I don't think anyone truly expects to get sick, but it happens. Interestingly enough, regular exercise can help your body fight foreign invaders. Because the body's immune system is regularly repairing the tiny micro-tears in the muscles that promote healthy muscle growth, it's already set up to fight viruses and bacteria that invade the body. (This is most definitely an over-simplification, but I hope everyone will let me off of the hook for the more complex, scientific explanation.) Though I'd like to think my eating right and regularly exercising played a part in being able to recover from COVID-19, there's not enough information to support that conclusion. All I can do is continue my quest for a healthy body and hope that my run-in with Covid hasn't set me back too far.
Since I didn't workout for three weeks, it's not surprising that my measurements haven't changed. Last week I struggled a little bit with some of it, but that's expected after a long pause. I have added a couple of exercises to target muscle groups I felt I was neglecting. Here is an updated view of what I am doing:
Monday:
E1 Seated Dumbbell Reverse Fly 8lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Dumbbell Bench Press 25lbs., 10 reps, 2 sets/20lbs. 2 sets
E2 Tricep Extensions 25lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Dumbbell Biceps Curl 15lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Chest Fly 8lbs., 10 reps 4 sets
Friday:
*E1 Barbell Squat 15lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
Cable Calf Raise, Single Leg 10lbs., 10 reps, 4 sets
**E2 Bodyweight Flutter Kicks 12 reps, 4 sets
**E3 Glute Kick Back 12 reps, 4 sets
***Side Leg Raises, 10 reps, 4 sets
* I use dumbbells instead of a barbell.
** I added 1.5 ankle weights.
*** I target both the abductors and the adductors the the leg raises, so each set comes to 40 reps when you total everything together. I lay on my left side, do 10 leg raises with the top (right) leg. Then put my right foot on the floor in front of my left leg while I do 10 leg raises with the bottom (left) leg. I then turn over and do the same thing on the other side. All of that is considered one rep. (I also leave the ankle weights on for these.)
Something I want to point out. I use dumbbells, so the weights may seem confusing or too light to some people. That's because it's recorded as which dumbbell weight I'm using. That amount of weight will be in each hand for most exercises, so the actual amount of weight I'm using is double what's listed. There are a few exceptions, like the tricep extensions, where only one dumbbell is held behind the head and lifted up.
Now that I'm exercising again, I can't help looking at myself and wondering if I set my progress back. I had made some strides towards my goals, some of which had started to show. Looking at myself now, it seems like I might have taken a step back.
Hopefully I'm just projecting my feelings about being unable to workout for so long onto the pictures. There's no sense in being frustrating over something that I can't change. Now that Covid is over, I can move forward. I'm looking forward to continuing my journey a healthier body and a healthier lifestyle. If you like watching my journey, please let my know what you think.
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