Well, that's at least one person other than myself who uses the machines, even though they're broken. I like them better than punching a heavy bag because I know I'll just resort to the same combinations and eventually get bored. The Nexersys tosses different combinations at you, and that keeps your skills sharper. It also strengthens your reflexes, not that the machine can hit you back if you miss. I do a set of shoulder width hammer grip pull ups, and then some quick knee-ins. And I totally bypass the mats so no crunches, no planks, and no push ups! Egads!
Instead, I claim the Smith machine, and gather up a pair of 3s and 5s to do shoulder warm ups. I still haven't gotten around to trying face-pulls with my silicone bands, mainly because I'm not sure where to put them in my workout. This section of the gym is empty and I happily drag a flat bench to the Smith while positioning the adjustable bench out of the way. Last time I got reps at 110 before the shoulder felt iffy. I'm a bit worried, of course. But, even though the shoulder feels stiff and a tad off, I can still bench. I get to 120 and decide that's as heavy as I want to go for now. And then, because I've already done multifple sets of 25 at 80 lbs, I finish with 25 reps. I'm confident I can try reps at 90 lbs next time. Progress is slow, but at least it's progress.
The next big movement I want to do are RDLs. I've done them earlier this week, but it doesn't really hurt to do them again. I'm not even worried that benching will affect the lifts, because honestly, I'm not lifting all that much. I could probably pull more if I cut my reps though. I don't check my log, but I happen to pull exactly the same as I did on Tuesday. That's reassuring, knowing that I could pull more if I cut my reps. Of course, I remember pulling 160 and 170 just a few years ago. But I was on the near side of 50 then.
I'm hoping this forestalls the dreaded sarcopenia, or inevitable muscle loss due to aging. Having decent stamina, strength and flexibility are suppose to be important to living a long, active life. Of course, all research is contradictory. Research tells us to take 15,000 steps daily to stay healthy. And to cut our calorie intake by 25%. And to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. And to get adequate amounts of B vitamins, omega-3s, magnesium and zinc. But you can't eat enough food to get the prescribed amounts without putting on weight. And being underweight helps your cells age better. It's enough to make you want to blot everyone out and bury your head in the sand.
I get on the elliptical for 20 minutes, and then I do a set of wide hammer grip pull ups. It's truly thrilling to have my head pop up past the Cage roof, but of course, it's much harder to do that towards the end of the set. I also knock out most of my Mat Stretch, because stretching keeps me from being too sore. And I know I'm going to be sore. The gym scale reads 108.8 lbs. Well, that's okay. Once I get home, I calculate how much weight I've moved. 17,900 lbs. Not too shabby.
Friday
Big Lifts Day ;-)
3.45 miles
15 min x-trainer
Calories 74
Miles 1.75
Average Heart Rate 126
HGPU 30 left hand
Knee-Ins 50
Y, T & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15
Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 10
80 x 30 reps
Smith RDLs
Bar x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 8
150 x 6
20 min elliptical
Program 3
Miles 1.70
Calories 193
Average Heart Rate 135
W HGPU 20
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