Rhythm (not blues)

Each of us has our own rhythm.  This is what makes our global drum circle so fun.  It’s also why I tend not to tell people when to work out.  Science may have stuff to say about when the best time is, but here’s the thing:  the best workouts are the ones we actually do, not the ones we mean to do but skip for whatever reason.  Trying to make a morning person work out in the afternoon, or a night-owl work out at 7 in the morning is a thankless task.

I am the kind of person who, if something important needs doing, needs to do it first thing.  That means I start to work out pretty much as soon as I roll out of bed.  (I have a dog who helps me do this.)  During April, I committed to doing a writing thing first thing in the morning.  Not only has it made my dog grumpy, it has made my workouts significantly harder to start and finish.  Workouts keep me sane, so as soon as it is May, I’m back to my healthier schedule.  For me.  For some people, the idea of going to the gym first thing is enough to make them turn over and put a pillow over their heads.

Then there are the people who seem to come alive only after dark.  They’re probably not vampires because when they work out they breathe heavily and sweat.  Those folks are strongest when others are ready to curl up with a book or a teddy.

We can do this, but it’s smart to do it at the best time for us.

Monday Workout: Heavy!

We are switching it up a little this week.  Our goal is to choose weights that are heavy enough that we can barely complete that tenth rep.  We get in our cardio interval between sets, but when the weights are heavier, our heart rates might get up during the lifting, too.  Four rounds!

1 min jump rope/Xiser
squats	10
bench press	10
deadlifts	10
flies	10
lunges	10
rows	10
roll out abs	10

Friday Book Report: Dash Diet Recipes

This week’s reading report is more of a skimming report.  Dash Diet Recipes:  42 Delicious Dash Diet Recipes for Weight Loss by Sara Banks is not actually worth reading in detail and most of it is recipes.  I do not recommend it.  Perhaps the recipes are tasty.  Maybe they will help a person lose weight.  I do not trust them because there is absolutely no information about who Sara Banks is or what her qualifications might be.  She might be a nutritionist or a dietician; she might be someone who just likes to cook; she is probably someone’s next door neighbor, but that does not mean that she gives good nutrition advice.  Also, she either did not proofread the introductory material, or she did it poorly, which did not build my confidence.

I advise giving this one a miss and I will be donating it to the library book sale, where it may at least generate a small sum for a cause I care about.