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| Today's Selfie |
Today I finally get my three sets of 50 reps for push ups. The last set was a killer though, and I had to pause for two breaths at rep 30, then rep 35, then rep 40, three more then pause, then two more. Okay only 5 more and I do each one with a pause then a rep. All pauses are in the resting "up" position with arms extended, because I'm not insane enough to pause in the "down" position. When I finish, I pull up to my knees from a "child's pose" yoga position to stretch my upper back and give my head time to acclimatize to standing up.
I improve my Hammer Grip pull ups too, but nothing quite as dramatic (11, 11, 8 reps) and I totally skip the Deep Knee Bends because I plan to do GHRs later. I'm still testing to see which movements give me DOMS. The Torso Twist machine feels ridiculously hard today. It's never felt hard before and I wonder if it's me, if my core is exhausted from doing 150 push ups, or if I'm losing strength because I'm only doing Body Weight exercises. I drop onto the smallest Mat just to get crunches and pulse ups out of the way. The gym is unusually crowded for a Friday morning, especially since it's so nice outside. There's a girl squatting in the Smith rack and both Lat Pull Down stations are in use, so I clamber onto the elliptical to finish my cardio for the day.
When I get down, I see that Island Jerk is back and he's using the Smith rack. That means he'll be there forever even if he's not actually using the equipment. Because he's still a jerk. I'm not even sure if he's done because he sets the bar at the top of the Smith rack with 45 lb plates. So a small person like me can't possibly use it without asking for assistance. He's such a jerk. I'd actually puncture his tires in the parking lot if I didn't think he'd just use it as an excuse to try and coerce some poor hapless girl into giving him a ride.
Instead I opt to add a weighted exercise back in today: Lower Back Extensions. My lower back has been really stiff lately so perhaps this will help. I haven't done these in 3 weeks but I still set the pin at 195 lbs. And I get my 15 reps. For all 3 sets. Yay! So even though I've dropped a few pounds and some body fat, I haven't lost any strength. At least in what I'm choosing to test my strength on. I'm relieved. I do a few Pistol Squats during my Mat Stretch, and two sets of Dive Bomber Push Ups, and today I even remember to do a plank. Still no gym scale in the locker room so I go home to update my weight and body fat. 107.8 lbs and 19.6% BF. I'm going to have to work harder on the BF but at least I don't feel fat and bulky these days. And that's satisfying.
Friday Workout
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