Abbreviated Friday Workout

It's the Summer Solstice and I'm sure many families have high-tailed it out of town for a long weekend, especially since camp starts Monday. When I was a kid, school ran until the last day of June. I remember those dreary hot humid days, days before air conditioning was the norm in school and other municipal buildings. Today my son is happy to accompany me to the gym even though I've warned him that there mostly likely will not be a lot of kids to play with. I'm right. There's not a lot of kids to play with. Even an abbreviated workout will run longer (including time to shower and change) than the allotted two hours, but luckily, since my son is no trouble (unlike a baby or toddler), he's usually there for at least 30 minutes more.

Back from the dead aloe

To shorten my workout, I consider what I can skip today. Not cardio. Not stretching. Today is Back and Biceps Day. What I skip are abdominals, a second bicep exercise, and lower back extensions. My abs are too big anyway. They could use some atrophying. I still run late but my son is playing with the two remaining toddlers in the room. Being an only child means that he's eager to interact with any other child, younger or older.

Heavy rainfall and hot sunny days seem to have revived the once dead aloe vera plant now sitting outside on a garden bench. These days we call it Lazarus. It's not fully recovered yet, green seeping upward from the soil into the once dead and brittle tips. It's quite fascinating to watch although it's taken several weeks for this process to become noticeable. Sort of like weight lifting.

Today's Abbreviated Back and Biceps Day:
35 min cardio Intervals #8 = 4.20 miles Yay!
Seated Cable Rows: 15 @ 60 lbs / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 127.5 / 12 @ 112.5 / 15 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 6 x 12 @ 105 lbs
I knock out 15 reps the first set, but the remaining sets are a struggle to get 12 reps each.
Pendlay BB Rows: 6 x 12 @ 65 lbs
I try to squeeze my shoulder blades together at the top of each movement but this is an exhausting exercise, much more so than the BB Rows.
BB Curls: 3 x 21 @ 45 lbs
I drop the weight down 5 lbs and up the reps. With my arms flared out, my elbows don't hurt in this position but it feels a bit weird. I can see the biceps flex so I know they're getting something out of it. 
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
I stretch my forearms between sets and my right wrist suddenly spasms as if sprained. Figures!
Mat Stretch: I am stiff stiff stiff today and my splits are not pretty. But Monday's another day. 

I see a few regulars today but because I'm in a rush, I literally ignore everyone I see or know. People know better than to get in my way. The gym scale reads 109.6 lbs again. That's unusually consistent. I feel pretty good, but hungry. I woke up hungry this morning, and even put an egg in my blueberries, oatmeal and  honey breakfast. I'm so hungry I feel gassy, empty, hollow. It's not a good feeling and I'm glad the Ensure is cold and thick. My son is also hungry so he snacks on a 14 gram protein bar in the car. Their the same calories as a candy bar but less sugar, and he feels as if he's eating a treat.

For the next 5 weeks, I'll be bringing my son to the gym for two days out of five. I tell him that I'm going to change my workout so that he won't spend so much time in the baby room. He tells me that he doesn't mind at all. Such a good kid! But since it's only 5 weeks, I use this as an opportunity to change my workout. I'm toying with the idea of adding more cardio, perhaps doing two sessions twice a week on those days I bring my son. My plan: Monday's still a Push Day but only Benching, Delts and Abs, Tuesday's still a Pull Day with Back and Abs, Wed is double cardio and Abs, Thursday is Leg Day with 1 session cardio, Friday is double cardio and Triceps and Biceps. I'm actually only adding one more cardio session each week, but it might just kick my butt.  I'll just have to see how I hold up. And then, at the end of 5 weeks, I'll assess myself and decide what to do then.