This Week's Gym Session

Another Spotted Flycatcher shot today, this time of a local bird. I had a lovely morning on Tuesday, enjoying a pair with their two newly fledged young. Surprisingly, there was a second pair not more than 200 metres away but they were more elusive and I couldn't ascertain if they had young yet. Anyway, this adult was very vocal and I was really pleased when it came to land on a post not more than 6 metres from me.

It took me a good 3 days to recover from last week's gym session. I was just worn out - felt like I'd played 5 sets at Wimbledon in the midday sun, lol! Tuesday, I couldn't sit around any longer and got out for a couple of hours to see these Spotted Flycatchers. It was a 2.5mile walk and the main pain was in the right upper thigh/hip connections. By the afternoon, I felt tired again but then had arranged to play table tennis in the evening. It was just a short knock about (40 mins) but was enough for me to need a very quiet, still day on Thursday.

The gym session yesterday was another good one. The push-up-pluses are still difficult and I don't feel like I'm getting any stronger for that exercise (i.e. chest/arm muscles). As a result, I added in some tricep extensions using the cable/rope machine. I guess I probably need to add in a chest exercise but I'm not sure that my left shoulder has the range of motion (or strength) to do it yet.

Yesterday's Gym Set:

• 5 mins exercise bike
• Hip/lower back stretches
• Glute bridges (10 secs hold) 3 reps then with 6kg dumbbell across hips 10 reps, 10 sec holds
  
• Press ups (plus) (at 45 deg angle) 2 x 8 reps
• Hip extension, abduction, adduction with blue theraband 2 x 8 reps
• Leg press 41kg 8 reps, 48kg 2 x 10 reps, 54kg (with seat set back one notch) x 10 reps
  
• Tricep extensions using cable/rope 2 x 10kg (weight was probably too high - will reduce next time)
  
• Seated rows 4kg 10 reps (kept arms extended so just worked scapular muscles), 6kg 3 x 10 reps
  
• Wobble board 4 mins
• Leg extension 10kg 2 x 10 reps
  
• Trunk twist using cable weights 2kg 2 x 10 reps
• Step ups (with 5kg dumbbells) 3 x 10 reps
• Bicep curls 4kg 4 x 5 reps
• Combo lateral/front shoulder raises whilst sitting on exercise ball 3lbs 4 x 5 reps
• Both shoulders, front raise, lying on my back 1lb 10 reps
• Plank 3 x 30 sec hold
• Stretching: hips/lower back, hamstrings and chest/pecs

Noticeable improvements:
Glute bridge with an extra 1kg was do-able.
Leg press felt comfortable at 48kg, glad to then manage 10reps at 54kg with seat back one notch
Seated rows - continued reduction in front left shoulder pain - now almost pain-free. Only niggle is a 'sticky' right elbow connector - sharp pain and difficulty extending arm sometimes.
Truck twists - feels like my ab muscles are settling down to cope with this now instead of getting strained every week. Hopefully they are 'stabilising' and I'll soon be able to up the difficulty.
Step-ups - normally, by that point, my right thigh hurts but yesterday the steps up were almost pain-free.
Combo front/lateral raises - still fairly limited but now able to stay within pain-free range for left shoulder.
Lying on floor, front raises - definite improvement - previously I could really only manage 5 pain-free reps. Can now manage the 10 ok.

I took an iron tablet with lunch yesterday in the hope that it might aid recovery. We'll see.

Took painkillers last night for left shoulder to be able to sleep.

Right upper/inner thigh stiff/strained today.