Born Again Gym Rat: Drawing on Inner Reserves

Friday, June 12, 2015

Drawing on Inner Reserves

I didn't really feel like eating breakfast this morning, but because I'd already tossed a 1/4 cup of blueberries and raspberries into the oatmeal, I felt compelled not to waste those anti-oxidant powerhouses. I guess it worked because I didn't actually get hungry until I got home around 3 pm with just enough time to put groceries away, get the laundry started and send a quick email about Cub Scout's Rocket Night out to the Pack Leader.

People must be taking Fridays off because the gym's not very crowded today, although the staff seems very busy signing new members up and showing off the amenities. Yes, it's THAT season where people are suddenly aware that they can't hide behind fleece and wool anymore. I'm moving at a good clip on the LifeFitness Cross-trainer so I'm thoroughly warmed up by the time I get to the Smith machine. I saw Tattoo Tank earlier so I wondered if I'd have to wait for the machine, but he was done. And getting very tan. Or maybe it's just the white tank he's wearing today.

Latin Baseball and Soccer Boy are among the regulars milling about the free weight area. The Mayor shows up to do benching and inclined benching. I'm annoyed that he's chosen the bench directly behind the Smith because there's others. Soccer Boy doesn't have any room on the T-bar row to place any more 45 lb plates. That's a lot of weight. Later I see him benching with 2 plates on each side of the Oly bar. The Mayor can't bench that much. But Soccer Boy's much younger than The Mayor. And he doesn't spend all his time chatting.

I see a lot of regulars and a lot are MIA. The immense DBFanboy is here after a long absence but not his crippled girlfriend. Shazam has been fairly consistent, but his wife/GF hasn't been here in months. Schedules change. My own hubs has been having difficulty finding time to squeeze in a cardio session. No one covers his work when he's away in Boston so even on weekends at home, he's working. I see one of the trainers working with a ginormous newbie. This is the first time I've ever seen him actually working out side-by-side with a client to keep them motivated.

Smith Squats feel heavy. Smith SLDLs make my lower back tired. Smith Split Squats sometimes bother my knees. I do 4 sets at 80 lbs instead of 3. And I get through my entire routine. My lower back is definitely tired. I use the bosu from Split Squats and move it to the Lat Pull Down machine for GHRs. This isn't going to help me feel any more refreshed. Yes, the last set is a grind, but it seems to be a tad less of a grind. Maybe I'm actually improving?

I see D on one of the machines and stop to chat with her for a few minutes before hitting the elliptical for an Interval program. She tutors math and chemistry to HS kids. NYS Regents Exams are this month but she's trying to get to the gym at least twice a week. She's the only other woman who routinely whacks the Nexersys machine. She's got three sons, one a teen with Asperger's, her youngest is 4 yrs old and doesn't let her get much sleep.

People are amazingly inconsistent. I've never seen the same person twice using the kickboxing system. Perhaps they need to work on their coordination? Or maybe their knuckles got bruised? I doubt it. I like the fact that it works strength, reflexes and cardio, and that you can do this for nearly an hour. I think it's awesome. Others probably don't want to muss up their hair. Or makeup. Or find that they don't have the stamina to do more than a round or two. That's just something to work on, but most people don't really want to push themselves.

I'm moving pretty good on the Intervals program although I did take the resistance down from 8 to 6 on the peaks. I don't mind the increased incline, but the additional resistance is hard on my ankles and knees. Then I do a quick lower back and hamstring stretch before showering and changing. Lately I've felt leaner although it's only under the right lighting that I can actually see my triceps or anything nice in my back. I haven't had time to set up a tripod and timer to actually see if anything's changed.

I get on my home scale today and it reads 108.6 lbs and 15.1% BF. Well, that's pleasantly unexpected! Something must be working, just not quite sure what though. I'm most definitely not dieting. Haven't cut out carbs either. Still drink sangria and apple ale. Maybe just not as much. I do feel guilty not doing much ab work (some sit ups on Monday in between sets of push ups). I should probably add those back in somewhere in my "routine". But where?

Friday Cardio and Leg Workout
(6.51 miles total; 17,130 lbs moved)