Back and Biceps

It's Wednesday and I admit to being a bit tired when I got to the gym this morning. What else is new? I have no idea how my body is going to react to the new routine until I do it so here we are Day 3. 30 minutes of cardio on the Precor gives me 3 miles. That makes me sweaty, warm and happy. Then I go wrestle with the Olympic bar and a pair of 45 lb plates for Reverse Grip BB Rows. I could just use the 25 lb plates and toss a couple of 10s on each end, but the 45s are more impressive, lift the bar higher off the floor, and keep me from slacking too much. I have to move from 45 lbs (just the bar) to 135 lbs (one pair of big plates) instead of dawdling at 95 or 125 lbs.

I do three sets at 155 lbs, and it makes me tired. The extra cardio is making lifting harder, but I knew that was going to happen. To make up for it, I do two sets of 20 reppers afterwards instead of one. My left and right sides are not quite in sync so I have to be extra mindful. Next week I might do One-Arm DB Rows or Pendlays instead. I really hate Pendlays because they seem to stress my lower back. I probably just need to use a much lighter weight.

Next is Neutral Grip (Close Grip) Lat Pull Downs. I already know I'm going to have trouble with the heavy sets. Still, it feels pretty good to hang momentarily from the cable, kick my feet under to catch the seat and pull myself down into position under the lap bar, and then pull back until the handles just touch my chest. I almost don't make the last rep of the last set. To give my arms a rest, I do three sets of 20 reps on the Lower Back Extension machine. The DB area is ridiculously crowded and all the EZ bars are in use. I grab a straight solid 50 lb bar to do BB Curls by the other wall. My elbows are a bit twingey so I only do 3 sets. Then I grab a pair of 20 lb DBs for standing alternate twisting DB curls. 20 lbs would seem light except that my arms are toast and I'm having trouble holding the DBs because my hands are tired as well. I can barely manage three sets. I completely skip Reverse Grip BB Curls because there's no point if I can't hang on to the bar!

After a quick turn at the Torso Twist machine, I clamber back onto a Precor elliptical for 20 minutes and 2 more miles. Then onto the Mats for Dive Bomber Push Ups, a 60-second plank, and a full stretch. The gym scale reads 113.2 lbs which is better than it was Monday when it hit tilt at 115.4 lbs. I feel really good, but I'm so hungry I could eat my arm, and I had breakfast this morning. Yesterday I reviewed all my past progress photos and conclude that I'd like to drop back down to 108 lbs. That's when I could see the horseshoes in my triceps and my quads had some shape to them. Actually, the weight doesn't matter. It's the body fat that determines whether I can see my triceps or not. So what I'd like to do is drop my BF down from its current 20.8% down to 18.5%.

After the gym I have a few errands to run but I stop by Marshall's to check out their fitness clothes. I've made the surprising discovery that the newest style of sports bras with thin adjustable straps and hook and eye backs are the most comfortable for me since they don't dig into my traps or delts when I work out and get a big back or chest pump. I'm surprised because, in general, daily wear bras with skinny straps are uncomfortable. Now it's the thick shoulder straps that are killing me. I like the removable modesty pads as well, because I don't have to worry about high-beams and I can just concentrate on my work out. You can talk about me behind my back or in front of my face. I don't care and I can't hear you anyway. But you'll be talking about how much I can lift, or how big my arms are, not whether you can see my boobs. 

Wednesday Back and Biceps

30 min Precor elliptical = 3.01 miles

Reverse Grip BB Rows
15x45 lbs (bar)
12x135 lbs
3x12x155 lbs
2x20x135 lbs (for fun)

Neutral Close Grip Lat Pull Down
12x75 lbs
10x90 lbs
10x105 lbs
8x120 lbs
3x8x135 lbs

Lower Back Extension Machine
3x20x180 lbs

BB Curls (solid straight bar)
3x12x50 lbs

Standing Alternate Twisting DB Curl
3x12x20 lbs

20 min Precor elliptical = 2.06 miles

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, upper & lower back stretches

Cardio Tuesday

I'm happier already knowing that I'm cutting back on the weight I'm pushing. I'm at the point where nagging joint injuries are harder to recover from. Plus my doc called to tell me the bad news that yes, the bone mass DEXA showed I have osteopenia in my hips. My spine is good but I need to take Vitamin D and additional calcium to keep the bone loss at bay. I tell my doc that both my brother and sister were diagnosed with it years ago and they're both younger than I am, so I'm not surprised. It's a loss of bone mass but not severe enough to be osteoporosis. Yet.

It's not like I can exercise any more than I do now but weight-bearing exercises are good. Like running. Which would destroy my knees and ankles. I'm glad my crunchy spine isn't an issue so far. I'll stick to lifting weights and doing my low-impact cardio. But, now in addition to fish oil, I take fish oil with D3 (just 1,000 IU daily), and apparently I need to consume 4 servings of dairy a day instead of just 2. Unless I want to take calcium tablets, which have all sorts of nasty side effects, like stomach upset and constipation. I eat a lot of kale and broccoli, both considered high in calcium for vegetables, but honestly, it's really hard to eat enough leafy greens to come close to a cup of fat-free milk. I could eat soft tofu or vitamin-fortified cereals instead. Of course, I'm trying to lose a bit of fluff so not sure how I'm going to fulfill all my nutritional requirements with mostly real food, and keep my fat and calories low.

It isn't at all helpful that the RDA info on food doesn't give you actual mgs. Instead they give you a percentage of what the government says you should be ingesting, based on a 2000 calorie diet. Which doesn't really give you any real information when your doc tells you to consume 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium a day (based on your age), but no one can tell you how much calcium is in 8 oz of milk unless you go to the web. It's 300 mg per 8 oz. If the label stated 300 mg per 8 oz, that would be useful information. But apparently the government has discovered that people don't know what to do with that information. So telling them they're good for 40% of their RDA is good enough. Never mind that this requirement varies by age group. And a cup of milk is not 40% of my RDA, it's 25%.

Photos and stats don't always agree
as I tend to keep moving while I'm
trying to enter the data into my cell.

HIIT cardio was bloody awful hard today. But I got it done. And after a quick stretch at the Cage, I see a guy at my favorite Nexersys machine. I plop myself in front of the other machine and wrap my hands, stuff them into my gloves and tap the screen. It's on but not responsive. Eventually I find the gym owner who tells me, when I ask him if he can re-boot the system, that the screen isn't working and that he's got someone coming to repair it. Now I'm really annoyed. If it's broken, then turn it off and don't get my hopes up. I'm frustrated and mutter to myself that I might as well go home. The gym owner repeats loudly that the machine is down, whereupon the guy next to me says, "Do you need a machine?" "Uh, I don't want to interrupt your workout," I tell him because there's nothing worse than hovering, waiting for someone to be done. "Naw, I'm finished," he says pointing to the screen. It reads 3/3 which means 3 rounds completed out of 3 rounds started. "Cool, thanks!" Yay for me!

I've cooled down considerably so it takes me a while to get up to speed. I punch in my usual 5 rounds Beginner, followed by 9 rounds Intermediate. Next week I might change it up and start with 3 rounds Beginner, followed by 12 rounds Intermediate, especially since at the end of my session, the machine's assessment includes, "You are outpacing and outpowering. Add rounds." Well, if you insist. My accuracy and power are a tiny bit better today than last week. I plan to do this again in two days. Tomorrow's a Pull Day which means Back and Biceps. Friday will be Legs. I'm not even sore from yesterday's Chest and Tricep rep workout. Just a little tired.

I've wrapped my hands better today so my knuckles aren't too red when I pull off my gloves. I pull my hoodie back on to do crunches and elbow-to-knee crunches which are a lower ab exercise. I'm pretty sure I'm grimacing when I do them so it's good I have my arms over my face and my hoodie pulled down. Then back to the elliptical for another 20+ minutes or whenever I hit 2 miles. I feel loose and limber, sweaty and fluid, loping along at 170 Strides Per Minute until the last 5 minutes. Then, with the tempo of the music, I gradually increase my pace until I'm moving at 185-190 SPM. I feel really good, light and effortless, like air.

Tuesday Cardio Workout

20 min HIIT Precor elliptical (30 sec On / 90 sec Off) = 2.0 miles 

Cage Stretch

Nexersys 5 rounds Beginner Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 94% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 141% 

Nexersys 9 rounds Intermediate Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 84% / Strikes 102% / Average Power 116%

50 Crunches / 50 Knee-to-Elbow Crunches / 50 Crunches / 50 Knee-to-Elbow Crunches

21 min Precor elliptical = 2.01 miles

Photos posted for actual stats:

Push Monday

I took Friday off and spent the weekend sorting through the house. And I didn't miss the gym at all. Of course, I still need to sort through the rest of the house (for a little house, we sure have a lot of stuff!) but I did go to the gym today. 30 minutes on the Precor elliptical got me close to 3 miles and vaguely sweaty. Then I marched myself to the free weight area and claimed a bench. I saw M chatting with B and other regulars, and I was glad that I wasn't going to need a spot today. I know it's still April but I've already decided on my new program for the next few weeks: Push Day / boxing / Pull Day / boxing / Leg Day. It's a plan. What I haven't decided on is how much less weight I'm pushing while I up my reps.

I want to get rep sets at 115 lbs. Today I only do one set, and finish off with 20-reppers at 95 lbs. Figuring 135 lbs for 6 reps is my max weight, then 115 is 85% and 95 lbs is 70%. I'm good with that. I do a few sets on the Incline Bench but only to 85 lbs. Down 10 lbs. I have a good chest pump and skip DB flyes because they tweak my shoulder. I also drop my weights down to 20 for the DB Lateral Raises, and do 6 12-rep sets. With the rear delts, Bent-Over Reverse Flyes are too easy at 25 lbs, so I grab a pair of 30s and finish the remainder sets with them. It's a Push Day so the last thing I need to do is Triceps. All the benches are taken so I replace Rip Crushers with Cable Push Downs with the V-bar handle. Between sets, V, who returned last week from winter in the City, wanders over and does a floppy 5-rep set of seated cable rows with three plates. I think that's 45 lbs. I give him a quick wave just to be neighborly, and then focus on my own sets. There's no way I can do 3 sets at 50 lbs today. Instead, I start at 30 lbs and work my way up to 50 lbs, then add a 5 lb plate to my drop sets. When I get to 25 lbs, I decide to do AMAP (As Many As Possible) which turns out to be 25.

Because I'll probably do crunches and knee-elbow crunches tomorrow, and the Torso Twist machine is busy, I climb atop the Sit-Up board and knock out 100 twisting sit ups. I haven't been doing them because they do put a weird amount of stress on my tailbone, causing it to be sporadically painful. Since I replaced sit ups with crunches, I haven't had that issue. I figure 100 sit ups today won't kill me. I'm torn between 20 minutes on the elliptical or the steps, and the Step Mill wins. Afterwards, I drop onto the Mat and do my full Mat Stretch. Tomorrow I'll just do a Cage Stretch.

Push Day Workout

30 min Precor elliptical = 2.95 miles

Bench Press
15x45 lbs (bar)
15x95 lbs
12x115 lbs
12x105 lbs
20x95 lbs
20x95 lbs (I probably could've gotten another 20-rep set)

Inclined Bench Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x65 lbs
8x85 lbs
10x85 lbs
12x85 lbs

DB Lateral Raise
6x12x20 lbs

Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes
12x25 lbs
5x12x30 lbs

Cable Tricep Push Downs with V-bar
12x30 lbs
12x40 lbs
12x50 lbs
12x45 lbs
12x35 lbs
25x25 lbs (started off easy and got really hard at rep 18)

100 Twisting Sit Ups

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1196 steps

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-sec plank, splits, upper and lower back stretches

Cardio Thursday

Yesterday, D told me that the library provides perks like free museum passes to members. Good thing I got a library card for my son this year. After the gym, I got two free admission passes to the American Museum of Natural History. It might even include the additional cost of the special exhibit on Pterosaurs. Still, even if it doesn't, it saves me at least $35 ($22 per adult / $13 per child). I also read a review about a hand-made noodle shop I'd love to check out in mid-town Manhattan. It specializes in those wonderful chewy fresh Chinese noodles, and soup dumplings. Mmmmm. I'm hungry just thinking about it. But of course, we probably won't have time to check that out.

Because I'm skipping the gym tomorrow, I had extra incentive today to do cardio work. Of course, all the Precors were occupied so that killed any thoughts of doing HIIT before boxing the Nexersys. Instead, I got on one of the LifeFitness ellipticals by the front door and pedaled for 30 minutes, logging in a respectable 3+ miles. I'm usually obliviously singing along (silently) to my tunes but I still notice the gym owner patiently walking a large middle-aged woman through the Nexersys programs a few feet in front of me.

I also notice the really tall, muscular guy halfway across the gym, because he's so big and tall he's hard not to notice. Especially since he's wearing a maroon T-shirt with the word YES in huge block letters. It's probably a sports T-shirt because someone's name is on the back, Something Ryan or Bryan. I notice him today because I noticed him yesterday while I was doing Squats and SLDLs at the Smith. You can see a lot of people in the mirrored wall. I'm not sure but I think he's usually with a big chubby girl who's always on crutches. For months she's been on crutches. Sort of working out. But mostly whining. Lately he's been showing up solo. He's also gotten a lot leaner. If this is the same guy. Maybe I'm just confusing him with the other guy. I'm not good at details like that, not that it matters because I don't really talk to anyone anyway. But then he comes over to the cable station near the entrance, next to the ellipticals. I'm still pedaling furiously and singing to myself, my hoodie pulled mostly over my face. He does a few sets of something or other. I look up and notice his eye in profile as he passes by. Why is he so damn close? Oh, never mind.

A quick jaunt at the Cage, and then down to business. Those three miles make boxing the Nexersys more of a challenge because I'm going to tire and lose my focus quicker. It doesn't help that the machine periodically doesn't register my Lead Sweep or Lead/Power Elbows. It does however, warn me that I am punching too hard with my right Cross. And Power Dig. Enough to stop the machine. Even in the Intermediate Level. My scores aren't as good as last week's, but I figure I can build up my endurance if I continue with an increased cardio routine. Sweat is literally raining off my hair as I drop onto the Mat to strip off my gloves and wraps. I put my hoodie back on when I climb onto the Precor for an additional 20 minutes. I'm hoping to total 5 miles today. Afterwards, I resign myself to Crunches and Knee to Elbow Crunches, and a Mat Stretch. The Dive Bomber Push Ups are unusually hard today. But I figure that since I'm skipping the gym tomorrow, I should get a good stretch. I think it forestalls soreness.

The gym scale reads 113.0 lbs probably because we didn't eat ham last night, although my son claims to be happy to eat ham all week. Instead I made turkey burgers and broccoli. I have fresh kale in the fridge as well, but my son prefers broccoli, saying he only likes kale chips because otherwise the kale is too bitter. Like arugula. I like arugula. Probably because it's bitter.

Cardio Thursday

30 min LifeFitness elliptical = 3.31 miles

Cage Stretch

Nexersys 5 rounds Beginner Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 93% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 139%

Nexersys 9 rounds Intermediate Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 83% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 114%

20 min Precor elliptical = 1.91 miles

2x50 Crunches
2x50 Knee to Elbow Crunches

Mat stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, splits, upper & lower back stretches

photos posted for actual stats:

Fat Burn It Isn't

Today is Leg Day but I've already got my mind set on doing at least 30 min of cardio this morning. It's harder than I'd like it to be even though I'm loping along in Steady State mode. I do get 3 miles so that makes me happy. The Smith machine appears to be abandoned mid-exercise, with a neck pad on the bar, and a 10 lb plate on each side. I ask several people including B, The Mayor and whoever, if any of them is using the Smith. No one. Okay, it's mine now.

I use a different neck pad, one that is thicker neoprene, but I still keep my hoodie on because I don't want my bare skin touching the communal stuff. My hair is at that annoying length where it gets caught in everything, like the wires to my earphones, and just under the Squat bar. But I'm waiting until the summer heat makes my old Pixie haircut feel like air-conditioning. My back sounds/feels crunchy at a relatively light weight and that's perplexing. It's the weird popping sensation of cracking your knuckles, but in your spine. Well, nothing hurts. Yet.

There are a ridiculous number of 45 lb plates on the Smith plate racks, and a dearth of smaller plates. I'm forced to use a pair of 25s on each side (I'm going to avoid lifting 45 lb plates face height if I can help it). and then add a single 10 and 5 lb plate. 160 lbs total if the bar equals 30 lbs. I get my three sets, strip the bar and set up for Smith machine SLDLs. I also work up to 160 lbs on those. Also three sets but not 12 reps. I'm not quite sure if it's my iffy grip (even with VGs on) or my lower back, but I can only get 8 reps per set. Still, that's 2 reps more than last week.

After a quick Cage Stretch (I probably shouldn't do this wearing shorts, even with a liner), I knock out sets on the Seated Leg Extension, and then the Cybex Prone Leg Curl. I proceed cautiously, starting with 30 lbs. Then moving up to 50 lbs. At 70 lbs I have to pause at rep 8, and then rep 10. But I can't say that I feel it in my hamstrings. At the heavier weight I still feel an odd curling sensation in the arch of my right foot, which I don't like. I may skip Leg Curls altogether as long as I'm doing SLDLs. I have a choice between the Step Mill and the ellipticals. I choose to play on the elliptical, exploring the various pre-set programs. I punch in Fat Burn and it automatically sets up for 30 minutes of what appears to be a variation of Interval training. I have to move the resistance down because too high a setting bothers my knees and ankles. After 30 minutes I compare it to the Steady-State manual program I "ran" as a warm up. Steady-State wins with greater distance covered, and, according to the Precor program, more calories burned. Still, I feel pretty good. Good enough to clamber down to the Mat for 100 crunches and a quick lower back stretch.

The gym scale reads 113.8 lbs. I take a few selfies. It's Leg Day and my legs don't really look any different, maybe a bit smoother than last summer. My arms, however, look huge. Not as defined either. Just big.

Leg Day Workout

30 min Precor elliptical = 3.03 miles

Smith Machine Squats
25x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
3x12x160 lbs

Smith Machine SLDLs
12x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
3x8x160 lbs +2, +2 reps Yay!

Cage Stretch

Seated Leg Extension
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
12x105 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x135 lbs

Cybex Prone Leg Curl
12x30 lbs
12x50 lbs
12x70 lbs (paused at rep 8 and 10) don't like the way this feels

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

30 min Precor "fat burn program" = 2.86 miles

100 Crunches

Easing Into It

I'm impatient. The month ends next week but I'm itching to slide more cardio into my workout so I upped my warmup to 30 minutes today on the elliptical. And then I still did 20 minutes on the Step Mill after I was done. And I cut out an entire exercise. I'd been debating between BB Rows and One-Arm Rows. Seems silly to do them both in the same workout. I like RG BB Rows better so I did those and skipped the One-Arm Rows. My left lat has been odd lately, ever since it spasmed last week between sets of Bent-Over Reverse DB Flyes for rear delts. I had twisted slightly to grab my cell off the floor and my lat just seized up. It wasn't even Back Day (I do delts on Chest Day).

Today I keep my sets relatively light. Since I already know I can pull 185, I only do sets at 155, and then a "As Many As Possible" set at the end. For fun. Gripping the bar with just the VGs is causing monster callouses to form at the top of my palms opposite my knuckles. I swear I take an emery board to them at least once a week just so I can hold my son's hand without scratching him. My husband teases me that if a Cultural Revolution ever came, I'd be safely mistaken for farm labor with my non-desk jockey hands. He, on the other hand, has baby-soft skin even though he's onsite with conveyors and other equipment when he's not glued to his computer, reviewing shop drawings.

I'm a bit tired from the extra cardio and the BB Rows but I manage to do my three sets of Lower Back Extensions, and then Neutral Grip Lat Pull Downs. I can really feel my left lat today. My right elbow is a little tender as well, but not enough to keep me from getting my sets. I completely forget to do any abs as I clamber up the Step Mill for 20 minutes. A quick Cage Stretch afterwards and I'm done. The gym scale reads 114.2 lbs which is a tad better than yesterday.

I'm thinking of taking Friday off because my son doesn't have school but the rest of NY probably does. Which makes it a perfect day to take him someplace like a museum. I hate going into the City but we could take the commuter train and then either a cab or the subway to the Museum of Natural History because they're having an exhibit on Pterosaurs. I love dinosaurs. I took him to the Yale Peabody Museum when he was three and all he could do was scream "Oh My God!" at the top of his lungs when he saw the huge mounted skeletons. I'm not sure if he'll be so impressed now that he's nine. If my husband weren't working, we'd probably drive into the City, but I hate driving distance, especially in NYC where monster potholes and insane drivers are de riguer. Besides, he'll probably still be in Boston.

Tuesday Back Workout

30 min elliptical = 2.96 miles

RG BB Row
15x45 lbs (bar)
15x135 lbs
5x12x155 lbs
25x135 lbs (AMAP for fun)

Lower Back Extension Machine
3x20x180 lbs

Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
10x105 lbs
8x120 lbs
3x8x135 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1168 steps

Cage Stretch

Moving On

I felt a little bad this morning, watching the sap drip off the red maple like tears. I know that a tree really should be pruned during the late fall when the sap stops running, but winter seemed to have come too quickly for me to get my act together. I figure I'd prune the branches before they sprouted those tiny red flowers followed by the whirlagig samaras and then lacey red leaves. It's a vigorous tree, transplanted as a 4 inch seedling from the swamp behind my house, nourished by the bodies of two of my best dogs. Still, I'm glad when the sap stops pouring from the open bark of the missing limbs. Yesterday was Easter and we had a quiet day at home with my son reveling in Easter basket goodies, my husband preparing a new round of home-made beef jerky and whole-grain honey cakes, the dog basking lazily in the sun while snapping at bees.

Today is just as sunny. I read that there might be shooting stars (Lyrid meteor shower) visible tonight. We're rarely lucky enough to see anything, especially with rain in the forecast. At least the rain will be good for the snow peas and zucchini seeds I set out in the raised bed. The gym parking lot is really crowded but it's Monday. Everyone is guilty of feasting over the weekend. Still, the Precors are free and I get my 20 minutes done. My shoulders have been twingey all weekend so I'm a bit wary of benching today. But because I'm planning to cut back on weights over the next several months, I try to stick to my routine today. There's not a lot of people in the free weight area and at 125 lbs, which really, I can handle myself, I finally ask M to spot me. I hate asking him. Maybe he can tell because he offers to spot me at 135 lbs but it's a very sullen abrupt offer. I'll be happy to drop my benching weight because then I won't need to ask for a spot. I get six reps but the last rep really started to bother my right shoulder. Not a great set. But done.

I do a few sets of Inclined BB Presses and then settle on doing sets of 12 reps at lower weight for the remainder of my DB exercises: Inclined Flyes, DB Lateral Raises, and Bent-Over Reverse Flyes. I'm good with sets of 12 at 25 lbs for the first two movement, but I realize today that I really should move back to 30 lbs. Because after three sets, I increase the reps for each subsequent set. Until I've done 25 reps for set 6. Which means the weight's too light.

I backload my additional cardio today by climbing back onto the Precor for another 20 minutes. Not LISS but Steady State "jogging" that nets a bit over two miles. My plan is to go back to the 4-5 miles a day of cardio, and to drop my weights but keeping high reps. So, hopefully I don't lose too much strength or muscle, but kickstart a fat burn. I already know that I'm fighting my body's natural inclination. After the second course on the elliptical, I do a full Mat Stretch and end it all with 100 crunches. I see R and chat with him briefly. He always surprises me with how much thought he puts into things I don't normally think men think about: like what it's like to be pregnant and carry a baby inside your body.

The gym scale is definitely not my friend today when it reads 114.6 lbs. I already know I'm big but this is probably water weight from the Easter ham we've been munching on this weekend. The supermarket periodically rewards its loyal shoppers with free hams or turkeys. I had my husband put this 12 lb ham on his smoker for 4 hours at 300 F. It's probably the best ham we've ever eaten. Tomorrow is Back Day. I'm debating whether to gradually add the cardio back in to the front by starting with 30 min and ending with 10 min afterwards, or just getting it all out of the way. I guess I'll see if I even get on an elliptical tomorrow.

Monday Workout

20 min Precor = 1.91 miles

Flat BB Press
15x45 lbs (bar)
12x95 lbs
10x115 lbs
8x125 lbs
6x135 lbs (last rep felt off)
10x115 lbs
20x95 lbs (for fun)

Inclined BB Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x65 lbs
10x85 lbs
3x8x95 lbs

Inclined DB Flyes
5x12x25 lbs

Standing Lateral DB Raises
6x12x25 lbs

Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes
3x12x25 lbs
15x25 lbs
20x25 lbs
25x25 lbs (yep, increasing the weight back to 30 lbs next week)

20 min Precor = 2.07 miles

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60 sec plank, splits, upper and lower back stretches
100 crunches

Deload Can't Come Soon Enough

I'm trying to stick with my routine until the end of this month but it gets harder every day. I don't like the way I feel, and I'm really not happy with the way I look. Making strength PRs only goes so far. Today is Arm Day but when I think about it, it's a lot less than I use to do for Arms. After 20 minutes on the Precor (Steady State cardio), I get my high rep sets on the bench and then wrestle with the 45 lb plates and the Olympic bar by the mirrored wall for RG BB Rows. I notice how unevenly I row the bar, my right side pulling higher than my left. I pull one set at 185 lbs because I don't want to lose how it feels. I won't be pulling heavy in a few weeks.

The gym is crowded in odd areas. The DB area is completely filled with women draped all over every single bench. I grab the EZ bar and drop my towel on the back end of one of the BB Breaker Benches. At least I can put my feet up on the support bar for the breaker stay. Rip Crushers don't feel any easier. Then a few sets of BB Curls with the same bar. Except I up the weight after the first set. Finally, I knock out a few sets of Reverse Grip BB Curls just to work the forearms. A quick turn on the Torso Twist, 20 minutes on the Step Mill and an abbreviated Mat Stretch and I'm done. My right trap started to spasm while I was doing BB curls, limiting my neck motion. I made sure to be extra careful during the Mat Stretch.

The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs. I snap a few selfies in the mirror but everything looks distorted. I think it's me because I'm pretty sure the mirror's the same.

Friday Workout

20 min Precor = 1.96 miles

BB Bench Press
15x45 lbs (bar)
3x20x95 lbs
5x95 lbs (last set done immediately after the 3rd 20-repper)

RG BB Row
15x45 lbs (bar)
15x135 lbs (I got bored and lost count)
12x155 lbs
12x175 lbs
6x185 lbs
20x135 lbs (for fun)

Rip Crusher with EZ Bar & Rogue ProLock collars
12x15 lbs (just the bar, no collars)
12x37.5 lbs
3x12x47.5 lbs

BB Curl with EZ Bar & Rogue ProLock collars
12x47.5 lbs
3x12x57.5 lbs

RG BB Curls (switched to straight solid BB)
3x20x50 lbs

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1039 steps

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, upper and lower back stretches, splits, etc

The Numbers Must Be Wrong

Prodded by a bi-monthly reminder to take some progress photos, I set up my tripod and snapped a few in my hallway. The lighting is terrible there, but it's the only place with a blank wall for background. I probably shouldn't be taking upper body photos on Leg Day but I did. And it was a bit depressing. Although today's home scale measurements show that I haven't changed much body composition-wise for the past several weeks, the photos say different. I've lost the three-fingers of delts I used to see when I raised my arms over my shoulders. I can barely make out the horseshoe of my triceps. I'm bigger, but I'm also smoother and I don't like it. It's surface body fat and it makes me feel coarse and ungainly. Traps are bigger though, and my back is fuller, with the diamond shape in the top center. So that's nice.

I'm crabby when I get up this morning and I feel a bit guilty when my son dawdles at breakfast and I want to leave the house already. Spring break is already half over and I still have stuff yet to do. Like sort through and either donate or toss piles of outgrown clothes and toys. That in itself is a two-day event. The gym parking lot is horrendously crowded and I wonder if everyone is going to the movies. I'm not psyched but I do 20 minutes of HIIT cardio anyway, because I know I should. My legs feel thick and heavy and might actually be a tiny bit sore from yesterday's Leg Workout. Still, I manage to hit 256 Strides Per Minute for a second or two during the 30 second phase, and drop down to between 120-150 for the 90 second "resting" phase.

After a quick Cage Stretch, I wrap my hands and stuff them into my gloves. I've forgotten the moleskin today, and I can tell that I haven't wrapped my knuckles as well as I'd like because my right hand stings a little when I punch. The Nexersys is working mostly, but doesn't register my Lead Sweeps so that negatively impacts my Accuracy rating. I'm also having trouble with the Lead Hook and Lead Elbow (which to me are the same thing because I'm too short to elbow the top pads). My Power Hook (right hand) stops the machine with the Warning: You Are Punching Too Hard. More than once. As well as my Cross. And Power Dig (side pad). My scores are only minimally better than last weeks. But at least they're not worse. And I feel good when I'm done.

After I strip off my gloves and wraps, I clamber up the Step Mill. I don't know why it's so hard because it's really just walking up a fast escalator, but after 20 minutes I'm soaked. I toss my hoodie back on so I can do crunches. I don't want to lay on the Mat as soppy as I am and the hoodie will keep my hair from completely drenching everything. I still hate these Knee-to-Elbow crunches, but I do them. I can't say that I'm getting better at it, only that I do them.

The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs. My home scale reads 110.6 lbs and 20.7 % BF which is okay number-wise, but not how I look. Most people get heavier but look leaner when they gain muscle. The Zumba teacher, AM looks even skinnier lately. She claims she's put on 2-3 lbs but since it's muscle, she just looks skinnier. I feel just the opposite. I'm getting noticeably bigger but I don't look leaner. I've put on about 4-5 lbs but it looks like so much more. I compare photos of me at 113 lbs (from when I first met my husband) and photos of me now. I look much bigger now. That's not how it's suppose to work. But I've never been one to follow the rules.

Boxing Thursday

20 min HIIT cardio Precor elliptical (30 sec On / 90 sec Off) = 1.90 miles

Cage Stretch

Nexersys: 5 rounds Beginner Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 90% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 142%

Nexersys: 9 rounds Intermediate Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 86% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 120%

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1197 Steps

50 Crunches / 50 Knee-to-Elbow Crunches / 100 Crunches / 50 Knee-to-Elbow Crunches

photos posted for actual stats:

Legs Are a Dragging

I really wasn't expecting the snow and ice that transformed my yard into a lovely snowy wonderland, and my car into frozen icebox. It took over 20 minutes to defrost it and get everything clear: I absolutely hate those drivers who feel that they only need to clear a tiny space in their windshield before hitting the road, and then all their snow and ice flies off their roof and causes road safety issues. I even had to salt my icy driveway so I could get my recycling bin out onto the road where the big mechanized truck comes by to empty it.

I'm still not recovered from staying up late, mainly because I don't go to bed when I should. I'm a night owl. Staying up is easy for me. Getting up is hard, except when the sun pokes you in the eye as you're laying in bed. I got my son to TKD camp and myself to the gym. 20 minutes on the Precor and then down to the free weight area. Two big guys are using the Smith machine. Bleah. I do unloaded sets on the Icarian Hack/Power Squat machine but I don't like it. No matter how I position myself, my knees and lower back complain. Finally the Smith bar is clear and I saunter up to one of the mountain-width dudes and ask him if he's using the Smith. There are DBs lying all over the floor there. He says No so I toe the DBs away from the Smith and jockey the over-sized adjustable inclined bench out of the way. Mountain-width dude is actually using those DBs. He looks like he wants to say something to me but doesn't. I give him a curious look and then set up to do my Smith Squats.

I have to check my log because I just don't remember how much I should be lifting. Eventually I pile on four 10s next to the 25 lb plate on each side. My back feels a little crunchy, which I hate, but I still get my 12 reps. Drop down 40 lbs. Another 12 reps. I strip the bar, grab the Step Platform and set up for Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts. I've tried the combo grip and it's too confusing when using the Smith machine because the bar has to roll toward you otherwise it gets caught on the upright stays. So I stick with the Overhand grip and the VGs. Today I can only get 8 reps at 160 lbs. Last week I got 12. So I go for two more sets. What I lack in reps, I make up in sets. I can only get 6 reps for each additional set, but I'm okay with that. I think I can actually feel my glutes and hams today.

A quick Cage Stretch, then Seated Leg Extensions, then Seated Leg Curls. I actually drop sets for Leg Curls because the SLDLs really wore me out. I'm thinking of dropping the Leg Curls in general because I don't think they're doing anything for me and my right foot is feeling that odd curl in the arch again. I don't want to screw up my hamstrings or achilles tendon. A quick turn on the Torso Twist machine, and then  20 minutes on the Step Mill. I saw R come in with his wife while I was at the Cage Stretch. I can always tell when he's with her because he hovers protectively like a mother hen. Later, I catch a glimpse of him kissing her on the forehead as she leaves. I don't believe in coincidences. Yesterday, when he told me how big his son was getting, I mentioned that one reason I started working out was because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pick up and carry my son to bed when he fell asleep and my husband wasn't around.

The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs. I really need to lose some of this fat. Come May, I'm going to change up my routine again. My lats, traps and triceps are all a bit sore today. From those BB rows I'm sure. I'm looking forward to getting a bit leaner.

Leg Day

20 min Precor = 1.97 miles

Icarian Hack/Power Squat
Forward 3x15x50 lbs
Backward 3x15x50 lbs

Smith Machine Squat
12x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x160 lbs
12x120 lbs

Smith Machine SLDLs
15x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
8, 6, 6 x 160 lbs

Cage Stretch

Seated Leg Extension
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
12x105 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x135 lbs

Seated Leg Curl
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
12x105 lbs

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1155 steps

Lunar Eclipse Fiasco

My son and I managed to stay up until well past midnight hoping to catch sight of the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse. At midnight the sky was hazy but we could still see the full moon low in the sky over the neighbor's house. Nothing like watching morbidly obese people lose hundreds of pounds on TV to keep you awake with morbid fascination. At 1 am, we donned jackets and shoes and went outside but even though the sky was eerily lit, we couldn't find the moon to observe. Too much fog and mist. We were quite disappointed, and it was hard getting up this morning to the wet wind and rain. My son went to tae kwon do camp for the day and I went to the gym. I'm going to get him early from camp though so we can see Rio 2 which got good reviews in the local news blog. Because it's Spring Break, bad weather and $5 Tuesday, I expect the movie theater to be quite crowded so we'll have to get there early.

I did my 20 minutes on the Precor before wrestling with the Olympic bar by the mirrored wall. I hate people who leave their plates on the bar. This time it was just a pair of 10s, but still. My shoulders are unusually sore this morning, and considering I cut sets, reps and weight for everything except benching yesterday, I'm a bit surprised. This couldn't possibly be because I got a few extra reps at the bench, could it? I work my way up on RG BB Rows, doing a set at 155, then a set at 175, then back down to 155 for two more sets. I only do the 175 because I'm afraid of losing gains. I should do the 185 but lack of sleep makes me less ambitious. I don't want to risk screwing up my form and hurting my back either.

Again, I cut my reps and sets for the all my other exercises, except the Lower Back Extension machine. I start One-Arm DB Rows with the 55 lb DB instead of the 60, and realize how easy it feels. I swap it for the 60 just as R wanders by and grabs the pair of 65s. That's fine. I'm tired so I'm perfectly happy doing sets at 60 instead of 65. As it is, I can't even do full sets with the 60 so this is probably for the best. The DB area is crowded and R has situated himself inside the Smith rack to use the adjustable bench there. Before I move on to the Lower Back Extension and Neutral Grip Pull Down, I wave Hi at him and ask him how he is. He goes for pain shots in his back two or three times a year. It helps but it's never going to be great. Then he starts talking about how big his son is getting, how he's teething already, and we compare notes about babies. Even though my son is nine, I still remember how he was all those years ago. I think R really enjoys talking about his son, and like me, he's not comfortable talking to a lot of the people at the gym. I don't think guys at the gym talk a lot about their kids.

I feel bad cutting him off as he mentions how his wife is into scrap-booking all the baby photos, but he's able to work out while he talks. And I can't. I still have at least two other movements to do. I manage to up my reps for the Lower Back Extension machine, but have to cut back at the Lat station. I start off with a lower weight as well but still work my way up to 135 lbs. But I only do one set at that weight. A quick turn at the Torso Twist machine, and then I clamber up the Step Mill. Meanwhile I see the Flirty Girl flitting about. She's got great proportions and muscle tone, sweat glistening on her upper arms and shoulders. Later, when I look at myself in the locker room mirror, I realize I can see my lats even though I'm only turned three-quarters. And I'm big. My triceps are improbably sore, from Friday's Rip Crushers? More likely from yesterday's Chest and Delt workout. The gym scale reads 113.0 lbs again. Yay for consistency.

Tuesday Abbreviated Back Workout

20 min Precor = 1.85 miles

RG BB Row
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x135 lbs (with VGs)
12x155 lbs
12x175 lbs (-10 lbs)
2x12x155 lbs
23x135 lbs (AMAP for fun; maybe I should up the weight here?)

One-Arm DB Rows
12x55 lbs
10, 8, 8 x60 lbs (-5 lbs)

Lower Back Extension Machine
25, 25, 20 x 180 lbs (+10, +5 reps Yay!)

Neutral Grip Lat Pull Downs
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
10x105 lbs
8x120 lbs
8x135 lbs (-2 sets)

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1153 steps

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, upper & lower back stretch

100 crunches

Abbreviations Galore

Top: LF treadmill = .64 miles
Bottom: Row = 1.57 miles

I took my son to the gym yesterday. After 20 min on the treadmill and another 20 min rowing on the Concept II erg, he did sets on various Cybex machines, discovered ones he absolutely didn't fit into, did better on Inverse Rows at the Smith machine, as well as basic bench presses with a padded, weighted 20 lb bar in the DB area. Again, he was too tired to do the 3rd round of cardio but managed to squeak out several sets of crunches. Then we took a drive and got a supermarket-cooked chicken for dinner, and gelato just for fun: Italian cheesecake and Peeps for him; raspberry coffee with heath bar crumble for me. Not quite as good as their pistachio, but tasty enough.

Today I'd planned to drop my son off at tae kwon do for a few hours but they were closed when we arrived. I found out when I brought him to my gym that their town's school board completely screwed up their holiday schedule. Whereas we lost days during Winter Break in February (no one's planning to go anywhere anyway), this town took snow days away from Spring Break. So Carmel NY had school today, and Mahopac did not. But Carmel's off the rest of the week. They were going to have the day after Easter as well, but lost that as well. What this means is that I had to bring my son to the childcare room at the gym today and limit myself to a 2-hour workout, which, when you count showering and changing, isn't enough time to do my entire routine. I dropped sets off everything except the Flat Bench because that's the important lift. I managed to squeeze in a Cage Stretch but no additional cardio. I'll just have to make it up the rest of the week.

Today's Abbreviated Monday Workout

20 min Precor = 1.93 miles

Flat BB Bench
12x45 lbs (bar)
10x95 lbs
8x115 lbs (now I'm just starting to feel warmed up)
8x125 lbs
(I had The Mayor spot me here but I can't remember if I did 8 or 10 reps. Bummer. He asked if I was upping the weight and I said, "Just a tad." He says, "You should just toss a 45 on there." But that'd be such a pain to do the drop sets afterwards.)
6x135 lbs +2 reps Yay!
(The Mayor spotted me ^^ here too and was surprised I didn't need a lift off)
10x115 lbs +2 reps
20x95 lbs (for fun)

Inclined BB Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
10x65 lbs
My right shoulder's feeling a little achy so I'm not unhappy cutting my sets way back today
10x85 lbs

Inclined DB Flyes
12x25 lbs
3x12x30 lbs

Standing Lateral DB Raises
12x25 lbs
8, 8, 12 x 30 lbs Couldn't resist upping the reps on the last set

Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes
12x25 lbs
3x12x30 lbs

I barely have time for a quick Cage Stretch before I change and shower. I'm only 10 minutes late to rescue my son from "baby purgatory". The gym scale reads 113.0 lbs. I'm good with that. The tae kwon do school has called back and offered me a free week of summer camp for the mix-up this morning. That's cool.

Take Solace Where You Find It

It took me a while to get out of the house this morning because I was dreading an over-crowded gym. Maybe people are taking leave early for Spring break but the gym was half empty when I got there. Yay! I'm not quite sure why people are such idiots though. There's one Precor elliptical available but someone's jacket is draped over the back of it. I motion to the woman pedaling on the adjacent machine and she points to Flirty Girl on the Jacob's Ladder. I pull out an earpiece and ask her if the hoodie's hers. She's embarrassed and unhooks herself from the machine to retrieve it. As soon as she jumps off, a dude jumps onto it. It's apparently very popular lately due to the "climbing competition". My gym likes to give away T-shirts for participants of various cardio challenges. I've never signed up for any of them, and never will. It's just not what I do.

Then I move to the Bench and knock out some high rep sets. I feel pretty good, but I have to wait for a young dude dead lifting in front of the mirrored wall. He's got a pair of 45s on each side and a few smaller plates. I don't want to stare so I don't count how much weight he's pulling. When he starts to strip the bar, I ask him if he's done and then if he can just leave the last plate on. Yay! It means I don't warm up with the bar or 95 lbs, but not having to wrestle the plates saves me a lot of energy. I move from 135 to 155 to 175 lbs fairly quickly. Then I add two tiny plates. 180 lbs. I even remember to video it, but I don't like how I've positioned my cell. I'm flanked by The Mayor and Big Eyeglass Dude, both on Inclined Benches angled behind me. Eventually I pull off the 2.25 lb plates and replace them with 5s. That's 185 lbs. This is damn heavy. Again, I can only manage a weird shrug-like rowing motion. But I remember to video it as well. Then I strip the bar down to 135 and knock out a 20-repper, just for fun.

My hands are tired. The VGs don't prevent callouses from forming at the top of my palms directly beneath my knuckles. I only do some Rip Crushes for triceps today because I don't think I can do anything else. But I take that EZ bar and knock out BB curls, even upping the weight a bit. I check my form in the mirror because my elbows tend to move back as I curl. Then I swap the EZ bar for a solid bar and do a few Reverse Grip BB Curls. In the back of my mind I know I should do some abs as well, but instead, I clamber up the Step Mill for 20 minutes. When I'm done, I drop onto the Mat, put my hoodie back on and proceed to grit my teeth through crunches and knee-to-elbow-crunches. If I do a full Mat Stretch with my hoodie on, it tends to flip over my back and head so I have to take it off now that I've stopped dripping all over the place. The Dive Bomber Push Ups are easy. The plank is hard. Everything else is cake.

The gym scale reads 114.2 lbs. I'm definitely heavier and bigger. When I get home, I check my own scale and it tells me that I'm 112.2 lbs and again, 20.8% Body Fat. Well, at least I'm not fatter. I already knew I was bigger. I don't know if the BF is correct or not because I see photos of so many people who look fatter than I am and claim to be 10-15% BF. I look at them and tell myself Whoa, there's no way they're leaner than me. I do appreciate photos of people who compete, showing how they look in the off-season. Now I don't feel so bad about not being as lean as I'd like to be. But with summer coming, I'm feeling the need to strip off a bit of this smoothness.

Friday Workout

20 min Precor = 2.05 miles

Flat BB Bench Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
3x20x95 lbs
5x95 lbs (done right after last set)

RG BB Row
12x135 lbs (use VGs all rows)
12x155 lbs
12x175 lbs
10x180 lbs (+5 lbs Yay!) video
8x185 lbs +10 lbs Yay! PB video
20x135 lbs (for fun)

RIP Crushers (with 15 lb EZ bar & 2.5 lb Rogue ProLoc collars)
12x37.5 lbs
3x12x47.5 lbs

BB Curls (with 15 lb EZ bar & 2.5 lb Rogue ProLoc collars)
3x12x47.5 lbs
2x12x52.5 lbs
12x57.5 lbs

RG BB Curls (solid straight BB)
20x40 lbs
3x20x50 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1202 steps

50 Crunches / 50 Knee to Elbow Crunches / 100 Crunches / 50 Knee to Elbow Crunches

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, upper & lower back stretches

Abbreviated Cardio Day

My husband finally made it home last night. He was suppose to come home Tuesday but found out, after he'd checked out of his hotel room, that he needed to be at a bunch of meetings on Wednesday. So he checked back in but got assigned to a Smoking Room. Luckily he could refuse and get a clean Non-Smoking room. (If it were me, I wouldn't make it past the elevator because I get a terrible reaction to even residual smoke on people in the locker room. I'm allergic. It gives me a horrible headache and my eyes and sinuses start to water and burn.) What I noticed about my husband though, is that the waistband to his pants are too big and bunched up under his belt. He's lost weight and looks great. He claims it's the HIIT cardio that I told him about.

Today I do HIIT cardio today on the Precor for a bit over 20 minutes. I always start off telling myself I'll just do 10 minutes of HIIT and 10 of Steady State, but once I get going, I decide I can stick it out for another 5 minutes. Oh, it's just another 5 more minutes. I can do this. And then it's 21 minutes later. I cover more mileage doing Steady State, but the cardiovascular benefits are greater for HIIT. A quick Cage Stretch because dang my hamstrings feel thick and heavy today. Those Smith SLDLs must be working. My back is painfully knotty from missing two days of stretching. I'm not usually sore but I usually stretch at the end of my workout. Today is another Early Dismissal School Day but I'm determined to get a full Mat Stretch in. I'll just have to sacrifice the LISS cardio.

I stick tiny pieces of moleskin on the knuckles of both my index fingers before wrapping them. They're still bruised from last week. Again, because I'm a creature of habit, I tap in 5 rounds Beginner followed by 9 rounds Intermediate. The Nexersys is mostly working, but my accuracy suffers when I punch too hard and the machine stops with the warning screen You Are Punching Too Hard, or when I punch or kick too hard, and the screen blips, causing other parts of the avatar to light up. I'm never quite sure whether I should punch those pads in response or not. I modify my kicks and punches in a way that feels almost lazy: I drag out my punch and pull-back. The machine seems to like that better than a rabbit-quick full-force punch. Somehow it registers that drawn-out blow as a lesser force and I don't get penalized. But I don't like it. It's not the way you should throw a punch.

I see a notice on the door that the gym will be offering a special kickboxing class at 5:30 pm on Fridays. People are quite excited by the news. Safety in numbers. I'd rather punch the Nexersys. Afterwards, I plop down on the Mat, unwrap my hands and put my lifting gloves back on in preparation for a full Mat Stretch. Two dozen Dive Bomber Push Ups, a 60-second plank, splits, lower and upper back and shoulder stretches. I feel much better now. The gym scale reads 113.8 lbs. Yep, it's got to be the Phantom Period. Tomorrow is a regular school day so I don't have to worry about time: it's Arm Day, and I'm going to give 180 a try at the RG BB Row.

Thursday Cardio Workout

20 min Precor HIIT: 30 sec "run" / 90 sec "jog" = 1.90 miles

Cage Stretch

Nexersys 5 rounds Beginner Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 93% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 140%

Nexersys 9 rounds Intermediate Follow Me Avatar
  Accuracy 84% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 119%

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs; 60-second plank; splits, shoulder, upper & lower back stretches

photos posted for actual stats:

The Phantom Period

I woke up wondering why my breasts felt lumpy and tender. When the inside of my left hip twinged with a familiar cramping, I remembered that this is what my period would feel like on alternate months. (The other months were stealth, when I would have no warning signs whatsoever save the sudden ruin of garments.) This is all fine and well except that I don't get my periods anymore. Apparently, I just get phantom ones. The effect also seems to extend to a sudden burst of energy and strength prior to my periods as well. I'm dreading the let-down when I'll feel as if someone's pulled the plug out of life support and coffee won't be enough to keep me upright.

My warm up on the elliptical felt great and I logged just under two miles in twenty minutes. Next month I might start to work back to 4-5 miles a day. The Smith machine was occupied by chatty men traipsing back and forth from the Smith to the actual Squat rack (there's only one of each) and an Inclined Bench. The Mayor, M and Tall Pace are among the gaggle. I fold my towel lengthwise and drape it across my shoulders for additional padding while I maneuver the Hack Squat machine. It's definitely heavier than just an Olympic bar, and even though I punch 50 lbs into the Jefit App, I think it's closer to 75 lbs. I play with different foot and hip positions because really I'm not big enough to fit this machine correctly. My lower back hurts when I place myself flat against the back of the machine to do front facing Hack Squats so I stand further out. My knees and hips aren't very happy. There's no way I'm going to add weight to this and do sets. I do a few back facing "power" squats as well, but again, nothing feels right. Then the Smith is free. Yay!

I pretend I haven't wasted my time with the Hack Squat machine and do progressive sets of Smith machine Squats. My back doesn't start to feel crunchy until I have 160 lbs, and I stop at 10 reps. I got 12 reps last week. Oh well. Note that the only time I go Butt to Heels is for the first warm up set of 25 reps with just the bar. My knees won't put up with going so low once there's weight on the bar. All the rest of my sets are parallel. I strip the bar and drop it to the ground before loading it again for Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts. Today I decide not to use the Step Platform. I'll probably use it again next week. Last week I had trouble hanging onto the bar with the heavier weights. This week I give the Under and Over grip another shot. It's especially hard to do with the Smith machine because rotating the bar away from your body causes the bar to hook (at least with the way I'm positioned). Still, I do better this week and manage to pull 160 lbs for 12 reps. That's probably the only time I've ever pulled more for SLDLs than for Squats. I thought about doing SLDLs with the Olympic bar, but The Mayor and his posse seem to be holding court in that space.

I look again and The Mayor is doing skull crushers, using the Preacher Curl rest to hold the bar so he can grab it overhead from the flat bench he's sprawled out on. He's not doing Rip Crushers, but really sloppy regular ol' skull crushers. The bar doesn't appear to be monstrously heavy so I'm not sure why he needs to use the Preacher bar rest at all. And I'm not curious enough to ask.

I get a quick Cage Stretch and then do a few sets on the Seated Leg Curl and the Seated Leg Extension. Given a choice between the Step Mill and doing DB Lunges, I'll choose steps every time. But I keep checking the clock because I need to pick up a few things at the store, drop stuff off at home, get laundry going and then head out to my doctor's appointment for a Bone Density Test. I also need to sign my son up for tae kwon do camp for next week's Spring Break because I don't want him sitting around all week playing video games. I can only bring him to work out at the gym on weekends. During the week he'll have to stay in the childcare room, where all he'll do is play video games or watch TV. Tomorrow will be another abbreviated day since there's Early Dismissal again. But tomorrow's Boxing Day! Yay! I always love whacking the Nexersys. What I don't love is that the gym scale reads 115.0 lbs today. WTF? Yep, it's like I have my period. But without all the inconvenience.

Wednesday Leg Workout

21 min (time read 20min 55sec) = 2.05 miles

Icarian Hack/Power Squat machine
Front facing 4x15x50 lbs (really feels more like 75 lbs)
Back facing 2x15x50 lbs

Smith machine Squats
25x30 lbs (bar) speed squats Butt to Heels
12x80 lbs
12x100 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
12x150 lbs
10x160 lbs

Smith machine SLDLs
12x30 lbs (bar)
12x80 lbs
12x100 lbs (put on VGs)
12x120 lbs
12x140 lbs
12x160 lbs Yay! PB +10 lbs
12x100 lbs

Cage Stretch

Seated Leg Curl
12x75 lbs
12x90 lbs
2x12x105 lbs (-1 set; my hammies felt really tired)

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

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1161 steps

Abbreviated Back Tuesday

Today is Early Dismissal due to Parent-Teacher conferences this afternoon. My appointment is for 2:15 pm. I get home with a few minutes to spare so laundry's in the washer, and I started making myself a protein shake with the last of the ON 100% Natural Strawberry-flavored Whey, lactose-free skim milk, a banana and 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries. Not sure what my next protein powder purchase will be, but I hope it has better flavor.

I tend to play things by feel so I didn't really have a plan as to what I was cutting out of my workout today. I got my 20 minutes of Steady-State cardio in and then followed my Back Routine: BB Rows to warm up and Reverse Grip BB Rows for work and fun; One-Arm DB Rows; Neutral Grip Lat Pull Downs, and finally Lower Back Extensions. The BB Rows go as expected. I'm getting better at loading and unloading the plates off the Olympic bar. I can't resist doing a set at 175 lbs just because I'm worried about losing my strength gains. But I only do one set of those odd shrug-rows, and then I drop the weight back down to 155 lbs for two more sets. The 20-repper takes more out of me that I expect because the One-Arm DB Rows that follow are really hard today. Still, I do manage to add reps to the last two sets. But I pay for this in the Neutral Grip Lat Pull Downs later, and I lose a rep  on the last two sets of those. Bummer. My back is actually tired.

The gym seems back to its normal density of regulars. The Mayor, Tall and Short Pace and M are kibbitzing by the benches. The sport stripe pants look familiar and I realize that R is here as well. I hardly ever see him anymore because he tends not to linger. I did see him doing an odd squat form last week where he holds the end of an Olympic bar upright with a big plate on it, and the other end is wedged into a corner. Then he squats while alternately holding the end of the bar with one hand and then the other. While I'm doing reps on the Lower Back Extension, he waves Hi from the Cable Push Down station. When I'm done, I wander over and ask how his baby is. He virtually gushes and I realize that I have time for this if I don't stretch. I'm still amazed that he can work out while talking. I can't do that. He'd show me recent photos of his kid but his phone's in the car because the last phone shattered from the force of a 120 lb weight. Yep, that's a good reason to keep your phone in the car.

We talk about family, babies and school districts, things friends would discuss. It's as if we're friends. Like we are in my dreams. Very odd. I glance at the clock and realize that I have enough time to shower and change before rushing back to meet the school bus. The gym scale reads 114.6 lbs. Whoa, that's much heavier than I want to be right now. But I'm patient. By next month I'm going to up my reps and start to cut my calories. And I'm going to up my cardio as well. I miss that feeling.

Abbreviated Tuesday Back Workout

175 lbs today

20 min Precor elliptical = 1.95 miles

BB Rows (overhand grip)
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x95 lbs
RG BB Rows (with VGs)
12x135 lbs
12x155 lbs
12x175 lbs (I'm debating attempting 180 lbs on Friday)
2x12x155 lbs
20x135 lbs (for fun)

One-Arm DB Rows (left hand first, then righ)
12x60 lbs
8, 10, 12 x 65 lbs +2, +2 reps Yay!

Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down
12x105 lbs
10x120 lbs
7, 6, 6 x 130 lbs -1, -2, -2 reps Boo!

Lower Back Extension Machine
15, 20, 20 x 180 lbs +5, +5 reps Yay!

Tug O War Monday

My son and I went to the gym yesterday but this time I actually let him use a few of the machines once I was sure he fit into them properly. Normally we just do a lot of different cardio machines and then some DB movements. But boys are always attracted to the erector set structures so after 20 minutes on the LifeFitness elliptical, we explored the Cybex stations. He did light sets of 10-12 reps on a seated chest press, a seated row, lying leg curl, leg press, three different ab machines, the pec dec, and a lateral shoulder machine. Then we spent 20 minutes on the rowing machine before doing a few sets of bench presses with just a weighted 20 lb bar. Finally, we went into the empty classroom and proceeded with sets of crunches, push ups and some DB exercises. He also did DB lunges across the room. I was surprised when he was too pooped to do a final 20 minutes of cardio. "Mom, I'm too tired. Can we just go now? I'm starving!" Of course, I hadn't done any of the machine exercises since I was too busy watching him to make sure his form was correct and the weights not too heavy. But the extra cardio, crunches and sit ups seemed to have sapped my enthusiasm for Mondays. And Monday is Universal Bench Press day.

I'm surprised that I can actually get on a Precor today because I've come to expect every cardio machine to be occupied. I mope along at 170-190 Strides Per Minute for 20 minutes just to get warm. I'm not all that excited to be here. I find the yoga blocks wedged between two benches and wonder why people never put anything back. My right shoulder feels odd today, and it twinges when I bench. Not good. I'm a bit worried about benching heavy but don't want to toss in the towel if I don't have to. I'm better when I'm warm, and doing a few reps at 95 and 115 aren't really enough. M seems to be redeeming himself by actually offering to spot me after I set up 125 lbs. Because the shoulder feels odd, I only do one set at 125. Then, I toss on another pair of 5s and get a spot at 135 because I figure that getting 4 at 135 is easier than doing 6 at 125 three times. And I'm happy that I can do it without help on the lift-off. Then I do a few drop sets, culminating in a 20-repper at 95 lbs.

I'm less happy about doing the Inclined BB Press, especially since it's my front right delt that's feeling a bit off. But I don't go nearly as heavy so those movements, although not graceful, don't feel awful. Next are DB Inclined Flyes, followed by DB Lateral Raises and then, finally Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes. I drop the weights back down to 25s and 30s in deference to the achy delt. My joints are iffy enough as they are without having to suffer injury. I'd rather just drop the weights down. I see B in the mirrored wall. She spends an awful lot of time chatting with M, the Mayor, whoever. I see her and I'm pretty sure she sees me, but luckily she doesn't wander over to talk. I hate having my workouts interrupted. But I like the way my arms and shoulders look. Again, the Mayor doesn't look very happy today, but I'm not interested enough to find out why.

The Jefit app reminds me that I'm doing 5 sets, otherwise I'd probably've only done 3 and called it done. My timing is good though and I clamber onto the Step Mill for 20 minutes afterwards. Then I force myself to do crunches and those awful, awful knee-to-elbow crunches. And a full Mat Stretch. With Dive Bomber Push Ups and a 60-second plank. Still hate it. The gym scale reads 114.0 lbs. Wow. I'm sure two or three of those pounds are water, but all in all, I'm not really that big. When I first met my husband back in 1997, I weighed 113 lbs. Still, I'd like to be leaner. I just have to get my head around potentially losing strength when I drop some size. It's a Tug O' War over goals.

Monday Workout

20 min Precor elliptical = 1.85 miles

BB Bench Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
10x95 lbs
8x115 lbs
6x125 lbs
4x135 lbs
8x115 lbs
20x95 lbs (for fun)

Inclined BB Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
10x65 lbs
8x85 lbs
6, 8, 10x95 lbs

Inclined DB Flye
12x25 lbs
4x12x30 lbs

DB Lateral Raises
12x25 lbs
5x12x30 lbs (-5 lbs)

Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes
12x25 lbs
5x12x30 lbs (-5 lbs)

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1092 steps

50 Crunches
50 Knee to Elbow Crunches
100 Crunches
50 Knee to Elbow Crunches

2x12 Dive Bomber Push Ups
60-second plank

Mat Stretch with splits and upper & lower back stretches

One More Month

It's Friday and I admit that I'm tired. I'm looking forward to taking some time off from heavy lifting which is odd because normally I have to be convinced by others. However, since I've been making what I consider ridiculous strength gains for the past several weeks, it's not completely improbable to think that I actually need to rest up sooner. And by rest, I don't mean a complete hiatus from the gym, but rather, a week or two of just cardio and boxing, and then perhaps a few weeks of HIIT cardio and high reps/low weight.

I'm going to see if I can make gains through April, and then pull back. It's an experiment that bears repeating to see if this is a sustainable program for me. Since I didn't lose any strength whatsoever when I took January off, I'm not worried about taking May off. I'm also trying to adjust my expectations for the summer since there's still the chance that I might need eye surgery which will preclude any lifting whatsoever, at least for a few months. Right now I'm using Xalatan and Azopt and the IOP test in May will show whether that's an effective combination.

Top: LF elliptical
Bottom: LF bike

Again, the gym is ridiculously busy and the only cardio machine I can use is one of the LifeFitness ellipticals by the entrance. Good enough for 20 minutes of Steady State cardio. The free weight area is fairly empty though. I get my 3 sets of benching for 20 reps, and move on to the BB Row. The gym is so humid that I break a sweat just wrangling the plates onto the Olympic bar. I am getting better at it though and only do a set at 95 lbs, then quickly swapping the 25 lb plates for the 45s, skipping 115 lbs and going directly to 135. Then 155. Then, deep breath, 175 lbs. It's only 5 lbs more than what I pulled on Tuesday. And I can pick it up and do those odd row-shrugs for 12 reps. That's my all-time Personal Best. Then I drop back to 155 for a set, and then down to 135 for a 20-repper. Oddly, it's the 155 that seems to give my lower back a bit of trouble. Not exactly quite sure why, but I suspect it's because I was a lot tighter in my form for 175. I've got to be more mindful.

Today is Arm Day and there's Rip Crushers and BB Curls on the agenda. I find one of the EZ bars and use my Rogue ProLoc collars to secure a pair of 10 lb plates. They're so effortless! I notice the Mayor, disheveled as always with his baggy polo shirt and red oven-mitt lifting gloves, looking a bit disconsolate. I'm not sure if it's because I've got my own collars, or if it's because I'm doing Rip Crushers. I remember seeing him do this movement once, but he'd positioned himself on a bench right in front of the Preacher so that its bar rest sat a few inches past his head, I guess as a sort of safety. I figure if I can't pull the bar back over, I'll just drop it. But that hasn't happened yet, and I doubt it will. I use the same bar to do BB Curls, but find myself adding a little more weight. It's still lighter than last week because I'm trying to keep my form strict without killing my elbows.

My elbows and wrists don't care for the One-Arm DB Tricep Extension behind the head so I've skipped that and do a few DB Kickbacks instead. I'm not totally impressed with this movement either, but it's nice to see muscles move in the mirror. Finally, I swap the EZ bar for a solid straight BB to do Reverse Grip BB Curls, working my way up from 40 lbs to 55 lbs. My hands are tired. I have a choice between the Step Mill and the recumbent bike but since the guy is still wiping down the steps with the bleach solution, I decide to be lazy and plop myself down onto the bike. I swear I can do this in my sleep, and I close my eyes for several minutes while I pedal. The gym is crowded again. I knock out a few sets of regular crunches because I don't feel like the spectacle that knee to elbow crunches inevitably becomes. Then a full mat stretch with Dive Bomber Push Ups (my son complained to me the other day that he thought they were crazy hard), a 60-second plank, splits and other stretches.

The gym scale reads 113.0 lbs and my face is all red and puffy. I feel and look better once I've showered though. I need to cut my time at the gym because I have too many other things that need doing: a big solo photography show in November, and several unfinished stories that nag at the back of my head. My gym time is also my procrastination time, and while it makes me feel good, it's not helping me finish all the things I need to do.

Friday Workout

20 min LifeFitness elliptical = 2.13 miles

BB Bench Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
3x20x95 lbs

BB Row (overhand for warm up)
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x95 lbs

RG BB Row (use VGs and underhand grip)
12x135 lbs
12x155 lbs
12x175 lbs +5 lbs PR yay!
12x155 lbs
20x135 lbs (for fun)

Rip Crushers (with 15 lb EZ bar and 2.5 lb ProLoc Collars)
12x37.5 lbs
3x12x47.5 lbs

BB Curls
12x47.5 lbs
3x12x52.5 lbs

DB Kickbacks
15x15 lbs
12x20 lbs
12x25 lbs

RG BB Curls
20x40 lbs
20x45 lbs
20x50 lbs
20x55 lbs

20 min LifeFitness recumbent bike = 3.17 miles

Torso Twist Station
2x25x50 lbs

Crunches
3x50

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, lower and upper back stretches