Trick or Treat

Today is Halloween and I've uncharacteristically worn clothes that are not black or grey, but orange. Halloween Orange. I guess I'm dressed like a pumpkin. I've got puffy Joe Boxer flaming skull pajama pants on, and an oversized orange tank top. It's a size Small, but this brand must run large. I don't really care as long as the clothes don't impede my workout. The waistband is tighter than I'm comfortable with so I keep moving my iPod from the back to the side until finally I clip it to the edge of the on-seam pocket. I'm nearly run over by the stampede of ladies en route to Zumba. Or was it Body Pump? All the same to me as long as they're not where I want to be which is on the elliptical.

Yay! My favorite Precor is free. Actually, they're all free because no one is doing cardio today. Very odd. I punch in Interval 7 and lose myself in my tunes. And lost I am because the program ends, the warm up ends, and I'm still peddling. Well, that's never happened to me before! Maybe because I've just added two new tunes to my mix? I'm like my 8-year old in that I can listen to the same 10 songs relentlessly, just as he watches the same episodes of SpongeBob over and over again. I went to bed earlier, hit the snooze three times this morning and still feel a tad tired, but I went back to tossing an egg into my oatmeal for breakfast. So I'm surprised that I make my quota when the little naysaying voice behind my ear whispered, "well, you probably won't even make three and a half."

Today is Arm Day and I like to begin with Decline Bench Presses. Except there's only one Decline Bench, and The Mayor, Tall Pace and Jude are hanging on it. Well, yes, one of them is actually benching, and the rest are chatting and hanging off the other free weight bench. So I pick the bench furthest from them and set up for regular presses. I'm about to do my fourth set when B stops by to chat briefly. She at least notices my pants before running off to do errands. By this time, the chatty crowd has moved to the Squat rack so I peel the plates off my bar and claim the Decline by tossing my towel on it, not that anyone else was interested in it.

And just like last week, I start from scratch, with just the bar to get a feel for it. At 115 lbs, I get 8 reps. I can tell that the guys are watching from the Squat rack which is only 12 feet away. I see Jude move the bar with three big plates, a 25 and a 10. Just a little shy of 4 big plates. He's a lot stronger than he looks. He also moves a lot more weight than either Tall Pace or The Mayor. Probably because he's younger. Or at least he looks younger, even if he has the least amount of hair out of all of them.

The Mayor uses the Squat rack to do Over Head Presses with the bar and 25 lbs on each side. I think Tall Pace just chats and moves DBs instead. I'm not really paying attention. Because it's Arm Day, I'm comfortable dropping the weight from there and doing another two sets. Done! I wander across the gym to the Cage to do my stretches and kicks, then return to the DB area for the remainder of my workout. Meanwhile there is hammering and banging galore as several staff members and the owner make repairs to the equipment. First a treadmill is disassembled. Then flooring appears to be replaced or removed. A few spin bikes are being adjusted.

I claim a flat bench, sitting at one end to do alternate DB curls. I have a BB at the other end for Skull Crushers. I'm not brave enough to up the weight so I do three hard sets of 12 reps at 45 lbs. Between sets I see The Mayor doing what seems to be a variation of Skull Crushers, except he's got plates on an EZ bar, and his bench is perpendicular to the preacher curl seat. He's using the preacher bar holder as his safety. Well, that's different.

I re-rack everything and grab a 20 lb DB just to do one set of Tricep Extensions for the stretch. My wrists and right thumb have felt delicate lately so I'm careful to minimize stress there. I haven't done Tricep Kickbacks in a while and though I don't really think they do much, I do enjoy watching the muscles dance across my arm so WTH. The Jefit app doesn't seem to have a listing for Kickbacks so I put my stats in with the Tricep Extensions. Some ding-dong has put the 50 and 60 lb barbells on the wrong racks so the only spot left for the 40 is at the bottom. I'm not going to rearrange the BBs although I did get frustrated and sorted the 30 and 25 lb DBs. The only things left to do are BB curls and Reverse Grip BB Curls. My elbows are not as happy with me this week so 45 lb curls hurt a little. I lean forward slightly and keep my elbows tight to minimize the pain inside the bottom of my joints. The RGBB Curls actually don't hurt at all and I knock out three sets without any issue. Done.

Okay, not quite. Some abs first. And then Mat Stretch. And if I don't fall asleep during the plank, then a nice hot shower. Yay! The gym scale reads 110.8 lbs, a skosh better than yesterday. I'm not nearly as tired now, but I'm hoping my son will've had enough candy and "trick or treating" at school so that we don't have to walk up and down our road in the rain this afternoon. There are very few kids his age on our road so no one expects Trick or Treaters. We have candy at the house, just in case, because we usually get at least one or two families. I'm all dressed for the event too, although I still have to take my son to tae kwon do class this evening. I've got a pair of leggings I scored for $10 that I'm really happy with and since this isn't NYC, this is the only holiday where it's okay to look a little goth. LOL!

Arm Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.47 miles Yay!

Olympic Flat Bench: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 10 @ 75 lbs / 8 @ 95 lbs
Decline Bench: 12 @ 45 (bar) / 10 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 95 lbs / 8 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs

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

Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 25 lbs / 10 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 30 lbs
last three sets superset with 
Skull Crushers: 12 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs

One-Arm Tricep DB Extension: 12 @ 20 lbs
Tricep DB Kickbacks: 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs

BB Curls: 12 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs
RGBBCurls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 DBPUs, 20 second plank, splits, upper back, neck and shoulder stretches, lower back/hip bridges, hamstring stretches, etc

Still Tired, Still Going...

I cut back on my workout today because I'm tired. Note, I didn't say that I didn't work out, I just cut back. Oh, I still did my double cardio, and I did on the rickety "tractor" Precor because the two others were occupied. But after a while, I didn't even feel the grinding bumps on this elliptical, and when I did notice, I was hoping that it'd be enough to jar my toes out of the tingling numbness they sometimes experience. I admit to be surprised that I made my quota on both sessions of cardio today, especially since I looked at the screen every ten minutes during the second session, wondering how much longer I was going to put up with this insanity. Because I'm still tired from the weekend. We actually have no plans this coming weekend, other than the standard morning Chinese school and swim class, and I think we're all looking forward to being lazy. If only I could sleep in... but that's not going to happen until Winter Break. Sigh. I know my son is tired because Monday he didn't come home with his coat. Tuesday he came home with someone else's coat. Today, he came home with the three jackets I've been searching the house for, AND his coat from Monday.

Again, the free weight area is sparsely populated. It's nice but a tad unnerving. Is it a holiday that someone forgot to tell me about? No, 'cuz that would mean more people at the gym, not less. Hmmm. I try a few Squats at the Smith machine, going lower than I normally do. But first a set of butt-to-heel speed-squats with just the bar (30 lbs). I keep adjusting my feet and stance until I'm comfortable. Then I add a mere 15 lbs per side to the bar and try below parallel squats. It's a weird balance in positioning footing and stance because at one point my knees are uncomfortable, at another point, I feel pressure in my lower back. Then there's that Goldilock's spot where everything's just right.

I swap out the 15 lbs for a 25 lb plate on either side. I can still go below parallel at this weight so I do a set. But when I up the weight again, I feel my knees and then my lower back so halfway through my set, I only go to parallel. As I add plates, I drop my reps. At 140 lbs I'm only doing 6 reps. I can get more but I don't like the way my lower back feels about it. I strip the plates and do another set of butt-to-heel speed squats. There's a young Italian guy watching, like a puppy. I think he might just be barely out of HS. Even though I have my eyes aimed up at a point on the Smith that I can see facing the mirrored wall, I can see him in my peripheral vision. I'm counting my reps. He seems to be counting along with me.

I strip off my hoodie because I'm too warm and feeling a little light-headed. I'm only going to do a few sets of SLDLs because I don't want to stress my lower back too much. First just the bar. Then I plop the 25 lb plate on either side. Okay, this isn't exactly easing into a set, but I know I can do it so WTF. Last week I did 3 sets at 110 lbs but I'm tired today. The combination of maxing out on the Lower Back Extension yesterday (felt like it was all glutes and hams), and ZZ hovering at the adjacent bench makes me cut the work out short. I even cut kicks at the Cage short although I do all the hamstring stretches. Seated Leg Curls are still hard at 127.5 lbs and I only do one short set after warming up to it. Seated Leg Extensions are easier but I've cut my sets back to four, getting 12 reps at 135 lbs. I don't even want to do Sit Ups, not in these shorts anyway, so I plod over to the crunch station and knock out a quick 100.

Even the Mat Stretch seems daunting, but at least I have it to myself. Today the regular-stance DBPUs seem harder than normal, and the plank is just godawful boring. I lift my head as if I've awoken from a deep slumber after matching a twenty count for twenty breathes. My splits are good though, unusual for Leg Day. Every day seems to be different. By the time I get up from the hip bridges, the entire free weight area has changed cast members, with the lunch crowd making an appearance.

June 14 (left)  vs. October 29 (right)

The gym scale reads 111.0 lbs which is heavier than I'd like to be mid-week, but my clothes still fit okay. I think it's water weight from all the salty Chinese food we've been snacking on lately. Well, it's better than the 112.2 it registered yesterday. I could probably do to lose a bit of fat. When I compare a recent back photo with one taken four months ago, I see that now I'm a tad bigger, and less defined. Sigh. I like lifting heavier so I'm not giving that up any time soon.

Tomorrow is Arm Day. And Halloween. I'm toying with the idea of wearing my Halloween pajama pants to work out... they're orange and black with flaming skulls on it. I wonder if anyone will notice.

Leg Work Out:

35 min Interval 7 = 4.41 miles + 35 min Hill 5 = 4.01 miles Grand Total = 8.42 miles Yay!

Smith Machine Squats: 25 @ bar (30 lbs) butt to heels as fast as I can go / 12 @ 60 lbs below parallel / 12 @ 80 lbs below parallel / 12 @ 100 lbs parallel / 8 @ 120 lbs parallel / 6 @ 140 lbs parallel / 25 @ bar (30 lbs) butt to heels as fast as I can go

Smith Machine SLDL: 12 @ bar (30 lbs) / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs

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

Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 8 @ 120 lbs / 6 @ 127.5 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, 20 second plank, splits, upper and lower back/hamstring and hip stretches, etc

Ever-Shifting Goals

Tuesday is Back Day and although I'm not consciously working them, the Biceps get a nice workout as well. The lower back and elbows seem okay today so I'm cautiously optimistic about upping the weights on some of the exercises. The gym is oddly empty again, except for the women rushing pell-mell into Zumba class before all the spots are taken. Again I have my favorite elliptical, and again its not enough for me to make my arbitrary quota. I'm so cold when I start that I have my hands tucked inside the sleeves of my hoodie. Ten minutes later I can feel a trickle of sweat on the nape of my neck. By the end of 35 minutes, I'm nicely warm and sweaty. I'm just shy of the quota again, but a hair better than yesterday. I think it's because I'm tired. Still tired from the weekend. And getting up extra early today to pack an actual lunch for my son because Tuesdays he has "Chess at Recess" and so doesn't get to purchase lunch in the cafeteria.

I see a small crowd of regulars, M, Tall Pace, HDA (he looks like Harry Dean Anderson) at one of the cable stations where the lat pull down machine is situated. There's another station, but someone has draped their hoodie over the knee bar, claiming it. The Mayor, Jude and a few others are at the free weights. Because I'd rather put my energy towards the barbell and dumbbell rows, I only use the Neutral Close Grip handles for pull downs today. My elbows screamed at me last week whenever I did wide grip pull downs or actual pull ups, so none of that today. R glides in and greets a few guys near the dumbbells. He's very chatty today. And I'm resolutely not. After a few sets on the Pull Down, I retreat to the Cage Stretch where it is quieter. I've got my iPod blasting. My stretches seem good, but the kicks are a little tired.

I grab 4 discs from the front desk (who knows, I might need them all) and head towards the barbell rack. I grab a 90 lb BB and do a set, then swap it for the 100 lbs. I don't want to waste energy on lesser weights, and even though I have the Versa Gripps tucked in my gear sack, I worry about losing my grip too early in my routine. So I only do 10 reps. I toss a pair of magnets on the ends and do another set. This time I allow myself 12 reps. Then another pair of magnets. Okay, that's 110 lbs.

Jude is on an incline bench a few feet away. I can see he's got a pair of 45s on each side of the bar, which he presses a few times. The Mayor is red-faced and disheveled after squatting. I've only ever seen him do overhead presses and assorted DB work before. I could've swapped this barbell for the last one on the rack, but I'm too lazy to carry it back to the rack while weaving in and out of the various benches and bars jutting haphazardly into the narrow walk aisles. Perhaps I'll just choose the 110 lbs next time because every time I set the barbell down, the magnets slide a bit. (It's not an issue until I do DB Rows where I set the DB down after every rep.) I'm pleased that I get 3 sets of 12 reps at 110 lbs without any grip issue whatsoever. Yay!

My elbows and forearms need a break so I wander over to the Lower Back Extension Machine. It's set to 135 lbs so that's where I start. After each set I move the pin down another plate. Last time I ended at 180 lbs. This time I decide to give the 195 lb a shot. The stack only goes to 300, but that's way more than I can move. I can move the 195 but it's not a full movement where I feel my back hit the bottom of the arc. Maybe next time I'll use the half brick (7.5 lbs) for 187.5 lbs and see if I can get full reps out of that.

Standing at the DB rack, I'm undecided where to start. 45s are right in front of me so it's where I start, and I brace myself on a bench. Then 50 lbs. Then I grab the discs and make the 50 a 55. The first set I only get 8 and not because my grip is failing, but because my elbow and forearm seem a little strained. I dig out the Versa Gripps. It takes me a while to position them properly. I can tell that Big White Mustache on the adjacent bench is trying not to stare. There are a lot of regulars floating about the gym including ZZ, RR, Hoodie Tattoo and Ollie. The Versa Gripps make this movement so much easier and I get 10 reps for the next two sets. I'm done. Well, almost. I still have to do abs. And Mat Stretch. And then I'm done! Yay!

When I get home I snap a few photos of my arms and back. I don't see much of a difference between now and the last good back shots I took back in mid-June. But the biceps are definitely uneven and I'm not quite sure how to fix that since it's the weaker left side that looks good. Go figure. It's probably working harder just to keep up with the right. That's actually funny. I'm definitely stronger and learning how to work around my weaknesses, i.e., joints. But perhaps I'd like to be a little more symmetrical? I look at my triceps and wish they had better definition. That most likely would need me to cut back on fats in my diet. Would I lose strength? Like beach sand, goals keep shifting.


Tuesday Workout:
35 min Hill #6 = 3.94 miles Bleah

Neutral Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
I lean back slightly and then pull the handles down until they just touch my chest, keeping my elbows tucked close to my sides

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 110 lbs Yay!

Lower Back Extension Machine: 12 @ 135 lbs / @ 150 lbs / @ 165 lbs / @ 180 lbs / @ 195 lbs
last set wasn't a complete movement of the full arc, will drop down to 187.5 lbs next week

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 10 @ 50 lbs / 8, 10, 10 @ 55 lbs last two sets with Versa Gripps

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, 20 sec plank (yep, these are getting shorter 'cuz they're so boring), splits, upper back, neck and shoulder stretches, hamstring and lower back stretches, etc.

The Deception of Numbers

I think I need a weekend just to recover from the weekend and I still haven't finished everything I started, but would like to conclude. Like the pumpkins mocking me on the front stoop. Only one's got a face, the others are all blank and forlorn, waiting for Thanksgiving instead of Halloween now. At least I got the apple pie made, after a fashion. I don't make crust so I bought the very last package of frozen pie crust, peeled, cored and sliced a dozen small Golden Delicious apples (still got loads leftover from our apple-picking excursion over two weeks ago), toss with sugar, cinnamon, and wait, I have a handful of raisins and some whole pecans. The crust never got brown so after an hour and a half, we were fashionably late to a Halloween party we'd invited our own friends to, turned the oven off and left. We returned several hours later, turned the oven back on until the house smelled like apple pie and then declared the pie done. Crust still hadn't browned. But the filling was deliciously ooey-gooey.

Today I'm dragging myself to the gym after debating whether the temperature will rise past the 27°F it was when I walked the dog. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer just died as well. I can't seem to get in or out of the locker room without meeting an impasse of bodies: two large, loud ladies who apparently need to catch up, but not formally, so they're half in and out of the hallway, doorway, entrance. They keep moving while they chat but in tandem so no matter where they move to, they completely block any means of egress. Sigh. I just want to clamber over the bodies and be done with the locker room!

My favorite elliptical is free today, but it doesn't help me much. I'm tired and a bit achy, although I don't think I'm getting sick. I just need more sleep. Instead, I run the Monday program, 35 minutes of Hill 5, and I don't make my quota, although I wasn't really expecting to. It's cold in the gym today, and I can't really seem to get very warm although beads of perspiration drip from my face. The gym seems really empty, except I can hear the Zumba instructor screaming over her music in the classroom behind the free weight area. I've gotten in a tad late, but still, there are very few regulars. I catch glimpses of M, B, Loud Mouth, Barbie and Ken. It doesn't worry me. I warm up with a few light sets on the bench and progressively add weights, restraining my impulse to do as many reps as possible.

115 lbs is no problem and I catch myself at 8 reps. I'd meant to do only 8 reps at 95 lbs but got distracted and wound up with 9. I add a pair of 5s to the bar. It's 125 lbs and there's hardly anyone around. No Mayor. No RR. Hhmmm. I see the young man who'd spotted me a few weeks ago, and I'd decided he didn't know how to spot. I also see The Slav. He's probably not even Slavic. After a few minutes, he passes by and I ask him for a spot. I tell him "I can get four but I'm shooting for six" and he nods as if he's heard me. Fingers crossed.

I know I'm positioned closer to the bar (like The Mayor suggested). I know I can get four reps because I have for the last several weeks. Today I'm surprised when I can actually get five reps all by myself, and I know this because the Slav doesn't have his hands anywhere near the bar until I struggle with the sixth rep. Even then, he's barely touching it and I know I'm working hard to press it. It's a really good set, and I'm happy. I thank him, and he mumbles something like "oh, it was all you" and he walks away. I drop the weight down to 105 and do a full slow set of 12 reps before calling it Done for Benching. I could probably get at least one or two rep at 135 lbs, at a pair of big plates. It's only 10 lbs more than what I'm doing now. That'd be sooo cool. But I don't know if I should've attempted this after the 6 reps at 125, or if I should wait until next week, and only do 4 reps at 125.

Just Delts and Abs to do today. Still, I'm a little burnt. Cage Stretch feels standard. Inclined Rear DB Flyes always intimidate me, but I've learned to ignore myself at times like these. I've gotten 4 magnetic discs from the front desk so I'm good to go. I start with just the 25 lb DBs to warm up. Toss a magnet on each DB. Another set. Toss another magnet on. Okay, these are 30s now. Another 3 sets and I'm done. Meanwhile, the free weight area is slowly filling up with semi-regulars. The Slav, ZZ, Headphones, a couple of women I've never seen before...

Standing Lateral DB Raises are always hard, even when I warm up. An older skinny woman positions herself on a bench next to me with baby blue beauty bell in hand. One of the female trainers is instructing her on basic DB movements. I'm glad to see that because the old woman had been wandering rather aimlessly through this area. It can be a foreign country where you don't speak the language so you really need a good guide. Or a guidebook. I've been tapping at my cell, entering my numbers into the Jefit app. I almost forgot to do it after cardio, but once I've got it scrolled to my Monday routine, it's just a matter of punching in numbers. I don't think I'll be going past 30 lbs any time soon. These are heavy!

I've saved abs for last because I do them quick enough to generate a bit of heat. I've cooled down too much and worry that my Mat Stretch will be godawful painful because of it. The DBPUs don't seem any easier, as often as I do them. My right shoulder is a tad sore too. I feel like dozing when I drop from the regular-stance DBPU into the plank position, counting to 20 as slowly as I can. The gym is filling with the lunch hour crowd. The Slav periodically crosses between the free weights and the rest of the gym. He's apparently friends with one of the guys at the front desk. Even though the guy, K, has worked sporadically at this gym for several years, today is the first time I ask him what his name is. Otherwise, I'd been calling him Gazelle (in my mind) because his most notable feature is a beautiful running stride on the treadmill. Otherwise, he's not particularly notable, with bad calf tattoos and a slim physique. When I leave the gym, both K and the Slav wave good bye from behind the front desk.

Monday Workout:
35 min Hill 5 = 3.92 miles Bleah

Bench Press: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 10 @ 75 lbs / 9 @ 95 lbs / 8 @ 115 lbs / 6 @ 125 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs Even though the numbers look the same as last week, the fact that I could actually bench 5 of those reps without any help at all is a big deal to me. Maybe if I cut reps at 115 lbs, I can actually manage to either get more at 125, or maybe even...

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf stretches and Side Kicks

Rear Incline DB Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral Raises: 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 30 lbs
These are all heavy and don't seem to get any easier.

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, 20 sec plank, splits, upper back, shoulder, lower back, hamstring stretches, hip bridges, etc.

A Galaxy Quest Friday

The Cub Scouts Halloween pack meeting ran late although it was a lot of fun. I only got 6 hrs of sleep last night and again had half a mind to just bag the gym. That's the intelligent part of me talking. The rest of me is on auto-pilot, so after ferrying my son to the school bus stop, I headed to the gym. En route, it dawned on me that I hadn't packed shoes. Yeah, I had my trainers on my feet, but normally I pack shoes to change into afterwards. Okay, I'll just change back into my trainers after I shower.

When I turn my iPod on, the battery icon ominously drains from a quarter charge to nothing. WTH? I remember charging it sometime mid-week, but maybe that was last week? My new phone doesn't have any tunes on it because it's incompatible with the version of iTunes on my laptop (which is on borrowed time) where all my music is stored. Uh oh. Well, the iPod hasn't displayed the Red Low Battery Warning yet, so I figure it's like the gas tank: when it's on E, there's probably still a gallon or two you can use to get to a station. I figure I might have enough to get me through my workout. I'm feeling lucky.

There's a gal on my favorite elliptical so I trudge over to #3. I'm so tired that I seriously consider doing only one cardio session. Interval 7 seems much harder than it should even though I've dropped the resistance down. I don't even make 4 miles and that's disappointing. I've been preoccupied with last night's Cub Scout meeting. A boy there will be undergoing brain surgery yet again to remove a recurring tumor. He's barely taller than my son but he's two years older, thin and pale with wisps of what's left of his red hair. He had surgery this summer but it's grown back. I read in the local paper that he was born with a benign tumor in his lung that necessitated partial removal of the organ. This child is genetically predisposed to cancer. He's the eldest of five and they are all at the Halloween party/meeting. What touches me most is the blonde boy who accompanied him to every game and table. Taller, thicker, healthier, I watch him watching his friend. No doubt this is his best friend. I feel as if I'm already grieving for him and that's not fair so we all smile and applaud when he's given a special Hero award for bravery. What do you do when you absolutely know the light at the end of the tunnel is a freakin' freight train 'cuz you can hear it coming, feel the roar of its engine as it barrels down the track? You soldier on.

I hang on the elliptical for a minute and then resolutely punch in another 30 minute session, Interval 8. This one's going to kick my butt. I hate Interval 8, but it's what I do on Fridays. I can barely keep my pace at the 190+ Strides Per Minute at the peaks, and the troughs have me just making over 170. I've done better, but at least I'm here doing it. 26 minutes into it and the toes on my right foot have gone numb, and the fingers on my left hand are throbbing. I keep flexing my hands, changing my grip, adjusting my stride just to finish. And when I'm done, I'm surprised to find that I've made my 4 mile quota with just enough extra to make my 8-mile quota total. Yay!

The Cage Stretches feel a bit stiff today but I'm not concerned. I'm already eyeing the Nexersys stations. I strip off my hoodie, wrap my hands and wrestle on the pink kickboxing gloves. My knuckles are still bruised afterwards, but at least there's no blood and no blisters. I decide to take it easy and only do 7 rounds of Follow Me, and no sparring. By round 3, a guy I've seen at this station earlier this week has taken a position at the adjacent Nexersys. Thank goodness there's two. I'm getting better at this, although I'm still frustrated at having the warning buzzer sound at every other cross punch I throw. When I'm done, my clothes are plastered to my body and I have to wipe my face to see clearly. I grab all my gear and head to the Mat to do my final stretches. I like doing the plank after the Dive Bomber Push Ups. I just wish it wasn't so boring. When I'm done with the Mat Stretch, I click on my iPod to lower the volume and the Low Battery warning comes on. Wow, that's timing!

The gym scale hovers between 108.8 and 109, then settles on the lower number. It's never done that before. Hmmmm. While I'm in the locker room, peeling my clothes off so I can go shower, the gal I saw at the benches yesterday, waves at me. I say Hi to her. Then she gushes, "You are absolutely amazing. You're so inspiring!" I thank her and tell her that I figure most people are just intimidated but that they shouldn't be. "Oh yeah, that too," she admits. I tell her there's no reason to be, I'm just plugged in and doing my routine so I don't really see or hear anyone else. "Oh, I know that! That's what I figure but I didn't want to bother you when you were working out!" I tell her I've notice her too, mostly because she's using real weights and not those plastic DBs. "Oh, I use those too for some things. I joined a year ago." I tell her I've seen her working out. She leaves gushing. I'm amused.

When I'm just about finished dressing, a small Latina woman comes in and stares briefly. I nod Hi at her and finish buttoning my flannel shirt. "You exercise a lot today," she says. "Uh, not a lot today," I answer, because I didn't lift any weights. "Other days I exercise more." "You got muscles," she says. "Uh, well, yeah," I answer, not knowing exactly what she wants. Then she points to her arms and says she'd like bigger muscles too. I'm not sure but she might've been staring at me while I punched the Nexersys. (I lose track of all the people who stare while they're on the cardio machines.) I try to think of something encouraging to tell her. "Well, you just got to keep at it. If you get sore, that's okay. If it's not horribly painful, just a little sore, you should still work out. Then you'll get stronger." It's the only thing I can think to say without asking her about a training plan, and knowing that most women give up too soon because of soreness. She actually thanks me as if I've given her something useful. Whoa. Today's turning out to be much better than it started. That's a nice way to end the week.

Friday's Workout:
35 min elliptical Interval 7 = 3.94 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.12  Grand Total = 8.06 miles Yay!

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

Nexersys Station: 7 rounds Follow Me Avatar, beginner female:
accuracy 75% / strikes 105% / average power 123%
recommendation: add rounds and amp it up a little to go to the next level

photo for stats:

Learning How to Rest

I'm getting to this late today because Halloween and Christmas are probably the two most socially-hectic holidays of the year. And Halloween is next week. Not that this is an excuse. I still went to the gym this morning. I still put in my 35 minutes of cardio, and still wished it was over when I peered at the display and it read 15 minutes. I still got my quota. And I still did my stretches. I ran into B as I paced between stations because everything I wanted to use was occupied. Someone on the Decline Bench. Creepy Hannibal Baggy Knees on the Olympic bench and he's not even benching. He's just sitting there with a 20 lb bar, doing waist twists. The Cage is occupied by a bandy-legged old man that I feel sorry for because he doesn't walk very well. The Smith has someone doing Overhead Presses. I didn't let B say anything as I ranted about the gym being too crowded at this time, and besides, I wasn't interested in hearing about her nail or hair appointment.

I find an unused Olympic bench and resign myself to doing bench presses when I really want to do Decline Presses.The Dip Station is too wide for my arms and puts a lot of stress on my elbows. Today is Arm Day and I always start my workout, after cardio warm up, with a big movement. After a quick two sets to warm up, I load the 25 lb plates onto the bar. It's then that the gal on the Decline strips her bar and moves to another bench. Yippee! I start all over as if I'd never even set up on the flat bench.

The incline feels different and I realize that someone's placed a 6" foam block under the foot of the Decline Bench. I'm too lazy to remove it and I've never benched at this angle before. Hmmm. I'm guessing this is closer to 45° than 30° now. I bench the bar just to get used to the feel as I press. I think I actually like it better now. Methodically, I up my weight and drop my reps until I get 6 reps at 115 lbs. Because I don't like to end with so few reps, I drop back to 95 lbs and knock out a quick 15 reps. It feels good. Between sets I notice The Mayor, Jude and Tall Pace taking turns at the Squat Rack. But only Jude is squatting. I count 3 big plates (45s), a 25, and a 5 on each side and he gets 6 reps but barely parallel. Still, pretty impressive.

The gal who was on the Decline Bench is now doing presses with an EZ Curl bar and maybe 7.5 lbs each side. I'm a bit perplexed since she was using a full Olympic bar with15 lbs each side for the Decline. She's loads taller, bigger than I am so perhaps I take it for granted that bigger people should push bigger weights. I'm starting to become reliant on this Jefit app and check my cell to see what I've scheduled to do next. Ah, dumbbell curls. I do standing Alternate curls with 20 lb DBs to warm up and then remember to grab magnetic discs from the front desk. "Two?" the girl asks. I hold up four fingers, knowing that I'll be using the 25 lb DBs because they're smaller than the 30s.

When I grab the 25s, I also grab a bench because I prefer to do them seated to keep my body from swaying. By the time I've stuck all my magnets on the DBs, R has glided in and is planted on the bench next to me. He's deep in conversation with RR, occasionally spotting RR during his OHPs. R never seems to need anyone to spot him. He rolls the 125 lb DBs to his bench and looks up as I nod at him. "Hey, what are you going to do when you run out of weights?" There are no heavier DBs. He smiles amused, as if he's never thought of that possibility. "I don't need to go heavier. I do my 8 to 10 reps. I'm as strong now as I was when I weighed 70 lbs more." I can't imagine him bigger, he's imposing even as slender as he is, at 6'4 (seems taller) and 220 lbs.

He tells me that he doesn't listen to what everyone says, he's had the advantage of working with pros for 4 seasons. I laugh and tell him it's okay to hear people out, that it doesn't mean you abide by it. "Besides, I can always put magnets on them," he says. "Bigger than these?" I ask, motioning to the 2.5 lb discs I already have. "Oh yeah." "They got 'em here?" "Naw," he shrugs. I'm done with alternating DB curls and Skull Crushers, so I wander away. I have to check my cell to see what's next and am chagrined to find that I still need that 40 lb BB so I retrieve it and plant myself in front of the mirrored wall. BB curls of course. I pace between sets, knowing that I'm not resting enough but I'm impatient to be done already.

The 40s are easy. I slap on a pair of magnets and do a set at 45 lbs. It's still okay and instead of reracking the 40 lb BB because I'll be needing it for Reverse Grip BB Curls, I just slap another pair of magnets on. Now they're 50 lbs and I brace myself because last time I did this weight, my elbows screamed at me. Today they're okay. Go figure. I finish with 3 sets of RGBB Curls and even these don't feel all that painful. By the time I get to the Mat, I'm bouncing to my tunes. Again, I only do 20 seconds holding the plank because it's awful to lie still when the music makes ever fiber in your body want to twitch. The gym scale reads 109.2 lbs. Go figure. Tomorrow's a Double Cardio Day, and whacking the Nexersys. Yay!

Arm Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.57 miles Yay!

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 100 I usually do these later in my workout but this was the only station available and I didn't want to cool down too much from cardio

Flat Bench Press: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 75 lbs
Decline Bench Press 45°: 12 @ bar / 10 @ 75 lbs / 8 @ 95 lbs / 6 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 115 lbs / 15 @ 95 lbs

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 10 @ 25 lbs / 8 @27.5 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 30 lbs
last four sets superset with 
Skull Crushers: 12 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs 
Again, the last two reps for each set are really hard but I'm too stubborn to give in

BB Curl: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 50 lbs
RGBB Curl: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs

Mat Stretch with 12 DBPUs, 3 rolling, 20 second plank, 12 regular stance DBPUs, splits, lower back and hamstring stretches including 5 hip bridges, etc.

Working Out the Kinks

Today was one of those days when it was nearly impossible to leave the house because I kept forgetting something, or something annoyed me and had to be fixed. Like my trainers. I've got two pairs of Asic black cross-trainers, same model but different year. I was a tad disappointed that the newer trainers seem stiffer and a bit narrower than the originals. Now the old left shoe is starting to feel less supportive, but the right is much more comfortable than the newer one. Usually I just alternate between them. Not today. No, it was mix and match day, but that necessitated me going back into the house to fix it. Because today is Leg Day, and that means over an hour on the elliptical, and damn, the footwear better be comfortable.

I get to the gym late but at least my favorite elliptical is free. Yay! I punch in Interval 7 and hope for the best. My left hamstring and glute is sore but so is the right knee. Hmmm. I'm wondering how much is from the lower back extensions yesterday. But what really surprises me is that my pectorals are sore today. It has literally been ages since I've felt soreness there, and it's got to be the new Benching approach. Same weights, less reps, less sets. And better control of the bar for the heavy set. Which is resulting in soreness? I'm excited. Because it was so unexpected. Cool!

What's not cool is how hard the second cardio session is. You know you're in trouble when you peer at the display, hoping you're halfway done, and you find that you're only 6 minutes into it. My triceps are sore too. Arm Day isn't until tomorrow. Hmmm. My back is a little sore, but nothing compared to the pecs. Uh oh, maybe my back won't be sore until tomorrow? I look at the display. Only 3 more minutes to go but my fingers are going numb at the tips, as are the toes on my left foot. I know I'm not going to make 4 miles this time, but it'll be close. And enough to total 8 miles, which is all I want from this anyway. Yay!

The Smith machine is free and I'm on it like bubble gum because it's the only way I can squat. I've eyed the leg press and squat machines but I haven't actually attempted to see how well I fit or don't fit into them. I've noticed that my back is crunchy when I stretch at the Cage as well, so perhaps I'm being alarmist when I squat. Still, I'd rather be safe than really really sorry. Because the gym has replaced all the flooring in this area, I don't have my old markers where to place my feet under the rack and have to figure it out anew. First a set of heel to butt "speed squats" with just the bar. I've accepted that with the counter-weight, the bar probably weighs about 30 lbs, not 45. So all my log entries are based on a 30 lb bar for the Smith machine. My squats were better last week. This week I feel a tad lightheaded after each set but I recover quick enough. I punch my entries into the Jefit app but I haven't made use of the timer because I can't hear it anyway. I like my iPod blasting.

It takes me a millisecond to decide to do my SLDLs on the Smith. I feel as if my form is a lot better here so I grab a Step platform and position it just under the Smith bar. If I don't, then the bar comes to mid-shin instead of my ankles. It's very satisfying to feel the weight clunk slightly as it hits the ground at the bottom of each rep. I'm still feeling a bit lightheaded after each set, but at least I don't want to puke on my shoes! ZZ is hovering. He's probably waiting to use the Smith for those Australian pull ups. He seems to have a well-developed upper body (in spite of the ghastly tattoos of black lightning bolts down both his arms) so I'm not sure why he does them. Perhaps shoulder issues. Whatever. I'm not curious enough to ask him.

My hoodie looks like I fished it out of the lake as I strip it off and drape it on the railing. I don't need it now, and I'd like a chance to dry off a bit. After Cage Stretch, I put my towel on the back of the Seated Leg Curl machine. One of the things that the Jefit app is useful for is giving you something to do between sets. I enter the weight and reps and then promptly forget all my data. I've done 120 lbs for the last few weeks so I add a half-plate to the stack. It's only 7.5 lbs but it feels a lot heavier now. I probably should've done three sets but I only did two. I still don't have a good plan. I'm still doing this all by feel. Which explains why I got six total sets of Seated Leg Extensions and only four total sets of Seated Leg Curls.

Before I completely space about abs, I manage to plant myself on the sit up board (it has an ankle anchor) and count out 150 reps. I probably won't do any abs on Friday, not just because it's another Double Cardio Day, but because I've been signed up for a marathon workout with my husband, by my husband, at the tae kwon do school. For holiday fun, they're providing three classes, with three instructors, to each work a body part per hour. Sounds brutal. I remember Core, Legs, and what the heck was the last one? Dunno. I'm not at all game because it's the end of the week, but my husband who works all the time, barely gets to his TKD class more than once or twice a month, is all excited to do this. He'll probably get stuck at the office. Like the kickboxing classes he gave me for a birthday present, I like them, but I won't go if he's not going.

I see R as I'm doing sit ups. He's greeting RR and the big old guy with the huge mustache. I saw M, Hoodie Tattoo and a few other regulars much earlier. It's the type of day where everyone wants to be outside instead of stuck in a dark noisy gym. I'm resigned to adding the plank to my Mat Stretch but I still can't decide for how long. After 20 seconds (I'm counting one one-thousandth, two one-thousandth), I get bored and walk my hands back to my ankles and proceed with the rest of my stretch. I'd rather do push ups! I've deleted the back leg flex during vertical split because it seems to trigger a spasm in my right hamstring, which I'd rather avoid. The last movement is the lower back hip-bridge, which would actually be relaxing if the floor under the mats were at all flat and level. But they're not, with odd eruptions and bumps as if lumps of bedrock made up the under-flooring. Laying on the Mats for any length of time is bound to lead to a lopsided crick somewhere.

The gym scale reads 109 lbs. It wavers between 108.8 and 109 but I settle for the higher number. When I get home, I'm dismayed to see that the Jefit app has labeled my Leg Extensions as Leg Curls and there's no way to change the label. I try to fix the entries but wind up with double entries for Leg Curls and Leg Extensions. Sigh. Still haven't worked out all the kinks. In it or me.

Leg Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.57 miles + 35 min Hill 5 = 3.96 miles  Grand Total = 8.53 miles Yay!

Smith Machine Squat: 25 @ bar (30 lbs) butt to heel speed squats / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 140 lbs / 12 @ 80 lbs / 25 @ bar (30 lbs) butt to heels as fast as I can go which at this point, isn't all that fast

Smith Machine SLDL: 12 @ bar (30 lbs) / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 110 lbs
at least I don't feel like vomiting

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 120 lbs / 2 x 6 @ 127.5 lbs PR
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 120 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling , 20-second plank, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, splits and upper back, neck and lower back stretches including hip bridges, etc.

When Innovation Really Works

I'm always a bit off on Tuesdays, probably my body trying to recover from Monday after two glorious weekend days of doing absolutely nothing. Well, nothing gym-related. I had all the ellipticals to myself (the gym's oddly empty except for the zumba and yoga classes) and mounted #1, punched in Hill #6 and proceeded to warm up. My left glute grumbled soreness and my hands seemed on the verge of cramping. I didn't make my quota, but close. As I'm fumbling with my cell to enter numbers into the Jefit app, sweat is raining from under my hoodie onto the floor. Bleah. I've been snapping a quick photo of the end screen just to verify mileage. Jefit wants calories too so I punch those numbers in as well. I'm not really that concerned with calories, but perhaps I should be?

I've decided I really dislike the Lat Pull Down because of how stressed my elbows are. I do a few sets and they are abysmal. I have the new Versa Grips in my gear bag but I don't feel like pulling them out just yet. The cable area is crowded with The Mayor, Tall Pace, M, Hoodie Tattoo, Jude, and a lot of other guys I only vaguely recognize. After a weak, painful last set on the Pull Down, I take refuge at the Cage Stretch and work on my kicks and stretches. My legs are a bit tired as well. When I'm done, I grab two discs from the front desk and head back towards the free weights, completely skipping Close Grip Lat Pull Downs. There's still a big crowd at the cables and I'm not in the mood to deal with any of it.

I grab the 90 lb BB to do Reverse Grip BB curls but I momentarily forget the "reverse" and do them with a regular grip. Then I swap them for the 100 lb BB. Then I put the magnets on them. Surprisingly, my grip is fine for the moment. I'm entering all the stats into my cell after each set, which means now I don't actually have to actively remember what the heck I just did. I'm not sure if this is good, or just making my memory lazy. The Jefit only loads places for three sets so any more than that must be manually loaded. I find myself doing that a lot. Is this a flag that perhaps I'm doing more than I should be?

I like the Lower Back Extension machine now that I've been able to utilize the seat belt. I start with 120 lbs and only do 12 reps. Set one. Up the weight (plates are 15 lb increments). Set two. And so it goes until I've reached 180 lbs. At this point, I can still get 12 reps but I'm feeling it all in my glutes and hamstrings instead of my lower back. Not sure if this is good or bad. It's also 3/4 of the weight stack. Hmmm. I'm gonna feel this tomorrow. And of course, tomorrow's Leg Day.

Then I do something crazy because the Smith machine is empty. Just a bar and no bench. It's like an invitation! I know I'm going to regret this but I do it anyway: pull ups. I can only get 10 with my legs straight out perpendicular to my body before my elbows are screaming. I readjust my elbow braces, pulling them tighter and moving them until they just cover the joints. I get two more sets (legs tucked to my chest, and then legs out perpendicular again) and I feel much better about myself.

I look around. A lot of the benches are missing, probably because there's new equipment on the horizon. Breaker Benches Are Coming! screams a sign next to the locker rooms. Remembering that I need to be able to have my DB touch the floor at the bottom of the DB Row, I use the DB rack itself as a support. I giggle to myself because I've only ever seen old iron rats using this pose. I start with a 45 lb DB and get 8 reps. I know I should move up to the 50s, but I don't and do another set at 45. Then I grab a 50. I can only get 6 reps and it's because my grip is failing. I'm feeling ornery, so I stick one magnet on the DB. It's only 2.5 lbs but it throws the balance off so I only get 5 reps.

These are the XtraSmall VGs.

I guess there's a method to the madness even if I'm not always aware of what I'm doing. I stick the other magnet on the other side of the DB. Now it's 55 lbs. And I pull out the Versa Gripps. It takes me a while to position my hand properly because it's completely different from anything else I've tried. I'm not completely sure if the end of it is suppose to hit the center of my palm when I wrap my hand around the DB stem. But, I get 8 full reps and I'm more surprised than any of the guys loitering behind me. Just to make sure it's not a fluke, I do another set and get another 8 reps. Okay, I'm sold. This thing really works. And I'll be using it more often on my other lifts.

And also Done! All that's left is the Mat Stretch, and I do add a plank between the regular-stance DBPUs and walking my hands back to my feet. Oddly, the plank feels very relaxing, as in it doesn't feel like anything, or perhaps because it's just relatively easy compared to the DBPUs. Or maybe I just need to hold it longer than 30 seconds. That'd be boring. My stretches are very active. None of this lying about, faux sleep stretching. I see N and she looks really good, her eyes bright and her skin cleared of blemishes. She tells me that she took the zinc as I suggested and her cold disappeared overnight! I also see D as I walk back to the lockers. We chat briefly about bringing children into the gym over the weekend. Apparently it's free from 1-6 pm if they're between 8-13 years old. Ah, but then I wouldn't have a complete slug weekend. The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs. It's all good.

Back Workout:
35 min Hill #6 = 3.93 miles Bleah

Wide Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
not a good set at all as my elbows really didn't like these today

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

RGBBRows: 12 @ 90 lbs (I spaced and did this set regular grip) / 12 @ 100 lbs / 8, 10, 10 @ 105 lbs

Lower Back Extension machine: 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs / 12 @ 150 lbs / 12 @ 165 lbs / 12 @ 180 lbs (last set felt it all glutes and hams)

Pull Ups off the Smith Machine Bar: 10 legs perdendicular (3 min rest) / 10 legs curled to chest (3 min rest) / 8 legs perpendicular 

One-Arm DB Rows (dead stop): 2 x8 @ 45 lbs / 6 @ 50 lbs / 5 @ 52.5 lbs / 2 x 8 @55 lbs (these last two sets done with Versa Grips)

Ab Crunch Station: 100

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, plank (30 sec), walk back, splits, upper and lower back stretches including hip bridges.

Numbers Never Tell the Whole Story

Today is universal bench press Monday so of course that was what I was obliged to do. First I had to get my warm up out of the way. I got to the gym a tad late and was crestfallen to see a gal up on the ellipticals. Imagine my surprise and relief when I saw that she was pedaling the tractor, leaving #1 open and free for me. Yay! I didn't notice sore glutes or any other body parts until I started pedaling, and I was moving fast and hard. Just barely made my quota. But at least I made it. Yay again!

I've been playing with the free version of a workout app called Jefit. I can't say I like it much, because I spend a lot of time scrolling around for my exercises to plug into a log. Some I can't even find, like the torso twist machine. There's a torso twist listed, but it only allows reps, not weight, so that's not the one I'm doing. The only thing I like is that after I punched in all my reps, weight and sets for Benching, it gave me a 1 rep max of 150 lbs. Which is 5 lbs more than the last website I checked gave me (punched in 6 reps at 125 lbs and got 1 rep max of 145 lbs). Which brings me back to Benching. There was a lot of chatting today, but when I'm plugged in, I don't hear anything at all. Just me arguing with myself.

I've cut back on my warm up sets and reps to see how it affects my benching, although I have to consciously limit the count. It's just waaay too easy to do a lot of reps. I do 3 sets of 12 reps, increasing the weight a bit each time. When I get to 115 lbs, I hesitate for a moment, but I've done this weight before (just last week for sets). I get 10 reps and brace myself for the next set which will be my heavy set. I know, it's only 125 lbs. But I still need a spot.

I ask The Mayor and he tears himself away from chatting with Sunshine, then tells me to position myself more under the bar. I'm not sure if I do or not, but I've got better control of the bar compared to the past few weeks. Again, I need a little help for the last 2 reps. The first 4, I'm proud to say, I get with no help at all. And my form is much better with more control of the bar on the descent. I know this is all true because I drop the weight on my next set and I can barely squeeze out 6 reps. But at 95 lbs, I can do a full 12-rep set and that's how I leave it. This is not how I've benched in the past, but I'm trying to up my weights and cut my sets and reps. At least for the next few weeks. Today's benching was an improvement even if the numbers stayed the same.

Breaker Benches Coming Soon!

My hamstrings and quads are stiff when I get to Cage Stretch, no doubt because I've cooled down a tad. I haven't stretched out in two days and I wonder what would happen if I limited my stretching to just two or three times a week. Just a thought. My kicks are fast and high so I'm happy. I grab 4 discs from the front desk on my way back to the DB area. It has brand new thick rubber flooring! I only have two more exercises to do today. For some reason, I don't really count abs or stretching even though I do them almost every day. Perhaps it's because I do them every day.

Rear inclined DB flyes are next. I always wonder if I can do them and then I'm always surprised at how many I can actually do. I warm up with 25s. Add a magnet, do another set. Add a magnet, do another set. The DBs look silly with magnets affixed to both ends, but they're still more manageable than the actual 30 lb DBs which have plates too large to fit comfortably under the Inclined Bench. After those are the Standing Lateral Raises. Those I warm up with a set of 20s first. Then I move back to the 25s. A small blonde middle-aged woman (who've I've seen sporadically manning the front desk) is standing a few feet away. She's got those plastic beauty bells and she's flopping her arms without much control. I'm not sure if the weights are just too light, or if she really has no control over her limbs. I move to the 30s and I think she's intimidated. The first two sets I manage 8 reps. Oddly, I squeeze out 10 for the final set.

After doing sit ups, I see creepy PJ Pants. Several old men greet him as he waddles into the weight area. He's not even that fat, but somehow he reminds me of a Disney duck (Huey, Dewey or Louie, take your pick), probably because he leads with his belly. Just a few crunches, then a go at the Torso Twist, a tumble on the Mat and done! Yay! My hamstring doesn't cramp today so I'm fairly pleased with the whole Mat routine although I'm toying with the idea of adding a plank somewhere between regular-stance DBPUs and walking my hands back to my ankles.

The gym scale reads 110.2 lbs which is good considering I spent the entire weekend ferrying my child to his classes and birthday parties where the cuisine was pizza, chips and ice cream cake. I had a glass of wine which I nursed for two hours (one of my friends called me out on that because she just about chugged her glass) because hubby was away all weekend (absolutely no drinking and driving here) so perhaps it's just the liquid calories that I've really got to worry about.

Monday Work Out
35 min elliptical  Hill 5 = 4.01 miles Yay!
Olympic Bench Press: 15 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 4 + 2 (spot) @ 125 / 6 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks
Inclined Rear Delt Flyes: 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 27.5 lbs / 8, 8, 10 @ 30 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Ab Crunch Bench: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, balance & hamstring movements, splits, lower & upper back/shoulder stretches, etc

How Can I Give Up Something That Feels So Good?

I was just about to leave for the gym this morning when I glanced over at the fish bowl and realized that my son's Betta was an unnatural whitish color (uh oh) and was wedged head down along the tank heater. He seemed fine yesterday but last night, when my son wished him a good night, I noticed the fish's off color. Sigh. I'm not sure why it died. He's the 3rd fish we've had but at least I know why the other one's died: the first one sustained a terrible fish concussion when I was cleaning the tank, and the second one was accidentally overfed. Fish number three was only fed every two or three days, and he'd survived the last two tank cleanings without incident. So now I have the unpleasant task of telling my son that the fish died, and cleaning the tank. I'm sure he'll want another one.

This is par for the course when you have pets: life and then, death, and all its messiness. But we soldier on, accepting unpleasant tasks because in the end, it's worth it. Doing Double Cardio days isn't quite as messy as burying dead possums and cleaning out dead fish, but it sure is unpleasant. My quads and hamstrings are stiff when I start cardio session one. Again, I'm on Precor #3 so I'll be happy just to make four miles. My routine is to do Interval 7 first, take a quick breather and a swig of water, then run Interval 8. I really hate Interval 8 because it's so hard. Today, I actually drop the level down from 6 to 5 because my ankles are complaining about the resistance. I try to pick up my speed at the end of the program but I can't sustain it more than a minute or two. Still, I'm happy to make my quota. Today I get to whack the Nexersys and it makes me giddy.

Yes, that's me in the mirror!

First I get my Cage Stretch out of the way. Then the Nexersys. I wrap both hands today before donning my gloves because my left knuckles got stung last week. Hey, that means my left is getting stronger, right? I do 5 rounds of Follow Me and am pleased that my accuracy is improving. The buzzer goes off a lot though, but not as much as during the three sparring rounds. Power is great during Follow Me, but less during Sparring because I'm concentrating so hard on blocking all the punches, and making the avatar image glow red. When I'm done my hair and clothes are completely soaked through, but I feel lighter than air. I love this feeling.

By the time I get to the Mat, I'm so drenched that I've decided to skip doing Abs. My right hamstring has been twitching oddly and before I sink into a split, it cramps. Not a full blown contraction, but enough to have me sit down on my butt and stretch my leg out, heel pointed out. The rest of the stretch is uneventful. As I put retie my shoelaces, I notice R and RR in the bench area. R is grimacing as he places himself under the bar and I know it's his back. It makes me shudder a little. What I really want is a hot shower so I don't bother to interact with anyone. The gym scale reads 108.4 lbs. That's reasonable. And I'm looking forward to being a slug for the next two days.

Friday Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.32 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.24  Grand Total = 8.56 miles Yay!
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and side kicks
Nexersys: 5 rounds Follow Me (beginner female)
73% accuracy / 105% strikes / 122% power
Nexersys: 3 rounds Sparring (beginner female)
209% strikes / 83% power / 942  points 
Mat Stretch with 12 wide legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular stance DBPUs, splits, stretches, etc...

photos posted for actual stats:

 Follow Me

Follow Me

 Sparring

Sparring

DB Area Closed to Install New Flooring

I'd finally had enough of the maggot-infested possum corpse at the edge of the road where the school bus stop is, so I got my portable shovel out of the car (every northerner carries one in the trunk as a precaution against blizzard conditions that necessitate digging your car out of a sudden snow bank). The possum was a lot bigger and heavier than I had estimated, and I was afraid it would fall off and splatter grossness as I moved it deeper into the wooded brush. Not as good as burying it, but at least we don't have to step over it anymore.

Thursday seems to be National Truck Day and although there were no patrol cars along the main corridor, traffic was heavy and the sky overcast. Not a promising start. Again, my favorite elliptical is already in use so I trudge off to Precor #3 and punch in Interval 7. I'm stiff and mildly sore from yesterday's Leg Workout. Intervals seems a lot harder today and I wonder if I'm going to even make four miles in the 30 minutes of actual program and five minute "cool down" which I never use to cool down. I'm pleasantly surprised by the mileage reading but a tad disturbed by the ruckus in the free weight area. There's a sign up declaring Breaker Benches Will Soon Be Here! That's nice but only if I fit into the new equipment.

The DB area has been shifted into the Olympic bench space because the gym owner and two of his trainers are replacing the rubber floor mats. It's a good thing. They've frayed at the interlocking edges and it's not unusual to trip over them. I decide to do my Cage Stretch first and deal with weights later. While I'm stretching and kicking, a man comes over. He has dark Slavic features but newly shorn hair. I'm not sure if I recognize him as one of the regulars or not. I pull my earpiece out because it seems like he has something to say or ask. "You are the most flexible person I've ever seen," he says to me. I wasn't expecting this so I'm a bit flustered. "Uh, you just gotta practice," is what I lamely manage to answer. "I know. I see you train all the time!" "Oh?" Sweat is dripping off my nose even though I still have my hoodie on. "It's great the way you can move." "Uh, thank you," I finally mange to say before putting my earpiece back in. I think I have a fan or something but I'm more concerned with getting through my routine.

I can weave between the benches in order to get to the one Decline Bench. I haven't done those in a long time. My right front delt tends to get sore so I'm very cautious with my form today. I do sets of 12 reps all the way to 105 lbs. I could probably go heavier but I'd rather find the DBs and do some curls. Very few regulars brave the chaos. Nixon, whom I'm renaming Jude because he has a vague resemblance to Jude Law, receding hairline included, a big Latino (he always travels with a gym bag stuffed with protein powder containers), RR, a couple of skinny white dudes I've only ever seen a few times. Eventually, even the Slav also makes his way over to the temporarily relocated DBs. I'm too lazy to go back to the front desk and grab the 2.5 lb discs so I have to wrestle with the 30 lb DBs that threaten to eclipse my thighs as I position myself. The 25s are so much more manageable.

I notice RR hovering and his mouth is moving so I remove an earphone. Can he alternate using the seat I'm on? No problem. It's my last set anyway. He's hoisting ridiculously heavy DBs overhead, his face turns purple and I'm glad I'm not standing next to him. The Latino is spotting him. I look around for a free bench not attached to a benching platform because I want to do Skull Crushers. I find one lone bench between the cable stations so I grab the 30 lb BB. I'm unsure what I can handle so I figure I'd start light. I need to grab the discs because 30 is too easy. 35 is easy. 40 is harder. 45 lbs is good. Heavy enough to make the last two reps of each set a bit of work. I can tell my right tricep is working harder than the left but I'm not sure how to rectify it. What's worse is that I've noticed that my left pectoral is actually bigger than my right. No, not boobs, but pectoral muscle. Sigh. The weaker left side has nicer biceps, triceps and pecs. Go figure.

Time to go!

The middle-aged dude (who was giving unwanted advice to the tall thin gal a few weeks ago) has stepped off his stair-stepper and is doing assisted pull-ups. Then he crosses to the dip station, so I have to stand in front of him to do BB curls which I'm supersetting with Skull Crushers. I'm glad he has enough sense to keep his advice to himself with me. I want to forget to do Reverse Grip BB Curls but of course, I don't. A quick three sets and I can knock out abs and then Mat Stretch. The Dive Bomber Push Ups, especially the wide-legged ones, are easy enough to do, but the regular stance ones have my shoulders clicking oddly. I keep adjusting my hand position to make the noise stop. My lower back has been very stiff lately so I'm not entirely certain that the lower back stretches are helping at all. Today I decide not to do them just to see how it feels tomorrow.

The gym scale says 109.4 lbs. I've sucked down a lot of water today. The hot shower feels so good I just want to stand in it all day, but of course I can't. But I'll be back tomorrow. Tomorrow is Double Cardio Friday and I'll get to whack the Nexersys!

Arm Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.34 miles Yay!
Decline Bench Press: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 65 / 12 @ 85 / 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 105 / 12 @ 85 lbs / 15 @ 65 lbs
Alternating Seated DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 30 lbs
Skull Crushers: 12 @ 30 lbs / 12 @ 35 lbs / 12 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs last three sets superset with
BB Curls: 3 x 12 @ 45 lbs
RGBBCurls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Back Kick Outs: 100
Mat Stretch with 12 wide legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular stance DBPUs, splits, upper back, shoulder, hamstring stretches...

First Leg Day Back

I had half a mind to turn around, go home and hop into bed after being detoured a mere three blocks from the gym. The road was closed for the next three hours due to a police funeral. Our county takes these events very seriously and there were uniforms and flashing patrol cars everywhere. But the detour added 30 minutes to what is normally a fifteen minute drive. Never mind the town mower that takes up a whole lane, forcing us to drive into oncoming traffic, when possible, in order to proceed. By the time I get to the gym, I'm ready to leave. But I don't. Instead I zip up my hoodie, plug in my iPod and trudge off to the cardio area. A large bald man is marching on my favorite elliptical. Sigh. I mount Precor #3, knowing that it'll be harder to attain decent mileage.

After the first cardio session, the large bald man exits and I'm half tempted to mount that elliptical. But I stay put, stubbornly pedaling through the hill program. I'll be lucky to actually make eight miles. Sweat has soaked through my hoodie, my nose is running and my lips feel wind-burnt. I'm not panting but trying to control my breath with deep long inhalations, and quick short exhalations. If I don't do anything today, at least I got my cardio in.

Today is Leg Day but I'm unsure as to how much weight, how many sets or even how many reps to do today. I'm playing it by feel. The Smith machine is free which is great because I can't squat with a free standing bar. Short arms and weird elbows makes it extremely painful to hold the bar across the back of my shoulders unless I'm standing inside the Smith. First I do speed squats, butt to heels, as fast as I can go with just the bar. With the counter-weight, it's about 30 lbs. My knees feel odd and then I remember that I have to stand more forward and sit back, pressing up from my glutes instead of the front of my quads. I add weight after each set, but drop the reps, only doing 6 reps at my maximum weight (bar + 2x25 + 2x3x10) but I'm able to just about parallel without hearing or feeling any lower back crunchiness. So far so good. I drop the weights and add reps until I'm left with just the bar, and then another set of speed squats. These are so much harder now.

I'm determined to do real Stiff Legged Dead Lifts so I leave the security of the Smith (like a domestic bird tentatively exploring the world outside the cage). I know I can do at least a few SLDLs at 90 lbs based on my experience with Reverse Grip BB Rows. But I don't know if I can sustain it in an actual set. Instead of wrestling with the BBs, I find a stray Olympic bar and bravely, or foolishly (depending on your point of view) put a pair of plates on the bar. My hands are too small to utilize the spring clip collars and I'm not about to ask anyone to help me either. I hadn't noticed until I put the plates on that the edges weren't round but had flat edges to keep them from rolling. What I do notice is The Mayor and some of his chatting cronies periodically staring over at me.

I do three sets of six reps and after each set, I can honestly say that I felt a little like vomiting. Which is odd because half an hour ago on the elliptical, I was having hunger pangs. I'm pretty sure those were only 25 lb plates but now I have to go back and double check because again, I've never seen flat edged plates like a Susan B Anthony coin.

My Cage Stretch feels good and the music has picked up so my kicks are very energetic. I see D at the Nexersys and we chat briefly between rounds. She's scoring 100% for most of her hits but some of the kicks still aren't registering. I'll take a swing at it on Friday. Instead, I look to the Leg Curl station. There are two elderly women fussing over it. Sigh. But the Leg Extension is free, with a haphazard setting, as if the last user didn't quite know how to make the proper seat adjustments. I only do six sets total, with three sets at 120. I could probably go heavier. But mentally, I'm not prepared to move the weight up so it doesn't stick in my mind. The Leg Curl is still busy so I kill time by doing abs, first the Torso Twist, then Ab Crunches, and finally Twisting Sit Ups.

The Leg Curl is free and before another elderly woman can plop her boney butt in it, I've draped my towel over the seat and planted myself. It's only six sets but I don't like to rest too long. I tend to stay at the station I'm working instead of moving back and forth because there's always the chance that you'll lose your place to a slow-moving gym virgin who's most likely as brittle as spun sugar. 120 lbs is easy on the Leg Extension, but hard on the Leg Curl. The Mat Stretch is a relief and I thoroughly enjoy moving through my routine.

The locker room is blissfully empty when I go shower. The gym scale reads 109.2 lbs. My stomach is growling again but it's way past noon now. The funeral service should be over and traffic restored to the main road but I'm not leaving the area anytime soon. I have grocery shopping now.

Leg Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.35 miles + 35 min Hill 6 = 3.83 miles  Grand Total = 8.18 miles Yay!
Smith Squats: 25 @ bar (30 lbs) speed squats heel to butt / 12 @ bar + 50 lbs / 10 @ bar + 70 lbs / 8 @ bar + 90 lbs / 3 x 6 @ bar + 110 lbs / 12 @ bar + 70 lbs / 12 @ bar + 50 lbs / 25 @ bar speed squats butt to heels as fast as I can go
Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 3 x 95 lbs (Olympic bar + pair of 25? lb plates)
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks
Seated Leg Extensions: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 120 lbs
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 120 lbs
Mat Stretch with 12 wide legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular stance DBPUs, splits, yoga stretches, lower back and hamstring stretches, etc.

Frequency, Reps and Volume

I had trouble getting out of the house this morning in spite of walking my son down the hill to the school bus stop. No, it wasn't the dead 'possum in the middle of the road, or seeing my breath in the brisk 46°F autumn air. It was because I was tired and my legs felt stiff. I debated with whether to do all my errands first or after the gym while the car was warming up. It's an old Subaru and always runs better if I let it heat up for a bit. I guess I'm that way too. I need to warm up before I'm fully functional. I love my old car but it's slowly rusting away. Still, I'm loathe to even consider a newer model. I love how well it accelerates and maneuvers through tight turns. Because the AWD adds a lot of drag, there's no need to brake when coasting will do. It's not gas efficient. The trim is peeling away from the passenger rear door and there's a dent from where a truck bumper or shopping cart hit it while parked at the supermarket.

The parking lot is mostly full so I'm wary when I enter the gym. I'm not sure where everyone is though because the ellipticals are all vacant. I punch in Hill 6 and start peddling. Lately I've taken to wearing my lifting gloves here they seem to keep my hands from cramping up. Yes, my hands and fingers cramp up while I peddle the elliptical. Go figure. My legs are sore from yesterday but I push through it until I'm warm and sweaty. Not as good as yesterday, not quite four miles.

There's a cluster of chatter boxes at one of the Lat Pull Down so I circumnavigate to the other station. I don't look up or around except to replace the handle with a lighter one. My plan is to do all my back exercises in some fashion, but not so much that I'm too tired to do the next one. I only do 4 sets of Lat Pull Downs and I don't do full 12-rep sets except for the first one, which, at 75 lbs, is akin to a warm up set. The Pull Downs bother my right elbow, but lately everything does, including movements that have nothing to do with elbows. Again, go figure. I'm looking at this as a back warm up as I head to the Cage Stretch. Even those are tight, but I'm not surprised.

I return to do Close Grip Pull Downs, my elbows are unhappy and I wrap my wrists. Again, I only do 4 sets, with descending number of reps, starting at 75 lbs and 12 reps. I miss doing Reverse Grip BB Rows so here's my chance. I have a pair of discs with me as I grab the 90 lb barbell. WTH. My lower back doesn't complain and I get 12 reps. Immediately I think, okay this is too easy. I swap the BB for the 100 pounder. 10 reps isn't that hard, but my right elbow and forearm are making themselves noticeable. I may lose my grip on the heavier weight. I stick the discs on for 105 lbs and do 3 sets of 6 reps. I can feel my back and lats in the movement, but what's failing is my grip. I'm not even going to bother with the last BB on the rack, 110 lbs, because I don't think I can hang on to it.

I've missed doing the Lower Back machine so that's next while I let my elbows and forearms recuperate. I start at 120 lbs and knock out my usual 25 reps, knowing that I'm going to go heavier. 135 lbs. Another 25 reps. Okay, moment of truth. 150 lbs. It's heavy but not impossible. I do 12 reps, rest for 30 seconds and do another set. And another set. Then another. Okay, that's four sets of 12. I think my elbows still need rest so I wander over to the sit up board and do a set there, and then a set of kick outs. I had planned to do only 50 lower ab kick outs but once I got to 50, it seemed silly not to finish the set (100). I can't delay this any longer so I go to the DB area where I see the sign that says the DB Area will be closed for new flooring on Thursday.

I like DB Rows but I'm not sure whether I should place the DB on the floor after each rep. I have short arms that don't allow the DBs to hit the floor when I'm bent over a bench. I figure I'm already warmed up so I skip the 40s. I can easily get 10 reps at 45 lbs. I'm aiming for sets of 6 at 50 lbs. I'm basically right-handed for strength so it's odd that my right grip is failing before my left. What's odder is that even though my grip fails on set 3, I recover enough to do set 4 without any issue, and even think that I can handle the next weight up. I must be so tired I'm delusional. The 55 lb DBs are at the other end of rack, starting the bottom row and I'm not about to wander past half a dozen chatty guys grunting through DB presses and flyes. I've completely forgotten about the magnetic discs because I could've used those 2.5 lb increments. I'm done.

The Mat Stretch is a bit stiff because I've cooled down too much and I'm glad to stand in the hot shower afterwards. The gym scale reads 110.2 lbs which is okay since my home scale reads 108.2 lbs and there's usually a two-pound difference between the two. Tomorrow is Leg Day. I'm not sure I can handle a Double Cardio day after a week off, but that's never stopped me before. I just need a plan.

Back Day Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.90 miles
Wide-Grip Lat Pull Down: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 / 8 @ 105 / 6 @ 120 lbs
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and side kicks
Close Grip (Neutral) Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 / 8 @ 105 / 6 @ 120 lbs
RGBBRows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 105 lbs
Lower Back Extension Machine: 25 @ 120 lbs / 25 @ 135 / 4 x 12 @ 150 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
One-Arm DB Rows: 10 @ 45 lbs / 4 x 6 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 12 wide legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular stance DBPUs, splits, yoga stretches for upper and lower back, hamstrings, etc