I do 45 minutes on the elliptical and a nice 5.0 miles. I feel good. It's a back and biceps day and it's Friday which gives me extra incentive to work out hard because I'm such a slacker on the weekends. My friend B yells at me that I shouldn't be losing any more weight, that I should cut waaaay back on my cardio, to say, oh, 10 minutes. And I scoff! Because if I can't get good and sweaty, then I don't feel properly warmed up and then I don't feel good. Exercise is my drug!
"You shouldn't be weighing yourself after your workout."
"Why not?" I ask.
The scale's on the way to the shower and I'm always wearing the same thing, a towel. so there's no hiding from any ugly truths, there's no excuses (like, oh, it must be my extra heavy sneakers today, or I have my cell in my pocket). There's only, ooh, maybe I shouldn't've had seconds and thirds last night. Besides, I always weight myself at this time, after my workout, after sucking down a bottle or two of water. At least I'm consistent, and consistency is the key to an awful lot of things.
"Because you've just sucked down a liter and a half of water. How much does that weigh?"
I shrug because I don't think a liter and a half is going to skew my weigh in.
Then she adds, "I can't believe you don't have to run off to the rest room all the time!"
I shrug. I can't believe she works out and doesn't get sweaty. She barely drinks the half liter bottle of whatever mix she put in her water bottle.
My right elbow is bothering me from doing the 10 close grip chin ups I finish my stretch/side-kick routine with, so I opt to do traditional machine rows and pull downs today. The neutral (palms facing each other) grip is great on my tiny wrists and dysfunctional shoulder, but it's wreaking havoc with the inside of one elbow.
I do a set of 12 reps with 75 lbs to start, then do another 3 sets of 15 reps at 90 lbs, pulling the handles to my chest with my back rigidly straight. I've finally seen my back, and it needs work. I do another 3 sets at 105 lbs but can only eek out 8 reps. Maybe I'll put on a little size. While I'm happy with the diamond shape of my traps, considering I don't recall doing movements specific for it, it's the rather sparse lats that bother me. From one angle, all I see are ribs. I don't think you should see your ribs from the back.
The pull-down station already has a standard bar attached so I do 12 reps at 90 lbs for 5 sets, trying hard to resist the urge to move the peg to 105 lb. It's such an ego boost to move your own weight or more! My elbows are my weak link on this movement so I give my arms a break and do a few machines: 2 sets of 25 reps at 50 lbs on the side-twist-ab station, 2 sets of 25 reps at 90 lbs on the seated lower back press (like doing hyper-extensions in a seated position), and about 125-150 reps each (I tend to lose count after 100) of twisting situps and leg kick-outs. Towards the end I can feel my abs burning, but it feels distant and not all that unpleasant.
Feeling pleasantly sweaty again, I gingerly try 5 sets of stiff leg deadlifts at the Smith machine with just the 45 lbs bar. I know I could add weight but really, what I want to see is what part of me (if any) is going to be sore tomorrow. Then I grab a 30 lb barbell and do bent-over-reverse grip rows. I feel lopsided as I stare at my form in the mirror. My arms don't quite track the same as I try to keep my elbows close to my body as I draw the weight up to my navel. But I feel my lats for the first time, and I'm excited. I do 5 sets of 15 reps. I want to see how I'll feel over the weekend before upping the weight. Dumbbell rows are something I used to do, but as with flyes and dumbbell presses, my spine and shoulders are too flexible and I tend to inadvertently slide out of alignment which become rather painful and tiresome.
Naturally, having done all that pulling motion means that biceps are next. But that's another post.
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