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.