Workout Data

Yesterday, I ended the workday feeling off like I might be getting sick. Dana suggested we take a walk outside and take advantage of the warm weather. After a short walk and an impromptu Pomegranate Recharge shake from Juice Press, I started coming back to life.

Whenever I'm not feeling well, I'm on the fence about working out. Unless I'm clearly ill, I usually push myself to do it anyway and feel glad I did afterward. Sunday and Monday were rest days, so I was anxious to get my heart rate up.

I decided to repeat a workout from September 15, 2020, ironically a Tuesday.

Part A, 4 Rounds of:

• 10/arm x DB Single-Arm Kneeling Press
• 12/arm x DB Row
• 15 x Leg Lift with Pulse

Part B, 4 Rounds for Time:

• 30 x Sumo DB Deadlifts
• 20 x Goblet Lunges
• 10 x Push Ups

I increased the weight for a few of the movements. From 35# to 40# for the DB Single-Arm Kneeling Press and DB Rows. From 40# to 52.5# for the Sumo DB Deadlift.

I'll admit, there was a second there on Part B where I wondered if I should have stuck with the original weight! In the end, I powered through, and it was well worthwhile. I was feeling good until I noticed my time for Part B in September...

In September, I completed Part B in 7 minutes, 55 seconds. Last night, my time was 13 minutes, 23 seconds. What... the...? For one, I should have looked at the time ahead of the workout. I love trying to beat an old time. But more importantly, why was I so slow?

In these moments, I find it hard not to be frustrated. Annoyed, I immediately dismissed how I felt pre-workout and the increase in weight. In a group workout setting, my coach or friends would remind me of these circumstances. Without that, I needed some other way to understand the discrepancy.

So what did I do?

• Flip back to September 15 in my camera roll. I record every workout in time-lapse. A habit I picked up last year. How did I look? Was I home or visiting family?
• Open the Withings app. I weigh myself daily. What was my weight on September 15? Body composition?
• Open the Whoop app. What was my strain on September 14? What was my recovery score for September 15?

Here's what I gathered:

• Shorter hair seven months ago. Not a big deal, but it is hotter these days.
• Body composition is nearly identical.
• My recovery was ~20% higher on September 15 and trending higher in the days prior.

For me, tracking like this is how I know I'm staying on the right path and making progress. In a situation like this, it makes all of the difference.

Discovering that my stats in September were close and slightly better than now, I could more confidently deduce that my DB weight increase and overall physical state were the factors driving the increase in my Part B time.

One question that I wish I could answer is: what did I eat that day? I'd love to understand if my diet had any impact on my time. I used to track my diet in MyFitnessPal. Since learning what I need to maintain my weight, I've stopped. Maybe I'll pick that up again soon. More data = more insights.

Today, I repeated a workout from August and beat my time by 26 seconds. No increase in weight, but I'll take it.