What Christmas Cookie Hangover?
Is it possible for muscles to atrophy within seven days?
I hadn’t been to the gym since Monday and I felt weak – weak, I tell you! The only lifting I’ve done in a week is moving those various, Christmas-shaped, half-ounce forms of brightly-colored, refined-sugar sweetened, processed wheat flour from the plate to my lips (frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t sustained a repetitive motion injury)! By this morning, I was clearly experiencing the effects of an over-indulgent, low-energy, bad-attitude cookie hangover.
Setting out for the gym during snow flurries this morning only contributed to my artificially-induced Christmas cookie high. Nearing the gym, however, I began to fear the particular manifestations of the loss of strength due to lack of practice and bad eating habits. I wondered if, while attempting a push-up, one’s wrists could actually snap under the hulking weight of additional Christmas cookies body mass.
I still don’t know if such snapping is possible, but I’m happy to report not only did my wrists not snap during push-ups, but I was able to accomplish two things I’d never done before!
- Completing 3 double unders – oh, not in a row! (And I’m expending too much energy by jumping too high – but it’s a start!)
It may have been my new gym gear (shirt and water bottle), or perhaps, as suggested by the trainer, it was the week of rest. I know only that it wasn’t the cookies. Blech. (Don’t get me wrong – they were delicious, just left me feeling bloated and logy.)
Next year ( at the new digs!!!), I hope to attempt, if not get good at this and this and certainly much better at this.
Comments
And when I went back after my break (due to sickness) I surprised myself by doing amazing Girl Pushups (from knees)--25 right in a row even (the other 25 took some resting in between). Kelly says that sometimes after a break you can come back stronger.
Double unders--I learned that, much to my surprise and dismay, jumping rope is a skill that is not at all like riding a bike. I am working on more than 5 "single unders" in a row without tripping over my big feet!
You rock, btw. :)
Twenty-five push-ups in a row! That's impressive. I think I can manage 15 in a row. Then after a good nap, maybe 15 more. Series of 10 with rests are doable, but quickly descend into something very ugly after the second series.
Don't even talk to me about burpees.