Counter-intuitive Energy

Southpaw combos!

I got much less than the optimal 8 hours of sleep last night. In fact, I rarely ever make it to 7, unless it's a lazy weekend. Which meant my "intelligent mind" was dreading the gym session today because working out when you're really tired isn't very enjoyable. But I was wrong yet again. This is probably the millionth time (yes, I'm exaggerating as I truly only remember one other time in recent memory) I've worried over sleeplessness ruining a gym workout (and short-term memory retention), only to be proven wrong by the actual experience.

Warming up on the elliptical, my pulse rate is racing and never drops down to a resting pace. Not too weird. I've got an extra layer on today because it's colder than normal. The gym is never "tropical" no matter what the weather outside. My right elbow is still sporadically tender, but only during certain movements. Mostly I forget that it's borderline injured. (When I'm home, I apply a bit of Penetrex® cream because it contains arnica and DMSO2, both known to reduce muscle and tendon inflammation. Click here to view the product website.) 

7 rounds Beginner 

The Nexersys is looking really beat-up, especially the pad facing my left, AKA the traditional-stance Cross. It hangs lower at an odd angle and I'm worried I'll hit it too hard and break the screws holding the pad to the extended arm. (I've done it before.) However, when I prod the arm, it seems sturdy and stable enough. I do my 7 rounds Beginner level just to warm up. As usual, I don't start to perspire until the 5th round. I'm dreading the Intermediate rounds, and because the machine looks like it might not last much longer, I decide to add a few Advance level rounds. But I'm not a masochist, so I cut 2 rounds from Intermediate. 

The Intermediate program is erratic and flaky enough to be so frustrating that I'm planning to cut rounds down to 3 next time. The screen goes black over a dozen times, and more often than not, the combinations flash the screen haphazardly. This program level is probably the most popular among whoever else uses this machine. Maybe some of the evening, after-work crowd? No doubt it's overused and abused. 

It's been a long time since I last did rounds at the Advance level. At first, I forget that the machine defaults to South Paw (left-hand stance) when I go to select my program choice. I have to deselect everything I don't want to do such as Spar, Cardio, and Core. All I want to do is Follow Me. Then I remember that if I change it to Traditional stance, the first round shows up as South Paw. If I leave it as South Paw, the first round appears as Traditional. Ugh. Worst, the second round defaults back to South Paw, which I don't notice at first until I wonder why none of the combinations line up with the avatar. Once I realize I should ignore the commands (listed as words along the side of the avatar) and just strike where the avatar lights up, I score better. I'm happy when the third round reverts back to Traditional Stance. 

Not only does the Advance level have better combination strikes, but the programming is less erratic. Blows are called for at a much more rhythmic pace which I enjoyed. My lungs aren't burning (a good thing!) and I don't feel tired. Bonus: the screen didn't go black either! Next week I'm going to swap the number of rounds so that I'm only frustrated with 3 Intermediates and 5 Advance level rounds. But I don't know if the program will alternate between South Paw and Traditional as it did today. Hopefully, I'll still get a few more weeks of whacking the Nexersys before it becomes irreparably damaged. 

After I strip off my gloves and all the protective padding underneath, I see how many hammer grip pull-ups I can do. I get to 23 and my right elbow is really starting to hurt. Ugh. This is going to be supremely inconvenient tomorrow when I have to clear the snow out of the driveway from Winter Storm Evan. I hear chatter in the locker room with women betting on whether there'll be a two-hour school delay or not. Probably. 

So happy to sleep in my own bed!

I'm hungry even before I make it back to my car. But I'm awake. There are many theories about why getting less than the optimal amount of sleep might make you more energetic, the most popular one being that your body is overcompensating by releasing a flood of stress hormones. (Click here to read about that.) It is also suggested that waking during a less deep phase of sleep will make you less groggy. I know that if the alarm goes off and I'm in the middle of a dream, I'm very unhappy and fuzzy-brained for hours no matter how much caffeine I imbibe. I find it impossible to know when I'm going to fall into REM or deep sleep, which makes it difficult to "plan" when to wake up. 

Feel pretty rested

I have an app on my phone to track my sleep, but I haven't been able to use the data effectively to know when I'll fall into REM. REM or Rapid Eye Movement is when you dream and is considered Stage 4 in the sleep cycle. Deep Sleep precedes that at Stage 3. There are only 4 stages that repeat and cycle throughout the night. Without enough Stage 3 and 4 sleep, the body doesn't recover properly physically and mentally. If you don't get enough sleep, you also get sick. Ugh. 

Not enough sleep! 

I already know my immune system isn't the best -- why else would I have gotten shingles two years ago? So, on top of taking my vitamins, and getting reasonable amounts of sleep, I'm also back to eating smashed raw garlic a few times a week. I think it's working, if only because I keep hearing about people lately ill with the flu or bronchitis, and so far I'm okay. Well enough to shovel snow tomorrow. 

Pre-Evan Wednesday

10 min elliptical
Calories 90
Miles 0.81
HR 165-192

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r
Advance 3r (trad/southpaw/trad)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23
Quick Mat Stretch

Toxic Beauty

I'm tired, as usual, but make my way to the gym, following a small Ford Focus that only seems to have two speeds: fast and brake. I've only heard of drivers (other people's parents) who learned to maneuver their vehicles by either stomping on the accelerator or the brake, but never developed the nuance of taking your foot off the gas and allowing the car to coast. I expect the driver to be someone elderly, but instead, I see a middle-aged woman who really should know better.

I won't do HIIT cardio two days in a row so I pick a program in the elliptical Performance menu. It gives me lots of hills and valleys over 30 minutes, alternating between 7.5 minutes forward and 7.5 minutes backward pedaling. I find backward pedaling activates the hamstrings better than forward. Again, the pulse monitor amuses me by dropping from 179 to 119 in a few seconds. The lowest my pulse ever gets to is 97, although it also careens over 200, which is probably a bad thing.

Today's my day to skip hammer grip pull-ups but I still do a Cage Stretch, push-ups and crunches. I skip most of the planks except for the knee-to-same-side-elbow, which in 60 seconds, I manage to increase the reps by almost a third. There's no one at the Smith although the bar has a pair of 10 lb plates on it. Because people have been walking away without reracking their weights, I don't look too hard before stripping the bar and dropping it to the floor. If you're going to walk away from the station, don't expect it to be yours when/if you come back. I see WannaBeTrainer with a pair of 15s in her hand eyeing the Smith. I don't know if she's the one, but she's not getting this back.

Normally I don't think badly of people, or anything at all actually, but a locker room friend told me that this woman had been harassing her to use WannaBe as a personal trainer. Now, my friend is a large woman but she puts in a lot of effort. WannaBe is a skinny young blonde who seems to be eyeing a lot of people in a weird predatory way. She's also a relatively new member, but she's not chatty friendly the way Hollywood is, or even how B is. B will talk to anyone, especially guys. And I'm known as "the girl who doesn't talk to anyone." Seriously. Someone told me that. People who know me know that I have a sort of "gym tunnel vision." If I have earbuds in and I'm working out, I don't see or hear anyone because I'm so focused on my workout. And if I see them, they might not actually register as someone I know and should acknowledge. Sorry!

As I'm doing Smith RDLs, I'm amused to see WannaBe perform DB laterals in the middle of the gym with her 15s. I'd stand closer to the mirror, but that's me. She's got toned skinny arms and a flirty walk, but I don't see anyone wanting to chat her up. Big Tank is doing one-arm lateral raises with a solid 20 lb barbell while hanging off the BB rack. I've seen the monstrously big (not necessarily fit, but ridiculously tall and wide) WWF Fanboy doing lateral raises with a 40 lb solid barbell. I know barbells provide more of a balance challenge than using a dumbbell. Still, it's kind of cool to see people doing it.

There are other regulars including PO Goatee, M, Skinny J, WeightBelt Gal, Magenta Ponytail, Ruffles, and CF Guy. WannaBe has moved on to the T-bar Row so I decide to do Smith RG BB Rows again. It's been a while, and these feel pretty good to my lats and back.

I know my arms are too tired, but I attempt to get a few sets of Close Grip Lat Pulldowns anyway. I'm discovering that my gym shoes are affecting this exercise in an unexpected way. I don't like to wear my softer Rykas when I need stability for the RDLs. The Rykas are great for HIIT cardio though. The stiffer, more supportive Saucony shoes are okay for general cardio, but not my first choice. These shoes also seem to catch the bottom of the pulldown station weirdly and I don't feel as securely anchored when wearing them to do Lat Pulldowns. Weird, right?

I manage to get 5 clean reps before having to ramp up to get two or three more. That's why my notation is written 5+3. Those last 3 aren't clean reps, but I did manage to pull the bar down, just not to my chest. I move on to RG BB Curls, and as promised, I added 5 lbs to the barbell. I find one magnetic disc on the BB rack and the other one stuck to the cable station. When I'm done, I bring them both back to the front desk. Adding 5 lbs isn't noticeably harder, although I'm not going to lie and say that this was easy. There was definitely some grimacing.

I walked by a newbie who was cautiously using an unloaded EZ-Curl bar (15 lbs) to do skull crushers. He's a decent sized fellow, and I resisted the impulse to show him how to do Rip Skulls because his dad (or whoever he's with) is looking on from the preacher curl station. Why would you just do skull crushers when Rip Skulls are so much more effective for size and strength unless you were unaware of their existence? Weightbelt Gal is doing tricep kickbacks with a 10 lb DB. I'd also like to tell her those are worthless, but I keep my mouth shut. No one likes a "budinski."

Ruffles is chatting animatedly with CF Guy in the Stretch area. I put down my two mats and ignore them. The only reason people speak that loudly is because they're flirting with exuberant nervous energy. Another budding gym romance? Perhaps... In the locker room, a woman is busy blow-drying her hair. I hate the noise. Although dryers have gotten quieter since the 70s, they're still anywhere from 50-70 decibels, which is enough to damage your hearing. I don't use a blow dryer. The heat alone would cause my skin to shrivel up and flake off. Also, I'd like to maintain my hearing without needing aids, no matter what AARP tries to sell me. (And no, I haven't joined them yet either.)

Her hair is still damp but she sprays an awful smelling product into it several times. Even after she's gone, the mist persists and both I and a trainer simultaneously gag and cough. My eyes actually tear up from the spray which reeks of alcohol. The ingredients to most hairsprays include (but aren't limited to): polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), vegetable gums, alcohol, propylene glycol, isobutane, propane, and fragrance. I suppose this isn't as awful as smoking a butt before coming in to work out? Except that so many women douse themselves with a bevy of chemicals, both in the shower and afterward as they dress and style their hair.

Lately, manufacturers have been desperately pushing body wash by offering coupons for their many flavors and varieties. It's not like there's a shortage of soap, but body wash is more profitable. It's just not necessary. It also contains as many chemicals as shampoo, if not more. There is endless chatter in the locker room about hair coloring products, nail gels, and fashionable workout attire. I just keep my mouth shut. Yep, I'm the girl who doesn't talk to anyone. Probably because I wouldn't have anything nice to say.

There's another storm warning in the forecast for Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Apparently, we've gone through the alphabet and are back at E again as Winter Storm Evan makes its approach. Whoa. The northeast is only supposed to get a few inches of the white stuff. Right now we're dealing with high winds, but the sun is shining in the bitter cold. Dropping to 15F tonight. Brrrrr...

Frigid Tuesday Pull

30 min elliptical + 5 cd
Program 2
Calories 319
Miles 2.87
HR 160-205 (97, 119)

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50
Knee to Elbow Plank 60s (55)

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

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

Lat Pull Downs
85lbs x 12
100 x 10
115 x 5+3, 5+3, 4+2

RG BB Curls
35lbs x 25, 25, 25

Mat Stretch

Back To Nature Isn't Always Healthy

My husband and I joined our son at a Scout camp this weekend, ostensibly to partake in some indoor climbing activities. We had a heated cabin, which is considered a luxury compared to tent or open shelter camping, and our Troop was providing most of the meals. There was a small kitchen with a working mini-fridge and a propane stovetop. There just wasn't any running water. So, no sink or bathroom facilities.

Normally there's an outhouse somewhere along the trail. We had access to a fully modernized bathroom, but you had to hike to get to it. It's not a bad hike unless you don't know where you're going. Following the deer tracks in the mud and icy snow is entertaining for a while, but eventually, you just wish you were there. What this teaches you is timing. You have to give yourself enough time to get there! What this also means is that you limit how much fluids you drink, especially if you're female, because while boys can always run off into the woods in an emergency, it's decidedly messier and more complicated for a girl, especially during inclement weather.

Holding your urine isn't considered good for your bladder even though it's a muscle, apparently because that exposes your body to bacteria for an extended amount of time and can lead to UTIs (urinary tract infections). So much for that ridiculous old statement that urine is sterile! Of course, if bacteria is already in your urine, doesn't that mean that it's your own bacteria?

Sleeping in a cabin that hasn't been properly cleaned since the Autumn can aggravate asthma and allergies in some people. The bunk beds have wire spring pads lassoed to the metal frames and they squeak no matter how you lay on them. We all brought sleeping bags and some of us also had fleece bag liners and pillows from home. The cabin was heated with a jet-engine sounding propane heater with an overhead duct. Temperature would drop just low enough to feel cold and then the heater would roar to life and stay on for several minutes. If you stood in the right place, warm air would blow over your head.

My back knotted up from the bed, and I didn't sleep all that well, mostly because I'm a light sleeper and wake at every noise. All the food is canned or boxed and highly processed with a high sodium content. Most camping food is like that, and not really the healthiest choice for meals. The adults did partake of bagged salad with dressing but the boys were happy to ignore all fresh produce.

Without a faucet and working sink, we had to boil water that had been carried in from the pump in a 5-gallon jug, soap and rinse our pots and pans, then toss the water outside the cabin. Still, it's better than trying not to burn your food over a campfire. The only thing the boys know how to cook (and eat) at campouts are burgers, hotdogs, and pancakes. Not really the healthiest choice in meals.

We enjoyed ourselves, but we were really happy to return home. Today, I'm back at the gym, and I'm definitely tired. I used my doorknob roller on my upper back several times last night before I got the knots sufficiently resolved, and I went to bed too late. At camp, lights out at 10 PM. At home, no such directive. It's Monday, and that means HIIT cardio followed by a Push routine. Thank goodness I had a cup of fresh coffee this morning! During core, I add one more movement, just to test it out: a same-side knee to elbow plank movement. In 60 seconds, I manage 40 in total. It's okay. Not sure if I'll keep it.

I see regulars in the free weight area, including Big Tank. I'm impressed that he can actually do pull-ups at the MaxRack station because he's got a massive upper body and I've never seen him do anything except chest and arms. My right elbow has been sporadically tender all weekend so I'm cautious during Smith Inclined Benching and I don't up the weight. Next week I'll cut the reps and add another 10 lbs. DB Laterals and Reverse Inclined Flyes have become a routine with 1 set at 20 lbs and the additional 3 sets at 22.5 lbs. I keep my elbows bent to take stress off those delicate joints and focus on my delts during the raise.

There are more women here today, and a Body Pump class is in full scream mode. Thank goodness for earbuds! I'm totally gratified seeing the muscles in my arms while I'm doing lateral raises. I know I've put a lot of body fat back on (just saw some old selfies from 2012 of my abs -- OMG, I did have abs once upon a time) but at least I feel that all is not totally lost. I was probably 107-108 lbs so that's only 5-6 lbs from where I am now. Admittedly, it's really hard for me to maintain that level of leanness because I'm not naturally a skinny person or even a thin person! But I am able to put on mass and maintain it. Still, I'd like to be less chubby.

The last two exercises focus on triceps: Rip Skulls and V-bar Pressdowns. The benches get moved around the gym so some days they're closer to other equipment and other days they're closer to something else. There are only 3 breaker benches and two of them are occupied. The third one is set precariously close to the plate tree. Ugh.

The bench is too heavy for me to scoot back so I just hope no one is an idiot and tries to pass by while I've got a bar in my hands. I'm lucky today. The skinny lost HS boy walked by between sets and then realized how ridiculously close the bench is to the plates and wisely walked around the other way afterward.

I even do sets of V-bar but at this point, my arms are shot and I can barely get reps after I hit 40 lbs. Good enough. I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow. After a mat stretch, I'm looking forward to a nice hot shower! I'm also really happy I've got a Ready To Drink (RTD) in the car with my vitamins since I really hate having to cook lunch just to take supplements -- I can never get enough protein and always have too many calories, but perhaps I'm cooking the wrong foods?

Monday Post Scout Camp

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 284
Miles 2.64
HR 134-188 (93)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Knee to elbow Plank 60s (40)

Smith Inclined Press
(60degree - sore rt elbow)
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 13
70 x 12
90 x 12, 12, 12
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
(Happy with 8+) elbows
40 lbs x 12, 10, 12

V-bar triceps press down
20 lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 11
45 x 5
40 x 6
30 x 8

Mat Stretch

Banish Fatigue with Exercise!

Last night, I inadvertently went to bed way too late. One AM is not my usual bedtime! I was busy trying to make copies of the health forms needed every time a Scout goes to a camping event. Since our combination printer/scanner/copier is ancient, it took a while before I could get it to obey that specific command. The chain stores no longer carry printer ink for this model and buying them on Amazon is becoming prohibitively expensive, as in, I could buy a brand new combo machine for what I've spent on the different ink cartridges over the past 6 months. I've read all the home printer reviews several times. Now I just have to actually hit the Buy button...

I still got up in time to get my son to school, and hit the gym. I was a little worried about how spacey I'd be since I hadn't nearly enough sleep. But, I was actually okay. Doing something intensely cardio not only gets the blood moving, and the body warm, but oxygenates the brain and releases great hormones like endorphins. Of course, when I was done, I was ravenously hungry and really tired. It's a good thing my workout routines are just that: routines. I don't really have to think too hard to do them, but that doesn't mean I don't try to put in 110%. You only get out what you put in.

Incorrect date but I can't
fix that. Not sure what other
data is incorrect either. 

This would explain why some people just don't seem to make any progress. It also explains why some of us will actually succeed when all the literature says we won't. Don't do HIIT cardio before lifting. Don't just do a lift just once weekly. Don't skip supplements and extra protein. Don't workout without PreWorkout Powder. Ugh. It's all marketing hype, geared to make you think you need to buy oodles of product and follow their programs to the exact letter. No, the trick is to find out what works for you specifically and tailor the routine accordingly. A routine's no good if you can't actually follow it with any consistency, and most of us gym rats will agree that "consistency" is the magic word. This also means that a consistently half-ass workout will give you half-ass results.

It's warm enough today that I'm suddenly drenched halfway through the Beginner rounds. One round is particularly flakey and the screen blanks 4 times, once without me even striking any of the pads. I get a Hitting Too Hard warning as well. None of these occur during the Intermediate rounds. But I am disappointed that the most complicated combination is Jab/Jab/Cross/Power Dig. I know for a fact that there are other combinations, but they never come up anymore. The computer sensors are old and the software programming is hinky with no hope of updating. Still, I enjoy myself. At the end of 14 rounds, I'm tired and sweaty. I'm going to sleep well tonight.

Whacking Friday

10 min elliptical
Calories 86
Miles 0.80
HR 151-175 (121)

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 7r

Mat Stretch

Post Petra Workout

Last night, after tiny snowflakes fell for hours, it rained. But it was 26F so it didn't remain rain. Bright sunlight and warm temps greeted me this morning as well as a cascade of droplets, but only under branches where ice was hastily melting. I was pelted in a downpour of runoff! I still had to shovel up the inch thick ice and frozen snow because even with a promise of 50F, the ice won't melt if there's no blacktop to absorb February sunlight. Never underestimate the power of dark colors! Still, it's the weirdest experience to drive with sunglasses on and have to flip on the windshield wipers every time we pass under an overhanging tree branch.

It took me nearly 45 minutes to break up and shovel the ice, so I could consider that my warmup for the day. I get to the gym mid-morning due to the two-hour delayed school start. Three out of four ellipticals are in use and I hope the one I get on actually works. Sometimes the display is glitchy or the level can't be properly adjusted. Mine is just noisy but no noisier than people chatting and the ambient music piped in overhead. I'm a little tired from shoveling. Doing HIIT cardio doesn't help at first. But when I'm done, I feel pretty good even though my face is flushed with sweat and I'm breathing hard.

After basic pull-ups, push-ups and core exercises, I wander back to the free weight area. I don't really want to do RDLs so I'm glad it looks like someone's using the Smith. I'm not really sure though because there's a pair of 45s on the bar, and a water bottle on an adjacent bench, but no actual person. I decide to do Lat Pulldowns instead. As I pull down on the lightest weight (80 lbs), I feel a slight tug on the underside of my upper right arm. I assume it's a part of the tricep, but I don't know exactly what part or why I'm feeling it, except that shoveling ice this morning has something to do with it.

I have trouble with the last sets of pulldowns but I still do them. LoudMouth, the old guy who needs a hearing aid, decides to use the cables closest to me to do overhead tricep pulls. I hate hovering old men. Seriously. The Mayor is in rare form, bellowing across the gym while Skinny J and Little R kibbitz like old hens. Taz joins them briefly. I change the handle on the Seated Cable Row from the two to the one-hand.

I notice that my forearms seem tight and I'm guessing that's from shoveling. I also notice that someone has stuck the magnetic discs on the side of the cable station. Ugh. My last exercise is the RG BB Curl and I'm happy that I can use the 30 lb barbell. My forearms, although targeted specifically by this movement, are able to complete the reps without too much grimacing.

I'm torn between doing a cardio day or kickboxing the machine tomorrow. Since I plan to do some indoor rock climbing (for the first time) over the weekend, and I need my legs not to be sore or weak, I'll do rounds at the Nexersys. It's a good cardio workout and I should be able to recover sufficiently by Saturday.

Post Petra Thursday
(after shoveling ice)

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 287
Miles 2.66
HR 140-211 (94)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 55
Crunches 30/30
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Lat Pull Downs
85lbs x 12
100 x 12
115 x 6+2, 5+3, 5+3

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 each arm
35 x 12
40 x 12, 10, 8

RG BB Curls
30lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

Fresh After A Long Weekend

What I enjoy most about long holiday weekends, like every school kid knows, is being able to sleep in. I check the sleep app on my phone and find several nights of unusually deep sleep. I've also started remembering odd and colorful dreams, one most vividly about adopting a dog named Otto. But in my dream, the adoption itself was a dream, and Otto belonged to someone else. I still remember what he looks like though, not a dog I'd normally consider -- small and extremely furry, like a border terrier. However, if one should stray into my path, I'll think he's meant to be mine.

I get up around 9 or later when I don't have to drive my son to school. I'm not a morning person by any means. Lots of online articles make that sound like a bad thing because their studies show night owls have less "brain connectivity" -- we're not as mentally sharp as our early riser kin. That's just great. (Click here to read about it in more detail.) But I'm in a much better mood and feel more productive now that I've had enough sleep. That counteracts all the negativity.

Today, my son's school (and the surrounding area schools) has a single day off for Winter Break. Today I sleep in. Eventually, I get to the gym. The morning crowd has come and gone, but there's still a wall of people on the treadmills. Luckily, none of the ellipticals are busy. I do my HIIT cardio, watching as my pulse rate drop to its lowest point (113) during the last minute of the 4th peak. So weird. Also a bit disconcerting to watch it zip from 129 to 179 and back down to 150 in a matter of seconds. It's like tracking a pinball in an arcade game.

It's been three days since I did pull-ups and I'm curious as to how many I can get today, crossing my ankles and keeping my body as straight and still as possible. I count 25, but the last rep I only got the bar to my lips. Close enough! There's no noon class so I have that room to myself for push-ups and core. I like the way the mirrors make my selfies look: positively svelte! And absolutely not how I really look IRL.

I've been reading about the latest study about studies involving firemen and how many push-ups they can do in a minute. Apparently, if they can do 40 or more, they have great cardiac health and very little chance of suffering from heart ailments in the future. But if they can barely eke out 10, then they might have some issues. I'm thinking "If they can barely eke out 10, how are they passing the fire department physical?" Of course, this study only applies to men.

Now that there are women in the armed forces as well as the police and fire departments, will there be a study to see if the "40 push-ups test" is applicable to them too? It has taken forever for some ridiculous mythologies to be dispelled such as women are too weak to run marathons or lift weights, women don't suffer from heart attacks, women's complaints about pain are signs of hysteria. The list drones on... Still, I'm tempted to time myself to see if I can knock out 40 in a minute. I routinely do 50 push-ups, but I have no idea how long it takes me. I'm curious. Aren't you?

Back in the free weight area, I see that the Smith machine is free. Yippee me! I do my sets of Inclined Presses and realize that these aren't as hard as I remember. Part of that is due to me lowering the bench so that the incline is closer to 30 degrees instead of 45. The gym is crowded because the afternoon crowd has arrived. The Mayor looks fatter and older than I remember. He's also slightly quieter. There are a lot more HS boys, but I recognize other regulars, a few of them women.

Checking my notes from last week, I add the 2.5 lb magnetic discs to each of the 20 lb dumbbells for my DB superset. I'm trying to work up to 25s but I'm not in any rush. I catch a glimpse of my arms in the mirror walls and in the right light, I can see some fierce triceps and delts. I do wish I was leaner, but that would involve dieting. Ugh. Not one of my strengths. I could end the workout here. It's late already and I have other things to do. But I see the cable station with a lat pulldown handle and just have to test out the technique that Gym Owner showed me last week.

On my tiptoes, I can just grab the handle and pull it down to my chest, insert the pin into the stack to anchor the cable, remove the handle and replace it with the V-bar and then remove the pin. Yes! My arms are pretty fried, but I still manage to get some decent reps. I look at my arms and see ashy flakes covering my upper arms. I had even doused myself with cheap Suave skin cream this morning before I dressed, but when you have IV (ichthyosis vulgaris), you have to routinely exfoliate and apply heavy-duty lotions with alpha hydroxy and other skin scale dissolving chemicals. Dry flaky skin is an everyday normal occurrence. I don't apply the expensive Amlactin cream until after I shower after my workout.

Not sure if I'll get to the gym tomorrow. Winter Storm Petra is on her way, promising a messy afternoon. I have to drop my car at the dealership to get my passenger airbag replaced. They've promised me a loaner. Not sure if they'll be done in time for me to get my car back tomorrow before the roads get icky. Meanwhile, depending on road and weather conditions, chances are good there'll be early dismissal from school tomorrow and perhaps an hour or two delay Thursday morning. Yep, all parents of school-age kids here play this guessing game during the winter. The school district has been better at making their announcements though, and text, email, and call by the evening instead of waking everyone up at 5 AM. At least they're doing one thing right.

Tuesday After Prez Day

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 280
Miles 2.62
HR 150-200 (113)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

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

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

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12, 12, 12

V-bar triceps press down
20 lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 10
45 x 6
40 x 6
30 x 10

Mat Stretch