Born Again Gym Rat: Adapting to New Equipment

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Adapting to New Equipment

It's unusually hot for May in New York, topping out in the low 80s. The bugs make me want to douse myself in DEET every time I leave the house. The cops are out ticketing speeders. I wish they would be more vigilante with distracted drivers instead. Part of main road has been relegated to one-lane for a half mile to give workmen ample space to saw apart and remove a long section of guard rail. It must be Federal money because the massive potholes, though patched, still pock-mock the road like gopher holes in a field. That would be County money. The parking lot of the strip mall where my gym is located is finally getting repaired. Orange cones dot all the areas where fresh asphalt fills massive craters. It's been a hard winter. Seems like summer will be equally harsh. Luckily, the gym is cool and mostly empty.

Star Trac® Max Rack

After 15 minutes on the Cross-trainer, I feel sufficiently warm. I still miss the Cage Stretch and do a few awkward lunge stretches for my hamstrings, quads and hip extensors. Then off to the free weight area. Someone has left the skinny neck pad and a pair of 10s on the Smith machine, but I'm more interested in the new equipment, a Star Trac® Max Rack. Because the bar can move forward and back, but not horizontally, it means that I don't have to worry about my hands accidentally rotating the bar and catching it on a safety as I pull up with heavier weight. I look at all the diagramed exercises affixed to the rack. None of them are RG BB Rows. Oh well. There's always got to be someone, right? And today, that someone is me.

There's no entry for this equipment in the JeFit app on my phone so I use one for Smith Machine RG BB Rows. I'm surprised at how heavy the bar alone feels. There seems to be a springy downward resistance on the bar from the locks that hold the bar in place. I tap in 50 lbs for the bar because I know this is heavier than an Oly bar. Later I chat with one of the trainers who confirms my suspicions but he tells me he estimates it's about 55 lbs. Oh well... I do a lot of sets, trying to get a feel for how much weight I can use. I even pull out my VGs. At 140 lbs (assuming bar is 50 lbs), I nearly tip over forward when I pull up. Oh, don't wanna do that! But I like this better than using the Smith for this movement. I'll probably stick with the Smith for presses although I'd use this if the Smith was busy.

Both Seated Cable Machines are in use so I grit my teeth and grab a 55 lb DB for One-Arm DB Rows. I figure as long as I stay light, my joints will be okay. My finger, wrapped in a foam cell bandage, hasn't complained so far. I haven't done these in a really long time, and they are dang heavy! Still, I grind through my sets and get them done. I pass Flirty Girl on the Seated Cable and note how nice her arms and delts look. I can see the fingers in the cap and I'm a bit jealous. But when she stops rowing, all the muscles disappear and her arms, though shapely, lose their defined athletic look.Okay, not jealous anymore. I drop the weight down 15 lbs for the Lower Back Extension Machine just because the DB Rows have been hard on my back. 195 lbs is easy but I don't raise the weight. Maybe next week.

I finally get on the Cable Seated Row and do my standard sets, each last rep for each set done super slowly and silently. I can feel all the different muscles in my back including my lats when I do this movement. I wonder briefly if I have finger delts when I do this, but there's no way for me to know. I look around and a tall skinny guy is on the other Cable Seated Row. He smiles and gives me a weird shrug. Is he flirting with me? I think he's a high schooler. I'm daydreaming about doing cardio when I realize I have yet to do biceps. Ugh. BB Curls have been stressing my lower inside elbows so today I just do Seated DB Curls, alternately raising and twisting each arm. I get a nice pump but nothing like what Rip Skulls do for me. Finally, RG BB Curls and I'm done. Because I did HIIT yesterday, I just do 30 minutes of LISS today.

LISS = 50–70% of Max Heart Rate. Using the newer method of calculating Max Heart Rate (211– 64% age [55] = 211–35 = MHR of 176. 50-70% = 88–123 bpm. The Precor nags me to punch in my body weight and age and then tells me that I've only had 11 minutes out of 30 within the proper Heart Rate range. Heart Rate range for what? It doesn't even know what my goals are! As far as I can tell, I've had my heart rate within the proper range the entire time.

There are a few regulars here today, like The Mayor who was trying out the new Chest Press Machine. Pass. Maroon deadlifts 3 big plates on each side of an Oly. His form looks really good. There's a small space to do this behind the Smith and the Max Rack but the floor is crowded with equipment. One of the front desk gals worries that someone is going to get hurt tripping over it all. You certainly have to plan your trek across the floor because you'll be dodging and weaving under and around BBs and benches everywhere. I do a quick lower back and shoulder stretch and then I'm really done.

Tomorrow I'll whack the Nexersys because I hope to be chaperoning my son's class trip on Thursday. If not, then I'll just do cardio. Because cardio never hurts. Studies are cropping up all the time talking up the benefits of intense exercise, not only to the aging body, but to the aging brain. And my brain needs all the help it can get.

Tuesday Back Workout
(33,535 lbs moved; 4.14 miles cardio)

Elliptical Training

warm up

Calorie : 74 CAL
Distance: 1.88 mile
Speed : 7.47 mph
Duration : 00:15:08

MaxRack Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

210

Set 1 : 50x12 (Bar is heavier than OlyBar)
Set 2 : 90x15
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x15
Set 5 : 140x15
Set 6 : 120x15
Set 7 : 100x15
Set 8 : 100x15
Set 9 : 100x15