Out of the Comfort Zone

I didn't get to the gym as early as I wanted but it's New Year's Eve. I cut my cardio down five minutes to 15, hoping to leave enough in the tank so I could complete my workout the way I wrote it. I see most people just do 5 min on the elliptical, but I can't cut down so quickly after months of doing 4-5 miles a day. At the front desk, I ask for all their magnetic discs only to discover that they really have a lot more than just four 2.5 lb discs. I grab six because that's 15 lbs. After a quick warm up with just an Olympic bar, I grab the 110 lb BB, the last on the rack, and knock out my sets. At 125 lbs, the heaviest I've ever done, I can get 12 reps but they do feel heavy. Thankgoodness for VGs! Two more sets, and then a few drop sets. I feel okay but not really good because I miss warming up until I'm sweaty. The gym is moderately crowded. Latin Baseball and his friends are all over the free weights. When I claim a bench for One-Arm DB Rows, I notice The Mayor, Jude, M and the Slav.

I don't want to waste energy on lighter weighs so I start with the 55 lb DB to warm up. The 60 is heavy! I can only get 10 reps for the first two sets but somehow manage 12 reps for the third set. Very odd. I drop down to 55 again just for another 12-rep set. It's only 5 sets but they've got me bent over my bench panting hard. I return the magnets and wrestle myself into the Lower Back Extension machine. I'm going for reps. Only four sets. And only only four sets on the Neutral (Close) Grip Pull Downs, but at least I'm getting almost three full sets at my max weight of 120 lbs. Yay! Some abs (the things I didn't do yesterday) and then I climb back up to the cardio area to do 20 minutes of LISS. When I feel myself picking up speed (moving from 80 SPMs to 100) I peddle backwards which slows me down. My husband texts me a few times because he's getting new tires and was just told that the car's suspension should've been replaced at 100,000. Oops. He also wants to go hiking, and we plan to go to the $5 movies today. 47 Ronin is playing. We love special effects and mythical warrior stories. Plus, we haven't really hated anything Keanu Reeves has been in.

Again, I start perspiring as I'm mouthing songs while trotting along at 79 SPM. Very odd. Today I want to do a Mat Stretch but suddenly there are a lot of unfamiliar faces everywhere. And especially on the Mats. So no Mat Stretch. I do a quick Cage Stretch and head to locker room. The gym scale reads 115.0 lbs. Glad it's going down and not up! Tomorrow, if I manage to get out of the house, I'm planning to do 10 minutes of HIIT and maybe some arms. And a Mat Stretch. A good way to start the New Year.

Back Workout:
15 min cardio Hill #2 = 1.54 miles 

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 125 lbs PR Yay! / 12 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 55 lbs / 10, 10, 12 @ 60 lbs / 12 @ 55 lbs

Lower Back Extension Machine: 15 @ 172.5 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 187.5 lbs / 15 @ 180 lbs

Neutral (Close) Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12, 12, 11 @ 120 lbs 

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips, calf raises & side kicks

20 min cardio Hill #1 LISS = 1.28 miles

Today The Scale is Not My Friend

With us, the actual Christmas and New Year's holiday are quiet events because we prefer to stay home and have a "jammie day". The weekend between is when invitations for play dates and meals are exchanged. Friday we went out for sushi. Lots of sushi because my husband always over-orders. Saturday we visited friends in Danbury. They had clam and bacon pizza as well as a more traditional sausage tomato one. We provided the dessert of home-made banana bread served with a choice of vanilla and/or eggnog ice cream. Later, we went to see friends in Newtown to view a UFC match. There was beer, cheddar, summer sausage and the spiciest jalapeno cheese I've ever sampled in my life. We didn't get home until after 2 am (my son fell asleep on the way home) but we were up early the next day as our Danbury friends were headed into the City and wanted our son to accompany their son on their "field trip" to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When they returned to drop our son off, we invited them over for dinner: grilled chicken and flank steak, potatoes, mac and cheese (mostly for the 3 boys), and of course, rainbow marzipan cookies and chocolate truffles for dessert.

I got up this morning, took the dog out and promptly fell back asleep for another hour. My husband is technically on holiday until Thursday when he has to drive up to Boston, but he had a conference call. My son was completely comatose so I snuck out of the house and headed for the gym, getting there mid-morning, just in time to greet B as she hustled on her coat to leave. I get on the Precor and punch in 15 minutes and trot at a leisurely 150 SPMs. But I don't think this qualifies as LISS so my New Year's resolution is to cut my warm ups to just 10 minutes, adding my cardio to the back end of my workout sessions. I just need to grit my teeth for the unpleasant unavoidable initial weight gain. I still plan to do HIIT workouts twice a week though. I'll give it a few weeks to see if this results in the body fat loss I want.

Meanwhile, it's Universal Bench Press Monday so down to the free weight area. Today I toss a pair of 45s and a pair of 25s down on the floor next to the bench. Much much better! I feel stable finally. I can't actually remember whether I put 2.5 lb plates or 5 lb plates on the end of the bar last week. My notes say 2.5 lbs (totalling 120 lbs) so I bite my lip, say WTF to myself and toss on 5s today. Okay, that's 125 lbs. I don't bother to see how many I can get because my program says to just get 4 reps. And I get my 4 reps. Then I reconfigure, stripping the weights bit by bit, and doubling the reps for each set. At 75 lbs I can get 20 reps, and I'm not breathing all that hard. This is better than last week when I had to pause twice with a mere 95 lbs. "Yep", I tell myself, "definitely going to cut my warm up time next week."

Next are Incline Presses. I'm not quite sure why they are so hard except that I don't really fit very well into the bench. The stays are too far away, and the angle of the bench seems quite severe at 60°. Still, I persevere, figuring that at some point I'll get better at it. Five sets later and my right front delt is twinging a little. But not enough to keep from Decline Benching. I'm more comfortable with this. The weights don't feel as heavy, but I know my arms are starting to fatigue so I keep this short. Just five sets here too, but ending with a nice 20 rep pump. The Chest Program I've looked at calls for 3 sets of15 reps of pec dec flyes but I don't do those so I grab a pair of 20s and do actual flat bench DB Flyes. I'm worried that the weight will pop my shoulders or spine out of alignment so 20 lbs is plenty for now. I use the same 20s to warm up for Standing Lateral DB Raises. Then I swap them for 25s. I look back in my log and see that I've done sets of 12 reps at 27.5 lbs, so doing less reps at 30 lbs should be doable. And I do them. Yay!

Just some light abs and a quick stretch at the Cage. But I don't feel satisfied so I find myself climbing back up to the cardio area and getting on a Precor. I punch in 15 minutes (it automatically adds a 5 minute warm up) and I start walking at the snail-racing 89 SPM. It's boring and I catch myself speeding up with the quick tempo of my cardio music mix. But what surprises me is that I start to perspire. I'm barely moving, and sweat is dripping off the back of my neck! This is extremely unexpected.

I brace myself for the gym scale's bad news. I'm expecting 115 lbs. I get 116 lbs. Ugh. Okay, I'm not that surprised. I caught a side view of me in the DB area and even I think my triceps are freaking huge. I've put on size everywhere (I took a tape measure to myself over the weekend), especially my thighs (a whopping two inches from 19 to 21 inches in about a year) so now I'm thinking I have to cut back on my Leg Workouts, lowering the volume a lot. Genetically, I have big legs. I never work my calves and they're 13 inches. It's a nice balance to the upper arms (also 13 inches), but really, I like my pants and don't want to buy new ones. When I get home, my own scale tells me 113 lbs, with a BF just over 21% (double ugh), but muscle mass back up to 37% and bone back to 4.6 lbs. Very odd.

Monday Workout:
20 min cardio warm up (elliptical 2.15 miles)

Bench Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 4 @ 125 lbs / 8 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 16 @ 95 lbs / 20 @ 75 lbs
Inclined Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 10 @ 75 lbs / 4, 6, 6 @ 95 lbs
Decline Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 16 @ 85 lbs / 20 @ 75 lbs

DB Flyes: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs

Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 30 lbs / 15 @ 25 lbs

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises & side kicks

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

20 min cardio LISS (elliptical 1.5 miles)

Cardio Friday

We'll see if HIIT works for me.

My husband remains skeptical that starting out with just 5 minutes of HIIT three days a week will amount to anything fitness-wise. Perhaps 5 minutes isn't enough. It wasn't enough today. I had my son in tow (my husband decided he needed to fulfill an urge to go winter hiking on Storm King Mountain) so I knew my workout would have to be shorter anyway.

The Precor ellipticals don't allow you to punch in time less than 10 minutes, and then it automatically adds a 5 minute "cool down" period. Okay, I can use that. I walk for the first 5 minutes at roughly 150 Strides Per Minute just to loosen up. Usually my glutes are sore after Leg Day, but today my hammies are stiff, a sure sign that I'm doing those Smith SLDLs correctly.

Today's Selfie

I move from 150 SPM to 250-270 SPMs for the next 30 seconds and then drop back down to 150 for the next 30 seconds. I repeat this for the next 5 minutes. I'm a little breathless, but I can do more. So I continue doing this for rest of the 5 minute "cool down". Now I'm a bit sweaty, and a bit more breathless. Now I'm suppose to be done for the day and go home. I stretch at the Cage and toss a few side kicks. I still have an hour and a half left! Both Nexersys stations are vacant and I love boxing this machine so I wrap my hands and stuff them into my stupid pink gloves.

I can't decide whether I'm doing 12 rounds of Follow Me or a different combination. When I inadvertently hit 9 rounds, it's set. I'll add another 3 rounds of Sparring afterwards if I feel up to it. It's 3 minutes of punching and kicking, followed by 1 minute of resting. Nine times. Again, I'm punching too hard and some of my blows don't register at all, and the warning buzzer's cautioning me that I could break the machine. Not likely I tell myself. Heck, much bigger guys whack this thing. I'm just a wee woman. Because I'm used to whacking this system after an hour of cardio, I have a lot more energy and power than I'm used to. Afterwards, I program in 3 rounds of Sparring just for fun. Then I can really wail on it. And I do. I'm thoroughly drenched by the time I'm done. And very happy. I don't even care that the scale reads 113.6 lbs. I retrieve my son just as the two hours are up.

Friday Cardio Workout:
5 min walking warm up, 10 minutes HIIT (30 seconds at 150 SPM, 30 seconds at 250-270 SPMs)

Nexersys Boxing System:
9 rounds Follow Me Avatar, female beginner
  Accuracy 81% / Strikes 101% / Avg Power 130% 
3 rounds Sparring Avatar, female beginner
  Strikes 206% / Avg Power 91% / Points 922

Photos posted for actual stats: 

Follow Me 9 rounds

Sparring 3 rounds

After the Feasting

I felt like a slug this morning. I'd like to say it was because I've dropped my cardio down to 20 minutes for a warm up. I usually do a good hour but it's time for a change. As much as I hate cardio, I miss how good I used to feel afterwards. Yesterday was Christmas, which in our house, means pajama day. Just toss on boots and a coat to walk the dog. We gnoshed and nibbled all day on chocolate-covered raisins, almonds, peanuts, popcorn... you name it, it's covered in chocolate or caramel, watched lots of bad movies, opened gifts, spoke to distant family members and then had grilled steak, rice and spinach for dinner. Finished off the last of the rainbow cookies as well. I let the family sleep in and head to the gym alone. I'll have my son in tow tomorrow, but I'm planning a shorter routine for Fridays.

I set up venison chili in the crock pot last night and stuck it in the fridge so I could just plug it in this morning and not fuss over supper tonight. But I've got to clear the snow off my car, move my husband's car out of the way, put out the trash, feed and walk the dog, refill the bird feeder. I barely have time to gulp down my coffee and the dog gets part of my breakfast because I can't finish it. I feel rushed -- my son has a dentist appointment at 1 o'clock and my husband has no intentions of leaving the house today so I'll have to retrieve him after I work out.

At the gym I run into B who is just leaving. The treadmills are all occupied, and standing on the elliptical behind the row makes me feel like a Roman chariot driver with a team of runners before me. I punched in Hill #4 today just for a change. I'm not even feel vaguely warm until minute 12, a little sweaty and warm when I'm done, but I don't have that great aerated feeling. The gym is crowded with regulars like Jude, M, ZZ, Latin Baseball. This time next week there'll be a slew of new faces who'll come for a few months and then disappear. The Smith is free -- yay! I do a quick set of Smith speed squats with just the bar. 25 reps doesn't feel bad. It shouldn't. It didn't feel bad when I'd just pedaled eight plus miles so why should it feel worse today? I'd like to do better than last week so that's my goal for today. I keep checking last week's log to see where I should be.

I get to my max weight of 140 lbs and do three sets of 12 reps. That's better than last week. I don't feel confident in my knees and hips to go heavier. Stiff-legged dead lifts are another matter. After the first two sets, I drop to ten reps. Last week I got three sets of 10 at 140, but I'm feeling ornery today. So I up the weight to 150 and get six reps. Just to make sure it isn't a fluke, I get another six reps. Yay! I'm using the VGs and those always make me a bit unsure because I'm grabbing the grip, not the bar although technically the bar is in my hands. This weight is heavier enough to have me panting and feeling just a tad ill afterwards. But I don't feel like throwing up. A good sign. My lower back and hips do feel a little tired though so I do Leg Extensions next instead of Leg Curls.

The Seated Leg Extension always feels heavy at first until I get past my warm up set. Today I only do five sets, but I've moved the weight up to 142.5 lbs. Yay. Back to the Seated Leg Curl where I've decided to lower the weight for better control. I pyramid up to 105 lbs and back down. Since I doubt I'll be doing abs tomorrow, I knock out some sit ups and knee-in kick outs before heading to the Mat. The DBPUs feel easy today, but I still hate the 60-second plank. I look at the clock and I barely have time to shower and change before rushing back to the house to grab my son.

Tomorrow I thought I'd give HIIT a try since I've read so much about it. Even my husband has agreed to give it a shot in our garage. But I still want to box the Nexersys afterwards. I figure I can maybe do 5 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical, stretch at the Cage, and then go a few rounds. At least that's my plan. The gym scale reads 113.8 lbs which isn't surprising considering yesterday's dietary indiscretions, but this holiday season only comes once a year. Life's too short to feel bad about having that extra cookie or two. I'd rather just work out harder.

Leg Day Workout:
20 min cardio Hill #4 = 2.16 miles 
Smith Squats: 25 @ bar (30 lbs) heels to butt as fast as I can go / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 140 lbs PR reps Yay! / 25 @ 30 lbs heels to butt as fast as I can go
Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 80 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 10 @ 120 lbs / 10 @ 140 lbs / 2 x 6 @ 150 lbs PR Yay!
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs / 12 @ 142.5 lbs PR Yay!
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 75 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Knee-In Kick-Outs: 100
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 60-second plank

Cardio is Making Me Fat

Today I cut my cardio down to 20 minutes. It felt weird. But I was hot and sweaty afterwards. Maybe I shouldn't be. I'm not sure how warm I should be for a "warm up". Today I also had my son in tow and the lady in the Child Care room scolded me for running over the 2 hour limit. Ugh. Thursday my son is staying home with my husband because I'm not sure I can complete my Leg Workout (plus showering and changing) in two hours. Still, today was a pretty good Back Day workout.

I grabbed six magnetic discs and used all of them for the last three sets of Reverse Grip BB Rows (122.5 lbs). There's only one more pair of 1.25 lb magnets left so I'll be maxed out at 125 lbs for this exercise unless I can figure out how to use the Olympic bar and plates. Some gyms have heavy duty collars with screw fasteners. They also add a bit of weight to the bar. I could use those if my gym had them. But they don't. Just the spring clips.

I put the Versa Gripps on at 115 lbs, and I'm happy to get three sets at 122.5 lbs. I decided to add One-Arm DB Rows back into my routine, shoving the elbow-wrenching Neutral (Close) Grip Lat Pull Downs to the end of the list. The DB area is remarkably crowded with several guys and a few girls. They're all much bigger than I am, with wider wingspans, making me claustrophobic. I like a bit of space around me when I work out. I start with a 50 and graduate to the 60, trying for sets. I'm always surprised at how tired I am after this exercise. Lower Back Extension is next and I keep it short. Just three sets. I also keep the Lat Pull Downs short, with a warm up set and then three working sets. I'm running out of time but I don't feel bad skipping abs today. I do a slightly abbreviated Mat Stretch, keeping the splits, dive bomber push ups and 60-second plank.

The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs and I'm okay with that. The hot shower feels really good but I'm 45 minutes late by the time I retrieve my son from Child Care. I run into the gym's nutritionist/personal trainer while I'm in the locker room and I ask her about cutting my cardio. She tells me that I shouldn't be able to do cardio for more than 20 minutes. (Unless I'm building endurance, but I'm not a marathon runner. Still, there's something to be said for going distance.) "Give HIIT a look. It's on the Internet," she offers as she heads to the shower. I've been concerned about my body's ability to adapt so well. Now it's working against me, storing fat it thinks it needs to fuel my workouts. I need to toss some confusion into the mix now.

What I don't know is whether I should just do intensive cardio one day a week. Or more. Sounds like a New Year's resolution in the making. I can monitor my weight and body composition and see where I am in a few months. Just in time for my 54th birthday.

Back Workout:

20 min elliptical Hill 6 = 2.25 miles

RGBB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs / 12 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 117.5 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 122.5 lbs PB Yay!

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 50 lbs / 10 @ 55 lbs / 12, 10, 8 @ 60 lbs

Lower Back Extension: 13 @ 165 lbs (spaced and lost count) / 2 x 12 @ 180 lbs

Neutral Close Grip Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10, 8, 8 @ 120 lbs Elbows felt pretty good today

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 60-second plank

Bench Press Monday

This afternoon I was finishing up doing errands when my husband got home from running a few errands of his own. I had the tail of my Forester open with the 50 lb bag of sunflower seed bird food still sitting there while I hauled in groceries. He gallantly marched the bag into the house and set it down by the dog food, looked at me, then looked at the bag. "How did you get the bird seed into the car?" "I put it in," I replied. He looked at me again, then said, "Damn, I guess working out is paying off! I should've let you get the seed out of the car." I had to suppress a smile.

I had my son in tow this morning because my husband had a business conference call even though he's technically on vacation. Which meant I had to plan an abbreviated workout. I like the combination Chest/Back workouts but that takes too long. Last night I was reviewing a bevy of workouts when one caught my eye in the Women's Training section for Chest. It's simple, which I like, but it's hard and requires a spotter or partner, which I don't have. So I tried to incorporate the gist of it into today's workout, without killing myself. You basically start with your heaviest lift for 4 reps, then drop weight and go for 8 reps. Repeat for 12 reps. Then 16 reps. End with 20 reps. The routine starts with Inclined Presses, then Flat, then Decline and ends with a few sets on the Pec Dec which I don't do.  Flat Bench is the only exercise I have a good idea where I stand with this new equipment which is harder for me because I have to reach much further overhead to unrack the bar.

Since I've been getting sets of 8 at 115 lbs, I started with 120 lbs today after a quick warm up with just the bar. It was hard but I managed to make all my sets. Then I moved to the Inclined Bench which I'm not that familiar with. It's too big and too high but I figured WTH. I can't do the program here because I don't know how much I can lift. This was basically a progression to see how far I can get. Because I feel awkward and unbalanced doing this movement, my increments were smaller, in a "Better Safe Than Sorry" mode. I'm pretty burnt by the time I get to Decline Presses but at least I'm familiar with the feel. I'm done after five sets, but not quite ready to quit yet. I know I should do DB Flyes but I'd rather do DB Raises instead, so that's what I do. I've got a big ugly scratch on my shoulder from Friday than runs about 4 inches in length and a good 1/4" wide. I have absolutely No Idea when it happened, except that it was probably during my rounds with the Nexersys. At least it doesn't hurt.

I'm also toying with the idea of cutting my cardio down to 20 minutes from 35, but all the programs I've reviewed add another 20 minutes at the back end of the workout, and that's not something I want to do. I've already cut my stretching down to alternate days. But maybe I'll just cut cardio to 20 minutes on days I decide to lift heavy. The gym scale reads 113.4 lbs and I'm not surprised anymore. Tomorrow I'm psyched to do Back, upping my RGBB Row, and probably adding the One-Arm DB Rows back into the mix. When I punched my goals into a website calculator, it projected a weight of 125 lbs. I'd also need to drop my BF to 16% to achieve the look I want. Dropping 4% seems daunting only because I don't have a clear course of action. Yet.

Monday Workout:
35 min cardio Hill #5 = 3.84 miles

Bench Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 4 @ 120 lbs / 8 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 10, 3, 3 @ 95 lbs / 20 @ 75 lbs
The 5th set really took my breath away and I had to pause at rep 10, and rack the bar at rep 13 before finishing.

Inclined BB Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 55 lbs / 12 @ 65 lbs / 8 @ 75 lbs / 8 @ 85 lbs / 6 @ 95 lbs

Decline BB Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 85 lbs / 20 @ 65 lbs

DB Lateral Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs

Cage Stretch with BW calf raises & heel dips

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Knee-In Kick-Outs: 100

Cardio Friday

I wasn't sure how I felt about doing cardio three days in a row but there's no way to know until it's done. So I did it. I got on my favorite Precor and punched in the standard 30 minutes, program Interval 7. Except for my right front outer ankle (peroneus brevis?), things felt pretty good. I'm guessing my bout on the LifeFitness elliptical on Thursday put too much stress on that joint. It doesn't hurt so I go for round two on the Precor and punch in Interval 8. I'm dragging a little but still manage to make my quotas and I'm very happy.

After a brief Cage Stretch, I wrap my hands and set my gear down under the Nexersys Station. Twelve rounds later and I'm thoroughly drenched. I get a bit vexed with the machine when it tells me that I'm punching or kicking too hard and then doesn't register the blow, lowering my accuracy score. When I look at the review screen, my accuracy runs the gamut between 62 and 100% depending on the combinations called for by the program avatar.

Looking softer is
not what I want

I feel the need for a quick stretch though and do an abbreviated Mat Stretch, skipping the Dive Bomber Push Ups and plank because my shoulders are tired and I don't want to land on my face. The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs post workout, and 109.6 lb when I get home. What's weirder is that my home scale reads 108.4 this morning when I get up. Still, what really worries me is the trend I've noticed in my body composition: more body fat, less muscle. I've really got to make that appointment for an annual and get my blood work done. And then I need a plan to deal with this.

Friday Cardio Workout
35 min Interval 7 = 4.41 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.22 miles 
Grand Total = 8.63 miles  Yay!
Cage Stretch
Nexersys Boxing Station: 12 rounds Follow Me Avatar, beginner female
  Accuracy 81%  /  Strikes 105%  /  Avg Power 125% 

photos posted for actual stats:

In the Groove

I dropped my son off at school at 8:10 this morning because he has his last Extra Gym Class which allows kids to run around a good 45 minutes before class starts. I would've gotten to the gym at a reasonable hour if I hadn't been trapped behind a white Chevy Impala who needed to break at every curve in the road, couldn't make up her mind whether to make a left turn in rush hour traffic, changed her mind and then sat so far back from the intersection that the light had changed before she finished making her turn. My husband agrees that the worst drivers seem use Impalas as their vehicles of mass frustration. And these aren't the land-yachts of my childhood. But their drivers seem to think they are.

Today is Leg Day but I've missed the opportunity to mount a Precor elliptical. I trudge over to the LifeFitness Cycles, the only other ellipticals I sort of fit into. I don't like them because the resistance stresses my ankles, even at the lowest level. Today, I get a good warm up, logging in only a bit over three and a half miles. I'm also getting a blister on my right foot from it. The Precors are suddenly all vacant, so for the next leg of cardio, I trudge over to my favorite machine and punch in Interval 7. It's starting to make grinding noises like the tractor (Precor #2) but not as loud or rough. I can deal with this and I find myself singing (silently) along to Meatloaf on my iPod. I make over four miles and I'm happily drenched. I seem to need at least a day or two of cardio before I feel really great doing it. Monday and yesterday's cardio sessions weren't as good as today's. I'm not sure why, but how I feel doesn't lie. I probably won't feel this good tomorrow, but maybe I will.

The Smith is empty. Yay! Smith Squats and Stiff-Legged Deads are on the menu. They are the mainstay of my Leg Workout, with Curls and Extensions less important. I only do one set of Speed Squats with the bar for 25 reps. I really don't want bigger legs, or a bigger butt — I like my pants the size they are! After warming up, I just do 10 rep sets. I notice my right hip, but not my lower back. Then I prepare to do Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts, mindful of my form, trying to slow the negative movement. I don't really feel it in my hammies although I know they're being worked because I have trouble with the Leg Curls that follow. It's odd to have muscles fatigue without actually feeling them work. I use the VGs when I get to my max weight and do sets of 8 reps. It's the same weight as last week but I've managed one more set. Yay! And I don't feel like throwing up afterwards anymore, although I am breathing hard.

The Seated Leg Curl is surprisingly hard today, proof in my mind that I was doing the Deads correctly. I bail after a mere four sets and knock out some side abs on the Torso Twist machine while I wait for the Leg Extension to free up. Those I can get full 12-rep sets while steadily increasing the weight. But I don't want Tom Platz legs so I stop after five sets. No Cage Stretch today. Instead, I set up my timer and plop myself down for Mat Stretch and 60-second plank. It feels okay, stretches are all good, and I'm moving at a fast enough pace for it to leave me pink-cheeked and a bit sweaty. I feel really good!

The gym scale reads 113.0 lbs and I'm uncomfortably resigned to being bigger. The last time I put on unexplained weight, it turned out I was pregnant with my son. Somehow I don't think that's the case now. At least I hope not! Tomorrow I'm planning cardio and boxing the Nexersys because my shoulders, a bit sore today, should be recovered enough for me to whack the avatar for a few rounds. I'm soooo looking forward to THAT!

Thursday Leg Workout:
35 min LifeFitness = 3.67 miles + 35 min Precor Interval 7 = 4.26 miles  Grand Total = 7.93 miles
I try to avoid the LifeFitness machines but it was better than not doing cardio at all.

Smith Squats: 25 @ bar BTH as fast as I can go / 12 @ 80 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 10 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 10 @ 140 lbs (assuming bar is 30 lbs)

Smith SLDLs: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 80 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 10 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 130 lbs Yay!

Seated Leg Curl: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs
At 120 it's almost as if I can't feel my legs contract so I drop the weight back down to the start.

Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Seated Leg Extension: 12 @ 75 lbs/ 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, etc.

The Ugly Truth

The Ugly Truth is that I'm putting on weight, and not in a good way. Is there a good way at this age? I've been noticing subtle changes in my body composition since early Autumn. Now it's undeniable. My body is laying down a thick cushiony layer of fat just under the skin. I can see it on my abs and it's especially noticeable on my back. Ugh! Back fat! I've searched the internet but there is surprisingly little useful information on women and menopause-related body fat accumulation other than to state that the phenomenon is real. Belly fat collects with surprising speed during menopause. There's little advice on how to combat this other than diet and exercise. But what if you're already exercising like a fiend? That leaves only diet. And I hate the term "dieting" because it suggests a temporary quick fix. This is more a lifestyle change, because menopause is a life change.

I'd been hoping to avoid all this with my current habits, but apparently it's not enough. And I'm not one to take changes like this without a good hard fight. Okay, I look in the mirror and I don't look horrible, but I'm a lot smoother, and thicker than I used to be. I'm not any weaker although that depends on the day and if my various joints are bothering me. If my elbows, wrists, thumbs and shoulders aren't complaining, then I'm able to move weight and with volume to boot. Is this what aging is about? There's no reliable reference material so I guess I'm my own living experiment. Figures. I subscribe to "Blonde Bomber" Dave Draper's weekly column about being smart in your workouts, but he's in his 70s. I'm a long way off from that! Still, he's amusing to read.

Yesterday was a snow day (no gym) and today there was a two-hour delay so that the schools could get their buses cleared off. I shoveled yesterday and my hands are sore and tired today. It wasn't much of a cardio workout, but the temperature was low enough to make my gloved hands ache and sting. I kept wondering if this is how frostbite begins, and images of blackened digits lost by climbers on Everest danced in my head. My son also shoveled (unbeknownst to me while I was at my computer) and later complained that it was hard work and hard on the back. Such wisdom from a child!

Today I bite the bullet and punch in a double cardio session although I don't get my favorite Precor. I get the hard one. Still, I manage to make my eight mile quota so that's okay. I'm not as hot and sweaty as I'm used to and I wonder if that's from missing a few days of cardio, or another sign of menopause. I've made better mileage but today isn't horrible. Today's tying up loose ends because I'm saving Leg Day for tomorrow. Today's just some delts and maybe biceps, figuring the triceps got a pretty good workout on Monday.

The DB area is remarkably crowded with unfamiliar faces. I catch brief glances of R, Big Mustache, SnowBird, Ollie, ZZ but I'm too absorbed in adjusting my routine in the phone app to really pay much attention. Today I notice that there are two different adjustable incline benches, one with a much larger footprint. That's the one I don't want. I'm annoyed that the angle lever is on the side of the bench instead of behind it like the old ones. The lever gets in the way as I'm doing Reverse Inclined DB Flyes for the rear delts. 45° is too high but it's the lowest setting before going flat. The seat itself is too wide and I'm straddling it like a small child on a pony. Prancer and Dancer, two extremely trim, middle-aged Nordic guys who had flit in here last summer for a day or two, are back again, taking turns with a skull crusher EZ bar. I'm not sure if I prefer them on the adjacent bench or the two chubby Latina girls who giggled between bench dips while staring at a fellow on the other side of me.

I've taken the full complement of magnetic discs because there aren't enough DBs at the right weight for me at the moment. At least I can build my own with the 25s and not have to sit around waiting for a pair of 30s. There's a 30 in the rack but only one. The other three are elsewhere. Lateral raises are next and they feel hard. I start with 20s and inch up to 27.5 lbs. I could do 30s but they'd be ugly. I could also call it a day but I grab the 40 lb BB and move to the other mirrored wall. I know I can do 40 lbs so that's where I start to warm up. My left elbow and wrist is really unhappy, but not as much as if I was doing DB curls. The twisting motion of the DB curl is aggravating my joints lately so I've decided to skip them for a while. When my elbows warm, I up the weight in tiny increments, settling on 50 lbs for sets. It feels okay, looks okay. But the Reverse Grip BB Curls are much more daunting than I remember at the higher weight. I still grind through it.

It's getting late, never mind that I got here after 11 o'clock. Abs on are on the list so I knock out my sets of sit ups, kick outs and crunches. I'm intrigued enough by everyone's talk of the Ab Wheel to investigate it further. I've seen a few of the older guys doing it, but mostly they do Cable Crunches while on their knees on a yoga mat. My shoulders are too tired to even think about Dive Bomber Push Ups so I skip the Mat Stretch and only do a quick Cage Stretch. Then it's off to the showers. The gym scale reads 114.0 lbs and that's disturbing. I think it's mostly water weight because I'd made a chicken stew last night with fresh Chinese noodles that tend to have a high sodium content. It's not a good thing. Tomorrow is Leg Day, and the only thing I haven't decided yet is whether it'll be after a single or double cardio session.

Wednesday Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.15 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.22 miles  Grand Total = 8.37 miles Yay!

Incline Reverse DB Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 15 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs

BB Curl: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 47.5 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 50 lbs Yay!
No elbow pain at 50 lbs so I'm really happy with this.

Reverse Grip BB Curl: 3 x 20 @ 45 lbs
I have to pause for a moment between at the 15th rep before continuing during the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Knee-In Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100

Cage Stretch for hamstrings, abductor, adductor, quads, combination BW calf raise/ heel dips

Monday Morning Madness

We got enough snow this weekend to warrant an hour or two of shoveling. It's not a lot of snow but it's weighty. Doesn't pack into snow balls or snow men, and has a hard ice crust on top. Getting the cars and driveway cleared was the goal. Mission accomplished. My son even managed to make a few snow angels although he had to pound himself into the ground to break the ice before anything vaguely angel-like took shape. Then I spent the remainder of the weekend as a desk jockey, putting the finishing touches on our annual Holiday Card (handmade, homemade) before printing out 50 copies on my old Canon bubblejet printer. I've grafted an elf hat onto the dog and pasted the dog into my son's lap, in front of his re-purposed laptop. Last year the dog sported antlers and a bulbous red nose while he and my son were "at the North Pole". This year they're inside Santa's Workshop and the dog is asking my son to double check the Naughty List.

I finished, finally, the collage I make of my son every year and eventually upload to a site where I get several coffee mugs made for ourselves and all our relatives. It means sorting through several hundred digital files and then processing the selected hundred or so images, silhouetting, filtering, adjusting color, tones... We have mugs dating back several years and every now and then my son or my husband will ask about a specific image on one of them. I like doing this better than scrapbooks or photo albums, which never get looked at.

I got to the gym a little late and greatly dismayed after tossing all my gear into the locker because somehow I'd forgotten to pack my trainers. I can't work out in my boots, so I have to drive all the way home again just to retrieve the old black Asics. By the time I actually get started, it's well past 10 o'clock. Mondays are always hard so I punch in Hill 6 on the elliptical. I haven't done it in a long time. And I log an abysmal 3.78 miles. But I'm warmed up and a bit sweaty so that's okay. I keep checking my logs from last week to remind myself of what I'm doing today besides benching. And I have to remind myself to lower the reps on my warm up sets!

I drop a pair of 45s on the floor at the end of the bench to give my feet a flat even surface. I'm pretty happy with getting three sets of 10 reps at 115 lbs. It's not my maximum, but I've gone back to my old-fashion pace. When I can get three sets of 12 reps, then I'm upping the weight. I think The Mayor and the other guys are wondering when I'm going to lift heavy again, when I'm going to ask one of them for a spot. They seem to hover without trying to be conspicuous. I notice but don't acknowledge. I don't really want to talk to anyone anyway.

I grab some magnets and the 110 lb BB from the rack. It's the last one. Once I move past putting 5 lbs on each side (totaling 120 lbs), I'll have no choice but to figure out how to handle an actual Olympic bar and plates for Reverse Grip BB Rows. But I'm not there yet. Today I move up to 117.5 lbs which is the heaviest I've gone for reps and I only do four sets. Without the Versa Gripps I wouldn't be able to do them at all because I felt my left wrist twinge with just the 110 lb BB. But four sets is plenty today. I'm feeling it although I had my oatmeal breakfast this morning (but spaced on tossing in the pomegranates). I'm not even sure I'll be able to work out tomorrow because snow is in the forecast. And it's another scheduled half-day due to the Parent-Teacher conferences rescheduled from last week.

I can't remember what's next until I consult the Jefit app and view last week's routine. Ah, Decline Benches. With my legs positioned correctly, the top of my head just reaches where the support sits when it's pulled forward for the break. This bench is meant for a longer person, but I can still manage. It's an extra effort to reach past my head to grab and pull the bar off the stays. I go for reps, but I pay for it later when I struggle with DB press and flyes. I also feel it at the last set of Close Grip Lat Pull Downs where I attempt to get 12 reps but can only manage 10 at 120 lbs. My elbows still don't like this movement although that's not what fails at the max weight. My right shoulder is starting to twinge a little too. My elbows wake me in the middle of the night. I don't want issues with my shoulder as well, bad enough the left wrist is still tender.

Both adjustable incline benches are being used so I drag my DBs over to actual Inclined Breaker Benches. No ones's using those. I'm worried about being overly optimistic so I only have 25s and 30s. I superset the presses and flyes and it only takes me three sets before my left arm fails at rep 7 during a press. Nothing dramatic. It just fails in slow motion. With flyes, there's failure at  rep 11. The next set I only make it to rep 9. It's been a really long time since that's happened. Like "back in college" long time ago. I'm glad to do only three sets of Lower Back Extensions. There's no way I can do One-Arm DB Rows, but I sneak a look at the Smith which is vacant. I use the VGs to grab the bar and stick my legs out straight in front of me, ankles crossed. I can only get 8 pull ups. My right shoulder's not happy with that. The next go-round I try chin ups instead. It's better but again, I can only get 8. I used to be able to 11 or 12, but my elbows really suffered for it. It's not worth that.

I look at the clock and realize that I've been here way too long. A quick set of sit ups and then the Mat Stretch. Dive Bomber Push Ups, especially the second set, really start to bother my shoulder. The 60 second plank isn't quite so bad though. Splits are good and I know that stretching every other day seems to work better for me.

The gym scale reads 113.0 which isn't horrible but not where I want to be. What I find really disturbing is that I can see how much smoother, how much more subcutaneous fat I seem to have, like a bear preparing for hibernation. By the time I get home, I barely have time to unload my car before running down the road to meet the school bus. In the past week, several roads have been closed due to traffic accidents, or fallen trees. Today I counted three closed roads including the one that goes right past the gym. A fellow directs us all to turn around because "Well, we have to cut someone out of the car and that's going to take at least 15 to 20 minutes."

Chest and Back Workout
35 min Hill 6 = 3.78 miles Bleah!

Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 10 @ 75 lbs / 8 @ 95 lbs / 3 x 10 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 20 @ 95 lbs

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs / 12 @ 115 lbs / 4 x 12 @ 117.5 lbs PB

Decline Press: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12, 18, 15 @ 95 lbs Yay!

Neutral Grip (Close Grip) Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 10 @ 120 lbs

DB Incline Press: 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs / 7 @ 30 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs
  SuperSet with
DB Incline Flyes: 12, 12, 11, 9 @ 25 lbs

Lower Back Extension: 12 @ 180 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 195 lbs

Pull Ups with Legs straight in front, ankles crossed: 8
Chin Ups with Legs straight in front, ankles crossed: 8

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs, 60 second plank, splits, etc

Breakfast of Champions

A breakfast of oatmeal, egg and pomegranate never tasted so good this morning! Washed down with instant espresso, I was stoked and ready to go. But first errands to get out of the way, like putting gas in the car before the snowstorm hits us tomorrow. By the time I got to the gym, it was 10 o'clock and two out of three Precors were in use. I got the "tractor" elliptical that makes a rough grinding noise as it raises and lowers the tract. But plugged in with good tunes, I barely noticed. My body noticed though because I don't normally do back to back Double Cardio days. I did make a total of eight miles, but just barely. Still, it felt good. My legs were a little tired but I didn't feel as if I'd run out of energy. Instead, my whole body's a tad sore from the past two days. I guess this new workout is agreeing with me!

I make it to the Smith machine before the burly dude I call Dirty Tat Sleeves, and he moves off to the Squat Rack. He's doing barbell shrugs with a completely loaded bar. I set up my cell at the edge of the cardio platform and take a few videos to view my form. My squats start off okay with speed squats Butt to Heels for the first two light sets, but my knees start to bother me as I add weight. I'm getting to just parallel at the heavier weight so I'm okay with it. I strip the bar and drop it to the ground for what I think are Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts. I take several videos because it's hard to get a position that actually shows my form. The plates tend to obscure the front of me when shot from the side. I push my hips out to touch the bar as I lift but I can't actually see that motion on the videos. Still, I'll post two of them below. I manage to go heavier, but my grip starts to fail and I'm not wearing my VGs. Next time I will. But I want to make sure my form is good before I attempt more weight.

I skip Cage Stretch today because I'll be doing Mat Stretch later. Instead, I get a few sets on the Seated Leg Extension, and then the Seated Leg Curls. Then some abs. By the time I get to Mat Stretch it's 1 o'clock and I have things to do. I still feel good enough to box a few rounds on the Nexersys, but I've been here three hours now. Never mind that over an hour of that time was doing cardio. The Mayor, Jude, Hoodie Tattoo and Latino Baseball are all here. R shows up in a thick, fire engine red hoodie you can't help but notice. Big Mustache and Ollie are here too. Ollie looks rounder than ever. I guess the Feast the Least program my gym instituted as a challenge isn't really working for some members.

The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs. It's not quite where I want to be at the end of the week, but it's okay. Next week is the last week before Winter Break but the schedule is again contorted. I'll probably stick with the combination Chest & Back workout on Monday, but the rest of the week is up for grabs. My husband's company Holiday Party is next Friday and I'm still debating which dress to wear. Most likely it'll be the shimmery silver sequins that remind me of a minnow fish. It's rare that I get a chance to dress up and go out so I'm looking forward to it. Just gotta put some more work in.

Leg Day Workout
35 min Interval 7 = 4.38 miles + 35 min Hill 5 = 3.77 miles  Grand Total = 8.15 miles Yay!

Smith Squats: 25 @ bar fast as I can go Butt to Heels / 12 @ 60 lbs fast as I can go Butt to Heels / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 8 @ 140 lbs / 12 @ 100 / 12 @ 80 lbs

Smith SLDLs: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 60 lbs / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 [video] / 10 @130 / 6 @ 130 [video] / 12 @ 80 lbs

Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 2 x 8 @ 120 lbs / 10 @ 112.5 lbs / 12 @ 97.5 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Station: 100

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 60 second plank, splits, etc

Smith SLDL at 120 lbs (assuming bar is 30 lbs)

Smith SLDL at 130 (2nd set)

Breakfast Dependent

Oatmeal and pomegranate

 Today is a short day so I'm mindful of the time. I see JL in the locker room. Every year she bakes mini-loaves of pumpkin bread that is quite delicious and hands them out to her friends. This is the second year she's given one to me and I wanted to reciprocate, so I have stuffed in my gym gear a small bag of Chinese "candies" based on preserved fruits. Her two children are adopted from Korea and I don't know anything about Korean food, but I can offer her these things that my son loves and my husband detests. I warn her that her kids might not like them, but she assures me that it's the thought that counts. Plus they're all "food adventurous". It's something new!

Today was also an experiment of sorts. I had so much to do this morning that I didn't leave myself enough time to eat breakfast although I managed a cup of coffee. Okay, I didn't take this loss that seriously. I've worked out fasted before, but not in a really long time. I wanted to know how much breakfast really impacted my workouts. I've progressed from a bowl of instant oatmeal to making 5-minute oatmeal with an egg and, lately, fresh pomegranate arils in place of raisins or summer blueberries.

Fifteen minutes into my first cardio session, my stomach growls and I realize that I'm hungry. Bummer. I know it'll pass. I'm really happy with yesterday's workout and plan to continue it, maybe tweaking it a bit. I'm a bit tired but not unexpectedly so. What surprises me is how I can't recover for the second cardio session. I drop the resistance from six down to four. Sometimes I'm just barely trotting. Still, I make my quotas and I don't feel all that bad afterwards. I still make over eight miles. The Cage Stretch is next although I plan to skip the Mat Stretch. The outside of my left wrist is still bothering me and that impacts my shoulder workout. It's hard to hold the DBs comfortably.

I place 10 lb DBs under my feet while I'm perched on the bench to do Bent-Over DB Flyes. With my chest in my lap, I finally feel how sore my pectorals are. Wow. I haven't experienced that since the last time I decided to press 75 reps with a bare bar. I wrap and re-wrap my wrists several times. Twenty-seven point five pounds is as far as I can get but I grind through a few sets. The Mayor, Tall Pace and Jude are alternating spotting each other. Jude is doing Squats, The Mayor doing OHP, and Tall Pace some sort of DB Press. The Lateral Raises aren't much better. I do a few DB Curls, but again, my wrist is what's bothering me. Finally, I grab a BB and do just three sets of RG Curls. I use the same weight as last week, but these feel hard today and I have to pause a few times before I can finish. ZZ's pompadour pokes up over the equipment. I see a few other regulars. When I glance at the clock, I know I'll barely have time to shower and then rush off to meet the school bus.

The gym scale reads 112.0 which is good. Still, I'd be happier if it were under 110. And I wouldn't mind being heavier if it didn't show in my actually being bigger and somewhat smoother than I've been in the past. I'm not sure if it's my menopausal metabolism or something else. But I"m due for my annual physical anyway. Tomorrow I'm definitely eating breakfast. It's Leg Day! Yay!

Today's Workout:
35 minute Interval 7 = 4.27 miles + 35 minutes Interval 8 = 4.01  Grand Total = 8.28 miles Yay!
Cage Stretch
Bent-Over DB Flyes: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs
Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs
Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 25 lbs
RGBB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 45
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

The Price of Adaptability

Grassy Angels when snow's too shallow

I was rather disappointed in the meager snowfall. It was enough to turn to ice and wreak havoc on driveways and walkways, but not really enough to get a good cardio workout. It was barely enough to scrape into the shovel, although chipping at the icy underlayer posed a few moments of satisfaction. I'm glad I bought hardware to secure the suet holder to the tree because icy days like these cause a feeding frenzy in the local fauna. My son satisfied his snow cravings by plopping himself on an unsullied patch of white and making grassy angels.

I got to the gym earlier than usual this morning. It was crowded. I didn't get on my favorite Precor and toyed briefly with the idea of doing a double cardio session to make up for the past two days of virulent inactivity. Tomorrow will be a shortened day so I can't tarry then. Instead, I decide to do something I haven't done in years: combine chest and back in one workout. I can do double cardio tomorrow, and if time permits, maybe some Arm work. Friday I'll have more time so I can do my regular Leg Routine, and if I still feel energetic, maybe a round or two at the Nexersys. Boy am I being optimistic!

I start with the big movements first: Benching and then Reverse Grip BB Rows. I'm disappointed in my benching. I can only get three sets of 8 instead of the 10 I got last week. I also forget until I sit at the bench that I need to place two big plates at the base so that my sit feet flat. Otherwise my toes will touch the floor, but not my heels. My left wrist is bothering me in spite of being wrapped, but that's not what's failing. I feel if I'm away from the movement too long, my body forgets how to do what it's suppose to do. I go for reps on my last set and even there, I have to pause at rep 17, rack the bar, catch my breath, and then press out the last three. It's disappointing.

I don't have this problem with the RGBB Row. I start with the 45 lb bar lying on the ground as a quick warm up. Then I grab the 110 lb bar off the rack. After a set I know I need to use the VGs to take pressure off my left hand and wrist. But I knock out six sets of 12 without any issues. I was going to add 2.5 lbs but I'll put it off until next week.

I can alternate between Chest and Back today so I have to add a few more Chest movements to the routine. I'll do delts tomorrow. The Mayor, M and Jude have been on various benches, but finally they're on to accessory work and the Decline Bench is free. It's too big for me. Although I can hook my legs over the roller and just catch my feet at the bottom, I'm not really in the proper position to grab the bar, even with the "breaker" stays. At the end of each set, I inadvertently slam the bar back against the breaker to catch it on the stay. I pretty happy getting reps here though, and I'm rewarded with the long-sought pectoral pump.

I'm going to skip One-Arm DB Rows today. I barely remember to do Lower Back Extensions because I'm more concerned with what I'll be doing after a few sets of Neutral Grip Pull Downs. I do these mostly for the stretch. I can't really imagine that doing these 4 brief sets is doing much for me other than that. I'm back in the DB area and drop my towel on an Inclined Bench. I've adjusted it to setting #2, which seems to be 45°. Because I've not done these in over a year and a half, I have no idea what weight to start with. So I'm cautious, and I start light. The bench is so high that my feet dangle in front so I cross my ankles while trying to balance myself with a pair of 15 lb DBs. When I stopped doing DB flyes and presses, it was because uneven strength and flexibility was causing my back and shoulders to get bumped out of alignment. I'm happy if I can do a few sets and not knot up the inside of my shoulder blades.

The 15s are okay so I move up to 20s. Then I realize that I can put my feet on the DBs if I stand them right in front of the bench. Perfect height for me too. My presses are slightly ahead of the flyes because it's easier to jump from 25s to 30s there. With the flyes, I add the 2.5 lb magnets and only move from 20 to 22.5 to 25. The Mayor is seated behind me on the Preacher Bench doing curls. He's shorn of his standard Alec Baldwin hair. Like Dolly Parton, big hair makes him look smaller. Today he's positively rotund. I dodge around the benches when I'm done, and see ZZ trying to clear out of my way. He's suppressing a smile of sorts as am I, because I hate being in the way.

I remember to do some Lower Back Extensions. Only three sets. But I make it up doing abs: a hundred reps here, a hundred reps there. And then finally Mat Stretch. I'd done a brief Cage Stretch after the Close Grip Pull Downs. I was a bit worried after such a long layoff. My mind tells me I should stretch every day, but my body shows me that it's much happier stretching less. I'm not sure how to resolve this. Managed to hold my one-minute plank without too much effort. Okay, I still hate the way my body quivers on the exhalation, but in general, the plank felt okay. Not that I'd want to do it more than once a workout.

The gym scale delivers the bad news: 113.4 lbs. Not horrible considering I've drained my water bottle dry, but definitely not what I want. A lot of this is water retention from salty foods I've eaten. I can see it in the puffiness in my face. I don't like it at all. The only way I know to rectify this is to cut my fats and up my cardio. Tomorrow's looking like a Double Cardio Day. Hurrah! I"m such a glutton for punishment.

Wednesday Upper Body Workout:
35 min cardio Interval 7 = 4.39 miles Yay!

Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 17+3 @ 95 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Decline Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12, 15, 15 @ 95 lbs
Neutral (Close) Grip Lat Pull Down: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs

Cage Stretch

DB Inclined Press: 12 @ 15 lbs / 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs
Superset with
DB Inclined Flye: 12 @ 15 lbs / 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs

Lower Back Extension: 12 @ 165 lbs / 12 @ 180 lbs / 12 @ 195 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Knee-In Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs, 60 second plank, splits, shoulder, back, hip stretches, etc

Be Back Tomorrow

Because of the weather, school has been cancelled for the past two days and I'm not one to chance taking my son with me to the gym on icy roads. Soooo, tomorrow looks good and I'll post then whatever I manage to do. :) I'll just consider these past two days an unexpected de-load.

Dang I Love Fridays!

I was really kind of sore and tired when I got up this morning, probably from yesterday's double cardio leg day AND last night's kickboxing class. But the thought of boxing the Nexersys is incentive enough, and before I can ponder the vagaries of winter weather, I'm at the gym. And because I'm a glutton for punishment, I start with Interval 8, the program I hate the most. I'm not on my favorite elliptical either so I know my mileage is going to suck. I'm just happy to make over four miles. And instead, of taking the win and running with it, or rather, running away with it, I punch in another 30 minute session and hit program Interval 7, which is waaay harder now because I'm already tired. I cut my self some slack and actually slow to a crawl, okay down to 150 Strides Per Minute (SPMs) during the troughs. I'm not used to losing so much ground. I hate the growing numbness in my toes, and my achy wrists. When time is up, I"m surprised to just miss four miles by a skosh. Okay, not so bad, and in total, I've still made my eight mile quota. Yay!

I do a brief stretch at the Cage and then plop myself in front of the Nexersys to wrap my hands. Last night at kickboxing, I just had my gloves and no time for wraps. I found myself pulling my punches because my knuckles were getting raw from sliding around inside. Mostly that class was an exercise in push ups and deep-knee bends with a few punches and roundhouse kicks tossed in for fun. I know from the Nexersys website that the machine can go to 15 rounds, but these here only go to 12 rounds. So I do 12 rounds of Follow Me, and follow it up with three rounds of Sparring. I stay with the Beginner Level because I'm hesitant to move into the Intermediate Level where knee and elbow strikes are required. I hate knee and elbow strikes because it requires being right up on the opponent, and I prefer to have a little space.

When I'm done, I'm so drenched that I don't want to lay down on the Mat. I just want to shower, so I actually skip Mat Stretch today. Egads! But the gym scale reads 110.4 lbs and I'm more than good with that. What's disturbing is that my home scale tells me that not only has my body fat increased (yeah, I can sort of see that in photos I've taken of my back and arms), but that my muscle mass has decreased, and so has my bone mass. Okay, now I think my scale is broken because the scale has always shown my bones to be 4.6 lbs. Sometimes 4.8 lbs. Today it says 4.4 lbs and that's the first time since I've owned this scale (just over a year). It tells me muscle percentage has dropped from 38-39% down to 36.5%. OMG, WTF?! Paranoia whispers that it's menopause wreaking havoc on my body and I immediately wonder if I'll wake up one morning as a middle-aged, rolly-polly dumpling of a woman. Good grief.

Friday Workout:
35 min Interval 8 = 4.29 miles (366.9 cal) + 35 min Interval 7 = 3.99 miles (341.1 cal) 
Grand Total = 8.28 miles Yay!

Nexersys: 12 rounds Follow Me Avatar program, Beginner Female
  Accuracy 86% / Strikes 103% / Avg Power 125%

Nexersys: 3 rounds Sparring Avatar program, Beginner Female
  Strikes 188% / Avg Power 82% / Points 875

I've done better in the Sparring program but it's been a while so overall, not bad. 

Photos posted for actual stats:

Hurts So Good

As much as I complain about cardio, I find that I feel much better especially after a grueling double session. Today I punched in Interval 7 for 35 minutes, then because I'm a masochist, I punched in Interval 8. The odd thing is that both ran the same duration, and I made the exact same mileage, but because I had to drop the level from 6 down to 5, the second session burned less calories according to the Precor monitor. It seemed a lot harder than Interval 7. Very odd, but I'm not going to quibble.

When I'm done blowing my nose and blotting the sweat off my chin, I amble over to the Smith. Someone has left plates on the face-high bar but no one claims ownership, so I strip the bar and claim it as mine. I actually remember to shoot a few videos while I'm there as well, but the overhead lights are so bright that they make for poor viewing. I check out my form doing squats with a pair of 25 lb plates on the bar. I know what I look like doing speed squats because I have a grainy video of it. At the heaviest weight, I feel the inside of my right thigh and oddly, the arch of my foot. Weird. I only do one set of 12 reps and I only go to parallel. I only do speed squats for the first two light sets because I've decided to cut back on the volume. I think it's making my glutes bigger and I'm not happy with how snug my jeans are getting. But I feel really good after all of this, like all the gunk has been cleared out of my system. I wish I could feel like this all the time.

I'm not sure now whether I'm doing Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts or Romanian Dead Lifts so I video that as well. I think my form is okay for doing it inside a Smith, but I'm not really sure. At least whatever I'm doing seems to be working my hams and glutes and my back doesn't feel bad, so I'm figuring I'm doing it right. I must be getting stronger as well, because I don't feel like throwing up after each set anymore. Later, in the locker room, I take a quick photo and I'm surprised at how big I look. Damn, am I unintentionally bulking? I'm thinking I might actually need to get leaner and I'm going to have to look into modifying my intake, and my workouts yet again.

While I'm at the Cage, I realize that a new stretch might be causing the problem in the arch of my foot. I'll have to nix that one. I'm already resigned to cutting my volume on the Seated Leg Curls and Extensions. But since I'm trying to balance out quad-heavy thighs with better hamstrings, I do a few more sets of Curls. And then I do Abs. And then the Mat stretch. This time I place the timer right under my face during the plank, and I manage to hold it for a full minute. I'm quite pleased. Meanwhile my hubby is texting me about going to kickboxing class after he and my son are done with tae kwon do. Sigh. I text back Sure, but I'm wishing I hadn't done so much ab work just now. (It actually wasn't a problem this evening as there was a sub instructor and I barely busted a sweat during the class.)

The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs. Yay, headed in the right direction! I plan to do another double cardio session tomorrow, and then box the full 15 rounds of the Follow Me avatar program. Next week is going to be problematic though with two days of early dismissal from school due to parent-teacher conferences. I may have to revert back to the 5 day workout just so that I'm done in time, and I'll probably be happy about it.

Thursday Workout:
35 min cardio Interval 7 = 4.19 miles (375.6 calories) + 35 cardio Interval 8 = 4.19 miles (360 calories) Grand Total = 8.38 miles Yay!

Smith Squats: 25 @ bar (Butt to Heels as fast as I can go) / 12 @ 60 lbs (Butt to Heels as fast as I can go) / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 140 lbs /12 @ 110 lbs / 12 @ 80 lbs

Smith SLDLs (now I'm not sure if I'm doing SLDLs or not): 12 @ bar / 12 @ 60 lbs / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs PB Yay!

Cage Stretch

Seated Leg Curl: 12 @ 97.5 lbs / 12 @ 112.5 lbs / 12, 10 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs

Seated Leg Extension: 12 @ 90 lbs, 105 lbs, 120 lbs, 135 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Machine: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 60 second plank Yay!, splits, etc

Let's see if this video will embed:

Rethinking the Remix

Today is probably the hardest day of my 4 day routine because Back Workouts are brutal enough as it is, and then I have to remember Biceps. Granted it's just a few curls, but still, I'd like to have a bit more energy when I perform them. It's probably just a matter of proper rest between sets, but honestly, I spend too much time at the gym as it is. The only thing that made today worthwhile, besides hitting a few Personal Bests, is the fact that I actually don't feel compelled to go work out tomorrow (although I probably should) and I can do fun things, like clean the gutter on the low part of the roof and shovel out the matted dead leaves clogging the road drain at the end of our property. Yep, fun fun fun.

I punch in Interval 7 again today and I'm happy to notch my mileage up a tiny bit. I've still got the sniffles but I suspect I'll have that for the rest of the week even though I don't feel sick anymore. The Close Grip Pull Downs starts out hard at a mere 75 lbs. My elbows complain. I keep upping the weight and dropping the reps after each set, until finally I feel warmed up. By 120 lbs, I say WTH and go for a full 12-rep set. It actually feels pretty good. Even the Cage Stretch feels pretty good today. There seems to be an awful lot of guys in the free weight area debating the merits of the new benches. I grab the 110 lb BB and find a spot by the mirrored wall. It's a bit claustrophobic because everything is moved forward for the new equipment. Just as I start my second set, a guy plops himself down on the Inclined Bench literally right behind me. I'm not at all pleased at shoving my butt out stiff-legged dead lift style in order to get the BB in position.

I think he keeps trying to catch my eye, but I'm really good at ignoring people. He's not really cute anyway. My hands are inordinately tired so I grab the VGs out of my bag and use them for the first time on RGBB Rows. But since I"m not used to using them with BBs, I get flustered and one of my sets is actually a regular grip BB Row. I'm happy because I get 6 sets of 12 reps at 115 lbs, but I know I'm going to be paying for this later.

Next are Lower Back Extensions. I got a few sets at 195 lbs last week so that's what I'm aiming for today. I get 3 full sets of 12 reps and I'm happy. But I notice a slight pulling sensation down the inner right thigh, and egads, it culminates with a weird sensation in the right arch of my foot. This is a lot like the Seated Leg Curl in many ways as it works lower glutes and hamstrings. Maybe my body can't really handle the higher weight? I think muscles are only adaptive to a point, and I am a bit older, in that fluctuating hormone mode. Who knows what havoc those pesky hormones are wreaking!

I'm worried that six plus sets of BB rows have drained the tank and I don't have the energy to do DB rows. Well, might as well find out for sure. I start with a 55, then affix a pair of 1.25 lb magnets to it. I can get a set but I feel a bit worn. I swap the smaller magnets for the pair of 2.5s, making the 55 a 60 for the next two sets. I could probably get one more set, but I remember that I still have biceps to do. I don't even think I can do a pull up at this point. I look over and the Smith is occupied by a big dude who was doing BB rows in the Squat rack. I give a brief wave to R who's chatting with Big Mustache. RR and the Latino Baseball guy are sharing a bench because RR needs a spot for the 95 lb DBs he's trying to press. The occasional woman flits into the DB area for a round with the plastic beauty bells.

DB curls are harder than they should be and I start with 20s but only move up to 25s. My elbows and wrists are complaining. Only 3 sets. I grab the 40 lb BB and move to the mirrored wall to do BB curls. My left wrist has been achy since the elliptical this morning and even wrist wraps aren't enough. The BB curls really don't help. After my elbows warm-up to the movement, I toss on magnets. I normally do 45 lbs for all my sets, but since I'm only going to do three sets, I move up a tad for the last set. 47.5 lbs feels okay. I've done 50 lbs before but my elbows always scream at me so I've been very skittish about approaching that weight. However, 45 lb Reverse Grip BB Curls are doable with just a bit of work. I get a quick set of sit ups in before heading to the Mat. As I set up for Dive Bomber Push Ups, I remember to open the Timer app on my cell and leave it where I can reach it when I drop into a plank. Boy am I surprised when I open my eyes (yeah, I do planks with my eyes closed, my face on my thumbs) after counting to twenty. The timer reads 39 seconds. Forty by the time I hit the Stop button. Shoot, next time I'll go for the whole minute.

The gym scale reads 112.4 lbs and that makes me feel a tad better. I'm hoping that drops to 110 by Friday. Overall, I'm about two pounds heavier than last year, but I'm stronger. I don't make monumental gains. I just creep along slow and steady. I'm regretting getting the size S "equator tank" because it's tight in the shoulders already, although it has a very nice feminine cut, something I'm not used to in workout gear. The only issue I have with the Medium tanks is that they're too lose and floppy in the body, and tend to fold up when I bend down.

I'll have to see how much I get done at home tomorrow to gauge whether this new workout is worth it. I don't like being this tired at the end of a routine. Perhaps I should alternate between BB Rows and DB Rows on different weeks. That might be enough to make the additional bicep work worthwhile. I'm also probably going to kill those seated Leg Curls unless I can be satisfied with using a lower weight. I'm thinking it's because I'm still too short to fit properly in the machines, even with the  lowest settings, so I'm actually sitting with my hips pushed forward and only my upper back against the seat. The old Nautilus equipment at my college gym at least had extra seat pads I could pile up behind me so I fit properly. Not here. Well, this'll certainly give me fodder for a New Year's resolution... haven't made one of those in some time!

Tuesday Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.54 miles Yay!

Neutral Grip Pull Down: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs Yay!

Cage Stretch

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 110 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 115 lbs PB Yay!
Used VGs for all rows; will add 2.5 lbs to see how many I can get at 117.5 next week

Lower Back Extensions: 12 @ 180 lbs / 3 x12 @ 195 lbs PB Yay!
I might be better off doing 6 sets at 187.5 lbs instead

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 55 lbs / 12 @ 57.5 lbs / 12, 10 @ 60 lbs
I think the RGBB Rows really took it out of me today

Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 10, 12 @ 25 lbs
My left wrist and right elbow were complaining the whole time

BB Curl: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 47.5 lbs
Again, my left wrist is complaining and VGs can't help with this movement

RGBB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 45 lbs PB Yay!
These actually weren't as hard as I thought they were going to be

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 39 second plank (this time I actually used the timer to check my count, and I guess I count slow). Yay! Stretches, splits, etc.