Slow Out of the Gate

The alarm went off and I rolled over to hit the snooze. Then I had to wait for my head to catch up with my brains sloshing about inside. Or at least that's how it felt. Vertigo and inner ear problems seem to be a familial issue. It's most-likely caused by extreme sensitivity to fragrances and allergies, and the subsequent effects on sinuses and the human equilibrium. Since I didn't have any other symptoms, like congestion or a cough, I was perplexed. I get vertigo a few times a year but usually in conjunction with a sinus infection or head cold. I've been lucky for the past two years, ever since I skipped the annual flu shot. Go figure.

Vertigo makes dressing difficult this morning, but I manage to get my son and the dog fed, my son off to school and the dog walked before I head out to the gym. I figure it's either going to make it better, or worse. I feel better outside and driving to the gym poses no problems. My head feels oddly heavy so I wonder if I'm just mildly allergic to something in the air. I sip my water before and after my cardio warm up. Today I do 3 miles to start but because I don't have my hoodie on over my head, it takes me a long time to warm up. But my heart rate is erratically all over the place, peaking at 202 even though I'm at a steady 150 SPM pace. I can't explain it. My hair is annoying as it sticks to my face and neck.

Maybe I'm dehydrated? The more water I drink, the better I feel. The free weight area is oddly empty, but not only is it Friday, it's also nice outside. I'm a bit tired so I'm not completely assured of making all my reps or sets on all my weights. I do it though. Even the 3 sets of Smith SLDLs at 160. Again, it's my grip that starts to fail on the 8th rep. But then it's done. I do a quick Cage Stretch, and just for fun, I grab the inside top of the Cage to see if I can still do a few Pull Ups. My hands are close, facing each other in a neutral grip position. I do 10 easily. I could struggle for two more but I worry about damaging my already fragile elbows and wrists.

Three sets at the Seated Leg Extension and then I look around to see if I can use the Lat Pull Down station (there are two). I grab a bosu and set myself up for those peculiar Glute-Ham Raises, making sure to move slowly and deliberately. I'm wearing shorts but they look like black sweatpants cut off just above the knees. Not terribly flattering, but very comfy. I see R doing Tricep Push Downs so I say Hi to him. He's says he's crazy busy with work, but he and his wife plan to take a week to vacation at a resort in Mexico as a combination Mother's Day / Father's Day get-away. "You're not taking the baby, are you?" I ask. "Oh no, but it's so hard to leave him," he tells me. His in-laws will baby-sit. I'm jealous. I'd like to go on vacation every year, but we don't. Instead, we might go to Florida for a week in October, to visit my ailing Mother-In-Law but also to take my son to Universal Studios. Harry Potter World has a new attraction.

I do 2 more miles on the elliptical, and then a full Mat Stretch because my left shoulder and lat felt odd while I was Squatting. Stretching helps me recover better. I have a lot more energy now and I literally bounce into my splits and stretches. It's worth noting that while I may not bust much of a sweat pedaling on the elliptical, I'm always breathless and sweaty during my stretch routines. Again, I incorporate a knee to elbow movement for the last 30 seconds of the 1-minute plank. It definitely makes the time go faster. My vertigo is gone as well.

The gym scale reads 112.4 lbs. My home scale says I'm 111.2 lbs but still 20.5% BF. However, I can see tiny and subtle changes so I'll stick to this routine for now. Until my son goes to camp, then I'll have to figure out how to incorporate two shorter workouts into my program.

Friday Leg Workout

Workout Logs

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   257 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:34:00

Smith Machine Squat

224

Set 1 : 30x20
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 160x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

202.67

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 160x8
Set 6 : 160x8
Set 7 : 160x8

Leg Extensions

189

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 120x12
Set 3 : 135x12

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   173 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 03:42:00

Close Grip Chin Up

148

Set 1 : BWx10

 
    3x10 GHR at lat pull down station

Braver As Soon As I Catch My Breath

There's only two Thursdays left for my son's extra gym class. After I drop him off at school, I head off to the gym, confident that I've packed everything I'm suppose to have. My back and neck are a bit stiff but cardio and boxing should loosen everything up. Now that I'm comfortable doing 2 miles to warm up and 3 miles to cool down, I find it unnecessary to snap a quick photo of the screen when I'm done. It's unfortunate that the elliptical only allows you to determine how long you want to pedal, not how far, so my time varies but not by much. Today I do the 4 minutes of Tabata (20 sec On / 10 sec Off) after 5 minutes of Steady State. 4 minutes seems like it will never end. But it also makes everything else seem really easy.

After a quick Cage Stretch, I wrap my hands and proceed to tap in 9 rounds Beginner. I know the machines are popular: I saw an elderly man whacking it when I came in, and a younger man at it while I was on the elliptical. I'm probably the only one who double-wraps their hands though, because I have such small hands. In spite of these precautions, I'm still developing a discolored bruise on the knuckle of both my index fingers. But at least I'm not breaking any skin.

I'm getting used to the new program, but this week I stick to rounds at the Beginner Level. My knees have been a bit off lately and I worry that the Sweep is putting too much lateral pressure on them. There's only Lead and Power kicks at the Beginner Level. Again, I'm punching too hard for the Power Dig, and sometimes the Cross. But sporadically the Power Kick doesn't register at all. I lose accuracy points. It takes me several rounds before I discover the sweet spot: kicking very low on the pad. After 9 rounds, I'm tempted to give the Intermediate a go but I don't think I can last for 5 rounds. Instead, I chicken out and punch in 5 rounds Beginner. The program varies the combination of kicks and blows for each round so it's impossible to really develop a rhythm, or anticipate the next move.

I'm drenched when I'm done, so naturally, once I strip off my wraps and gloves, I head back to the ellipticals to do my 3 mile cool down. Except it's not really cooling down. Then a few crunches. Okay, 50 crunches, 50 knee to elbows, 50 more crunches. Done. The gym scale has been stubborn. It reads 113.0 lbs. For as much energy as I think I expend, my body seems to have become extremely efficient. My numbers haven't really changed but I feel a tad leaner, if not smaller. Well, as long as my clothes still fit, that's all I care about right now.


Thursday Cardio Workout

 Exercise Name

1RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   170 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:22:00

Boxing

N/A

Calorie :   --
Distance : --
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  14 Lap/Rep
Duration : 00:56:00

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   256 CAL
Distance: 3.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:34:00

Crunches

50

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 50 Lap/Rep

Crunch with Hands Overhead

50

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep

Images for actual stats:

Worse Than Curling in the Squat Rack

We all gripe about the newbies who don't re-rack their weights or drape their stuff over equipment they're not using. But today I saw something new. And because I didn't want to scare them away from the gym, I bit my tongue and said nothing. But HS girls ought to learn that the Squat Rack is for Squats. Not for Dead Lifts. Especially not just the bar and a pair of 10s. And the Squat Rack is definitely not for doing DB Lateral Raises. Especially with those shiny silver beauty bells. I'm guilty of getting annoyed at the haphazard way the DBs are racked and rearrange them in proper order before grabbing the 20s to do my 6 sets of DB Lateral Raises. The girls run away. Nevermind that they're both a good 6-8 inches taller than I am.

Because I spent yesterday as one of the class chaperones for my son's 3rd grade trip to the American Museum of Natural History, I didn't get to work out. But I did walk a lot. We covered a lot of ground between visiting Dum Dum (a Night at the Museum reference), the Blue Whale, dinosaurs and neanderthal remains. By the time we got to the Space Show at the planetarium, the boys (my son & his friend) were complaining that their feet hurt and they were tired. They're 9.

Today didn't start out too well as I got to the gym in the rain only to discover I'd forgotten my trainers in spite of having the distinct memory of placing them in my gym bag. Just as well. The first time I got to the gym it was really really crowded with seniors celebrating a birthday with cake and coffee right by the ellipticals. It's a very sociable gym. These people were mostly gone by the time I returned with sneakers in hand. And just to be safe, I found an old pair of leather running shoes that I've placed, with a pair of socks, in my car. No excuses now.

I did my 2 mile warm up, but like most Day One's, I didn't feel very warm. Not even sweaty. Because I don't want to lose my boxing days, I combined Push and Pull workouts. Bench Press when not quite warmed up is always a bit nerve-wracking for me. Even though I'm moving less weight, I still worry about getting trapped under the bar. I got all my reps except for the very last set where I had to stop at 17. I racked the bar, took a breath and just got one more, instead of the three I was hoping for. Needless to say I was a bit disappointed. The RG BB Rows went better. Perhaps I was more warmed up. I can't say that the DB Lateral Raises were easy. I kill time doing 3 sets of Lower Back Extensions while waiting for the Lat Pull Down station. Then I finish with just 3 sets of Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes. My rear left delt is slightly twingy and I don't want to risk injuring it.

I know I haven't done abs in ages so I do a 100 twisting sit ups and a turn at the Torso Twist machine. Then 3 miles on the elliptical. Now I'm sweaty. I've also discovered that my heart rate is much more stable during my 2nd cardio session, after the main workout. The initial sessions always have my heart rate bouncing from 188 to 89 and back, without any actual change in pace. I knock out a few sets of Dive Bomber Push Ups, and a plain boring plank for 30 seconds. Then I decide to incorporate alternating knee-to-elbow for the remaining 30 seconds to see how many I can do. I count to 20 so that's 10 per side. It certainly makes the plank less boring.

Tomorrow I'll toss 4 minutes of Tabata into my 20 minute cardio warm up before smacking the Nexersys, and finish with 3 more miles. This is becoming rather routine. I can't actually say that I'm losing any body fat, or that I'm getting any smaller. But I feel better. And I feel leaner even if there's absolutely nothing that proves it. It's become a Faith-based routine. Egads.

Combination Push Pull Workout

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   173 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:22:00

Barbell Bench Press

158.33

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 95x12
Set 3 : 115x8
Set 4 : 115x8
Set 5 : 115x8
Set 6 : 95x20
Set 7 : 95x17
Set 8 : 95x1

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

232.5

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 135x12
Set 3 : 155x12
Set 4 : 155x12
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 135x20
Set 7 : 135x20

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 20x12
Set 5 : 20x12
Set 6 : 20x12

Back Extension Machine

270

Set 1 : 180x15
Set 2 : 180x15
Set 3 : 180x15

Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown

171

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 120x8
Set 3 : 135x8
Set 4 : 135x8
Set 5 : 135x8

Dumbbell Seated Bent Over Reverse Fly

42

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 30x12
Set 3 : 30x12

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   261 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:31:00

Sit Up

100

Set 1 : 100 Laps/Reps

Torso Rotation

25

Set 1 : 25 Laps/Reps
Set 2 : 25 Laps/Reps

Plank

N/A

Set 1 : 00:00:30

Plank with Side Kick

N/A

Set 1: 20 Laps/Reps
         00:00:30

Push Up

12

Set 1 : 12 Laps/Reps
Set 2 : 12 Laps/Reps

Ignore the 1 Rep Max: it's silly and untrue

Memorial Day Workout

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   170 CAL
Distance: 2 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:21:00

Boxing

N/A

Calorie :   --
Distance : --
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  14 Laps/Reps
Duration : 00:56:00

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   257 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:33:00

Cardio and Legs

I decided not to do HIIT cardio this morning because I wanted to get my 3 miles out of the way early. Besides, my past forays with doing HIIT (4 times a week for 3 weeks back in February) didn't seem to make much of a difference. I'll just stick to what I'm doing for now, continuing until July before I change things up again. The difference between doing 2 miles and 3 miles for a warm up is that I actually start to notice my hamstrings more during the longer jaunt. Last week I did close to 5 miles before setting upon the Smith machine for Squats, but I prefer breaking up the cardio into two distinct sessions.

My Smith Squats and SLDLs were fairly routine today, doing the same reps and weight as last week. Except I dropped a few reps in the warm up Speed set. The Smith faces a mirrored wall and in it I can watch all the people at various machines and stations. I don't understand guys with skinny legs and arms that wear lifting belts to leg press. Okay, there were 4 plates on each side, but I don't think he ever took the belt off even when he was doing seated calf raises.

I'm easing up on the Seated Leg Extension because my quads are huge anyway. When all the stations are busy, I find myself doing Lower Back Extensions because I skipped those on Back Day, and I figure it involved hamstrings and glutes. I'm wearing running shorts and a tank so I wait until there's not a huge crowd at the Lat Pull Down station before grabbing a bosu and setting up for those anxiety-provoking Glue-Ham Raises. I know I'm garnering stares but I'm plugged in and I don't really care. I do a few sets, varying between doing a slow sort of push-up and a quicker bounce. I have to be careful with my timing, otherwise I wind up kissing the bosu with my face.

Another 2 miles on the elliptical and I'm ready for a Mat Stretch. I do everything except the plank. My lower abs feel tender today and I'm not sure why because I've been fairly negligent with abs lately. I'm not sure if I'll make it to the gym this weekend or Monday. Tuesday is the 3rd grade trip to the American Museum of Natural History and I'm one of the chaperones. So no gym but plenty of walking and yelling in my "mean Mom" voice. Should be fun regardless.

Legs and Cardio (copied and pasted from JeFit app)
there's no GHR in the JeFit database so I had to add that in

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   259 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:33:00

Smith Machine Squat

224

Set 1 : 30x20
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 160x12
Set 6 : 130x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

202.67

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 160x8
Set 6 : 160x8
Set 7 : 160x8

Leg Extensions

189

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 120x12
Set 3 : 135x12

Back Extension Machine

270

Set 1 : 180x15
Set 2 : 180x15
Set 3 : 180x15

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   171 CAL
Distance: 2 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:22:00

GHR 3 x 10 @ BW

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 Dive Bomber PushUps, upper & lower back stretch, splits 

No Record but I Know I Did It

Thursdays are a mad dash out of the house when I have to drive my son to school early for an "extra" gym class. I had the dog in the back of the car and he was complaining the entire ride. He doesn't bark. Instead he whines and moos. Like a cow. He's still stressed from yesterday's ordeal at the groomers. His bowels are very reactive and I had to bleach the kitchen floor this morning. Might as well get it ALL done with, so today we went to the vet for his rabies booster shot. Traffic on Route 202 was literally bumper to bumper. I've forgotten what morning commutes used to be like. After I got him home, I grabbed my gear and headed out to the gym.

The Precors are free so I hop on one for my 2 mile warm up. After 5 minutes at 150 SPMs, I grind through the 4 minute Tabata workout (20 sec On/ 10 sec Off). It's still really hard, perhaps more so later in the week when I'm probably not fully recovered. Then another 11 or so minutes until I hit the 2 mile mark. I feel pretty good. A quick Cage Stretch and then I set up to use the Nexersys. My plan is 5 rounds Beginner and 9 rounds Intermediate since I'm using the favored right-side machine. I'm punching too hard, of course, for the Beginner rounds. But I like to practice my jab and cross before engaging the much harder, much faster Intermediate program.

I'm just about to finish round 6 in Intermediate when the power goes out. TVs are all dead. No lights except the emergency ones marking exits. Luckily the big plate glass windows allow everyone to see just fine. The only movement is from the ellipticals: apparently you can use them without a power source. After 5-6 minutes the power returns. It's like a hard reboot: any unsaved data is lost. I debate whether to 1) start all over and punch in 9 rounds which would be crazy because I'm sort of tired; 2) finish up by doing 3 rounds; 3) compromise and do 5 rounds. Of course I do 5 rounds. Then I get back on the elliptical and pedal for another 3 miles. Done!

The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs. I'm so drenched that sweat is dripping off the ends of my hair as if they were wicks. Tomorrow is Leg Day. I'm debating whether to add HIIT back into the mix. Because I'm such a glutton for punishment.

Cardio Thursday with Interruptions

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   171 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:22:00

Boxing

N/A

Calorie :   --
Distance : --
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  16 Laps/Reps
Duration : 01:04:00 

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   259 CAL
Distance: 3.01 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:33:00

Abbreviated Back and Biceps Day

I'm so glad the weather forecast was wrong and that it's not raining today. Today was the dog's annual trek to the groomers. He's such a high-strung creature that to take him more often would probably violate the Geneva Convention on mental anguish. Tomorrow I get to ferry him to the vet for a rabies booster, but he'll have to take a trip to school because I have to drop off my son first. After I bring the dog home, I'll be able to head out to the gym for a cardio session. I'm sure it will take him days to recover from his ordeal. It just means he'll take more naps. He's 11 after all.

The groomers had no trouble bathing the dog, but he doesn't like to be confined and has chewed his way through chain-link fencing. So they don't crate him when he's done. I'd just finished my 3 mile cardio warm up when I got the voice mail stating I could pick him up at any time. Since I wasn't about to pick him up and then return to the gym, I rushed through the rest of my workout, selectively dropping parts of my routine. Like the last 2 miles of cardio. And Lower Back Extensions. And Reverse Grip BB Rows. And most of the Mat Stretch.

The gym scale reads 113.4 lbs which is a tad less than yesterday. It's too early to tell, but I think I can see subtle changes in my body composition so I'm going to keep with this current program of lots of cardio, lots of volume, and a decent amount of weight (varying anywhere from 70% of my max to my actual max, depending on which exercise it is). Still, I got a decent workout and I'm surprisingly tired when I get home. I think maybe I need a nap too.

 Exercise Name

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   143 CAL
Distance: 3.22 mile


Duration : 00:30:00

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 135x12
Set 3 : 155x12
Set 4 : 155x12
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 135x20
Set 7 : 135x20

Close Neutral V Grip Front Lat Pulldown

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 120x8
Set 3 : 135x8
Set 4 : 135x8
Set 5 : 135x8

Barbell Curl

Set 1 : 50x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 50x12

Dumbbell Alternate Twisting Bicep Curl

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12