Leg day...

I tried to write Barb to answer her question about legs, but her mail was eaten by the Mailer Demon, so I'll lay it out here...

I'm still "easing" back into this, trying not to damage myself beyond what my weight already is.

I'm starting with 5-10 slow minutes on an excercise bike each session just to loosen things a bit, get my heart rate up a bit, etc..

I bought a back extension bench on eBay; I alternate a slow easy set on it with a light set of "good mornings", both of which work your lower back and hamstrings along with your glutes,; I've been doing 4 sets of each, slowly pushing the weight up on the "good mornings". My 4th set yesterday was at 75 pounds, 10 reps. When I first put the back extension bench together I could barely do 2 reps at a time; now I'm doing 4 sets of 8-10 (having shoes on seems to oddly make it easier).

Then I've been doing "back" squats (bar across back of shoulders), though I'm learning to do them without a Smith machine, so I'm not pushing the weight too heavy yet; form is everything, and weight will come later.

I'm taking 3-4 minutes between sets and not supersetting these with anything, letting my heart rate slow and my strength come back.

After 4 sets of them, I've been doing "front" squats (arms crossed, bar across the top of shoulders and arms), though once again not pushing the weight. They work your quads more than your hamstrings...last time I could only do 3 sets of them.

The bench I bought has a leg attachment so after those I'm doing leg extensions and hamstring curls.

For calves, I'm doing toe raises with the bar across my shoulders again, and toe board I made with a 2x4 screwed to a 1x10 to keep it steadier. I had to add another 1x to the top of it to get a better stretch at the bottom...

When I lose a bit more gut and my back isn't quite so tight, I'll start adding some deadlifts into the mix. Right now I'm a bit afraid of them...

Zilla had asked me to let her know how my floor worked out; it's interlocking mat from Sam's Club; I love it! My chest workout I actually did barefoot because it's comfortable and warm. My leg days I wear flat "wrestling" or "mat" shoes to keep my heels down, but I can't stand doing the toe raises barefoot. The corners on my toe raise board are a bit too sharp for my old feet!

I will try and upload some photos of my little gym in the next day or so...

All of that was finished off with 20 minutes on the treadmill; it should be more by now, but I'm going to have to work up to it!

Today not only do I still feel the pull in all of those muscles, but across my upper back from the day before. Tomorrow will be an "off" day as Dottie traded Friday for Thursday this week to help someone else out, and we're going to see the new "Batman" movie. I may do some back extensions and treadmill later this evening and again tomorrow.

Friday if I get whatever shopping needs done early enough, I will try and do another chest workout; I don't know yet whether I'll include back or let it wait an extra day or two. I'm still feeling my way through a return to all of this, trying to work things as they quit hurting and rest the ones that are...

May the rest of your weeks be kind!

alan