Showing Restraint on a Pull Day

Salt lines on the road yesterday gave some validity to the weather folk's warning of an early morning commuting mess. There was some snow melting down my windshield, but the roads were actually quite good this morning. I got to the gym before 8 am again, but spent a few minutes dumping my stash of plastic bags in the Plastic Bag Recycling Bins at the supermarket exit.

There are people on the treadmill, the Octane, the cross-trainers, the Step Mill and the recumbent bikes. Only the ellipticals are vacant. Fine with me. I'd like to do Program 2 anyway. I skip pull ups because I did them yesterday, even though today is a Pull Day. I'll make it up tomorrow, since I've been doing 3 sets of pull ups on Cardio Day. I even skip planks because my left shoulder twinged for no reason. Planks can aggravate my tiny funky joints. Crunches don't pose that problem.

I see a few regulars like Lazy Pedals and M, Loud Goatee and Nice Goatee. And a lot of new faces. I guess that New Year's resolution is kicking in. We'll see how long that lasts. Hollywood and Nice Goatee don't seem to be talking to each other. Three teenage boys are at the end of the dumbbell rack and I wonder why they're not in school.

Today, I decide to go back to my old favorites: Smith RDL, Smith RG BB Row and One-Arm Seated Cable Row. Last time I jumped too quickly, from 80 lbs to 120. Today, I add the 100 back in to my routine, and the reps at 120 feel easier. Weird, right?

My nose is constantly sniffling, and I'm tempted to rinse my sinuses with a neti pot and saline water. I'm always very careful to boil the RO filtered water, add the 1/4 tsp of salt and then let cool. I've heard too many brain-eating horror stories.

The RG BB Rows still bother my lower back, even with just 80 lbs. I might go back to T-bar Rows next time (I use less weight there). The Seated Cable Rows are boring. Between sets, a "body builder" comes in to work out. He's not dressed like everyone else. Nope. He's sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses, a tank with no sides, and shorts. He's got tattoos on ridiculously tanned arms and legs. I always think tats somewhat distract from nicely honed muscles, but that's just me.

Tomorrow's another Killer Cardio Day, which means HIIT cardio, pulls up, core, and at least two more different cardio machines, with pull ups in between. Finish with 2:1 Lying Leg Curls and Walking Lunges. That'll be fun! What's not fun is feeling thicker, and looking it too. Ugh. Not liking the softness. I gotta get my diet under control, as in eating less crap. Ugh.

Dreary Thursday Pull

30 min elliptical + 5 cd
Program 2
Calories 316
Miles 2.84
HR 145-196 (96)

Push Ups
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12 x 3

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

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

RG BB Curls
30 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch