Things Don't Always Turn Out the Way You Want

My stomach is still bothering me so I'm giving serious consideration to taking the omeprazole magnesium (proton-pump inhibitor) that my doc recommended. The only reason I hesitate is the warning to discontinue if allergic (I don't think I am) or if you suffer from the side effect: diarrhea. It doesn't take me long to realize that magnesium can have that effect on the human body. I can only take one tablet of ZMA instead of the normal dose 2-3 capsules for just that reason. I'm sure it's the magnesium. Who doesn't remember all those commercials for Phillips Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide)? That makes me pause. Maybe I'll try taking it Friday morning and hope it doesn't ruin my workout. It's suppose to take up to 4 days to see relief. I don't have chronic heartburn, but there's enough discomfort under my rib cage for me to forego pull ups and planks today. But I'd be lying if I said I don't miss doing pull ups. What I especially miss is that pull ups made my back grow... I have "wings" and I don't want to lose them.

Actually, my pecs are sore, especially at the insertion points in the armpit area. My triceps are a little sore too, but it's not really as noticeable. My shoulders are just plain tired. But everything is kind of tired and/or sore. I get a stitch under my ribs and my foot goes mildly numb halfway through. Even my glutes and quads are stiff, so warming up on the cross-trainer is hard. I'm surprised by the display telling me that I've saved enough energy to power the machine for 22 minutes. That wasn't in the display last week. Cool.

I stretch at the Cage and then amble over to the Max Rack. I always start warm up moves with just the bar. Then I add a pair of small plates and do another set. I get up to 95 lbs which isn't a lot when my lower right back spasms. It's the muscle over the hip bone and where I've had trouble before. It's a mild spasm, not a sharp pain, but I know enough to cut this movement short. I suspect it's because I have a long torso. I can't really pull weight with my torso parallel to the floor as that puts too much stress on my lower back. Instead, I need to be more upright, closer to 45 degrees. The traps get involved at this angle but I still feel it a lot in my lats and middle back. I'm moving very cautiously now as my lower back stiffens up.

I do a few light sets at Seated Cable Rows, but I don't go for the stretch at the end of each movement. Instead, I only let the lats do any work so it's a limited movement. Then a few sets of One-Arm Seated Cable Rows. Forget the Lower Back Extension machine for today. I grab a solid state BB and do a few sets of Drag Curls. Then I use the same BB for RG BB Curls. Oddly, I can get more reps of the latter, but my biceps are tired. On the elliptical I punch in a new program I've not used before: Weight Loss. It's basically Intervals but longer duration peaks and valleys. I do drop the resistance on the peaks down to 6 from 8 because 8 is a bit hard on my lower back. When I'm done I feel pretty good and do a few stretches before taking a hot shower.

At the grocery, I keep running into people from the gym or kung fu school. Since I'm so focused on my shopping list and reading the labels to everything, I'm very often caught off-guard when they say Hi as they pass by with their carts. Uh, what?

Tuesday Workout
(6.34 miles total cardio)

Elliptical Training

Steady State

Calorie :   138 CAL
Distance: 3.88 mile
Speed :    7.71 mph
Duration : 00:30:11

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

175

Set 1 : 55x25
Set 2 : 75x20
Set 3 : 95x20
Set 4 : 105x20 Uh oh!

Cable Seated Row

125

Set 1 : 30x25
Set 2 : 60x20
Set 3 : 75x20

Cable One Arm Seated Row

50

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 30x15
Set 3 : 30x20

Barbell Drag Curl

66.67

Set 1 : 30x20
Set 2 : 40x20
Set 3 : 40x20

Barbell Reverse Curl

66.67

Set 1 : 40x20
Set 2 : 40x20
Set 3 : 40x20

Elliptical Training

Wt Loss Prg

Calorie :   280 CAL
Distance: 2.46 mile
Duration : 00:30:02