Cardio With Less Plus

Left to my own devices, I'll stay up all night working on things and then sleep until late morning. I had a Troop newsletter to write and find photos for before I could go to bed, which meant 3 a.m. At least I got to the gym today although it was much later than I'd prefer. The upside of coming in later is that the gym is fairly empty and I have access to my equipment of choice.

I'm too tired to even think about 4x4s because that involves remembering how much time is spent on each section. Instead, I do Program 3 for 30 minutes on the elliptical, plus a 5-minute cool-down. Because the morning class was over an hour ago, I have use of the classroom for pushups and core. I just have to remember to brace my abs to keep my feet from sliding on the wood floor since I'm wearing my oversized, very soft and comfy Skechers with the slippery white soles. It's also very humid and sweat is constantly dripping off my nose.

Pull-ups are easy enough until I hit 20, then the elbow starts to whine. The StepMill is also easy even if my face turns pink and sweat is bouncing off my tank and pants as it drops onto the steps below. I can see some regulars in the free weight area. Creepy PJ Pants is leering at a young woman in leggings and a tank. She's the only other person I've ever seen stand up on the seat of the Lat Pull Down station to grab the bar handle. She must be short like me.

Another set of pull-ups, just a few more than before. I'm so happy that I'm almost done. On the cross-trainer, my stomach starts to growl. Ugh. Hungry! Thank goodness I've got a 30 gm protein RTD in my car (in an insulated bag with a cooler pack). Ensure brand has finally delivered a mild mixed-berry flavor beverage that isn't Nesquick Strawberry sweet. So much tastier than Muscle Milk. And so much more convenient than going home to mix up a shake. Because I get easily distracted.

My legs are tired, especially the quads so I'm torn between really pushing hard and just taking an easy 15 minutes on the cross-trainer. What I do concede is that my legs are too tired for Walking Lunges and the 2:1 Lying Leg Curl. Besides, it's already early afternoon and I have other things to do! One more set of pull-ups, and one more set of pushups. The pink hue to my arms seems to be fading into brown. In the shower, I realize that I'm also starting to peel. Ugh. Well, it's not like I didn't know this would happen. I've ordered a zip-up rashguard from Land's End (50% off sale) for next year's trip. That should solve the problems of both sunburn and suffocating collars.

Sunny Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.92
Calories 328
HR 146-203 (97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
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 721
Floors 45
HR 130

HGPU 25

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 1
Calories 141
Miles 2.02
HR 146-150 (136)

HGPU 23

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch

Still Burnt

A sunburn generally starts to fade after 3-5 days. I'm still waiting. It's not horribly painful but my skin is tender and, to my eye, appears slightly swollen. I'm sure that itching and peeling are next. There are a lot of sunburn remedies, mostly involving aloe vera and sometimes lidocaine. Freshly brewed black tea, used cold tea bags, mint tea, apple cider vinegar, and witch hazel are also on the list. Other than appearing a shockingly bright pink, my skin feels okay as long as I don't attempt any sort of exfoliation. Luckily, the glycerin and lactic acid cream I use to keep my scaly skin at bay hasn't been too irritating.

I'm a tad sore from yesterday but I'm still going to whack the Nexersys for 15 rounds today. No one else will. I'm wearing those 90 Degree leggings with pockets. If I don't try to pull the legs down to cover my ankles, the garment is fairly comfortable, if not the most flattering. I'm just too short with such odd body proportions to look good in leggings. Or capris. This item is for the gym only. And I never wear my gym clothes out in public, except when I'm trying to get to the gym. Because I'm old-fashion.

Adv R1 Traditional

Adv R2 SouthPaw

The 7 beginner-level rounds are basically a warm-up. The 5 intermediate-level rounds are much more work, especially since the pace is quicker and there are more complicated combinations. I almost didn't do the 3 advance-level rounds because I'd forgotten how much fun they are. All I worried about was whether that pesky South Paw round (round 2) would be totally frustrating. It turned out to be easier because I could ignore the verbal cues and look only at the relevant symbols and which side of the avatar they occurred on. I actually scored better on round 2 than on either of the Traditional rounds! And that was a pleasant surprise. Of course, round 1 had much more interesting combos, but the machine gave me zeros even though I landed proper blows. Still, it was fun!

As I'm stripping off my gloves and hand wraps, I look around the free weight area and see the Mayor chatting loudly. Weird, I'm thinking to myself. I don't actually hear him. Maybe he's learned to use his "indoor voice"? But as soon as I had that thought, the volume control went haywire. Ugh. Not stretching out listening to that noise even while I'm plugged into my tunes. I grab all my gear and stretch out in the classroom. A guy wanders in after me and does a few quick planks, but I mostly have the room to myself.

Tomorrow will be my usual Cardio Plus day. I think it helps maintain stamina. I don't want to ever be like those women who are at risk for developing heart failure because they just don't get enough exercise. I'm in that age range (40-65) but I'd like to think that because I can knock out more than 40 push-ups (like a badass fireman), I'm safe. As long as I can remember to wear sunblock and not develop skin cancer...

Whacking Thursday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 95
Miles 0.84
HR 157-203 (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

Mat Stretch

Just A Little Burnt

My family went on the annual unofficial Scout troop whitewater rafting trip this past weekend which involved camping for two nights in a state park. Since there's been a lot of rain, there were a lot of bugs. I wore long sleeves most of the time, except when I was on the raft. I should've put on a rashguard but I didn't like the fit of the ones I had and I forgot to put on sunscreen. So I got burned.

And while I was paddling, I got an abrasion on my hand from rubbing against the cord that rings the raft. And I got a split lip from an unfortunate collision with a water pump pistol as we were bailing out the raft. Thank goodness it wasn't an oar or I might've lost some teeth! But at least I didn't fall out of the boat like a few others did.

It was hot and sunny. And halfway down the river full of rapids, it poured on us. We always have a good time but this year we invited some friends who have never been quite this adventurous. (Their version of camping involves indoor plumbing and heated showers.) I'm afraid they won't be back because this was too strenuous for them. My hubs tells me that next time he needs to hit the gym for at least two months before this trip in order to be in better shape. I'm happy that my stamina didn't let me down. Whitewater rafting involves a lot of core, arms, shoulders, and mountains of endurance.

The gym seemed emptier than usual, but the regulars were still there. HIIT cardio didn't make me as tired as working all day yesterday. Granted, yesterday's work (fairly mindless and somewhat physical as a home staging assistant) isn't regular work but it pays well at the end of the day when it happens. I manage to get 23 hammer grip pull-ups before my right elbow complains. Pushups, crunches and basic core work all fine. The Smith is empty and I suspect that Loud Goatee is on vacation. Is today a pull or push day? I only have today, tomorrow and Friday so I decide just to do the things I like. Push Day it is! I admit that I'm really starting to dislike doing RDLs, and not just because I'm worried about my glaucoma. Issues with my knees, lower back, and elbows also play into this.

The Inclined Press was much easier today because on the Smith I can revert to the thumbless grip. The DB supersets gave me pause. Warmed up with the 20s and then did the next three sets with the 25s. Those were hard but not impossible. However, with Rip Skulls, I always think I'm going to drop the bar on my head by the last two reps of the last set. I've cooled down considerably though, so getting back on the elliptical for 20 minutes seems like a good idea before stretching. The classroom was vacant and there were two people in the other stretch area, so I used the classroom. And then I remembered to try to take a photo of the hip, torso, and shoulder stretch I mentioned in my last post.

Left arm over right ankle with legs wide open

Humid Humpday Wednesday 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 298
Miles 2.71
HR 134-205 (107, 86, 97, 117)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

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

Smith Inclined Press 60
Bar x15
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
25 x 8/15 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12, 12, 12

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.08
Calories 232
HR 142-180 (123)

Mat Stretch

When Drenched Feels Refreshed

The muscles over my hips, surrounding my lower back and abdomen are sore. I've never felt that before. At first, I thought it was from walking around with an unstructured backpack laden with water bottles and an umbrella. But later, I realized it was from the Mat Stretch. While the actual movement is to stretch the shoulders and surrounding muscles, the torso is also twisted and involved involuntarily. I've done this stretch countless times but it's never resulted in soreness before. But I have been more exuberant with this stretch lately.

from Skimm.com

You sit on the floor with your legs spread out wide and straight. Then you bend yourself over each leg while reaching the opposite hand past your foot. So you are bent over your left leg and your right arm stretched out with your right hand reaching past your left ankle. Inch your left leg further left. You feel the stretch in your right shoulder and lat. Perhaps even your right hip and the abdominal obliques. I do it to keep my shoulders from knotting up under the blades. The illustration at right shows the beginning form of the stretch.

I skip HIIT cardio and do Program 1 on the elliptical. I feel it's a better warmup today for my sore body. Pull-ups and pushups aren't a problem. The core exercises are always bracing. I feel much better now and my torso doesn't hurt anymore. When I start walking up the StepMill, I've cooled down. By minute 11, I've worked up a substantial sweat. Back at the Stretch Cage for another set of pull-ups and I've cooled down again. The cross-trainer is more work, but I'm enjoying the challenge of keeping a brisk pace.

Today's workout is a series of alternating drenchings and cooldowns. I've inhaled sweat up my nose so I feel slightly drowned. At the end of the workout, my torso isn't stiff or painful and everything feels really good. It's a great way to end the week.

Pre-Memorial Day Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.93
Calories 330
HR 150-195 (87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
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 115
Total steps 732
Floors 45
HR 134

HGPU 22

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 1
Calories 145
Miles 2.25
HR 145-168

HGPU 22

Walking Lunges
31+30=61

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

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch

Strike While the Iron is Hot

You'd think I have ADD by the way I fidget and flit from web page to web page. I've spent the better part of two hours doing research and planning for an "impromptu trip" into the City tomorrow. My son asked me about finding exhibited works by MC Escher (for a paper he had to turn in today) and the first item that pops up in a Google search is the current exhibit in NYC that will only run until Sunday. Apparently, this extended exhibit has been open since last June. Too late for my son's paper, but he's still interested in going.

When a 14-year old boy says he's interested in taking an excursion with his mom to see art, well, best to strike when the iron's hot. True, he's neither a macho sports kid nor a fussy clothes-horse, but I was still a bit surprised (and pleased) that he wants to go. It's been a while since I've taken the train during the week, and now I have to figure out where I'm going to park my car since there's a dearth of spots near the commuter stations. (And hell no, I'm not ever driving into NYC.) Then there's which subway to take, which station to make the proper connection since there's no direct route, and what else is in the area we will be visiting. Yeah, I'm a bit compulsive. I'm like this when we go on vacation too. It's exhausting. But it's extremely productive.

It's the way I am at the gym too. That probably makes me somewhat unapproachable, which I don't think is a bad thing, at least from my point of view. I get a lot done, and I like to think that that's the reason I have visible results. Or I could be wildly delusional, and blame it all on my genetics. The gym is busy today with a lot of regulars and a few new faces. One woman stares at me while I'm moving some DBs around. She's probably just staring at my arms. Because none of the other gym rat women have arms like me. Not even close. It's not Arm Day, it's Push Day.

Loud Goatee has beaten me to the Smith so I do a few sets on the Incline Bench. I don't have the safety of a fixed bar so I can't use my standard thumbless grip. That puts a lot of focused pressure right on my tiny bony palms. And I'm almost too short for this bench. I'm also having a bit of trouble with my breathing again since I can't seem to inhale when the bar descends. That's what you're supposed to do: inhale with the descent, and exhale with the ascent (or push). The bench angle is fixed. There are only two stays on the rack so there's a lot of non-adjustable factors here. With heavier weight, I run out of breath by rep 8. I only go to 85 lbs here instead of the 90 I use at the Smith machine. And because a free-standing bar is more difficult to handle than a fixed bar, I only use 55 lbs instead of 65 for the high-rep last set.

Big Tank, M, Lazy Pedals, Loud Goatee, and a few others have gathered around the fixed barbell rack. Even Big Eagle is here this morning. They're all working out but spend time more gabbing than anything else. I move quickly from Incline Benching to the DB supersets, using the same bench because there aren't any others available. Again, I toy with the idea of using 25s but stay stubbornly with the 20s. I'm worried about the elbows. Rip Skulls don't do those joints any favors. I'm constantly thinking about dropping the reps for each set, but I muscle through anyway, in spite of my misgivings. I'm good at ignoring that little voice in my head. I tend to ignore everyone else as well. It's the only way to be happy. And I'm very happy once I'm warm again.

I've cooled down a lot so it's hard to get back on the elliptical for the last cardio session. As I warm up, I speed up and sing along to my tunes. Luckily, no one else is on any of the cardio machines surrounding me. I feel really good when I'm done and ready to stretch my shoulders, back, hamstrings... But I might be sore tomorrow when we trek all over Industry City.

Another 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 285
Miles 2.64
HR 134-186 (97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

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

Breaker Inclined Press
Bar (45) x 15
65 x 12
75 x 12
85 x 10 (out of breath), 8, 8
55 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12, 12, 12

20 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.07
Calories 233
HR 154-194 (84)

Mat Stretch

Didn't Know This Would Post without a Headline...

I did manage to buy a few milkweeds, both Swamp (Asclepius incarnata) and Common (Asclepius syriaca), at the plant sale this weekend. My son even offered to assist me even though it'd be earlier than he wants to wake on a Saturday. Of course, he had to phrase it as a nonchalant teen, "It's not like I have anything else to do." I planted all the seedlings in different areas of my yard because I don't know which ones will thrive. I even had the soil tested just in case. Common milkweed is considered invasive but I haven't seen any evidence of that. What's invasive is the Oriental bittersweet that I find taking over my hedges, the forsythias, and creeping into my red maple. Ugh.

I've not had any luck with growing milkweeds from seeds: they'll sprout and grow a foot high but never flower. It might be because they have deep taproots and don't do well in pots. Since my yard is surrounded by trees that aren't mine, I had thought pots would enable me to "chase the sun" if it came to that. Milkweeds don't like being repotted, so I'm still taking a chance with these new seedlings. Reading that they have rhizomes baffles me since they're a seed pod species but apparently, some varieties have both.

I'm tired even though I slept in on Sunday. I stayed up late to watch the series finales of several shows. I'm not disappointed, but some of the shows did leave me a bit flat. However, I'm impressed with how buff the new Lucifer appears in season 4. Originally canceled by Fox and resurrected by Netflix, the show has an ardent fan base. The lead has been working out with a trainer and cutting back on his beer in order to put on muscle and definition. Now he's really something to look at, not just a lovely accent in a natty suit.

I got to the gym late even though I left the house on time to drive my son to school. Navigating car dealership phone systems can be very frustrating and I spent 45 minutes in the parking lot on my phone trying to get my husband an appointment to fix the recalled Takata airbag in his Subaru. He'll be home on Friday but most service centers are fully booked weeks ahead of time. Eventually, I succeeded and with that minor accomplishment, I went to the gym and did my standard Monday HIIT cardio and Pull Day routine. With an additional cardio session at the end.

My elbows didn't really bother me until Lat Pull Downs, and even then, not horribly. However, my foot was achy and distracting. It's been a hassle all weekend, to the point where the hammer toes were curling up without provocation and I worried they would spasm. The solution was to sleep with the mild discomfort of gel toe spacers to keep the metatarsal tendons straight and in the proper position.

The workout itself felt pretty good, in spite of my sleep shortage. My stamina and overall strength feel pretty good too. But I'm not getting any leaner, so that's a bummer. Getting my food right (less fat) is harder than it looks.

Hot & Humid 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 286
Miles 2.64
HR 130-184 (109, 96)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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 10, 10, 10

RG BB Curls
40s lbs x 25, 25, 25

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Calories 229
Miles 2.05
HR 141-180 (80, 97, 87)

Mat Stretch

Some Days Are Good Days

Wednesday, on my drive home, I had to stop in the middle of the road to let a pair of geese cross to the other side. The road becomes a causeway over a large reservoir. There were close to two dozen small dark birds swooping over it perilously close to being hit by vehicles because they were flying so low and erratic. No doubt they were scooping up the mosquitoes and flies that inhabit those waters.

I'm not sure if they were swifts or swallows. I've seen chimney swift nests affixed to strip mall columns so perhaps these were those. I drove super slow with my hazards on and I would've videoed them if there hadn't been a truck right behind me. Luckily lots of other folks have posted videos of these birds dive-bombing hapless creatures and drones alike. This video is kind of cool.


Once across the water, I proceeded at a reasonable pace until my turnoff on to a rough pot-hole cratered road. There's one house that usually entertains a large flock of wild turkeys and I was not disappointed. Closer to home, I had to slow for a deer ambling across. Then I had to stop to wait for the fawn that was following. Some days are like watching the Nature channel right from my car.

Today there's nothing to see. It's raining again, which is okay because I tossed a packet of wildflower seeds out into my front yard. I also planted some milkweed seeds, but I'm looking to buy actual plants this weekend at the Cornell Cooperative Extension plant sale. Although milkweeds are offered for sale at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes, those plants have been sprayed with pesticides and any butterflies and caterpillars feeding on them will either die or develop severe deformities, as per customer reviews for both stores.

Today is Cardio Friday. I'm game. HIIT Cardio was routine. Pull-ups make my right elbow hurt, but truthfully, it hurt before I even left my house this morning. I muscled through pushups and core, then went straight to the StepMill. What's nice about climbing steps is that it starts off as if you're not doing anything. Without increasing the speed, by merely repeating the same five step-movements I'm able to bust a good breathless sweat. I don't understand those folks who drape themselves over the handles as if they can't hold themselves up. It's not me.

Lying leg curl or torture device

I do manage to do two more sets of pull-ups between my cardio intervals. Because the Octane seems to put a lot of stress on my feet from the lateral motion, I choose the cross-trainer for the last 15 minutes. And unlike Interval training, I don't slow down but go full tilt for at least 13 of those minutes. The Walking Lunges are always exhausting and my quads clench for a few seconds when I'm done. But then, I'm fine. The 2:1 Lying Leg Curls are another story though. I can't make it past 8 reps and I don't push. Part of me worries again about raising my IOPs because lying face down is bad for pressures. I keep my head up but it's still a concern.

The last set of pushups isn't bad and the Mat Stretch feels good.

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 283
Miles 2.62
HR 137-188 (109, 87, 113)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
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 720
Floors 45
HR 139

HGPU 23

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 1
Calories 145
Miles 2.23
HR 156-147

HGPU 20

Walking Lunges
30+29= 59

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
30lbs x 8, 8, 8 (!)

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch