Freshening Things Up

I woke up late and have my son in tow as I head to the gym feeling a bit rushed and very discombobulated. Again, I only allot myself 35 min of cardio to get warm and sweaty. It amounts to 3.96 miles which is okay for a Monday after a weekend of indulgences such as BBQs, honey wine (mead), and gelato.

The idea of benching heavier has been percolating in the back of my mind for some time now and the Smith is free. No excuses! I do a warm up set with just the bar, and then with just a pair of 25 lb plates. Then I add a pair of 10s and a 5 to each side of the bar, bringing the total weight to 145 lbs. I know I can do this, at least for a few reps. But I'm nervous so I ask B to spot me. Just in case I'm not as strong as I think.

The first 6 reps move easily. 2 more. Okay, just 2 more after that, but reps 9 and 10 are a bit shaky. Still, I'm pretty happy with myself. I pull 30 lbs off the bar and do a set of 12, then drop to just 95 lbs and do another 12 to finish. I feel pretty good! B asks me suspiciously if I'm taking anything other than the Ensure I drink post-workout. Nope. 'Cept for the extra zinc 'cuz I still got remnants of this cold in my throat. Cage stretches and kicks, deltoid dumbbell raises, abs and light triceps round out my abbreviated workout.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.96 miles
Smith bench press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 8-10 @ 145 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 95 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks
Dumbbell Delt Front & Lateral Raise Supersets: 12 @ 15 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Inclined Rear Dumbbell Raises: 6 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One-Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 12 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting SitUp: about 150
Seated Lower Ab KickOuts: about 125
Tricep PressDowns: 3 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Mat stretch

B asks me again if I'm not taking additional supplements because the idea of me benching 145 lbs has somehow dumbfounded her. But I remind her that benching on the Smith is different than free benching. I couldn't bench 145 on a standard olympic bench because I use a "deadman's grip" on the bar, which is thumbless. This saves my hand/thumb and wrist, and allows me to really concentrate on the benching movement which should be primarily tricep (outer upper arm) and pectorals (chest).

What limits my benching on an olympic bench is pain in my hand and wrist. I have tiny hands even for a small person (ring size is 3.25).  I also remind her that I do ridiculous amounts of repetitions on days when I'm not benching heavy, and I mean multiple sets of 25 reps, sometimes doing a set of 50 or 75. For fun. And to break up the monotony. You need to challenge yourself creatively. It keeps you focused, and fresh. And apparently, it makes you stronger.

The scale reads 109 lbs. I weighed that much last Monday, but this week I'm planning to take a few days off before school starts. I'm already starting to feel guilty, but I take solace in the fact that the gym is open from 9-1 on Labor Day. Yes, I'm such a gym rat.