Leg Day Blues

I decided that since I don't care about going heavier in Squats or Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts, that it'd be better to do Legs on Wednesday and save Thursday for Boxing so I'd be more rested for Friday. It's not really as convoluted as it sounds. Again, every freaking machine is occupied except for a few recumbent bikes. I pedal 20 minutes, never break a sweat and jump at the Smith machine. I'd rather do Squats on the Smith than use the Icarian Hack Squat 640 because even unloaded, the pads leave tender bruises on my shoulders. I don't go to my max because my lower back is a bit tired. Not sore, just tired. I toy with the idea of not using the Step Platform to do Smith Stiff-Legged Deads, but I'm a creature of habit, so I use it to bring the bar to my ankles instead of mid-shin. After I'm done, I see B who motions me over to chat with her. She's on the Step Mill.

"What were you just doing? Isn't that for Back?"
"Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts. Well, it's lower back, but glutes and hamstrings as well. The whole backside thing," I reply.
"Oh, we were doing something like that yesterday but it was more for Back."
"BB Rows?" I venture because they both start out the same way.
She makes a rowing motion.
"Oh, yeah. That's it."
"Oh yeah, I was doing that yesterday over there," and I point to the mirrored wall by the Incline Benches.
"You're moving a lot of weight. You're huge! You got so big!"
Then she tells me not to get too big because I don't want to look like a guy. I laugh. I tell her that I know I'm bigger but I've only put on 4 lbs and so now I'm worried that I'm getting fat. She frowns. "That's not fat," she says matter of fact.
"Don't go too heavy. You get injured that way," she says.
"Yeah, I know. I think I'm reaching my limit. Then I'll just go back to doing cardio and high reps for a month like I did in January."

She looks puzzled then remembers that I'd been doing a 3-week high rep and cardio program. And as soon as I stopped and went back to lifting heavy, I started to put on size and made strength gains. B volunteers that she dead lifted 205 lbs, but it was a few months ago and she hasn't lifted that heavy since. Her "gym husband" is moving to Florida in two days so she's bummed.  B is an inch taller than I am and probably 100 lbs soaking wet. She's also 62 years old. I tell her that's Wonderful, but she says she's got too many aches and pains to even consider lifting heavy anymore. Well, I think, until she finds a new "gym husband".

I still have Seated Leg Curls, Seated Leg Extensions and DB Lunges to do. I'm not particularly excited by any of these movements. My knees really hate DB Lunges. A quick Cage Stretch and then I see the Step Mill free for a moment. Uh oh, I'm too late. So I clamber up on the elliptical for 20 minutes and sing along to Billy Idol. When I'm done, the Step Mill is free again so I climb up on that for 20 minutes. I'll do HIIT tomorrow. Now I'm good and sweaty, and finally feel decent. A quick 100 crunches on the Mat and I'm heading towards the locker room. The gym scale is not kind, reading 113.4 lbs. I'm just getting comfortable at this weight, but I don't like it. I'm thinking that after a few more gains (my bench could use some improvement), I'm going to drop back into cardio mode for the summer. I'd really like to be leaner. Guess I'll have to change my goals from More Strength to Less Fat.

Leg Day Blues

20 min LifeFitness recumbent bike = 3.30 miles (didn't even bust a sweat)

Smith Machine Squat
12x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x100 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
12x150 lbs

Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts
12x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x100 lbs
12x120 lbs (put on VGs)
10x140 lbs
10x150 lbs
12x130 lbs
12x110 lbs

Seated Leg Curl
12x75 lbs
3x12x90 lbs

Seated Leg Extension
12x90 lbs
12x105 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x135 lbs

Cage Stretch

DB Lunges
15 (each leg) x 20 lbs (each hand)
2x15x25 lbs

20 min Precor elliptical = 2.05 miles
20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1050 steps

100 crunches