St Pat's Day Workout

I'm unabashedly back to 6+ miles of cardio. The first 30 minutes is hard but worthwhile as a warm up. The second 30 minutes is more like a reward because I always feel really awesome afterwards. In between there is the real work... weights and stretching. My back still feels stiff, but again, it's not painful and I've regained some of my flexibility. I see the Smith machine and immediately decide to do some lighter sets of RB BB Rows. I'm trying to keep my back nearly parallel to the floor but I don't want to stress my lower back either. And since I have use of the Smith, I decide to try doing an Inverted Row ladder. I start at the bottom rung of the Smith and do 12 reps. After each set, I move the bar up one rung. I have to adjust myself closer to the bar each time, and by the last set, I'm nearly standing. I can't really say that I felt it much in my back, but my forearms got a good pump.

I feel my back much more in the Cable Seated Rows and I'm careful to lower the weight slowly so that it lands silently back on the stack. I'm leery of doing the Lower Back Extension. It's a popular machine today so I wander off to the Cage and try to do a few Hammergrip Pull-ups. Because my forearms and elbows are tired, I have a hard time finishing and give up after two incomplete sets. The One-Arm DB Row seems more promising. What it is, is exhausting but I grind through it.

While I'm at that bench, I notice Chatty Guy speaking with an attractive young woman. I've seen her a few times, usually on the Leg Press, Hack Squat or cable station. She has great quads and a fairly voluptuous athletic figure under the mass of wavy blonde highlights. Wide-set eyes and pale skin are reminiscent of Botticelli's Venus. I'm a bit disappointed she's wearing black eyeliner because that doesn't enhance her features. At first I think that Chatty Guy and Venus are a couple, but then I see them working out separately, so they're not. Couples never work out separately at my gym.

Audobon Society photo

When I finally convince myself to do a few Lower Back Extensions, I see that Venus has a bosu ball and is in fact the only other person I've ever seen doing GHRs at the Lat Pull Down station. I have to suppress a smile. I'm nervous about my lower back so I put the peg down one plate to 195 lbs. It's too easy! I've underestimated myself and put the pin back at 210 lbs. After 5 reps there is a loud thump and jolt. I'm not sure what's happened. I look around and ask one of the trainers to have a quick look at the machine. Everything seems fine. I start my set over again and there's no further issues.

30 minutes on the elliptical, pedaling furiously to Performance Program #2 and then I'm done except for some needed stretching. The sun has broken through the chilly morning mist and the day looks promising. I have a few errands to run. On the way home I spot a pileated woodpecker landing on a tree two roads before my house. They're big birds and don't usually come to my bird feeder (unlike the downys and red-bellies). But it's always thrilling to see them.

Tuesday Cardio and Back Day Workout
(6.46 miles, 38235 lbs moved)

CrossTrainer

Calorie :   150 CAL
Distance: 3.86 mile
Speed :    7.67 mph
Duration : 00:30:11

Smith Machine Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

168

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x13
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 120x12
Set 6 : 120x12
Set 7 : 80x20

Inverted Row

(Ladder)

Set 1 : 115x12
Set 2 : 115x11
Set 3 : 115x12
Set 4 : 115x12
Set 5 : 115x12
Set 6 : 115x12

Cable Seated Row

152

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x8

Hammer Grip Pull Up

ugh!

Set 1 : 115x11
Set 2 : 115x10

TorsoTwistMachine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Dumbbell One Arm Row

77

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 55x12
Set 3 : 55x12

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 195x15
Set 2 : 210x5 Thump!
Set 3 : 210x12
Set 4 : 210x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   296 CAL
Distance: 2.6 mile
Duration : 00:30:10