I have my old mesh Asics Gel trainers on. They're probably the most comfortable shoes I own, which is a shame, because they're not entirely without issues. Inside, the foot bed might be separating from the sole because my right pinkie toe can detect the edge, a gap which shouldn't be there. Of course, this is only on the right side, the one that has the bunion, flaky ankle and is prone to going numb. Today, I get hunger pangs instead 15 minutes into the first cardio session, which is on the LifeFitness cross-trainer. I haven't eaten breakfast (prior to working) out all summer. Maybe I should start again?
I'm usually good with just a cup of instant espresso. I don't take any pre-workout supplements (like C4 or Psycho) because I'm leery of ingesting too much caffeine or anything else that might raise my blood or eye pressure. Which reminds me that I should probably schedule my annual physical now if I plan to get one before next summer. My Primary books up quickly and for months ahead of time! New guidelines now state that our blood pressures should be even lower than what was once considered reasonable (120/80). My husband will declare the medics to be in cahoots with the pharmas who are just itching to push new hypertension treatments.
All I can think is "Just great. At age 55, I can't rely on anything to be where it's suppose to be in my body." Except my weight and body fat. And that's only because I work hard on maintenance. Today my home scale tells me I'm 108.4 lbs and 15.4% BF. I'm good with that.
I can only focus on one thing at a time. Because I've decided to modify a plank movement, I don't want to change any other aspect of my workout. Except that I added more cardio. So my push ups are the same as Monday. But I add a Knee To Opposite Elbow movement for 30 seconds to Plank #2. That's so exhausting that I can barely hold my position for Plank #3. I do add two sets of crunches at the end. Normally I can knock out 50 at a sitting, but not today. 25 is as far as I can go per set.
Because I'm giving myself ample rest time between sets, the Hammer Grip Pull Ups haven't been an issue with my joints. I do admit that the first 8 are much easier than the last 4 in any set. I surreptitiously watch people do "assisted pull ups" on a machine in the center of Cybex City. I did those at a gym near my job when I worked in the City. And I never got strong enough to actually do a real pull up. Lat pull downs didn't help either. They only wrecked my elbows and shoulders. I think perhaps RG BB Rows, and Seated Cable Rows (including One-Arm Rows) helped. I didn't see any growth during that phase, but I can see my back is wider now. And my arms seem bigger. Even without doing any curls! I've posted a few post-workout selfies. The better ones are unfortunately a bit blurry but they illustrate my point.
Dave Draper, the Blonde Bomber, is now 70+ years old, still lifting and writing his online newsletter. He cautions readers against heavy BB Benching due to the risk of shoulder injury, and favors lighter DBs. Check your ego at the door! I'm reminded of him because today I see M walking around with a sling around his right elbow. B tells me that he's had shoulder surgery. She's going to finally submit to an MRI to figure out what's going on with her shoulder, and lower back. I don't even tell her about my glaucoma laser eye surgery.
After 30 more minutes on the Precor elliptical, I do another set of pull ups, and a full Mat Stretch that includes lower back camels, child's pose, knee to chest and bridges. When I finish, I grab one more set of pull ups. Because that makes 4. I'm still working out another push up variation to replace the last set of regular push ups. That's great for the ridiculous pump I get, but I can probably do better. Maybe use an upside down Bosu and cut my reps back down again? I've read that the TRX straps provide the best additional challenge for regular push ups compared to a Wobble Plate, Balance Ball or Bosu Ball. But since I don't have access to TRX straps at the gym (there's a pair hanging up in my garage, full of spiders I suspect), the Bosu ball will just have to do. It's all good. Tomorrow is another whack the kickboxing machine day. Yaaaay!
Wednesday Workout
(6.76 miles total cardio)
156.8
Set 1 : 112x12Set 2 : 112x12
No comments:
Post a Comment