Making Adjustments

I wasn't terribly productive over the weekend, but of course, it was Mother's Day and we did eat out. Restaurant food is always richer and saltier than homecooked meals. Add that to an inexplicable panic attack in the middle of the night, and I'm feeling not so chipper this morning. Plus, it's raining and temps have dropped into the high 30s. As in weather suitable for mid-March, not mid-May. I'm freezing and I haven't had enough sleep. Perfect conditions to hit the gym.

The gym parking lot has a lot fewer cars than I expected. The gym itself isn't very crowded. Did I get here earlier than usual? I do my standard HIIT cardio routine, a few pull-ups, pushups, and core, before wandering back to the free weight area. There's a big blonde woman in the Smith. I guess I'll do Lat Pull Downs instead. Part of me says it's okay if I never get around to the Smith because I'm that tired and out-of-sorts. Waking up at 3 a.m. with your heart racing isn't any fun at all. It wasn't even a bad dream, but it took over an hour for my body to calm down enough to sleep. The heat kicked on and I was too hot under my blankets. Then I was too cold. Ugh.

My left elbow bothers me during Lat Pull Downs. I'm sure the right elbow is just biding its time. Getting decent reps on all my sets is tempered by the fact that it wasn't that hard to yank the handle down with 115 lbs, which tells me that I'm probably closer to that weight than I'd like. I see A-rod, who had been doing supersets on the other side of the cable station, suddenly stalk over to the Smith as Big Blonde exits, stage right.

I'm okay if I don't do RDLs today because I'm thinking I could use more cardio in my workout. Not only am I missing cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but part of me would like to make sure I'm at least compliant with getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week. That's five 30 minute cardio workouts if I were going every day. Of course, the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines are ridiculously lax with respect to weight training, suggesting exercising each body part twice a week for one set of 12-15 reps, provided the weight is heavy enough to make you tired after one set. I guess this the bare minimum for fitness?

As I'm deciding what to do next, I see A-rod rerack his plates and drag the Inclined Bench over to the DB area. That's my cue to hit the Smith for RDLs. My lower back is a little sensitive. I keep adjusting myself closer to or further from the bar. I change my stance, my toe position. Very little helps. It's not as if 120 is all that heavy either, but it's the heaviest I'm willing to go because that's the weight I don't find myself holding my breath as I pull up. I can't be sure if I go heavier, and I don't want to risk exacerbating my glaucoma.

I've been reading about new glaucoma medications and one caught my eye because it's a combination of two other drugs. One of these breaks down to nitric oxide to aid in eye fluid drainage through the trabecular network. My hubs has several jars of concentrated beet powder (SuperBeets) at home. And what is the benefit of eating concentrated beets? Increased nitric oxide in your system benefits blood vessels by causing them to relax and widen. Blood pressure drops and blood flow increases. Health claims include reduced muscle soreness, increased stamina, and liver detoxification. I'm interested in the fact it might lower my IOPs (protecting my optic nerves) so for the past few days (when I remember) I've been drinking a scoopful in 8 oz of water. It has a pleasantly mild "beety" taste.

After RDLs, I do a few sets of RG BB Rows. I'm skipping the Seated One-Arm Cable Rows because they're too hard on my elbows due to the combined pulling twisting motion. I try regular BB Curls with 40 lbs. It's surprisingly harder on my elbows than done with a reverse grip. Oh wait, I suddenly remember that I used to do BB Curls with an EZ bar, before they all disappeared from the gym. To finish, I get back on the cardio platform and do 20 minutes on the elliptical with a 5-minute cool-down, Fitness Program 3.

I'm not sure what precipitated the anxiety attack last night, but today I came across an article written by a woman diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). She's managed to wean herself off medication by adhering to the autoimmune protocol diet (AIP). It has greatly reduced her anxiety. The diet itself is extremely strict in the paleo sense, but the gist of her article was that there was actually just three items that caused the most problems: alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. That doesn't seem like it should be a surprise. And yet, two of those three items are what we tend to self-medicate with when we are feeling anxious.

I did eat a lot more sugar than I normally would have -- my husband got me a giant box of gourmet fudge (for Mother's Day) and my son wanted to share and sample the different flavors. I don't drink that much coffee because my stomach won't tolerate it, and I'm a flyweight with alcohol: two drinks are my maximum. It's got to be the sugar. My son wants to sample more fudge tonight after dinner. I'll just be taking a tiny taste. And I'll be adding more bananas to my diet because they're high in serotonin and potassium.

Chillats 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 281
Miles 2.61
HR 136-197 (87, 97)

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

Lat Pull Downs
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 10, 10, 10
85 x 15

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

BB Curls
40s lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Calories 225
Miles 2.03
HR 150-192 (137)

Mat Stretch