Daily Exercise Log April 2026

 Welcome to April 2026. It's warming slowly, but still wet.

monthly, 2026

January: https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/01/daily-exercise-log.html
February: https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/02/daily-exercise-log-february-2020.html
March:  https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/03/daily-exercise-log-march-2026.html
April:  https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/04/daily-exercise-log-april-2026.html

April 21, 2026

Day 5, row (4x4)

Day 5, row (4x4) is intended to be as hard to do as I can. It's a good gauge for how well I've recovered. Note: no max hr; very few PAI points. Numbers show how I felt - good enuf, but not great.

I am greatly looking fwd to a de-load. wondering how I'll feel after that.

April 20, 2026

Day 4, walk

Happy Birthday! Felt pretty used up when this started. I ground thru it.

April 19, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row, is a stretching / massage / loosen day. 5 min warmup n x 7min work 1 min rest. Followed by 2x20 bench crunches. Form is improving there, but still pretty sloppy.

I felt fine, occasionally brought power to the pace, which surprised the heck out of me. Maybe there is something to this exercise thing.

April 18, 2026

Day 2, walk/rest

Day 2, walk, is supposed to be a recovery day from lifting. Dear Lord, how I needed it.

April 17, 2026

Day 1, weights

Day 1, weights is one of the two big hit days, as well as Day 1 of the next 6 day cycle (week 12 of 12). After the current 6 day cycle, i finally get to a deload week (same daily pattern, -1 sets, 50-75% weight).

Entering the gym, I felt slow and tired. Maintained it. Got the extra duration i was looking for.

April 16, 2026

Day 6, rest/walk

Day 6 is either walk or rest, depending. This one started out as a rest day, wound up walking.

April 15, 2026

Day 5, row (4x4)

Day 5, row (4x4) is the second day of the 6 day cycle where I'm supposed to pound hell out of me. Day 1, weights, is the first. 4x4s are good for that, but I'm supposed to bring the form, tempo, and power. Yeah, well ...

I was short a cup of coffee, long walking BG, low on feeling lively, really feeling the weight of the gym door. I went anyway. Functionally, the set was ok. form was maintained, pull pace was ok, but I felt not as strong as usual. So, i got what i got.

Then, after a minute or two, i did 2 x 20 bench crunches, properly cued mostly, and only reverted to sit-ups a few reps.

April 14, 2026

Day 4, walk

Day 4, walk, is supposed to continue the recovery from day 1, weights. My quads and hams feel heavier than usual. Proof recovery is required.. So, I walked.

Got an earliesh start, because it was forecast to rain, in about an hour. Well, it started about 35 minutes in, just got harder, and maxed out thunder et al as I got to my driveway. Decent timing. And, I'm kinda soaked ...

April 13, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row, is intended to provide a full body stretch/massage, as recovery from Day 1, weights. It reveals whatever's too tight or muscle stiff. Today's happy issue is that I wanted to go too fast / pull too hard. That's excellent.

Almost warm enuf to wear shorts. Almost. Closed with 40 more properly cue'd bench crunches. still too chicken to lower the bench back full decline.

April 12, 2026

Day 2, walk

Day 2, walk, is planned as a recovery day - easy walk, not very far. But, I felt stiff, used by lifting, higher food intake (mostly 2 ingredient chocolate cookies), so higher BG. Tough.

Weather is dry, cloudy, upper 30s, wind variable 0-15 MPH.

April 11, 2026

Day 1, weights

Day 1, weights, wasn't difficult much at all. It has become obvious, even to me, that when my BG number is higher, I'm stronger. I'm Hulk-like today. Probably not a good tradeoff.

Almost all my metrics are ok to good. No issues lifting, my weight is well controlled, skeletal muscle weight is stable, all my blood labs work came back 'no issues'. Too fucking bad I'm old .....

April 10, 2026

Day 6, rest/walk

I'm pretty sure this will stay on 'rest' until I get younger.

April 9, 2026

Day 5, row(4x4)

Day 5, row (4x4) is hard for me. That's why it's here. That, and prep for my stress test in June, are hard work. 

Today was that odd combo of too hard and hard enuf. Came out better than i'd thought.

Then, 50 bench crunches, using new cues. felt harder, but 4x4s'll do that to me.

April 8, 2026

Day 4, walk

Day 4, walk, is intended to aid recovery and try for PAI points. I needed the recovery, and didn't expect that many PAI points. 

My bg number this morning was very low - like 32 . I've not much clue as to why. Normies probably wouldn't have awoken. Swallowed a bowl of cereal, went for a walk. BG still high, so 3 units NovoLog.

April 7, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row is primarily for a full body stretching session. The interval seeking technique is to warm up, start the first cycle at whatever pace, then stay above/ go faster with each cycle. Did that.

Note that the hr peak goes up with each cycle. felt strong. recall this is recovery. so, did 50 bench crunches to finish.

April 6, 2026

Day 2, walk

Day 2, walk is intended to be a recovery day after weights. This almost disqualified because having my hr up there is not an 'easy' walk. I tried, and just naturally sped up. Always happy to hit double digit PAI point gain.

April 5, 2026

Day 1, weights

Day 1, weights is the OG of needing recovery. usually, taking a rest day then day 1 weights leaves me feeling strong. today, i felt strong on like 2/3s of the sets, and way less on the rest. 05_ was difficult. 06_ was 'easy'. go figure.

PAI shows the 'cardio' impact of weights, which ain't much. Even after the session duration was shorter (implies moving weights quicker, resting less). Implies I need to lift more weight. oh goody ....

April 4, 2026

Day 6, walk / rest

today, and I'm thinking of making this more permanent, a rest day. I recall how relatively easier the weights session felt last time. 

April 3, 2026

Day 5, row (4x4)

Day 5, row (4x4) is intended to be difficult. It was successful. then, 50 bench crunches

I look for the clear heart rate work/rest pattern, and, equal or increasing highs thru the cycles. Bingo.

I also look to see how much time i spend at my red line, and it wasn't much. The issue is within the engine proper, and not the fuel and delivery systems. I think. WTFK?

April 2, 2026

Day 4, walk

Day 4, walk is intended to be a not so mild walk. I did the strongest pace I could hold. Keep in mind that my cardio strength is high, at least by 3 years ago cardio stress test. Next one this June. I have no cardio physical issues, except for being in decent shape, for 'a man my age'. Which make it harder to race my heart rate. Oh well ...

April 1, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row, is a recovery day. Just row. Changed the time sequence to 7 minutes row 1 minute rest.

PAI kinda fell out of bed because the higher numbers - 30+ drop off after a week. No hard walks, no high PAI numbers.