Friday, September 5, 2014

The Undeniable Truth

I stayed up too late watching the 4 episodes of Season 2 of Orphan Black that arrived in the mail via Netflix DVD. I got hooked on it and watched the entire first season (thank you Amazon Prime) in two nights after having my curiosity piqued by The Whil Wheaton Project. But everyone wants $2 per episode to watch Season 2 so I opted for the "very long wait" DVD. Imagine my elation when it arrived almost immediately!

Chatting with my neighbor at the school bus stop in the mornings is taking a lot of social energy, and I'm not used to it. I'm sure my son resents the intrusion on his "mommy time" as well, but with my husband away so often, most time is "mommy time". I feel a little drained by the time I get to the gym so it's a good thing I have an auto-pilot setting for workouts.

I like this abbreviated workout even though I don't really have time constraints anymore so I might stick with this for another few weeks. Or at least until I miss the feel of weights. I do miss doing a decent back workout though. These Hammer Grip Pull Ups and Inverted Rows aren't really doing it for me the way Push Ups do the chest and triceps. After logging a bit over 3 miles on the Cross-trainer, I stretch at the Cage and then start my Push Up, Pull Up Routine. I was able to add another 10 reps to the last set of my Push Ups so that makes me really happy. Unfortunately, I did develop a weird headache coming up from each set of Push Ups. Probably because Downward Dog is not friendly to cerebral blood pressure. I don't have this problem with the Mat Stretch, but it's not quite the same routine either. I suspect high volume Push Ups as the culprit. But it doesn't dissuade me from doing them. I'll just have to figure another way of getting up from Push Ups that doesn't cause my BP to rocket.

My Hammer Grip Pull Ups are pathetic today. I still do them but I'm not proud. The Big Glasses Dude is using the Smith machine, and there are people on both Lat Pull Down stations. So no Inverted Rows, and no GHRs. Until later. I walk back to the Cage area and do two sets of Pistol Squats. My lower back has been stiff all day so I'm really glad I'm not doing Squats or SLDLs. Oddly, the cardio platform is mostly deserted so I get on a Precor and pedal for 2 miles. Cardio done! Yay! The Smith is vacant! Double Yay! I get my three sets of Inverted Rows and then drag a bosu over to the Lat Pull Down. GHRs done. Yay! Mat Stretch time! Yay! Before I leave the Smith, though, I attempt a set of regular Pull Ups and only get 6. Abysmal.

I'm wearing the wrong pants for crunches and pulse-ups. These workout pants have a stupid zipper pocket right in the back waistband and the zipper closes with the metal pull right in the center of your lower back. Major design flaw. But I can do a plank, dive bomber push ups and another set of pistol squats. Splits have become easier and easier. I don't have the sore neck and shoulders I used to get when I lifted. Not lifting has been so much easier on my body. And, I'm dropping weight. And body fat. Although I'm more focused on eating less refined carbs, I still pretty much eat the same as I have all summer. The only difference is that I'm not lifting weights any more.

My home scale reads 107.2 lbs and 19.4% BF. But I don't look scrawny. I'm real happy that my candy-colored Gap khaki pants fit well because they were too tight this spring and I'm not buying new clothes! I take my measurements just to be sure. My hips and thighs are thinner. Yay! I hate to admit it, but lifting, and especially lifting heavy, made me big and bulky. And I'm much happier not. I'll go back to lifting as soon as I get bored with my current routine. Probably start to add back a few exercises a bit at a time. We'll see.

Friday Workout (out of sequence because I can't figure out how to modify the Jefit data)

Calorie :   144 CAL
Distance: 3.35 mile
Speed :    6.66 mph
Duration : 00:30:00
Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 40 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 40 Lap/Rep

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Set 1 : 6 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 6 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 6 Lap/Rep
Calorie :   221 CAL
Distance: 2.02 mile
Duration : 00:25:00
Set 1 : 108x12
Set 2 : 108x12
Set 3 : 108x12

Set 1 : 108x8
Set 2 : 108x8
Set 3 : 108x8

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 1 : 00:01:01
Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
6
Set 1 : 6 Lap/Rep

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