Took a hiatus from blogging!
Wow - life just got away from me for the last - almost 3 - months!!
As you can see, my last post prior to today was March 18th. A lot has happened since then!!
Tried for a shamrock, got a sea-star!
First off, I have stopped the “pseudo” Whole-30 diet I was pursuing from Jan-Mar… don’t get me wrong, I’m still eating healthy, but not avoiding carbs as much. I think my best carry-over is that I’m not eating deserts at night prior to bed. Apparently, that was a major problem for my gut in the past. Now if I’m hungry at night, which is pretty much ALWAYS, I have a bowl of cereal instead of ice cream - usually a mix of regular and honey-nut cheerios, or Ancient Grains, or Morning Summit, mixed with blueberries, strawberries, and/or bananas. Plus I go with a half-half mix of 1% organic milk and Califia toasted coconut milk (just swapped the coconut milk for pistachio milk - pretty good!)
Oh, one other carry-over is that Marlene and I are both generally eating Ezekiel bread instead of regular bread - my photo at top (from my June 9th breakfast) is the Flax-seed Ezekiel bread with Avocado/olive oil on one, and natural PB on the other…
Lunch for Marlene and me - Friday
Secondly, and something that is greatly affecting my workouts, is that I introduced a major right arm tendonitis (tennis elbow) from jumping back into my workouts a bit too aggressively in March! UGH! This has now been plaguing me for 3 months and has shut down my desire to work out… Combine that with continuing to work outside building hardscapes and using my arm / hands, and I have created a recipe for a chronic problem here…
But yesterday I decided to get back into it, doing legs and only pushing movements. Can’t pull at all, as my right hand grip is basically negligible. I am going to sign back up for Guerrilla Fitness also - Need someone to push me!
Here is one of my night-time snacks before bed… No more ice cream!
Oh, and another factor in having NO TIME to blog - we closed on a rental property in Steamboat Springs, CO! Lots of leg-work for this project, for sure! The purchase process alone took over our lives, then I had to head out there a few weeks ago to get the place ready for short term rentals… I’ll post our listing once it’s up.
So I am hoping I can get back on here at a regular interval… fingers crossed!
Legs workout
Tonight - dinner was fajita night - so I piled it on - bed of romaine, avocado, hatch salsa, sautéed peppers and onions, roasted brussel sprouts, chicken - and more hot sauce!
…Well every day has to be legs workout for me now - with this darn tendinitis in my right elbow! Really a pain in the neck, for sure!
WARMUP
Quad stretches
Squats
5lb leg lifts for glutes (on all 4’s, fire hydrants to side, then donkey kick)
STRENGTH
Front squat 3x8 @135
CONDITIONING
5 ROUNDS:
90 sec bike - hard
5 jump from kneeling w/ high knee taps
20 push-ups
10 rear lunges 20kg KB (5/5)
20 sit-ups with 10lb plate tuck crunches
5 supine fly extensions 15lb dumbbells (chest on ball)
Today I finally got back to working out
left over chicken sausage with kale, plus eggs tomato and chile
Turkey on Ezekiel bread with a fried egg! plus some tomato, arugula and hatch chiles…
Here was my workout today -
This is another spin-off from our GF workout today!!
CONDITIONING
40 Calorie row
40 ball slams
30 Box jumps
20 Goblet lunges 16Kg (10/10)
20 Push-ups
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20 Calorie row
20 ball slams
15 Box jumps
10 Goblet lunges 16Kg (5/5)
20 Push-ups
Dinner - chicken sausage & kale soup
I had mine over potatoes, the kids and Marlene had pasta…
Breakfast with fruit
Cheerios, banana and strawberries for breakfast today - mix of coconut milk and regular milk…
Lunch today - turkey on Ezekiel with lettuce, hatch valley salsa, Tabasco and apple slices…
Updating my blogs right now - have been bad with workouts! Darn right elbow is killing me still… NOTE TO SELF - “no more batting grounders and flies to the girls on my softball team for a WHILE!”
First cereal in 2 months!
So - as a result of me realizing I’m eating too much bacon and red meats, last night, this morning, and tonight, I had a bowl of cheerios with bananas and blueberries (well tonight snack was cheerios w/ blueberries and strawberries, followed by half an apple with a bit of peanut butter!).
Got the blue berries from Trader Joe’s - REALLY GOOD BLUEBERRIES! Haven’t had cereal since January - but I will limit it to Cheerios, as they’re “good for the heart!"
My new favorite apple is Jazz. Foodtown sells these over there in Bloomfield NJ… Probably the best apple I’ve ever had - …and from someone that grew up living with a whole apple orchard behind my property - that’s saying something! dense and crunchy…
Dad Doctor Day #3
So I took my dad to another dr. appt…. luckily brother Dave was able to drive dad down to NJ in the morning, and I only had to make one round trip back up to NY… Thanks David!
Breakfast with my dad - made him some eggs and bacon. —-Yes I need to cut back on making bacon - feel like I’m on a bacon kick which can’t be good.
Added potato and spinach, avocado toast, and some hatch salsa…
Legs and shoulders today
Breakfast today was 2-egg omelet with grilled cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cheddar with toast and ham.
Haven’t worked out yet, but here is my plan. Will definitely come back and update after workout.
OK - made some changes to the WOD -
Warmup - stretch then 2 rounds (not 3!) of:
20 banded squats, with 3 pumps on band at bottom (quads)
20/20 side plank dumbbell arm twists (tennis elbow)
20/20 rear lunges lift rear leg (glutes)
Strength:
Front squat 3x5 135 lbs
Conditioning - AMRAP 18min:
20 cal row
10 strict presses 103lbs
20 plank shoulder shrugs w/ dumbbell pulls to chest (15lbs)
Lazy Weekend
What’s left of our biscuits on Friday morning -
This weekend was a bust when it came to working out - didn’t do anything! Will have to get back into it, starting tomorrow - UGH!
Food highlights -
At least I had some good food in the meantime…
Lunch on Saturday was avocado and tomato over turkey melted on Ezekiel bread.
Today’s lunch was burgers with the works - green hatch salsa, franks red-hot, tomato, cheddar on grass-fed wagyu burgers.
So there’s Major on Saturday morning, just hoping he will get some of my breakfast - eggs over avocado toast with bacon on the side!!!
…Yes, of course I gave him a piece
The snow has finally MOSTLY melted
So I am starting up work again - finally - on our own home projects, as well as my customer projects - new and ongoing…
Today did my workout before breakfast, which is actually not normal for me! I usually have my coffee and meal - and then workout… I know - some may say it’s crazy, but I like a full stomach for the energy I guess?
Workout Strength:
Kettlebell Leg Circuit, 3 rounds, 15 reps each round of the following:
20Kg squats
20Kg deadlift, straight leg
16Kg rear lunges, 15 reps each leg
16Kg box step downs, 15 reps each leg (added knee raises on 3rd round)
20Kg bridge raises
2Kg Knee squats (on knees, sit back to floor, and up again)
Abs with plate circuit, 2 rounds 15 reps each:
Tuck arounds - legs extended and off ground, pulling in and around plate into chest and extend straight again
Standing truck twists holding plate
Scissor legs plate pass-throughs
Tuck crunches plate overhead to ground and back over knees on tuck
Breakfast - plate above in photo - was some bacon that Johnny Meatball got for me in Rutherford - no clue name of place - but awesome LOW FAT…
—> OK - John saw this post and quickly corrected me - the place is Piast in Garfield NJ - Polish meats and provisions… Sounds good. Great bacon - THANKS JOHN!
Another Pappa DeLuca Day with his #2 son…
Today I had to wake up early to get out of here by 7:15am and head north for another 4 hour double round trip to bring my dad for a Dr. appt back in NJ! He has Lyme disease which is the cause for his nerve damage/pain - ugh - Lyme disease is BAD! **but this is good news for us, because we now know what was causing all his nerve pain!
Quick breakfast - no workout today - ad hoc meal tonight, as once Marlene and I figured out our entire Chinese food order, we realized Hunan Taste in Montclair is CLOSED ON MONDAY’S!! Isn’t that just the way it goes all too many times! HA!
So I made a pasta and cream sauce for the kids, plus meatballs (used my home-made sauce, added cream, salt, (and two small pieces of bacon, plus leftover meatballs). Also some fresh bok choy with garlic.
OH!!! And our order of a HUGE 17lb NY Strip Loin came in today, along with some nice bacon from Chefs Warehouse! I spent some time - just me and the loin - ha - cleaning and making it into NY Strip steaks. Here is the yield, plus a shot of me and Matthew - him having hot chocolate, me having a decaf cappuccino with a dash of vanilla extract, 1 tsp cocoa powder, and 1 tsp MUD/WTR - NOT BAD!
AND - Check out my butcher video… (a bit long, so speed through as you want, but beware, it’s not for the faint of heart if you don’t like meat!!!!!)
No workouts today
So Feb 28th - this marks the ONE YEAR anniversary for my hip replacement. Oh man - 366 days ago (last year was a leap year) I was in BAD shape - stayed overnight in the hospital after the surgery and was looking at a long recovery ahead of me. Glad it’s behind me. Had my tests this week and got flying colors - plus bloodwork came back and metal levels of cobalt and chromium are way below the upper limits which is also great news (means the metal joint is not wearing down, and they don’t have to RIP IT OUT! PHEW!)
Today we continued our typical Sunday morning with 9am mass (not in person) and had breakfast together… Made choc-chip pancakes for the kids and I had eggs, leftover tuna steak, and potatoes… Wishing I could just have a bowl of cereal sometimes - but I’m still sticking with the whole 30 diet for now.
First cup was a cappuccino - and second cup I tried the mud water… Not bad, but no way is it going to replace coffee for me - maybe replace my second cup of the day…
No workout today - my left knee is feeling a bit sore - too many jump ropes yesterday! I always overdo it - can’t help myself!
Also spent a good part of the day working on a Steamboat house search. This is something we are planning as an eventual investment - just the problem is the market over there is booming… makes it hard to find a good “buy”.
Tonight had meatloaf (yes it had breadcrumb, so that broke the diet rules a little, but not by much…) Did 1.3lbs of meatloaf mix plus 1.3lbs of ground turkey - actually came out really great tasting and not as greasy as normal beef meatloaf!
Let me know in the comments if anyone wants the meatloaf recipe!
Got in a last min workout today
Today breakfast was another win. Avocado toast, eggs, sweet potatoes, prosciutto!
Today, Marlene and I had a nice conversation with the Wyatt’s about many topics over breakfast (our typical Saturday morning “FaceTime coffee and conversation!”). One topic was whether to try a product I recently heard about - MUD/WTR - which is kind of an “anti-coffee” drink - based on masala chai. John has some extra as he was trying it out and I’m going to try some this week…
Got in a last minute workout today - 5pm - …was basically same as today’s GF Montclair wod… But I have not done double under jump ropes in a WHILE, so I cut it a little short and modified because of my tennis elbow…
CONDITIONING
100 Double unders
200m Bike
15 Clean & jerks 85lbs
–
100 Double unders
200m Bike
12 Squat Cleans 85lbs
–
100 Double unders
200m Bike
9 Squat Cleans 85lbs
–
100 Double unders
200m Bike
6 Squat Cleans 85lbs
Cappuccino day
Here’s my fun, how-to-make a great cappuccino video, using my Breville 870 XL.
No workouts today - going to take it easy as my left knee seems to be feeling a little sore from all the leg workouts. I may take a walk or SHORT/SLOW jog with Madeline this afternoon, but that’s it…
Doctor visits day number two!
As in many of my workouts, I have been using the workouts from our local CrossFit gym, guerrilla fitness, as a, what’s the word, template or launch pad for my workouts.
Today my work out focuses on legs again, and a little bit of shoulders.
WARMUP
Air squats and light weight squats working up to a heavier set weight.
STRENGTH
3 x 5 at 135 LBS front squats
CONDITIONING
40-30-20-10 reps of each of the following:
Lunge shoulder presses 15kg bar, (½ on each leg)
Sit-ups
Plank shoulder shrugs
After my workout, I wolfed down a quick breakfast then spent the whole day driving back and forth twice to my dad’s to get him to a doctor appt down here in NJ!
…I’m tired…
HSS in NYC
A shot of some major dog walkers along 5th avenue today, with Central Park in the background…
Today I’m heading into NYC (Hospital for Special Surgery - HSS) for my one-year checkup of my hip resurfacing!
…started out with breakfast with the kids - two eggs and two pieces of toast. After they went to school I did a work out and here’s what I did —>
WORKOUT STRENGTH TRAINING:
3 x 12 each leg, reverse lunge slide knee forward at bottom.
3 x 10 on knees, lean back as far as possible, straight upper body
3 x 10 each arm, arms straight out to the side with 3 pound dumbbells, lower one side at a time for reps.
2 x 10, from knees,, jump to squat, jump/tap knees.
Three sets of the following.
10 reps medium band around knees, 16 kg kettle bell squats.
10 reps glute-donkey kicks with 10lb dumbbell over calf.
5 front squats 95 LBS
Next I met Nick Hess at a customer project then I left for NYC.
HSS: HIP DOING GREAT…
Tonight dinner was interesting - NO MEAT! First time in a while…
Broccoli rabe sautéed with garlic and added to a broth of white potatoes and lemon. Served as a soup. The shot on the bottom right is the left over - I ate most of the greens in my two huge bowls! Lots of lemon juice added too - much tastier than it looks!!
(plus roasted some Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil - so tasty…)
Hmmm… what workout to do today?
Haven’t worked out yet, but breakfast was more of the same form yesterday - Ezekiel bread toast w/ Avocado…
Lunch was good too (photo above) - leftover short ribs and three meatballs drenched in my sauce with melted mozzarella and some freshly grated ricotta salata cheeses!
So - No workout today - realized my legs were WAY too sore after yesterday’s work on quads and glutes. Really hoping to continue building legs.
Dinner tonight - Fajitas - “Romain Tortillas”
It’s been almost a full year since my right hip replacement (Hip Resurfacing)! Been a long road of recovery, and my one focus for working out is to get back to my idea of 100%… Problem is these last few months I have been plagued by one kind of tendinitis or another - left knee had a problem for a couple months (still touch and go, but mostly better), and now my right elbow is in BAD shape. These issues keep slowing down my goals. But - right now, with my arm problem, I am using this time to get my legs back. Once this darn weather gets better, I will start running and hopefully won’t get any recurring knee issues…
Tomorrow I have my first annual check-up for the hip resurfacing with Dr. Edwin Su from Hospital for Special Surgery… They have to see how I’m doing mechanically (X-Ray and Dr. review), plus do some blood work to make sure I don’t have any high levels of the metals found in the prosthesis (high-carbon Cobolt Chromium Alloy)…
My first bread in over a month!
Ezekiel bread - avocado toast and two eggs for breakfast! Tasty!
Did a bunch of movements today with a focus on strengthening and recovery - left knee, hip, and now tendinitis in right elbow (PT).
Focused Strengthening: (knee and quad)
3x10: On knees, hold 15lb dumbbell at chest, lean back straight body
3x10 each side: half-pistol squats, raised heel on plate
3x10 each side: Standing split leg lunge, push front knee forward and back at bottom
3x10 each side: 15lb weighted single leg glute bridge with other leg crossed over knee
3x15: Banded squats w/ 3 pulses at bottom
Weighted fire hydrant to rear kick 5lbs
3x5: Kneel on floor, hold 10lb plate, jump to squat
Front squat 3x8 95lbs. Focused on wide stance, slightly below parallel
Today’s PT for tennis elbow - shoulder strengthening
30 reps: Prone position on ball, weighted bar wide grip, lift and pull over head to back of neck
30 reps: plank and slide weight from side to side
3x10 each side: 5lbs dumbbells, arms straight out to side, lower one side for reps keeping other arm level
Pasta and sauce Sundays!
No workouts today - just cooking and food and movies…
Today I made some marinara sauce, but that turned into something bigger as I needed some meat too! Kids had theirs with Spaghettini and I had zucchini spiralized and sautéed as my “pasta” dish.
Added some beef short ribs, lamb shoulder, and meatballs. For the meatballs, the bread crumbs came from Ezekiel sesame bread - made them a little dryer than normal, so next time I have to add more water to the recipe!
No workouts today - Should have worked on my elbow exercises, but more than making up for that tomorrow at PT…