The Covid-19 hysteria was in full swing at this point and the lockdowns had gone into effect, meaning the gym I used to go to had closed down. For the next several months I had to train using bodyweight, resistance bands and PVC pipe. Surprisingly, this proved quite effective, as I gained a fair amount of muscle and strength in my upper body.

 I still didn't know anyone who actually arm wrestled and most people were scared to breathe in public at this point, so I trained like a prisoner for several more months, venting my frustrations with the absurd state of the world through intense physical exertion throughout the day.

 It was, despite the maddening state of things, actually quite fun. I got quite a lot stronger and came to appreciate the power of training throughout the day, every day, rather than chunking things into a single workout that lasts an hour or two. When the gyms finally opened back up in June I returned there, but I still wouldn't be able to actually arm wrestle again until January of 2021.