I managed to scrounge a tension belt for my incredibly old CCM exercise bike. The store only had one left, and I’m worried that I’ll have to somehow fabricate the next one myself! I installed the belt this morning then hopped on the bike for a 20 minute ride. I cranked the tension up about half way or so, then started to pedal. Unfortunately I couldn’t actually turn the wheel! I mean, I could push the pedals, but I couldn’t get the wheel to have any momentum whatsoever. Apparently I won’t lack for a biking challenge for a while.
I dialed back the tension and did some sprint intervals, then finished with ten minutes of moderate intensity biking. My endurance was terrible. My sprints were terrible. Everything was pretty abysmal, except the bike which worked very well, but that means there is no place to go but up. I suppose I’ll be seeing my bike a few mornings each week again….
In other news, I had my heavy lifting day a couple of days ago. I skipped the pullups as my biceps were stilling feeling ripped apart from an especially fun karate class. For some reason, I decided that the weight range I’d been lifting for my deadlifts was too light and that I should increase the weight. So I did. I didn’t record the exact details, but the routine went something like this:
120lbs x5, x5, 160×3, 170×2, x2, 120×5, x5, x5
Obviously we’re still talking about very light weights here, but what was great was that they actually felt light! My form started to break down with 170lbs, and I was only able to do two reps, but it still felt light. I’m not sure if the change was in my mindset, or if the past couple months of technique practice has made a difference. I’ll try 180lbs next week and see what happens.
Be strong. Work Hard.
If 120 lbs is very light for deadlifts, then I must be lifting feathers!