Born Again Gym Rat: Act As If

Monday, June 30, 2014

Act As If

Today was my son's first day of summer camp so I had to make sure everything was packed and ready to go before we were. It's only for 4 weeks, 3 days a week. On the other two days I'll bring him to the gym with me where he'll wait for me in the Child Care room. Tuesdays we'll go to $5 movies. Thursdays we'll do something else. I'm not sure what he'll be doing the rest of the summer. Last year we split his time between summer camp and tae kwon do camp. I might do that again this year.

The fresh cherries we've been gorging on have made my stomach a bit crampy so I'm late getting to my workout. Two miles on the elliptical is hard, and I barely bust a sweat. I have no enthusiasm either. But I'm a contrarian. Taking weekends off doesn't make me feel better come Monday. Instead time off makes me slow and stiff, as if I'm not quite awake. My second cardio session of the day is completely different: I feel happy and energetic afterwards. The vertigo is virtually gone. Virtually. It only bothers me when I'm leaning forward, like when I'm brushing my teeth.

So Benching is okay today, but nothing to get excited about. My right shoulder still twinges at the heavier weights and I cut my sets to just one 20-repper. Dave Draper (davedraper.com), old-time Blonde Bomber of the 60s, claims that Bench pressing is awful for the shoulders as we age. He recommends lighter sets of DB press. There's definitely a greater range of motion with DBs but I have too much flexion in my upper back. At heavier weights I've nudged my back out of alignment and that's painful. I don't want to need a chiropractor every time I do chest so I limit the weight to the three sets of 115 lbs and a 20-repper or two. Today it's just one set.

But, I feel pretty good on the Inclined BB Press. I have moved more in the past, but again, I'm going for volume: sets and reps. I see a few regulars flit about but I'm not chatty when working out. Two exercises for each body part should do it for today: Chest, Shoulder, Biceps. I should probably up my weights on the DB Lateral Raises but I don't. I actually do up the weights on the Inclined DB Reverse Flyes though. It's less than the 30s I was hoisting with Bent-Over Rear Flyes. But getting 15 reps means I should probably do at least a few sets at a higher weight. Yes, I'm a true believer in high reps and sets. I figure the proof is in the mirror.

One thing I can't figure out is when I see some folks holding a slightly loaded BB over head as in a Bench Press or Inclined Bench Press, and then they just move it barely two inches, like a reverse shrug of sorts. I'm not sure what it's suppose to do for them, and I'm not really interested enough to break my routine in order to question them. Of course, these are not muscley people either.

By the time I get to Bicep DB Curls and BB Curls, I'm in a much better mood. Then I hop back on an elliptical for 3 miles, varying the incline and my speed, sometimes pedaling backwards just for fun. I don't have time (again!) for a full Mat Stretch or abs because I need to be across the county for an eye doc appointment. The abbreviated Mat Stretch hits the hamstrings, glutes, upper and lower back, shoulders and neck. Tomorrow I'll do some cardio, kickbox a few rounds, do some more cardio and stretch. Then my son and I will sneak our own popcorn into the theatre to watch Maleficient.

Monday Workout