Month 6 of the Modified Levine Protocol, check!
What Month 6 is like
Each week has 4-5 cardio days and 2 strength training days. The cardio days are either maximal steady state pace, base pace, or interval training (new this month). These intervals are to be done as hard as you can go. The last two weeks of the month do not have any rest days. The program is continuing to increase in difficulty and time. It’s getting intense up in here.
Notes
- I am still doing PT strengthening exercises to warm-up.
- I am still doing mobility work and stretches to cool-down.
- My knee is doing much better.
- My husband and I are still doing the Beyond Flexibility program in the evenings. I see significant improvements in my flexibility and range of motion.
- For base pace days, I continued to either do aerobics inside or walk outside.
- For MSS days, I continued to do the CVX video from P90X3 (Beachbody).
- For recovery sessions, I did various Fightmaster Yoga videos.
Introduction of interval training
I did sprints on grass for my first interval workout. My knee didn’t feel very secure. So, I switched to jump-roping for subsequent interval workouts. Jump-roping worked well for my knee as well as the level of exertion needed. Several months ago, I read an article that jump training was beneficial for POTS due to the increased muscle pump function. Unfortunately, I cannot find that article anymore, so there’s a small chance that I made that up in my head. Another benefit of jump roping is that I feel like a total BA.
Why I’m moving on from P.volve
Sadly, I am having to move on from P.volve. I still love it and highly recommend it. I am moving on because P.volve most effective when you do it at least 3 or 4 days per week. With the schedule of the Modified Levine Protocol, I can only do it 2 days per week. So, to maximize my strength training, I need to do something else.
Since the middle of the month, I have been making up my own strength circuits that take around half an hour. I do a hodgepodge of exercises: some things are P.volve-esque and some things are more along the lines of what I used to do when I was training for races.
How I’ve been feeling
This month has been up and down. I have had some strong moments as well as a lot of crashes. The cold virus I had last month ended up carrying on for 4-5 weeks total, so that kicked my butt. Also, life during COVID-19 has extended me far past my energy envelope, which causes frequent crashes. Overall, I have declined a bit due to the frequent crashes. It’s frustrating. I won’t get into it beyond that because it’s not beneficial for me to write about or for you to read. So, instead, I’m going to share a picture of my favorite moment from Netflix’s Tiger King. James Garretson cruising on a Jet Ski to “Eye of the Tiger” is my happy place.
In last month’s post I discussed the benefits I would attribute to the protocol, so you can check that out there if you are curious. When I complete the protocol in about 2 months, I will give an updated overview of that.
Looking ahead
Month 7 looks very similar to this past month. The interval workouts also increase in length/difficulty. I don’t foresee any major changes in how I am doing things.
Other Modified Levine Protocol posts
Modified Levine Protocol- Month 8 and Final Thoughts
Modified Levine Protocol- Month 7
Modified Levine Protocol- Month 5
Modified Levine Protocol- Month 4
Modified Levine Protocol- Month 3
Modified Levine Protocol- Bonus time
Month 2 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Introduction and Month 1 of the Modified Levine Protocol
Link to the Modified Levine Protocol Program
Modified Levine Protocol Program
Anyone else doing the Modified Levine Protocol? How is it going?
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.
Note: If you post a comment, this site does NOT have a feature to notify you of responses to your comment. I have not found a good solution for that yet. However, I usually respond to every comment in a timely manner, so be sure to check back.
4 Comments
Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one that makes up stuff in their head. Wow, 13k steps is awesome! Good job!
I started jumping rope again and my first thought was “how did I use to do this for an entire recess?” It seemed so easy as a child. I don’t ever remember having to stop and catch my breath. Sheesh!