Fitness this week, #6 2026

This week was INSANE. Looking back, what I did in the gym this week feels unreal.
I took it very easy on my non-gym days. Not that I was extremely sore, I just felt that it was probably a good thing to do.

Since last summer when I had some troubles with my right glute and lower back, increasing load has been careful and slow. Sometimes I've been frustrated over it, but have kept lifting the stuff and if it felt too easy I took it as an opportunity to focus on form and depth. And it was the same with shoulders after the issue I had in the autumn. But this week showed me that also with lighter than ideal weights but lifting them consistently for some time builds a good foundation and makes a difference. I'm more stable in my hips and back, more confident with deadlifts, I've come a long way with chest presses, and this week I was ready for some oomph.

Monday - gym day, legs and shoulders

Today it was the first day of a new, heavy strength program, and as usual it was a mix of fear and excitement. I never know how crazy he'll go with the weights - crazy in my mind, not to fitness professionals. I'm just used to being skinny and weak and my brain has a hard time realising that's not the case anymore.
The mental struggle is real when I see the weights on the bar but I always give it a try. The only times I've failed were with the 40 kg Bulgarian split squat about two years ago, and the 50 kg (gulp!) barbell chest press before Christmas. But this week was different.

Today was leg and shoulder day, and it was time to start ramping it up.

I did squats, deadlifts, lunges, lateral raises, upright rows and forward raises. The squats today were not less than 65 kgs. The bar felt mighty heavy but not as bad as I've experienced it in the past.
The first set was challenging for sure. In the second set I knew I could do it and tried to get to a decent depth. My goal with heavier weights is 90 degrees, I don't know if I get there but I felt quite good. Not fully confident, but good! The deadlifts were 52,5 kgs. It's been a while since I deadlifted over 50 other than with the hexbar, and it was a great feeling!
The lunges were also with 52,5 kgs. I wasn't brilliant but did what I could and at least I stayed upright, haha!

The shoulder exercises were all good, lateral and forward raises with 8 kg dumbbells and upright row with the barbell at 25 kgs. It was a great, great session and such a good confidence booster!

Tuesday - rest

I didn't plan to do nothing today but that's what it became. I had planned to do an easy Zwift ride, but got into the flow with work and didn't want to interrupt. Also, Elsa was a bit unwell. She vomited once in the morning and then didn't want to eat for many hours. I tried with the food she's normally crazy about and she didn't want to touch it. Otherwise she was quite much herself, running around and playing like usual, and later she went to sleep. In the afternoon she woke up and was hungry. I filled up her favourite food and she emptied the bowl completely. Some hour later she wanted more. I think she's ok!

Wednesday - gym day, chest and back

This was probably the toughest session I've done but oh, so satisfying.
I did barbell chest press, flyes, inclined dumbbell chest press, barbell row, two-dumbbell pullovers and dumbbell row. And he had decided to try it again - the 50 kg chest press. The last time we attempted this was before Christmas. That time I got the bar off the rack and down to my chest but that was it. This time I could lift the thing up and down 6 times. And four sets of them, with mixed quality but I could lift the thing!

The flyes were 10 kgs and quite manageable, likewise the dumbbell rows at 20 kgs, but everything else was SUPER HARD. The barbell row was 45 kgs today and I needed some serious self-talk to make it through, with the pullovers I chickened a bit, they're a bit intimidating at a heavy weight like this. With some mental push I should be able to do better the next time. The dumbbell chest press was 15 kgs again and I made it unassisted in the first set but needed assistance to get to the start position for the remaining sets. The actual lifts then were mostly ok.

Thursday - a short walk

The weather was supposed to be good, but wasn't. I read that in certain places there hasn't been even one day without rain this year. There are still flooded areas and it's becoming critical for farmers too. Sigh.

In the afternoon it was dry and looked nice so I went out for a walk. It was freezing! I only walked about 3,5 km and I can't wait to get some proper mild weather!

But on the way back the sun came out, and it was colourful and nice with the gorse and the camellia along the way.

Friday - gym day, legs and shouldersI

Leg day again! I smelled trouble with the combination of a bar with a lot of weight plates on it and a bench in front of the rack. Bulgarian squats! And not easy ones! I SO didn't want to do these! But of course I did anyway. I got some support behind my back and got started. I was more nervous than usual but really, I did a bit better than expected. When I got my stability (somewhat) and my back foot in place, I was fairly ok. It was only in the last set I lost stability in the middle of the set and decided to call it a day. This was 50 kgs. 50! That is CRAZY! They weren't my prettiest sets of Bulgarians but not my worst either. Strength-wise I actually felt quite ok! But I have a long way to go with stability (and confidence) on exercises like this.

After these I did Romanian deadlifts with 52,5 kgs followed by sumo squats at 60, and then shoulder presses (with 9 kg dumbbells), bent-over lateral raise and lateral raises (both with 8 kg dumbbells) for shoulders. My legs felt like jelly but I felt good with the sumo squats, and it was a relief to move on to shoulders after that!

Saturday

Today's weather:

Yes, better than snow but not particularly inspiring either.

It was the day after leg day and I had photography to do. We're having a fun competition in my camera club, but the theme is still life - something I love and want to get better at, but it's means setting up props and either fancy lighting or reflectors and this isn't ideal when you have small house with a playful kitten. I've been thinking hard of what to shoot, and if to join at all. Deadline was Sunday and I had some simple ideas that could work. I ended up shooting some whiskey bottles and other things and I had fun! It's been so long since I had some true quality time with my camera but I wasn't overly excited over my images. I tried some different concepts but nothing really clicked.

In the evening, Elsa was sick again. She threw up and was generally miserable and not herself. I didn't know how much to worry but knew she had been ok and eating and drinking earlier in the day. Some reading taught me it could be that we've been trying some different foods to see what she likes best. But some of them are for adult cats and could just be too rough for her stomach. From now on it's 100% kitten food for a while and later maybe some little treat with something else (she loves some of it) now and then.

Sunday - a short walk and a bike ride

Elsa was back to normal in the morning, what a relief!
The weather looked promising but it was very windy. I still attempted a walk but cut it short, only 2,6 km because it was just too much with the wind gusts. Again - at least there isn't snow and I got some fresh air.

For some more movement I did a few sets of pogo hops and then got on the Zwift bike. Since tomorrow is chest & back day, I wanted to do a tougher ride today and include some more hills than I have recently. It was 12 km and had some subtle uphills in the beginning and then a massive climb towards the end. It was good to get the heart pumping and start ramping up the effort with my bike rides.

For next week I'm looking forward to more oomph in the gym. For other movement, I enjoy my bike rides but I miss going outdoors for LONG walks in good conditions. The weather is what it is but at least we're getting closer to real spring with every week that passes. Nothing big and exciting happens here at this time of the year. We work, train, eat, sleep and repeat. I think the most exciting happening outside of the gym is that I received my new guitar pick this week. Yay! I had bought other picks but haven't become 100% friends with them yet.

How are you? Did you do any exciting things this week?

Thanks to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly rundown!