Born Again Gym Rat: Massive Mondays

Monday, November 9, 2015

Massive Mondays

I've been stress-eating all weekend and I'm not proud of it. Not only was it not even "real" food, but it was positively "bad for you food". Like liverwurst. And creamy brie on crackers. And potato chips. Washed down with some expensive Belgian-ale-style hard cider. Working out is my calm place. Which is why I'm stressed about the prospects of giving it up to work full-time next year. Or sooner. But the reality is, is that prices keep going up, portions get smaller, and no one gets a raise to keep up with the "cost of living."

I get to the gym and it's nearly 10 o'clock in the morning. While I'm on the cross-trainer, I keep thinking how tired I am, how slow I am. So I'm surprised, actually I'm always surprised, when I manage 4+ miles. No more pull ups. At least for a few weeks. I"m not really sure why doing them makes my gallbladder hurt. It's probably the vagaries of human physiology and how everything's interconnected. I muscle through all my push ups and planks. Actually, the planks are easy and sort of a rest between push ups. If I wanted to make life even harder, I could fully extend at the top of each push up. For fast reps I don't. My arms and chest get a great pump, but I'm not sure how much strength I'm gaining, although I'm more concerned with endurance stamina. I must be doing something right though since my arms look pretty good if I don't say so myself.

I've forgotten my bag so all I have is my towel, water bottle, phone and gloves. No straps, no grip pads, no collars. Only doing reps today. RG BB Rows feel okay but I don't go heavier than 95 lbs. I haven't felt that ominous twinge in the center of my lower back so that's good. But my cold has progressed to coughing fits early in the morning, and in the middle of the supermarket. No fever, no sore throat. Just a dry itchy cough that feels like I swallowed lint. I drink a lot of water.

I can hear The Mayor at the DB racks as he works out with Tall Pace. I don't want to go over there until he leaves. Then I drape my hoodie on the Inclined Bench and do my 3 sets of DB Laterals superset with Reverse Incline Flyes. I know I used to lift heavier, but I was heavier. And I wasn't doing hundreds of push ups back then. Still, my arms are holding up nicely. I don't feel the need for any triceps work but the biceps are another story. Drag Curls, and then RG BB Curls. I credit the latter for increasing the size of my veins! I've always had tiny veins, and with my family history of high blood pressure and strokes, I worry about my cardiac health. Bigger veins means better blood flow. Body flexibility translates into vascular flexibility, and that's a good thing.

I do 30 minutes on the elliptical before a quick hamstring stretch. I really enjoy this part of my workout. Maybe the endorphins kick in? I've cut back on my stretching because too much has a bad impact on my hips. The gym scale reads 108.0 lbs and I'm very surprised. I was totally expecting it to read 110-112 lbs. Maybe it's the Apple Cider Vinegar? I'm keeping track of how I feel after I eat various foods. Sriracha sauce, nope. Sangria, okay. Brie and crackers, okay. Coconut oil, no way. It's a learning experience.

Monday Workout
(6.72 miles total cardio)