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.
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