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