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.