blog. In fact part of the purpose of doing this 100 day challenge is to help me get past this hangup. Jon puts it best in why he is still going to post:

    1. It may connect me with someone else.

    2. It will force me to stop and form coherent thoughts.

    3. It will sharpen my writing skills.

    See above citation

    I dig all of these reasons and would say he has met all 3. Great post Jon and thanks for helping remind me why I am doing this as well.

    Naturally I found an article about writing in Hacker News just as I was writing this part of my post:

    More and more people are being exposed to working remotely. One of the key factors for success in a remote workplace is a culture of written communication. It’s not always obvious how to create such a culture, and it takes at least some level of discipline from the people involved to make it a habit.

    Encouraging a Culture of Written Communication

    While this article talks more about posting in Slack-like public channels the overall theme is that writing takes practice. Why not practice writing by writing about stuff you do all the time? There is plenty of material and the challenge to make it interesting to others is considerable. If you can make your workouts/ interesting then writing about business decisions that affect your company should be a breeze.

    Watching:

    Fun video. The production value is hilarious.

    That was a fun but exhausting weekend. I slept for 9.5 hours last night and it was glorious. My body definitely needs a little rest.

    Workout Details:

    Today is supposed to be strength training. I was not in the mood this morning at all. Got a nice sleep in for a few hours and felt refreshed. Was considering not doing the workout today but the sunset was too good to not do something. At first I was gonna do yoga or stretching but the music got me amped up and I did the recommended routine.

    Pull ups are holding steady at 3 reps a set. I added 2 sets for a total of 5 today. The last set was more like 1.5 but I went for 3. I am trying to get all reps clean from the lowest point to collar bone to bar. Feeling good about the progress overall. Sometimes my elbow starts hurting when I train pull ups but that doesn’t seem to be an issue so far. Something to be aware of however.

    Overall its been another great day. I hope yours was good too.

  • Avoiding Fatigue : 8/100

    Avoiding Fatigue : 8/100

    Well this post ended up feeling a little like a lecture. Maybe I am grumpy today. 😂 Happy Friday yall!

    Fatigue and Training:

    Fatigue can be described as a lack of energy or motivation, both physically or mentally. It can be caused by a lack of activity, and also by an excess of activity. Stress from work, personal life, and things like pandemics can also add to the cause of fatigue.

    Unchecked fatigue can lead to serious issues such as injury or illness. Two of the best things you can do for treating fatigue are getting adequate sleep and nutrition.

    If you have not been exercising regularly it may mean that you need to start moving and doing more in your day. If you have been exercising regularly it may mean that you need to pull back a bit and let your body rest and recover. Are you getting at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep a night? Are you eating a balanced diet with fresh/whole fruits and veggies?

    However, we should not look at fatigue as a bad thing. It is more like the temperature gauge in your car. When everything is working as it should the temperature is in the middle of the gauge. When there is a problem the needle moves left or right. When we are groggy in the morning or moody this is our body telling us that it needs something.

    There are a few working theories on what fatigue means for the body. In all of them fatigue is seen as a built in gauge for the body to prevent injury or illness from occurring. Keeping this in mind can help you understand how to handle fatigue and stay productive.

    One purpose of having a training plan is to help avoid excessive fatigue. Holding back a little and staying rested can be better than having the best workout ever. Adding things like prioritization to the plan allows you to do this over the course of weeks and months. This can lead to bigger gains in strength and performance. </end lecture>

    Workout details:

    Back to strength training today with the recommended bodyweight routine. I will admit that my mind was not really focused on the workout today. I got a good nights sleep in but right now I really just want to be riding my bike. However the training program is setup with these strength days for a reason: to help me have good overall strength for staying comfortable on the bike for longer. Thinking about this helps me push through the workout, a little bit anyway. Music is the bigger help. Lots of drum and bass today, as usual.

    On the pull up front I am feeling progress. I did 4 sets of 3 pull ups again. The goal is getting my chin above the bar on each attempt. The other goal is minimal movement from the rest of my body. I want these to be strict with no kipping/cheating.

  • Body-weight Wednesday

    Body-weight Wednesday

    Listening to:

    Fitbit story of how it came to be on How I built that. Fun listen about the start of a big brand that got clobbered by the Apple Watch.

    Product Strategy from the Rework podcast. Always interesting to hear how people design and build things. One take away for me here is setting hard time frames for a product and if it isn’t working by the deadline evaluating if it should be continued or not. Hard to do but critical for success in creating profitable products and services.

    Watching:

    Workout Details:

    Bodyweight routine as on Monday. Feeling pretty good about things with this workout. My main focus is getting my pull-up to 3 sets of 8 reps by the end of July. I have a ways to go but its been a goal for a few years now and I just need to commit to it and make it happen.

    Its another beautiful day here in Colorado. Hoping its nice in your area too!

  • Recommended Routine

    Recommended Routine

    Ok Monday lets go!

    Its a day off today. Well not from working-out but from working. Since we moved back to Colorado over the weekend it seemed like taking an extra day to settle in is a nice touch. Plus there is a lot of work to do on the land, and family and friends to visit (from a distance).

    Workout Details:

    We are back to Monday strength day, and for this workout I have decided to go back to an old favorite: The 2017 Reddit Recommended Routine. It is important to note the year as the routine has been updated, but the new format requires additional equipment which I don’t want to deal with. I have done this routine off and on for a number of years. It is a great way to hit the entire body quickly and intelligently for strength gains.

    Since I live in an RV full-time, workout equipment is at a premium for space and weight. This means that body-weight exercises are going to be the focus. The only equipment needed is a pull-up bar, rings, a mat (optional if you like being in the dirt or rocks), and box (optional). With that equipment I can cover pull and push exercises. Then I have squats, L-sits, and core exercises to cover the rest.

    Today’s workout was good. I have not done it in a few weeks so I kept the reps on the lower end. My pull up still is more of a let down which sounds negative, but only because those are the exercise I am doing in the progression. 🤪

    Ok enough for today. Have a great one and see you manana!

  • Strength Day Wednesday

    Strength Day Wednesday

    Heyo! Happy hump day and lets get right into the strength training day.

    Before I started this current 12 week cycling training program I was pretty consistently doing a 3 day a week bodyweight training program. I have a love then not so love relationship with strength training in general. I love that it makes me stronger and gets me to work on muscle groups that riding a bike doesn’t necessarily work. The not so love part comes in cause when I am doing strength training it means I am not riding my bike.

    Lately I have been using some Yoga and Core workouts included with my Audible subscription to help me do parts of the strength workouts. Part of this is because the cycling training program I am on doesn’t exactly give me a detailed workout plan. Its more of guidelines of what exercises to do. The other part is that having a recording explicitly tell me to do crunches and pushups and mountain climbers and other movements that I don’t like to do, helps get me to do them.

    Today I started off with a 20 minute Yoga warm up to get things going and then did two 10 minute Ab/Core workouts that were really hard. On one hand it is really good to be pushed to the limit as it helps you understand where you can improve. On the other hand it can be a little demotivating to totally get your butt kicked and not be able to complete every movement as instructed.

    In the end I know that each minute I put into the strength work will come back as more comfort and endurance on the bike. 😘