Happy New Year everyone! In much of Europe there's some true winter with temperatures around or below zero, and heavy snow falls in some areas. Here in the south of Ireland we have around zero and no snow (although there's some risk this evening), and yet again I'm happy to live here in the south! But it's cold enough to keep me inside despite a beautiful sunshine. Like Debbie mentioned some time ago, the older I get the pickier I get with weather. I want 5C or more to get me out for anything more than taking myself from point A to B.
We've had a quite eventful week with settling into the life of being pet owners again, and Whirlwind Elsa raving around the house. The New Year's holiday came and went, my husband made it through the cycling challenge on Strava, and I've done some lifting and muscle TLC at home and was back in the gym on Friday, but more movement certainly wouldn't have hurt. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but from next week I'll set up a routine so that I always do some kind of movement each day.
With the lack of outdoor walking there will be a lack of photos, but... at least now there will always be cat photos.
This post is linked with the Weekly rundown link-up, hosted by Deborah and Kim. It’s where fitness bloggers get together to share their ups and downs with fitness and training, whether it’s about strength, running, cycling or something else. It’s great for accountability as well as inspiring and supporting each other. We also include some bits from everyday life if we want to. Let’s get into it!
Monday - strength training at home
I did a good strength session in our home gym, with a plank followed by lunges (with 12,5 kg dumbbells), Renegade rows (10 kg dumbbells), forward raises, shoulder presses and bent-over lateral raises. I did all the shoulder exerices again with the 7,5 kg dumbbells. For these at-home workouts I also add in a good balance/stability exercise, when I stand on both feet, hold a pair of dumbbells (I used the 12,5 kg) and then lift one knee up towards the chest and hold a few seconds. If you're not a pro with balance, it's harder than you think and a very good exercise.
Evenings this week have looked something like this:
She looks so sweet and soft but don't be fooled... when she's awake she's everywhere at once and when she's in play mode, don't get in the way! For mouse hunting she shows very good potential. My husband got her some fake mice from Amazon for practice, and she chases them and carries them around everywhere. So cute!
Tuesday
The outdoors was greyer than grey, and cold. I stayed indoors and did the plank, glute/lower back stretch, and work.
Wednesday - strength training at home
New Year's Eve! I enjoyed another good session in the home gym.
I did Romanian deadlifts with 12,5 kg dumbbells, single leg heel raises with one 12,5 kg dumbbell, brace squats holding a 5 kg dumbbell, the plank, push-ups and bilateral dumbbell rows (with 15 kg dumbbells). It was a good session and I'm glad I've been able to keep up the heavy weights during the Christmas break.
We're the boring types and usually don't do anything in particular on New Year's Eve. If we're invited to something we're happy to go, but we just don't think it's anything special to celebrate! We enjoyed a good dinner, some whiskey and chocolate, and movies. Elsa cuddles were included of course.
Thursday
The weather looked nice and around lunchtime the temperature was quite decent too, but before I had even thought of preparing to go out, the sky darkened and it started raining. Pff.
I decided to get onto the bike, but realised my iPad was dead. Since our bike is a Zwift bike, I need the app to use it (definitely the downside but I otherwise love the bike). I didn't even think of the option to plug it in! So silly.
Friday - back to the gym!
It was a beautiful day! Windy and cold at home, but in town it was just a bit chilly and I enjoyed walking around a bit before the gym. I had the camera with me but ran into someone I know and had a good chat so there was no time left for photos.
It was good to come back to the gym! We talked about cats and other pets and I did a good standard session of 3 x 10 reps, with squats, split squats, flyes, dumbbell chest presses, dumbbell rows, pullovers, and lateral raises (standard and bent-over). My lower back has been a bit fussy over Christmas so I've focused on upper body at home, but I felt good doing some proper squats again. It was generally a good solid session.
Weekend
For the first time in ages I had some heavy DOMS in my quads and hip flexors, I rarely get it at the front of my legs. A walk would have been nice but over the weekend we've had -2C or lower, and some serious frost. Way too cold for my liking! On the Saturday night when we went to our pub gig it was down to -4. I know that this is nothing compared to what some places have - I just read that parts of northern Sweden have had down to -35-40C (-31 to -40F). We have it quite good over here.
Sleeping has been scarce this week so I've been super tired, but enjoyed playing music in the pub again. Both my guitar and my fingers playing it were surprisingly cooperative after a long time away from it. Other than using the fingers I've also done my planks, toe extensions and heel raises with elevated toes. Yes, I'm back to the important foot strength routine which has been forgotten for a while.
I hope the new year is treating you well so far. Have you had any good comebacks after the holidays?
Comments
Oh, Elsa is adorable! I love her!
Happy New Year - it sounds like you are off to a strong start in all the ways! I had a great run and I even went back to the gym today (hated it, but I did it). Hopefully, I'm able to keep it going!
Love that you are back to playing in the pub! That seemed to really fill your cup!
I have such mixed emotions about that pub gig! We're mostly background music and it's not particularly inspiring when you never know if there'll even be people who have any interest in what we do, and since some new people took over the pub it's like the clientele has changed and there's now much younger crowds - not really the demographic who would appreciate our type of music. But it's always enjoyable to do some music and good practice for the summer gigs which take place in a better place with usually some lovely audiences. And this Saturday I really enjoyed it after having been at home for so long.
Good to hear you've been back to the gym! I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Hope you can keep it up!
Happy New Year and HELLO KITTY!! She is sooo precious. omg. Nice job as always with the weights. The weighted balance exercises sound interesting! You're always keeping it interesting with your workouts. Nice job even with the wacky week.
Hi Melissa, yes I enjoy these extras to throw in with other exercises when I train at home. In the gym I mostly do classic compound lifts and those are my base at home too if the gym is closed, but there are plenty of good things to add for mobility and balance as well, or simply smaller strength exercises for single muscle groups. They can be quite hard!
Happy New Year, Susanne!
I’m 100% with you on the weather pickiness, adapting to freezing Switzerland after South Africa has been quite tough.
Elsa, however, sounds like the perfect indoor motivation system and she will do an excellent job with your mice!
Nice work keeping the strength going at home and easing back into the gym. DOMS in new places is a good sign!
Happy New Year, Catrina! Actually last night I was wondering if Elsa was going after real mice. She showed such interest in spots where I know the mice used to hang out. I wouldn't be surprised if I see her with one soon.
LOL — I’m glad Elsa is keeping you entertained — and up on snuggle time.
A few of the Peloton instructors include “standing core” moves that involve slow marches while holding weights — they can be tough!
I can bundle up to take out Scooby, but the rest of the day I hide from the cold — unless I’m working out, then I crack open the door and turn the fan on — craziness.
Today I used my iPhone for my Peloton classes b/c my iPad battery was low. I don’t have a spare plug near my treadmill.
Congrats to your husb on getting the 500K done!
Those slow marches with weights sound like what I do, but I do them super slow. Such an excellent exercise!
Elsa is some very intense entertainment! Sometimes I can't help but think "I can't wait until she gets older and calms down a bit" but then I'll miss her days as a kitten because she's so cute.
Sweet Elsa--don't you just want to pet her all the time? My pup Cocoa lays there, looking all sweet, with her soft fur but as soon as I pet her, she jumps up, grabs her ball, and expects me to play fetch. Can't we just relax? LOl
Sounds like some nice lifting sessions--do you think the RDLs gave you the doms? I haven't lifted in a few weeks and it's back to the gym tomorrow, so I'm expecting some doms over here. All good!
I want to pet and hug her all the time! She has some crazy times but I take advantage of the times she's resting, then she's all about purring and enjoying some cuddles.
My DOMS were from the squats and/or split squats in the gym. These days it seems I always get bad DOMS if I'm away from the gym more than a week (but this was nothing like what I had after the summer holidays), and I didn't do much for legs at home. I probably should have done some heavier RDLs at home especially since I did the 4x6 rep range.
Enjoy getting back to the gym!
I do also love the weighted balance exercises. They are so important as we age to minimize falls later. Happy new year to you and yours!!
They are great exercises! Happy New Year to you!
OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! I had a vague, nagging feeling that I somehow missed your post last week, and LOOK WHAT I MISSED- ELSA!!!!! She is the cutest cutie!!! I love her so much!!! And I love the description of her carrying around fake mice, hee hee. And, I can imagine exactly what she's like when she's awake. Foxy looks so cute and sweet when he's sleeping, but when he's awake he's a maniac. They do get calmer as they get older, so don't worry. Oh and I love how Elsa's birthday is Halloween. Foxy's birthday is Valentine's Day.
Oh but wait this is about workouts, lol.
Nice job on keeping up with the strength work over the holidays- I definitely slacked off a bit and I'll pay for it the first session back (or, the next day when the DOMS will try to kill me). I also know what you mean about the weather- the older I get, the less I can tolerate heat or cold-wise. I just want it moderate all the time. Is that too much to ask???
Enjoy your new baby!
Aaaw, I knew you would love Elsa! She is so seriously cute but can be so seriously annoying, lol. I love her to bits though.
Yes, the DOMS can be quite brutal when you've been away from the gym for a bit! For me this was nothing compared to when I came back after being on holiday last summer.
Foxy looks so grown up on your photos! How old is he?
He's ten months old! So really more of a teenager than a kitten now.
Happy New Year Susanne!
I'm in the Netherlands and it's been snowing the last few days. I was hoping it would warm up but looks like it's here to stay for a bit. We also don't do much for NYE so were happy to stay home (a friend joined us) but we had parkrun in the morning which was quite harsh. haha!
good week for you. love your kitty cat too <3
Hi Renée, nice to meet you! I have a feeling I've visited your blog ages ago, and possibly commented! Gosh, did you have snow for your parkrun? Here it's supposed to warm up from Wednesday or so - the benefits with the Irish temperate climate and being on an island where weather tends to be very variable.
yes long ago I think we visited each other's blogs and then I fell off the face of the earth. We actually have had now two canceled parkruns thanks to snow and ice. hoping it's better next week; but we'll be in England and of course there's weather there too haha!
Nice work with those weights! Sorry for the DOMS, though…they do sneak up on us. Elsa is a cutie! I’m not a cat gal (terrible allergies), but I do appreciate sweet pics of them ;-)
Yes, DOMS will always be present in one way or another and that's ok! Too bad about your allergies. At least photos don't trigger them! :)
Nice job keeping up with strength training at home until getting back to the gym with your trainer on Friday! Hope your DOMS works its way out quickly.
You sound like me in not thinking to plug in your iPad so you could do a Zwift workout! Yes, I do "silly" stuff like that all of the time.
Happy New Year, Susanne!
Good to hear I'm not alone! Nowadays I use my iPad so little, basically only when I travel, or for Zwift. But with the new biking routine I'm planning, I'll do better with keeping it charged - or having a cable ready!
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