There is certainly something about the holidays that works against fitness. Marie and I had to postpone our 12/24 session until 12/27, and I had even less time than normal for exercise during the run-up to the Christmas celebrations. Given all that, you’d think that my session today would have been a cross between catatonic and catastrophic, but that wasn’t the case.We identified a weakness, a strength imbalance, at the beginning of session four. Not only was my left hamstring muscle tighter than my right one, but the glute on that side was noticeably weaker. While I admit to being right-handed, I cannot say precisely why that side’s leg was stronger than the other…nor do I much care.
One of the great things about being 46 is that I’m 100% disinterested in how I look, and 100% interested in doing things that will help me, and doing them properly. So, when Marie says “quality, not quantity,” I don’t yes her up in the slightest.
I felt bad for having passed up an opportunity to golf on the 22nd. It would have provided another opportunity to test out my progress. I did replace real golf with a dome session, one that featured hickory clubs. I forced myself to swing slower and better, something I could not have done without the lower body stability that I’ve been building these last few months.
Anyway, back to the workout. We did a few baseline tests for strength, stability and balance. I did well with some and struggled on others. Again, being Mr. Optimism (I kill my foes with positivity!) I recognized progress and potential in all of them. I learned that what I thought were planks, were actually hunchbacked excuses for planks that all but eliminated the proper focus on the abs. When Marie got me into a flatter position, I really felt the abdominal muscles go to work. Same deal with squats (we worked on mini squats, to correct my form from the top down.)
I’ve shied away from trainers before, mainly due to the cost involved. Boy, was that foolish. Having Marie present to demonstrate each move and to then monitor my positions, form and motion is invaluable. I hope that her patience with me doesn’t wear thin.
I have a combination of new and old exercises to work on for two weeks. Marie determined that part of my struggles is based on core weakness, so she added two core exercises to the regimen. With luck, we’ll meet again January 7th and I’ll have another update for you.
