Did my 10 mins rowing tonight at high resistance – 96 cals, 1830metres, 31 strokes/minute, so I was quite pleased with that.

The weights routine went fine – had to do the chest presses before the pulldowns because a guy was using the pulldown machine, also I couldn’t alternate between the two, but it was OK.

I felt a little tired in the shower and changing – not am-unsure-I-can-stand-unaided tired, like when I first started, but a bit unsteady. I put this down to doing the rowing at the higher resistance.

Went to Johnston St at about 4pm. Thing is I had a big lunch starting at 2.15pm, so I was feeling a bit full.  I was probably more nervous about this than I needed to be.

I only did 5 minutes warmup, and this time I did it on the arc trainer (this is the real name of the thing I’ve been calling the air walker). I was amazed at how much easier it was compared to last time I tried it. I might try it again for 10 minutes and see how I get on.

It said I burned 56 calories in the 5 minutes. I don’t know what to make of this, but will add to the general debate the small fact that on the arc trainer I can (and did) say what my weight is, so maybe it’s more accurate. If it’s true, I ought to be able to burn more than 100 calories in the 10 mins.

The weights were all fine. On the pull-downs, I got a tingling along my left forearm, and then noticed that I had forgotten to remove my signet ring from my left little finger, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. The chest and shoulder presses are gradually getting easier but are still difficult for the last two or three of the second set. I was careful with the abdominal crunches as my tummy felt so full, but they were OK.

When I started this malarkey, the second batch of crunches was easier (the ones where I twist to work the obliques) but now the straight-up ones are easier. Interesting eh.

I can see my knees and lower legs are changing shape. But I don’t think I’m any lighter. I’ve booked my next assessment for 13 June at 2pm

Pretty good tonight – rowing 1.849km in 10 minutes, 33 strokes/minute and I think 90 calories.

Weights routine was the smoothest yet. Once again I was able to bagsie the pull-down lats machine and the chest press machine at the same time, being able to alternate between these exercises makes them flow a lot better. Also the shoulder presses went well again.

Blood glucose 4.9

I had a good workout this afternoon at Johnston Street.  My warmup on the rowing machine was about the same as Thursday – 32 strokes/minute, 1896 metres, 97 calories burned. The exercises all went off well – I was able to alternate the pull-down lats and chest presses again which was great.

At the end of the first week I was staggering into the changing rooms and could barely put one foot in front of the other, whereas now I feel tired and worked but I walk back to the car park without really thinking about it.

Finished work late (this seems to be a recurring theme for Thursday nights) but went to Johnston Street for my weights regime.

It went brilliantly. Firstly the warmup. The Concept2 rowing machine that I use has a dial thing on it and Sarah did tell me which end was high resistance and which was low, but I didn’t quite catch it and didn’t really care, thinking it would be obvious. I’m pretty sure she said upper setting was high resistance, but as I’ve been managing OK (I think) I didn’t think I’d lower it. But today I took it into my head to put it to the middle to see if it made it harder or easier.

I think it made it easier Today I managed to row 1854 metres in the 10 minutes, averaging 32 strokes per minute. Obviously to make that average I was going at 33 strokes/minute for a not-insignificant amount of time, and I don’t think I dropped below 29 strokes/min once. I burned 96 calories (on Tuesday I found this view option, and on that day burned 89 calories). I know 7 calories’ difference isn’t much, but they are definitely worth having, especially given the time spent on the machine was the same. These “calories” are in addition to what you burn just by being alive.

I know that making the rowing easier means that muscle strength won’t be as developed, but I am happy about this. The rowing is to warm me up and burn off a few cals at the same time, it’s not for building strength – I’ve got the weights regime for that – so I think I’ll keep this setting for a while and see how I get on.

Then onto the weights. My lunges were the best yet – still a bit unsteady, but I could feel the thigh muscles working which is the first time I’ve felt that AND been in control at the same time. The squats, unlike normal, were difficult (possibly because my thighs had already been worked) but I managed them OK. I’m cheating a bit with these as Sarah sneakily put on my card that I should hold them for 4 seconds when in the practice we held them for a count of three. So I’ve been holding them for a count of four which is less than 4 seconds. I could only just do that today, whereas until now it has been relatively easy and I was considering doing what the card said.

The pull-down lats and chest presses were great today. I should have mentioned that there was practically no-one there so I had no hesitation in taking up both machines at once – there was one other guy in this part of the gym and he was doing his own circuit on three other pieces of equipment. So the chest presses were much simpler, alternating with the pull-downs. Much simpler. I still had to summon a final burst for the last two of the second set but had no doubt I would do it. Until now it’s always been questionable.

The shoulder presses were still hard but like the chest presses, there was no doubt they would be done. The three different lots of abdominal crunches were also very good today. I did four sets without stopping for a break in between. I don’t know how long a break I should have, and the length of break does affect how well the muscle develops (too short a break can work against you) but today I thought I would see how far I could get before I just had to rest. This means if Sarah lengthens my sets or adds in more sets I have nothing to fear. Not that I would anyway but you know what I mean.

I’ve also figured out food. You know the old adage about not eating before exercise, well it’s true. Anything other than water within 90 mins of starting my warmup works against me. I’ve been experimenting over the last couple of weeks and it is inescapable. This means I have to make sure I have a snack at 4pm if I’m going to start at 6pm. Normally I would have one at 5.30, but even 5pm is too late. Tonight my snack didn’t happen till 4.30 so that was another reason why I didn’t try too hard to leave work on time – I didn’t want to start the warmup until 6.45 or so anyway.

So a very good day today. I don’t know whether it was due to the food thing being right, the warmup being faster, me just generally getting fitter (isn’t it a bit early for that?) or some combination of these and/or other factors, but it was a very good day today.