I began week twelve on 17 February and was just about to start my third workout of the week on Wednesday, 19 February when my sister Mary called to tell me my parents home had burned and they were both in the hospital being treated for smoke inhalation, along with the Good Samaritan who pulled them from their burning house. I never got to my workout that day or Thursday or Friday. Things have turned out well. The Good Samaritan is fine. My father was discharged from the hospital quickly and now lives with my sister Jenny. My mother was on a ventilator for several days, but was finally able to breathe on her own and is doing much better. She has agreed to move in with my sister Jenny when she is discharged from the hospital, which could happen any day now.

My parents are a big influence on my exercise program because I want to be in better shape at their age than they are. My father is 92 and my mother is 87, so I have an excellent chance of living many more than my current 56 years. Exercise and diet can’t solve every problem, but it can stop many problems from ever developing.

I could have stayed on my training program and completed sessions on 19, 20, and 21 February, but did not feel like it. I felt too stressed emotionally to add unnecessary physical stress to the mix. I resumed my basic program on 24 February and got through the week just fine. I did not push myself to use my heaviest bell for swings and did not try to sweat every possible benefit out of my squats and get-ups, but I did complete my routine. I am beginning to appreciate that over the long term, staying with the routine of completing the Simple and Sinister program five days per week is the best way for me to maximize strength, endurance, and flexibility. I can’t train if I get so overwhelmed that I quit. I can’t train if I provoke overuse injuries as I have so many times before in my life.

At the end of week twelve, I am grateful to be alive and to complete this work routinely.

My current S&S program (5 days per week)

Prying goblet squats
16 kg kettlebell – 3 x 5 = 15 reps, 525 pounds

Goblet squat curls
16 kg kettlebell –3 x 5 = 15 reps, 525 pounds

Halos: 16 kg kettlebell – 3 x 10 = 30 reps, 1050 pounds

One-handed swings
24 kg kettlebell – 10 x 5 L/R = 100 reps, 5300 pounds

Get-ups
16 kg kettlebell – 5 x 1 L/R = 10 reps, 350 pounds

Total weight: 7750 pounds
Weekly total: 38,750 pounds