Revising Leg Day Goals

I'd like to say I'm completely recovered but fact is the sniffles linger longer than the actual illness itself. As the rain falls, the temperature drops from 50°F down into the 30s, making for much confusion. Today is Leg Day, and tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day of long travel and sumptuous feasting, only to return home late (dog will still need to be fed and walked) where we will not be able to sleep in but rather, travel distance again on Friday.

I'm late to the gym because I have errands to run beforehand, like putting gas in my car. The gas station is a zoo and the poor road visibility doesn't help at all. The gym actually isn't too crowded. I get on Precor #3 and punch in Interval 7 because that's what I normally do on Leg Day. My legs aren't actually sore, just tired. I'd thought that yesterday's Back Extensions would've had more of an impact considering it targets glutes and upper hams more than the actual lower back. I'm dragging, but I do make my quota so I'm pleased. And then I punch in another session at Interval 8. Because I probably won't be back here until next week. I have to drop the resistance from the default setting of 6 at the peak down to 5. It helps a little, but mostly I'm troubled by the ache in my palms, and the intermittent numbness in two or three fingers on my left hand. I suddenly remember that my brother's told me that he has gout, another inherited condition from my mother's side, and I wonder if I should mention this to my physician when I get around to scheduling an annual exam.

In total, I still log in over eight miles, but it was much harder this time. I could be sick, or it could be as inexplicable as those monthly hormones. I have no idea. I see a burly, thoroughly tattooed man in the Smith. I've seen him before enough to know that I'll just come back later. The Cage is free and I stretch my hamstrings and calves thoroughly before wandering back to the free weight area. Burly Tattoo has muddy tat sleeves on both hairy arms, and a big gym bag under the cardio platform railing. Damn it, I'm going to do Smith Squats and Smith SLDLs today even if I don't get around to anything else. I don't even care if I don't get to abs (they're actually a tad sore today and I'm amazed).

Again, my first two really light sets are performed as fast as I can go, as deep as I can go (Butt to Heels). I add weight, but after the 6th rep, my knees start to complain and I have to shift back to just parallel. Assuming the bar is 30 lbs, I go to 140 lbs and get 12 reps. Then I drop the weight back down, doing speed squats for the last two sets, but not the 25 reps I normally end with. I'm concerned that doing so many reps is making my pants fit a bit too snug in the hips. I'm concerned enough to actually cut my sets and reps on the Stiff-Legged Deads I do next, but I make it up by getting 6 reps at 120 instead of 3 sets of 12 reps at 110 as I did last week.

Now that those are out of the way, I'm way less concerned about the Seated Leg Curls and Extensions. Last week, I felt a weird pulling sensation on the inside of my right foot, just inside the arch. It was extremely unpleasant. I feel it again when I hit my max weight of 127.5 lbs but I get my 10 reps, then start dropping the weight down for the next two sets. The weird sensation goes away. I don't have any issues with the Seated Leg Extensions but I only do four sets, dropping the reps as I up the weight. I don't want bigger legs. I just want strong, shapely ones. The lure of the Ab Crunch machine is irresistible and I knock out a quick hundred before settling on the Mat. I see regulars like R and RR, Big Mustache and ZZ, Ollie, Towel Guy, Hoodie Tattoo and a few women that I occasionally chat with. One actually gives me a loaf of home-made pumpkin bread (she leaves it at the front desk for me), and another commiserates with me about children and homework.

The Mat Stretch feels pretty good, my splits are good, the Dive Bomber Push Ups are starting to feel easier although the regular stance ones still cause my shoulders to click oddly. Even the plank doesn't feel all that bad today. The gym scale reads 110.4 lbs which surprises me. Water weight fluctuates wildly in people like me who are sodium-sensitive. What doesn't surprise me is how snug my favorite ultramarine blue khakis fit. Well, at least they still fit.

Leg Day Workout
35 min Interval 7 = 4.32 miles + 35 min Interval 8 = 4.13 miles  Grand Total = 8.45 miles Yay!
Cage Stretch

Smith Machine Squats: 25 @ bar (30 lbs) as fast as I can go Butt To Heels / 12 @ 60 lbs as fast as I can go Butt To Heels / 12 @ 80 lbs (only get 6 BTH, remainder are parallel) / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 140 lbs / 12 @ 80 lbs / 12 @ 60 as fast as I can go Butt To Heels

Smith Machine SLDLs: 12 @ bar /  12 @ 80 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 8 @ 110 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs PB / 12 @ 80 lbs

Seated Leg Curl: 12 @97.5 lbs / 12 @ 112. 5 lbs / 10 @ 127.5 (weird pulling sensation at this weight inside my right arch) / 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs

Seated Leg Extension: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 8 @ 120 lbs / 6 @ 135 lbs

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs, 20 sec plank, splits, upper back, lower back, hip stretches, etc.