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| Grassy Angels when snow's too shallow |
I
got to the gym earlier than usual this morning. It was crowded. I
didn't get on my favorite Precor and toyed briefly with the idea of
doing a double cardio session to make up for the past two days of
virulent inactivity. Tomorrow will be a shortened day so I can't tarry
then. Instead, I decide to do something I haven't done in years: combine
chest and back in one workout. I can do double cardio tomorrow, and if
time permits, maybe some Arm work. Friday I'll have more time so I can
do my regular Leg Routine, and if I still feel energetic, maybe a round
or two at the Nexersys. Boy am I being optimistic! I start with the big movements first: Benching and then Reverse Grip BB Rows. I'm disappointed in my benching. I can only get three sets of 8 instead of the 10 I got last week. I also forget until I sit at the bench that I need to place two big plates at the base so that my sit feet flat. Otherwise my toes will touch the floor, but not my heels. My left wrist is bothering me in spite of being wrapped, but that's not what's failing. I feel if I'm away from the movement too long, my body forgets how to do what it's suppose to do. I go for reps on my last set and even there, I have to pause at rep 17, rack the bar, catch my breath, and then press out the last three. It's disappointing.
I don't have this problem with the RGBB Row. I start with the 45 lb bar lying on the ground as a quick warm up. Then I grab the 110 lb bar off the rack. After a set I know I need to use the VGs to take pressure off my left hand and wrist. But I knock out six sets of 12 without any issues. I was going to add 2.5 lbs but I'll put it off until next week.
I can alternate between Chest and Back today so I have to add a few more Chest movements to the routine. I'll do delts tomorrow. The Mayor, M and Jude have been on various benches, but finally they're on to accessory work and the Decline Bench is free. It's too big for me. Although I can hook my legs over the roller and just catch my feet at the bottom, I'm not really in the proper position to grab the bar, even with the "breaker" stays. At the end of each set, I inadvertently slam the bar back against the breaker to catch it on the stay. I pretty happy getting reps here though, and I'm rewarded with the long-sought pectoral pump.
I'm going to skip One-Arm DB Rows today. I barely remember to do Lower Back Extensions because I'm more concerned with what I'll be doing after a few sets of Neutral Grip Pull Downs. I do these mostly for the stretch. I can't really imagine that doing these 4 brief sets is doing much for me other than that. I'm back in the DB area and drop my towel on an Inclined Bench. I've adjusted it to setting #2, which seems to be 45°. Because I've not done these in over a year and a half, I have no idea what weight to start with. So I'm cautious, and I start light. The bench is so high that my feet dangle in front so I cross my ankles while trying to balance myself with a pair of 15 lb DBs. When I stopped doing DB flyes and presses, it was because uneven strength and flexibility was causing my back and shoulders to get bumped out of alignment. I'm happy if I can do a few sets and not knot up the inside of my shoulder blades.
The 15s are okay so I move up to 20s. Then I realize that I can put my feet on the DBs if I stand them right in front of the bench. Perfect height for me too. My presses are slightly ahead of the flyes because it's easier to jump from 25s to 30s there. With the flyes, I add the 2.5 lb magnets and only move from 20 to 22.5 to 25. The Mayor is seated behind me on the Preacher Bench doing curls. He's shorn of his standard Alec Baldwin hair. Like Dolly Parton, big hair makes him look smaller. Today he's positively rotund. I dodge around the benches when I'm done, and see ZZ trying to clear out of my way. He's suppressing a smile of sorts as am I, because I hate being in the way.
I remember to do some Lower Back Extensions. Only three sets. But I make it up doing abs: a hundred reps here, a hundred reps there. And then finally Mat Stretch. I'd done a brief Cage Stretch after the Close Grip Pull Downs. I was a bit worried after such a long layoff. My mind tells me I should stretch every day, but my body shows me that it's much happier stretching less. I'm not sure how to resolve this. Managed to hold my one-minute plank without too much effort. Okay, I still hate the way my body quivers on the exhalation, but in general, the plank felt okay. Not that I'd want to do it more than once a workout.
The gym scale delivers the bad news: 113.4 lbs. Not horrible considering I've drained my water bottle dry, but definitely not what I want. A lot of this is water retention from salty foods I've eaten. I can see it in the puffiness in my face. I don't like it at all. The only way I know to rectify this is to cut my fats and up my cardio. Tomorrow's looking like a Double Cardio Day. Hurrah! I"m such a glutton for punishment.
Wednesday Upper Body Workout:
35 min cardio Interval 7 = 4.39 miles Yay!
Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 115 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 17+3 @ 95 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Decline Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 75 lbs / 12, 15, 15 @ 95 lbs
Neutral (Close) Grip Lat Pull Down: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
Cage Stretch
DB Inclined Press: 12 @ 15 lbs / 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs
Superset with
DB Inclined Flye: 12 @ 15 lbs / 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs
Lower Back Extension: 12 @ 165 lbs / 12 @ 180 lbs / 12 @ 195 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Knee-In Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs, 60 second plank, splits, shoulder, back, hip stretches, etc
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