Last Monday I was ready to start weight training with a vengeance. I started by walking, which I always do, but forced myself to use the treadmill so I could create an incline and loosen myself up more. I then did my scheduled deadlifts and squats. Tuesday: arms day. Again, a warm-up walk and then some push ups along with bench press and overhead press. My arms felt a bit like jelly, but I wasn’t overly concerned. Wednesday: Ugh. I couldn’t move my arms well. My legs were still a little sore from Monday but nothing too out of the ordinary. I still managed to do my squats and deadlifts again, but my arms were getting extremely unhappy about holding the barbell. Thursday: Nope. The DOMS in my arms had reached maximum soreness and pain levels. I could barely move them and when I did I felt like several knives were attacking them. I clearly overdid it on Tuesday and my arms were in much worse shape than I’d realized. I did too much too soon and was left miserable from Thursday all the way through Saturday so other than some walking I ditched the rest of my weekly routine.
The idea behind my schedule was alternating arm and leg days and exercising 4 days a week, maybe 5 when I get over the initial DOMS. That left me with the weekends to relax. If I had DOMS in my legs one day, that wouldn’t affect my arms getting their workout and vice versa. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as planned last week.
I greatly overestimated my arm strength and that was my stupid stubbornness at work. I got it in my head that I could pick up near where I left off several years ago when I was regularly weight training and now realizing this I have more than once mentally facepalmed myself for my idiocy. For reference, back in 2017-2018 I was deadlifting 180 lbs, squatting 60 lbs, overhead press 50 lbs, bench press 50 lbs, and I could do multiple sets of chin ups and pull ups.
I cannot do a fraction of that right now. I didn’t throw on too much weight for my arms, but I clearly grossly overestimated my own strength. I also didn’t pay attention to the fact that I’ve had lock shoulder in my left arm and it will not move the same way every again. It feels off when I move it and while my range of motion is “normal” my arms are hyper-flexible. I’ve always been that weird one who can bend out their arms in ways that make most people recoil back in horror. My arms are the only area I’m like that and while I am within normal range of motion for my recovered arm, it doesn’t feel like it because I can’t make it hyper flex like it used to so I feel like I have a bit of a handicap. I got so used to doing exercises in my hyper flexed way I’m having to relearn how to use my arms properly for positioning the weights. I should’ve known I was doing something wrong because of how much I was having to adjust my arms last Tuesday, but I ignored it and carried on, much to my later detriment.
This past week’s outfits weren’t anything special. I liked the simple practicality of outfit 3 and the weather was really nice so I didn’t need a jacket when I went out in outfit 6. Outfit 4 was modified later in the day to my black Yohji coat and white shoes for when we went out for Korean BBQ. I forgot to take an updated photo.
I’m realizing my monotone aesthetic needs a lot of work, but I’m not overly bothered by any of these outfits. What I’m noticing is the fact that yes, I’m keeping things tonally the same – muted greens, blush, beige, grays, and blues for grounding and contrast. Granted, I’d like more complete monochrome outfits, I’m still not going to go on a shopping spree just to match the ideal in my head when it’s really not necessary.
That being said, I was sorely tempted to buy a new winter coat this week after I said I wouldn’t last week, despite the shortcomings of my current one. Aside from not being very weatherproof the hood does not have a drawstring and when I walked outside in the cold I had to hold the hood up as I faced the wind, which annoyed me greatly. I’ve been scouring online for my ideal winter coat but not found it yet. I want something roughly the same length (mid thigh to knee range) with more pockets, a hood I can tighten (and preferably fuzzy – I’ve always had a thing for that look), and most importantly weatherproof. I realize I’m probably going to be forking out some serious money for a long lasting coat like that, but if it lasts me 10 or so years then I’ll consider it worthwhile. If anyone has any recs, please let me know.
JENKR 