Monday, April 13, 2015

Making Peace with 55

Every time I look in the mirror, I notice something else awry... a slight discoloration, a bump, a crease that wasn't there yesterday. I guess that's how time sneaks up on you. I'm starting to use more moisturizer on my skin lately to forestall the inevitable deterioration. I'm still not sure whether to stick with my cardio program as is, or to change my weight program because I'm not getting the results I'd like. Of course, I'm not sure it's possible to get what I want either. Maybe I should just be happy with being stronger and not enormously fat?

The MyFitnessPal is good for checking whether I've gotten enough calcium during the day. I do wish it was programmable so I could customize it better. That's probably possible in the deluxe version. I just have the free app. I have been struggling to eat enough protein and I'm not entirely happy with that. I'm definitely big today. Half of it is water retention because we ate seafood for dinner: sauteed vongoles in garlic and wine sauce, fried clam strips and a green salad. Boiled ham and cheddar on ciabatta bread for lunch. And then, while watching the season premiere of Game of Thrones, we snacked on blue stilton cheese and crackers. My clothes feel tight. My legs and butt are still sore from Friday's Smith Split Squats. And in spite of all this, I still had a great workout, defined by my ability to get three sets of 8 reps at my current max weight of 130 lbs. I probably could've gotten more reps, but I always end with a set of 25 reps at lighter weight, just for the pump.

I only do a few sets of Smith Inclined Benching. My elbow and shoulders felt great during Flat benching, but less so at the incline. As soon as I vacate the Smith, Venus and Flirty Girl take turns doing Smith Squats. I'd seen Venus earlier at the Squat rack with Chatty Guy. They had walked in together. Maybe they are an item? She had a big plate on each end of an Oly and he was spotting. But I find that most women, like myself, are more comfortable squatting at the Smith.

My finger is intermittently painful and still wrapped in self-adhering closed-cell foam. After two warm up sets of DB Laterals and DB Reverse Inclined Flyes, I up the weights and drop the reps. Frankenstein lumbers over to the DBs and plants himself right in front of the rack while he alternately curls and does lateral raises. He's a big balding, older man with a bad hip replacement (one shoe is nearly an inch thicker in the sole) who moves slowly and carelessly. Half the middle-age men at my gym seem to be completely clueless as to what they're doing or why they're even here. Eventually he reracks his DBs but nothing is in the right place. Figures.

I do some reps on the Torso Twist machine before another 30 minutes on the elliptical. I know I'm slower today and my total mileage shows it. I'm not ready to stretch yet so I go back to the DB area and do a few DB Presses, and then a few DB Flyes. The presses feel okay. The flyes not so much. Even with a mere 20 lbs (each), I feel a peculiar discomfort in my right armpit. Identifying the issue is puzzling... not pectoral, not bicep, feels more like rear delt? Very odd.

I don't let that stop me from Dive Bomber Push Ups and a brief plank at the Mat. Splits always feel victorious and I'm happy that they're all so easy today. But time is flying and I have things to do... The scale is not my friend today. Maybe by the end of the week. Or maybe I'll just have to get used to being bigger, heavier, and give up my candy-colored summer shorts and pants. Sigh.

Monday Cardio and Workout
(6.59 miles total; 18,730 lbs moved)

Calorie :   146 CAL
Distance: 3.72 mile
Speed :    7.4 mph
Duration : 00:30:10
165
Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x10
Set 4 : 130x8
Set 5 : 130x8
Set 6 : 130x8
Set 7 : 90x25
126
Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 70x12
Set 3 : 80x12
Set 4 : 90x12
31.67
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 25x8
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x8
Set 6 : 20x12 SuperSet with

35
Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 20x15
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x12
Set 6 : 20x15

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25
Calorie :   257 CAL
Distance: 2.87 mile
Duration : 00:30:10

56
Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 35x12
Set 3 : 40x12

28
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Set 1 : 00:01:00

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 20 Lap/Rep

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