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.