TGIF! Yay!

As it turns out, I went to kickboxing with my husband last night and had a great time. I skipped the running and jumping-jacks to spare my knees but did all the other warm ups such as squat-kicks, push ups and sit ups. Of course, wailing on the heavy bag is the only real reason to go to kickboxing, and while I can't move the bag across the room the way my husband can when he punches or kicks, I did manage to get the bag to shake. My punches and jabs are definitely stronger. I think it's all the shoulder work I'm doing. Or maybe the bench pressing. It's odd to think that the only chest work I do is benching. No cables, no dumbbells.

I confess, I haven't been to kickboxing in several months! The instructor likes to give a lot of different kicking, punching and jabbing combinations. The last routine involved whacking the bag with two punches then dropping to do two sit ups, doing as many as possible while alternating with your partner, in two minutes. I was actually surprised at how quickly I was able to pop up from the bent-knee sit ups, but of course, my husband and I are playfully competitive with each other, and that adds a lot of incentive. (I think I can out-push-up him. I can definitely out-pull-up him. But of course, he's a lot bigger, and he spends a lot of time doing not fun things, like working for a living.)

My shoulders were sore this morning, but I never let that stop me from working out. I believe that exercise is the best cure for soreness, and I refrain from ibuprofen and other NSAIDs because I've read that they can impede muscle recuperation. It's a Pull Day: Back & Biceps, and of course, Abs. Still, I get on the elliptical and wonder if I'll make it past 3.5 miles today. 15 minutes into the course, I rev up to 286 spm. That makes me really happy, and I maintain the 190-215 spm for the rest of the time, logging 4.02 miles. My new blue hoodie is also shedding all over my gym clothes, but I've happily discovered that the Boys L hoodie has differently cut pockets so tissues actually stay in them (they were being jogged out of the Womens S shallower hoodie pockets).

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 4.02 min
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 10 @ 120 (I see V enter the gym right before my last set and my immediate reaction is "Oh Crap, let me get out of here before he sees me and tries to start another inane conversation", which ruins the momentum of my last set)
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 lbs / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Pull Ups: 12 / 10+2 / 8 (For the first two sets I keep my legs straight out in front of me, but the last set really sucks the wind out of me and I just cross my feet underneath)
Bent Over Reverse Grip BB Rows: 15 @ 65 lbs / 15 @ 70 lbs / 4 x 15 @ 75 lbs (the magnetic discs start to slip when I put the bar down and I wonder what else I can do instead. Then ZZ shows up and plops himself in the overhead rack right next to me. Sigh. Well, at least he's not in my way.)
Alternating DB Curls: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs (Tall Pace U is seated next bench over. He's looking really old these days and I wonder how that happens to people, but it's not like I can ask.)
DB Concentration Curls: 2 x 12 @ 20 lbs
I do Abs in order to allow my arms time to recover before doing the killer forearm exercise.
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 100
Lower Ab Kick Out: 100
Reverse Grip Barbell Curl: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs (By the 15th rep of each set, I've got my eyes closed and I'm grimacing but I refuse to grunt. Noise is just uncalled for. However, when I look around between sets, usually while I'm pacing or "walking it off", I see that the surrounding middle-age men seem intimidated. It's amusing!)
Mat Stretch (Sometimes I think guys talk really loud just to get my attention, but all I do is turn the volume up on my iPod. Mr T-shirt seems very boisterous and M, as nice as he is, seems unnaturally loud on the mat while chatting with some old whiskered guy. I need to finish what I'm doing and I'm fairly oblivious to everyone else.)

The gym scale needs a new battery so I have to wait until I get home to read 104.4 lbs. That feels about right. There are a lot of regulars at the gym today, including the lady who once asked me how to get a flat stomach. I had to refrain from telling her she needed to lose about 20 lbs first (she's got that problematic apple-shape physique) because no amount of kick outs or sit ups are going to fix that profile. She also needs to learn a bit of gym etiquette, like not crowding people who are exercising.

I'm glad to see that she's extending herself beyond her class by doing some free weights but I think she'd benefit from having a personal trainer to push her. (I, on the other hand, am my own worse drill sergeant.) She's the one I overheard saying that she's back at the gym now that she's not sore anymore. Soreness is good. It means you've actually worked your muscles. It shouldn't cripple you, but honestly, women have much higher pain thresholds than men (as macho as they like to think themselves).

I don't offer any advice or pointers to people at the gym because 1) I'm not an employee of Gold's Gym; 2) I'm not paying that close attention to what people are doing because I'm doing my own thing 3) I'm not a personal trainer so I could be giving Bad or Wrong advice. I just know what works for me, and what I've read. Still, thankgod it's Friday and I can be a slug tomorrow and Sunday! Yay!