Discovering Limitations

Maybe it was the 1/2 bottle of Argentinian Malbec, or the three slices of clam, bacon and spinach pizza. Or maybe it's seasonal allergies messing with my focus because today I wasn't paying attention to my workout the way I should've been. Or maybe it's because I'm still sore from last week in spite of an entire weekend of slothfulness; ie, spent most of Saturday waiting to speak to eight different people at three different stores about swapping my two-week old phone for the same exact model, only different. Spent Sunday taking child to swim class then lunch, then tidying up house before his play date arrived. Four hours later I've got a pleasant wine buzz and I'm full of pizza.

Monday cardio is always dreadful. I mounted Precor #3 which glides like a dream and peddled furiously. It did take me 4-5 minutes to warm up enough to get to a half way decent speed. I don't make my quota but I wasn't expecting to. Ah, lowered expectations...

I don't like crowds and being small probably has something to do with that. The bench I normally use is surrounded by college boys so I put my gear on a different one. I don't understand why people have to stand next to the barbell rack when they're doing curls. Why don't they just take their respective barbell to a clear spot in front of the mirrored wall instead of curling right next to the Olympic benches? Haul your equipment to a spot out of the way, and when you're done, haul it back. It smacks of laziness to me. I've forgotten my gloves. They're in my bag inside the locker but I'm too lazy to retrieve them. Besides, I still have my neoprene grip pads and all my wraps. Because benching the bar felt easy, I also did 12-rep sets of the next two weights. But I normally don't. And I shouldn't've. It was too much volume, which became apparent afterwards.

The Mayor is chatting with M way in the corner of the dumbbell area so I ask a burly tattooed guy to give me a spot. He was just leaning all over the barbell rack anyway so it's not like I was taking him away from something. I know I can get most of it myself. I'm just worried about my grip failing, especially since I'm using the Thumbless Grip to bench. I get 10 and try for one more but it's a struggle. He gives me an assist and puts the bar on the rack. I toss another 5 on each side. It's the same amount of weight I did last week. I should be able to get 6 reps, with help. The Mayor walks by and we give each other a quick wave. I'm not ready yet. When he returns from another chat with someone else, I ask him for one spot. He counts the weights and again asks me how much I weigh. "What are you? 97 lbs?" Why does everyone think I weight 97 lbs? It's not the first time someone has thought that. "One oh eight," I say.

I can get the lift off and press for a good 4 reps by myself but I need the assist for the last two. My right shoulder feels a little strained but I ignore it. "You should try positioning yourself more under the bar." I look at him puzzled. "You're grabbing the bar and having to pull it from overhead to over your chest. That takes a lot of energy. Try just pressing up instead." I thank him and he goes back to chatting while I pull a plate off and try to figure out whether I like this new position. I'm disappointed in how tired I am and I'm unable to complete my drop sets with as many reps as I'm used to. I don't like the new position either because having short arms means I'm wary of smacking the barbell into the uprights. It's unnerving and I don't like it at all.

When I get to the Cage, a bandy-legged middle-aged man is stretching in it so I wait by the Cables. I'm surprised at how easily I can drop my elbows between my legs and rest them on the floor while standing around. My lower back is really stiff today. The only thing that works to loosen it up is doing twisting sit ups. I can't quite remember how many sets or reps I do for delts so I just grab 4 magnetic discs and head to the dumbbell area, figuring I'll just start with 20s and up the weight until I can't do them anymore. It's a plan of some sort.

The Mayor is using one of the Inclined benches so I grab the other one that's sitting inside the Smith machine, but I don't bother moving it far. Just enough so I have clearance for Rear DB Flyes. These I know start with 25s and end with 30s, I just don't remember how many sets or reps. WTF, go for broke. 15 reps at 25. Another 15 reps at 27.5. Okay, sets of 12 at 30 lbs. I plan to only do 3 sets. Then maybe 4 because well, I'm not done yet. Then I do another two sets. What is that? Six sets? Done. I move over to a clear spot between flat benches and grab a pair of 20s just to warm up. 15 reps easy. Then the 25s. Okay, not quite as easy. Add discs. Still not horrible.

WTF, go for broke. I can manage sets of 8, the last two reps requiring a pause, a breath. Again, I start off thinking okay, 3 sets but when I get there, I think, hey, I can still manage another set. Or two. Again, it's six sets. Nine sets total. I think I'm tired. But I'm stiff and need to do some abs before hitting the barbell upright row. I see N, the tall thin girl who's competing in a few weeks. She's doing dead lifts again. I'm focused on getting my rows done without too much wrist pain. I know I've gone heavier but today I'm just doing 50 lbs. Maybe next week I'll up the weights here because six sets of 8 reps wasn't bad at all.

The Mats are crowded but I manage to complete my stretches. I've added a hip/lower back stretch at the very end. It's a bridge where you lay on the mat with feet flat on the floor and knees bent, then just push your hips up, stretching the front quads, keeping hands down on the floor. As I'm gathering my gear up in the locker room, N comes in and greets me. She's pulling out those lucite heels and I ask her if she can really walk in them. "Unfortunately I can, but this platform makes it harder. It'd be easier if they were just heels. I think I'm going to sand them down." "Are they slippery?" She shakes her head no, but she wishes they were because you're not walking in them. It's more of a gliding motion where you slide your hip forward along with your leg. And then we joke about the Victoria Secret runway walks with the exaggerated gait.

Before I step into the shower, I weigh myself: 111.8 lbs. I'll bet there's 3 lbs of water weight just from the clam, bacon and spinach pizza alone. I'm not worried.

Monday Workout:
35 min Hill 5 = 3.92 miles Bleah!
Bench Press: 25 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 10+1 @ 115 / 6 @ 125 / 8, 9 @ 115 / 10 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and side kicks
Inclined Rear DB Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 15 @ @ 27.5 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 15 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 6 x 8 @ 30 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Barbell Upright Rows: 6 x 8 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with DBPUs, splits, upper back & shoulder stretch, lower back & hamstring stretch

Use It or Lose It Friday

I admit that I haven't been this sore in a long time. It's not debilitating soreness. It doesn't even really hurt. It's more a vague, nagging reminder that some muscles hadn't been worked to their fullest potential in quite a long time. I knew it would catch up with me eventually after going just about the entire year without much discomfort other than tendinitis in various joints, and a stiff lower back that briefly aggravated a touch of sciatica. Upper back, traps (didn't even work them but I suspect Upright Rows and Rear Delt work), mid-back, lower glutes (gluteus medialis), leg biceps. Yep, all a tad sore.

Which meant that Double Cardio today was going to be Oh So Much Fun. I was hoping not to embarrass myself when I punched in Interval 7. I got breathless and sweaty halfway into it and again considered only doing one session because I had workmen coming to the house around noon. But part of my brain is on auto-pilot and I hate giving in to my own weaknesses. So I punched in Interval 8 for Session Two. And ten minutes into it, I realize that the discomfort I'm feeling is hunger. I'm a bit bewildered. I swapped out raisins for the 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries I normally nuke with my oatmeal, but I figure that'd just give me more fuel, not less. I can't wait until Session Two is over so I can gulp some water and quench the hunger pangs. However, by the time I'm done, hunger has subsided and I feel great. Thoroughly drenched like a cat in a well, but happy.

I'm moving fairly quickly and I keep glancing up at the clock to make sure I'm on track. I hate having to reschedule plumbers. We've been without a working bathroom sink for some weeks now and I'm getting tired of brushing my teeth in the kitchen. I don't skimp on my stretches and do both Cage and Mat Stretch before running back to the locker room to dump my hoodie, wrap my hand and put on those bubble gum pink gloves. I even skip band-aids and hope that I won't regret that decision later.

When I get to the Follow Me Avatar, I realize that I've forgotten how to do the combination Jab-Cross properly and my Accuracy is abysmal. Ugh! Use it or lose it. I figure part of it out by Round Two, but not enough to get my scores up. Oh well. My punching is good although I feel my right knuckle sting every time I land a blow. Once I remember the Jab-Cross combination, I rain blows on the Nexersys pads as if I'm using a speed bag. I've always been too short to use the speed bags that've been available at various gyms throughout the years. This is fun!

I never totally dried off after cardio so by the time I'm done with 3 rounds of Sparring, I'm drenched again, hair plastered to my head and sweat pouring off my face. I haven't seen D all week, nor do I see the tall, thin girl today. There are regulars in the free weight area. I know because they registered briefly in my brain while I was doing Mat Stretch, but I get so focused on doing my routine correctly that mostly I don't see anyone. My score is up and I'm happy, although I must've been tiring because my power's down a bit. But still, it was a great workout! The gym scale reads 107.6 lbs. What's with that now?!

Friday Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.54 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.40 miles  Grand Total = 8.94 miles Wahoo!
Cage Stretch
Mat Stretch
Nexersys Avatar Follow Me 3 rounds (strikes and power good, accuracy needs work)
Nexersys Avatar Sparring 3 rounds (908 points! most so far)

photos with stat details:

Follow Me 3 rounds

Sparring 3 rounds

Sparring recommendation

Thursday is Arm Day

The days are getting warmer again and it's downright pleasant when I get to the gym, except of course for all the cackling hens clucking their way to the hen house, ahem, yoga class. The rest of the gym is really empty today and it makes me very happy. Thursdays is Arm Day and all I need to do is get my cardio warm up out of the way. A little over four and a half miles later, I'm ready to get down to business with a big movement. It's always a bench press, but because my wrists and hands have been funky lately, I'm not doing close grips. I'm just going for reps today.

For the last two weeks I've done 6 sets of 12 reps at 95 lbs (on a real bench, not a Smith). I figure it's time to up the weight a tad so after getting a comfortable 12 reps, I add a 5 lb plate on each side. I hate using the little weights. I know I'm a small person but I like moving in larger increments (10 lb plates). It's all the self-control I can muster to use the 5s. I'm benching just under my body weight for reps and I figure that's not too shabby. I get 12 reps but I have to work for them. So of course, I have to do another set. And then another. Four sets is enough. Then I do a set at 95, getting 15 reps easy. I plan to do only 50 reps with just the 45 lb bar, but I get a bit distracted and find myself doing 60. I probably should've kept going and just made it 75. When I sit up, a middle-age woman at the pull down station a few yards away is staring at me, looking completely bewildered.

After the Cage Stretch, I wander back to the dumbbell area with an armful of magnetic discs. I don't really have a plan except to alternately work biceps and triceps. I like DB bicep curls so I do a few of those standing, alternating with one-arm tricep extensions. Then I add a bit of weight and swap the extensions for skull crushers because I haven't done those in a while. My elbows have been really tender lately. I get a few sets of kickbacks before grabbing the 40 lb barbell for curls. Last week I used the 50 and it was fine, but this week the elbows are complaining and even the 40s hurt a little. Normally I do abs between biceps and forearms but today I just want to be done. The free weight area is starting to get crowded with a guys. I see a tall thin girl doing dead lifts. A middle-aged woman struggles to return a pair of 10 lb plastic beauty bells to the rack because she's also adjusting the cell she's plugged into. Yep, complete lack of focus there.

The Reverse Grip BB Curls aren't as bad as all that, even after doing a few sets of regular curls. Sit ups and crunches are afterwards, before I hit the Mat Stretch. My leg biceps and glutes are already stiffening up as a result of yesterday's workout so the splits aren't as good today. But I still get my workout done. I feel pretty good.

Trying to get a back shot

The gym scale reads 109.0 lbs. I try to get a better photo of my back since the last one I took wasn't very good (since I wearing a tank top that didn't reveal much back). The tall thin girl walks in and asks if I'd like her to take my back photo. I'm surprised but agree. She gets two photos but the exposure is funky for the second picture. I thank her, and then I ask her if she's the one doing dead lifts.

She runs through a litany of things she's doing to prepare for a contest five weeks out. She's also cutting. I look at her puzzled. She's competing in a bikini contest for a physique federation that's affiliated with the fashion industry. The most important thing is the walk, and she pulls out the lucite heels that I've seen figure and bikini competitors wear. "People always get the wrong idea when they see these," she says to me, but I assure her I know exactly what they're for. Because I do.

Back shot 1

Back shot 2

She tells me that people, especially men, are always giving her unwanted advice. Today, a guy on the Step Mill told her that she'd get better results if she moved slower. I ask her which guy and she describes a middle-aged man I've seen plenty of times. "I think it's kind of rude to give advice like that," she says. I agree with her because he didn't actually ask her what her goals were before telling her she was "doing it all wrong". I warn her about spotters, and then joke with her that I don't talk to anyone because mostly they can't tell me anything that's useful anyway. I wonder how she's going to look in 5 weeks because she is so tall and thin. She tells me about her trainer and we laugh about the ridiculous cost of posing suits. "What, are there real diamonds on them?!"



Arm Workout:
35 min cardio Interval 7 = 4.63 miles Yay!

Olympic Bench Press: 25 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 4 x 12 @ 105 lbs / 15 @ 95 lbs / 60 @ bar Next time I'll go for 75 reps to finish 

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips and calf raises and side kicks

Standing DB Curls 12 @ 20 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs superset with 
One-Arm DB Extension: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs

Seated DB Curls: 3 x 8 @ 27.5 lbs superset with 
Skull Crushers: 12 @ 30 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 35 lbs

DB Kickbacks: 15 @ 20 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs

BB Curls: 15 @ 40 lbs / 20 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Station: 100

Mat Stretch with 10 wide legged DBPUs, 5 rolling PUs, 10 regular stance DBPUs, splits, etc

Maybe It Was the Butt-Ugly Shorts

It was a tad warmer today but I still got off to a slow start. I'm not sure if tourists from the City have begun their annual crawl through the exurbs yet, leisurely driving the speed limit and peering at the changing autumn leaves. Leafers or leaf peepers are what we call them. We know them by the brake lights that come on at every curve in the road, at every large vehicle passing in the opposing lane. Makes me wish I had a big-ass old fashion truck with a cow-pusher bumper grill on the front. Or maybe everyone's in a Benadryl® haze, driving medicated and stupid. Can I blame the golden rod and ragweed now?

Cackling emanates from the locker room and I brace myself for the crowd of women screaming salutations. Zumba and spin classes are happening within moments of each other. It's surprisingly humid and warm in there, adding to my discomfort. Today is Leg Day and I'm hoping my favorite elliptical is free. It is and I feel very lucky because the other two are occupied. I pull my hoodie down over my eyes, turn up my iPod and punch in Interval 7. My glutes are sore but eventually everything loosens up and I start to relax. I make my quota and I'm extremely happy. I could walk away now and just do weights. But I don't. Instead, I blot my face with my sleeve, gulp some water and punch in another 30 minute session at Hill 5. It's hard to keep my pace over 200 and halfway through the program, I'm struggling to keep my pace over 185. I just miss 4 miles, but the total is more than eight and a half so I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe it's the butt-ugly running shorts.

Butt-ugly running shorts

I've forgotten how desolate the free weight area can be on Wednesdays but I like it better. As much as everyone disparages Smith machine squats, I do them because they don't hurt my elbows the way a free standing Olympic bar does. Of course, first I manage 25 speed squats with just the bar, butt to heels. I get 12 reps for each set, upping the weight each time until I've hit my maximum weight. I can't get to parallel at this weight: there's a weird crunchy popping sensation in my lower back that still unnerves me but I finish the set and then drop plates after every set. Then another 25 heel to butt speed squats. Sweat is running off my nose when I finish.

Afterwards, I try to get my form correct for doing Dead Lifts with just the bar. I hit myself in the knee and decide, Heck, I'm just going to do Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts and see how it feels. Just the bar is easy. It is after all, less than 45 lbs due to the counterbalance on the Smith. Then I add 25 lb plates. It's decidedly heavier but my back doesn't complain. I add another ten pounds to each side. Still doable. Moment of truth. I add another ten pound plate. It's heavy, but I can still do 12 reps. I think this is the heaviest I've done but now's not the time to push my luck. The drop sets are easier. And although I'm a bit tired, I feel okay. Again I think, maybe it's these ugly shorts.

The Cage Stretch feels good. I've peeled my hoodie off and left it draped over the railing of the cardio area. It's too heavy now to drag around with me as I make my way to the Seated Leg Curl machine. I know I've done 120 lbs but I can't quite remember how many sets. Because I'm a bit burnt from the SLDLs, I know I'm not going to get much more than a few. The Seated Leg Extensions are another matter. I start at 75 lbs because I remember doing that weight. For every 12 rep set, I up the weight another plate (15 lb increments) until I'm at 120 lbs. I don't even want to attempt 135. Not today anyway.

I do a few crunches just to warm up my core, and then I'm done. I head over to the Mats and do my Mat Stretch. I glance up and note that there are more bodies in the free weight area. It must be the lunch time crowd. I've been ending my Mat time with a few lower back stretches. I don't actually feel anything when I do them, but the fact that I can do a few SLDLs is encouraging.

The gym scale reads 108.8 lbs today, and I'm starving, but distracted because my new cell seems to be defective. We'd upgraded our phones after my husband dropped his one too many times and shattered the screen. Nevermind that the ringer had an agenda all its own. So we have new old phones (not the latest greatest version) but new enough. Today my phone finally recognized the wi-fi signal in our house, but then it lost the ability to use the 4G network. So it's basically just a camera at this point. A camera that can't make calls, or send texts or emails. Maybe it's these butt-ugly shorts.

Leg Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.69 35 min Hill 5 = 3.97  Grand Total = 8.66 miles Wahoo!
Smith Machine Squats: 25 speed squats with just the bar (butt to heels as fast as I can go) / 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 95 / 25 speed squats again
Yes, it's a Smith so detract 15-20 lbs from the above weights for a more accurate assessment
Smith Machine SLDLs: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 95
Same goes here too regarding actual weights moved
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Seated Leg Curl: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Seated Leg Extension: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 12 @ 120 lbs
This is heaviest I've ever done for Leg Extensions
Mat Stretch with 10 Wide Legged DBPUs, 3 rolling push ups, walk hands out to regular stance for 10 DBPUs, splits, lower back stretches, etc.

Welcome DOMS Tuesday

DOMS is the acronym for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and it's been a really long time since I've experienced it. Yesterday was Chest and Delts and I've been pushing the intensity. Unfortunately it takes a lot of make pectorals ache -- I think the last time that happened to me I'd been seeing if I could do 50 push ups straight in a row. I did, but damn if I wasn't really sore the next day. Instead, I felt parts of my upper back, specifically posterior deltoids, feeling a bit stiff and achy. Guess I'll stick with the 30 lb dumbbells as long as my joints hold out!

This morning my right wrist and thumb were also achy, with a throbbing pain that pulsed down the inside of my forearm. My elbows were complaining as I dressed and I hadn't even picked up anything heavy yet. I was trailing zombies (brain dead drivers) all the way to the gym. But I had my pick of ellipticals, although I had to weave through the clucking and cackling of the Zumba class in order to get there. Punched in Interval 7 and loaded a Billy Idol playlist just for a change of pace. At least I made my quota today.

I step off the cardio area and run into B who says breathlessly that she's getting up on the Step Mill before someone else grabs it. It does seem to be a popular machine and there's only two of them. After I claim a space at the Lat Pull Down Station, I see R by the DBs. For my own piece of mind, I walk over to him and ask him if he's mad at me. He looks a little surprised. "Why would I be mad at you?" he asks. "Dunno," I shrug, then add,"but I waved at you and you had this look on your face like you were mad or something." He smiles a little and says, "Oh, that was just my mojo. I gotta lot of things going on, that's all." Betting on the Giants? They've been absolutely abysmal this year. "So we're okay, right?" He laughs a little. I realize I have no idea whether he's telling the truth or not, nor does it matter.

I miss doing Reverse Grip Barbell Rows but I don't know how my lower back feels about it so I resist the urge. Instead, I grab the lightest pull down bar available and set the pin to 75 lbs. Then 90 lbs. Then 105 lbs. Then a 7.5 lb brick. Then 120 lbs. By this last set, my elbows and forearms are starting to complain. I only do one set and feel like a wus. The Cage Stretch feels good though. Then I return to the pull downs and grab a close grip handle. I like these better except for the weird rumble along my ribs as I pull my arms down and the handle taps my chest. Only five sets but my elbows are sore. I use Lower Back Extensions as an excuse to rest my forearms. For the first set, the seat belt is too loose and I'm nearly standing, with my butt off the seat. I tighten the belt for the next set and up the weight. And up it again, wondering how much weight I can push, wondering how much is too much.

Dumbbell rows are my grips biggest challenge. I bought new grip straps that are longer and seem thinner so I can actually get my hand around the DB stem if I need to. But I struggle without them today, figuring that I can always dig them out of my gear sack if my grip fails. My grip eventually fails but it's during the last reps of the very last set. My forearms are aching. Regulars float in and out of the free weight area. I see The Mayor, Nixon, M and a few others but I don't pay much attention. It's too hard to move weight if I'm looking around at everyone else, so I don't. There's no way I'm even looking at barbell rows now.

I've already done abs. These new workout pants are okay for everything except the sit ups because of an unpleasant seam. This morning, I snipped out the 5 inch plastic materials strip because really, who the heck designed workout pants to have a plastic strip of Made in / How to Wash running down your butt crack? Tomorrow I get to try my new ten dollar shorts. They come with a built-in, really soft running liner that should keep my modesty intact. They were probably ten bucks because although the shorts are a modest gray, the liner is puke green.

I actually remember to do everything on my mental list for the Mat Stretch including the wide-legged dive bomber push ups and the regular stance ones. My splits are good today and I feel very limber. The gym scale reads 110.0 lbs before I shower. When I get home, my scale reads 108 lbs. Just as I thought. My upper back feels a tad sore, but at least it's not my lower back. I might try doing a few barbell rows next week. Gotta play it by ear.

Back Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.64 miles Yay!
Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs /12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 / 10 @ 112.5 / 8 @ 120
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 4 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 lbs / 25 @ 105 / 25 @ 120 / 25 @ 130 / 25 @ 135
DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 4 x 8 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Staion: 100
Mat Stretch with 10 wide DBPUs and 10 regular stance DBPUs; splits, lower back stretch, etc.

Manic Monday

I'm exhausted from the weekend and I didn't even do anything except cart my son to his Chinese class, his kung fu class, then to the apple orchard. It was too cold and rainy to actually go apple-picking. The next day he had swim class, the traditional post-swim-class bacon-and-fried-egg-bagel sandwich, and then 4 hours outside at Camp Kiwi's Friends & Family Day where he got himself thoroughly soaked by kayaking under the pond's aerating fountain several times. With his shoes and socks on. So it was quite a relief to put him safely on the school bus this morning while I headed back to the house to knock out some chores before going to the gym. Chores like paying a few bills, putting out the trash can, refilling the bird feeder, starting a load of laundry, setting up the crock pot to cook a defrosted pork loin over onions, garlic, black olives and a can of diced tomatoes. Sprinkled generously with brown sugar and a splash of sherry. Okay, now I can leave the house.

It's nearly 10 am by the time I get there. My favorite Precor is occupied so I hop on #3. I know I'm going to have a hard time because it's Monday and I generally can't quite make my quota after two days of being a slug. I don't feel warm until 17 minutes into it although I occasionally rev up to 200 SPM, I'm not able to sustain the speed, and my final mileage is just short of 4. Well, it wasn't abysmally short of 4. It'll be better tomorrow.

Today is Bench Press Monday and even though the Smith is vacant, I ignore it and head for a flat bench. My left wrist's been hurting for the past two days for no apparent reason. I'm worried that benching will make it much worse, but not worried enough to skip it. I've found sometimes, counter-intuitively, that working out actually makes it feel better. If I do it right. When I bench heavy on the Smith, I seem to aggravate my right front delt. The same with Decline Presses. I don't work front delts at all anymore. And yet they're fairly prominent in photos I've seen of my arms and back. Go figure. 

I'm surprised to see R, The Mayor and assorted other regulars. It's as if all the retired celebrities have come out for a fundraiser. Kidding. I warm up with just the bar, then add a bit of weight. Another set, more weight. The Mayor and R are engaged in deep conversation and I hate bothering people so I ask the white t-shirt guy benching next to me if he'll spot me. He says sure. He asks if I need help with the bar. I don't. I get to the 10th rep and struggle. He grabs the bar and sets it on the rack. Then I realize that I don't like his spot, that I'd rather have The Mayor. Jeeze. I feel like a fickle girl who's dancing between suitors. I've added 10 lbs and I wait until White T-shirt is benching so I can ask The Mayor if I can borrow him.

Actually I stand waiting for a few minutes while R and The Mayor are talking, and then at a pause, I ask if I can borrow him. Because R never actually looks at me, I don't feel compelled to say Hi to him. I like The Mayor's spot because he actually lets me do the work to get the reps even as I struggle. I manage 6 hard reps. He again tells me it's the left twisting motion. I'm not so sure but I can't tell from my angle. He counts the plates and remarks, "Hey, you put another 5 on there! That's 125 lbs." "Uh, yeah. I'm working up to a big plate on each side," I say quietly. Then he wants to know how much I weigh and I tell him about 108 and he seems impressed. He goes back to his conversation with R. Later, R walks by and I try to give him a quick wave, but he has a weird, twisted look to his face. I don't know how to read it. He looks, oh, I don't know, betrayed. It doesn't make me feel good but I'm lousy at all these social head-games anyway.

Drop sets follow until I'm down to the bar. I knock out 50 reps and I'm done. I realize that Sunshine (formerly FatAss, but I don't like that name and he drives an orange jeep with a big smiling sun on the spare wheel cover) has been watching the entire time. It's weird. Everything's weird today. At the Cage Stretch, I note that White T-shirt is at the cables there. But I'm so focused on the stretches and kicks that I ignore him as well. I feel a little bad, but not enough to start conversations. Conversations always lead to long periods of inactivity and I don't want to cool down yet.

I grab 4 magnetic discs from the front desk and head back to the DB area. I start with 25 DBs for a set, then add a disc. Do a set. Add the rest of the discs and debate whether to do 4 or 6 sets. WTF, I do 6 sets. Because I can. The standing Lateral DB Raises are harder. They've always been harder. But I like the way my arms look when I do them so I keep doing them. I appreciate what great arms boxers have, and I figure working delts can only improve my punching at the Nexersys.

Before I attempt Upright BB Rows, I need to rest my joints so I wander over to the ab stations. After sit ups, twists and crunches, I'm back at the mirrored wall with a 40 lb BB. There are plates and bars scattered all over the floor as if the users have been raptured. But I know that didn't happen. I do a set and add weight, do another set and add more weight. 50 lbs is hard on my wrists, especially the left one which seems to bend oddly in the mirror even though I'm wearing wrist wraps.

When I get to the Mat Stretch I briefly forget the order to my balance steps and re-do them twice before settling into splits and other stretches. I do wide-legged and regular dive bomber push ups as well just to give myself a full range of motion. This is a cool down and a stretch, a way for me to prevent my muscles from knotting up and joints from getting too stiff. The gym scale reads 110.4 lbs but I'm not concerned. When I get out to my car, it's there all alone at the far end of the lot.

Manic Monday Workout:
35 min Hill 5 = 3.95 miles Bleah!
Flat Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 6 @ 125 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 15 @ 75 lbs / 50 @ bar (45 lbs)
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Inclined Rear DB Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 15 @ 27.5 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 6 x 8 @ 30 lbs
The last 2 reps of each heavy set were definitely hard and required a pause for breath.
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
BB Upright Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Again, the last 2 reps of the last 2 sets seem really hard and requires a breath.
Mat Stretch includes 10 wide-legged Dive Bomber Push Ups and 10 regular DBPUs, splits, etc.

Figuring Out the Nexersys with Some Help

Last night, I started to feel that burning hollow feeling in my lower eyelids that always signifies to me that I'm getting worn out and due for a cold. So I popped another zinc tablet and doubled up on the fish oil. This morning I still felt a bit tired but I'm not even sore from all those benching reps yesterday. Which is good, I guess. True, my glutes are always vaguely sore but I'm accustomed to that now. Today is another Double Cardio day, and my chance to see if I've actually learned anything from scouring the internet in search of youtube guidance.

Most of the videos available are glorified glossy informercials for Nexersys. I wanted someone to actually explain the jab-cross maneuver as it pertains to this system and I found it at www.ideafit.com with a trainer who explains very simply what the moves are and the reason why. Although I'm not horribly excited at the thought of doing cardio and more cardio, I hop on the Precor, turn the volume waaaay up on my iPod and punch in Interval 7. It takes me 17 minutes before I realize that sweat is beading up on my face. When it's over, I'm still feeling tired, but now I'm warm and sweaty.

I take 2 big gulps of water, blow my nose and punch in Interval 8. It's harder than 7 and 5 minutes into it, I wonder if I'll be able to finish it. Which is just silly, because I've never walked away from an elliptical program. My right kneecap aches slightly. I need to adjust my footing because just the slightest angle change can have a big impact. Because this is the 2nd session, I don't feel compelled to keep my speed up at 200 Strides Per Minute. But again, during the last few minutes, I'm compelled to be reckless and just go for it, pushing myself to hit 250 SPMs for at least a few seconds. Seconds seem to last a lot longer doing this than at any other time. I've gone as fast as 300 but not today.

I'm wearing my loose, baggy Danksin bermudas so I can do a full Cage Stretch without giving the seniors heart failure. I'm still wearing my hoodie because I don't like cooling off too fast, plus it keeps my sweat mostly to myself. But I can't wear my hoodie for the Mat Stretch because there's no way to keep everything in place when I bend down and touch my elbows to the ground between my legs. So I peel it off and realize that my hair is so wet I look like I've just climbed out of the pool, and the parts that aren't plastered to my head, are sticking up like Alfalfa from Our Gang. I try not to drip all over the Mat.

When I get to the Nexersys station, D, the woman I spoke with last week, is already boxing one station. Good thing there's two. I wave Hi to her, she nods and then we're both in our own sparring worlds. I always do the Follow Me Avatar first. But this time I remember what the trainer in the video says about the jab and cross: left hand to jab the right pad, right hand to cross punch the left pad. But I still can't register Lead Kicks or Power Kicks and the Avatar reports zeros for those areas. D tells me that I might not be kicking fast enough. She's having the same issue with the station I'm at which is why she's on the other one. After 3 rounds of Avatar training, I'm pleased to report a tremendous improvement, and 3 rounds of Sparring where this week's points are the highest I've ever scored. Sweat's dripping off my nose again.

The gym scale reads 107.8 lbs. I'd stand in the hot shower a lot longer except that two of the male staff are in the bathroom trying to repair one of the sink drains. One of them is the gym owner. When I get home, my scale reads 106.4 lbs. I'm kind of surprised. I haven't been that light in a long time. What I am is ravenously hungry though.

Fanatical Friday Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.44 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.49  Grand Total = 8.93 miles Wahoo!
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Mat Stretch with 10 wide legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, and 10 regular DBPUs (these are indeed harder than the wide-legged variety), splits, etc.
Nexersys 3 rounds Follow Me Avatar
Nexersys 3 rounds Sparring Avatar (874 points)
Quick photos attached with the stats... 

Left: Follow Me Avatar program stats

Left: Sparring Avatar program stats

Good Day, Bad Day, It's Still Arm Day

I definitely felt Leg Day this morning when I noticed my sore glutes while walking the dog. Okay, I confess that my glutes are sore a lot of the time, but this morning they seemed a tad more than usual. And my hamstrings were tired. It's an odd sensation. When I get to the gym, my favorite Precor is in use and I get on #3 which glides smoothly but seems to have a higher resistance setting. Still, I warm up after 17 minutes of Intervals, but I'm not able to keep my speed up much. After 35 minutes, I barely make my 4-mile quota. It's a bit disappointing. But today is Arm Day so I leave my disappointment in the cardio area.

Even though the Smith is free, I decide to bench on the Olympic. But not heavy. Today is reps. I did 6 sets of 12 last week and I'll do it again this week. Warming up to bench always feels a bit arbitrary to me. Doing 25 reps with just the bar doesn't seem like enough so I do a set with 75 lbs. Then I do my first set at 95 lbs. It feels a bit heavy, but not hard. By the 4th set, I feel warmed up but a little tired. I'm trying to avoid stressing my right front shoulder. After I finish the 6th set, I feel unfinished so I drop the weight to 75 and knock out 15 reps. That seemed easier than the first time. With just the bar, I knock out 50 reps. I'm tempted to do more because I know I can, but I don't want to be here all day. I wipe down the bench and head to the Cage Stretch.

I see my neighbor V grab a coffee and newspaper from the front desk. Luckily he doesn't see me, and I can avoid (his) unpleasant attempts at conversation with me. Then I see Hannibal Baggy Knees on one of the seated stretch chairs adjacent to the Cage. He was hovering while I benched. I find him particularly creepy, an old man who can't take No for an answer, as in "No I don't want to talk to you, not even to be politely social because I'm not politely social". Of course, I've never quite said that. That would require actually talking to him. I'll walk the perimeter of the workout area just to avoid having to pass by him.

I sit down on a bench and grab a pair of 20 lb dumbbells to curl. They seem easy and I'm too lazy to go back to the front desk to grab any magnets. I grab a pair of 25s and put one of the 20s back. I only need one 20 for one-arm DB extensions. I know that, in spite of my wrist wraps, I can't handle more than 20 lbs in that position. I went heavier last week but my elbows have been complaining lately. At 25 lbs there's no pain whatsoever and I get a nice pump after 6 sets. Today I do kickbacks instead of press downs. Then barbell curls. The Mayor, Nixon, M and RR are floating about. I see a large black woman in sunglasses (indoors in a low-light gym), a do-rag covering shoulder-length dreads, doing reverse flyes with 20 lb DBs. Later, she loads the bar at the Squat rack and does shrugs. I don't know why women do shrugs. I know I don't want huge traps -- they make tank tops fit oddly. I grab a 50 lb BB and do 6 sets of 12 reps. My elbows don't hurt but my wrists are starting to complain a lot. I've not had that happen before.

My lower back feels stiff when I start doing sit ups but eventually it loosens up. After 125 it'd better be loose! Then a few ab crunches just for fun. Then back to the barbell rack to grab the 40 lb BB for Reverse Grip BB Curls. In the mirrored wall, I see Nixon standing at a bench, curling the bar with big plates on it. Impressive. R glides in with his baseball cap and hockey t-shirt, and is greeted by RR and the White-Haired Marine, a big mustached man who drives a big gray pickup. I float off to do my Mat Stretch but forget to adjust my routine for the Dive Bomber Push Ups. I'll have to do that tomorrow. When I'm done, I grab my hoodie off the railing and wave Bye at R. He smiles, surprised.

Good Day, Back Day, It's Still Arm Day:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.03 miles
Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs / 15 @ 75 lbs / 50 @ bar (45 lbs)
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 25 lbs
One-Arm Tricep Extension: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Tricep Kickbacks: 15 @ 20 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
BB Curls: 6 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Station: 100
RGBB Curls: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs and 3 rolling; splits etc.

The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs. I don't have time to weigh myself at home, and I'm not really that concerned although I'm worried that upping the weights for legs is just going to make me stockier. I'm a short person. I don't need to look like a fireplug. Maybe I should cut back on my reps like everyone's suggesting. I'll have to do some research.

The Cardio Cure-All

Maybe it was not putting bee bread in my oatmeal. Or maybe it was the double dose of fish oil and zinc I took yesterday. Or maybe I'd just had enough time to recover from Monday's workout where I'd upped the intensity. Or maybe it was finally doing a Double Cardio session. Whatever it was, it kicked in during the first five minutes of Session Two when suddenly it all felt really easy. It wasn't actually easy because I just squeaked past my 4-mile quota, but it felt easy, as if someone suddenly greased all the wheels. I felt really good. Thoroughly warmed-up and drenched. True, I didn't get close to nine miles today, but it was over eight and a half. I'm really good with that.

There's no one at the Smith even though I spied the Manchurian earlier. But I've been getting to the gym a tad later, hoping to avoid the Zumba ladies in the locker room. Cackling makes me cringe. Because I don't want to cool down too fast, I leave my drenched hoodie on while I squat. I figure it also adds a bit more padding to the back of my neck. When I get to my heaviest weight, I feel the rice krispie popping in my back. My right knee also starts to complain. I can't quite get to parallel on the heavy weight. But when I drop the weight down, my form is better and the bubbly popping sensation is gone. I'm too tired to do a speed squat set so I set up for a few Dead Lifts. When I get done with them, I'm ready for speed squatting just the bar. I get 25 reps but I need to pause for a breath before I finish the last 5.

The gym is fairly empty now, except for M who is busy chatting with Barbie Doll and J, while Nixon waits patiently for him to spot his benching. He's just standing around, watching everyone else talk. And he seems surprised that I finish with a set of speed squats after the dead lifts. In truth, I'd half a mind to skip them because I was tired after the last "weighted" set of squats and then felt guilty. I recover quickly and get a good Cage Stretch and kicks in before eyeing the Cybex machines. There's a lot of seniors here now. They don't seem to know how to adjust the machines because I find odd combinations of seat and leg lengths. The leg curls are a little hard, but the leg extensions are a lot easier, and I'm still really surprised.

Between sets I stare down at my feet and giggle. My shoes don't match! Yes, they're both black Asic gels, same style but not the same year. Ugh. Glad no one else noticed that! When I find something that fits well, I go back and get a second pair. Of course, there's no guarantee that the 2nd item is exactly like the first because manufacturers constantly want to "improve" their products. I find the newer model is slightly narrower in the right foot. So I'm apparently wearing a newer left foot and older right foot.

I still have a lot of energy so my Mat Stretch is good with decent splits and stretches and I'm fairly sure that I'm bouncing to my iPod as I head to the showers. The scale reads 109.4 lbs. I like the cotton Reebok unitard I have on under my shorts and tank, but it's a pain because you literally have to strip naked if you need to pee.

Leg Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.48 miles + 35 min Hill 5 = 4.06  Grand Total = 8.54 miles Yay!
Smith machine Squats: 25 @ bar (butt to heels as fast as I can go) / 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 95
Smith machine Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 3 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Smith machine speed squat with just the bar: 25
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Seated Leg Curl: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 105 lbs (up from last week!)
Ab Crunch Station: 120 (I meant to do 100 but got distracted)
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs and 5 rolling PUs... tomorrow I'm going to make some modifications to this routine again. Splits and stretches are otherwise really good today.

Paying the Piper

Today is Tuesday, Back Day and again, it's uncharacteristically chilly for September. Forty-four degrees this morning, and I again don gloves to walk the dog. I'm resisting taking out heavier jackets. Resisting swapping the screens for storm panels. Resisting the inevitable truth: Winter's coming. It's not White Walkers that I fear, or the drudgery of shoveling the driveway and 2-hour school delays due to inclement weather. It's getting sick. I hate getting sick. Since I stopped commuting to the City some two plus years ago, my health has been greatly improved. Less stress. Less money, but less stress. So why do I feel as if my eyes are burning? That's usually the first sign for me that I've become run-down. That the sniffles, congestion and then an unruly cough lurk in my foreseeable future. Sigh.

My husband assures me that it's allergies. On his drive to Boston, he says he can feel the allergens accumulate as he approaches the New York area. Apparently there's less pollen in Boston. I'm not so sure, although lately my eyes water as if they've been poked with a stick. There's ragweed everywhere. And a stray dandelion on my walkway. That's why I workout at the gym. Inside. With filtered, conditioned air. It's a beautiful day and with the exception of the chatty ladies who take classes, the gym itself is fairly empty. Just the way I like it! I punch in Interval 7, pull my hoodie down over my eyes and sing along to my iPod. Eventually I warm up.

Still, I feel tired. Perhaps I haven't fully recuperated from yesterday's workout? Maybe it's the bee bread I added to my oatmeal this morning? I'm not at all convinced that it's really good for people, even if it's great for bees. My elbows are achy and sore when I awoke this morning. Yesterday wasn't really an elbow-intensive day. Uh oh. My grip isn't strong today either. I manage to do Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs but I end with only one heavy set. Saving my grip strength for the DB Rows and Close Grip Pull Downs. After a Cage Stretch that did not leave me sweaty and breathless (either it's too cold in here or I really am getting sick), I wander back to the Cables and Free Weights. I pass the Nexersys stations and wave at the gal I spoke to last week. She's really much bigger than I am, so if she's having problems with the Intermediate level, well...

M, the Mayor and a few other people are chatting in front of the Pull Down so I use this as an opportunity to change my routine. I like One-Arm DB Rows, just not sure if they like me. Again, I'm good with the lighter weights, but my grip fails during the last two reps at 50 lbs. Still, I AM stubborn. Because I'm pissed at failing, I add another set. Of course. Because that's the adult thing to do, isn't it? The Mayor, 7-ft Tall Dude and a few other guys are also on the benches by the DBs. Mostly they're staring up at the TV, shaking their heads, because the Giants are failing abysmally. Changing the routine means doing Lower Back Extensions next. With the seat belt, I can up the weight again. It makes me giddy.

I don't do much abs today because they're uncharacteristically sore. My abs are sore? They're sore, oddly enough, from a Mat Stretch move: with legs splayed apart, plop body forward until chest & face are on the mat in front (I put a towel down just for this). Then roll your body back and upward, starting with the hip, stomach, upper abs, chest, neck and finally head. It should have a puppet-like look to it, like a doll being pulled up by a string. It's apparently a killer ab workout as well. Who knew!

Last are Close Grip Pull Downs. I'm usually better, but today I have to concentrate really hard on using my lats to pull the handles down until they kiss my chest. My biceps are burnt. Between sets I see a skinny, half-shaven guy with enormous headphones on. He's alternating benching with flyes. I have trouble taking anyone seriously who has those kind of headphones on because I don't believe you can really workout in them. I can also bench more than he can, but he's probably just starting out. I don't feel much energy for the Mat Stretch but I do it anyway. If anything, I'm cold and starting to stiffen up so my splits are tighter and more difficult. I can see that it's bright and sunny through the plate glass windows so I hurry to shower and change. The gym scale reads 110.4 lbs.


Back Workout:
35 min Interval7 = 4.53 miles Yay!
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 10 @ 112. 5 / 8 @ 120 lbs
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 10 @ 45 lbs / 4 x 8 @ 50 lbs
Lower Back Extension: 25 @ 105 lbs / 25 @ 112.5 / 25 @ 120
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs & 3 rolling (I'm discovering that doing this with my legs wide apart is causing my sneaker to rub a scab into the inside of my ankle so I'm going to have to do something else), splits, etc. 

On my way out the gym, a guy stalls in the doorway to read the Blood Drive poster, and my finger gets wrenched because the ring is caught inside the metal molding of the door. That's so freakishly peculiar that I'm at a loss as how to extract myself. I need to disengage from the door frame! I didn't think there was any space to get caught there, but having such tiny fingers and jewelry means anything's possible. When I get to my car, I wrestle my ring off before my finger starts to swell, which it does, and apply the cooler pack from my protein drink. Thank goodness tomorrow's Leg Day! Won't need to grip anything too hard. And maybe I'll get warm.

Summer's Over And It's Still Monday

It was 90°+ for a day last week, but the nights have been a bit chilly. Chilly enough to necessitate wearing gloves when I take the dog out in the mornings, because 46°F is not summer anymore. Already, the arboreal canopy has fringes of gold and red at the edges. Next weekend will mark the Autumnal Equinox and the descent into Winter. I don't mind the cold, except when I'm working out. This morning, two of three ellipticals are occupied so I get on #3. It seems a little easier and a lot smoother than I last remembered. Still, because I've been a slug all weekend, I know that even gentle Hill #6 is going to kick my butt. And it does. I don't make my 4 mile quota. But I'm warm enough and today is Monday, jokingly known as Universal Bench Press Day.

The Manchurian is on the Smith but I have no intentions of using it. He makes a point though, of coming over to tell me that he has just one more set, so I smile and say, "Don't worry about it." He seems a bit incredulous. I'm not saying it to be nice. I'm saying it because I plan on benching at the Olympic bench today. As long as I can get someone to spot me. I start off with just the bar, then add 15 lbs to each side. Then I swap that for a 25 lb plate each side. Then I debate with adding the 5 or 10 next. Last time I had trouble with adding the 10, but perhaps I'd already done too many sets. This time I add a mere 5 lbs to each side and bench it. The 10s seem to be missing so I add another pair of 5s to the bar, making it 25+5+5 each side, plus the bar. Then I look around. I see M who left me hanging several months ago because he was so busy chatting he forgot he'd agreed to spot me. I'm not asking him again. I don't see Nixon. I do see The Mayor, and FatAss (it's what he called himself) and a few other irregulars. I bite my lip and ask The Mayor for a spot when he seems to be resting between sets on an inclined bench. Mo has told me that The Mayor is actually younger than us, in his mid-forties. He seems older, working out in a loose polo shirt and sports pants, hiding his upper arms, chest and gut, his Alec-Baldwin-hair always on the verge of rebellion.

I tell him that I use a thumbless grip and he merely nods. I don't need help until the last four reps but it still feels like it's all me doing the work. His voice is hoarse and squeaky, as if he'd been at an all night rave as he guides the last two reps. "Your left twists, making the bar tilt. Everyone does. All I needed to do is straighten your left and the bar went right up." I look at him puzzled as I digest this bit of information. And then I thank him and he goes off to do his DB curls. I got ten decent reps at 115. I put another 5 on each side. Then I ask for another spot. I'm hoping to get at least 6, but I make 8 and I'm very happy. "You usually use that," he says nodding at the Smith. I nod back. "You shouldn't because the bar'll go up with just your right pushing. This way you'll make your left stronger." "Well, usually there's no one to spot me," I say. He responds, "You can ask me. I'm always here." I thank him again, and he walks away.

Cage stretch follows, but I'm not sweaty from it. Then I wander back to the DBs for Inclined Reverse Flyes. I have 4 magnetic discs, a towel, my water bottle and my gear sack of goodies. The 25 lb DBs are easy enough so I warm up with two sets. Then I snap on 2.5 lb magnets. Another two sets. Finally the last two magnets and now each DB is 30 lbs. After three sets, I decide I can do more even though I struggle with the last two reps, feeling the muscles in my upper back contract against the base of my neck. So I do another two sets. Just for fun. Standing Lateral DB Raises are next. Again, I start with 25s as a warm up. Three sets and I know I'm babying myself so I add magnets. 27.5 lbs is harder and I do two sets before I bite the bullet and add the rest of the magnets. I don't know how many reps or sets I can get at 30 lbs. It turns out to be more than I thought: 3 sets of 8 reps.

I need a break before attempting Barbell Upright Rows so I do a few sit ups and crunches. The 40 lb BB is missing from the rack and instead of grabbing the 30 and making do with magnets, I grab the 50. I'm probably going to regret this. Well, not my shoulders, but my elbows and wrists, but only after I've added a pair of magnets to the barbell. It's really only my wrists that bother me as I finish my last sets. Finally there is Mat Stretch and I suck down the last of my water when I'm done.

Bench Press Monday Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.91 miles Sheesh!
Bench Press: 25 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 10 @ 115 lbs / 8 @ 125 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 50 @ bar
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Inclined Rear DB Flyes: 2 x 15 @ 25 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 30 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Barbell Upright Rows: 3 x 12 @ 50 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 55 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs, 5 rolling PUs, splits, etc.

I look around and see R at the DB rack. After I retrieve my hoodie, which I left draped over the cardio railing, I wander over to him and ask him how he is. At first he tells me that he's okay, but I say, "I know with all this rain," and he admits he's had yet another shot for his herniated disc pain. He mentions a long drive over the weekend and when I express surprise, he tells me that he's going to be a father and that his wife is five and a half months pregnant. I know I'm smiling when I congratulate him, and he tells me how this has changed his whole outlook, his whole attitude. "I know I'm a hothead, but lately things just don't bother me. There was a guy who got in my face and I just told him to take a number, 'cuz everyone's in line..." We both chuckle.

I'm really happy for him and we discuss how having dogs is such a useful prep for having babies. I ask about his brother and he tells me that he's expecting a child as well, a mere three weeks apart. I make him promise to bring photos when his son is born in January, then tease him about them sharing the month. He tells me breathlessly that it'd be the best birthday present ever. Then he says he might not come back to this gym because he'd have to change his schedule. It wouldn't be fair to his in-laws who are moving into the area just to baby-sit. "Oh, we'll never see you again," I say wistfully but he says he'll be around. He'd never give up working out. And I laugh, and walk away 'cuz I desperately need a shower. The gym scale reads 111.0 lbs and I can't say I'm surprised. Especially after a weekend of gelato, apple ale, turkey bolognese sauce over brown rice, and Cub Scout popcorn. It's sunny but breezy outside and as I stash my gym gear in my car, I note that R's silver sedan is parked right alongside mine.

Friday The 13th is Still A Friday

Interval 7 and Interval 8 today 13Sep2013

I keep having to remind myself that today is Friday the 13th. Because otherwise it's just Friday, and that means Double Cardio, and boxing. Yay! And truly, I hate cardio. You'd never catch me in a Zumba class, or running on a track, and certainly not stationery biking. Nope. But put me on an elliptical that doesn't hurt my knees or ankles, is structured so I don't get a back ache because I can't quite reach the handles, and pump up some great tunes on my iPod and well... I've become addicted to something I don't really like to do. Addicted as in I don't feel good unless I've managed to get a few Double Sessions in during the week. Maybe it's the adrenaline rush, or the endorphins that kick in during the last few minutes of the 2nd session.

Whatever it is, it's enough to keep me coming back each week even though I berate myself during the first 5 minutes of every 2nd session. Why am I doing this? I feel like such a slug. And then 10 more minutes have passed and my speed is up, and the ache is gone from my glutes. It's apparently not enough for me just to do 35 minute cardio warm ups during the rest of the week. I need to have at least one and optimally two Double Cardio sessions. Preferably back to back. None of this "do some cardio warm up, lift weights, stretch and then do some more cardio". I'd be too bloody tired to do cardio at that point. And because I hate doing cardio, it'd be easy for me to walk away. Which is why I do it first. Can't get around it -- just go through it.

In the locker room yesterday, I accosted the gal I've seen boxing the Nexersys. She's doing the Intermediate Level and is annoyed that the machine isn't reading her Power Kicks and Knee-Ins. She's taller and bigger than I am, but says she's too short to properly knee the correct pads. Uh oh. I'm going to have troubles once I advance to the Intermediate Level. I ask her about the Follow Me jab and cross because I know I'm doing something wrong because my accuracy isn't improving much. She tells me that the instructional video on the Training Segment (which I can barely hear unless I'm standing tip-toe with my head up against the screen) says that the jab and cross are for the opposite arms. Seems counter-intuitive. She's also a black belt in TKD (tae kwon do) from the same school my son and husband are enrolled in. Seems like she'd know how to knee-in and elbow jab, but I don't put much stock in TKD black belts.

I also saw a gal who works in the Child Care Room out on the gym floor so I stopped to say Hi to her before showering. She hasn't worked out all summer and she's bemoaning how hard it is to start again. "You make it looks so easy," she says to me. I'm a bit perplexed by this comment because I'm not exactly sure what looks easy. "You're here every day!" I reassure her that it's because I don't think about it. I just do. If I thought about it, I'd never get out of bed. This reminds me of a PDF booklet I'm reading by James Clear called Foundations of Strength that has a chapter entitled "The Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs". He quotes Chuck Close, "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work." It's not really telling me anything I don't already know, but it's nice to have one's beliefs expressed in a more formal way.

After cardio, I do a few stretches in the Cage, and then a few Mat stretches because yes, I'm wearing those day-glo running shorts with the wide leg openings. Today, I put a band-aid on my finger and one on my knuckle before wrapping my whole fist in half the orange boxing wrap I bought last weekend. I'm glad I cut it in half because it's a tight fit into the bubble-gum pink sparring gloves. But it's only my right hand, because I punch harder with it. My left hand has just the glove to protect it, and it's enough. I speak briefly to VR, one of the ladies who works the front desk. She tells me that a lot of people have trouble with the Follow Me program because when the avatar lights up, you naturally use that side of your body to punch or kick it. And that's not always what it wants you to do. I make a mental note to look up the Nexersys online to see if there's any better information available.

What I discover is that the Follow Me Avatar program is bizarre in asking you to first jab with the right hand, then cross punch with the same right hand. In past kickboxing classes, you jab with your left and then cross with your right (the power hand). Or vice versa, using both hands to deliver blows to the face. Again, my accuracy is best in the 2nd round although my power is way up. I've probably not paced myself too well, because in the Sparring program afterwards, my power is down although I still cannot figure out why since the station repeatedly buzzes me for Hitting Too Hard. Maybe it detracts points for that?

The gym scale reads an odd 107.6 lbs. Something must be wrong with it. I've sucked down most of my water and sweat is literally dripping off my nose. My home scale reads 107.0 lbs. Okay, that seems right. But even though I drank my 25 gms of protein as soon as I hit the car, I'm ravenous when I get home. There's not a lot of stats to put into this blog entry on Fridays but here's what I've got, plus a few pics I snapped of the Nexersys screens:

Friday the 13th Work Out:
35 min Interval7 = 4.52 miles + 35 min Interval8 = 4.47 miles  Grand Total = 8.99 miles Wahoo!
Cage Stretch with Heel Dips and Calf Raises
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs and splits, etc
Nexersys Avatar programs: 3 rounds Beginner Follow Me
3 rounds Beginner Sparring

Arm Day Thursday

It's still warm and humid but the gym air-conditioning makes the atmosphere feel crisp and refreshing. It's a bit deceptive. Today is Arm Day but first I have to get my cardio warm up out of the way. The 7-foot tall dude is on the last Precor, which leaves the "tractor" and my personal favorite, #1, available. (I believe he's 7 feet tall because when he stands next to the Lat Pull Down station, his face is level with the handles. I have to stand on the seat to reach the handles.) I've been listening to the same mix now for several weeks so perhaps I'm getting jaded. Today I don't sing along with any of my favorite songs. Maybe I'm actually tired. Fifteen minutes into it, my stomach starts growling. I'm hungry? I had my standard breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries and a cup of coffee! This is not an auspicious start.

Again, I don't make four and a half but at least it's close. Someone is using the Smith but I'm not concerned because I fully intend to use the Olympic bench. It's Arm Day and I should be doing Close Grip Bench Presses. I do a set of 25 regular width presses with just the bar, and then bring my hands closer and do another 12 reps. I don't like the way my wrists feel today. Today my left palm seems achy, especially under the thumb. Holding the bar can be problematic so I favor a thumbless grip, otherwise known as a "suicide grip" or "deadman's grip". But I'm not planning to bench heavy so I think I'll be okay. I put a pair of 25s on the bar. It feels a little heavy. I don't use a close grip, moving my hands apart until they're just inside my shoulder width.

The first set feels a little tenuous because I'm not used to benching like this, but I still get 12 reps. The wrist wraps seem to help. I debate with myself whether to up the weight and go for a regular bench press day, or to stick with reps. It's Arm Day after all. I stick with reps and do six more sets of 12 reps. I realize that means I can do more weight, and I have done more weight, with a spotter. But there's no one I feel like asking today. I don't see RR. I'd ask Nixon (and finally break the ice because I know we've both been surreptitiously eyeing each other) but he's waiting for a spot from The Mayor or M. Nixon is a bad moniker. He's quiet, maybe in his 30s, cute with blue eyes and pale skin, but for that receding Nixon hairline. B is holding court with her "boy friends" and I'm not going to ask anything of any of them. She waves at me as she leaves and I nod. She's probably not aware of how possessive she is of her male companions, not that I'm interested in striking up conversations or friendships with any of them.

After Cage Stretch, I decide to brave Tricep Press Downs. I haven't done these in I don't remember  how long. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle a set at 50 lbs but I put the pin there anyway. The cable feels sticky and thick. Or maybe I'm getting weak. Still, I get two full sets of 12 reps and the 3rd set of 11 reps. Then I drop the weight and hope I can knock out another set. Only 10 reps at 40 lbs but I manage to grind out 12 reps, and just barely, at 30 lbs because I'm not resting more than 15 seconds between sets. I remember doing better, doing complete sets and getting 20 reps at 20 lbs. But I don't try 20 lbs. Instead I wander over to the dumbbells and plop myself on a seat to do curls. I don't remember how many and how much which is unusual for me. So I start with 20 lbs which is always a safe bet. After a set, I replace them with 25s. I seem to remember going heavier, or perhaps that was some other exercise? Then I remember that I can grab magnetic discs from the front desk!

I get a few sets at 27.5 lbs, then up the weight to 30 lbs. These are hard, unwieldy and I'm not satisfied by my limited range of motion in getting the weight up. I do two brief sets and drop the weight back down to 27.5 lbs. My elbows and wrists seem okay, but I've got them wrapped and supported. My gear sack is actually so full that I'd be hard-pressed to put anything else in it. A quick three sets of One-Arm Tricep Extensions and then I take a break by doing sit ups and crunches. Afterwards, I grab the 40 lb barbell, do a quick 12 rep set and smack 5 lbs on it. Another quick 12-rep set. I know I've done 50 lbs but I don't remember how my elbows felt about it. I put another 5 lbs on the barbell. It's 50 lbs and my elbows are silent for the entire 5 sets.

Arm Day Workout:
35 min Interval7 = 4.46 miles Yay!
Olympic Bench Press: 25 @ bar (wide grip) / 12 @ bar (close grip) / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs (shoulder width)
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Tricep Press Downs: 12, 12, 11 @ 50 lbs / 10 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs
Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 2 x 25 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 2 x 8 @ 30 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs
One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Barbell Curl: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs and 5 rolling DBPUs, splits, etc.

R slipped into the gym while I was doing Cage Stretches. I watched him in my peripheral vision and just before barbell curls, we crossed paths and waved vaguely at each other. He's not as attractive anymore, although I still think his tiger tattoo is one of the nicest I've ever seen. It's probably me, because I'm downright anti-social when I'm working out. I think like most men, he doesn't know how to respond to me. Ultimately, I gauge people by how they react to my intensity and the workouts I do. There is one fellow who've I've seen intermittently over the past two years, one of the few who boxes the Nexersys. He suppressed a smile when I was raining blows and kicks on it. That in itself makes me perceive him in a more positive light. Otherwise, I'm fairly oblivious to the people around me. Mostly, they're just in the way.

The gym scale reads 109 lbs today, but my home scale reads 107.4 lbs, the same as Tuesday. Nothing's really changed much, but I like the way my biceps look when I'm curling the barbell. I can definitely see the split at the squarish bottoms of the muscle, which I find very exciting. (I only wish I could get a photo of that but you can't curl a barbell and shoot photos.) Like I've said before, I don't want to be big, just strong. And fast. And flexible. I think I'm getting there.

It's a Solemn Day but I'm Still A Gym Rat

Today is Wednesday. It's also the 12th anniversary of 9/11, when terrorists hijacked several passenger jet planes and aimed them at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Several thousand people died. We have small American flags all along our road to commemorate the event. The school bus arrives 2 minutes early and we almost miss it. We all seem to know someone who lost someone. I get to the gym and the TV in the locker room is broadcasting the Memorial Ceremony. B comes in as I'm stashing my gear. She's in a hurry to leave because it's her husband's day off from work. She wants to know what I've been up to so I point to the TV and tell her that my son and I have been distributing flags. She scoffs at the TV and says, "Why do they have to do that? It's just ruining the day." I'm not quite sure how to respond to her so I say quietly, "Well, a lot of people lost people and they want everyone to remember them." She softens a bit, perhaps embarrassed by her outburst. Like I've said before, I'm having trouble relating to a woman like that.

Still, it's Leg Day and I'm determined to get my double cardio done before hitting the weights. The treadmills are full of runners (it's too hot and humid already for an outdoor run) but the ellipticals are vacant. The Precors are perhaps the least favorite cardio machines among the regulars here. Just the way I like it. I punch in Interval 7 and then Hill 6 because I'm saving the double interval day for the end of the week. Tomorrow I'll just do a single cardio session to have energy for Arms. I'm a tad disappointed in my mileage today, thinking 5 minutes into my 2nd session that I'm really not sure if I'm going to be able to finish because I'm so bloody tired. And yet, I push on. Because I'm stubborn. The humidity, even with air conditioning, makes panting a lot less satisfying. I don't make eight and a half, but I do make over eight. It's enough.

Within a minute of descending from the cardio area, I've set up for Squats at the Smith machine. The gym is really empty today! Again, just the way I like it. My right knee pinged a little while on the elliptical. It's complaining a bit more with the squats. For the first set I drop down heels to butt with just the bar and try to get 25 reps as fast as I can go. This is a lot harder than it sounds. Especially after 8+ miles. Then I do my 12-rep sets, increasing the weight by 20 after every set. When I hit 155, my right knee complains a bit more forcing me to widen my stance. I can't go as low with the heavier weights because of my knees, although the drop sets seem easier. By the time I've stripped the bar to do another "speed set", I find that I have to pause at least twice to catch my breath between reps. Sweat is pouring off my face and I feel as if I've jumped into a pool with all my clothes on.

I skipped Dead Lifts last week so now I absolutely have to do them. Or at least try. I figure regular Dead Lifts will be easier on my lower back so that's what I do at the Smith, starting out with just the bar to try and get the form right. Then I do a set with a pair of 25s. It doesn't feel bad. Then I add a pair of 10s. That makes it 115 lbs (but really, less because this is a Smith machine) and I do three sets of 12 reps, remembering the movement as a Stand Up and Thrust Hips Out motion. I confess I'd watched a hilarious video on forms posted by Buff-Dudes.com which helped me a lot. They also have some hysterical YouTube posts about the people we all hate at the gym entitled Gym Crimes.

Cage Stretches follow, then Seated Leg Extensions. And abs. Lots of sit ups because I got bored waiting for the Leg Curl machine while two middle-aged women chatted on it. I hate interrupting people. I'd rather just work out. I know I did this weight last week, but it feels harder today, maybe because I did Dead Lifts today. I definitely felt them in my glutes and hamstrings. Mat Stretch ends everything and I get a good stretch, although I'm still sweaty and have to mop up after myself with my towel. The gym scale reads 108.6 lbs -- not so surprising considering I have to peel my clothes off to shower. It's blazing hot outside and the ice cold RTD protein shake is deliciously refreshing. Tomorrow is Arm Day. Oh boy oh boy!

Leg Day Workout:
35 min Interval7 = 4.47 miles + 35 min Hill6 = 3.94  Grand Total = 8.41 miles Yay!
Smith Squats: 25 @ bar (heel to butt, as fast as I can go) / 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 95 / 15+5+5 @ bar (heel to butt, as fast as I can go, but dang this is a lot harder than it was before!)
Cage Stretch with Heel Dips, Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Seated Leg Extension: 12 @ 75 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 90 lbs
Flat Board Twisting Sit Ups: 150 (I was soooo bored I did more)
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 4 x 6 @ 120 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch with 10 DBPUs and 5 rolling DBPUs; splits, etc