Another Combo Thursday

 Maybe it was the half glass of sangria that I had with dinner last night, or maybe it was dinner (turkey meatballs made with salvaged week-old stale ciabatta roasted garlic bread, and pasta with jarred asiago cheese sauce), but I had a really hard time on the elliptical this morning. Nevermind that it was Precor #1 which is a tad harder to peddle, or that I'd decided to mix it up by punching in program hill #5, which is a tad steeper. Or maybe it was my turning 53.

I feel a bit tired these days but since I'm down to 4-day workouts, I have trouble believing that I'm over-training. Still, my lungs were burning from the 15 minute mark through the final warm down, and at the last 2 minutes, I developed a killer stitch just under my right diaphragm that made me wonder if my gall bladder was declaring war. When my 35 minutes is up, the stitch immediately resolves and my lungs feel fine. I'm not even breathing hard. Perhaps it is just getting old(er).

The Smith is free so bench pressing it is! I go heavy, and during the 2nd heavy set, I feel as if I might fail during the 11th rep. It's a slightly scary feeling. It makes me wus out and only do 10 reps on the 3rd set before starting to rack down the weights. It's one good reason to have a spot, but the gym is oddly quiet today and there aren't a lot of people here this morning.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min = 4.02 miles (No one is more surprised than I am that I've actually made my 4 mile quota!)
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 25 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 11, 11, 10 @ 145 lbs / 12 @ 125 / 25 @ 105 lbs
There's a really good article on the mechanics of bench pressing on the Muscle & Strength website. Click here to read it.
Pull Ups (I cheat today and hold my legs perpendicular to the floor, feet about waist high):
12+3 /11+3 / 10+2
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Rear Bent-Over DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 22.5 lbs
There's only one inclined bench and a woman is using it, oddly enough, to do sit ups. When she's done, I scramble over there for my next round of rear delt exercises. 
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 22.5 lbs (maybe I should move up to the 25 lb DB?)
Pull Ups (just for fun before I do biceps): 10+2
Standing Alternating Bicep Curls: 12 @ 22.5 lbs (okay, those don't hurt so I move up a weight)
3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Ab Curl Station: 2 x 70 (upper) / 1 x 70 (lower)
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs (unexpectedly, this feels really light today)
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Decline Bench Press (it's a toss-up between doing this or triceps and I decide to skip triceps today):
12 @ bar / 25 @ 65 lbs / 3 x 25 @ 85 lbs (my right front delt twinges from the effort so I'm cautious)
Reverse Grip BB Curl: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
I look in the mirror while doing these and notice that my left arm is bent away from my body, and perhaps it's the uneven gym lighting, but my left trap seems bigger, or more engaged while doing this movement. It's puzzling, especially since my left forearm is definitely weaker, and a tad sore from this exercise. 
Mat Stretch

I see Mo and we chat for a bit while I try to keep warm by doing some "elbow to the ground straddles". She actually remembers my birthday's today, and she's also wearing her elbow braces. We chat about unemployment benefits and the economy, and perhaps finding jobs. She'd like to work at Home Depot for the discounts. Of course, she's about 6 feet tall, so it'd be easier for her, than for someone short like me. B texts me Happy Birthday from her phone. My husband finally texts me Happy Birthday as well, and then tells me he got me a gift but it won't arrive for a while... ah, it's the thought that counts!

The scale reads 107.4 lbs and I'm so tired and hungry that I don't even care. But I do remember that I have the Gold's Gym Happy Birthday postcard, and I bring it up to the front desk and get a free beverage. "What do you have that's lactose-free?" "Hmmm, that's a problem," says V "but I could mix up the protein powder with just fruit juice." I decline because I want something more than 15 grams of protein. I've been working out hard!

I have my Ensure® in the car, but it's my birthday and I want something a little different. "Well, you can have something from the case," she says and points to the protein drinks. The Muscle Milk® purports to contain 32  grams protein per 17 fl oz, and no lactose. Plus, it comes in flavors other than Vanilla and Chocolate. So I have Banana Creme. It doesn't taste too bad. The gym charges $3.50 per container so I feel good buying my Ensure discounted with coupons at the CVS, making it less than $2.50 per bottle for 25 grams protein.

I'm not sure I want to go to kickboxing tonight. I'd rather have a big juicy steak dinner. Right now I'm boiling a corned beef to try and de-salt it before slathering it with mustard and brown sugar, wrapping it in tin foil and putting it in the oven to bake for a few hours. My stomach's growling. Egads! I'm hungry and looking at slathering those new brown rice Triscuits® with cottage cheese. Yeah, we Boomers develop weird tastes for food as we get older... but at least we're still trying new things!