Date: February 16, 2026
Bodyweight: 255.4
Wake Up Time: 5 AM, voluntarily
Elbow: Mostly cooperative
Energy: Surprisingly good

I got up at 5 AM on a day I did not have to work. That alone feels like progress.

Energy was good. The elbow felt mostly good. The only real issue showed up during incline dumbbell flyes, where there was some pain and burning. Manageable, but noticeable.

Lifting

Bench Press
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5

Five clean sets. No drama. It felt solid. Not heavy in a discouraging way. Just honest work.

Iso-Lateral Chest Press Machine
107 x 15
127 x 9
127 x 8
127 x 8 (real grind)
127 x 8 (another grind)

The last two sets were work. Not sloppy, but slow. The kind of reps that remind you you are rebuilding.

Incline Dumbbell Flyes
30s x 15
30s x 15
30s x 15
30s x 12
30s x 12

This is where the elbow made its presence known. Burning and irritation during the stretch portion. Not enough to stop, but enough to respect. I will keep an eye on that.

Total lifting time was 57 minutes with a cardio load of 18 according to Fitbit. Reasonable.

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Treadmill

25-minute walk, plus 5-minute cooldown.

For the first 25 minutes:

3.0 MPH the entire time.
Started at 0.0 incline.
Increased incline by 0.5 every minute until 6.0.
Then I dropped it by 0.5 every minute until 3.0 at minute 18.
Finished the remaining 7 minutes at a steady 3.0 incline.

Cooldown:

0.0 incline.
Started at 3.5 MPH.
Dropped 0.1 MPH every minute.
Finished at 3.1 MPH.

Treadmill cardio load: 45.

So yes. Cardio carried the heavier load today. As usual.

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Observations

The bench press felt stable. Strength is not where it used to be, but it is not embarrassing either. It feels like something that can be rebuilt.

The elbow is not gone, but it is better. Flyes are clearly more irritating than pressing. That is useful information.

Getting up at 5 AM on a non-work day might be the biggest win. Not because it is heroic, but because it signals intention.

Today was not flashy. It was not a PR day. It was just consistent.

And right now, consistency is the goal.

@mullinsunscripted

No one is watching. That’s kind of the point. Bench press. Flyes. Incline treadmill. Back at it at 44. #fitnessover40 #startingagain #strengthtraining #benchpress #treadmill #realfitness #menover40

♬ 7AM – Slowed + Reverb – Adrian