April review

For April, I set the following goals. Again, most were a slight increase in difficulty from March, but, as one may expect the increases got smaller:

Completed

  • Running: Run at least 1 mile every day.
  • Plank: Every other day, a 1 minute plank.
  • Squats: Every other day, 1 set of dumbbell squats. 9 reps at 2x45 lbs. Apr 4-9 did 3x8 Bulgarian bodyweight split squats as a substitute.

Incomplete

  • Push-ups: Skipped 1 day (1 set) due to injury (jammed thumb). For goal details, see below, as it changed often.
  • Pull-ups: Every other day, 3 sets of 4 pull-ups (2:00 rest). Missed/skipped Apr 4-9. See below for changes.

Overall thoughts

One main challenge was a trip in the first week of April, which explains the changes to most goals in that first week. I guess I can count the pull-up goal as “complete” (since I didn’t have acceess to equipment), but leaving it under incomplete doesn’t affect me too much.

I didn’t have the guitar goal, and barely touched the guitar as a result, so I’ll be adding it back for May, but likely only 4 times a week (instead of 7 like in February).

I’d like to incorporate non-exercise goals as well, and started a 1:1 to try and help with this. Still working things out there, but on a positive note, managed to get some reading done, and updated my personal reading site!

The guitar goal was dropped in favor of writing, but I didn’t get too much writing published (only this blog post), so I’ll add the guitar goal back for May.

Mentally, this month was less of a struggle than the previous months. Surely the vacation had nothing to do with that ;)

Goal-specific comments

Running: Average mileage slightly lower than March (by 0.001) but this wasn’t part of the goal, and wasn’t measured till the end. Ran more 5ks than usual, and the trip, along with playing pickleball some days meant that getting as much mileage as I did still feels like an achievement.
Push-ups: Changed this one a lot. Did 3 sets of 9 reps every other day except from Apr 3-8 did 3x7 decline diamond push-ups. Attempted to incorporate chest dips on 04/14 (3x8 2:00) but dumped it due to sternum pain. Apr 19 was the missed set. Doing more than 50 lbs would not be advisable, given how hard it was.
Plank: Now that 1 minute has been hit, need to replace this with something else.
Pull-ups: None.
Squats: Could push to 50 lbs probably, but leaving it at 45 lbs to avoid strain.

Onwards to May!