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