Too Small For the Equipment

Yesterday I hugged my son goodnight and realized that my nose comes to his shoulder. Sigh. It's a good thing because I'm a very short person and life is harder for boys/men who are short than it is for girls/women. Still, it made me a little wistful for all the days when he was a wee tot. I've never actually thought of myself as a small person, so it's always somewhat of a rude surprise when I'm too short to do something. Ugh. Sometimes there's ways around this, but sometimes there isn't.

Today is a Push Day and I need a decent warm up. 30 minutes on the cross-trainer will suffice. I would've gotten on the elliptical, but all four were in use. It's a very popular cardio machine. I also knock out a set of pull ups even though I did them yesterday. I just won't do them tomorrow after whacking the machine. Instead, I'll finally get around to doing some core, because I completely skip that today, except for the push ups.

There is a bigger Inclined Adjustable Bench in the Smith cage. I like the smaller one better even though that one is still taller than the regular flat benches. A skinny girls is running through a series of DB moves while seated on the smaller adjustable bench so I'm stuck with colossus bench. Not only is it taller than the other benches, it wobbles! And because it's taller, I can't rest my feet on the ground. Instead, I have to put my feet on the bars just under the seat. The angle of the seat is also adjustable but that doesn't really help me. I angle it up slightly when I find myself sliding off the seat even though it appears level (as in the photo to the right).

Worse, as I put more weight on the bar, I lose my ability to plant my feet and butt, and slightly arch my back while keeping my shoulders and upper back on the bench. (That "3-point base" is very stable and helps me utilize my entire body when pressing the bar upward. I can't properly position myself on this bench to make that work. Ugh!) I make all my sets today, but it doesn't feel good. My right shoulder is a bit achy and my lower back's not happy with me. All because I don't have the right bench. Next time I'm grabbing the small flat bench and doing plain ol' bench presses... Well, you know what they say about hindsight.

Doing the DB super sets on this over-sized bench is also problematic as I can't quite find the right position for Inclined Reverse Flyes. Ugh. I get my sets done anyway. I can at least do the Rip Skulls at one of the breaker benches. The skinny girl is still doing a bevy of weird DB exercises with 5 and 10 lb weights. I've never seen her before, and I wonder if I'll see her again. Mostly I don't see too many women stick around in the weight area unless they're being "trained" by their boyfriend/spouse. There are women I see often enough for me to call them regulars, but they spend most of their energy in classes or on the cardio machines. They never look any different, but maybe that's the point?

Last are V-bar Press Downs at the new cable machine. The empty clip sits too high on the cable and I can't reach it to attach the V-bar. Ugh. Little R is standing at the adjacent Lat Pull Down station, chatting with Big Mustache and Lunch Meat. LM is the middle-age newbie who likes to curl directly in front of the BB rack so that no one else can access anything. I'm not about to ask them for help because  I don't want to deal with a group of guys. Seriously. Instead, I scan the gym for the table-like step-up box. Once I find it, I manage to carry it over to the cable, stand on it and I'm just now face high to the clip, and attach the V-bar. Then I put the box aside, along the wall. I probably look pretty pissed off the entire time too, but I get my sets mostly done.

I put my hoodie back on and debate doing Core with myself. Naw, I'll do that tomorrow. Instead, I do my Mat Stretch. Usually I don't have my hoodie on when I do it, and then regret having to put bare skin like my forearms or chest on the Mat during a split move. Wearing a hoodie means I don't care. But it's hot, and the zipped up neck gets a bit confining for some moves. Maybe next time I'll just bring a towel instead.

Push Tuesday

30 x-trainer
Calories 236
Miles 3.88

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60

Smith Inclined Press
Different Bench w foot bar
Bar (30) x15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
Footing prevents body power Ugh!
70 x 25
60 x 25
More shoulder stress this bench

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
w/ new bench Ugh!
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, 10, 8