When Billy Whispers In Your Ear

I woke up this morning with fragments of a song in my ear... a song I knew but didn't fully recognize enough to know which artist and what album. A phrase clinging to a sleep memory was the only clue I had. That and a wicked melody... It took me 10 minutes before I realized that I owned the CD and that it was Billy Idol. Figures. While there are no good (entertaining) official music videos of this song, there are a lot of recordings posted to YouTube. So here's one:



It's odd that such a song is embedded in my dreaming mind. I'm more partial to other songs, like John Wayne, or Don't Need A Gun...



I got to the gym at a reasonable hour and again a lot of the equipment has been rearranged. There are also two guys servicing a whole section of the newish treadmills. I get on the first elliptical and am dismayed to find gum under the phone holder. And gum inside it as well. WTF?! There are just such nasty people who come here! Ugh. I scrape off what I can with a bleach-soaked paper towel and do 20 minutes of Program 1, and toss in the 5 minute cool down for fun.

My left shoulder is still oddly achy, mostly when I raise my arm up so that's anterior deltoid. The bottom inside of my elbow seems sore as well. It's always a bit sensitive to the Rip Skulls, but that was two days ago...  I do pull ups and push ups but skip core. Planks are actually hard on my shoulders and wrists. The low-bar shoulder stretch is also hard on my wrists. Ugh.

The Smith is free so I set up for Smith RDLs. Everything goes well except my hands start to slip during the last and heaviest sets. I'm wearing Versa Gripps but I'm still having trouble with my fingers and palms. Losing my grip on the last set causes me to lose a few reps. And because my skin is so dry, my callouses look as if they're threatening to mutiny and peel off right then and there. Dry skin is much more sensitive and less resilient to abuse. The Mayor is trying to make himself useful to newbie lifters. He's chatting up White Hoodie and spotting him on the bench. I pull plates off the Smith and catch a look from The Mayor that I can't quite describe. I think it's my arms. They look pretty good in the gym light.

I manage to finish my workout, but the grip issue dogs me through the Seated Cable One-Arm Rows. Part of the problem is that I can't find the slimmer handle and have to use a heavier, thicker one that my hands don't fit around properly. With small hands and fingers, there's additional strain on my forearms trying to keep my grip while rowing back to touch the handle to my side. Well, at least I didn't actually drop any weights today...

Pull Wednesday

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Calories 241
Miles 2.13
Average Heart Rate 159/203

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
130 x 12
160 x 10
170 x 10, 10, 8 grip slip

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

Low-Bar Shoulder Stretch
3 x20s (wrists seem off)

Seated 1-Arm Cable Row
45lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
(Grip issues last 2 reps last 2 sets)