I knew I was going to be sore today when I woke up. Heck, I was sore yesterday evening after working out in the morning...so I was ready and expecting a bad case of the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). I did everything right yesterday at the gym — I didn't overdo it, I didn't go too hard, I kept the weights and workout to a minimum, trying to ease myself back into working out and lifting weights.

It still wasn't enough. Every movement I make today is mired by sore muscles. I guess it's almost like a penance I'm paying to the gym gods for disappearing for 6 months. I know it's normal, and a part of me enjoys the feeling of having the DOMS, knowing my muscles are going to repair themselves stronger. I know I'm currently detrained, but getting back into the gym — with this being my first week back working out — my muscle memory should come back quickly. The main thing I need to do now is build momentum.

Before and after comparison — Day 0 vs Day 2 of 100 Days to Abs challenge, down 3.9 lbs in 2 days
Day 0 vs Day 2 — down 3.9 lbs. Starting to see a slight difference. You be the judge.

The Day After My First Workout in 6 Months

I made it a point to do something today. I didn't go to the gym — it probably would have felt nice to hit the sauna, I'm sure it would have relaxed my sore muscles temporarily at least. Instead, I chose to do a small workout at home: 15 minutes on the treadmill (incline 8%, speed 3mph). Was supposed to be 30 minutes but cut it short due to being in such bad shape. Followed by 1 set of pushups (goal of AMRAP — "as many reps as possible" — I got 10), and 3 sets of ab crunches, again as many reps as possible each time. I think I did 10, 9, 7 respectively.

Rest day at home with the dog during 100 Days to Abs challenge
Trying to do sit ups with a German Shepherd who has other plans.

Keeping the Diet Clean

My diet was on point again today. I warmed up some leftover chicken breast with a can of niblets and 4 small potatoes, again smothered in ketchup and hot sauce — keeping the fat intake to a bare minimum.

Low fat meal prep — chicken breast, potatoes, corn, ketchup and hot sauce for cutting diet
The staples. Chicken, potatoes, corn, ketchup, hot sauce. Low fat, high volume, gets the job done.

I feel like I'm also starting to see a slight difference from day zero. It's only been 2 days, so it's probably just water weight and wishful thinking — but hey, the scale is moving in the right direction.

Tomorrow I will be back at the gym. The goal is to continue to build momentum — some progressive overload, every day a bit stronger than the last. Plus I'm already looking forward to the sauna...

See you on Day 3.

🔥 What is DOMS?

Delayed onset muscle soreness typically peaks 24-72 hours after a workout, especially after returning from a long break. It's completely normal and a sign your muscles are adapting. The best thing you can do is keep moving — light activity like walking or a short treadmill session actually helps more than sitting still.