Born Again Gym Rat: Friday

Friday, May 29, 2015

Friday

Leg Day Today

I have a few thoughts I'm going to jot down before I get distracted. Some nutritional supplements are so totally worth it! A lot of times taking a multi-vitamin seems like an exercise in futility with me questioning whether it's doing any good, or just giving me expensive, fluorescent yellow urine. I have to say that fish oil has proven itself a great anti-inflammatory. We all have conditions we're susceptible to due to our genetics. Mine happen to be things like bad sinuses, super dry flaky skin, collapsible veins and loose shallow joints, glaucoma, a susceptibility to high blood pressure and cerebral aneurysms, and of course, hemorrhoids. Not big nasty ones, just little annoying ones. That shrink away to nothing if I take a daily dose of fish oil. I certainly know when I've forgotten to ingest the two capsules a day. Taking calcium and Vitamin D means I'm trimming my fingernails a lot more. I'm not sure that the mega-B complex is really doing anything for me. But when I get enough sleep, I have ridiculous amounts of energy.

I succumbed to curiosity and purchased a container of the new Coke concentrated milk-product, FairLife, using it as a vehicle for my protein powder. It tastes okay, but somehow seems less satisfying than using soy or almond milk. I like to try different things. I'm still bummed that Abbott Laboratories has discontinued making the High Protein Ensure Ready To Drink shakes. Which is a shame considering the article I just read on Silicon Valley techs sustaining themselves on vaguely palatable meal-replacement drinks. It's a new opportunity and a new market that the Ensure High Protein, with it's vitamins and minerals, would gain easy entrance, if they expanded their flavors and improved their marketing. But apparently, no one at Abbott Laboratories sees that.

Today's Left Bicep

My arms are still a tad sore. Those Rip Skulls and Drag Curls are really working! After my 30 min warm up, and I'm losing ground on this cross-trainer, struggling to make three and a half miles, I wander back, through "machine city" to the free weights. Tall Skinny Mustache is just getting started on the Smith so I use the Star Trac Max Rack for Squats with just the bar. I'm not really comfortable with this set up because having to hold the bar on my upper back puts a lot of stress on my elbows and shoulders, which is not what I want to focus on when I'm doing squats. I have bad joints. I can't lean back into the bar so I worry about how my knees overhang my toes when I drop down. The bar is only 55 lbs but my knees complain. I decide not to add any weight at all and just do bar squats for reps and sets. Eventually the Smith will free up. I'm patient. And persistent.

When I finally get to use the Smit, I set up for SLDLs, and then Smith Split Squats. I did a few SLDLs on the Max Rack but I was so distracted by the movement of the bar that I didn't really feel my glutes and hams. I'm better using the Smith. I make up for the paltry Squat session by upping my sets for the Split Squat. It's getting easier to do, but I have to be careful of the bent back knee. When I'm careless, the knee feels wonky.

Last are Glute Ham Raises on the Lat Pull Down machine. My favorite. Kidding. Again, I'm okay with the first two sets but really struggle to finish the last set. I'm the only person I see doing these. I barely see Venus anymore. I think she's avoiding me. I see a lot of regulars though. Tattoo Tank, Ponytail, The Mayor, M, Skinny J, Jude, Shazam, Latin Baseball, Soccer Boy, Vest Girl, Hollywood and Texas. I haven't seen Texas in a long time. She had her second baby a few months ago, but since then she's put on a good 30 lbs. I think it must be stress as she tells me that her four year old is being tested for Asperger's, and that he's already been diagnosed with ADHD. But he loves his baby brother, so things can't be so bad.

I steel myself for 10 minutes of HIIT followed by 20 min of LISS. I can do this. And then I see that the Step Mill is free, so I do another 15 min of LISS on that. Done. Well, sort of. I still need to stretch. I see R and stop to chat with him. I haven't seen him in weeks so I ask him how his wife is doing. They're expecting their second child this summer. The conversation turns to home ownership and school districts. He is, by far, the most thoughtful person I've met here. And by thoughtful, I don't mean kind and considerate, I mean someone who thinks about consequences, someone who is is introspective. I'm going to miss him when he finally buys a home and moves away. I'd like to stay in touch, stay friends in the loosest terms, but how do you do that without coming across weird?

Friday Leg Workout
(5.62 miles; 14,280 lbs moved)