A Blue Workout

I haven’t been myself lately. Although terribly neglected, I’ve kept this blog around in case I eventually shrug the cloak of apathy and depression that’s been weighing heavy on my shoulders.

Without going into too much detail, I’ve had many bad days lately. A lot of personal drama has stripped me of my essence, and well…I kind of feel like a shell of my former self. The things that used to make me happy no longer make me happy. Working out has become a chore. I still do it, albeit not as regularly as I used to. I suppose the habit is so deeply ingrained in me that I can’t just drop it altogether. I also started to develop lower back pain that has prevented me from lifting as heavy or intensely as I like. I can’t squat or deadlift or do almost any exercise which requires me to bend at my hips unless it’s with light weight.

But still, I manage to drag my sad-sack self to the gym and workout. Some people say that exercise helps when you’re depressed, but I find the opposite to be true. When I physically exert myself it unleashes whatever it is I’m trying to suppress, which lately has been tears. (Ugh, I know. Just bear with me.) These days progress is measured not by how much weight I can move, but by completing a workout with minimal back pain and no emotional breakdowns.

Today is cardio day, and I did the following workout. As much as I drag my feet the whole way to the gym, I never regret working out. As much as I feel like the lump in my throat is going to suffocate me, I’m still breathing. I realize unloading myself like this to the public is a blogging 101 No No, but I really don’t give a shit. Now, onto the workout.

With two dumbbells (weight is at your discretion) go through the following sequence for 10 reps. (You do all exercises ONCE, one after the other. When you get to the shoulder press, you will have completed one rep for each movement. Start back at the push-up for your second rep.)

Push-Up

Plank DB Row

Deadlift

Curl

Shoulder Press

Lunge (You can keep your arms up, or bring them back down)

Once you have completed the 10 reps, jump rope for one minute. Repeat this complex two more times. Finish with 30 burpess.

I used two 10 lb dumbbells for this workout. I was pretty good up until the third round. In the future I’ll probably for four to five rounds for more intensity. Didn’t time it, but I was done pretty quickly. I think less than 15 minutes.

Here’s a video for reference: