Was Resting Detrimental?

Program 8 and today's tally

Today is Back and Biceps and although I've sworn not to do any pull ups, I wonder how the rest of my work out will be considering yesterday's disappointing routine. My butt (glutes) are sore and that's actually reassuring. Maybe cardio won't suck today. Feeling uncharacteristically adventurous, I punch in program #8, the long interval and start peddling away. My thighs burn for the first few minutes into the program but everything starts to feel pretty good as I warm up and sweat pools at the end of my nose. It's unseasonably hot and humid today but the gym is air conditioned and I have my hoodie zipped all the way up. For the last two minutes of the program, I'm able to rev my pace up to 285 SPM and that feels good. I slow down a bit for the cool down (185 SPM) but bring the pace back up to 200 for the last three minutes. The machine calculates an even better mileage than yesterday and I'm very happy.

I've also decided that I'm not really happy with the sloppy form I use in moving the 135 lb stack on the Seated Cable Rows so I drop back to 120 lbs for three sets of 8 reps. I don't know why I haven't done drop sets on this (like I do on Benching) so today I institute that change as well. The rows feel pretty good and my left elbow doesn't complain at all. I see Mo as I exit the Cage Stretch and we chat briefly. She's on the abductor machine and I tell her that I used to use that until I discovered they were ruining my stretch by making my muscles too tight. I'd rather toss kicks and I pull my left thigh up laterally with my knee bent as if I was going to side kick. Peripherally, I see three different heads turn in our direction from the various exercise stations. She jokes that I ought to work a few muscles for her. She tore some ligaments in her hips several weeks ago so she's being very cautious. I cringe to think that such a big woman (she's at least 5'11 and 165 lbs) can be so fragile. I've heard the claim that menopause makes women less flexible and more prone to injury. That just makes me more determined to work harder, and smarter.

I'm a little skeptical when I take the 100 lb barbell off the rack but I hate backtracking. I managed Reverse Grip BB Rows last week with 105 lbs so that's what I attempt today. Except that my right hand starts to fail during the last three reps of the first set. This is not good. The thumb and the portion of the wrist immediately below twinge as if they're inflamed. I stretch my forearms by holding my arms out, palms forward, fingers down and pressing them against a wall between each subsequent set of rows. The discomfort eventually subsides but I'm not happy with the fact I could only get 12 reps per set. I did feel it in my back, but also in my fingers and palms. I'm beginning to think that taking a week off only made things worse instead of better.

Today's Pull Day Work Out:
35 min cardio interval #8 = 4.69 miles Yippeee!
Seated Cable Rows: 20 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 / 12 @ 105 / 20 @ 90 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Reverse Grip Bent Over BB Rows: 6 x 12 @ 105 lbs
I'm so bummed that my right hand/thumb starts to fail almost immediately but I push through and stretch out my forearms between sets.
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 100
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
BB Curls: 15 @ 40 lbs / 5 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
5 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch
The splits are a little tight today and I'm disappointed but that seems to be the nature of the body, or at least my body. It's not a constant increase but two steps forward and then a step backward.

I see a lot of regulars today except for B whose car I spied in the parking lot, but who I haven't actually seen all week. M, the Mayor, ZZ, IrishAbs, IrishGal & girlfriend, Ollie (he looks like Oliver Hardy), PonyTail Tattoo, R, FishGuy... they're all here at varying times. I remember to wave a quick Hi to Fish Guy, and wish R a Good Weekend but I'm probably not smiling when I do it because that's just another thing that doesn't come naturally to me, especially when I'm trying to focus.

This probably isn't
the look the dress
designer had in mind

The scale is slightly kinder today with a reading of 109.6 lbs. As I'm getting dressed, a short round woman greets me and it takes me a moment to realize who she is because her normally red hair is died several different shades of blue. Not tints but actual shades of peacock and cerulean blue. "Is it permanent?" I ask her. "No, it's all natural vegetable dye so it'll eventually wash out. I have the kind of job that allows me to do this." "What do you do?" "I'm a drug counselor." Ah. I would've guessed advertising creative but that's the world I come from. Perhaps having colorful hair makes you more approachable, or less likely to seem judgmental. When I was younger I toyed with the idea of dyeing a blue streak in my black hair but that would involve actually bleaching it. Asian hair can turn orange and I don't want a tiger stripe in my hair.

My husband suggested I take some ibuprofen (ie, Motrin or Advil) for the elbow. I've been holding off on NSAID because they've been implicated in inhibiting muscle growth. But acetaminophen (Tylenol) is much worse. I've never trusted it, not only because it's much more likely to cause liver damage, but also because it doesn't really address inflammation. It relieves pain without diminishing the cause, whereas aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs reduce swelling as well as fever and pain.

I probably won't take anything and see how it all feels on Monday when I prepare for another Push Day. But I'm liking the cardio change so I think I'll keep mixing that up. Meanwhile, it's a scorching 92°F outside and I'm dressing as minimally as I can, which means a sundress from EMS that requires no bra. I just wish it had pockets.

Rest Isn't Enough

Last night I rubbed the back of my arms and was surprised that they were sore and tender. Surprised because I haven't worked triceps since last Thursday a week ago, more than adequate time to recuperate! I was hoping that time off would improve my benching and tricep strength but sadly this seems to have backfired. I actually felt weaker today although I did manage to complete all my sets. The only thing I felt good about was cardio. Yes, cardio which I hate and only do to get it out of the way. I do it because I'm paranoid that my metabolism will realize that I'm actually a small middle-aged woman, and come to a complete halt. Kidding. Sort of.

At the ellipticals this morning, the grossly obese man (who leisurely peddles on the stationery bike several times a week) manages to catch me before I've mounted the Precor. "You do this every day?" he asks. I nod with one ear piece half in. "Watching you go so fast makes me tired." And my immediate response was, and I'm not kidding, in a dull monotone, "Don't watch." And he chuckled and said, "No I won't" but I'd already put my headphones back.

Just for some excitement, I decide to do intervals in my cardio session but I had to decide whether to go with the jaunty #7 program where each interval is only 2 minutes in duration, or the more challenging #8 which allows for three long plateaus of high intensity. Chicken that I am, I went with what I know, program #7. I wanted some mental encouragement and knew that if I peddled as furiously as I do on the gentle hills, I'd more than make my quota and that's what I wanted today.

Today's Total Push Thursday Workout:
35 min Intervals #7 = 4.63 miles Yippeeee!

Yep, me again!

Smith Bench: 25 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 3 x 6 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 25 @ 115
The Smith is starting to feel a little sticky, as if there's gunk in the counterweight pulley system. I'm not sure whether I should complain or not. Last year I had to pester the front desk several times before it was cleaned and fixed which involved pulling it apart and reassembling it. 
Cage Stretch & Kicks
I was too burnt to go to kickboxing on Tuesday but I told my husband I'd be up for it this evening. But of course, he'll probably get stuck at work and I'm feeling spent already!
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 25 lbs
I can feel my right trap strain as I raise the weight and I remember how it spasmed last week when I tried to increase my reps. So only 15 reps per set today.
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises SuperSet with One-Arm Tricep Extensions: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
I like the way my arms look when I do these exercises. Wish I had photos though.
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Tricep Press Downs: 12/11/11 @ 50 lbs
I lose my ability to draw breath during the last few reps of each set which is very frustrating. 
Mat Stretch

During my first vertical split I'm distracted by a large male figure walking towards the mat and weight area. Because the plate glass windows are behind him, I can't really see who it is, and then it dawns on me that it's R because no one else has that effect. It takes me a few moments to figure out where I am in my routine. I have to keep myself focused on my forms or I'm completely lost as to what position to do next because I've "mapped" it so that one form flows into the next. When I'm distracted I'm prone to making mistakes or worse, getting injured.

I saw a few regulars earlier today and I tell Mo that her repairman was great and I'll be recommending him too. The Mayor had simultaneously motioned and screamed at me to ask if I'm done with the inclined bench and to leave the 25 lb DB. So I did, but I still wiped the bench with bleach water and paper towels because it wouldn't be right not to. Nixon, ZZ, Loud Mouth, IrishGal and a few others go about the weight area. There are new faces as well, including a young well-muscled Asian guy. He's tall with nice features. We stare at each other obliquely. But I figure he's maybe 20 years old (it's hard to say how old some people are, especially Asians) and I can't help it if young guys can't tell how old women are. Sure, I'd like to be friends, but my experience has been that guys never just want to be friends. Unless they're gay.

Later, as I gather up all my gear, I stop by R who's doing leg raises and chin ups between the cable stations. "I saw your wife the other day." He looks perplexed. "Wasn't she here a few days ago?"
"Oh, yeah. She was." A big smile erupts. "She's so beautiful. You're so lucky," and I poke him in the arm as I leave and he's grinning from ear to ear, and I just know, although I haven't looked, that ZZ and the Asian dude are wondering wondering wondering. But I don't care.

The gym scale tells me 110.6 lbs and I'm okay with that today although I'm planning to drop some body fat for the summer. I'm not quite sure exactly how yet but I did buy salad greens and more pineapple cottage cheese, which I love to eat on apples, or arugula or even just plain toast. I suspect that changing up my cardio is the key. That, and watching my fatty food intake. I don't know how this will affect my strength so it'll be an experiment. I hope I like the outcome.

Stay at Home Cardio

So it's a dreary drizzly day and I'm waiting for the appliance repairman. My husband assures me that because I didn't go to the gym, he'll show up at 2 pm. Since I had to get up anyway to walk the dog and get my son ready for school, I figured I'd use this opportunity to actually give the elliptical a trial run. We'd purchased the Vision Fitness back in December and I confess that I've not used it until now although my husband does occasionally get himself hot and sweaty on a 20 minute intervals jaunt.

I plugged in my iPod and got into a tank, a T-shirt and running pants, and my hoodie. The motion is wonderfully smooth and I felt as if this is what running, if I could actually run without substantial pain and damage to my knees, would feel like. But even at the lowest setting, there is some resistance which I detected in the way my thighs moved. It wasn't painful though and I did appreciate the multi-position handles which allows a more natural grip. The stationery front handles are also heart rate sensors but I don't know how accurate they are since according to the machine, my heart rate was barely 89 although it did spike to 118 at one point. I alternated between these and the wider placed neutral grip moving handles, which I preferred.

Because I didn't use a program, the machine was set for a steady non-incline session which I thought was best for a first time user. By the end of the session, I was indeed hot and sweaty and a little breathless as well. I snapped a couple of quick photos with my phone because lately I'm inclined to forget those odd meaningless numbers. Oatmeal and coffee don't seem to be enough this morning. I omitted the egg because I'm not lifting weights today and now I'm starving. Of course, I've not had any water to drink either... Instead, I make a frittata with an egg, a leftover half of a small baked potato, a sliver of vidalia onion, and a handful of arugula all sauteed in a pan with butter and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to season, of course. The repairman arrives as I'm halfway done savoring this mid-day treat. Of course.

Today's Cardio Workout on the Vision Fitness S7100:
30 minutes / level 1 / no incline: 2.67 miles (and I don't know how they determine this because it didn't ask me to punch in my weight) 330 calories

Leftovers make great frittatas!

Day 2 is Leg Day

It's Tuesday and normally it'd be a Pull Day but I've switched things up this week and today is Leg Day. Yep, two sessions of cardio and then some weights. I'm surprised at how good the cardio is today and I think it's because I actually ate breakfast a bit earlier, giving me more time to digest the oatmeal-egg-honey porridge along with my coffee. I feel a bit out of sync because I haven't lifted any weights this week and my back and shoulders are uncharacteristically stiff. Tomorrow the repair man is coming so I'm entertaining thoughts of getting a bit of cardio done in the garage after I put my son on the school bus. I've not actually used the elliptical we bought last December so it'd be interesting to see how it feels.

Today's Leg Day Workout:
35 min hill #5 = 4.09 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.49 miles  Grand Total = 8.58 miles Wahoo!
Smith Rack Squats: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 3 x 12 @ 155 lbs
Smith Rack SLDL: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 5 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
One of the trainers is instructing two women on the cables in the Cage area, and R and his wife are alternately using the other cable station. It's so crowded that after I stretch and kick, I go back to the free weight area to do my Pistol Squats inside the Smith Rack.
13 Pistol Squats each leg
Ab Crunch Station
Seated Leg Curl: 15 @ 90 / 3 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Seated Leg Extension: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs
Mat Stretch

The gym is oddly crowded but only sporadically with regulars, as if they've all fled for a week-long holiday. I see the Mayor chatting insistently with a long-legged woman I haven't seen in some months. At least I can't actually hear him. I see Mo as well and I remember to wave Hi to the Fish Guy. I even wave to R in passing. I'm getting better with this social thing but I"m not going to worry too much about it. I'm more concerned with healing my errant elbow, and (sigh) not getting too big. 

The scale disappoints me with 111.2 lbs but then again, I did suck down my entire water bottle today. But Mat Stretch wasn't as good as yesterday's and I'm not sure why. Little things like this bother me. It's frustrating to expect a steady-state response when your body isn't a steady-state entity. Everything seems to fluctuate on a daily basis, whether it's weight, endurance, strength, flexibility. I'm not even sure if this is menopause or just the vagaries of the human body.

Arms look good
for Leg Day! LOL!

I've also come to realize that my husband, as fond as I am of him, is a horrible influence on my eating habits He was home yesterday and suddenly we were gnoshing on chips and cookies and ice cream. It's not part of my normal routine during the week, just on weekends, long and otherwise, when we're all together. Now that I'm more cognizant of this, I'll have to exercise a bit more conscious restraint.

I smeared a dab of DMSO on my left elbow last night and again this morning. As I walked back up from the school bus stop, it dawned on me that my elbow felt pretty good. Good as in an absence of pain. Of course, it started throbbing again when I racked up the bar to do squats and I wound up putting my elbow braces on over my hoodie sleeves. I keep my hoodie on for squats for the extra padding a wet jacket affords but it comes off when I do SLDL because the bar catches on the front of the kangaroo pockets. I just need to baby the elbow for a bit more and maybe I'll do a Push Day on Thursday and an abbreviated Pull Day on Friday. But definitely No Pull Ups (sigh).

This Week's New Plan

Blueberry bagel with egg and bacon!

Because my elbows don't seem to be healing properly, I've decided to give myself a break and not work out like a fiend this week which is probably easier said than done. While I enjoyed sleeping in until 8:45 this morning, my son was quite dismayed that I hadn't gotten everything together for us to have a morning gym session. I warned him that because it was a brilliantly nice day, most families were certainly out doors. Stubbornly he insisted that we go to the gym so after breakfast and a few chores, we went. He was disappointed to find only two little girls in the childcare room. And the gym was lousy with teenagers, all home from school.

Best pizza ever!

Perhaps because I'd had real perked coffee this morning (Starbuck's Komodo Dragon blend) with my oatmeal, I was feeling rather frisky on the elliptical. Since childcare ends at 1 pm and we'd gotten there after 11 am, there was a real limit as to what I could do and how long I could take. I was planning on skipping weights anyway so today was just cardio and stretching. Normally, my Mondays on the elliptical really suck, especially after a weekend of sangria with frozen strawberries (my new favorite adult beverage), and lots of bacon. White clam pizza with bacon and spinach is our favorite weekend dinner at the local Four Brothers Restaurant. Don't get their sangria though: it tastes like fermented grape soda (probably from an article in Wednesday's NYT about the "new" sangrias). On Sundays, after an hour of my son's swim class, we all enjoy bagel sandwiches with egg and bacon at Tom Tom Bagel Cafe. Mine's usually blueberry but the boys enjoy cinnamon raisin. With ketchup.

Today's Minimal Memorial Day Workout:
35 min hill #5 = 4.12 miles Yippeeee (if I hadn't taken a photo of it, I would've forgotten my mileage!)
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Mat Stretch: yep, I rolled forward on my horizontal split and it's still about 95% there. The vertical splits are good with the right leading leg at 100% and the left leading leg being 95% there. The next trick with that is to see if I can bend the back leg with the leading leg extended. There's always something to improve here...

I'm hot and sweaty but I don't drink much of my water. I'm really surprised when the scale reads 110.6 lbs because truly I was expecting another whopper at 112. The shower feels really good but I'm in a hurry because it's 12:55 pm and my son is the only child left in the room. Tomorrow I plan to do Leg Day and Wednesday I have an old fashion repair man coming to fix my 30 year old dryer that suddenly making a horrendous thumping sound ("Sounds like you need new rollers," he says matter of factly over the the phone.) Perhaps he can fix my 20 year old 35" 5 burner stove too because Sears doesn't make it any more. And remove the ice-maker from my freezer since we can't/don't use it and it's just eating up valuable cold storage space. I might get around to doing a Push Day on Thursday, and then finally a Pull Day on Friday but I'll see how my elbows feel. A week of cardio wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Just a change of pace.

Pros and Cons

Yep, big arms!

There's pros and cons to just about everything, including getting what you think you want. When I review photos I took of myself last year (2012), I liked my face but thought the rest of me looked kind of scrawny. I've since put on about 4 lbs and I'm happier with my lifts, my muscles seem fuller and thicker, but I'm unhappy with how puffy my face looks all the time. Or at least in photos I take of myself at the gym. It's always something!

The left side of my neck and shoulder were still sore this morning in spite of a vigorous massage last night, but getting hot and sweaty (via exercise) seems to have mitigated most of the pain. I tend to see soreness as a challenge to push through so it's no wonder I surprised myself at cardio today. My elbows, especially the left one, are still tender and I've decided to skip exacerbating movements like dumbbell (DB) curls and pull ups (and/or chin ups).

Aloe back from the dead

The rain seems to have cooled the temperature and I'm hoping that it'll also revive the long neglected aloe plant I've had in my window for years. It's mostly a pale lifeless tan color but hints of pale sea green are creeping back up into the rubbery leaves. This may yet be another plant resurrection (the impatient is blooming in my kitchen window, still planted in its original plastic drinking cup). I'm a terrible gardener and once my plants are outside in the elements, I let Nature take its toll. Mostly this has worked for the overgrown jade plant I inherited from my sister's now deceased ex-mother-in-law, although the first few frosty nights (temps below 34°F) caused it to shed most of its leaves. But tiny new ones are growing back. The potted thyme seems relatively healthy, even as it over-wintered outside, unprotected on a garden bench. The coddled rosemary that spent winter in the kitchen has survived being left outdoors since early April. Benign neglect is my motto with houseplants.

Today's 2nd Pull Day Workout:
35 min cardio hill #5 = 4.10 miles Damn, am I surprised!
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 45 (just an experiment to see if this lower warm up will help) / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 135. I still like the weight at 120 best. 
Cage Stretch & Kicks (a new middle-aged guy asks me if the kicks are tae kwon do and I say No, because they're not, but I'm not going to explain what I'm doing)
Reverse Grip Bent-Over BB Rows: 6 x 15 @ 105 lbs (it's the weakest link, the two smallest fingers on my left hand, that starts to fail, not my back or biceps)
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
BB Curls (I'm still debating whether to go for the 50 but I'm leery of really hurting my elbows so I stay with what I know I can handle): 6 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Pull Ups (I can't resist doing just one set but there are consequences and my elbow complains): 12
Mat Stretch
Today I'm actually able to roll forward in my horizontal split and lay on my face/chest with my legs 95% flat against the mat. It's been a slow steady progression. My vertical splits are fairly good, the right leading leg better than the left leading leg. I'm pretty happy overall.

The gym starts to fill up late morning. Perhaps everyone had errands to do before the rain. I chatted briefly with B and Mo, saw the regular guys like The Mayor, Nixon, Ranger Rick, Skinny J, Fish Guy, Hoodie Tattoo, ZZ and Eagle Eye. Some of the younger guys have pretty nice bods but I'm not one to stare. I'd rather just peek. I'm actually afraid that staring will be construed as interest, or worse yet, an invitation. Being socially inept, I have no idea how to gracefully handle these sort of situations. Unless you want to talk training. But women and men train differently, respond differently. I see Nixon watching from a distance. He performs basic moves like squats and dead lifts and he's got pretty decent arms (today's the first time I've seen him in a tank). Skinny J looks emaciated. Fish Guy seems to have put on weight overnight. Eagle Eye has a great body except for those erratic tattoos.

The scale again disappoints me and reads 110.4 lbs. Okay, I am definitely bigger and heavier. While 4 lbs might not seem a lot, it profoundly shifts the way I view myself. Last summer, one of my neighbors exclaimed that I looked like a teenager. I had muscles but they were smaller, and I was thinner. Now I'm bigger. I don't think I look like a teenager anymore. I'm sad to let that go. On the other hand, I've been trying to get stronger for ages now. For me, size accommodates strength. It's not always true for other women. There's a gal who can squat and dead lift way more than I can. She's also about 20 or more years younger than I am. She posted her measurements online and taking into account that she's probably a good 6-7 inches taller than me, she only weighs 20 lbs more but she's got smaller arms and chest, bigger waist and hips. I can also bench more than she can (even subtracting the Smith counterweight).  I've seen photos of her: she's a stick. And I'm not, and never will be. I'm just trying to get comfortable in my skin. Again.

New Term: De-Load

This unitard reminds
me of my grandma's
long line girdle!

I like to scan a few other websites (nerdfitness.com and marksdailyapple.com) and belong to two other weight lifting forums because I can get feedback and information there that I can't get at my gym. Actually I've never really tried to get any lifting information other than the occasional chat with R because he's a personal trainer for semi-pro football and hockey players. And once M backed me when B and I had a disagreement over lifting heavy. But I'm not the only one who posts daily lifting stats and I've learned a lot from reading logs on muscleandstrength.com. Not as much on bodybuilding.com but both sites have lively discussions. Last week I learned a new term: de-load. It basically means take a week off from working out. I'm thinking maybe I'll take this Monday off since it's Memorial Day and the gym'll probably be packed with one-a-year members trying to work off all those hotdogs, burgers and beer. It'll be good for my elbows, although bad for my waistline.

Broken robin egg

It's a good day when I can tell myself I saw or learned something new. This morning, while I was walking the dog, I spied a tiny patch of beautiful blue in the grass and dead leaves. It was two halves of a robin's egg. The shell was a bit soft and rubbery so I wonder if the nestling hatched or if the egg was stolen and consumed, perhaps by a possum or raccoon. I've only ever seen robin eggs in photos so to see one in actuality was quite a treat even though I'm sure there's a robin's nest at the top of the red maple outside my front door. Today won't completely suck, I tell myself because after all, this is something special. And a lot nicer than the snakes and frogs I find freshly squished on the road, tire treads still visible.

Today's 2nd Push Day
35 min cardio #5 = 4.03 miles Yippee!
The gym is eerily empty this morning (except for the screams emanating from Zumba class) and I'm really happy that I have the weights all to myself.
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ 95 / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 3 x 7 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 25 @ 115 lbs
Both elbows and right shoulder are achy today so I'm cautious about lifting but the more I press, the better the joints feel. 
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises (my right front delt twinges for the first two reps but settles down):
6 x 20 @ 25 lbs
I know 20 reps is ridiculous but I don't think my shoulders can make the jump to 30 lb DB so next week I can try affixing those 2.5 lb magnetic discs and see how that feels. Afterwards, I notice tightness on the left side of my neck and trapezius. Damn, I've developed a knot deep inside the trap muscle. I'll need my husband to press it out with his thumb. It's excruciating, but worth it to get rid of.
Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
Lateral DB Raises SS w One-Arm Tricep Extensions: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs (yep, this is getting aerobic)
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Just as I move to the other side of the bench, I see PJ Pants sitting across from me. I ignore him even though I think he's secretly getting off watching me do Lower Ab Kick Outs. He's a creepy middle-aged guy and I avoid him and a few others like the proverbial plague.
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Tricep Kick Backs (I don't really like this exercise but I'm looking for something that doesn't stress my elbow so I use a really light weight): 3 x 12 @ 15 lbs
As I straighten my arm back, I can feel how sore my triceps are and see the muscles move up my arm and the front delt wiggle as well. Okay, this exercise isn't soooo bad. 
Mat Stretch

Regulars seem to have taken the morning off but all show up by noon. Ranger Rick has chatted up a lovely tall blonde woman who's only been coming to the gym for a few weeks now. Eagle Eye, Nixon, Hoodie Tattoo, ZZ, Skinny J are interspersed among newer faces, not all of them High School boys. I guess Spring is here and with that, body-revealing clothes. I wave Hi to R and he nods back. Sometimes I think the weirdness is all in my head, but I can't help the fact that I'm just not a friendly person. I struggle to remember to smile at people I know when I'm in the midst of something because my inclination is to completely ignore them. Not that I mind working out in the middle of a bunch of guys. Actually I prefer it, as long as they're not in my way, because I'm fairly (although not 100%) certain that they won't drop the weight on me or otherwise do something stupid. I don't mind the few women in the weight area, but most of them are so timid that I find them perplexing. And they tend to clump right in front of the racks which makes it impossible to get to.

The gym scale is not kind and reads 110.0 lbs. My only solace is discovering, quite by accident, the feel of fuller leg biceps. My legs have always been lopsided: big quads in front, no visible hamstrings or leg biceps in back. Finally they're taking on a more balanced appearance and I find that quite exhilarating. Of course, I still want to be able to wear all my candy-colored Gap khakis so I have to be careful with where I put on size. I wonder what would happen if I just did cardio and stretching for a week and skipped the weights. I don't even know if I'd be able to do that because I'm so compulsive, and truthfully, lifting weights feels really good to me.

I love benching!

I started looking at the E-books provided by the muscle website looking to buy my before and after photos. It's 3 huge PDFs written by a guy who wants to be the next P90x. I just skimmed a few pages and then copied it onto a thumb drive for my husband to look at. It claims to forever change your life in a mere 45 days as long as you do exactly what he says. Hell, I can't do that. Not even for a mere 45 days, because I don't work out every day, and there's no way I'm eating 5-6 meals a day or giving up adult beverages (on weekends only). All his examples are big buff guys looking to hook up with skinny cheerleaders so I'm not even his target audience. Honestly, I don't know why he even approached me. Just one more day, a Pull Day, and then a long weekend. I'm looking forward to De-Loading. At least for a day.

Time Warp

It's Wednesday which says Leg Day to me. I've whittled my routine down to basic moves and still I wonder why I'm leaving the gym at 12:30 pm because I'm not wasting time chatting or socializing. Where does the time go?! Okay, tick off at least 70 minutes for cardio but I've never really paid attention to how much time I spend lifting weights or stretching. Still, I don't do a lot of exercises: squats, dead lifts, cage stretch & kicks, pistol squats, leg curl, leg extension, abs, mat stretch. My husband would say if it's missing time, then perhaps there's been an alien abduction that I don't know about. I don't think so.

I hate SLDL

What I do know is that upping the weight for the Reverse Grip BB Row yesterday made my hamstrings and glutes sore today because the initial movement is basically a dead lift. I was worried I wasn't going to make my 8 mile quota, especially after developing numbness in my toes and thumbs two thirds into my interval session. But I'm stubborn, and persistence prevails. I see B's car in the lot but she's gone by the time I'm done with cardio. The gym is blissfully vacant, and quiet with the exception of the screaming Zumba instructor exhorting her class to move it behind closed doors. Crowds start to appear by late morning and I recognize some faces. As I move from the Cage Stretch to the floor, standing a few feet from the mirrored wall so I can concentrate on Pistol Squats, a baby-face young man appears. He's intent on using the cables which aren't in my way so I pay him no mind. I'd seen him earlier doing shrugs or something while I was squatting and dead lifting. I'm so focused on not falling over that sweat is running off my nose even though the A/C is on. The kid, with a blonde crew cut and patchy beard, seems unable to do his bicep curls. Lack of focus. Peripherally, I can see him give up every time I drop into a one-legged squat position as I alternate legs. If I'm distracting him, he's got a problem. He's certainly not distracting me.

Today's Leg Day Workout:
35 min hill #5 = 4.03 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.29 miles  Grand Total = 8.32 miles Wahoo!
Smith Rack Squats: 12 @ bar / 2 x 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 145 / 2 x 12 @ 155 lbs
It's about time I squatted more than I bench.
Smith Rack Stiff Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 5 x 12 @ 115
My left elbow is really complaining today so today I wear elbow braces throughout my workout.
Cage Stretch & Kicks
12 Pistol Squats alternating legs
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs
Seated Leg Curl: 15 @ 90 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Ab Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch

Height of Fashion!

The scale reads 109.0 lbs and that's a tad disappointing but not totally unexpected. What's unexpected is how damn late it is. I must be moving slower because I'm not getting enough sleep. We've discovered a "new" show that started off very promising, but lately has devolved into another weepy soap. Yes, I'm referring to Grimm, which has lovely special effects and likable secondary characters, like the wise-cracking Chinese Sgt. Wu (played by Reggie Lee). It's not a role I've seen since Nick Yamana (Jack Soo) in Barney Miller. Captain Renard and Monroe are also entertaining. What's killing it for us is Nick's love interest, the whiny, fragile Juliette. Bleah! We surmise that the actress was probably hired for doing a good job of looking distressed most of the time. Give me Dr Temperance Brennan (Bones) who can handle herself with a firearm or hand-to-hand. Give me special agent Olivia Dunham (Fringe). Or even Daenerys Targaryen who pulled a pretty cool coup and got herself an army (Game of Thrones). But do us a favor and put Juliette out of all our misery.

I've actually contacted Abbott, which makes Ensure, and suggested that I be their spokesperson for their High Protein drink. Of course, they also make workout supplements but I don't drink those. I didn't actually expect a reply but their customer service rep said she's send me a release form so they could quote me. Not sure if anything'll come of it, but "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." And I'm still on the fence about even downloading the muscle-building program. Guess I ought to back my computer up first...

It's Better 'Cuz it Looks Worse

RGBO Rows here I come!

Boy was I surprised this morning when the finger-tip bruise on my left bicep transformed into a heart-shape mark three times the original size. Of course, doing back and biceps today probably didn't help any but gym rats don't know how to be moderate. It was hot enough this morning for me to actually carry my hoodie to the gym instead of wearing it, but I'm a creature of habit, so I was decked out in full elliptical regalia to do cardio: hoodie pulled over my eyes, tank, sports bra, yoga pants, iPod. I've seen a few daring folks walking about in those minimalist toe shoes and I always shudder, but my soft black Asics won't do much to keep my toes safe if I drop a weight on them either.

I don't quite make my quota but only by a skosh. Seated cable rows are hard but probably because I really need to warm up better than with a set at 90 lbs. In the middle of my last heavy set, V comes over and waves at me with his floppy arms, as if I'm suddenly going to break form and wave back. I'm so aggravated that when I finish my set, I grab my gear and stalk off to the Smith Rack to do Pull Ups. After the shock of the initial twinge from the first pull up, my elbows settle down and I do a set of partial pull ups because I can't fully extend my arms without my elbows screaming.

Today's 1st Pull Day: Back and Biceps
35 min cardio hill #5 = 3.99 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 135 lbs
Smith Bar Pull Ups: 12 legs curled to chest
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Smith Bar Pull Ups: 12 legs straight out
I grab a pair of 2.5 lb magnetic discs out of habit but I've decided to up my weight and see how it feels.
Reverse Grip Bent-Over BB Rows: 3 x 15 @ 100 lbs / 3 x 12-15 @ 105 lbs
These don't feel too bad and also reassure me that I can do Dead Lifts with at least as much weight because it's initially a dead lift movement. My fingers get really sore by the last several reps though because it's hard to hang onto the bar in this position. The next bar on the rack is 110 lbs. There aren't any others so if I go heavier, I'll actually have to plate an Olympic bar which is unwieldy for someone of my height and size.
Alternating DB Curls: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
BB Curls: 6 x 15 @ 45 lbs (I'm still too chicken to grab the 50 lb bar)
The curls are making the bruise on my bicep look much worse than it is. It doesn't even really hurt!
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
I'm grimacing and cursing under my breath by the last 5 reps of the last set.
Smith Bar Pull Ups: 12 legs curled to chest (the last two were really really hard)
Mat Stretch

I see R peripherally and we walk past each other several times while grabbing weights or putting them back. Finally we both wave an uneasy Hi and move on. It's probably in my head (a legend in my own mind!), but I'm probably a fairly disconcerting sight for some guys. Other guys look positively smitten. B chatted with me earlier. She's smiling again but only because her husband appears to be under the weather?! There are a lot of regulars here today (the Mayor, Nixon, M, Ranger Rick) but I'm not in the habit of interacting with them so unless they're in my way, it's as if they don't really exist. It's much easier for me to interact online instead of face to face. I guess that's not so surprising in this day and age: once a geek, always a geek.

I've actually gotten some very encouraging words from people online when I voice my concern about going further with my physique. I actually wasn't expecting to put on size so easily once I upped my weights, and now I fret about having to buy new clothes because damn, it was hard enough finding these clothes that look cute and mostly fit. If I change my physique again, I'll never find clothes that fit and I'll have to tailor all my stuff. Which I suppose is fine if you're independently wealthy, which I'm not. My personality, though, dictates that I take this as far as I can go naturally. I'm not a fan of all those expensive supplements. I just want to see what my own body can do if I push it, and of course, properly feed and water it.

Tired is Not a Valid Excuse

This weekend was the Cub Scout camp sleep over at Durland Scout Reservation in Putnam Valley, the next town over from us. Needless to say, in spite of a full day of archery and BB guns, campfire songs and s'more making, we didn't get much sleep. I was still tired this morning and my entire 20 minute drive from my son's school to the gym was spent with me fantasizing about how nice it'd be to fall back into bed and take an early morning nap. Yep, I was still fantasizing about that when I parked the car and dragged all my gear into the locker room.

It's not a spider bite!

Nope, didn't make my 4 mile quota either, but I got close. I wasn't really sure how well my lifts were going to be either, but they were surprisingly fine. Either I have really low expectations of myself, or being tired doesn't really make that much difference. My left elbow is sore from archery, and I've got a lovely fingertip-sized bruise (see right) on the bicep belly from where the bow string smacked me as I let the arrow loose. My right shoulder is probably sore for the same reason: archery. And my fingertips stayed a deep purple for several minutes until the range master lent me his fingertip guard. He had several. At home we use a release, which totally saves your fingertips from the trauma of snapping bow strings.

We alternated between the wibbly kid bows, and an adult recurve bow that had a draw of 45 lbs, which is probably 5 lbs too much for me. All the fathers enjoyed it though. I didn't even bother trying the long bow because not only am I too short for it, but it had an even greater draw weight. But we all enjoyed ourselves. I only wished I'd had a chance to shoot the BB rifle because that looked like fun too! So today I'm a bit worried that I won't be able to bench well because my joints are complaining, but after the first two warm up sets, everything settles down. If anything, the benching seems to have loosened everything up, and I feel much better!

Today's 1st Push Day
35 min cardio hill #5 = 3.94 miles bleah
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 3 x 6 @ 155 lbs / 12 @ 135 / 25 @ 115 lbs (it doesn't even feel that hard but I do have to pause at rep 20 before doing the next 5 reps)
I see Hannibal Baggy Knees at the Smith after I've stripped the bar and move on. I think I do bench more than he does. That's so pathetic. 
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 3 x 20 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 15 @ 25 lbs
(Next week I should probably add 2.5 lbs to the DB)
Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
Lateral DB Raises SuperSet with One-Arm Tricep Extensions:
3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
I haven't done Decline Presses in a long time because it strains my right front delt, plus I'm not really sure if it's worth trying to fill out the lower pectoralis muscles.
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Tricep Press Downs: 12 / 11/ 10 @ 50 lbs
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch

I'm actually done sooner than I expect and my reward is a long hot shower. The scale scares me with a reading of 112.0. Wow. I feel bigger too. My pants feel snug around the waist and I know my arms are pretty damn big. I haven't figured out how to get stronger without really getting any bigger. I like doing high reps as long as I don't incur any repetitive stress injuries.

Using a recurve bow
at Durland Boy Scout Camp

Last week I got an odd email from a rep from a workout website (that'd I'd never heard of before), asking if I'd be interested in allowing them to use my before and after photos (they'd pay me $100 for useage) and if I'd try their exercise program and perhaps be a spokesperson for them. How did they find me? They were trolling through the bodybuilding.com site where I happen to have a profile, not that I consider myself a bodybuilder these days. I said I was interested in checking it out so they sent me a link to download their program on a PDF (which I haven't looked at yet). The download is available until May 25 and then the link expires. Hmmm.

They also suggested that if I blogged about my experience with their program, they'd pay me. Of course, it probably wouldn't be very much. But it touches on a fantasy I have: getting paid to work out. After all, who doesn't fantasize about being valued for doing something they love? I keep weighing the thought of becoming a personal trainer as well, but I'm not sure I'd make enough money to justify the expense of studying for all the exams and getting the certificate and license. But every day I come to the gym and see all these women who have absolutely no idea what they're doing. Not that they'd accept help from me... I do see the woman from last week, and she looks as defeated as ever as she struggles to press dumbbells. I can't even look. I'm too busy benching and I give myself very little time in between sets or exercises.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to look at their program, unless it's some malware. My husband posits that it could be a place that hooks people by promising to pay them if they use the program, but you have to buy it first. Or it could be legit. Who knew that these places looked for before and after photos first, before signing them up to represent their products! I certainly didn't!

Does Wishing Make It So?

Imagine my surprise this morning as I'm pulling on boots to walk the dog when I glance over at my husband's work boots and find my glove sitting inside, resting like a downed bird in an unlikely nest. Yippee! I don't have to buy new gloves! I'm so pleased that probably nothing can ruin my day. Probably. We didn't got to kickboxing or even TKD because my husband got back from a business trip not feeling too good.

"Gas station sushi?" I ask him. "Nooo, but something I shouldn't've eaten." I spend the evening completing an online course to lower the premium on our auto insurance, but I don't go to bed when I know better. Instead I watch old episodes of Bones (my new favorite show lately) and paying for it this morning by dragging myself to the gym. I don't make my 4 mile quota either but truthfully, after Wednesday, anything over 3.90 miles is good. I have to cut myself some slack because no one else will.

I see B but she's too busy chatting and once I'm in "workout mode" I rarely, if ever, acknowledge anyone at the gym. I find myself not all that pleased to speak with her these days anyway because she's always complaining about something, and odd as it may seem, I don't like the fact that she never seems very happy to see me. But she's the one coming up to me to say Hi. Perhaps it's a compulsion and she doesn't really want to but does anyway? She's such an unconscious flirt with all middle-aged male gym bodies and I watch distantly with only observational interest.

I don't think I even know how to flirt. I'd rather be intimidating, but of course, being chest-height to most people makes that quite a feat. But it can be done. As the online defensive driving course states, it's all about "attitude." I don't have a bad attitude. Heck, I'm not even mean. But I know what I'm doing, and I'm not going to stand around helplessly waiting for some guy to give me instructions. Which is what guys seem to be bred to expect.

Today's 2nd Pull Day and TGIF
35 min cardio hill #6 = 3.96 miles Yeesh...
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 135 lbs
I like the 120 lb weight best for doing cable rows; it just feels really good and strong although I try to end each heavy set with negatives where I gently lower the weight so it makes barely a sound.
Pull Ups (my left elbow is really bothering me today so I only do one set at a time): 12 reps with legs curled to chest
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Pull Ups: 12 legs straight out
RG BB Rows: 6 x 15 @ 95 lbs
I'm tempted to try the 100 lb barbells but figure I'll wait until 15 reps seems easy.
Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 25 / 8+4 @ 25 / 10+2 @ 25 lbs
My elbows aren't liking this movement either.
Pull Ups: 10+2 legs curled to chest
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
BB Curls: 6 x 15 @ 45 lbs
RG BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Pull Ups: 8+5 legs straight out
My left elbow is really complaining now. I should probably ice it when I get home.
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch

I've drained my water before even starting Mat Stretch although I don't think I'm sweating that much. But my clothes reek and that makes me a tad self-conscious. I see R and I wave Hi to him as he's resting on a bench. I think that's all we're comfortable with these days. Later, when I leave I wave at him and he says "Have a good weekend" which is what I was going to say. Lamely I say instead, "You too." Things are weird and I don't know why. Probably because I don't really like to talk to anyone when I'm working out. I'll chat after I'm done, when I can break out of "workout" mode. Perhaps most people don't compartmentalize like that. Which would explain why they don't seem to work out very effectively either.

While I'm stretching out, Mo pops on and after I'm done, we chat for a few minutes. In the interim, I see Fish Guy (today I remembered to wave Hi to him), Ranger Rick, M, The Mayor (whose voice is so squeaky it sounds as if he'd been screaming at an all-night rave), Nixon, Hairy Shoulders, Ponytail Tattoo and a few new faces. The HS boys are back as well. I'm glad I'm done!

During my sets of Reverse Grip BB Rows, I glance into the mirror and see all the action behind me. A thin middle-aged woman, who I've seen a few times before, is struggling to bench just the bar. She changes her grip from narrow to shoulder's width, then moves from flat bench to the inclined bench. After I've finished my 6 sets, I ask her what she's doing. Or rather, what's she trying to do. She shrugs her shoulders and says "Just trying to exercise everything." I'm kind of surprised that she doesn't have a better grasp of weight-lifting fundamentals so I tell her that most people start out benching shoulders width to work chest, then later do a narrow grip to work triceps. "Otherwise you'll make your arms too tired."

I also suggest she try to lower the bar to her chest but she seems dubious. "The movement should be like you're pushing a drawer." I have no idea whether she even understood what I was talking about but perhaps next time she'll have better control of the bar. I've seen a lot of women playing with the weights (good) and unfortunately, most of them have no idea what they're doing (bad). And I resist the urge to butt my nose in and offer my two sense, but perhaps I shouldn't. Egads, I certainly don't want to be like The Mayor. Bleah! I guess I'll just see if a few instructive words will be of any help or if I'm just wasting my breath. Wishing does NOT make it so. Unless you're Jean-Luc Picard, or looking for an errant workout glove.

The scale reads 110.4 lbs today and I'm mildly surprised. Yep, I'm just going to have to accept the fact that stronger means bigger means heavier. Sigh. At least my home scale tells me that I'm a mere 107.6 lbs. True, up from 105+ but I can still think of myself as a gamine. That reminds me of something I read a long time ago that stated middle-aged Asian women tended to dress androgynously, favoring short haircuts and comfortable loose clothes. Or as we call it today, gender neutral. It's nice to have the muscles to really confuse the issue. And of course, wishing doesn't make it so. Hard work does.

Well, Cinderella I'm Not...

I got to the gym this morning and discovered that I'm missing one of my lifting gloves. Damn. I had them yesterday because I use them for squats and dead lifts and mat and cage stretches. One must've fallen out in the parking lot on the way to the car. I'm bummed. I don't really want to buy a new pair of gloves, especially when my "new" grips (purchased just a few months ago on my birthday) show signs of cracking and needing to be replaced. I'm hard on my gear. I keep hoping my glove'll show up, so I've asked the front desk at the gym, looked all over my house, and completely forgot to check the parking lot. But after yesterday's downpour, anything I find out there will be completely trashed anyway. I keep hoping someone will find my glove and return it to me, but who am I kidding? I'm not Cinderella waiting for Prince Charming to show up with my lost slipper. (I've always wondered why her glass slipper remained when everything else turned back into pumpkins and mice but I'm a stickler for stupid details like that.)

I'm tired and I didn't make my cardio quota today although I did try. My husband says that he enjoys kickboxing much more when I'm there because he has trouble keeping up with me, so I'm a competitive incentive to work harder. Awe, that's sweet. What really kills him is the drill where you punch the bag four times and then drop to do two pushups. I can usually pop back up before he's even finished his two so we're racing each other. "Push ups are easy," I tell him. He tells me that he's got to work up to where he can say that as well. I just think they're easy compared to benching heavy, or benching reps.

Today's 2nd Push Day Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.90 miles Bleah! I developed a stitch under my right rib cage that lasted until the cardio session was over so that's about 12 minutes of peddling in extreme discomfort. 
Olympic Bench: 25 reps bar /12 reps 65 lbs
oooh, the Smith is free now!
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 3 x 6 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 25 @ 115 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 25 lbs
I don't think I can go heavier without injuring my front delt so I'm at a loss as how to step this up.
Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
Lateral DB Raises SuperSet with One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
This movement almost become aerobic because I'm moving through the reps so quickly.
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Close Grip Benching (for triceps): 25 @ 45 lbs / 25 @ 65 lbs / 2 x 15 @ 75 lbs
Mat Stretch

I see M on the mat doing a modified crunch while holding a kettle bell in one hand. It looks painful. He's carrying on a conversation with Nixon (he has a receding hairline like the late prez) but Nixon looks dubious. The mats usually see very few men and a handful of women stretching out. When I look up from my routine, I see Mo doing her thing. By the time I'm showered and dressed, she's done with her entire exercise routine. That's quick. Suddenly the gym is full of HS boys and a bunch of regulars like Ranger Rick, Mustache and BigTruck. I overhear Skinny J and R discuss how "inflammation sucks". Well, duh, yeah.

The gym scale tells me 109.4 lbs today. It's not really a surprise. I'd like to be lighter, but I don't want to be weaker. And my clothes still fit, so I'm good with this for now. I don a pair of shorts and a tank top because temps have risen to near 80°F and I have a lot of errands to run. My one glove is still missing so I'm resigned to having to purchase another pair. I can't wait around hoping "some day my prince will come". Damn it, I'm the Warrior Princess.

Kickboxing is Kicking My Butt

Just did 8 miles. Time for
Smith Rack Squats and DL

I didn't exactly crawl out of bed this morning, but I certainly took my time getting to the gym. I was tired yesterday afternoon even before I took my son to his TKD class, and then met my husband for the 7:15 Cardio Kickboxing class. I skip all the running around, all the jumping jacks and hopping up and down. I avoid anything whatsoever that might impact my knees because I'd like to be able to walk down the steps to my car afterwards. I'm wearing my stupid pink Everlast gloves because my husband says it's better for me than the oversized boxing gloves that come free with sign-up. Those gloves are so big that my hands are suspended inside, and the wrist tabs are affixed around my forearms. Of course, my knuckles never get bruised in them either, while I can feel my knuckles slide past inside the gloves, and of course, after class, they're very pink and just shy of skinned. My husband tells me I just need to tape them. I see that Everlast also sells pink tape, just for the occasion. Jeez. No, I don't think so. The pink gloves are bad enough. I have plain ol' white tape...

This morning my glutes are sore and stiff, and my elbows are still complaining. But it's Leg Day so I'm not particularly concerned about the tendonitis issues. Digging through a bag of old workout clothes that are slated for donation, I find several more pairs of unitards that were once too tight, or just simply out of style. I also find a Reebok unitard that's no longer manufactured. The legs are short, the tank straps are literally thick cottony strings and it's a soft absorbent fabric. It also fits so I put it on under my UnderArmour Shorts, Fila tank and Lands End hoodie. I'm a bit worried that I'm too tired to make my quotas but after the first Hill session, I'm not at all concerned about Intervals. That is until minute 18 when the middle two toes on my right foot go numb. Then my ring and index finger on my left hand go numb as well. I'm putting too much pressure on these extremities and I need to readjust my footing as well as my grips.

So that's over 700 calories?
Cool! I usually never look there...

Today's Leg Day Workout
35 min hill #6 = 4.0 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.36 miles  Grand Total = 8.36 miles Wahoo!
Smith Machine Squats (an old guy is at the Smith so I reluctantly head over to the squat rack, but by the time I've adjusted the pegs, he's gone and the Smith is mine. Yippeee!):
12 @ bar (butt to heels) / 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 145 lbs
I could probably go heavier but 145 lbs was when it finally registered that this felt heavy. 
I'm so lazy! I probably should've upped the weights several weeks ago, but better late than never...
Smith Straight Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ 95 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 115 lbs
These never feel easy so upping the weight kicked my butt and I'm glad all the hard stuff is over.
Cage Stretch & Kicks
12 Pistol Squats alternating Legs
Seated Leg Curl: 15 @ 90 / 3 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch

I've been told I have
"bull dog legs" but it
was said in admiration.

Two skinny HS guys come over while I'm squatting. I'm not sure why guys insist on doing shrugs with ridiculous amount of weights before doing other more meaningful exercises, like bench press or squats. I strip off my drenched hoodie to do dead lifts and the guys seem intimidated. I laugh to myself because I find it funny, but it'd be mean to gloat. Meanwhile ZZ is floating about, but he seems harmless enough these days. At least he's not getting in my way. There's not a lot of regulars today. I see M briefly, and B not at all. My knees and ankles feel pretty good doing squats. It's my left elbow that complains about it. But it's my right hip that seems to suffer from the Dead Lifts, although the elbows are not happy doing this movement either. Well, you can't make everyone happy all the time.

By the time I get to Mat Stretches I'm "stick a fork in me and call it done". Wednesday is an odd day because it's horrendously busy in the morning, virtually abandoned by mid-morning, and then shows new signs of life by noon, just as I'm leaving. Just as well. I hate crowds. The scale surprises me with a reading of 108.4 lbs, but my stomach starts growling while I'm showering. Wow, I'm not usually hungry so quickly. The Ensure soothes my belly while I sit in the car, but I'm ravenous again just a few hours later. I wonder what's going on! Well, duh... I am lifting heavier. And going to kickboxing. And eating things like arugula with cottage cheese instead of ciabatta bread and pepperjack cheese. Tomorrow we plan to go to kickboxing again. I'll probably need a nap first.

It's Spring and Damn I'm Hungry

Suddenly every shrub and tree is green and bushy. I don't remember that happening! Because we've kept our feeder stocked with sunflower seeds, the hedges are alive with happy chirping. It's like a Disney flick, only without the talking rodents. I've replaced the stolen suet cage, blaming Mensa-level squirrels when I should've been aware of ravenous raccoons. I have one last block of suet but I'll save that and the retrieved suet cage for the winter, when such bandits are hibernating.

My elbows are still sore. Worse yet is being hungry at 3 am.  When the sun pokes me in the eye at 7 am, I'm still trying to make sense of the dream I'm still submerged in. I rub a dab of DMSO into my elbows and immediately taste garlic and oyster sauce. Well, I know it's the real thing. I'm careful to wash my hands afterwards, and after my son boards his school bus, I'm off. I've made sure to give myself at least an hour between breakfast and the gym so I don't arrive until a bit after 9 am. It's crowded. There's Zumba, and Yoga, and Spin Class... The din is so disturbing that I immediately retreat into a bathroom stall to plug in my headphones before heading to the cardio area. And just to mix it up a tiny bit, I punch hill #5 into the Precor instead of hill #6. Surprisingly, I make my 4 mile quota. I'm happy.

I see B at the cable station and she gives me a brief update on her whole week. Then she's off to say Hi and Bye to everyone else she knows at the gym while I settle into doing Seated Cable Rows. They feel fine until I get to my heavy sets. My hands hurt, my left elbow feels weak, and I can't quite put my back into it the way I should. But I knock out my sets and eye the Smith Rack longingly. Okay, maybe just one set of Pull Ups. I space my hands a little wider than usual and pull myself up with my legs curled to my chest. I don't straighten my arms completely because the strain on my forearms and elbows is too great. But I can get a reasonable set of 12 reps. Throughout my workout, I do an occasional set of Pull Ups. It doesn't hurt too bad so I don't think I'm doing damage to my elbows.

Today's 1st Pull Day Workout:
35 min cardio = 4.05 miles Yippeee!
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 135 lbs
Pull Ups: 12 (they don't hurt as much as I expected them to)
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Pull Ups: 12
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 6 x 15 @ 95 lbs
(yep, next week I need to move the 100 lb barbell)
Alternating DB Curls: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Pull Ups: 12
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 120
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 125
BB Curls: 6 x 15 @ 45 lbs
(I return the magnetic discs to the front desk to buy my arms some time to rest, and then come back for the Reverse Grip Curls)
RG BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Lower Back Extensions Again: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Mat Stretch

The gym is really crowded today and I find myself working out with half a dozen guys. I see The Mayor, Tall Pace, Short Pace, Fish Guy and a friend, the Latin Guy from last week, and a whole bunch more. I even see R today but it's so crowded that I'm focused solely on getting through my workout, and getting out. I don't even say Hi to the Fish Guy even though I sensed he wanted me to. Maybe I'll smack the NexerSys tomorrow since tomorrow is Leg Day. I'm not even sure if I'm gong to kickboxing tonight or not. On the way out the door, I see V sitting with a lady I've said Hi to in the locker room. "Oh, yes, she's my beautiful neighbor," V says to her as I wave Hi and Bye at both of them without stopping. I'm pretty sure I'll never see her sitting with V again either.

Thicker but not well-defined.

The scale tells me that I weigh 110.2 lbs today. Or at least right then and there. When I get home, my scale tells me I weigh 107.4 lbs. I'm also ravenously hungry even though drank my Ensure in the car before I purchased groceries. I have a hankering for the fresh arugula I just bought, slathered with cottage cheese and pineapples. It's very satisfying. Later, I brew a cup of Tazo Focus tea which contains not only black tea, but roasted yerba mate, both of which contain caffeine. A spoonful of local honey makes it downright tasty but I skip the creamer because it contains lemon and rosemary as well.

I'm still debating whether I want to be bigger, or even if I have a choice since I plan on lifting heavier as long as I can do it. At some undetermined point in my life, I won't be able to lift heavy so why quit prematurely? My back's probably not going to get much wider (it'd look too odd with my short muscular arms anyway) but it can certainly get thicker, although that's probably not a really aesthetic look for a small short woman. What I'm puzzling over is the reaction of male acquaintances when they see my arms. I suspect that I'm provoking feelings of inadequacy for some. Not my problem though. I finally like my arms! Makes me want to wear tank tops all the time now, and that's how we should feel about our bodies: proud.

Meanwhile, a gal on the strength and fitness forum I've joined, posted a youtube video of the type of training that goes on at her mom's 3-story gym. It's pretty inspiring! Here's the link in case it doesn't embed properly...