Pull Day Variations

In spite of the welcome temperature drop into the 50s at night (great for sleeping with blankets and open windows), I felt tired this morning and couldn't quit get my act together. I trailed one car down our local road who made me crazy because she hit the brakes for every vague curve in the road. I ditched her on the main road, only to be stuck behind an oversized construction vehicle and its entourage of brake-happy sedans. "Today's going to suck," I think to myself as I pull into a fairly crowded parking lot. I cringe while approaching the locker room as a chorus of cackling erupts, but to my surprise, there are very few women by the lockers. Instead, they're in line at the stalls before their morning Body Pump class. Whew! Dodged that bullet!

Cardio was definitely harder today although I did punch in the slightly steeper hill #5. I made quota and got a bit sweaty, but something's changed. I'm no longer drenched after 30 minutes and I miss it. Oh well. Tomorrow's Leg Day and double cardio sessions always leave me sated. I head towards the Seated Cable Rows when I'm intercepted by V. Ugh. I wave but his mouth is still moving so I have to pull an ear piece out and he's talking about sand and lake, going on and on. I say, only half understanding what he's saying, that we're not around this Saturday. He keeps talking and I'm forced to pull out both headphones because I have no idea what he's talking about, and he's blocking the stairs and won't let me pass. "No no, we got sand for the lake already and got rid of a hornet's nest and..." and I shrug at him because honest to god, what the hell is he going on about and why is he telling me? "Oh, I just thought I'd tell you some good news," is the last thing I hear before I get so annoyed that I can't help but blurt out, "I'm working out. I don't want to talk to you." I think half the regular guys hear me because a few heads swivel in my direction. Now I'm really in a foul mood.

Today's Pull Day Workout Variation:
35 min cardio = 4.07 Yippeee!
Seated Cable Rows: 15 @ 45 lbs (warm up) / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 127.5 lbs / 12 @ 112.5 / 15 @ 97.5 lbs
This feels much better, especially the heavy sets, so I'll do this for a few weeks and work my way back up to the 135 lb stack.
Cage Stretch & Kicks (kicks felt kind of stiff today)
Reverse Grip Bent-Over BB Rows: 15 @ 100 lbs / 6 x 15-12 @ 105 lbs
I start off doing 15 reps but quickly realize that my hands only start to fail at the 12th rep so I drop down to 12-rep sets after the first two sets.
Pendlay BB Rows [I had to look this up after seeing it on someone else's workout log. DBs seem too risky (because I'm the only one I know who can throw my upper back out of alignment doing DB Presses) so I use a light BB to introduce myself to the movement.] 3 x 12 @ 50 lbs
My back was really a bit tired after doing just a few sets but I'm happy and it hasn't messed up my elbows either.
Lower Back Extension: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
BB Curls: 6 x 16 @ 45 lbs (nope, not a typo. 16 reps because that was as many as I could do per set)
My left elbow does twinge during the curls and I stretch my forearms between each set by placing my arms out in front of me, palms up, fingers down and pressing my palms against a wall, keeping my palms perpendicular to my arms, parallel to my body.
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch (better today than yesterday but the horizontal still needs so much work)

I'm so focused on moving from station to station that I almost walk right into R. I think my head comes to somewhere near his navel. Luckily I look up at the last minute and wave Hi. He waves back. Only he's got a vague smile of sorts, and I know I don't. Because I have to think about smiling unless I'm completely done with my workout. Otherwise the look on my face is probably more akin to a frown. Unless I'm singing to myself. Lady Gaga's Bad Romance is in my ears and on my lips when I run into Mo. She's rushing to get a quick workout in before she's got to run a friend off to a doctor's appointment. I don't even see B today but I'm fairly certain she was here.

The scale reads 110.6 lbs. I'm okay with it because I'm thinking "thankgod it's not 112". While I'm dressing, Bt comes in looking unhappy. She's a big gal with big hair and a full face of make-up. "What's the matter?" I ask her. She tells me she has a heel spur. Ouch! Her doc recommends lots of stretching so she's off to exercise and stretch, something she's never done before. I give her a few tips on stretching which I hope will help. Don't stretch before working out because your muscles are cold and more prone to injury. Do some light cardio first to warm up before doing any stretching. Start off light and gentle. No bouncing! Her doc tells her to press her foot up against a wall to stretch the calf. I tell her she can do heel dips as well on the stairs. But again, no bouncing!

Final position for Face Pull

Yesterday while I was doing Tricep Press Downs I noted that ZZ was at a station close by doing Face Pulls. Until two weeks ago, I had no idea what those were or that they even existed but I've since seen them listed on at least two other work out logs. I'm intrigued by them but concerned that like dumbbell presses and dumbbell rows, I'll manage to knot up my back because I've knocked a chiclet out of alignment. I've done it so many times before that's its just not funny. But that would also mean actually speaking to ZZ. Something I'm not sure I want to do. Hell, I've spoken to R over a half dozen times and I still have trouble saying Hi to him. I don't even say Hi to M any more. Maybe I'm just too weird. I'm definitely not friendly.