20 Sets One Set At A Time

     Day 9 of 21. Every time I think that it can't get any suckier, it does. Tonight was just awful. I did a lot of work around the house today. I stripped 3 sections of fence that our neighbor was going to throw away. I'm using it to beef up our chicken coop. So I spent all morning doing that, plus running in and doing laundry. By the time the afternoon arrived, I was already sore and tired. I thought last night was a total grind? HA! Tonight was even worse.

     I took out the push ups. I really just can't stand them and I didn't want to do them. There's no other reason. In their place I did lunge rows. I honestly didn't think I was going to finish. I was sweatier than I've been in a long time and actually had to break out my chalk to keep the bell in my hand. (Side note here - chalk does not feel good on raw skin. I had pulled a splinter out earlier in the day and when I chalked up, it was unpleasant to say the least.) I got to about the 11th set and it felt like I was just shutting down. Every part of me hurt, I was drenched in sweat and I just felt wrung the hell out. So I told myself just get through one more set; it's not that much, and then you can quit. And that's how I got through the last nine sets. I just did one more. When that one was done, I just did one more. Always just one more. 

     I have a tendency to look at each session as one huge set and I think that's probably what screws me up. I feel overwhelmed because I think, How the hell am I going to 20 sets? It seems too daunting. When I tell myself that I jus need to get through one set, it's a more realistic task. I know this sounds way too overcomplicated and maybe for some people it is. For me, on days like this, it's the only way I can possibly accomplish this goal. If there's one thing I am, it's tenacious. I will grind, trudge, and plow my way through difficult tasks and I do it one step, one push, one pull, one set at a time. 

     Here's my breakdown:

START TIME - 4:53pm

END TIME - 5:35pm

35lb KB (15 swings, 5 squats, 3 lunge rows each side) 20x

After I was done, I took my measurements again, purely for shits and giggles. I have no faith that my weight is accurate (see last night's post about that piece of shit). As for my measurements, I figured taking them after my workout might give me a little pump and maybe that would lift my spirits. Meh, not so much.

Thigh - 24" - 1" gain

Bicep - 14" - 1" gain

Calf - 15" - SAME

Waist - 37.5" - 1" loss

Weight 181lbs - 4lb gain

Make of those numbers what you will. I still don't like what I see in the mirror. 

     Tonight's recipe is one of my own doing. We had a ton of zucchini from the garden this year and they were huge! We made some stuffed zucchini and that's always good but I also made some sausage and zucchini soup. It's basically a tomato base with some green peppers, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and then loads of cut up zucchini. and some browned, crumbled, Italian sausage. I can try and write up the recipe at some point, but it's too late at night for my brain to deal with that. Basically, homemade soups are a great option when you're eating healthy. They're very filling and don't pack on a lot of calories or carbs. Stay away from creamy soups though because most of those are loaded with fat!

     Time for a shower, a snack, and then bed.