Whack Whack Whack

I almost overslept this morning because unseasonably cool temps make great sleeping weather. I wake up just in time to get my son up so he doesn't miss the school bus. It's 46°F outside! It was 82 yesterday. The weather is absolutely crazy.

Still, it takes me forever to get to the gym. I get distracted too easily by all the things I need to do at some point, and while I'm thinking of it, well, might as well do it. Like dishes and laundry. And the dog is not feeling well. He has days where he just looks unhappy, and doesn't touch his food. His tummy is quiet and he's not searching for grass to nibble. He is 14 and a half so I'll give him a day before I really start to worry.

I get to the gym at noon. It's mostly empty. Because it's Friday. And it's actually sunny and fairly nice, except for the wind. I see Gym Owner with a screw driver and a can of WD-40. He's doing some maintenance on the treadmills. I wonder if he's had a chance to look at the Life Fitness cross-trainer with the wonky flywheel? I use the Precor elliptical for 10 minutes, then do my baby bell shoulder movements, followed by band pulls. Now I'm ready to whack the machine.

I got new Bluetooth earbuds from Amazon. The prices have dropped dramatically, and I don't recognize any brand names so I make my selection purely by the number of good reviews. I choose the All Cart Bluetooth Noise Cancelling In-Ear Sports Earbuds for under $20. They work well, and, although a bit clunky, are decently comfortable. The only difficulty I'm having is getting used to the controls which don't feel intuitive, and are hard to use with my left hand. It is nice not having to worry about the sweat flap, because there is no sweat flap. The charging port is actually on the right earbud! (Still, I keep my old pair of Parasom earbuds in my gear bag just in case. These are the earbuds that are very comfortable because they're so tiny, but the sweat flap was designed to impede the charging cable so I eventually just ripped it off. Eventually, sweat is going to destroy those earbuds too. I'm pretty sure that's what happened to my last two pairs of Bluetooth earbuds.)

I do 8 rounds Beginner, and 7 rounds Intermediate. I'm not really tired when I'm done, but I am sweaty. Still, I have a hard time finishing my reps for hammer grip pull ups. But that's all I'm doing today. I have had a picnic pork shoulder in a low heat (225F) oven since 10:15 this morning, lightly rubbed with liquid smoke and salt. Kahlua pork for supper!

Left: Sport Knit Pants  Right: Starfish Pants
Both pants are size Petite XS in black

 

 

I also get my Lands End order of pants. After trying them on, I have to return 2 out of 3 of them. And I'm not 100% happy with the item I'm actually keeping, if only because it doesn't really have pockets. But I knew that when I ordered it. It does have a semi-useful zippered credit card pocket just under the waistband over the front right hip. Why can't these comfy pants actually have front slash pockets? Then they'd be useful. The pants going back have nice big pockets, and are made of super soft comfy fabric. But the narrow elastic waistband is uncomfortably tight, and the pants are clownishly big in the hips. Who the heck are these pants made for? Granted, I'm not a wasp-waist woman, but this is ridiculous...

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 94
Miles 0.83

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Thursday -- Pulling Out Knots

Somehow I managed to aggravate a muscle under my left shoulder blade while stretching. I'm a very knotty person, so it's not an unusual occurrence, but I haven't had one in several months. Sometimes, if I extend my left arm straight forward and reach from the shoulder, I can pull the knot out. But most often, the knot is recalcitrant and needs to be coerced into relaxation. That coercion can either be my husband's thumb, using immense pressure. I have a fairly high pain threshold so I have him press into the knot until it releases. Until then though the pain radiates from my shoulder blade up into just in front of my left ear. This morning I had a recurrence and my hubs had already gone to work (he didn't get selected for the jury so he's off the hook for the next five years — yay!) so it was just me and the old dog at home.

I have a foam roller, but it's much too big and wide for a knot under the shoulder blade. Luckily, I still have a small wooden knot roller I bought in NYC over 30 years ago. It's shaped like a small hourglass. I haven't seen anything like it since. It also works surprisingly well, if you can find a hard surface to place it on while you press your back up against it. I usually resort to the front door because it's steel. Or I put a mat on the floor. Because you don't want put grooves in your sheet rock walls, wooden doors, or hardwood floors.

I get to the gym and it's a Pull Day. So just 35 minutes of cardio, some pull ups and then over to the Smith machine. I'm tired from getting up before dawn to drive my hubs to the train, and I don't feel very strong. But cardio always makes me feel better. My lifts go well. I'm happy. Friday is whack the machine day, which makes me happier.

Thursday

35 xtrainer
Calories 169
Miles 4.68
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Wipe Exhaustion With Cardio

My hubs had to be at the NYC Federal Courthouse at 8:30 this morning for Federal Jury Duty (ugh!) so I drove him to the train station. At 5:15 am. Because driving to NYC sucks, and parking is worse. (Local jury duty would've just been the next town over.) Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. Especially since I'm a light sleeper, so my hubs suddenly snoring at 2:30 kept me awake for a while. Plus, we've been staying up late streaming past seasons of the BBC's infamous The Great British Bake Off, with the original cast of Grand Dame Mary Berry, master bread guy Paul Hollywood, and comedic hosts Mel and Suzy. Last season, the show got bought by UK's Channel 4, but all the ladies (Mary, Mel and Suzy) stayed loyal to the BBC. Neither my hubs nor I think this latest season (currently Season 8) bodes well for longevity, especially since we don't like the new co-hosts, and everyone agrees that Hollywood is not a reason to watch the show.

I get to the gym mid-morning but I'm not at all enthused to do a Pull Day. That requires more concentration than I think I can muster. Yep, it's a Cardio Day. When in doubt, do cardio! It's great for clearing fog out of the brain, making the body limber, and eventually leads to a sense of alertness. I know I'm not in for great mileage, but I do manage over 7 miles so I feel pretty good about that. Other than the basics like pull ups, push ups and core stuff, the Cardio routine, is well, routine. But I feel much better now. I don't know if I have to drive my hubs tomorrow morning though. Guess I'll find out when I pick him up this evening from the train...

When I get home, I decide to sample the Marmite we bought at the UK Brit Store in Connecticut a few days ago. I've always been curious about what it tastes like, and hearing the Men at Work song Down Under on the radio lately has made me brave enough to actually purchase a jar.



My son absolutely refused to even taste a tiny bit of it. He's been prejudiced by YouTube videos telling him that it tastes and smells like sewage. Oh jeeze... It doesn't. It IS really salty though. It actually tastes a lot like soy. There's a very distinctive umami appeal to it, probably due to the high amount of glutamate in it. Yes, like monosodium glutamate, the ultimate flavor enhancer. One apparently eats it as a thin spread on buttered bread or crackers. I can definitely see doing that. But most likely, I'll be adding it to soups and stews (to add body and depth) in place of salt and/or soy.

Wednesday
7.39 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 165
Miles 4.39
Average Heart Rate 142

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Superman 3 x 30s

35 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 340
Miles 3.00
Average Heart Rate 139

HGPU 27

Bugs Are Confused

It's over 80F today and NYS isn't known for balmy temps past the Autumnal Equinox. My grandmother would've called this an Indian Summer. Still, leaves are falling out of the trees like rain, and bugs are confused. Stink bugs amassing on screen doors, looking for places to over-winter. Bees are furiously busy even before the sun gets very high. This afternoon, my son notes that both honeybees and bumblebees are buzzing side-by-side in the crop of roadside flowers. At home, we're suffering from an infestation of Indian Meal Moths, aka Pantry Moths. Ugh.

Every day I squash a good half dozen tiny little powdery bodies that I find on my kitchen cabinets, ceiling, dishes. I've tossed out boxes of crackers, cookies, flour, corn meal, dried split peas and pumpkin seeds. I suspect they've discovered the big bag of white rice sitting at the other end of the kitchen, and wonder if I should just pour it all out in some baking pans and roast the buggers along with the rice (30 min at 120° is suppose to do the trick). I read that accidentally consuming the moths and/or larvae aren't harmful so that's reassuring.

However, I have ordered some pantry moth traps from Amazon. Because enough is enough! They work like other insect traps, i.e., using pheromones to attract the male insect and glue to trap them. Theoretically, this takes all the males out of commission and if the remaining females don't resort to parthenogenesis, extinction! But I'd be happier if the traps attracted both the males and the females. Sometimes I yell at all the spiders that live in my house, and ask them what exactly they're subsisting on since it's not mosquitoes (got bit 3 times INSIDE my house), gnats, stink bugs or pantry moths... Ugh.

I get to the gym mid-morning and it's crowded. Ugh. Still, I can get on the cross-trainer, probably because no one else wants to use a machine that has an issue with its glide tract. I'm drenched after 35 minutes and use my hoodie to blot my head. Pull ups aren't great. I get my 26, but the bottom inside elbow is a little sore. Yep, golfer's elbow. I have such delicate, shallow joints and they are my weak links to an otherwise strong-as-heck body.

20 lb solid BB

It's Universal Chest Day, aka Monday, so I just do some push ups and then I'm at the Smith. No flat benching today. Just inclined benching. For reps. Then the same shoulder routine as last time: front barbell raises super-set with upright tows; dumbbell laterals super-set with reverse inclined flyes. All the breaker benches are busy so I finish with V-bar tricep press downs.

I thought about doing Rip Skulls primarily because my bluetooth horse collar earbuds died today and I had to resort to wired ear buds. I always keep a couple of pairs of wired earbuds in my gym bag. Just like I keep an extra pair of socks, and a package of moleskin and scissors to cut them with. Just in case... So no horse collar rolling up into my jaw, but no benches either. A good day for V-bar press downs. I had to fish my wires down my back so they wouldn't tangle up in front of me. Nothing worse than catching your wires with your own hand and yanking your own earbud out!

I see some vaguely familiar faces — regulars who haven't come around in some years. There's also The Mayor, who literally chats with a good dozen different people. I wish there was some "eye candy" at my gym, but most of the gym folk here are broken, or kids. Oh well... good thing I have good tunes to keep me going.

Tomorrow's going to be a crazy busy day. I'll be back on Wednesday.

Monday

35 x-trainer
Calories 166
Miles 4.49
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13
80 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

BB Front Raise s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

V-bar Press Down
20lbs x 15
30 x 15
40 x 12 x 3

Stamina

The Jewish High Holy Days means there's been no school for 2 days. Just as well. My son can use all the sleep he can get. I'm a tad concerned about the low-dose antibiotic he's been taking to clear up his acne. He feels fine, and his skin is loads better. But he's also dropped weight. I'm not unhappy about that, but I worry that maybe this is unhealthy. He's not underweight by any means. I might mention this at his next pediatrician appointment next month for a flu shot. I've given up on flu shots for myself for the moment, but since my son is in school — a virtual hotbed of germs — annual flu shots are a wise precaution.

I get to the gym near noon. The gym's not crowded. It never is on a beautiful Friday. I do my warm up cardio, then baby bells and pull bands. A few stretches and I'm ready! In the middle of my 8 Beginner rounds, a very tall but young fellow starts wailing on the adjacent machine. He does 2 rounds and walks away. Figures. Most people I've seen at these machines can go about 2 rounds. I'm not sure what program they're running. Probably just Sparring since there's never any kicking or sweeps. It's always a flurry of crosses and jabs. And then they're done. Burnt out. Or bored. No stamina whatsoever. That's what Conor McGregor claims was his downfall in fighting Floyd Mayweather: not enough stamina.

Stamina is actually one of the reasons I go so many rounds at the Nexersys machine. It's also why I do so much cardio. And why I do it before I lift weights. To build up stamina. It's great to be strong, and flexible. But not if you're out of breath after 15 minutes. And I'd like to deliver as strong a Cross or Jab during round 15 as I did during the first round. Of course, the machine's not hitting back. Getting punched and kicked definitely sucks energy away from you. I do 7 more rounds Intermediate level, and then I squeeze out 26 hammer grip pull ups. I remember a day when I could do more, but that seems like such a long time ago. Ugh.

I plan to hit the gym next Monday, but sadly, I have too many appointments scheduled for Tuesday. So I'm making Hay while the Sun Shines! Today is the Autumnal Equinox. It's also my mother's birthday. I don't really miss her. I suppose that makes me a bad daughter. My sister posted about missing my mother a few days ago, on my mother's death anniversary. She had a different relationship with her. Still, I find it ironic that my sister, who couldn't bear to visit my mom during the 6 months she was dramatically ill, should write about that. But of course, she was my mother's favorite child. She claims she was too emotional to offer any help. Uh, okay.

So, I have fond memories of my grandmother, and not so fond memories of my mother. And my sister has barely any memories of my grandmother, but misses my mother dearly. My father's birthday is in two days. And although I had a tempestuous relationship with him as a child and young adult, he had mellowed by the time he passed away. So I miss him. But my sister, who had stopped speaking to my dad after my mom passed, does not. Oh well. Neither of us really speaks to our brother either. I guess that's just how families are, especially dramatic Asian ones. (Have you ever watch a Korean soap opera? The melodrama is real!)

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 94
Miles 0.83

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls x 15
High Band Pulls x 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Push Again

I'm never going to compete but I think my shoulders are lagging. Maybe I'm just so impressed with everyone who has boulder shoulders that I'm a teensy bit envious. Part of this is genetics, of course. I have monster triceps, just like I have damn big quads. And I don't work the quads. They're just big. Hammies aren't very pronounced, but I'm leery of aggravating my sciatica so I'm cautious there. And even though I've got some shoulder issues, I'm still looking for a way to build up my delts. So today is a second Push Day. Just for fun.

Standard warm up on the elliptical. I'm not surprised that I can't quite match prior days' mileage. This is the 4th day, after all. I'm just happy I can pass the four and a half mile mark. Pull ups only go to 28 reps. My arms seem a little tired. I only do Push Ups on the Mat. Today I get to 80, but I had to pause at 70 and 75 for a breath.

Wearing boy shorts today

Those push ups wipe me out for the ensuing Smith bench press. Perhaps if I had swapped the Adjustable Inclined Bench for the smaller flat bench, I would've been more successful. The inclined bench is too wide for my shoulders to clear on the down movement. So I use it backwards, placing my head and shoulders at the narrower seat end. But there's a large gap between the seat and the body of the bench, and it's uncomfortable to lay on. I actually get my upper back caught and nearly wedged in the gap today. I wasn't even pushing heavy, but without being able to place my feet flat on the floor, I have no ability to brace myself properly. Ugh. My right shoulder feels funky. I do manage to get high reps in for the very last set. Whew.

I feel guilty and a bit weak, so I do Inclined Benching afterwards. Those feel fine. But I still go super light with the BB Front Raises super-set with Upright Rows with the same barbell. My shoulders get a bit tired by the 15th rep for Front Raises. Maybe I'll use the magnetic discs next time and up the weight just a teensy bit. The Upright Row feels okay, except for my left forearm close to the elbow. I like this combination and hope to use it to build up better delts since it's obvious that just doing DB Lateral Raises super-set with Reverse Inclined Flyes is not giving me the desired effect. I do have strong delts according to the physical therapist I saw over the summer. I'd just like them to look nicer. Okay, I'm vain.

Thursday

35 xtrainer
Calories 167
Miles 4.57
Average Heart Rate 133

HGPU 26
Push Ups 80

Smith Flat Bench light
High Bench so knees up
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 15 (Rt shoulder)
100 x 12
90 x 12
80 x 25

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
60 x 25

BB Front Raise s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/12 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Push Ups as Cardio?

My son has been nagging me to drive him to school because the buses are so overcrowded that he has to perch on the edge of a seat with his backpack and violà case. The school bus driver has even complained because it's really not safe. Come winter, when students have heavy winter coats on, the situation will only get worse. The problem is that the boneheads in the transportation department want to save money by limiting buses, and claim that 3 kids can fit in each seat. I'm not a big person, and even I know that you can only fit 2 people if they are my size or bigger. And I'm the size of a 10 year old. And this is a bus being shared by Middle School and High School kids. Which means they are mostly regular adult size people. Ugh.

Anyway, my hubs had to take the train into the City today so I offered to drive him. Parking is notoriously hard to come by at the Metro North stations. I don't trust my son to take himself to the bus stop on time, especially since I need to wake him up three times this morning. He curls up, seat-belted but with a blanket, in the back seat while I drive to the train. Our schools have a specific area for parents to drop off their kids, and it means driving past the front entrance of the school and making several left turns. I'm behind at least a dozen other cars, lined up single file to deposit a single child at the back entrance of the school. My son just makes it to his class on time. Of course, if I drove him directly from our house, we'd probably have a bit more time. But it's not something I really want him to actually want. What I want is for the damn school district to provide more buses. Ugh.

Today is a Cardio Day. Yaaay me. The cross-trainer is in need of some minor adjustments as the flywheel seems wobbly. Which means it's adding friction when there shouldn't be any. It's not a smooth glide, but at least it doesn't actually thump. I'm always happy when I make over 4 miles, but lately I've been concerned about making more than 4.5. Noooo, I'm not competitive. Well, maybe just a little. I'm wearing the over-sized, cushiony NB shoes and my feet always feel good in the beginning. At the end, though, my right foot feels numb, and the pinky toe is sore. I might be rolling outward on that foot as I try to spread my forefoot during the push-off phase of the "run". I'm not a runner. I don't know running mechanics. But I need to figure out how to minimize destroying my feet when I do cardio.

The first set of pull ups is good. 26 reps is good. Wish I had it in me to do more, but I notice my left elbow getting sore while I was on the cross-trainer. Weird. There's a pushing-pulling motion, but without much resistance. It might just be the actual movement itself. Which makes this even weirder. Cardio Day means some time on the Mat. I'm wearing new sports shorts I bought from Lands End. I'm hoping to find a suitable replacement for the Danskin shorts I bought a zillion years ago. Those are super comfy, but no one makes them anymore. These LE shorts are made of a much heavier fabric. The seams of the hem feel abrasive so I fold the bottoms up a quarter inch. Since they're black, it's not noticeable. The waistband is very snug so either the shorts loosen up or I lose some belly fat. If I were smart, I would've ordered both the XS and the Small, and just returned the one that didn't fit. Too late now. Oh well...

On the Mat, I knock out 75 push ups. It didn't really start to get hard until rep 70. I'm sure I could've pushed for more. But pushing for more is what caused that nasty labral tear in my shoulder. So I'm good with 75 today. Maybe I'll work back up to 100 one of these days. Or just be content with knocking out two sets of 50? (My hubs wants my son to be able to knock out 50 push ups, but I'm not sure he can actually do that himself.) I do some cobra and camel/cat stretches. Then core stuff. I get on the elliptical and do 35 more minutes of cardio. Some of my workout songs inspire me to sing along (soundlessly) while I'm pedaling like mad. I always feel great afterwards but I have to blot myself with my hoodie. I manage another set of pull ups. Today I get 26, but I had to fight the urge to kip the last 3 reps. Sigh.

I didn't do a Mat stretch yesterday so I do most of one today. It feels great. There are certain stretches that I've stopped doing because they were causing issues with my joints. No one needs dislocated hips! The gym scale likes Cardio Day. Even though I feel like a sopping fat mess, it reads 109 lbs. Yaaay me!

Wednesday
7.67 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 168
Miles 4.64
Average Heart Rate 153

HGPU 26
Push Ups 75
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Superman 3 x 30s

35 elliptical
Program 3
Miles 3.03
Calories 345
(Heart Rate Monitor on this machine is broken)

HGPU 26

No Excuses

ToysRUs just filed for bankruptcy protection, and I still have over $25 on a gift card. Prior experience tells me to cash this in while I can because eventually the gift card will become worthless. My son and I had already used over $50 in merchandise credit before school started. He has 3 games on his Christmas wish list and ToysRUs supposedly had one of them for a reasonable price. But of course, when I got to the store, they were out of stock. As was their online store. Luckily, this game is available at a lot of different venues for the same price. I was just hoping to use up the store credit before the company disappears.They'll probably be around for the Holidays...

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym. Sigh. I'm so not in the mood to do strenuous exercise. Pedaling for 35 minutes helps change my disposition for the better. I do some pull ups and completely skip push ups and core. Because today is a Pull Day, and I see a lot of teen boys in the weight area. None are on the Smith. Yet. Motivation is highly overrated. I'm not motivated. But I am a creature of habit, and I'll be dammed if a little thing like "lack of motivation" keeps me from doing what I set out to do. Which is progressively heavier sets of 12 reps. I'm not nearly as winded as I usually am. Maybe because I skipped push ups and core? Eventually though, it catches up with me.

After RG BB Rows, and three lighter sets of Seated One-Arm Cable Rows, I attempt to do some pull ups. The first five are good, but these get harder fast. I give up by rep 23 because my forearms are complaining and I'm actually feeling really tired. Ugh. I'm kind of disappointed in myself. I realize I could've tried for an additional 3 reps, but the forearm fatigue seems new. It's not elbow but I don't want to risk anything weird.

I don't feel any new sciatica pains, but I did notice that my right outer ankle was stressed as I pedaled on the cross-trainer. That right foot is afflicted with a bunion, and ensuing hammer toes. This might be throwing my gait off enough to cause ankle stress. Sometimes my toes cross while I'm pedaling, which weirds me out. And becomes painful if I don't fix the toe positioning immediately. So while there's something to be said for shoes with a wide-enough toe box, sometimes there's too much room and not enough support to keep the foot properly aligned. And even though I pedal on an elliptical and a cross-trainer, instead of actually running on a trail or track, there can still be an issue with gait mechanics and foot alignment.

I have a gel toe spacer which I should probably use more often. It might help. I can't imagine it'll make anything worse. There's also foot exercises (I'm looking at these on the Debug Your Health website — click here) I might try because anything's better than going to see a doc whose only recommendation will be surgery. Seriously.

Tuesday

35 xtrainer
Calories 168
Miles 4.63
Average Heart Rate 145

HGPU 26

Smith RDL
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated OneArm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

HGPU 23 ugh!

Waterlogged

We went to a seafood restaurant for supper last night. Seafood is salty. Restaurant food is usually over-salted. And I'm especially sensitive to salt in my diet so this morning I'm bloated and smooth. Ugh. Oh well. I'm on the cross-trainer later than usual, but I do my 30+ minutes and score more than 4 miles. That makes me feel a little better about myself. Pull ups are hard again. Push ups, not so much. I knock out 60 and realize I could probably go for 80, but I'm saving myself. Not for flat benching, but for Inclined Presses on the Smith.

My right leg doesn't feel quite so funky today. It's not quite right though. I just want to get through my workout without any new injuries, or aggravating all the old ones. I get through both high-rep sets without much trouble, which tells me I could've gone heavier with those. Next time. I'm conflicted about doing Flyes so I don't do them most of the time. There's the elbow issue (weakest link) which limits how much weight I can use. There's the labral tear, which limits weight and range of motion. And since I have to go light, I'm not sure there's much benefit to doing the movement at all. Not that I haven't tried to go heavier. But I don't think it's worth it.

I try something new today: front barbell raises with a super light solid barbell. There's just enough weight on this to make me feel not completely silly. My arms stay naturally bent at the elbows as I raise my arms directly in front with the barbell. I could also do this with a pair of DBs. After 3 sets of 12, I know I can up the weight next time. I just don't know by how much. Should I jump to the 30 lb BB? use a pair of 15 lb DBs? Or grab some incremental magnetic discs? It's hard to know. I grab an Inclined Bench in the DB area and put a pair of 25s next to it. I always do the DB Lateral Raises first. And always with 20 lb DBs. There's a new woman working out. She's doing a lot of DB combo movements, and I don't really care, except she's planted herself right in front of the DB rack. And not just in front of the DB rack, but right where the gap is for the DBs I'm currently using. Seriously? Stupid newbie. Am I being harsh? Well, it's not like I said anything to her.

Worse, The Mayor is super-setting so he's running between the Squat rack, where he's doing curls (ugh!), and a preacher bench several yards away. Since he wears an oversize polo shirt like a potato sack dress, I've actually never seen whether he has biceps or not. The sleeves of his shirt come to his elbows. But there's no hiding the monster gut that plagues most middle-age men. Big Glasses Dude is benching today. Oh, that's right. Monday is International Bench Press Day! Kidding...

I feel pretty bulky today. As in big. And mean. I'm still a tiny bit sore from Friday, but it's mostly in my chest and upper back. And nothing I can actually call painful. Just gentle reminders that I did indeed workout but a few days ago. Which means I'm constantly stretching and flexing the stiffness out of my arms, shoulders and hands between sets. I'm sure in the right light it might look impressive. Or silly. I see that the cable press down station is vacant, but I can't find the V-bar. The gimpy lady ex-cop comes over and I think she's just putting her handles away, but instead she offers me... the V-bar I've been looking for. Great! I thank her loudly because we both have headphones on.

Ugh. Creepy PJ Pants an unexpected presence at this late hour. The Mayor is chatting (of course) with gym staff just a few feet from me. Ugh. I like the V-bar press down for isolating the triceps. It also works a bunch of other muscles and can't compare to Rip Skulls. But some days I'm just not in the mood to wrestle with this bluetooth horse collar rolling up into my jaw with every rep. I skip the 2nd set of pull ups because I plan to do that tomorrow. Instead, I stretch a bit on the Mat, and make sure that I do a few piriformis stretches.

Monday

35 xtrainer
Calories 169
Miles 4.67
Average Heart Rate 153

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar (30lbs) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13
80 x 13
60 x 25
50 x 30 (too easy?!)

Front BB Raises
20lbs x 12reps x 3sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

Cable V-bar press down
30 lbs x 15reps
40 x 12 x 3

Is it Sciatica Again?

My right leg isn't quite right. It doesn't hurt. Well, let me amend that statement. Both my quads are a bit sore today, probably from yesterday's 7.7 mile jaunt on the cardio machines. But the outside of my right ankle feels tight, like string pulled taut up along the outside of my calf. There's a vague sense of discomfort, going through my knee and ending somewhere over my back hip, perhaps just under the kidney. Ugh. My first thought is, "This is the leg that's prone to getting sciatica." My second thought is "I should be doing those piriformis stretches." But I haven't. Yet. It's not true sciatica. It's piriformis syndrome where the muscles deep inside the glute compress the sciatic nerve. So it feels just like sciatica, but relief can be achieved from a simple floor stretch.

Fridays I save for whacking the kickboxing machine. I'm pretty good with maintaining a routine. First warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, then warm up the shoulders with baby DBs on a flat bench. Stretch the legs, hips and back. Then use the silicone band to do band pulls to activate those much neglected muscles that run down each side of the spine. My shoulders have been unhappy lately, but mostly when I lay on my side in bed. Because they hate being compressed, and my limbs are prone to going numb in the wrong position. I want to make sure both shoulders are thoroughly warmed up before I attack the Nexersys. Having an existing shoulder injury already sucks. No need to aggravate it needlessly.

I like the idea of doing 15 rounds, so I tap in 8 rounds Beginner, and later, 7 rounds Intermediate. No point in doing the Advance level since the machine defaults to SouthPaw and can't be convinced otherwise at that setting. Of course, if I learn to forget about labels and just whack wherever the Avatar lights up, I might stand a chance at the Advance level. It did use to kick my butt on the other machine though. Today I remember to keep my fists tight so I don't suffer any grievous bruising to my knuckles, although my fingers felt a bit iffy. Between rounds, I note a few regulars like Marine, Maroon, WTC, little R and BigMustache.

My leg doesn't bother me at all during my time whacking the machine. I am really tired though, and I'm only good for 20 pull ups. I have to muscle through the remaining six with my teeth gritted. It doesn't help that even though I ate yogurt for breakfast, I'm absolutely famished before I hit the locker room to shower. I don't even stretch — I things to do! Like buy pastrami, Swiss cheese, rolls and spicy guacamole to make bag lunches for Sunday. The Scouts are doing their annual 5-mile hike up Breakneck Ridge. I did it last year, but I don't want to do it again. Going up was okay. Coming down really sucks for bad knees. A hiker died there just a few months ago. The Scouts will cancel if there's rain. Because slippery rocks suck when they're wet.

Me and my big pink gloves

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0.84

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Band Pulls mid 15
Band Pulls high 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Rest vs Guilt

I took yesterday off because I had a lot of stuff to do, not that I was entirely successful. Still, it was really hard to get myself to the gym this morning. The body just wants to laze around, especially when it hasn't had enough sleep. But that's not really an excuse in today's society. We are chronically sleepless, and not in Seattle.

Ten minutes before the end of the program, I can feel my pinky toe going numb. The stinging creeps across the ball of my foot, encompassing each toe in tiny increments. I know once I stop pedaling, the numbness goes away so I'm not too perturbed. I feel guilty that I didn't work out yesterday so I pedal hard. Maybe I'm kind of rested too. Still, I'm surprised that I'm past four and a half miles when I finish. The first set of pull ups is hard. Spoke too soon. Not feeling rested at all!

I do some push ups, then ab work. I can knock out another set of push ups without any issue. I feel great about that! I see The Mayor, but I don't hear him. That's great too! The gym isn't very crowded, but I'm set on doing a Cardio Day. Both Step Mills are occupied so I hop on the elliptical. Not crazy about doing Intervals because I want the backward motion of the other programs. There's no backward pedaling in Intervals. I could work at that one of these days, though. Instead, I tap in Program 1 and turn up my music. It feels good!

This is the most mileage I've done in one gym session so I'm quite pleased. I'm also drenched. Pull Ups are easier now so I do more. Then a quick Mat stretch and I'm done. Yaaay me!

Thursday
7.70 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 169
Miles 4.69
Average Heart Rate 152

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Push Ups 60

35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 3.01
Calories 342
Average Heart Rate 140

HGPU 31

Tank Tops and Sports Bras

Imagine this in Hot Pink

Today I'm back to wearing a tank top and sports pants. I'm also wearing one of the more complicated looking sports bras that I own: it's the hot pink one with too many straps, purchased at a steep discount because not only does the fabric still bleed magenta dye on white clothes, but you need a handler to smooth out all the twisted straps in the back. Normally I flatten out the straps and then ease the bra on over my head. But today I already have my braid clipped up, which makes it so much more difficult to lay the straps down correctly. Screw it. I'm not planning on spending any time on my back, when twisted straps might be uncomfortable, so I just toss my tank on over it.

I've been trying to time my arrival at the gym to avoid the crowded locker room scenario. So far, so good. I get to pedal on the good cross-trainer and watch regulars like PJPants, Marine and Maroon. Mostly I glance at the overhead TVs, and sometimes at my own monitor which I've tuned to Supernatural. With 12 seasons in the bag, there are at least 3 hours worth of reruns every morning. I haven't been getting enough sleep, and in the right light I can see how puffy my under eyes look. Ugh. At least I feel more energetic after cardio. I do a few pull ups and skip the Mat entirely today. No push ups, no core. If I don't grab the Smith now, I'll regret it. Especially since I'm tired and my lower back is a bit achy.

It's true: I never look happy

I'm very predictable. First Smith RDLs, then Smith RG BB Rows. Maybe Seated Cable Rows later. The tank is comfortable, but the soft cottony fabric snags on the top of my iPod, which is clipped to the back of my waistband. It's not an issue until I bend over, because the back of my tank catches against the top of the device and causes the music to stammer. Ugh. I pull the iPod off and leave it on my hoodie. I'm not sure what the bluetooth range is, but I'm not more than a few feet from it at this point. I have to clip it back on later when I move on to the Seated Cable Rows. My back actually eases up as I go heavier on the RDLs. Slow and steady. RG BB Rows were actually much better this week than last week. Not sure why though.

What's annoying me today is, again, my sports bra. I'm pulling the right side straps out of my neck after each lift. Ugh. The bra also feels tight in the arm pits, and upon close inspection, I seem to be popping out of the garment. Mind you, this is a size L and I'm about 34" around the upper rib cage. That 34" is mostly back because as a triple A, there's not much up front to worry about. This bra has been decently comfortable in the past, so maybe it's just getting worn out, or I'm more sensitive? Or I'm bigger? I'm actually a really small person, with a "big presence". Yesterday I realized, when I hugged my son goodnight, that my cheek rests comfortably on his shoulder now. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.

I go slow enough during Seated One-Arm Cable Rows that I can feel the strain in my left elbow as I pull. No doubt, the twisting motion I make from palm down to neutral as I pull in toward my lat isn't helping the elbow at all. I don't have this issue with the right elbow. But it's also the left elbow that's not happy with hammer grip pull ups. Of course, neither elbow wants me to do regular pull ups or chin ups. There was a time, when I had just started working out here, that I wore straps on both my forearms because of the radiating elbow pain. And I never want to get to that point again if I can help it.

I take a little time to stretch the hammies, and then a final set of pull ups. These are really hard, and for a moment I'm worried I won't get to 26. The last 3 reps are a struggle. I do a modified Mat Stretch because I'm very happy with my music and that makes me want to dance. Stretching is better. The gym scale reads 109.8 lbs. I'm okay with that. Yesterday it read 110.8 lbs.

Tuesday

35 xtrainer
Calories 165
Miles 4.42
Average Heart Rate 141

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Row
45lbs x 12
52.5 x 12
52.5 x 12

HGPU 26

Black T-shirt Day

Lately, I wake up stiff and sore and I wonder if it isn't time for a new mattress. Mine is over 20 years old and is too big to flip. It's so big and heavy that the side handles broke a long time ago. There's absolutely no hope of getting the king size monster on its side, much less flipped onto its belly. I hear that newer mattresses don't require turning. That's great. But mattresses are expensive, and there's so many other things that require the same amount of money. I'm considering getting a mattress topper instead, just to make it feel like I've got new bedding. It's certainly cheaper.

The last thing I feel like doing is going to the gym. It's 50°F out and I'm tossing a light flannel shirt in my gym bag. Temps promise to rise into the 70s later. Maybe even the 80s by midweek. I suspect that once I warm up, I'll feel more like exercising. Right now I'm positively reptilian and just want to bask some place warm, preferably on a flat slab in the sun. Fishing around in my gym gear drawer, I find a filmy black T-shirt. It's branded with the Reebok logo and says size M. I don't think I've ever worn it, and I actually can't remember how I acquired it either.

I should've been more particular with my sports bra today. Instead, I put on a one-piece Everlast sports bra. I should've known better. I'm much happier with the skinnier strap sports bras because they're so much more comfortable (I obviously don't need massive breast support). The thick straps of this bra creep up and cut into my neck, and they don't stay low on my traps when I readjust them. It's much harder to yank the straps down while wearing a T-shirt, no matter how smooth and silky it is.

Normally I wear something with adjustable straps because I'm an odd size: big back so big band, but don't really need big cups. I just need some headlight protection so that I'm not self-conscious when I work out. Honestly, being self-conscious is probably the worst impediment to a decent workout. The T-shirt itself is actually really nice. The arms just fit, but again, I have big arms. The rest of it billows around the waist, but I don't feel too hot or sweaty. Plus, I don't get all skeeved out while I'm laying on the bench or mat.

I'm not sure if I look like a ninja or a waiter, or maybe a bit of both. Smith Inclined Presses done. Delts done. Tricep press downs done. Big Mountain Glasses Dude hovers. I try to avoid him. I'm sure he's harmless, but not only am I not even remotely interested in talking to him, he creeps me out a little. Probably because he once sat down across from me with the weirdest love-sick puppy dog expression. I pretend not to see him and move on with my workout. WTC is here today too. I see a few other regulars but mostly the gym is empty. It's the 16th anniversary of the fall of the Twin Towers, and I feel appropriately dressed. In the locker room, the TV broadcasts the annual ritual of naming all those lost by surviving family members. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing, and how beautiful the cloudless blue sky appeared.

I've been busy learning how to become my son's Boy Scout Troop's Advancement Chair. Luckily, Court of Honors only happen three times a year. I've also enrolled in an editing course, which makes me nervous. Because I'm a very anxious person, and I worry that I'm so much dumber than I think I am. Call it Imposter Syndrome. But if I succeed, I'll be qualified to apply for editing and writing jobs that I currently don't dare even look at. Because I have no self-confidence. Which is probably not as bad as being over-confident. Or maybe it is? I'm sure super-successful people are super confident. Sigh.

Not sure what I'm doing tomorrow, but I'll drag myself to the gym just to find out.

Monday

35 xtrainer
Calories 172
Miles 4.15
Average Heart Rate 157

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 13
70 x 13
80 x 13
60 x 25
50 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
30lbs x 12
40 x 12 x 2

Keeping a Tight Fist

It took me a while to get out of the house, but I knew I was going to whack the machine no matter what. Luckily the gym's not very crowded mid-morning. For some reason, the gym staff have moved their giant, gold bicycle wheel trophy which sits atop a table, to just behind the first Nexersys machine. People on the Expresso bikes or the cross-trainers by the door don't really get in the way, but someone using that kickboxing machine, the one with the one repaired arm, would worry about stepping backward into the display. I guess it's suppose to be a Call to Arms, trying to entice others to participate in some sort of faux bike race. People compare their 24-hour mileage on the Expresso bikes, and someone wins something. Or so I gather from the sheet of names affixed to the sign up board.

There's always some sort of cardio competition going on here and everyone gets a tacky t-shirt that declares to the world that they are participants. This stuff has never appealed to me. Just like classes don't appeal to me either. I'd rather just do my own thing, dance to my own music and be completely oblivious to everyone else. At least when I'm working out. I hear The Mayor behind me exiting the gym, and calling to the former lady cop with a bad limp. He sounds retarded. "Have a happy fall. Fall, you know. End of summer." Jeeze. Just stop babbling, please.

After warming up, and wrapping my hands, I set the Nexersys for 8 rounds Beginner. By the 3rd round, the first two knuckles of my left hand hurt a bit. Which is odd because I'm pulling my jabs. But I'm not pulling the Lead Dig or Lead Body strikes. And that's my problem. I'm not keeping my fist tight so I'm punching with a "soft" hand, a hand that's a little loose in spite of being taped and wrapped and stuffed into a padded glove. When I make the conscious effort to tighten my fist (the glove has a grip bar attached to the palm), my hand immediately feels better. However, bruised is bruised, and by the end of 15 rounds, my left hand hurts. Once I unwrap, things are better. No scabs, no obvious discoloration. Whew!

I think about one of the summer camp counselors who wore a cast for several weeks, because he had broken his hand boxing. But he'd broken the last metacarpal, i.e. the pinky finger. You don't really punch with that part of your hand. Or at least you're not suppose to. That particular injury is called a Boxer Fracture. I guess it must be fairly common. I've bruised that part of my hand, but the other hand, the right hand, which packs a better wallop. That's why I put a moleskin strip running from pinky knuckle to ring finger knuckle: the bruising inevitably happens between the knuckles!

I had breakfast this morning, but I wasn't as sweaty as yesterday. I was, however, ravenous by the time I got back to the locker room. The good thing about hunger, though, is that if you ignore it long enough, it passes. I wind up scarfing down a key lime yogurt when I get home. I love these dessert flavors! But I'll probably be hungry in just a few hours again. Oh well...

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0.82

T, Y & I Raises
15 x 3 lbs, 5 lbs

Mid & High Band Pulls x 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 31

Running Hot

My hubs got home after midnight due to a deadline. I was still up just to direct him to the dinner plate I left him in the kitchen. But I went to sleep before he finished. Still, the alarm was really painful this morning, and even more so for my son. He needs a lot more sleep than I do. In just a few months, he's lost 5-7 lbs, and sprouted a few inches. Kids are weird like that. Nothing makes me feel old like having to look up at my kid. Seriously! When did I become my grandmother? Granted, she only stood 4 foot 8 or so, but she's been a towering presence in my childhood. I'm hoping not to lose too much height. We all do as we age, so it's not looking promising. Ugh.

I'm really hungry this morning so after morning coffee, I make myself a bowl of oatmeal and toss in a cup of frozen blueberries to cool it down. Then a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream flavored 100% whey protein powder (Optimum Nutrition). It's yummy! Usually I work out fasted, with just the coffee. Well, it's not 100% fasted because there's sugar and half & half in the coffee, but that's virtually negligible. Yesterday I had a blood-orange flavored Greek-style yogurt for breakfast. And I've noticed one peculiar thing: I don't cool down nearly as much during a workout if I've eaten breakfast. Not sure if I'm burning any fat though...

Normally, I rely on the 30+ minutes of cardio to get me super warm. Then it's "safe" for me to work out. But I tend to cool down a lot if I'm not moving. So I don't like to gab between sets. But when I eat breakfast, I tend to run hot all throughout the entire workout. Unless there's something wrong with me, or my temperature regulator? Yesterday's yogurt didn't last the entire workout and I was ravenous by the time I got myself showered and changed. Of course, yesterday was a Pull Day, and I probably burned considerably more calories. I say probably, because I really have no idea.

Today I did my cardio warm up, then body weight and core exercises before hopping back on the elliptical. I never got hungry. But I did sweat myself stinky. You know you reek when you hold your breath to pull off your gym clothes because they smell so ripe. And I always wear freshly laundered clothes to the gym! The only real bummer about being so sweaty is that it gets into the power port of the bluetooth collar. No matter how I try and how often I try, the flap pops open and stays that way. Sweat kills electronics! I find myself taking my hoodie sleeve just to blot the port end. Ugh.

I'm still not hungry, hours past my workout. I might just make this breakfast thing a new habit. I'm going to see how well it holds me tomorrow when I whack the machine. So far things are looking good. The gym scale tells me 109.0 lbs so I'm happy. I wish I was a little leaner, but that's not going to kill my day.

Thursday
7.53 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 166
Miles 4.52
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 29
Push Ups 50
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Superman 2 x 30s

35 elliptical
Program 3
Miles 3.01
Calories 342
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 29

Ignore Yourself

No one in my household got enough sleep last night. Well, maybe the dog. Coming off a long weekend, and summer vacation meant that we had to adjust to a much earlier morning. It didn't help that it was still raining from last night. The school bus was 10 minutes late. Which was better than the returning bus which kept me waiting on our road for over 30 minutes. It's the first day of school, and the district decided to implement a new transportation system. Lots of kids weren't on any list for buses to and from school, which meant a lot of last-minute rescheduling. Ah, bureaucracy.

I decided to sandwich my gym time between errands so I got there late morning. Which meant I got to use the cross-trainer for 35 minutes. My mileage is comparable to yesterday which surprises me. I woke up sore and tired. So tired that I'm already making excuses for why I'm not doing a Pull Day today. All those excuses dissipate once I'm done with my warm up. Something about pedaling furiously for 35 minutes lightens the mood, erases fatigue and makes almost anything possible. It's why I do cardio first, against all recommendations to save cardio for after heavy lifting. I need to be warm and limber when I lift. Cardio does that for me the way no measly 12-rep set can. I don't understand people who walk into the gym and jump right into heavy sets. Just like I don't understand people who do vigorous stretching beforehand.

I only do a set of pull ups and push ups before heading to the vacant Smith machine. There's a couple on the adjacent MaxRack. I think I've seen them before, once last year. They're thin and wiry like European tourists. His hair is grey and wild for a middle-age man. She's much smaller, but appears very toned. He's constantly trying to talk her into doing exercises that he's just done, but of course, he must remove the plates before she can have her turn. The Mayor is benching behind us and occasionally says a few words to the woman. He's turned down the volume today, and that's a pleasant surprise. However, I still avoid being in the same space with him. Because he makes me uneasy in that creepy guy way. Not as bad as PJ Pants or Frankenstein, but creepy enough.

I breathe slowly and deeply in order to keep my form from deteriorating during the heavy sets. Even though the air conditioning is on, the air is very humid. Everyone is sweating. I blot my face and neck with my hoodie which I've balled up on the bench I'm sitting on between sets. The problem with bluetooth headsets is that there's always a charging port with a gasket flap that never seals properly. Sweat is a killer of all things electrical. I've wiped my fair share of iPods because I had them clipped to my tank strap in front. (Have I mentioned that I sweat like I've been tossed into the pool?) Now I keep the music attached to my back waistband. But the headsets pose the same problems with sweat, especially the charging port. If I remember to blot myself, I can prevent sweat from trickling into the bluetooth collar. I'm already intrigued by the truly wireless bluetooth ear buds on the market, but I'm going to wait until they get cheaper.

After the RG BB Rows, which were surprisingly not too bad today, I finish with Seated One-Arm Cable Rows. I'm going to skip the second set of pull ups because I suspect the cable rows mess with my elbows and forearm tendons too much. Between sets, I see a gal sitting diagonally across from me at the pull down station. I notice her because of her crazy hair, which looks like white yarn piled up over fuzzy dark roots. She does sets of regular pull downs at first. Later, she does an odd variation where she's gripping the wide bar handles, but only pulls down on one side at a time. I'm not sure what that's suppose to do, but I suppose it does something.

I do most of my Mat stretch, and then off to shower. I don't feel tired at all anymore.

Wednesday

35 xtrainer
Calories 165
Miles 4.45
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25 reps
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1Arm Cable Row
45lbs x 12 reps
52.5 x 12 x 2

Numbers Don't Mean A Thing

Today is the last day my son gets to sleep in until past noon, not counting weekends. Summer is officially over. And the moon looks a good 15% bigger than it has in the past few years. Maybe because it's so low in the horizon. And my eyes are freaking me out because the big golden moon hasn't looked round to me for a few weeks now. Instead, it looks long and oval, like someone's trimmed off slivers on both left and right side. My son and hubs tell me that the moon is perfectly round, so it's me. Nothing else looks distorted to me though. Ugh. I see my eye doc in a few weeks and I'll have to remember to bring this up.

Two days ago I walked the dog wearing flannel because it was 48°F outside. Now temps are hovering in the 80s. Hurricane Harvey is just a rain storm here. But everyone's freaking out about category 5 Hurricane Irma. It's always something...

I finished reading Carl Hiaasen's book Flush over the weekend. I love his stuff because it's always exciting, humorous and an easy read. He's more famous for Hoot because it's been made into a movie, but he's got tons more fun reads. I've got Chomp and Scat on my Amazon list. Of course, after I read the book, my eyes weren't very happy. I'm not really used to wearing reading glasses for long stretches. But the print quality of the paperback was less than stellar, and glasses help when the ink is faint on the page. I've read some of his other books, like Sick Puppy and Skink: No Surrender. Those had better print quality. 

Waiting in the doctor's office today with my son for his dermatology appointment and I pull out Christopher Buckley's The Relic Master. I can read this paperback without my glasses. However, I do need to keep my phone handy so I can whip out the Dictionary app because I'm not familiar with words like sudarium and monstrance. Seriously.

My right shoulder bothered me the entire weekend. Probably because I didn't do anything vaguely resembling a workout, unless you count walking a few miles at the NY Renaissance Faire. Otherwise, today's my first day back at the gym after the last long weekend holiday of summer. I get there late enough to claim the cross-trainer I like. From my perch I can see various regulars on the main gym floor. Marine is chatting with Gym Owner. I also see WTC and pals. Creepy PJ Pants is just leaving. I'm surprised at how my mileage today so that's good. The pull ups don't feel great though. Not my shoulder, but the left forearm and elbow. Yep, that golfer's elbow tendonitis has been bothering me a lot lately. Push ups feel okay, and I do my crunches, but skip planks.

The Smith is free and both the short flat bench and the bigger adjustable inclined bench are parked nearby. Because I don't want to antagonize the shoulder, I opt for high rep inclined presses today. Then my standard DB laterals superset with Reverse Inclined Flyes. I'd like to finish with cable V-bar press downs, but The Mayor has planted himself at that particular cable station. There are two stations, but the other one's bar is attached so far over my head, I have no hope of grabbing it even if I stand on tippy toe. Ugh. There's nothing more distracting than a loud whiny voice that squeaks through the highest iPod setting. I'd rather do Rip Skulls and suffer having the bluetooth collar roll into my jaw as I pull the bar over my head.

The gym scale is not kind, but 111.0 lbs doesn't really surprise me. What surprises me is that my son has dropped 5-7 lbs since his last doc appointment. He's now almost 3 inches taller than me. I make him get on the scale at home to confirm. Yes, he's definitely lighter. I get on the scale afterwards. My weight is a tad higher than last I checked at home, but my body fat is slightly lower? 109.2 lbs and 15.2% isn't statistically significant. I look in the mirror and feel pretty big. Not fat, but big. I try to keep up with all the latest nutritional and health news, but sometimes I think people just have no idea what they're talking about.

For a while, BMI (body mass index) was the magic number that made me crazy. I have a normal BMI at about 22, but weight lifters and bodybuilders in general, because they're so dense, have much higher BMIs and get classified as overweight or obese. That's what happened to my son when he was little. He's never been fat. But he weighs a lot more than he looks. Now "health experts", and I use that term loosely, claim that the waist to hip ratio is a much better indicator of health and especially internal body fat. This is all to avoid making generalizations like pear-shape bodies have less chance of storing deep abdominal fat (the apple bod) which is apparently different than subcutaneous (just under the skin) fat. Deep fat puts you at risk for a bevy of ailments. Well, duh. We all knew that already. But to say that someone with a bigger hip to waist ratio is healthier than someone who, is perhaps like me and not very curvy, is ridiculous. The damn numbers don't really mean a thing.

My other gripe is with scare-mongering headlines that are so completely off-base as to be the complete antithesis of what the article actually states. But then, you'd actually have to read the entire article. Like the one that tells you microwaving your stinky sponge just breeds hardier, deadlier bacteria. Uh, how about you clean or replace your sponge before it gets to the point where it actually stinks? Or the study that shows vitamin B12 and B6 increase lung cancer risks. Uh, but only in men who used to smoke or are still smoking. Ugh...

Tuesday

35 xtrainer
Calories 166
Miles 4.47
Average Heart Rate 155

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13
80 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12reps x 3sets

Always Good

It's surprisingly cool out this morning at 50°F. Autumn is coming quicker than I expected! But the weather is dry and sunny. I have no actual complaints. I have half a tank of gas and figure I should top it off but change my mind as I drive past the BP station. How did the price leap from $2.55 to $2.89 overnight? I think Hurricane Harvey is only partly to blame. Unfortunately, price gouging for the long holiday weekend seems to be the norm. Ugh.

The gym is mostly empty. I do my 10 minutes on the elliptical, then warm up my shoulders with little chrome DBs. The shoulders feel okay today. Even the band pulls feel okay. I'm torn between giving the repaired machine another go, or just sticking to the machine with the broken jab sensor. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll let more people break in the "repaired" machine. It's still too springy for me.

I see a few regulars as I pause between rounds. Not WTC guy, but Marine is back. Haven't seen him in weeks. There are a few other people I visually recognize but don't know. A pretty "California blonde" is running on the treadmill closest to the kickboxing machines. I usually spot her from behind, when I'm on the cross-trainer. From this angle, which is to her left and about two-feet below, I can see that she really needs a better sports bra. She holds her arms bent, almost in front of her chest while her breasts bounce like a Baywatch babe. That just looks painful!

The asshat (who interrupted me at the Stretch Cage some months ago in order to do a hanging stretch) is pedaling behind me on one of the cross-trainers. I can see his reflection in the kickboxing screen. He's probably staring at Blondie because guys are hard-wired for those sort of visuals. I also see creepy PJ Pants. He pauses on the exit ramp behind the cross-trainers. Maybe he's staring at Blondie too? Well, at least he hasn't mouthed "I love you" lately. That was so creepy and gross.

The Beginner level does its job and warms me up. The Intermediate rounds vary from being fun and exciting, to downright ridiculous. Some combinations are impossible to complete, so I suspect there's a glitch in the software. I don't let it bother me. I'm just here for the cardio, although I do miss some of the more complicated combos. My forearms are a bit sore when I finally get to the Stretch Cage. Still, I don't let it stop me from doing pull ups. I get to 30, but I can't clear my chin for the next rep. Okay... that's a half. I've sucked down almost all my water and I'm drenched. The gym scale says 108.8 lbs and I'm good with that.

Not sure if I'll be at the gym Monday. It's a holiday, but the gym will be open for limited hours. Because you can't say No to a gym rat.

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 93.5
Miles 0.83

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 30.5