Rethinking the Routine

My son and I both went to bed way too late. He discovered a page of HW that needed attention, and I never go to bed until he's already done so. Meanwhile, I've flipped through the Hulu offerings and wander back into My 600-lb Life, first season, first episode. Yes, there's a morbid fascination with people more unfortunate than we are. As in the Hoarders program, we are voyeurs peering into a secret world. Except, in this case, both my son and I are horrified at the subject's spouse who, we both agree, is a total dick. There is no other word for the nasty comments, lack of support and continued attempts to sabotage the subject's efforts to drop hundreds of pounds and regain some semblance of health and independence. My son asks incredulously, "He knows the film crew is videotaping him, right?" Apparently he doesn't care.

This morning, the alarm went off right in the middle of a dream that had Nathan Fillion in it. I'm not quite sure if I was reliving an episode of his new show The Rookie, or a Castle rerun. Dreams have a habit of fading once you wake up. He could've been Caleb, the murderous priest in the final season of Buffy, for all I know. I've been limiting my viewing of Angel since I know Season 5 is the last season, and even though shows live forever in the digital world, I'm allowing myself to savor each episode. The head-butting between Angel and Spike is just too amusing!

Winter is back as temps hover in the 30s all day. Even the gym seems cold, and there's a portable generator in the vestibule. I ask the staff about it and am told that the power company accidentally cut their electric this morning. What?! Now it's fixed, but they needed the generator to open. Oh jeeze! I catch whiffs of gasoline every now and then all throughout the gym. Yeah, I'm that sensitive.

Again, I do a program on the elliptical plus the cool down, then a quick stretch, and some basic core. I'm a little stiff from past workouts. The Smith is available but I have to drag the Inclined Bench out of the DB area. The guys are huddled in the free weight area, chatting. Occasionally one of them actually gets on a bench for a move and the others offer assistance and encouragement. I try to analyze my breathing during heavy inclined presses. I can't actually inhale properly on the descent, as my chest feels compressed as my arms come down. This is completely counter to what everyone tells you to do. It is so much easier to let your breath go as the bar descends, and then inhale while pressing up, as the chest expands. Regardless, the important thing is to breathe, and absolutely not hold your breath. Not only does that deprive your body of oxygen, it can cause your bodily pressures to build up, including IOPs in glaucoma patients.

The rest of my routine is well, routine. The gym is sporadically crowded, then not. I see a lot of regulars. Some are okay, and the creepy ones I avoid. I see a woman I've never seen before. Her outfit reminds me of the Ren Faires because it's basically black tights with a gray side seam pattern that says (to me) chain mail and dragons. She's also wearing a cropped tank/bra and maybe a belt? Not a weight belt. Maybe it's just the design of the top? In any event, her midriff is showing, which I personally think is brave, because I wouldn't be caught dead showing my fat belly. Seriously. She engages in a lot of different weight movements including standing cable rows, and barbell curls. I wonder if she's going to be a regular. She's not obviously muscular, but she's not skinny-fat or overweight either (like a lot of the women here). No, more like a post-college athlete.

The gym scale hasn't budged since yesterday's 112.4 lbs. I make the excuse that last night's bratwursts and mac'n cheese had too much sodium in it. But really, I know what I have to do. Tomorrow, instead of another Pull Day, I need to up my cardio. I'll keep the HIIT cardio at least twice a week, but tomorrow I'll add another 30 minutes of other cardio, and fill the in-between with core and body weight exercises. Then, whack the machine on Thursday, more cardio and legs on Friday. It's a plan.

I'm disappointed that the redness under my eyes hasn't faded yet. At least I have some cover up to make myself look less like I'm suffering from ebola...

Tuesday

30 min elliptical + 5 min cool down
Program 3
Calories 302
Miles 2.76
HR 143, maximum HR 186 (low 79)

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Bicycles 50

Smith Inclined Press
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 15
90 x 12 x 3 reverse breathing
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch