Born Again Gym Rat: It's a New Day

Friday, May 6, 2016

It's a New Day

I'm really starting to favor the new Asics. I like them better than the Rykas I've been using because they offer more stability when I'm moving weight and need to really plant my feet. The Rykas are too mushy for SLDLs or even RG BB Rows. It takes me a long time to get out the door this morning, but I like not having to battle the locker room crowds as they exit a zumba or jazzercise class.

My plan for today is to do cardio, then a full body workout, then more cardio. My right foot doesn't go quite as numb today even though I'm still doing 30 minutes on the Cross-Trainer. I'm wondering about variations on pull ups as I muscles through my first set. But my joints are so sensitive that I'm a bit leery of trying something different. Doing more sets or more reps is definitely the safer route. But it does get a little dull.

I'm worried when I can't push myself past 75 push ups during the warm up. Well, just more energy for the Smith Bench, I tell myself. Except the Mayor and clique are there. Aarg. I don't play well with others so there's no way I want to work in. Instead, I grab some light DBs and do a set of DB presses. When I look up, the Mayor & Co have moved on to another station. Yaaaay! I made sure not to wear a nylon tank today so that I wouldn't slide down the bench. It's been a problem lately. There are guys using the pull up feature of the MaxRack the next station over, but they're done by the time I want to use it. So far so good.

Knowing that my lower back has been sensitive to RG BB Rows, I only do a few light sets in the Smith. I move to the MaxRack for SLDLs because I don't have to worry about rotating the bar and getting caught on the stays, which is what happens in the Smith. Doing SLDLs is the only movement that really leaves me a bit breathless. But I like how I can see all the muscles in my chest and shoulders when I pull up straight.

I tell myself I'm only doing big movements today, but then I find myself with DBs at the adjustable inclined bench. DB laterals and reverse flyes. Just 3 sets. And just 3 sets of BB uprights. They still stress my right elbow and forearm even though I've gone back to the lighter 30 lb BB. For a moment I'm tempted to do Rip Skulls, but it's getting late. So my last 30 minutes on the elliptical doing Intervals. It's a love-hate thing. It's hard, but I really enjoy it. Then my last set of pull ups, a stretch and a few pistol squats for fun. Yep.

I'm still using those Plugfones even though the sound quality changes every time I shift my head down or move my jaw. Weird. But it's better than having to listen to ridiculous conversations. I see newbies, and some old members come back from hibernation. They don't look much different. Except for Shaggy. He's dropped some weight and is looking fairly trim. Animé Hair girl has dyed her lovely gray-blue hair and it's now a deep red. I liked it better when it was gray-blue. I've walked into the locker room a few times while she was taking a selfie. Of course she was embarrassed and I told her No problem. I do it too. I even offered to help her shoot her back but she demurred. Now she's gone and changed her hair to something more pedestrian, although it's very rich and shiny-looking. Oh well...

Friday Workout
(7.05 miles total cardio. Wahoo! 29,627 lbs moved!)