Every Day is Monday

 I didn't get a chance to post my workout yesterday, and today I'm taking my son to see the latest Ice Age flick. It's going to be damn near 90F by this afternoon and what better way to avoid the heat than retreating into the dark cool confines of a movie theater? At least the grass was wet from last night's thunderstorms so the dog got a slight reprieve from the heat. But he's not a happy puppy by any means. I have several fans aimed at key spots in the house and there's where I find him.

Because I'm skipping workouts on Tuesday, Thursday and the weekend, every day I do work out feels like I'm starting anew. Like it's a Monday morning. Only I'm sore. Ideally, days off should lend to greater recuperation, but I find that it just makes me feel a bit more reluctant. I guess I'm a creature of habit, and "5 days on" has been my routine for most of my workout life. A "3 days on" routine means I'm not working out the majority of the time. And that's having a negative effect on my morale and my body. I'm gaining weight. I feel sluggish. Oh, and this heat wave doesn't help either.

Knowing that I only have three gym days this week makes me change my routine slightly. When I get to the elliptical, I do Intervals instead of a Performance Program. No need to worry about my sciatica and hammies at the beginning of the week. Monday is a Push Day so after my warm up routine, I'm at the Smith machine for flat bench presses and then inclined presses. I follow up with my standard DB laterals superset with Rev Incl Flyes.

While I'm in the DB area, I notice a few newbie girls. One is thin and spidery. A well-built young man helps her with her bench press. Maybe he's her BF? But they don't hover and chat like a couple. Then she's at the inclined bench. She's tall enough to use the regular benches without an issue. SpiderGirl has on a tank and form-fitting zebra-striped shorts. Another girl spends most of her time staring at her phone when she's not raising beauty bells overhead. She's wearing her tank tied just under her bust, and leggings. A lumbering middle-aged man comes over to use some DBs. He circles the area and benches where we are. I glance up and catch SpiderGirl's eye because we both think he's creepy. He's a regular with a hip replacement: I note the thicker sole of his right shoe that's meant to correct an uneven leg length. In my mind, I call him Frankenstein because he reminds me of Peter Boyle in that Gene Wilder classic. Middle-age guys are so creepy at the gym.

I'm wearing another pair of Old Navy boy shorts. These are also light and silky, and very comfortable to wear. I'm getting used to the higher waist band where I clip my iPod. (I sweat too much to attach it to my tank strap as I've already destroyed two before figuring out that over my hip is the safest place to attach this thing.) Most women wear form fitting shorts or leggings. I own a few pairs myself but I don't find them comfortable. The Fashion section of the NYTimes ran a review of a store in NYC that caters to trendy expensive fitness apparel, most notably leggings. And the reason that they run upwards of $100? Because they're compressive like shapewear, only designed to be visible as clothing, not something you wear under clothing. Oh jeeze...

I read an article about women in Cross-Fit, and the appeal to be judged for your abilities and strength, and not for how you look. Sorta the difference between bodybuilding and powerlifting? I don't have the joints to handle powerlifting, but I'm only slightly envious of those who can. I work with what I have. It's the only reasonable thing to do! My workouts are designed to improve my functional strength and endurance, and it's a great by-product that I'm happy with how I look because of those workouts. I see regulars at the gym, doing their 3 sets of 12 reps on the machines, walking 20 minutes on the treadmill, pedaling listlessly on the recumbent stationary bikes and I wonder if they're actually benefiting. Of course, some movement is better than no movement, so I guess they'd be worse off if they didn't come.

I'm gratified to read in today's NYTimes that research has finally "proven" that high reps with moderate weight is as effective in strength training as doing heavy weights. Apparently the key is muscle fatigue (whatever it takes to make your muscles tired)! Yes, that's the reason I end my big movements with high reps at a moderate weight.

Monday's Workout
(6.61 miles total cardio)

X trainer
30 min
137 cal
3.87 miles
7.74 av spd

HGPU 31

Push Ups
100

Crunches
3 X 50

Bird Dog planks
2 X 60 sec

Smith bench
30lbs @ 20 reps
80@12
100@12
120@12
90@25

Smith incl bench
30lbs @ 20 reps
50@12
70@12
80@12 X 3
50@25

DB Lat S/S w Rev Incl Flyes
3 X 20@12/20

Rip skulls
12@30, 35, 40
8@45 (elbow elbow starting to twinge)

Elliptical
30 min
Intervals
316 cal
2.74 miles

HGPU 31

Knee ins 50