Focus on Comfort

Lying on the mat after
push-ups and before
the rest of my core routine

While my husband and son spent the weekend learning how to use climbing equipment at a Scout outing, I did errands like getting my toaster fixed at a local Repair Cafe event. It's a volunteer organization that pairs retired "coaches" with people wishing to repair standard household appliances. It took about an hour, but I got my 18-year-old 4-slice toaster to work properly! Yaaaay! I had been dreading the idea of shopping for a new one and now I don't have to! Suffice it to say, this fear of wasting and/or adding to landfills and ocean pollution has turned a lot of us into "hoarders in the making." (Where do you think all those trucks go after a hoarder's house has been cleaned out? Got Junk claims to actually try to sort and recycle their hauls. That's reassuring.)

While Marie Kondo and Swedish 'Döstädning' (death-cleaning) have become very popular, there's always the worry all the discard is going to landfills, whether in this country or across the sea. I feel guilty enough that I try to recycle or reuse as much as I can, but I know, truly, that most of what I put into my recycling bin isn't going to be recycled. Because our country doesn't really have a vibrant recycling industry, even though we should. So, it is with a bit of guilt and resignation that I buy two pairs of workout pants at a deep discount at Marshall's. 

Fave pants

My favorite exercise bottoms are ancient, loose, slinky black yoga pants that had two major flaws when purchased new: a floppy waistband that couldn't support the clip of an iPod nano and fabric that wouldn't release the stink of a hard workout. Once I realized I could plop the iPod into my gear bag (which I tote around with me throughout my workout) the waistband didn't matter. 

Over the years, the fabric has worn down and no longer maintains its tenacious grip on odors. However, that also means that it is wearing thin from frequent laundering. I noticed last week that I could see through the backside seam area. Thank goodness I favor solid black cotton panties! Eventually, the fabric will be fragile enough to rip. Ugh! Hence, new workout pants. But because the store sells "remainders" or items that haven't sold at full price at regular retailers, there is an odd assortment of brands, styles, and sizes. 

I've finally come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to fit comfortably in size S leggings, pants, etc, at least in sportswear. So I grab size M pants to try on. I also select several size L sports bras and find that no matter what brand or style, L is too tight. I need an XL for flat-chested athletic women, even though my tanks are all size S. The size M pants, however, are extremely comfortable if not entirely flattering. I'm a bit self-conscious, but once I've got my tunes on loud, I don't really care. The 90 Degree by Reflex capri leggings has pockets on the upper thighs. I don't know what I'd ever put in them... maybe an iPod nano? Their ads show models putting phones in them. I don't have skinny legs like that. The Danskin ones look like sailor pants, but I'm buying for comfort. I really want a replacement "go-to" workout pant, but one that's not going to cost a $100. 

Today I wear the legging-style pant. They're comfortable, but later, I'm annoyed that I actually do have to keep pulling the legs down because they're riding up my big thighs. It seems to be a continuing problem I have with footless leggings and tights. (This doesn't happen with sports pants unless they're too snug.) Having your pants ride up into your crotch is not only uncomfortable, it's also truly embarrassing. I'm disappointed. Of course, you can't tell how new workout clothes will behave until you actually work out in them. I have the same problem with athletic shoes. Walking around the store isn't the same as going for a run. 

Wednesday I'll try out the "sailor pants" to see how they hold up. At least the new NB bra stayed in place and remained comfortable throughout the entire workout. I feel like a big bruiser when I go to buy workout clothes, not some tiny little woman. But when I change into street clothes, I'm wearing hand-me-downs that my son outgrew when he was 12. It's a matter of perspective. 

Frosty Monday Pull

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 291
Miles 2.67
(no HR reading on 4th elliptical)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
Crunches Legs Up 40
Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

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
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 9, 9, 9
85 x 15

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 each arm
40 x 12
50 x 8, 8, 7/8

RG BB Curls
40s lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

Every Day Feels Like Monday

Adhering to a traditional 3-day-a-week, aka Monday Wednesday Friday, workout schedule is having unintended consequences. But since this is "new" to me, perhaps I'll be able to adapt without feeling as if every gym day is Monday. Yep, when I take Tuesday and Thursday off, the following Wednesday and Friday feel like I've just gotten up after a long weekend hibernating. I feel much better if I've been to the gym the day before so recovery time has nothing to do with it. However, weird as it sounds, it's not uncommon. There are countless message boards filled with discussions of the same phenomenon. 

My favorite suggestion is that fatigue is caused by the body being in a deeper stage of recovery, only noticeable after a rest day. A lot of athletes agree that spending a rest day doing nothing actually makes everything feel worse. Light exercise that warms the body up and gets the blood moving seems to be the most beneficial. I like to think this aids in flushing the muscles of the protons that cause acidosis (that burning sensation in your muscles) and increases blood flow to provide nutrients and oxygen critical to complete cellular repair. 

My least favorite advice states that discomfort is caused by inflammation, so that should be eliminated by whatever means necessary. Personally, unless you're in so much pain that you can't walk, you should work through it. A little discomfort is no reason to go running for the ibuprofen, which appears to inhibit muscle repair and growth. There's also no research that's shown ice baths (aka cold water immersion or CWI) to work, although I do take a cold rinse after a moderately hot shower. But that's mostly so I don't start sweating again once I'm clean. 

Although it seems counterintuitive to have a hard time adjusting to fewer workouts, I know my elbows feel better today. The one stretch that works for me doesn't appear on any of the "fix your tendonitis" sites. Instead, I straighten my arm out in front of me, angled about 30 degrees from my center, shoulder height, bend my wrist up and open my hand wide with the palm facing away from me as if I'm stopping a force field. The wider I spread my fingers, the more I feel the medial epicondylitis at the bottom of my elbow. I close my hand to make a fist, then open the fingers wide again and repeat this motion three or four times. 

A few hours after my workout, I can honestly say that I'm really tired and could use a good nap. I am surprised that I'm not sore after Wednesday's push-up madness. What I felt was an odd fatigue, but only in the shoulders and chest when I did push-ups as part of my core routine. And I didn't feel the fatigue for the second set later in the session. Weird, right? 

I'm also able to do pull-ups without too much elbow distress. Walking Lunges causes me momentary discomfort in my quads just as I finish walk lunging the length of the gym. Lying Leg Curls are always hard and I'm still conflicted about whether this exercise is affecting my IOPs (intraocular pressures). It's hard for me to know and the literature is vague, only mentioning the risk of the Vasalva maneuver, essentially holding your breath to complete a lift. I'm going to be so bummed if it turns out that I have to quit lifting... 

Another 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 285
Miles 2.63
HR 132-186 (109, 96)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 722
Floors 45
HR 129

HGPU 23

15 Octane + 2cd
Default setting
Calories 113
Miles 1.54
Steps 2128
Floors 35
HR 136 -158
(Numb right toes)

HGPU 22

Walking Lunges
30+30= 60

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
30lbs x 10, 9, 8

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch

Fitness in a Minute

I won't lie: I dreaded going to the gym this morning because I was still tired even though I skipped yesterday's workout. Tuesdays are always a late night because our Troop meeting routinely ends after 9 pm and it takes some time to settle down once we're home. I was cold on the elliptical and zipped my hoodie up while it was 59F outside. But the sun's ablazing today and everything quickly warmed up. Eventually, the a/c kicked on but that was a few hours later.

I still enjoy watching my pulse rate jump back and forth on the monitor during HIIT cardio, but this is starting to get old and I need to change up my programs. I hate to give up something that works though. Over the weekend, my husband tested his newly acquired pulse oximeter. I discovered that my "resting pulse" is an unremarkable 61 (normal is 60-100), while my oxygen stats read 100%, but started to decline the longer the clip stayed attached to my finger. My husband was alarmed by this since it hadn't happened to him or my son.

I attribute that to my inability to withstand even slight compression. I know that's the reason that my heart rate appears to drop significantly when I'm pedaling at my fastest: I'm actually gripping the handles and pressing down on the pedals with greater force than normal, and that's not only making my fingers and toes go numb, but it's also affecting the pulse rate readings. Oh well...

My elbows feel pretty good and I get a few more hammer grip pull-ups, but mostly because I don't drop into a dead hang at the bottom of each rep. That would destroy my elbows! After all these years, I'm not able to improve my tendon strength so the best I can do is avoid causing too much damage. Then off I go to the cold and empty classroom behind the mirrored wall.

There's a fitness class starting in 17 minutes -- just enough time to do my core routine including push-ups. Push-ups are being considered as a cost-effective barometer of cardiovascular health requiring no fancy equipment. (There's that fireman study earlier this year.) The military uses push-ups as one indicator of fitness, requiring a minimum of 31-35 to enlist in the Army, and 45 for the Navy and Airforce. Navy SEALS require 42-50 in under two minutes. I don't know if there's a time constraint for the other armed services.

Now I wonder how many I can do within a 60-second parameter. It's a bit tricky to coordinate solo and I finally allow that starting a few seconds after I've hit the Start Button is okay. Of course, I'm knocking out push-ups as fast as I can, which is reasonable if you think you won't make a good showing in the time you have allotted.

What I discover is that I run out of steam before time is up, mostly because I've cranked out 66 push-ups and need to catch my breath for a second. There's still a good 15 seconds remaining and I push for more reps, but it's hard and slow-going. When I'm done, I've counted 80. Jeeze, I need to learn to pace myself better! Unlike pull-ups, there's no caveat against doing push-ups every day. Apparently, there's no such thing as too many push-ups, unless you're prone to shoulder injuries. (Since a minor labral tear in my right shoulder, I've had to swear off Hindu push-ups, but regular push-ups seem okay.)

At my son's kung fu class yesterday, I noted that out of everyone (only 5 students and two teachers for Tuesday's weapons class), my son was the only one doing actual push-ups. It was a bit disheartening because even the senior instructor was doing knee push-ups and the three older boys were barely able to keep their torsos straight. But, I was also proud. My son told me later that he was "on the spot" since he had to lead the class in push-ups and of course, he had to do them correctly.

If you do push-ups every day, you will definitely get stronger. After a while, push-ups will get easier and you'll have to add more reps. Or do them in sets. Or add variations. Otherwise, you'll stagnate. Push-ups work the same core muscles as a plain ol' plank, but I think push-ups are more useful with the added benefit of stronger shoulders and arms, with a cardio element. In college, I used to do push-ups before bed, starting with a set of 25 reps, then 20, then 15, 10 and finally 5. That's a total of 75, but with breathers between sets. I guess I've always been a gym rat.

The right elbow doesn't bother me until I'm at the Smith machine doing Inclined Presses. Ugh. I've got to be more proactive with doing those Golfer's elbow stretches! The DB supersets are routine, as are the Rip Skulls. I skip V-bar Tricep Press Downs in deference to the wonky joints. Maybe next week. I note a lot of regulars and a few new faces. I wonder how long that'll last.

Humpday Push

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 276
Miles 2.59
HR 137-195 (116, 87, 119)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Push Ups (60 sec) 80 w pause at 66
Crunches 30/50
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, 12, 12
65 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

Mat Stretch

Happy Earth Day

It's the last day of Spring break for our school district, as well as Earth Day and the day after Easter. I get to the gym late morning and it's almost empty. The air is extremely humid -- yes, it's going to rain sporadically, sometimes torrentially. My body is never happy when I start HIIT cardio, and I'm always so relieved when I'm done. One more item to check off my list.

My right elbow has been tender doing mundane tasks, like braiding my hair. I need to pace myself. As I stated earlier, I'm starting the week with a Pull Day instead of my usual Push Day to see how that affects my workout. I've got big strong triceps (and quads) but lesser biceps both in my arms and legs. So push outperforms pull and starting the week with Pull might lend those laggards a slight advantage. Nevermind that the push muscles outnumber the pull muscles and so have every right to be bigger and stronger.

I'm not in a huge rush but I don't want to spend all afternoon at the gym. Teenagers start to straggle in as the sky grows darker outside. Smith RDLs and RG BB Rows are routine. The close grip Lat Pull Downs aren't easy but easier than I expect. That's reassuring. Even the One-Arm Seated Cable Rows are okay. I'm thwarted by the empty space where the 40 lb BB should be so I revert back to 35 lbs for RG BB Curls. Later, when I do my Mat Stretch, I find the 40 lb BB abandoned in the stretch area. For the life of me, I don't know why idiots insist on doing curls or shoulder presses in the stretch area. Nor do I know why people don't rerack their weights other than maybe they forgot. What?

I'm debating whether to pull back to just three days a week or if I should stick to four days. The gym rat in me is loathe to give up workouts. But the practical me realizes I have to make compromises. It's hard for me to just do 30 minutes of cardio and then leave. Many people do it. I used to when I worked in the city and had a gym next door to the office. But I always ran over the allotted one-hour time limit for lunch breaks. I think I'm actually making progress on leg biceps so I won't give up Cardio Friday. I also still need to do a Push Day. So the question comes down to "Do I skip Tuesdays and Thursdays and devote them to other tasks, or do I keep my whack the machine day, which means I stay with four days a week?" Ugh.

Earth Day Monday Pull 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 281
Miles 2.62
HR 137-182 (87, 106)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
Crunches legs up 40
Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 10
120 x 12, 12, 12

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

Lat Pull Downs
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 10, 9, 9

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 each arm
40 x 12
50 x 8

RG BB Curls
35 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

With A Grain of Salt

I did an abbreviated Whack the Machine workout yesterday, with just 12 rounds instead of the usual 15. Yeah, I skipped the Advance rounds because I had a doctor's appointment and needed extra travel time. Traffic is always unpredictable, especially on a Friday before a big holiday weekend.

It's been very humid lately so I got warmed up quickly. That's both a blessing and a curse. My lungs don't burn from dehydration. Instead, I feel like I'm drowning but only momentarily. I'd like to think that my adherence to the HIIT cardio training I do a few times a week has increased my endurance. It's rare that I feel any sort of muscular fatigue or lactic acid burn. The only pain I feel is in my right elbow while I'm doing a set of pull-ups afterward. It's a bit distressing since I'd skipped Thursday at the gym and my elbows should have been well-rested. Perhaps throwing punches, crosses, hooks, and jabs have inflamed those delicate tendons?

This week I read an article on Vice exploring the ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3, aka baking soda) and creatine as an athletic supplement to aid recuperation and increase performance. The use of baking soda as a pH buffer to reduce blood and muscle acidity has been common knowledge for some years now. It is being touted as not only an ergogenic aid that aids "physical performance, stamina, and recovery," but also as a way to reduce post-workout fatigue and soreness.

The addition of creatine, a popular supplement that increases ATP production (cellular energy), muscle size, and strength has been shown to not only prolong endurance but also provide a bigger spike in power. It's tempting, but like all additives, there are caveats. The accepted effective dosing is ridiculously large at 200-500 mg of baking soda per kg of body weight. That translates to 10,000-25,000 mg for someone of my size (111 lbs or 50 kg). The FDA recommendation for daily sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg. For someone who is sodium-sensitive (like me), that number drops to 1,500.

Taking baking soda would skyrocket my blood pressure, maybe my IOPs and definitely make me feel awful. Since I don't feel particularly sore, nor am I having any issues with my endurance or performance, I'll pass. But it's something to consider if you're looking for a nutritional enhancement if you aren't sodium-sensitive.

Whacking Good Friday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 81
Miles 1.22

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

HGPU 22

Quick Mat Stretch

Stronger Because I Skipped A Day

I skipped the gym yesterday but I wasn't sitting at my computer all day. Instead, I was on my feet for 6 hours assisting a friend on one of her work projects. This involved a lot of running back and forth up and down stairs, lugging things from one end to another, sorting, folding, wiping, sweeping. Not terribly difficult but constant. I'm calling it an active rest day.

Today I got to the gym late morning. Because the sun is out and temps are mild, the gym is virtually empty but for a few seniors plodding along. I do my HIIT cardio and instantly start to sweat. It's too early in the season for A/C, but there are plenty of bugs. Thankfully, the gym doesn't have their doors wide open because that always leads to pesky flies trying to bite me while I'm exercising. Cardio always starts off difficult, but by the end of the session, I feel as if I could go for another half hour. Of course, I don't because I have other things to do!

There are a few HS boys I haven't seen before. They're cheering each other on, and spotting each other on the bench press and seated shoulder press. It's good to see. It's also apparent by their soft overweight bods that they're not jocks so it's doubly good to see them using the equipment. They wipe down the benches and rerack their weights! Awesome!

After my warm-up routine, I see that the Smith is vacant. I do RDLs. My lower back feels better so I'm assuming it was the shoes causing a problem last week. RG BB Rows are also routine. I'm careful to swap out the standard aluminum handles for the thinner old steel handles when I set up for Lat Pull Downs. This one change alone has made a big difference on whether I can complete a set at my max weight of 115 lbs. But I'm also not as tired as I usually am, which means I actually pull more reps. I'm attributing that to taking yesterday off. Normally my Pull Day follows immediately after a Push Day. I'm going to have to rethink my routine again.

There are new people here today and a few regulars. My "radar" tells me that some are staring but I don't know why. I'm insecure enough to wonder if there's something wrong with my clothes. Then I block everyone out of my mind, kick the volume up a tad and finish my workout routine by upping the weight on my sets of RG BB Curl. I know this exercise mostly stresses the brachioradialis (top of the forearm) because that's where I feel it. I'd have to go heavier and do regular BB curls to feel my biceps. Besides, I let the One-Arm Seated Cable Rows do "double duty," working biceps, lats, and forearms.

It's late enough in the day that the locker room is completely empty. I look at myself in the mirror and realize that although I'm heavier than I'd like, I don't actually look bad or fat. Whew! I also realize that my right inner elbow is tender when I bend it the wrong way, or if I press on it. Ugh. A friend has recommended something called VooDoo Flossing. There's a lot of YouTube videos showing you how to wrap the afflicted forearm and elbow with VooDoo floss, a stiffly elastic rubber strip. Then you go through a wide range of motion with the arm for a few minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day. It's supposed to be very effective. I've posted a video here. Decide for yourself. I might try the moves without the floss.


I'm hesitant to try it though, mainly because of my issues with compression. Although my glaucoma doc and my GP both believe I have Raynaud's (and Raynaud's is purportedly helped by compression gloves and socks), I don't quite fit the parameters and compression tends to cause me a lot of discomfort. Numb extremities are painful extremities. I suspect I have a type of faux Raynaud's that's not due to spasms in the microvessels in my extremities.

Instead, my symptoms are more aligned with a structural problem at the cellular level in my blood vessels and connective tissue, but it's not EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). I don't have stretchy skin! I know someone with EDS and I definitely do not have her medical problems. However, I get a bit freaked out when I read a list of odd symptoms that people with diagnosed EDS report, because I have a lot of these issues, but not as severe. Lucky me! The 10 little-known symptoms: dysautonomia, blue sclera, difficulty scarring, irritation from adhesives, "bad" veins, Raynaud's Syndrome, soft & delicate skin, bruising in unusual places, hyperextension & dislocation of joints in hands and fingers. I don't think the last one is limited just to the hands and fingers though.

from WebMD 

This explains why I have "poor circulation" where my hands and feet go cold and numb if I sit for too long, my rolling veins and my horrible "allergic" reaction to adhesive tape (still got a discolored scar worse than the mole that was removed back in October!), why I can't wear turtlenecks, belts, knee socks or anything vaguely tight. I have problems with regulating my temperature -- I thought that was just the IV (ichthyosis vulgaris). This may explain why I can't walk barefoot as the little bones in my feet sometimes painfully dislocate. And my skin isn't stretchy, soft and delicate only because I have IV, a different inherited skin disorder due to a different errant protein.

I still don't think it's mild EDS, but perhaps something related... or maybe I'm just in denial. EDS is another heritable disorder. My mother and my grandmother had lesser forms of IV but also suffered from "poor circulation" with hands and feet that often went numb. I've had entire quadrants of my body go numb -- that wasn't any fun at all! My mother bruised easily, but we all thought it was because she was malnourished as she didn't like to eat and had digestive issues (another EDS symptom). I'm putting all these puzzle pieces together but it's unclear as to whether the picture I'm making is the correct one. Isn't science fascinating?!

Sunny Wednesday Pull

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 290
Miles 2.66
HR 141-192 (107)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Push Ups 60
Crunches Legs Up 40
Bicycles 60
Crunches knees bent 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

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 (narrow neutral grip)
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 10, 10, 10

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

RG BB Curls
40lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets (yaaaay!)

Mat Stretch