Day Eleven- Flips, Fitness & Second Chances: A Middle-Aged Man's Return to Gymnastics
- Jay M. Horne
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
Day 11: Back in the Pool
After yesterday's milestone of completing my first ten days, I'm now officially into the second phase of this journey. Day 11 brought some interesting developments and a return to an exercise I've found particularly beneficial.
The Numbers Update
There was a slight adjustment in my weight today, back up to 193 pounds after yesterday's drop to 192. This type of daily fluctuation is completely normal and expected – it could be due to water retention, timing of meals, or simply the natural variation that occurs when measuring body weight. The overall trend remains downward, which is what matters most.
What's significantly more encouraging is my 5K time, which improved dramatically to 34:08 – that's over 5 minutes faster than yesterday's time (which included weight training) and the best time I've recorded since Day 3. This suggests my body is continuing to adapt to using fat as its primary fuel source.
Return to Swimming
Today I reintroduced swimming to my routine, completing 15 laps in the pool. Swimming provides several unique benefits that complement my other training:
It's a full-body workout that engages muscles differently than running or calisthenics
The water resistance provides natural feedback for movement efficiency
The horizontal body position and breath control have direct carryover to gymnastics body awareness
It offers low-impact recovery while still building cardiovascular capacity
The 15 laps felt challenging but manageable – a good starting point to build from as I incorporate swimming more regularly into my training schedule.
Nutrition Strategy
After yesterday's relatively low-calorie day, I increased my intake today:
Cheese & beef (500 calories)
Egg white salad (400 calories)
Chicken wings (800 calories)
Salad (300 calories)
Total: 2,000 calories
This represents a continuation of my zigzag approach to caloric intake – alternating between higher and lower calorie days to prevent metabolic adaptation while ensuring sufficient energy for training and recovery. Today's higher intake supports the increased swimming activity and helps replenish energy stores after yesterday's more restricted eating.
I've continued to focus on protein-rich foods with minimal carbohydrates to maintain ketosis. The egg white salad leverages my recent discovery about the efficiency of egg whites as a protein source, while the chicken wings provide both protein and fat for sustained energy.
Strength Foundation
I completed 100 push-ups for the 10th consecutive day – a milestone that represents both physical and mental discipline. What started as a challenging goal has become a foundational habit, demonstrating how quickly the body can adapt when given consistent stimuli.
I chose to focus on swimming rather than sit-ups today, implementing a strategic rotation of exercises to prevent overtraining specific muscle groups while maintaining overall fitness progression.
Reflections on Progress
Now into my second week, I'm noticing some interesting patterns. My best performances tend to come after higher calorie days, suggesting that while maintaining a caloric deficit is important for weight loss, strategic fueling makes a significant difference in workout quality.
The improvement in my 5K time is particularly encouraging. The initial adaptation to ketosis created a notable performance decline, but today's time indicates my body is becoming more efficient at utilizing fat for energy. This should translate to improved stamina for gymnastics training as I begin to incorporate more skill-specific work.
The Path Forward
As I continue into this second week, I plan to:
Maintain the push-up streak while rotating other exercises strategically
Gradually increase swimming volume for cross-training benefits
Begin incorporating specific gymnastics skill work, starting with handstands and basic tumbling progressions
Continue the zigzag caloric approach, paying particular attention to performance correlations
Begin tracking recovery metrics more systematically
My primary focus now is transitioning from general fitness improvement to more gymnastics-specific training. With the foundation I've built over the first eleven days – consistent strength work, cardio improvement, weight loss, and metabolic adaptation – I'm well-positioned to begin reintroducing the more technical elements of gymnastics.
The journey continues one day at a time, with each small improvement building toward the larger goal of reclaiming my gymnastic capabilities.
Day 11: Back in the Pool
Weight slightly up to 193 pounds after yesterday's drop, but my 5K time improved dramatically to 34:08—over 5 minutes faster than yesterday and the best since Day 3! Reintroduced swimming with 15 laps while maintaining my push-up streak (100 reps for the 10th consecutive day). Increased calories to 2,000 as part of my zigzag approach, focusing on protein-rich foods like egg white salad, cheese & beef, chicken wings, and salad. The improvement in my running time suggests my body is adapting to using fat as fuel more efficiently. I'm noticing that my best performances tend to come after higher calorie days, providing valuable insights for future nutrition planning. Now transitioning from general fitness improvement to more gymnastics-specific training, with handstands and basic tumbling progressions on the horizon.
A Middle-Aged Man’s Guide to Beginner Gymnastics is awaiting an official announcement, but has a planned latest release date of January 2026.
Jay Horne is the author of the science fiction fantasy realm of Rootworld where magic came before science. His latest works explore the discovery of magic on the Earth when the first witch is born and turns water into wine. Now, both realms are trying to educate and acclimate their students into new subjects.
Jay is the father of four and works as a cardiac monitor tech while he writes. He has a newsletter at substack called Stories that Slap. The only thing he loves more than writing is fooling his children.
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