Kayaking, MORE Fireworks, and My Workouts of the Week

It's been a challenge for me to want to get to the gym this week - or even out to do too terribly much of anything - because I've been stricken with an excruciating muscle pain within my left shoulder blade that makes me want to do little more than sob in a corner. It's a rather relentless pain that only lets up when I'm lying flat on my back, so general discomfort has been a big part of this entire past week for me. 

This exact shoulder issue happens to me about once a year, can last for weeks, and is most likely brought on by falling into poor posture while working long hours on a computer. It's the best (albeit the most painful) reminder for me to maintain good posture while I'm working and to keep my core and upper back muscles strong with specific exercises to target those muscles. Having actually gone to physical therapy for this shoulder blade pain in the past, I've thankfully learned some good exercises for just that purpose - some of which I did just yesterday afternoon (see below for 8/2 arm workout).

After the gym yesterday, Dave and I went kayaking down in the English Bay. We rented kayaks from the same beach-side kiosk that we got those paddleboards from a few weeks ago. Paddleboarding had been a tentative part of our plan for Friday evening, but the water was a bit choppier than I would have liked (especially considering my weakened left arm) so we passed and went for a long walk into the city instead. Kayaking was a great alternative for us for yesterday:

 

.  hey look, that's me  .

Last night was the final night of the Celebration of Lights fireworks competition in Vancouver, with Team Japan putting on a pretty good display of pyrotechnics. 

That'll probably be the last you see any fireworks on my blog for quite awhile; I've got no more random celebratory fireworks displays in my near future.

And on that sad and low note, here are my workouts from the past week:

7/27 (mostly upper body)

6.75-mile walk into the city

5 mins elliptical

3x:  12 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

3x:  12 overhead press, 10 lbs each hand

3x:  12 rear fly, 7.5 lbs each hand

3x:  12 bent over rows, holding 20 lbs

3x:  12 deltoid raises, 7.5 lbs each hand

3x:  12 tricep extensions on exercise ball, 7.5 lbs each hand

12 seated leg press, 40 lbs

12 seated leg press, 50 lbs

12 seated leg press, 60 lbs

7/28 (lower body)

5 mins elliptical

3x:  13 sumo squats, holding 30 lbs

3x:  40 diamond clamshells each leg

3x:  40 jump squats, alternating wide and close stance

3x:  40 calf raises, 25 lbs each hand

3x:  40 bridges

7/29 (core)

2x:  30 weighted v-sit twists, holding 15 lbs

2x:  30 cobras

2x:  30 Russian get ups, holding 5 lbs

2x:  30 Brazilian crunches

2x:  30 alternating weighted side bends, 20 lbs each hand

2x:  30 leg raises + reverse crunch

2x:  30 lying overhead raise + double crunch, holding 5 lbs

2x:  30 plank knee to elbow

7/31 (cardio)

16 mins biking

15 lat pulldowns, 30 lbs

15 lat pulldowns, 40 lbs

15 lat pulldowns, 50 lbs

8/2 (upper body)

30 alternating shoulder raises on exercise ball, 5 lbs each hand

3x, prone on exercise ball:

   - 15 M, 5 lbs each hand (prone row)

   - 15 Y, 5 lbs each hand (wide front raise)

3x:

   - 15 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

   - 15 close grip chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand

3x: 

   - 30 alternating chest flys, 5 lbs each hand

   - 15 overhead tricep extensions, 5 lbs each hand

I slept in later today than is typical for me - I didn't get up till 10:15! Normally I'm up an hour or two earlier than that on the weekends. Hopefully it's not setting a lazy precedent for my entire day. The sun is shining and I should probably be outside! Actually this weekend kicks off Pride Week here in Vancouver, which draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city each year. The Pride Parade is this afternoon downtown, so if we can make it down there in time to catch some of it, we will!

I hope you've been having a great weekend! What are you up to today?

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