No Pain, No Gain

Due to the craziness of the Thanksgiving week, I had to refrain from doing my regular exercises. Instead, I spent my time cleaning from the tops of the cabinets to the floor under the oven. I even spent some time vacuuming the dust from the air intake under the refrigerator. Needless to say, I had little time to workout.

So on Monday, after missing almost a week, I began the ominous task of beginning anew. (I really like the way that sounds...beginning anew). Anyway, I began my workout and right away it felt as if I had been gone for a month, rather than only a few days; it was harder to do the same number of repetitions and sets that I usually did. It was harder, but I labored on and completed my torture. On Tuesday, stiff and sore, I worked a different set of muscles, with the same result...stiff and sore.

Nevertheless, I mounted my Total Gym and worked through the initial pain and continued my workout. When it comes to exercising, I am a believer in the adage, "no pain, no gain." But I feel that I should define what I mean by "pain". The pain I am referring to is the general soreness and aches you get when you work a muscle; as opposed to the sharp pain you may feel when you actually hurt a muscle. Believe me, I can tell the difference. When I first began to exercise my legs, I went a little overboard and actually felt sharp, stabbing pain in my thigh muscles. Even I knew what I had done and I let those muscles completely heal, before I resumed exercising them (at a reduced level).

By next week, I should be back at my former level. This means that I need to be looking at either increasing my workouts or finding a new series of exercises to perform. Since I am not a movie star with access to a personal trainer, I will most likely start experimenting and find out what works the best.

Yes, that is Koko surveying his handiwork on our sofa.