Chronicles of a Fat Boy

Been tubby my whole life. Been better about it some days than others. I just passed a milestone birthday and I figured I'd better finally do something about this before I get too old. M/50/Pan/Poly DNI if you're under 18, racist, homophobic, a feeder, or MAGA.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

7/23 Workout and weighin

342 this morning. I'm not best pleased, but I know I have not been eating great due to having visitors and being on the road a lot over the last several days to a week. So I'll try to tighten that up this week.

Have to make this a quick one, cuz I'm about to get out the door. Have a club date with one of my partners tonight with the possibility of some parallel play with other people I really like so this should be really cool. Anyway, last night was leg night and I got through it okay. I can tell that I've been lax with hitting my leg workouts the last couple of weeks, so I was really feeling it till I was done. The hack squat in particular was really rough. But we got through it and I feel good.

As a side note, I did choose to sign up for the BUFF app. I like it so far. I have a year's subscription, so we'll see how that goes. I'll give you updated. Anyway, here's a screenshot from the app with the results of last night's exercise.

Have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do, but if you do, make sure you send pictures.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

7/21 Workout

So I decided that I wanted to try to use the BUFF App tonight. I'm just using the free membership version so I don't have access to a profile or a lot of the big features the app is offering, but you can enter your own custom workout and you can see demos of the various exercises. Seems a good app for my purposes. Will definitely be easier than my current method of just writing down what I'm doing and messaging it to myself to enter into Tumblr later.

I did make two entry mistakes that I see. I did 4 sets of pull downs and 4 sets of wrist extensions. But it's ok, I'm not massively stuck on the math. But I did cost myself XP, I suppose. LOL

I might actually consider paying for this, depending on the cost.

Anyway, went to my usual spot a little later than usual, so it was close to deserted save for about 4 other people. And it was PERFECT. The weirdness of my elbow angles came out to bite me again as I noticed when doing the dumbbell curls and the wrist exercises that my arms were way out to the side and forcing them to move in a straight vertical plane hurt like hell. Maybe once I lose some fat off my chest and sides so my arms can hang straight I might have to talk to an orthopedist about correcting that.

Oh well. That's future fatboy problems.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

7/19 Workout

So I never made it to the gym last Thursday. It's ok, we did a lot of walking over the last several days so I got some cardio in if noting else.

I'm trying hard to be consistent with my weights. After all, that's what this blog is for. To help me remember what and where I'm working at. But it like last week I banged out shoulder presses, three sets of 12, on the smith machine at 50 lbs with little to no problem. This week, it was a struggle. It could have been diet over the last few days or it could be where in the workout routine that fell, I suppose. I generally do three press sets on chest day: Machine press, then smith machine lateral press and shoulder press.

I dunno. I'll have to work out an optimal routine schedule and stick to that I guess.

Anyway.

Machine Chest Press: 4x10 90 lbs Pec Deck Flys: 3x12 80 lbs Machine Triceps Press: 4x10 110 lbs Machine Triceps Extension: 4x10 80 lbs Machine Back Extensions: 4x10 130 lbs Smith Machine Incline Press: 3x12 50 lbs Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 3x12 50 lbs Dumbbell lat raises: 1x12 10 lbs (failure), 2x12 5 lbs Dumbbell shoulder shrugs: 3x12 40 lbs

[grymm]

Beginning of arc | Previous Page | Master Archive

I never heard the phrase "Team work makes the dream work" before 2020, and I have hated it on a primal level ever since. Hearing it ignites the part of my brain that tells me to start surgically removing jugulars with my teeth.

But all that said, I can not look at CK, Mirth, and Grymm pooling their magical bullshit together and not immediately think that phrase every single time.

I really do love how this page turned out though.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

Where the hell was I?

Well, we had a lot of things going on, plus I managed to hurt myself doing hack squats, so some time off was required.

7/3 Workout

Day before the holiday and my schedule was FUCKED. I wasn't going to be able to get my regular workout in at my usual time so I decided to go mid-day.

I always get anxious going to the gym when it's crowded. I'm not sure why. I know I hate standing around waiting for a piece of equipment to come available, but it's something more than that. Just a really deep anxiety comes over me. I hate crowds, I hate bumping into people, I hate waiting. That's why I like to go late in the evening. I can do my thing at my own pace and get the hell out.

It took SO freaking long to get to the leg curl equipment. Every time I turned around, someone new was on it and I was getting quite exasperated. I ended up just going over to the machine and standing there until the woman who was on it hopped off and I grabbed it right away. And while I was banging out my sets, I was catching stinkeye from all the older folk who clearly REALLY wanted on that equipment.

Where I ended up hurting myself was in the hack squats. Honestly, I don't really know what happened. Nothing tore, thankfully, but the motion felt really strained and it hurt. Bad. Till I finished my third set, a guy who was on the smith machine came over to ask if I was ok.

Till I got home and into the next day, moving my legs was a painful experience. So I laid off a little to take time to rest up, and then the world went sideways for a few days.

Machine Leg Press: 4x10 230 lbs Hack Squats: 3x10 140 lbs Machine Leg Extension: 3x12 70 lbs Machine Leg Curls: 3x12 70 lbs Seated Calf Raises: 4x10 65 lbs By this time I was completely frustrated and sore and there was a line for the hip abductor and adductor machines, so I just said fuck it and went home.

7/12 Workout

Not much to say here. Was just ready to go. They had a new incline press setup, so I wanted to give that a shot. Just as well since the Smiths were all being used pretty regularly that night. Also found a triceps extension machine that looked interesting.

Machine Chest Press: 4x10 80 lbs Machine Tricep Press: 4x10 110 lbs Incline Press: 1x12 32 lbs, 1x12 42 lbs, 1x6 42 (failure), 1x6 32 Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 3x12 50 lbs Machine Pec Deck Flys: 3x12 80 lbs Machine Back Extension: 4x10 115 lbs Machine Triceps Extension: 3x12 50 lbs Dumbbell Lat Raise: 1x12 10 lbs, 1x6 10 lbs (failure), 1x6 5 lbs, 1x12 5lbs Dumbbell Shrugs: 3x12 40 lbs

7/14 Workout

Back was sore last night and the people were weird. I greeted the desk attendant who just kind of stared straight through to the back of my head with no reaction. I saw a couple of kids doing forearm flexor and extenders using a cable machine, and I admit I never thought of that. They say me looking and I commented that what they're doing is a good idea and I'll have to try that. Again, blank stares. Oh well. Not that I go to the gym with the expectation of being social (as stated previously, I hate being around people when I work out) but something a little more than a blank stare would be nice when interacting. Oh, and the benches were all full so there was no chance to get anywhere near the dumbbells, so that new idea kinda worked out. Sadly, it just meant I had to make my elbow mad by using the machine bicep curl again.

Machine Lat Pulldown: 4x10 110 lbs Machine Seated Rows: 4x10 100 lbs Machine Rear Delt Flys: 3x12 70 lbs Machine Bicep Curl: 3x12 60 lbs Cable Pullover: 3x12 70 lbs Cable Forearm Extender: 4x10 30 lbs Cable Forearm Flexor: 4x10 30 lbs Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3x12 30 lbs

I have a guest coming in to stay the weekend, so I'm not sure how I'm gonna fit leg day in tomorrow. I'm off so I could just get up first thing in the morning, but I really don't want a repeat of the full gym from earlier in the month. I really don't want to skip, so maybe I should just wait until late Thursday after they go to bed to go. We'll have to see. I'll let you know.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/30 Workout

Tried to make this a quick one. One of my partners had a date night that wrapped up right around the time I got to the gym and she wanted to talk about it, and at the same time I was encouraging another friend to talk about the difficulties they had at couple's therapy with their partner earlier that night. So embarrassingly, I was one of those clowns you see at PF knocking out a set of reps, then on their phone between sets.

The night went pretty ok for the most part, outside of the fairly constant stream of interruptions. I know I could have ignored my phone for the hour or so that I was there in the gym, but I tried to keep mid-set interactions to 30 seconds or less which is about my mid-set interval anyway. I try to encourage openness in my partners, that they can tell me anything they wish without fear, and I try to encourage same in my platonic friends. So it didn't feel right to be like "hey, sit on this for an hour, I'll be right back" you know?

So anyway, arms and lats. Went pretty well. I do feel like I'm sort of up against my functional weight ceiling in several different exercises. A few different processes were suggested to me to try and break through that. One was a high intensity approach where you do two warm up sets of 8-10 at close to your max, and then one working set of 5-10 at or incrementally beyond your max. (I think this was Mike Mentzer's approach? I never really studied him all that much.) Inverse pyramiding was also suggested. First set is at your max or beyond, with subsequent sets incrementally going down. Of course, you could also go the other direction with it. Dunno, there's so many schools of thought on this with proven results. Have to figure out what works for me. If I had more money I'd engage a coach to help me figure this out. Alas.

Anyway.

Machine Lat Pulldowns: 4x10 105 lbs Machine Rear Delt Flys: 3x12 70 lbs Cable Lat Pullovers: 3x12 70 lbs Machine Seated Rows: 4x10 100 lbs Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 3x12 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3x12 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Extenders: 4x10 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Flexors: 4x10 17.5 lbs

I'm definitely feeling it in my biceps, which makes me happy. May try to step up to 20 lbs this week coming. My right elbow still continues to be an issue where it's not completely straight (I mean, like the rest of me, but still) so barbell preacher curls were killing me. Maybe I can do dumbbells on the bench but angle my body in a way that the curl will be straight on to the joint? I'm just afraid right now that I'm not doing optimal work on the biceps since my joint is kinda skewed off to the side. Something to experiment with later.

June Pride is over, July Pride is just beginning. May you all find the love you desire in whatever form that takes. (and if you don't like that take, fuck off.)

See you next time for leg day.

(Side thought: I've been watching BUFF Dudes on Youtube for a few years now and I like their content. I got the app but haven't really explored it yet. Anyone have experience with it? Thoughts?)

[casenpai]

You’re never too old to collect figures.

You’re never too old to be in a fandom.

You’re never too old to play video games.

You’re never too old to listen to music.

You’re never too old to enjoy things.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

I've been working on buying all the STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE things that I desperately wanted as a child but could never have....

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/28 workout

Back at it.

So between putting down Izzie, various issues both of my partners were experiencing, and my skin condition problems (and momentum, if we're being honest) last night was my first night back in about a week and a half. It felt good.

Gym was fuller than I'd like for 10 pm on a Sunday, but it is what it is. I recognized a small handful of the same people I see every week, but there was an influx of new people as well. It's ok as I only had to wait for a bench at the dumbbell rack for a few minutes before they cleared out.

Definitely feeling it in my shoulders and upper pecs today. Smith Machine Shoulder Presses were giving me a real hassle at 60 lbs, three sets of 12 reps last night. I wonder if that may be because I'm doing them back to back with the Smith machine incline presses at 70 lbs, three sets of 12. I just do it like that because bench space is a premium and I don't want to re-rack all my plates just to have to come back and re-load after a few minutes. And I don't really fit on the shoulder press machine they have there at PF. Not sure if it's a flexibility issue or what the deal is. Maybe I'll try that again next week. We'll see. For now though, I didn't really worry with my weight all that much, so I hung in the general neighborhood of where I was 2 weeks ago. Once we get back to consistency and I feel like I'm easily mastering the weights I'm at, I'll move up.

I do need to consider changing up my routine as well soon. May be time to get that big Arnold Schwarzenegger encyclopedia down off the shelf and get to building.

Anyway.

Machine Chest Press: 4x10 85lbs Pec Deck Flies: 3x12 70 lbs Smith Machine Incline Press: 3x12 70 lbs Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 3x12 60 lbs Machine Back Extensions: 4x10 120 lbs Machine Triceps press: 4x10 110 lbs Dumbbell lateral raise: 3x12 5 lbs Dumbbell Shrugs: 3x12 35 lbs

On both the Smith presses, the first set went perfectly. The second I started to falter towards the end. The third was really hard. On the incline I was able to gut out 12 though I recognize the degradation of form as my hips came up off the bench. On the shoulder I just about hit failure on rep 9. I stopped for about a minute to breathe, and then got the last three up and out. I know I moved back extensions to night two last time, but I wanted to do them last night. The lats and or erector muscles on the right side of my spine in mid-back have been sore this week, so I wanted to try and activate them. It felt good, and I made a point to get on the massage chair after under a heavy knead. Made me yelp a little, but it really helped.

Right then. Back again on Tuesday.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/23 check in

345 today.

The fungal issue on my chest is trying real hard to come back and I'm just about at my wit's end with this. Showering twice a day now and slathering myself up with all the creams seems to work, but the moment it looks like I'm in the clear it comes roaring back and I'm frustrated as hell.

Putting down Izzie last Friday was harder than I thought it was going to be. You see, I never truly had pets of my own growing up. We had a lab named Blackie but she was my stepdad's girl. Mean as the day is long to anyone that wasn't him. The old man next door used to come taunt her at night. (We were in the early 80's here, so animal protection laws weren't really a thing.) Caught him a few times. Not sure why he had it in for this dog, but we figure he came over to fuck with the dog one night and she got off her chain and ran into the road and that was that. That and a rabbit we did a shit job of taking care of, so my stepdad concocted this elaborate bit of theatre about how he broke out of his cage and ran away because we didn't take care of him. (And not so coincidentally, we had rabbit for dinner a few nights later. Hmm.)

It was hitting my partner very hard because she had Izzie for the last 13 years. So letting her grieve while keeping her spirits up was a hard dance. Still working on it.

Took her out on the water in a jonboat in a local state park on Sunday. It was nice work with all the rowing, but I managed to eat shit and fall on my head disembarking. Twisted my neck and right shoulder. It's feeling better today, but that all contributed to my not going to the gym Sunday night, especially since that was shoulder and chest night. Not sure i'm going to be able to make it tonight either with the fungal issues and schedule weirdness. (Let me tell you, polyamory without a calendar app is pretty much a losing battle.)

So anyway, that's my excuse for Sunday and probably for tonight. I started tracking food today to get my Macros right, so hopefully I'll start seeing more gains as I try to ramp up the routine.

Now if I can just get these skin conditions under control.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

No gym tonight

We're putting my partner's dog down in the morning. Her name is Izzie, she's a 15 year old German Shorthair Pointer, and she's the bestest damn girl. See you Sunday.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/16 Workout

So I got another health diagnosis that I'm unhappy about. It's minor, so the two of you who actually read this stuff don't have to worry, but I'm still quite depressed about it. Add in what amounted to a couple miscommunications with both my partners and it resulted in a pretty low night. Most of the issues were resolved by the end of the night, which is good. Partner is being a little non-communicative this morning, but that may just be sleepy issues and not anything to do with me. So not reading too much into it. Wife had me read to her a little bit before she went to bed, which is always nice. She'll be leaving to spend the weekend with her other partner on Friday, so we're trying to get some time in before.

Anyway, after wife went to bed and partner was still spending time with her other partner, I managed to scrape myself together enough to go to the gym.

I've gotten away from doing curls on the machine and working with dumbbells, but I'm still kinda shocked at just how crooked my right arm is. The more I'm reflecting on it, I think it's been a combination of breaking that elbow as a kid and then years of being fat, so that arm was kind of splayed out laterally since I had a lot of fat on my sides and chest. Maybe that's why my left arm is so much stronger than my right. But anyway, that's a mystery for another day.

Moved my back extensions to this workout along with the rear delt flies. I want to start working in more back stuff as I go, along with more arm stuff. So something to work on figuring out.

Anyway.

No great shakes insofar as increases in weight. Decided to kinda sit where I'm at right now and get really good with this weight before moving on.

Machine lat pulldown: 4x10 105 lbs Machine seated rows: 4x10 100 lbs Machine Back Extension: 4x10 160 lbs Machine Rear Delt Flies: 3x12 70 lbs Cable Lat Pullovers: 3x12 70 lbs Dumbbell Curls: 3x12 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Flexors: 3x12 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Extenders: 3x12 17.5 lbs Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3x12 17.5 lbs Needed a bit of zen with the way my evening was going, so I had PAINT THE SKY WITH STARS, the Enya greatest hits collection playing.

I was happy to see a bit of the pump showing in my forearms. That's the first truly external indicator that I have recognized that I'm working and things are changing a bit. It's not much, but I'm happy with it.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/14 Workout

The skin issue subsided enough that I felt comfortable going to work out. Just made extra sure that my shirt was tucked in and that I wiped everything down after, then showered when I got home. My skin looks good and everything has really faded, but I'm gonna be real careful for awhile yet. I just really missed the gym and wanted to get back to it.

I'm trying to re-think my workouts. I know I've said this before, but I'm trying to put thought into it now. I want to keep working a three day split as that is best for my schedule right now. The plan I was following has the next steps as a 4 day push/pull split which absolutely makes sense, but I can't fit that in my schedule right now.

In the interim, I moved a couple things around and I'm intentionally lifting a little lighter this week due to being out a week and a half or so.

Machine Chest Press: 1x10 60lbs 3x10 65 lbs Pec Deck Flies: 3x12 70 lbs Smith Machine Incline Press: 3x12 70 lbs Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 2x12 70 lbs (failure), 1x12 60 lbs Machine Triceps Press: 4x10 100lbs Dumbbell Lat Raises: 3x12 5 lbs Dumbell Lat Raises: 4x10 35 lbs

I know I would really benefit from having a workout partner, but my schedule is too erratic for anyone to willingly go along with it. I know I can use a push and some direction in my workouts. Plus, I know I'm never gonna be Arnold or Franco or any of those cats. This is more just for me to know I can do it, and I want to look good.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

Canceling for this week. Had a recurrence of a really bad skin infection so figure it's probably best to stay out of the gym for a couple of days. Seeing the doctor tomorrow.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

6/5 Weigh-In

343 lbs. So actually up 3 pounds from a few weeks ago. My wife and my girlfriend insist that I'm slimming and putting on muscle, which I think I agree with as a pair of pants that's always been tight are a bit looser. I've not been overly stressed about the weight, so I'm ok with it. More concerned about the look. And if I can look the way I want while still being 300+, then I'm ok with it. We'll see what happens when we get there.

Sorry, no progress pic today. That rash I had on my chest a couple weeks ago started to come back. Fortunately it's not as bad, but it still sucks. May end up skipping tonight's workout to let this heal.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

I gotta get back in the swing of writing these things

I don't have any expectation of anyone following or commenting (though words of encouragement are always nice), so the whole point of this diary is to track my workouts. If I keep forgetting to do it, then what's the point?

Anyway.

5/28 Workout

Leg day. Not much to report on this one that I remember.

Seated Calf Raises: 4x10 75 lbs Seated Leg Curls: 2x12 80 lbs, 1x12 70 lbs Seated Leg Extension: 3x12 80 lbs Leg Press Machine: 4x10 230 lbs Hack Squats: 4x10 140 lbs Hip Abduction: 4x10 130 lbs Hip Adduction: 4x10 130 lbs 5/31 Workout

Backup Sunday location. (Is it really a backup if that's where I go every Sunday?) I remember it was a little full but no real interesting interactions or anything this time.

Chest Press Machine: 3x10 90 lbs, 8@90 lbs (failure), 2@80 lbs Pec Deck Flies: 3x12 80 lbs Back Extension Machine: 4x10 160 lbs Smith Machine Incline Press: 3x12 55 lbs Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 3x12 55 lbs Dumbbell Lat Raise: 4x10 5lbs Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 4x10 30 lbs

6/2 Workout

Was a little late getting out the door. The gym was a little fuller than usual, but not by much. I didn't have to really wait much between machines, so that was cool.

I had intended to move rear delt flies to the Tuesday night schedule but I forgot about it. I really need to sit down and make a better schedule of splits for myself. I started with a workout I found on some muscle website and I've been trying to tweak it to match with my abilities and the equipment that's available at my local PF's. So I ended up with a kind of mishmash of exercises between the Sunday and Tuesday sessions. But then again, I'm not doing much with back right now, so maybe I should have left it the same night as chest? Hell, I don't know.

It's probably high time for a workout overhaul anyway.

On the positive, I decided to get off the cable machines for all curls. So as a result, I'm back to relatively light lifting on dumbbells. Stuck with 15 lbs across the board this time, and I think I'll be ready to move up next session. Especially the hammer curls.

Decided I needed a different kind of motivation, so I was listening to Jerry Goldsmith's STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE soundtrack. My favorite TREK movie, and rousing in its own way.

Pretty productive evening all the way around. Was pleased with this one.

Machine Lat Pulldown: 4x10 105 lbs Machine Triceps Press: 4x10 120 lbs Machine Seated Rows: 4x10 100 lbs Cable Lat Pullovers: 3x12 70 lbs Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3x12 15 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Flexor Curls: 3x12 15 lbs Dumbbell Forearm Extender Curls: 3x12 15 lbs Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3x12 15 lbs

Even with the light dumbbells, I was kinda feeling it in my biceps until the third set, so this tells me that the machines were probably helping me more than I wanted. My right elbow doesn't bend correctly and I'm noticing that my left wrist doesn't either. I broke both of those as a kid (elbow in the late 70's, wrist in the early 90's) so that's probably why. We'll have to see how it impacts further development.

Will probably do a weight check in tomorrow.

What fitness tracking apps do you all use?

See you later

[chroniclesofafatboy]

Am I losing interest in this?

I just can't seem to force myself to sit down and write. Maybe I'm just disheartened because it seems every other time I make a post or share a pic I get someone flooding my mailbox offering to be a sugar daddy if I get fat for them. It's exhausting, and I'm sure most of them are bots anyway. I probably just should turn commenting off.

Anyway. Trying to catch this up. Where did I leave off?

5/22 Workout

Had to push it to Friday due to Thursday plans. I had to go to the backup to my backup location due to it being the only true 24/7 PF in the area. The only thing I really remember taking note to that night (besides Greg Gutfeld's remarkably punchable face on several of the tv's) is some schmuck in the back of the room with his earbuds in singing LOUDLY and hideously off key. I was considering the aerodynamic properties of a 45-pound plate when he finally moved to a different part of the gym. Plus we had the usual limpdickery of clowns standing around watching their buddy lift and sitting on several machines surrounding the equipment actually being used, and then not bothering to re-rack. (Yes, I'm fucking grumpy, can you tell?) Seated Calf Raises: 4x10 70 lbs (+5) Hip Adduction: 4x10 130 lbs (+10) Hip Abduction: 4x10 130 lbs (+10) Leg Press: 4x10 220 lbs (NC) Seated Leg Curl: 3x12 70 lbs (NC) Hack Squats: 4x10 135 lbs (+5) Leg Extensions: 3x12 80 lbs (NC)

5/24 Workout

Back to the normal Sunday spot. So this was a weird day in that I stayed the night with my partner and we burned off a lot of energy over Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We went to a local Bob Evans for a late breakfast, and the 4 hotcake platter with coffee and a side of bacon just stuffed me. So that was quite literally the only thing I ate all day. When I was on my way to the gym I was chatting with another friend when I realized that my protein and calorie intake for the day was dangerously low. So just to try to get something in my stomach, I stopped at a Sheetz and grabbed 2 hot dogs with cheese. Then went to work out. Got the burps about halfway through and then on the presses I bottomed out. Complete lack of energy and strength. I lowered the weights to something tolerable so I could at least do the set, but I was a hurting unit until that was over. Gonna have to be more careful going forward.

Chest Press: 2x10 100 lbs (NC), 8@100 lbs & 2@90 lbs, 5@90 lbs & 5@80 lbs. Back Extension: 4x160 lbs (NC) Pec Dec Flies: 3x12 80lbs (NC) Rear Delt Flies: 3x12 50lbs (new exercise) Shoulder Press: 10@75 lbs (+5) & 2@70 lbs, 8@70 lbs & 4@55 lbs, 12@55 lbs Incline Press: 3x12 55 lbs (-15)

5/26 Workout

So, determined not to repeat the same mistakes as Sunday I made sure to protein max during the day, much to the chagrin of my poor wife who had to sit next to me on the couch and smell all that.

It was a good, productive evening. I remembered my earbuds for the first time in weeks, so I had my dedicated gym mix on. (SUPERMAN MARCH, Theme from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, ANVIL OF CROM, good stuff like that.)

The woman at the front desk regarded me with something relatively approaching warmth, so I'm happy with that too. Not trying anything with her and not interested, but it's a bummer to say "Hi" as you're going in and "Have a good night" as you're going out and just get a stare and scowl in return. But hey, she's absolutely within her rights to present how she chooses. I was just happy to get a "thanks, you too" as I went by.

Anyway.

Lat Pulldowns: 4x10 105 lbs (+5) Triceps Press: 4x10 115 lbs (+5) Seated Rows: 4x10 100 lbs (NC) Cable Lat Pullovers: 3x12 60 lbs (I can't find the last time I did these. Somehow they fell off my routine.) Cable Hammer Curls: 3x12 60 lbs (not sure, thinking it's -10) Dumbbell bicep curls: 3x12 15 lbs

Ok, so about bicep curls. PF has a bicep curl machine and I was banging out 60 lb curls on those. Now here's the thing: These kind of machines have a very specific plane of motion, and my right elbow doesn't play nice with it. My arm isn't completely straight. (Then again, neither am I, so yay for consistency, I guess) So what ends up happening is that the medial part of my elbow (when in curl position) begins to hurt. So last night I decided to do dumbbells instead to try and alleviate that pain. But, I picked up a 50 lb dumbbell and it was SO hard to move. I mean, I should be moving that no issue since I was killing it on the machine at more weight than that, right?

All I can figure is that it's a property of levers issue with the cable driven machines and somehow moving 60 lbs on the machine is so much easier than moving a 50 lb chunk of iron. So now I'm wondering if I've really been working to my true potential all this time? I don't have a workout partner so I'm a little leery of free weights. I don't have a spotter and I'm likely to drop a barbell on my head. So machines are the way to go for me in most things. I just wonder if I'm doing myself a disservice by using machines, you know?

If there are any followers left that I haven't chased away for perving on me with knowledge on this topic, I'd love some direction. Thanks!

Back again on Thursday.

[chroniclesofafatboy]

3/19 Workout

So this day was a fucking JOURNEY.

About 7:30 the night before, I was out with my partner and her roommate for dinner and then went over to Walmart for dog supplies and she began holding her head and screaming in pain. We took her home to lay down but it just got worse, so I took her to the hospital. They eventually diagnosed her with a very severe migraine and gave her the cocktail to try and alleviate it for her. Her mom ended up coming over and sitting with us and agreed to take her home when she was eventually released, which was around about 4am. For my part, I had to leave around 12:30. I didn't want to, but the reason takes me on to the next part of the story.

Another family member died suddenly last Friday. She was having a minor surgery on a kidney stone which ended up kicking up a blood clot that settled in her heart. She was 41. She's not a cousin I see often because they live out below Morgantown West Virginia. So after 4 hours of sleep, I was up at 5:30 to be on the road within an hour to make the just about 4 hour drive.

Sadly, due to construction (what, road construction in PA, MD, and WV? Surely you jest) and complications arising from drinking two large black McDonald's coffees, I got there just after the visitation ended. But the service was lovely and I got to briefly reconnect with the family.

After that ended, I drove up to Morgantown to have dinner with a very close and dear friend that I've not seen in person in a few years. It was a wonderful time and overall a good day.

I took my time going home. Overall, I ended up putting about 510 miles on the car during this trip. I do enjoy road tripping when I can, so this was an enjoyable experience.

So I'm not sure what possessed me to do this other than pure bravado, but after driving over 500 miles on 4 hours sleep and 16 hours of constant motion, I decided to hit the Planet Fitness.

I'm not sure I should have bothered.

I got some good work in, but I recognize that I was checked out for a lot of it. I even forgot one exercise completely, so I'll have to try and catch it up next gym trip.

Lat Pulldowns: 4x10 100 lbs (+10) Triceps Press: 4x10 110 lbs (+10) Seated Rows: 4x10 100 lbs (+10) Biceps curls 3x12 50 lbs (-10) so this is where I forgot I'm supposed to do 4x10 Tricep Pushdowns 2x12 70 1x12 50 There were no hammer grip attachments that I could find, so I improvised

Anyway. Back to it again. May end up going Friday night as tonight is already shaping up to be a full night.

see ya then