Sore.
Sore.
Sore.
Did I mention I was sore?
Did you know when you cough or sneeze your abdominal muscles flex? Yeah, that kind of sore.
Because I had a lot of work to do, I was considering blowing off my swim in favor of a walk that would take less time. After waking up this morning there isn’t a chance in hell I’ll do that. I don’t care how damn busy I am. I’m all hurty and need some soothing water. I think, however, I went a little too light on the legs, as my legs aren’t really all that sore. Not really complaining, as a whole body soreness isn’t my favorite sensation in the world. I’ll go heavy on legs the next time I work out and maybe ease up on the upper body.
I’ve finally figured out what I do the up and down thing so much when I get to exercising (work out hard, then quit for awhile). I like a challenge. I like to have a goal. I like to progress.
Thing is, my goals really don’t include being a competitive athlete or anything like that. While I want to be healthy, my real goals are about finishing my degree, growing my business and improving my writing skills. If I’ve the physical stamina to work hard on those goals, that’s really all I need.
Maintenance of physical fitness is kinda dull, though. Years ago, I used to say if I was taking a half hour walk a day, doing some stretching and body weight exercises, why, I’d call it good. I didn’t because I couldn’t keep interested in it. Would that have been enough? For health purposes, yeah, it would. If you’re getting your heart rate up to about 70% of its max for about 20-30 minutes 5-7 days a week, your CV system is really all good. Anything more you do is a hobby, friends. Yes, bodybuilding is a hobby, not about health. Flame away, my dears, but you don’t need to go to those lengths to be healthy. In fact, at competition levels, it is decidedly unhealthy.
But back to the actual point. I find maintenance dull. I challenge myself a lot because challenges are interesting. Oddly enough, they also kinda work against me. I prefer, for instance, that male partners be physically stronger than I am. Right now, the average healthy male is (I’m only 5’2″, after all). As I challenge myself in the weight room, that won’t necessarily be so. Finding the balance — keeping myself interested enough to be healthy, but not working against myself, can be a real pain in the butt.