Mondays Are Hard

I did gasp a little when I got on the gym scale this afternoon. 113.4 lbs is several pounds from where I want to be. Of course, indulging in fatty, salty foods and adult beverages over the weekend will garner me no sympathy. My hubs decided he wanted to host a Spring BBQ in our yard and proceeded to brine, and smoke a picnic pork shoulder.

We also got some authentic Polish kielbasa, and ingredients for the Dutch Oven chili that he's so fond of. This time, he added sausage to the meatloaf mix and a bit more cayenne. We served it up with Annie's mac 'n cheese, stuffed green olives (blue cheese or pickled garlic), assorted hard cheeses, beer, apple ale and pear cider. The pear cider (Crispin) was a big hit, especially since it's so difficult to come by. Type "pear cider" into Google and I'm surprised at how many brands there are. I don't see this kind of variety in actual stores, not even at the beer distributor. We've tried a lot of brands and discounted them, like Magners. And since Woodchuck apple cider is super syrupy, I've got no faith that their pear is any better...

We also gave everyone a taste of KAS, a locally-brewed honey liquor. It's ridiculously smooth, but probably an acquired taste. Earlier in the week, we tried some organic dry mead (Ragnar's Dry Mead by HoneyRun Winery in California), but that had a rough kick to it. At 12%, it needed to be watered the way Vikings drank it. It's nothing like the ubiquitous Carroll's Mead, which is found at every Ren Faire. I'm not fond of that cloying sweetness, but in a Ren Faire BeeSting (mead and hard cider) it's pleasant enough.

A friend who had been into Intermittent Fasting (IF) and had lost quite a bit of weight, seems to have gained some of it back. "Are you still doing IF?" I ask. His reply, "Intermittently." He didn't seem willing to discuss it but I'm curious as to why he's quit. He still visits the sauna on a regular basis, while his son does 6-minute planks (why? maybe just because he can). His father seems to be exercising vicariously. Not quite sure what to make of it... My hubs is still on the low carb kick, and tries to convert other people. He's a bit of a zealot right now. Luckily, or unluckily, I don't handle fats too well. Avocados seem to be okay, but other things, like Swiss cheese and fast food burgers, give me bellyaches.

A friend gave us several dozen eggs from his multitude of chickens. I don't think I've ever seen yolks this big or rise this high in the bowl. The golden color was stunning, and the eggs stayed yellow when I scrambled and ate them for breakfast. The dog got some too in spite of the high fat content of egg yolks. He's still recovering from dealing with a houseful of noisy boys and a yard full of people. I also managed to fool him into eating a Proin® tablet last night, and again this morning. He's never taken a full dose (2X a day) before so I need to keep an eye on him to make sure he's not having any adverse reactions. He didn't want to eat this morning, but giving him his monthly chewable Heartguard® tablet seemed to wet his appetite. He ate his slice of deli chicken (with the Metacam) and picked all the hearts and gizzards out of the boiled rice. And then he had two slices of Oatbran toast, and eggs.

It's a Push Day and I purposely get to the gym late because I don't want to wrestle over equipment. I'm also tired. (Even with earplugs, I had trouble sleeping through my husband's snoring. He doesn't always snore, but last night he was super loud.) Tomorrow I might just stay home though because the spools of thread I ordered from Amazon have arrived and I intend to learn how to sew a hem. I've got a good dozen pairs of pants in a basket waiting for me! The world is changing and not always for the better. It wasn't that long ago when you could always buy thread locally, at Kmart or at the grocers. Now, the only thread you can buy there are in tiny travel repair kits. Ugh.

I get on a cross-trainer and realize that it feels different from some of the other machines. My mileage is better even though I'm not pushing all that hard. Still, I'm sweaty and a little winded when I'm done. After some stretching, I ready myself for pull ups. I see a guy up on the cardio platform and he's smiling. Weird. I've noticed him before because white hoodies aren't all that common, especially ones that look like twill. Is it because I'm about to do pull ups? I get to 30 and skip Core to grab the Smith machine. I type Core into my phone just to remind me not to leave without doing it. Because that's almost happened.

My shoulder still isn't totally recovered from the labral insult. I get through all my sets though. The gym is more crowded than I expect. Mostly guys. Two women. Ugh. At least I can finish with V-bar cable press downs. And then I remember that I have to do Core. Whoops. But at least I'm on the Mat, so it's easy to transition to the Mat Stretch.

Push Monday

30 x-trainer
Calories 242
Miles 3.69

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Press Downs
40lbs x 12, 12, 11

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 40/30

Cardio Days Are Fun Days

Rainy days make for a crowded gym. Still, I got on the elliptical for Intervals. I wasn't great at this, mainly because I got distracted by texts from my hubs about next weekend's plans. Or rather, the disruption to our plans because he might be away. Still, I got my basic cardio done. Followed by pull ups. I got to 28 and stopped. I probably could've gotten 2 more, but they wouldn't've been pretty. Instead, I moved right on to Core basics: push ups, planks, crunches... I'm torn between grabbing the Smith for low-bar shoulder stretch or hopping on the Step Mill. The Step Mill wins. Only 15 minutes here, but I immediately ramp up to Level 6. I used to ease into it, spending a minute at Level 4, then 5 but it was sooooo boring. Level 6 makes you a little breathless no matter what you're doing on the machine, and I tend to change my footwork every 60 seconds anyway.

There's no one on any of the Expresso Bikes today so I grab the new one with the touch screen and more comfortable seat. I've been meaning to try the Dragon Island game, and here's my chance. I only punch in 10 minutes and set the gear to Level 15 and leave it there. Because I really don't want to be bothered with that kind of distraction. No, I just want to pedal and run over floating coins and dragons to score points. It's fun! There were a few times I had to stand up on the pedals because the slope was so steep, and once I lost 1,000 points because I didn't know you can't touch the water's edge. Jeeze! Still, I seem to have managed an impressive score. Or at least that's what the machine tells me. I'll be playing this again next week, maybe for 15 minutes instead.

The Smith is still vacant so I do low-bar shoulder stretches. My right wrist especially bothers me during these movements, and I know I'm not ready to actually Squat. The stretch is enough stress on my upper body joints. I'd rather do Pistol Squats on the Mat. They'd probably be easier to do on the floor as the Mat is a bit squishy and uneven. It's a challenge! I get an even dozen today, so that's 6 each leg, and I didn't stop because I was tired. But I did want to finish the Mat Stretch before I cooled down. My left inner thigh has been a bit sore. It occasionally suffers from all these splits and takes several days to recover.

Towhee image from All About Birds

This Spring, there have been more birds to our feeder than usual. A pair of redwing blackbirds come regularly now and I've learned to recognize their call. I'm not thrilled with the grackles and starlings though, as they tend to bring all their friends and eat through entire blocks of nut-studded suet. The red-bellied woodpecker (who sounds like a small dog barking), downy woodpecker and hairy woodpecker (who looks like a slightly bigger version of the downy) all come by. We have goldfinches, sparrows and a lot of purple finches, although my son & I call them rose finches because they're not purple at all. A family of blue jays also visits, as well as mourning doves. Yesterday, I saw a towhee, but he didn't stay long enough for me to snap a photo. Instead, I grabbed an image off the internet... Not sure where all the chickadees and nuthatches have gone. But there are robins everywhere. And the morning air is filled with noisy, joyous birdsong. However, the deer seem to have relocated from our area since we had daylilies last year and normally the deer eat all the buds and flowers. This year I'm hoping we have those bright orange flowers again!


Cardio Friday

30 elliptical
Intervals
Calories 280
Miles 2.51
Average Heart Rate 132/169 max

HGPU 28
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

15 StepMill
Level 6
Steps 811
Floors 50
Calories 119

Expresso Bike
Dragons Island game 42,790 puts
10 min
34 cal
1.62 miles

Low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 15s

Pistol Squats
12 = 6 each leg

Take Backs

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out the scoring mechanism for the Sparring Program on the Nexersys. Yes, today is Whack the Machine Day, and perhaps I've not been paying attention and this has been happening all along, but I noticed today that my score would get to a certain point, and then the machine would start deducting points. After scoring so many points that the avatar was basically all red, only fractional points get scored because hitting someone when they're already damaged is discouraged. But if I have an entire 90 seconds left, I am suppose to just walk away and not continue to jab, punch and kick? I think not.

Points had been 216 and 220.
And Average Power? Seriously?!

What's most annoying is that by the time I've scored roughly 200 points, each blow only registers a few tenths. But the machine will take back 2 or 3 whole points in one fell swoop. For no apparent reason. Ugh! At first I thought the machine was flaking out so I restarted the machine after the first two rounds. So I only have data for the remaining 5 rounds. And the scores are ridiculously low for Power. The machine obviously doesn't count any of the blows that it registers as Hitting Too Hard. Double Ugh! For the second leg, I stuck to just the Follow Me program at Intermediate Level. I'd eaten breakfast, but felt my energy lagging by round 5. And then I was starving! Grrrr...

At least the Intermediate Follow Me
didn't disappoint me in the Stats

So, yes, I did my standard cardio warm up, shoulder warm up and afterwards, eked out some pull ups. Then I went home and tried to figure out how to get the dog to eat the less-than-tasty Proin tablet. He ate one yesterday, and it must work because there were no dribbles. The dose is a pill every 12 hours. This morning at breakfast, he decided he didn't like the pill anymore. Not even wrapped in deli chicken, or lightly brushed with peanut butter (just so it would smell good). He chewed the tablet and promptly spit it out. I bought chicken hearts and gizzards, crushed the pill and tried stuffing the powder inside the organ meats. Nope. He rolled each piece around in his mouth, spit it all out and then picked out the organ meats to eat. Meanwhile there's a dribble of pee from the kitchen to the front door where he likes to lay to watch for cats. I need to buy more of those handy bleach wipes because I'm using a lot of them lately.

Finally, I opened a can of the soupy Weruva® chicken and pumpkin stew. He loves this brand of food. I crushed the Proin and mixed it into the dog food and as far as I know, he ate the whole thing. Of course, I only feed him this once every few days and he's suppose to be on Proin twice daily. Which means I have to get more creative with breakfast. Sigh. I did buy a case of the Science Diet low-fat canned dog food. He likes that too, but it's more solid and harder to hide meds in. Not sure I can get him to eat the home-cooked ground turkey and rice with Proin in it... He's old, but his noise and taste buds still work.

Looks like I'm the only person who signed up for the Jeet Kune Do class at the park so there won't be a class. They need a minimum of 3 people. Double Sigh. It certainly wasn't very well advertised. Too bad. I've been wanting to learn some actual martial art skills... before I get too old.

Whack Thursday

10 elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0.84
Average Heart Rate 146/192max

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4 FM 3 Sp
(Sp now deducting points Ugh!)
7r Intermediate FM

HGPU 26

Perceptions

I asked the vet to give me something for my leaky pup because my house smells like we've got a puppy, and we don't. She recommended Proin, aka PPA, aka phenylpropanolamine, which is commonly used to tighten the bladder's sphincter muscles. Websites state that it's effective 70% of the time in both male and female dogs. There can be adverse side effects (agitation, anorexia, tremors, seizures, etc.) but I've got my fingers crossed that the pup will be okay with this new med. It's a chewable pill. He spit it out the first three times I offered it to him, but once he managed to bite it into pieces, he was more willing to eat it. He's such a picky eater. I hope this doesn't completely kill his appetite.

The gym was still crowded when I got there so I wasn't entirely certain that I'd be able to use the Smith after warming up. Today's a theoretical Pull Day. I also thought about going back to bed for 2 hours because 6 hours just isn't enough sleep for me. However, a cup of freshly brewed coffee was so delicious this morning, I grudgingly stayed awake to savor it. And once I'm awake, I'm up for the day. As much as I try to get to sleep earlier, I ultimately find myself staring down bedtime around 11ish, and after three sets of eye drops that need to be spaced out, flossing and brushing and setting up for the morning... well, it's midnight. Sigh.

I do a quick basic Core warm up after a mere 20 minutes on the cross-trainer. I skipped the gym yesterday, and coincidentally, had 4 separate deliveries to the house, including the sewing machine I ordered from Amazon. I spent the good part of yesterday reading the manual (and ferrying the child to kung fu and Scouts). Because everyone says it's critical if you want to run the machine trouble-free. Especially since the last time I ever touched a sewing machine was back in 6th grade Home Ec. Good grief!

I'd really like to be able to hem my own pants. And my son's. And mend some of his clothes that haven't been worn to shreds. (I've given up on the Land's End® long sleeve boys Ts because he's outgrown the largest size, and they're just not made sturdy enough. He's barely had some shirts for a few months and he's worn through elbows, and wrist seams! I went online and discovered that I can buy directly from Life Is Good®. I've always admired their graphics and the quality of their shirts, but I can never find anything in the right size when I see their items for sale through other venues like Hearth & Plow®. That they have sale items in the right sizes is a major bonus. I bought my son four different shirts, and hopefully they'll last the year.)

People always seem to leave plates on the bar. I can't imagine that they've worked out so hard that their plummeting blood sugar levels leave them too spaced out to re-rack their weights. Ugh. At the Smith I set up for RDLs, consulting last week's log to see just how many and at what weight. I jump the weight in 50 lb increments this week because it's easier to use pairs of 25 lb plates. I'm breathing hard at 160 and my callouses look weird. In between sets at 170, I take a few photos because the callouses are threatening to rise up off my hands. I've never quite seen them quite so excited before. The camera distorts the size of my fingers, but makes clearly apparent all the wrinkles and creases I've had since I was a child. In 4th grade, a classmate once asked me why I had such old hands. Just lucky I guess. The weights look scary. I see some of the old men regulars trying not to stare. Secretly, that makes me laugh.

After three sets of RG BB Rows, I sit down at the Cable Station for One Arm Rows. There is a fluffy-blonde-haired Latina gal I've seen before. Mostly she's noticeable for the Kardashian bottom she sports. She's super-setting between lat pull downs and machine rows behind the cable station. And then I see her phone propped up against her water bottle on the floor. She's filming herself doing the rows, probably to post on IG. I've walked in on her taking duck-face selfies in the locker room. I'm not quite sure why anyone would purse their lips like that, but I'm obviously clueless as to what makes a successful social media star.

Before I cool down too much, I do my Mat Stretch. It's the one thing I'd like to video myself doing, but I haven't been able to figure out where I'd put my phone to catch all the moves, and where it won't get stepped on or kicked over. I'll figure it out one of these days...  And once I figure out my sewing machine, I'll be able to have pants with real cargo pockets. Aramark sent me the size 2 cargo pants in exchange for the size 4. These fit awesomely, except they're 2 inches too long. And they're "pink zipper" branded, which for some reason, some idiot felt necessary to put in as left-handed zippers. That's such an archaic notion that stems from a time when "ladies" had maids to help them dress. Ugh. These are cargo pants goddammit! But these are the first pants pockets I've ever been able to put my enormous iPhone 6+ phone in completely. Yaaay me!

Cargo pockets secured with snaps.
not velcro, which sticks to everything!

Pull Wednesday

20 x-trainer
Miles 2.38
Calories 161

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
130 x 12
160 x 10
170 x 6 x 3 (new callouses!)

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 20s

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

Weekends Make Me Fat

I'm always heavier on Mondays than on Fridays. Because the weekend happens in between. Sometimes I'm also noticeably puffier. A result of eating badly. Too much salt, too much fat and my body reacts by retaining water and making me look like the proverbial dough boy. Ugh.

This weekend didn't start off too bad as it was sunny and we got some yard work done. I'd been waiting to hear if the Jeet Kune Do class was starting but apparently they hadn't gotten enough people enrolled. I sent them an email, but they never got back to me. Until today when they admitted that they were waiting to hear from one family, and then maybe classes would start next week. Oh jeeze. Sunday was a great day to be outside. My hubs and son went with some folks from their Boy Scout troop to hike a few miles on the Appalachian Trail.

I, on the other hand, went with a friend and her cousins to catch the very last day of the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. And after we'd seen the orchids, we walked what seemed like miles to visit Daffodil Hill (which wasn't very impressive), the Azalea Garden (a big no show), and finally the Magnolias, which were magnificent. I had a Quest bar when everyone else ate croissants with chocolate (pain au chocolat), but we were all starving by the time we'd seen everything. So we ate lunch there. There's not much selection, and it's fairly pricey. I bought a mozzarella, tomato, arugula sandwich and needed more. Like curry chicken salad. (Thinking back, I should've just gotten two different salads.) Finally, I was sated. When I got home, my hubs had stocked the fridge with meats and sides from Big W Roadside BBQ, because that's just a few miles from the Appalachian Trail head. He reheated everything in the oven and we feasted anew.

And prepared foods, like all restaurant foods, are extremely tasty because not only are they expertly cooked and seasoned, they are laden with salt and fat. Delicious corn bread, pork stuffing, dirty rice, macaroni & cheese, brisket, pulled pork, BBQ ribs... No wonder I look like I've been pigging out all week! Never mind I only had coffee and yogurt for breakfast this morning.

Mondays are Push Days. I get on the elliptical and run Program 3 for 30 minutes, then squeeze out my pull ups. I briefly debate doing Core but I'm worried about snagging the Smith while it's free. After Inclined Presses, I do more Low Bar Shoulder Stretches. I really can't tell if my right wrist is straight or not. Sigh. If it hurts, I figure it's not straight, but I don't know if that's a valid assumption. The Mayor is gabbing away. Ugh. He vacates the only Inclined Bench in the DB area just as I'm ready to do my DB superset routine. Otherwise I'd stick with the Smith, just because it has an Inclined Bench. But I always feel guilty that I'm using the space for the bench, not the actual Smith contraption.

Next are those tricep builders: the Rip Skulls. But all the breaker benches are being used, and I'm forced to lay down on a regular flat bench. My feet don't comfortably touch the ground because my legs are too short. I have to keep my feet on the bench with my knees bent. It's not the most stable position to do Rip Skulls, but it works. My hair is driving me crazy today. The braid isn't done long enough, so it constantly falls into my armpit or under my neck. I can't clip it out of the way when I'm laying on a bench. This is when I truly miss having short hair. (That and when I'm showering.)

Normally I'd do V-bar press downs afterwards. But The Mayor and Big Mustache are doing alternate sets at that station. When they're not chatting. Which is most of the time. And I just really don't want to ask them if they're done. Cuz I don't want to work in with them. Just cuz. Instead, I do 10 minutes on the cross-trainer to get warm again. Then suddenly remember to do Core at the Mats. By this time both guys have left, so I could've done V-bars then. I probably should've done the V-bars, but I didn't. And of course, I regret what I did next.

I do push ups and toy with the idea of doing a few Hindu push ups. Just to test the waters. I do them slowly. And only 20. They actually feel okay. I do some plank variations and then the Mat Stretch. It isn't until later in the day when my right shoulder aches a little and an odd motion reminds me of the labral tear I suffered some long months ago. Ugh! Shouldn't've done THOSE push ups. I don't know how long it's going to take to mend the damage incurred today. Back to just regular push ups... Ugh.

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 3
Calories 284
Miles 2.52
Average Heart Rate 146/202

HGPU 30

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25 (!)
60 x 25

Low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 15s

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

10 min x-trainer
Calories 82
Miles 1.24

Push ups 30
Hindu push ups 20

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

InExplicable

I'm really shocked that Avicii passed away at 28 years old... heartbroken that he was so young.

Music has always been really important to me, not just for working out. I feel obliged to post one of his music videos for those of you not familiar with his work.

Something Creepy...

There are three or four supermarkets that service our area but none of them are convenient to where we live. That one got demolished last March (2017) to make way for a superstore, but they've just gotten around to putting up structural steel girders as of last week. I get all the flyers so I know that the Acme (formerly an A&P) has 4-count bags of avocados for $2.50, which is so much better than the 2 for $4 currently at the grocer next to my gym. The road I would normally take into town is closed during the week because some huge conglomerate energy company is laying a natural gas pipeline through the area. They've imported out-of-state crews to work from 7 to 7, 5 days a week. So I have to drive miles out of my way just to get to the Acme today. And all because I want to buy bags of cheap avocados. Temps will only be in the 40s so the "hard as little rocks" fruit will be fine in my car while I go clear across town just to get to the gym. And afterwards I'll hit the grocer there just for perishables, like milk. Because my son lives on milk and breakfast cereal.

I get to the gym just as the Body Pump class is clearing the locker room. The gym is more crowded than I expect for a nice Friday. Still, I have my choice of machines and glutton for punishment that I am, I get on the elliptical and punch in Intervals. For 30 minutes. My legs are actually a little stiff from yesterday, or maybe the day before that. Cardio always helps loosen everything up! I even do the 5 minute Cool Down afterwards because I'm not certain of access to other machines later. To make up for such a brief workout yesterday, I do a full Core routine after Pull Ups. (Those last two reps were a little hard, with my lips barely clearing the bar. But the first dozen I did manage to pop my head above the entire Stretch Cage roof! Yaaay me!)

After Core, I wander over to the Smith and do low bar shoulder stretches. I must look odd to the other fellows since I never actually put any weight on the bar, nor do I do any Squats. But I don't care what they think, so it's okay. The Step Mill has been recently vacated so I set myself up to do 15 minutes there. Level 6 (more of a speed function) has me slightly breathless. At least I'm moving too fast to actually get bored. I see some people draping themselves over the bars after a few minutes and I'm not sure why they're on the equipment.

There's a woman lazily biking on the newest Expresso bike. Sigh. Still, I really wanted to ride a game so I adjust one of the older machines to my height and leg length. It's fairly uncomfortable and I worry that the seat will fall off the mount because I've pulled it so far forward on the tract that it's not really secured. The older bikes have different controllers and no touch screen. But I find the game selection and tap in one called Coin Toss that my son and I have ridden before. I can actually program how much time I want to spend doing this, so I enter 10 minutes. I get to "bike" around an oversized lawn and run over floating coins for points like a Mario Brothers racer. Every now and then I hit a big hill and nearly have to stand in my pedals to get over. Still, it's a lot of fun. There are other games, most notably Dragon Cove, but I'm not ready to actually log in just to access this yet. But it does look like fun.

While I'm doing this, I catch someone in my peripheral vision watching me. Creepy. It's the super big (6'5"), super old (70s?) guy J. He has been trying to talk to me since I joined the gym and I'm sooo not interested in chatting with old guys. Especially ones old enough to be war vets. Because they especially have weird notions about small Asian women that I have no desire to fend off. Seriously.

Afterwards, before a Mat Stretch, I decide to see how many Pistol Squats I can get away with before falling on my face. Step, left leg. Step, right leg. I get to 10, which is 5 each leg, before I decide that I'd rather not see if I'll fall on my face. No issues with my quads clenching and I'm surprised that after all these years, I finally learn that it's because I wasn't warmed up enough! Never too old to learn something new about yourself!

I started logging food again although I'm not thrilled with MyFitnessPal. Of course, anything to stave off the inevitable weight gain of middle-age! The dog doesn't really like the new skid mats, but they do keep him from falling over. He and I had breakfast together like we do every morning. Me: coffee and a 1/4 cup of non-fat cottage cheese. Dog: toasted ciabatta with cottage cheese smeared lightly on top after inhaling two slices of deli turkey breast (with his Metacam), and picking at a cup of boiled ground turkey, chicken liver and white rice. I was starving by the time I hit the locker room, and glad I'd stashed a RTD strawberry shake in the car. Not thrilled with the calories (170), but 15 gms of protein is okay with me.

Cardio Friday

30 elliptical + 5 cd
Intervals
Calories 339
Miles 3.01
Average Heart Rate 147 / 222

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 10s

15 Step Mill
Level 6
Total steps 796
Floors 49
Calories 116

Expresso Bike
Game: coin toss
Time: 10m
Calories 51
1.83

Pistol Squats
5 each leg

Was It Even Worth It?

Still got wraps,
tape and moleskin
patches on my hands

I always underestimate how much time I need to get to the gym, warm up and finally ready myself for Whacking the Machine. Sadly, by the time I got to the Nexersys, I realized that I could only do a mere 3 rounds. Ugh. Still, I guess better than nothing. And it did loosen the spasm in my left shoulder blade. I haven't had knots in my upper back in a long time, but yesterday my neck ached and of course, I've got vertigo. Again! Ugh. Two mornings ago, I rolled over on my right to check the time, and felt something inside my ear slosh across like an ocean wave. Not a great feeling while laying in bed. It makes pull ups (looking up at the bars), push ups and certain stretches particularly challenging. Ugh.

I initially thought I'd have enough time to get in at least 7 rounds, but when I looked at the clock and calculated how much time I'd need to change, shower and drive home, well, there goes 4 rounds. I'm not sure if it was worth all the trouble I take what with the moleskin patches on my knuckles, the cotton wraps and white tape. With only 3 rounds, I tend to punch really hard and literally EVERY cross had the machine stop me with the Warning: You Are Hitting Too Hard pop-up window. I'm not sure that the machine counts those blows in my Power tally. The Power Dig still doesn't register so that counts as a zero for Accuracy as well as Power. No point to putting much into the stats these days. I did get warm enough to need a shower though... but no pull ups.

The old dog fell over backwards into his food bowl this morning. Newspapers are too slippery for him to stand on with any certainty, especially since the rear left leg has progressively weakened. After I rushed home, only to miss the electrician who finalized the generator installation without me, I drove to Home Depot to get some inexpensive floor mats to scatter throughout the house. When I got back, I set up the Mobile Link account for the generator so I can monitor it when I'm not home. On the App Store, I discover that the app gets horrible reviews from users. I'm almost sorry I purchased it. We got a Generac® 11kw standby unit with auto transfer to power all the household essentials. The website tells me that the maintenance schedules are due for 2015 and 2016. The unit tested back on Jan 1, 2013. Soooo, it's been sitting in a box for 5 years now? Oh jeeze... I wasn't expecting it to be quite so old. Still, better than not having a generator at all, right? Especially with hurricane season right around the corner...


Whack Thursday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 82
Miles 1.26

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
3r Beginner

Snowing While It Rains

I'm not quite sure how it's possible for snow to accumulate on our roof while it is raining and over 32F, yet it has happened more than once this week. I can't imagine that the snow is so cold that it is insulated from the other wetter particles falling from the sky. I do imagine that this precipitation is falling in layers, with the warmer moisture experienced as rain. Or perhaps the snow is just at 32F and dissolves into rain when touching anything even vaguely warm, except for the leaves, grass and rooftops? Meanwhile, the thermometer read 36F...

It looked just like this, but over
my house when I stood in the road

I fully expect there to be a few more wet snow days. We've experienced several in late Spring. 1996 was particularly memorable because heavy wet snows came every weekend, taking down power lines at least twice in April. There were 5 snow storms that month. This was before I had a standby generator, so my basement flooded and I lost heat, water and all the basic comforts of home. It was also the winter when I could see a great comet, Hyakutake, over my house for weeks no matter what time of day, like the Star over Bethlehem. But this was before everyone had great cameras in their cell phones, before everyone carried mobiles. I wish I'd been able to have captured that image...

My new propane tank is hooked up. It would've been cheaper to just let the old propane company do the fitting, but there was always the chance that the tech would just yell at me about the regulator being installed backwards, and charge me to fix it anyway. Even though it's their fault. The electrician is coming noon tomorrow. Which means I can get a quick workout done if I scurry out the door... Today I'm actually at the gym at a reasonable late morning time. But I see a gal who has expressed interest in having a standby installed at her home, and I hop off my elliptical to give her the electrician's info before she leaves. So, my 20 minutes of elliptical cardio isn't recorded, not that it really matters.

I do my pull ups and feel a tiny bit annoyed at the idiot juggling the battle ropes looped around the base of the Stretch Cage. What!? You can't wait 5 minutes? Whatever... I ignore that person as I walk back to the Mats for Core moves. I do all the basic moves, including the alternating bicycle and crunches. Of course, I realize that I should do the harder crunches first, and flip the order so that I do legs straight up first, then bent knees with feet flat on the floor last. That makes more sense... I know The Mayor is here because I could hear the din from the Cardio Platform. Ugh. I need better earbuds.

There's a little Latino guy on the Smith. I finish doing Core. When I'm done, I look up but I don't see him anywhere and the 45 lb plates are still on the bar. Ugh. I hate when people don't re-rack their weights! It looks a bit busy at that end of the gym so I wander back to the CF area to find the Hex Bar. There's no one in this area today. No one on the Expresso bikes or the Nexersys machines behind me. No one on the lone cable station. I'm not entirely comfortable using the Hex Bar, which I estimate to be about 50 lbs. The handles are thick so my grip feels iffy. I wish I could place my hands a bit closer together as well. I practice doing a basic RDL move with just the bar itself. (Honestly, I don't feel like wrestling with the plates, but I might in the future.) My left knee complains, which is weird because normally it's the right knee that's sensitive.

There are two Olympic bars on the ground too, so I pick up one and practice the basic RDL move, dragging the bar up my shins and thighs until it's just under my hips. It's only 45 lbs so I can easily do this 12 times. For fun, on the 12th rep, I bend my elbows and flip the bar upward to my front delts and then straighten to press the bar overhead. A rough Clean & Jerk. There's no jumping or split stance when I do this. Maybe if I were going heavier? I do this once at the end of each set, then wander back to the Smith. The 45 lb plates are still on the bar but there's no one at the apparatus. Which means it's mine.

The three middle fingers of my left hand feel odd today, verging on a sprain. Very weird. I jump my weights and only my hands complain under the callouses. Ugh. My knees don't bother me at all now. I pull most of the plates off but leave 80 lbs for RG BB Rows. Three sets of 25 seem plenty although I could probably drop the reps if I up the weight. Not sure I want to do that though... After I strip the bar, I position myself for a few low-bar squat shoulder stretches. The bar seems high on my back. If I do this enough, perhaps I'll be able to loosen this recalcitrant shoulder. I'm not sure if I've gained mobility, but my shoulder and elbow don't hurt as much this time.

Last to do is the Seated One-Arm Cable Row. The gym is busier now with the lunch crowd. I see regulars like Little R, Big Mustache and a few jocks I don't recognize. One fellow is wearing a skinny tank and leggings. Most guys who wear leggings usually have shorts on over them. Not this guy, with his pageboy hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail. Ugh. In my peripheral vision, I can see him on the Mat, foam rolling away. I hope he leaves soon so I don't have to deal with him when I stretch out. Eventually the Mat is vacant of annoying people. Yaaay me.

When I get home, I try on the Land's End swim shorts I ordered. I have a pair from last year which I truly should've returned, but didn't. Those were huge and noisy, with chafing seams inside the thighs. This year I ordered the exact same size (2) but in two different styles, figuring I'll return whichever one is worst. I like the print shorts but they seem shorter than the solid navy ones, even though they're both 5" water shorts. The navy shorts seem noisier. Both are better than the one I got last year. I like that they both have reasonable pockets as well, although I don't think the drawstring does much. And I love that they have liners because I'm done with godawful swim bottoms that always ride up and never stay put. Self-conscious? Yep! I also bought a boy's long-sleeve rash guard because honestly, boy's stuff is just more fun. (No V-neck though. I hope that's not a problem.) I've already appropriated an LLBean flannel shirt that my son stopped wearing last year. It's a tad big as an XL, but that's just how I like my clothes: soft, loose and comfy!

Pull Wednesday

Elliptical interrupted
Program 2
20 min

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 60
Crunches 30/30
Hex Bar RDL (knees)
Bar (50lbs) x 12 reps x 3 sets

Olympic Bar (45lbs) x 12r x 3 sets
(3 clean & jerk)

Smith RDLs
80lbs x 12
120 x 12
160 x 10
170 x 6, 5, 5

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25reps x 3 sets

Shoulder Stretch
3 x 10s

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

Quickie Pull Day

I've decided to ditch my propane provider so I spend the morning looking for a new one. The big power conglomerates tend to be more expensive with worse service than the smaller local businesses. This was true of the fuel oil company. It seems to be true of the propane provider as well. The local company tells me they can have a guy out to my house to give me an estimate this afternoon. I give them my house phone number because my cell phone tends to fail me when it's critical, sending calls to voicemail and then not alerting me to their existence until 6 hours have passed. Robocalls, however, always seem to go through to annoy me. Ugh.

I decide to stop off at the grocer before going to the gym, because it'll be less crowded, and I won't get stuck in line when I need to rush home. I buy Whole Wheat ciabatta (still not as good as Classic or Olive Oil) and two 32-oz containers of zero fat, small curd cottage cheese. I used to complain that cottage cheese gave me a stomach ache, but now I think it's only the pineapple variety that causes me such distress. I have an extremely sensitive tummy! The dog ate his deli chicken breast slices dosed with Metacam, and most of the diced chicken breast boiled in white rice. Chicken breast was on sale for $1.49/lb and while neither my husband, son or myself will eat it because it's dry and tasteless, the dog is perfectly fine with it. I leave the groceries in the car and run off to the gym. It's 34F and pouring. The high will rise to 45. Maybe. I'm not worried about food spoiling in the car. I'm worried about getting a reasonable workout done before the propane guy shows up.

After 30 minutes on the elliptical, I'm undecided as to just do Basic Core or actually rush through a Pull Day routine. I do all my Core moves, and add back crunches and alternating bicycles. I do have to remove my hair-clip for the last two moves, but I'm resigned to being inconvenienced today. There are plates loaded on both the Smith and the MaxRack, but no one on them. There's a guy super setting between the DBs and maybe the Smith. Hard to say. He's the jerk who left his travel size container of baby powder on the adjustable bench while he used the decline. Eventually he remembered to take his stuff with him, but he's constantly laying claim to items he's not actually using, and I have no respect or tolerance for it. However, I'm not about to talk to him either. Because I suspect that's exactly what he wants. And I'd rather work around than have to deal with shit like that.

There's a bar in the lone Squat Rack, but it's in the wrong position. I can't get the higher pin out on the left side, probably something to do with my lack of leverage. And height. I finally get two pins in the slots that approximate chest high for me and dump the bar there. Then I stretch my shoulders. Today seems harder. The bar winds up high on my back, near the base of my neck. Well, at least I got it done. It doesn't do much for my inclined bench at the Smith. But at least it's done. I go to the DB area for my super set portion of Push Day. There are a few guys there, and the trainer with a new client. I keep glancing up at the clock to make sure I'm not running over. All the flat benches seem to have plates on their bars even though there's not that many bodies here today. Ugh. I decide to just do a quick set of V-bar press downs. And a quick stretch. Done!

I get home at 2:10. The propane guy said he'd be at my house between 2 and 3. Ugh. He's at my house already. But instead of parking where I told him to, at the end of the hedges where the road forks, or even IN my driveway, he parks ACROSS my driveway so that not only can I not pull in and unload my groceries, I have to park up past my hedges. It's a good thing I don't have ice cream in my car! Ugh. I'm so pissed that all I can think is, "Wow, he can't follow directions either."

I don't say it, but I'm clearly irritated, and insist that he move his vehicle. My son is due home from school and there's no way he'd be able to get into the house, laden with all his school items. The guy says he doesn't have to do business with me if I don't want. WTF? What I want is for him to follow directions. Ugh. I am cursing him out in my mind. Seriously. I spent 5 minutes on the phone this morning explaining where to park, and he parks across my driveway!? Mentally, I have unkind names for him. Eventually he apologizes for not re-reading my explicit directions. Ugh! 

Eventually we're both calm. He points out that the last installer put the propane junction in upside down, which means the line to my stove and oven is actually suppose to be the feed line from the tank. I tell him I've had Suburban Propane for near 25 years but I've been wanting to divest from them for the last several years. Especially after they blamed me for not replacing their 15-year old rusting tank after 12 years when they're the service-provider and original installer. I yelled back at them, "It's your tank because I rent it from you. And you should have the records since you already know that the tank needs to be changed after 12 years. How would I know that?" Then they charged me a small fortune to move the new tank and install new cabling. Then argued that I didn't use enough propane to warrant a 100-gallon tank, wanted to charge me the residential price for propane which is higher than the commercial price, but also wanted to charge me the commercial rental fee for the tank, which is higher than a residential fee. WTF? Eventually it got sorted out, but that left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course, I'm not really thrilled with this initial experience with Putnam Propane right now either. Sigh...

I got on my home scale this morning, and held my breath. Yep, I'm heavier. And my body fat is inching upwards again. Ugh. (111.8 lbs and 16.2%) I've been resisting logging into My Fitness Pal, but I guess I'll have to start again. I'd really like my summer clothes to fit. And that's more important to me than getting stronger, because for me, the two do not go hand-in-hand. I don't think I can get leaner and smaller by increasing my poundage. Putting on size has never been an issue. But that's not what I want.

Basic Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 286
Miles 2.53
Average Heart Rate 143 / max 203 uh oh!

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20 (knees bent/legs straight up in the air)

Squat rack low bar stretch
3 x 10s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Downs
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-necks Are Better

The forecast projects temps to rise into the high 60s so I put on a pair of shorts. These old Danskins were my favorites, but no one carries them anymore, and the waistband is fraying. I can see white elastic through the thin black fabric. They don't have pockets either and eventually, the legs do ride up my thighs a little. Because I plan to just do Cardio, which naturally involves legs, I toy with the idea of not wearing a sports tank. I have a black Reebok T-shirt I bought at Marshall's for $5. It says it's a Medium, with a loose boxy fit, and extremely soft fabric.

It doesn't occur to me until after my workout that this is probably a Men's or Boys item because it's only then that I read on the label that it's "underwear." (I tend to wear undershirts or tanks under my flannel because I hate having a draft up my back, but women in general usually don't.) It's actually fairly comfortable, except for the round crew neck. It'd be so much better with a V-cut. I find myself yanking the neck down a dozen times during my workout. I'm sensitive enough to hate anything around my neck so no turtlenecks—mock or not, no scarves, no chokers... they all make me feel like I'm gagging. It's also harder to adjust my sports bra straps off my traps with a T-shirt on. Plus one for the sports tank.

I know Intervals are going to suck since the elliptical is the first cardio machine on my circuit today. I always tell myself I can quit in 20 minutes, but by that time I can see the goal line, so I plug on. Stretching at the Cage and then some pull ups. Ugh. I make sure to do the basic Core exercises, then scan the Cardio platform to see what machines are available. StepMills! I do 15 minutes at Level 6, which has me gasping slightly. The Mayor has been on the treadmill with his buddy SquareJaw since he came in. But he hasn't stopped talking. I'm not happy with my right ear bud even though I've replaced the ear pad with the smallest one. My ear is tender and ambient vocals still leak in. I'm going to return to the memory foam for that one. The left side fits fine with the larger silicone earbud pad. So weird.

After the Step Mill, I decide to stretch out my shoulders. The Smith is occupied, but the Max Rack® isn't. And since I only need a stationary bar set about chest height, I'm good with that. The bar is still fairly high on my back, but at least it's not on the base of my neck. My right elbow and wrist don't hurt as much as last time either, a promising sign!

The Expresso Bike is free so I clamber aboard. There's an old guy two bikes over. I scroll through the different rides until a titillating title catches my eye. I'm not happy with the gradient rise on it, but I can always just stop the ride whenever I've had enough, and that happens to be after 15 minutes. Part of the problem is that my girlfriend texted me in the middle of the ride and I had to respond. She'd like to see the Orchid Show, which ends next weekend, at the NY Botanic Gardens. I wouldn't mind either, but I might have a Jeet Kune Do class. Or not. The Parks and Recreation Dept hasn't contacted me as to whether the class has registered enough students yet. Sigh. I've only gone a bit over two and a half miles, which means this ride would take me closer to an hour to complete. Hhhmmmm. Maybe next time I'll just play one of the Games instead! I think I'd like that better. The only thing I don't like is that you have to actually log in for most of them. There might be one or two you can ride just as a Guest. And yes, I do have a login account, but that doesn't mean I want anyone to know that.

Happy Friday the 13th!

At the Mat, it occurs to me to try a few Pistol Squats. I'm slightly worried that my legs will be too tired and I'll fall on my face. But in reality, I'm so warmed up that the Pistol Squats aren't a problem. Normally, the quads of the extended leg clench a bit as I push up. But not today. I also tried to focus on having my glutes and hammies assist in the rise. Weird, right? The gym scale tells me 111.8 lbs. Well, it's not horrible. But it could be better. It can always be better.

Cardio Friday

30 elliptical
Intervals
Calories 298
Miles 2.62
Average Heart Rate 141/180

HGPU 26
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

15 min StepMill
Level 6
Calories 120
Total steps 819
Floors 51

Low bar shoulder stretch
5-10s x 3

Expresso Bike
(Falcon flight 227 ft / 8.3 miles)
Time: 15 min
Actual miles: 2.62

Pistol Squats
5 each leg

Whacky Thursday

After checking myself in my phone this morning, I make it to the gym wearing splotchy leggings and a stringy gray tank. Normally these leggings are a bit loose in the waist, but I'm bigger now, so they stay up just fine. I'm not terribly happy about my "new" weight which hovers at 112 lbs. I have to really focus to drop down to 108. My regular clothes would fit so much better if I did. But I haven't come to terms with giving up avocados yet. Because avocados are fattening. And since my hubs is doing no/low carb, we always have avocados in the house.

It's late morning so the early crowd has already left. I get to warm up on the elliptical in peace. My right ear canal feels tender, and I realize that I have to change that ear pad yet again to something even smaller. Or, I can give up and replace that one with the memory foam pad... I can hear lots of ambient vocal squawking. Ugh. It's The Mayor. He and Little R are apparently taking turns on the Inclined Bench doing DB something or others. I haven't seen Little R in weeks, but I did notice his shiny silver Subaru WRX in the parking lot today. (It's the only Subie that still has a hood scoop.) I used to want one of those. Before I learned how unreliable and trouble-prone they are. (I also used to want a big red pickup with a cap, to live on a farm and have a houseful of kids. But that was when I was 10.)

There's no one at the Nexersys machines. There never is, which is kind of a bummer. But since the company doesn't seem able to support their own equipment (parts are difficult to come by), perhaps it's a blessing that these machines aren't being abused by the masses. I wrap up my hands and tap in 7 rounds Beginner, Follow Me and Sparring. The Power Dig sensor is still wonky so I don't waste my energy trying to score on that pad. Some of the other sensors don't always register either. And I blank the machine half a dozen times. But I keep punching and jabbing anyway. I had the wire to my earbuds down on my neck but after the wire caught on my skin for the 3rd time, I draped it over my clipped-up hair. I worry about accidentally damaging the wire with my hair clip, but it's far worse to have your ear bud pull out because the wire got stuck to your sweaty neck. Ugh.

The machine goes a little crazy during rounds 2 and 3 of the Intermediate set. Those are all Follow Me rounds. My knuckles get a little sore. My shoulders and back are already a bit sore. From yesterday. Or sleeping. I start to lose steam during round 5. Ugh. I'm disappointed. Not only did I have breakfast, I actually upped my protein intake. Because after coffee and Greek yogurt (22 gms protein) with a splash of maple syrup, I was suddenly hungry while loading the car with my gym gear. I wound up drinking a Fairlife strawberry shake (15 gms protein). Okay, so maybe it's not being bigger that bothers me. It's not being leaner...

I'm happy with my kickboxing rounds. And before I leave the gym, I make sure to squeeze out my pull ups. I get to 26, and even though I know I can do a few more, maybe two or three, I just stop. Because I'm tired, hungry and just don't feel like it. Ugh. What the hell is wrong with me?! 

I have a few errands to do today, including stopping at the local pet food store to check out low-fat canned dog foods for sufferers of pancreatitis. They stock Weruva. It's a bit pricey between $3.29 and $3.69 for a 14 oz can. And a 60 lb dog would eat more than one a day. I'll still cook ground turkey and rice/oatmeal for the pup, but now I'll supplement it with organ meats like chicken hearts, and cottage cheese. The pup loves scrambled eggs, but there may be too much fat in egg yolks for him to handle safely. Sigh.

Online, I can buy Hill's Science Diet low-fat 13 oz cans, or Weruva 14 oz cans. Weruva has less fat and more protein (1.4%, 10% respectively). At the back of my dog cupboard, I dig up a few old cans of Hill's i/d. Yes, they're expired, but what does that really mean? I open a can and it seems fine. The dog eats it and suffers no ill reaction. I'm not ready to totally ditch the bag of Iams Senior dog kibble either. It might have too much fat for the pup to eat solo, but a little mixed into his rice doesn't seem to hurt him. Low-fat dry dog food is astronomically expensive at over $80 for under 30 lbs. There are countless blog sites discussing canine pancreatitis. One site advises against feeding the dog starches such as rice or potatoes, but paragraphs later, says mashed spuds are okay. Another site suggests that the optimal food should be half protein and half easily-digestible starches, like rice and/or potatoes. Pumpkin appears to be an ingredient in a few low-fat dog foods. One website warns against foods that contain too much sugar because that will stress the pancreas, and nixes the idea of using pumpkins, peas, carrots and sweet potatoes. Well, it's not like I'm going to put sugar in his kibble. Ugh.

The wart on the dog's back, although not any bigger, does ooze from time to time. It looks like blood. The vet gave me a small plastic container of antiseptic, antibiotic wipes for it. The dog doesn't react as if it's painful. I brush him and wipe him down with waterless spray dog cleaner so he's less stinky.  Yeah, getting old sucks, but this dog still has a pretty good life...

Nexersys Thursday

10 elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0.84

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Getting There, 'Cuz I'm Stubborn...

I skipped the gym yesterday and tried to get some other writing done, but most of my time was spent researching and verifying other articles I was using as references. Yeah, I'm kind of a weenie like that. I also went grocery shopping, which was super hard because it's at the other end of the strip mall where my gym is located. It's a big deal when I don't go to the gym when it's right over there...  (sigh) but I wanted to get some non-fat cottage cheese to see if the dog would eat it. It's listed as a suggested food for dogs suffering from pancreatitis. Boiled liver and chicken breasts are also on the list, but I didn't get those items. The dog likes his cottage cheese on top of toast cut into little pieces. The only problem with cottage cheese is the high salt content. The dog drinks a lot of water, and consequently, because he's an old dog, he pees a lot. Sometimes when he's sleeping. He's developing a bit of a stink. But he still enjoys laying in the sun, going for walks where he can sniff all the neighborhood news, and barking at cats in our yard. Life is still good for him.

Today is a Pull Day. I've been getting to the gym later than I'd like, but the upside is that it's not crowded when I get there. I'm wearing some shorts I bought last year. Or maybe the year before. They're Everlast® sweatpants with deep front patch pockets, but they come just to my knees. The drawstring front is extremely annoying so I pull the cords out as far as I can and snip them off. The shorts have a fairly wide elastic waistband so there's no danger these are going to fall off. I put on a gray tank and an old Everlast® sports bra that's usually pretty comfy. Just to preclude any future embarrassment in the harsh gym lighting, I actually take some selfies of myself at home first. If nothing looks amiss, I'm golden! It's almost 40F outside and I've seen flying, biting insects while walking the pup. I put a pair of loose sports pants on over my shorts for the jaunt down the road to my car. Otherwise I'm sure I'd have a few bug bites already!

Basic cardio warm up on the cross-trainer. I'm tired. Again I didn't quite get enough sleep. It's hard to go to bed early when we're getting home from Scouts at 9:30 pm. I squeeze out my pull ups and skip core for later. I've got the Smith all to myself but I have to hunt for the proper plates. I reference last week's workout, and the week before. Because I'm tired, it feels okay to do drop sets. I should really just accept doing them as part of my routine, but old habits are hard to break. I have to adjust my right knee a few times, angling it more straight forward. It's not happy with even a slight tilt outward. The bar looks crazy with all the different plates on it. I double check my math to make sure I've got the right total. I'm good with just 6 reps at my max weight. Afterwards though, I feel as if I can do more. So I go for another set. I can only get to 5. Well, how about one more try? Another 5. But that last set was really hard. And that's enough.

Now it's just peripheral stuff like Reverse Grip Barbell Rows... High reps at 80 lbs and I can feel my lats with this movement. I don't feel any need to go heavier even though I've gone to 120 lbs in the past. Seated One-Arm Cable Rows is more for the stretch, and biceps. My forearms get pumped and I have a hard time with my grip by the last reps of the last set. I use grip pads for this last exercise. I carry a small stuff sack with my gear in it: two or three different pairs of gloves, versa gripps, stretch band, grip pads, wrist wraps (which I haven't used in years), forearm bands (for golfer and tennis elbow) which I also haven't used in years... At least I'm not dragging a backpack throughout like some folks. There were some guys who carried 5 lb jars of protein powder in their gym bags, which just seemed kind of weird. Keep that stuff in your car, dude.

Before I forget... after I was done with the Smith, I did remember to stretch my shoulders using the "low bar squat shoulder stretch" I referenced in my last post. And this time, I remembered to do it correctly. More or less. Since I can't really see my form from the side, it's hard for me to truly know if my wrists were straight and my back at the correct angle. They felt straight. I probably kept the stretch for a good 10 seconds each time. It didn't feel awful this time. But I still had to shake my right arm out afterwards.

I swapped my Fish Oil for Flaxseed Oil a few weeks ago. Then I started to suffer from inexplicable pains in my extremities, like the throbbing vein in my ring finger. I swapped back my Fish Oil. It might've been a weird coincidence. But so far the only things that hurt are my hands under the callouses. Of course, tomorrow I plan to whack the machine, so my knuckles will be next... Going heavier in my weights is definitely causing me to feel a bit more soreness. Or maybe it's just age. Whatever. It's not enough to keep me from doing it. 'Cuz I'm stubborn.

Pull Wednesday

30 x-trainer
Calories 238
Miles 3.36

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 10
160 x 8 (rt knee)
170 x 6, 5, 5

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Low Bar Shoulder Stretch
5-10s x 3

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

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Mat Stretch

Never Too Late...

Let's open with a stretch for my recalcitrant shoulder, courtesy of a friend who turned me on to a YouTube video of the Rippetoe low bar squat stretch for inflexible shoulders:



Never mind that today is a Push Day if I can get out of the house and to the gym... Even if I'm not doing squats today, I can still stretch the shoulder out. Ideally, I'd be doing this a few times a week. We'll see...

I get to the gym a little before noon. The gym is pretty damn empty! Except for the cross-trainers. Those are all occupied. I get on the elliptical and do 30 minutes on Program 1. My skin gets unpleasantly prickly as I warm up. Even though I've slathered moisturizer on myself before coming, I still suffer from pin prick sensations as my skin hovers between sweating and not. Sweating would cool the skin. It's right before that moment that the nerves in my skin freak out and telegraph electric itchiness. Ugh. If I either slow down or speed up, I'll force a sweat and relief. (Apparently, this is not uncommon among sufferers of ichthylosis vulgaris.)

Tank has an interesting
cut out in the back

I almost forget to do pull ups before leaving the Stretch Cage, but manage to squeeze out a respectable number. Having slept less than 6 hours is really hurting me at the beginning of my workout. Towards the end it won't matter. Not quite sure how that works, but it does. After basic core work, I amble over to the Smith. The Mayor is gabbing away. My headphones don't block him out as well as they used to, now that I've changed the ear pads. I think my ear canals are two different sizes, and the right ear is a bit achy today. I need a smaller ear pad for that side. Of course, because ear canals change shape and size with head and jaw positioning, it's hard to determine what's really going to work. Music sounds better when I have my head down and it's because the ear pad sits snugger in the canal for me in that position. But I also have really loose flexible joints and sleeping on my side can cause my jaw to fall out of alignment. (I've had to pop my jaw back to alleviate TMJ issues.)

The Smith Inclined Bench is uneventful even though I haven't warmed up the shoulder joints. Actually I only remember to do those physical therapy movements right before kickboxing the machine. The hole in the wall is even bigger than before! Not sure what sort of animals work out here over the weekend. Ugh. I try to remember how to do the Shoulder Stretch (see video above), but don't quite get it right. What I should've done was watched it on my phone. But I didn't. I can't get my wrists anywhere's close to straight because I haven't started out in the right position. I'm going to try again tomorrow, after RDLs on the Smith. If I can get the Smith. (Worse case scenario, I do the stretch at the Squat Rack. Or in the Max Rack, because it also has a horizontal bar supported on uprights.)

The rest of my workout is routine: DB super sets, Rip Skulls and then V-bar press downs. There are a few guys in the gym. But I mostly have the weight area to myself. Nice! The Mayor is long gone. A bunch of folks are on the cardio platform. An older fellow with a great physique comes in and immediately starts doing preacher curls. It must be Arm Day! I don't do "Arm Day" 'cuz every day is Arm Day. Seriously. He's hovering, but I'm not interested in chatting so I ignore him. Yeah, I'm a bitch. It's okay. You want to talk to me? Catch me afterwards. Want me to oooh and ah your physique. Sorry, not gonna happen.

I'm really hungry even though I had yogurt and coffee for breakfast. And a protein boost just before I got in the car. There's been a lot of RTDs on sale so I stocked up. (Besides, my son is eating everything in the house. At his annual, it was determined that he now outweighs me by close to 35 lbs.) I bought a bunch of Fairlife® "milk shakes" for a $1 a bottle in strawberry and chocolate flavor. It's flavored, shelf-stable lactose-free milk. 15 gms protein per serving is pretty good for a buck. With a coupon, the Ensure® High Protein comes to $1.25 per 16 gms protein, and some additional vitamins and minerals. (Some days I literally can't wait until I get home to mix up a shake, and the Quest bars don't always agree with me. It's me, not the bars.) Muscle Milk® has also been on sale at my supermarket. $6 for a 20 gm 4-pack. The flavors aren't great, as there's always a metallic aftertaste. But true with all these RTDs, they're always much much better ice cold! But I'll drink them room temp if it comes down to that...

My favorite thing so far has been the local Five Acre yogurt on sale at my grocer. It's literally from a farm somewhere in NYS. It's not the high-protein skyr or Greek-style yogurt, but it tastes deliciously creamy and smooth. Best yet, the plain has only two ingredients. (The Maple flavor has three ingredients.) It does make me a bit gassy though, so I don't eat very much of it. This is more like an indulgent dessert item.

I think the Maple flavor has three ingredients, not two.

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 286
Miles 2.54
Average Heart Rate 151 / 196 max

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

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

Shoulder Stretch at Smith
3 x 5 count

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets