Rainy Friday Cardio

It seems to be par for the course that I'm chronically sleep-deprived, at least until I can sleep in on the weekend. It's going to be much worse next school year because HS starts a good half-hour earlier. Ugh. I sat in my car in the gym parking lot, wondering if anyone would notice if I closed my eyes and took a quick nap. My car was running with the heat on, so I was warm and cozy. But I don't think I'd want to snooze with my car on. Eventually, I got out and dragged myself inside.

Being an hour shy of a good night's sleep doesn't seem to affect my workouts very much, although it takes me a while to perk up from all the adrenaline that will eventually course through my body. Not having an actual, brewed cup of coffee seems to have a greater negative impact. Instead, I emptied a sleeve of Folger's Instant into a cup of hot water this morning. Not great, but hot and drinkable. 

Instant coffee has half the caffeine (about 73 mg depending on the brand) that brewed, drip or pressed coffee contains (123-200 mg per 8 oz). All I need is enough to get me to the gym. I'm not reliant on caffeine the way some folks are. I see people getting a cup of coffee from the front desk while they're in the middle of a workout. Or worse, carrying around gallon jug containers labeled spring water. Except that the fluid inside is an unnatural blue or pink. I'm guessing pre-workout mix, which is usually candy-flavored caffeine with maybe some sugar and electrolytes. Yuck. I'll just drink my plain ol' water. 

I'm not totally oblivious to the other members so I've noticed the newbies as well as the regulars. I'm always happy to see, although I don't give any indication, the two women who come often and work hard. One carries a jug of blue or pink mix. The other wears a weight belt all the time. But they both work out hard. I feel a little bad that they don't seem to show more visible rewards of their endeavors, i.e., muscles. Perhaps I'm just an outlier. 

I'm more amused by the two fellows who have been frequenting the gym in the past few months. The skinny older guy bears more than a passing resemblance to Billy Bob Thornton, with pale eyes and a shock of grey and black hair. When he walks by, I think of a stalking heron on the hunt for frogs. The younger one might be his brother or son. It's hard to tell relationships, just like it's hard to determine age among adults. Some people just age badly... The Stalking Heron doesn't seem to enjoy his workout. It's more something that they both do, alternating between machines because they have to. It's kind of sad. A lot of gym folk appear to just go through the motions when working out. It's not really productive, but I guess it's better than sitting in front of the TV all day. 

Rainy Cardio Friday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 292
Miles 2.68
HR 142-184 (123, 95, 87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Leg horizontal scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 112
Total steps 708
Floors 44
HR 135

15 Octane + 2cd
Default setting
Calories 115
Miles 1.65
Steps 2268
Floors 37
HR 136-159
(Numb feet & toes)

HGPU 20
Push Ups 50

Walking Lunges
29 x 2 = 58

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
20lbs x 12 each leg x 3 sets

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Mat Stretch

Spring Remake

Some mornings I wake up with my right hand going numb and my elbow throbbing. Golfer's elbow (aka medial epicondylitis) has been plaguing me for years, but just recently its become more chronic. And annoying. I've pinpointed the causative gesture to my laptop usage -- more specifically, my trackball placement. I'm predominantly right-handed, like most people, except for holding a writing tool and chopsticks. On my Macintosh computers, I use the trackball lefthanded.

Now that I have a PC with the annoying right-click commands, I'm forced to use the trackball righthanded. And somehow that trackball isn't positioned optimally so my right elbow has developed a sensitivity that one-too-many-hammer-grip-pull-ups will aggravate. The trackball is sitting too high, causing my wrist to bend oddly, which is stressing my forearm. I don't quite understand it because carpal tunnel seems a more a likely scenario than golfer's elbow.

The recommended cure is rest and barring that, NSAIDs and ice. But I try to stay away from ibuprofen and acetaminophen due to their interference with muscle-repair, and potential liver toxicity. (There is also plenty of evidence supporting the idea that you should not block the inflammation process with fistfuls of antioxidants immediately after your workout because that negates the benefits of the workout.) There are a few exercises I should probably do again, mostly stretching the hand and forearm, or squeezing a tennis ball two dozen times, or flexing my wrist back and forth with my fist clenched. I should also find a new place to put my trackball.

from theconversation.com/dont-waste-your-time-taking-antioxidant-supplements-after-exercise

I've reluctantly skipped Whack the Machine Day this week. Instead, I've started to remake my gym routine to drop some weight, and hopefully, also lose some body fat. I don't like my pants feeling tight, or that I'm busting out of my sports bras. The Nexersys workout no longer thrills and is less a challenge than a compromise: hit the machine but not too hard or too fast. Nevermind that it won't score you accurately and teeters on the edge of a complete breakdown. I'm going to miss the zen-like focus it affords. Maybe after a few weeks, I'll miss it enough to tolerate all its faults. But not now.

Right now I need something to exhilarate and thrill me. I recognize that sensation only comes when I'm breathing hard and my lungs burn. Is that sick or what? I have to push hard to get that effect, not that it's a goal. There's no goal. I'm not looking at mileage or calories even though I make note of them. It's the endorphins, the fabled "runner's high," but I wouldn't say it was an actual goal. Just a wonderful side effect. While I am not doing a continuous 2-hour run, I am pushing myself fairly hard, but not to exhaustion. That would be counterproductive. I'm revamping my routine to include two Cardio Days, but with fewer pull-ups and an extra set of push-ups.

I'm happy that I can access the Expresso Bike and ride 20 minutes playing Dragon Island. Then I get on the Cross-Trainer for another 15 to get the kinks out of my thighs because chasing dragons is all quads on the bike. The partial Mat Stretch will alleviate any lower back and sciatica flare-ups. Stretching also prevent soreness. I'm starting to see some minute improvements in my hamstrings, too subtle to document but at least I've noticed that those 2:1 Lying Leg Curls and Walking Lunges are having a positive effect. Yaaay me!

Change of Pace Cardio Wednesday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 286
Miles 2.63
HR 146-194 (95)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Leg horizontal scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Expresso Bike
Dragons Island
Calories 68
Miles 3.36
Points 179,790
HR 133

HGPU 20

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 142
Calories 1
Miles 2.06
HR 154 (145)

Push Ups 50
Mat Stretch

Diameters Matter

A lot of training articles assume that you have standard-size hands when they provide instructions on how to increase grip strength. There are a lot of reasons to want a stronger handshake, and not just to intimidate the people you greet. Multiple studies suggest that stronger hand and forearm muscles might not only serve as a general indicator of upper body strength and health, but also indicate frailty, potential disability, and possible heart disease later in life.

It would seem to make sense to increase hand strength where possible. But correlation is not the same as causation. Having weak hands doesn't necessarily mean you have a weak upper body. It might just mean you have ridiculously tiny hands for your body size.

Most training sites offer the same basics -- there are three types of grip: 1) crush grip for monster handshakes; 2) pinch grip (useful for rock climbing); 3) support or carry grip for endurance (think carrying lots of packages). Most sites will also tell you that each grip needs its own type of training. Squeezing a rubber ball isn't one of them. Most of them involve carrying or holding very heavy objects. To make the exercise more difficult you can add thick foam grips or a towel. This forces the hand open. I know from experience that it's much easier to pull yourself up if you can close your hand around the bar. I also know that my forearms don't get stronger or bigger when I stress them with unwieldy grips -- they just give my elbows tendonitis.

Top: too wide and thick. Bottom: too thick.

After my cardio warm-up today, I sat down at the Lat Pull Down station and tried the shoulder width neutral grip handles already affixed. The black rubber sleeve is cracked on the right side and I find that distracting. The handles themselves fall below the bar so that you must pull down past your chest. After two sets, my right elbow starts to complain. It's the same discomfort I get when I attempt too many hammer grip pull-ups.

Thinner neutral grip.

I swap the handle out for the feather-light aluminum close grip neutral one. During the heavy sets, I realize that my hands and forearms are more tired than the rest of me. It seems counterproductive to continue this way so I search out the thinner handles. They're an older pair made of steel, so they're also heavier. But for what I'm doing, the actual weight of the handle impacts me less than the grip diameter. I confess to leaning back as I bring the handles toward my chest. It's a bit like seated cable rowing, but I don't do that anymore because it aggravates my sciatica -- that type of pain borders on disability and that's something to be avoided at all cost.

I don't have a particularly weak grip, just extremely small hands and short fingers. My hands are 10-year old child-size with a ring finger taking a size 3.25. Average ring sizes for adults are 5-10. My grip is good enough, once I get my hands around the bar, for me to knock out almost two dozen hammer grip pull-ups. The neutral grip is vital since my shallow overly-flexible joints are prone to tendonitis. I've not discovered any means to get past this except avoidance. Avoid pull-ups and chin ups. Substitute where possible. Use a neutral grip, preferably one with a small enough diameter that can be fully grasped.

WannaBe is at the Smith with the obese client, mostly talking while the client is leaning on the bar for what seems like forever. I skip Smith RDLs today and move on to T-bar Rows. Later, I use the Smith for RG BB Rows. It's a Pull Day but without pull-ups. I do try to strengthen my hand and forearm muscles by doing high-rep sets of Reverse Grip BB Curls. These are tiny muscles. While my biceps, triceps, lats, delts, quads, and calves are fairly responsive, the hands and forearms remain slender and delicate. I've known people with thick muscular hands. It's not in my genetics and I will never be one of them.

Non Sequitur: 
I discovered Alec Benjamin a few weeks ago and I swore it was a girl singing. But he's a young man. With a voice like an angel... I haven't decided if anything is appropriate for my workout mix yet, but I'll share a song popular on the radio:


Cold Sunny Tuesday Pull

30 min elliptical + 5 cd
Program 3
Calories 333
Miles 2.95
HR 145-207 (87)

Push Ups 50
Crunches Legs Up
30 Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 40
Horizontal Scissors 50

Lat Pull Downs (medium dip grip)
70lbs x 12
85 x 12 (right elbow)
Change grip to close neutral
100 x 12
115 x 8, (narrower grip) 10, 12
100 x 12

T-Bar Rows
Bar x 20
10 x 20
25 x 20

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

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
(Thinner handle grip)
30lbs x 12
40 x 12
50 x 10, 8, 8

RG BB Curls
35lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

Dietary Confusion

Old news is new again. A recent article declares the Okinawa diet to be as healthy if not more so than the fabled Mediterranean diet. The latter promotes a menu rich in vegetables supplemented with omega-3 derived from seafood. The Okinawan diet is even more restrictive in that its carb to protein ratio is 10:1 and Okinawans eat even fewer calories.

These are comparable by degrees to the Pritikin diet and Ornish diet for heart disease except those are caloric and fat-restrictive. Studies show significant longevity increase in monkeys and other animals when subjected to restricted calories (but nutritionally supplemented with vital minerals and vitamins).

The Okinawan and Mediterranean diets correlate to the Blue Zones, areas of the world where populations tend to live into extreme old age -- approaching 100 years. There are 7 to 9 designated Blue Zones, but only one in the US. Loma Linda, California contains a large Seventh Day Adventist population who eschew alcohol and tobacco as well as meat, and take regular exercise. It is reported that they tend to live 10 years longer than the average population due to their healthy lifestyle and vegetarian diet.

Of course, recent guidelines also state that older folks (over 50 years of age) should increase their protein intake beyond current recommendations of 0.8 gms protein per kg body weight to 1-1.2 gms of high-quality protein (like whey).

All this conflicting information makes it hard to determine what course of action to take. Obviously, the best food plan is the one you can actually follow and live by. It's not a diet per se but an actual lifestyle modification. It looks nearly impossible to eat properly without some sort of supplementation.

The key is to take baby steps and make small sustainable changes. I love English muffins, but in trying to cut unnecessary refined carbohydrates, I've stopped buying them. If they're not in my kitchen, they won't get eaten. It does pose the problem of how to make avocado toast without toast. Lately, I've put avocado and crushed fresh garlic atop oatmeal. Some days I replace the avocado and garlic with frozen blueberries, then add whey protein to the cooled porridge.

I'm still figuring out how to proceed, how to maintain my health and purported longevity. Although both my parents died younger than expected, I still hope to live past my grandmother's age of 93, but in much better health. While I'm cutting back on empty calories, I'm continuing to maintain a decent whey protein intake. Increase the vegetables, continue with snack nuts, raw garlic, avocado, eat less animal protein and keep an eye on alcohol intake. It's a plan.

Today was standard HIIT cardio followed by a Push Day routine. The only difference was that it ended with a proper V-bar Tricep Press Down drop set, which means little to no rest between sets once I hit the maximum weight of 45 lbs. This also means that I'm barely able to squeeze out any reps, unlike last week when I took at least a minute between sets. Amazing what rest time will do.

Monday Post Sprachfest

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 286
Miles 2.65
HR 137-190 (123, 115, 97, 87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Push Ups 53
Crunches 30/40
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press
(60degree)
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12 x 3
65 x 25 (kinda EZ)

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+)
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Triceps Press Down
20lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 12
45 x 9
40 x 7
30 x 5
20 x 12

Mat Stretch

My Workout Addiction

The Urban Dictionary defines an adrenaline junkie as "Someone who seeks out and craves thrilling adventures and/or activities to get an adrenaline rush." Furthermore, the dictionary includes "Someone who gets high on adrenaline and possibly addicted to it. They usually supplement this addiction by doing activities that give them adrenaline rushes such as shoplifting, gambling, skydiving, stock market trading and possibly fighting." 

I am, most assuredly, the complete opposite of an adrenaline junkie: I'm cautious and have to study every option three ways to Sunday. I have a fear of heights. Roller coasters make me ill. It's very convenient for me that my glaucoma gives me a good excuse not to partake in risky adventures. In fact, bending over is risky for a glaucoma patient. That's the extent of my risk-taking. So I'm not an adrenaline junkie. But there's something deeply satisfying about an intense workout and I'm afraid I'm addicted to that. 

Exercise doesn't just promote a surge of relatively short-lived adrenaline (estimated to last about 20 minutes). There's also endorphins that make you feel awesome, and serotonin and dopamine which are important neurotransmitters that have been linked to depression (when levels are low). I'm not sure which of that potent cocktail, or maybe it's the entirety, I'm addicted to but it not only provides mood enhancement but a calm focus as well. There are only two problems: sometimes I'm too tired to focus later in the day, and like most addictions, it continues to take more effort for the same results. 

I'm disappointed that my kickboxing workouts no longer provide the exhausting exhilaration I'm used to. Because the machine is deteriorating I'm unable to increase my intensity. Doing 15 rounds should be more than enough, but lately, it's not. The last workout of the week, Cardio Day, is the only truly thrilling routine. It's basically back-to-back cardio and pull-ups, so I'm in almost constant motion. 

As much as I say I hate cardio (because I'm bad at it), doing HIIT cardio gives me more satisfaction than most of the other programs. I think it's the endorphins. And endorphins only happen when you push yourself really hard. But you have to push harder each time. In theory, this is good because you adapt and make gains. In reality, you adapt and then you need to push harder or push differently. Well, at least I have Cardio Day. For now. 

Another Dreary Cardio Friday

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 139-205 (115, 95, 87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Leg horizontal scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

15 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 85
Total steps 539
Floors 33
HR 139

HGPU 20

15 Octane + 2cd
Default setting
Calories 113
Miles 1.54
Steps 2130
Floors 34
HR 130-147
(Numb feet & toes)

Stretch Cage
HGPU 22

Walking Lunges
28+29=57

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
20lbs x 12 each leg x 3 sets

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Mat Stretch

The Goldilocks Conundrum

You know you're tired when sitting in a parked car makes you drowsy enough to fear actually falling asleep. I spent 10 minutes scrolling through my phone before entering the gym, but what I really wanted to do is go back to sleep. It's a cold, wet Vernal Equinox and not at all cheery. There are flash flood warnings for later this evening and a strong wind advisory for the next two days. A radio host called this weather event a nor'easter but I think you have to have both wind and rain simultaneously for that.

So how awful is my workout going to be since I'm so tired? Apparently not bad at all. Being tired affects my mood more than my physical ability. Or at least that's my sleep-deprived perception. Multiple studies have reported that sleeping less than the minimum 7 hours not only distorts judgment, memory and emotions, but also reflexes. People with impaired judgment are the least able to determine how impaired they are -- being sleep-deprived is on par with having an alcohol level of 0.05, according to a 2008 article on Safety and Judgement. So, I'm understandably less than enthusiastic once I'm standing in front of the Nexersys, but how badly am I really going to score?

7 rounds Beginner Level

There is a problem with relying on the Nexersys machine to be an impartial judge, tallying points for appropriate strikes. And that problem is that the machine is old with only partially functional sensors. It's also not smart enough to determine that if I have a score for Accuracy, it's not possible that all my blows came to Zero. Worse, the screen keeps going black when I hit the Cross too hard, or sometimes barely touch it. More amusing are the multiple Hitting Too Hard warnings I activate by uh, hitting too hard?

5 rounds Intermediate

There is no proper level of strike force because one moment you've barely scored 60% power and the next the screen's gone black. The elusive Goldilocks level is impossible to achieve. When I'm tired it's even more important to keep proper form. Although I've taken the usual precautions of warming up and wrapping my hands, I can still inflict damage on myself by not keeping my fists tight, or wrists straight. And I certainly don't want to incur a boxer's fracture, i.e., break the 5th metacarpal (pinky finger bone). It happens when a closed fist hits a solid object. Even though the Nexersys contains cushioned strike pads, it is still possible to seriously injure your hands or feet.

I'm not thrilled about the grip bar welded into the palm of my kickboxing gloves, but it does serve a purpose: to give you a more natural grip when making a closed fist. Admittedly, I have upon occasion, held my right hand too loosely and bruised the 4th and 5th metacarpals. It's why I put a strip of moleskin between those knuckles even though they shouldn't really be part of the striking surface when I throw a Cross or Power Hook. But they are.

Even 2nd round SouthPaw
wasn't too awful 

I still enjoy my Whack the Machine Day, but I'm not getting the same intense workout as before. I miss that. It's not me. It's the machine. Can't hit it too hard. It doesn't register half my strikes but tells me I'm hitting too hard, then chides me for not hitting hard enough by telling me to add rounds because "Practice makes perfect." It dances between Traditional (right-handed) and SouthPaw (left-handed) and scores everything zero. Well, at least I'm getting a few good strikes in during the 2nd Advanced round when everything is backward. But I miss emerging from 15 rounds totally drenched and spent. Nowadays, I'm just hungry.

Vernal Equinox Thursday

Amp it up a little? What, and break the
arm off the dam machine?!

10 min elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0. 82
HR 143-188 (87)

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

Cage Stretch