Abbreviated Week Makes a Concentrated Workout

Because I'm not sure if I'll be able to work out on Thanksgiving and the following Friday, I'm concentrating my workouts into three days. The gym is actually open on those days, it's just that we'll most likely be in transit to visit family. Bearing that in mind, I reverted to a Push/Pull routine for this week. Today is Push so that's bench press, delts and triceps. Tomorrow will be Pull, otherwise known as Back & Bi's. Wednesday remains Leg Day. I've still got the sniffles but I'm mostly well. The 18°F reading didn't help much though. By the time my son and I had walked to the school bus stop, the temps had risen to a balmy 24, peaking this afternoon at 30°F.


It's good to change things up when they start to feel a little stale. Normally I start the week with a hill program on the elliptical. Today I decided to jump right into Intervals and I got to use my favorite Precor as well. I was feeling fairly energetic and managed to get my quota. A good start. I'm pulling back from benching too heavy because it's hard on my joints and a bit frustrating. Today I'm shooting for reps at 115 lbs because that's where I start to stall. I get 3 sets of 8 reps but it was a lot of work. For fun, I drop down just to 95 lbs to see how many reps I can get. Last week was 15 but I know I can do better. Today I get 20 reps, but I had to fight for the last three reps. Still, considering I didn't have a spot, I feel pretty good about it. It wasn't that the Mayor and other regulars weren't around because they were. It was just that I really didn't want to deal with them. I like doing reps with a little weight behind it.

The Cage stretch was uneventful. I grab four 2.5 lb magnets and then find that there are also four 1.25 lb discs as well. But I don't need those today. I'm feeling impatient so I don't want to do a lot of sets. Inclined Reverse Flyes with DBs are next. Halfway through, I remember to check last week's log and I'm bummed to see that I had 15 reps at 30 lbs. I don't want to slack so I up my reps for the next few sets. Last week I did four sets of lateral raises at 27.5 lbs. This week I only do three. I'm worrying about running out of steam and I still plan to do one tricep movement. A quick warm-up set of One Arm DB Extensions with a 20 lb DB, and then I grab the 40 lb barbell and a bench. I like this two-part Rip Crusher tricep exercise, but I'm cautious not to move too quickly. I didn't work arms last week per se unless you count the 12 rounds at the Nexersys. Three sets of 12 reps are enough for me today. I don't even look at the Decline Bench.

No, I don't want to be here all day so I've got to keep moving. Really, all I need to do are abs and stretching. I make up for not doing anything this weekend but knocking out sit ups, crunches, knee-in kick-outs and torso twists before the Mat stretch. It's fairly quick and painless. What's not painless are the planks. I still quiver with every exhalation between the twelve and twenty count. My shoulder clicks loudly at the regular stance Dive Bomber Push Up but I'm not sure if anyone else can hear it. Mostly I feel it in my left shoulder because I have my tunes pumped way up.

Two out of four stalls are Out of Order and I'm in such a hurry to shower that I forget to weigh myself. Sigh. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Push Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.62 miles Yay!
Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 10 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 95 lbs (meant to do 8 and almost did 12) / 3 x 8 @ 115 lbs / 20 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch, etc
Inclined Rear Delt Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 15 @ 27.5 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs / 3 x 15 @ 30 lbs
DB Lateral Raises: 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs
One-Arm Tricep DB Extension: 12 @ 20 lbs
Rip Crusher: 3 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit-Ups:125
Lower Ab Knee-In Kick-Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Machine: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 20 sec plank, splits, hip, hamstring, upper back stretches, etc