Day Three- Flips, Fitness & Second Chances: A Middle-Aged Man's Return to Gymnastics

Day 3: Finding My Rhythm

Three days in, and I'm starting to establish a routine while learning what my body can handle at this stage of the journey. Today brought some encouraging developments alongside the reality of physical adaptation.

The Numbers Don't Lie

My weight has held steady at 197 pounds, which isn't surprising this early in the process. What's more encouraging is my 5K time, which improved dramatically from yesterday's 36:34 to 33:53 today – almost back to my Day 1 pace. This suggests that yesterday's slower time was likely just a temporary dip as my body adjusted to the new routine and caloric intake.

Expanding My Exercise Horizons

Today I introduced two significant new elements to my training:

Lap Swimming (20 minutes): Swimming is exceptional cross-training for gymnastics as it builds overall endurance and upper body strength while being easy on the joints. Twenty minutes of continuous laps was challenging but refreshing.

Gymnastics (10 minutes): I finally incorporated some actual gymnastics work today! I started with very basic jumps to muscle-ups on rings and basic tuck jumps on the trampoline. These fundamental movements are helping me reawaken dormant neural pathways while gradually rebuilding the strength and coordination I'll need for more advanced skills.

I also increased my sit-ups to 80 (double yesterday's count) while maintaining my push-up routine with another 100 reps. The consistency in these basic calisthenics is already paying dividends in terms of core strength and endurance.

Nutrition: Finding Balance

I'm gradually finding a sustainable nutritional approach that provides enough energy for my activities while maintaining a caloric deficit. Today's menu included:

• 2 pickles (2 calories)

• Avocado (250 calories)

• Salad (120 calories)

• Dinner: Steak with escargot and mushroom/carrot (450 calories)

• 2 cups almond milk (60 calories)

• 2 slices Swiss cheese (180 calories)

• Half a pepper (30 calories)

Total: 1,092 calories

This represents another modest increase from yesterday's 900 calories, giving me enough fuel to support my expanded exercise regimen while still maintaining a significant deficit compared to my pre-challenge eating habits.

The Fatigue Factor

I'm still experiencing considerable fatigue, which is to be expected when making such dramatic changes to diet and activity levels. I suspect my body's current reliance on carbohydrates for energy is contributing to this fatigue. As I mentioned yesterday, I believe transitioning into ketosis – where my body will primarily burn fat for fuel – might help alleviate this issue.

The initial phase of adapting to a dramatically reduced carbohydrate intake can be challenging. Many people refer to it as the "keto flu" – a period of fatigue, brain fog, and sometimes irritability as your metabolism adjusts to utilizing fat rather than glucose. I'm likely experiencing aspects of this transition now.

Looking Ahead

As I move into Day 4, I'll continue gradually increasing my gymnastics training time while maintaining my swimming, running, and calisthenics. I'm also considering a more intentional shift toward ketogenic eating to potentially accelerate the metabolic adaptation.

In my book, I wrote about how Chico would emphasize the importance of building a proper foundation before attempting advanced skills. This foundation isn't just physical strength but also metabolic efficiency and neural patterning. These first few days are all about establishing that foundation.

The trampoline work today was particularly nostalgic – there's something uniquely liberating about defying gravity, even in the most basic ways. It's a reminder of why I fell in love with gymnastics in the first place, and why it's worth pushing through these challenging early days.

Tomorrow, I'll aim to build on today's progress, perhaps adding another basic gymnastics element while continuing to refine my nutrition and overall approach.

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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.