Born Again Gym Rat: Working Through Uncertainty

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Working Through Uncertainty

My upper back hasn't been quite right for a two days now. I'd like to blame shoveling, but I don't actually know that it isn't a weird sleeping position or some ghastly disease. I'm a knotty person, especially in my upper back and just under my shoulder blades. But this doesn't feel like the familiar ache of a knot. The closest I can liken this to is stomach cramps. But in my upper back. And today is Back Day. I'm a bit leery of doing my workout, but the school bus came and there weren't any messages from the school so I don't have any excuses.

I'm happy to have my pick of LifeFitness cross-trainers when I get to the gym. I'm tired, didn't get enough sleep, and haven't fully recuperated from yesterday's 6.5+ miles. Today I'm lucky just to make 6 miles even. I do remember being happy just to make 5 miles once upon a time, but dang that was a long time ago. Afterwards, I wander into the free weight area to assess the equipment availability. The Smith is being used so no Smith Rows today. There's a space between a loaded trap bar (I think it's got 4 big plates per side) and heavy swiss bar with a pair of 10s on it. I pick up the Oly bar in between and do a quick warm up movement. Okay, that feels ridiculously easy.

I grab a 45 lb plate and M, who is doing a weird sort of squat shrug movement with the trap bar, helps me position it on the Oly. Cool. He's off chatting with the crippled Lady Cop in between his sets. She's retired after being thrown through her windshield during a high speed chase. I guess cops don't use their seat belts. 135 lbs feels okay so I add a pair of 10s. 155 lbs feels okay too so I do my normal routine, ending with 20 reps with 135 lbs. Meanwhile, a father/son pair wander out of the hallway and over to the Swiss bar. The father, a bald middle-aged man, hoists it up over his head and performs a few tricep extensions with it. The son, a tall, lanky wanna-be Goth dude, dumps the plates and just does a few overhead presses. Then they walk away.

There are quite a few extremely elderly members here. I worry they'll trip. Or worse yet, I'll trip. Plus, it's just rude to dump your plates on the floor and walk away. I pull out my headphones and walk up to the father to ask him if he's done with all the plates on the floor. He's embarrassed and says "Okay. I've got that." Eventually he comes back and reracks the plates. Too many people trying to be cool and casual and showing newbies bad manners are acceptable. Grrrr.

Today's Selfie

I skip One-Arm DB Rows today. I can row 65 lbs but my elbows aren't very happy with it. And I need to baby them since shoveling is not kind to them either. Seated Cable Rows and Lower Back Extensions seem fine. Then I knock out some ab movements before attempting Hammergrip Pull Ups at the Cage. I'm actually able to get my 3 sets so I'm pretty happy. Another 30 minutes on the elliptical (Performance Program #1) and then a stretch on the Mat. I skip Dive Bomber Push Ups because the shoulder is a bit achy. Instead, after a 2 minute plank, I do a set of 20 Dolphin Push Ups. I'm still not feeling it anywhere, even when I'm down so low that my neck is resting on my fists, forearms flat on the mat. I don't want to put my chin on the mat because it's really not the cleanest. Too many people walk into the gym with their trainers already on, through all the salt, slush and gravel. Tomorrow might be Arm Day. If there's school. We're suppose to get more snow. Maybe it's another 2-hr delay. This afternoon there's kung fu and then Cub Scouts. Tomorrow there's intermediate chess at the library. Saturday is the Cub Scout's Klondike event. Sunday there's a summer camp re-union party. I'm tired already.

Wednesday Back and Cardio Workout
(6.0 miles total, 31,705 lbs moved)