A Rock and a Hard Place

I saw my glaucoma doc yesterday and it wasn't great news. While IOPs of 15 are okay for most people, it's too high for someone like me. My doc wants them a good 3 points lower, in the 10-12 range. The results from February's visual field test shows marked progression in the right eye. That's my good eye, the dominant eye with the 20/20 vision. There's progression in the left eye as well, but not as dramatic. Neither my doc nor I want to consider more surgery just yet so she asks me how I feel about an old drug I used to take: pilocarpine. I still have some in my refrigerator. It's like getting squirted in the face with a grapefruit, but then it's fine. I'm okay with it, but...

I ask her about the newer drugs that have just hit the market and she decides we should try Rhopressa (netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02%). My only concern is that it is recommended for open-angle glaucoma and I have narrow-angles. It's the difference between a clogged drain and a structurally narrow pipe. A lot of glaucoma research literature suggests that simple procedures like iridotomies (where a laser punches a hole in the iris to allow better drainage) is all that's needed. But I've had that done, as well as other laser surgeries. And I still have this problem.

I have no idea how much this new prescription is going to cost me because the staff at the CVS pharmacy counter need to run the Rx through my insurance program first. Meanwhile, I've decided to make changes to my workout routine. It pains me to delete push-ups but I do. It's not worth going blind for. Because I'm such a gym rat, I'm loathe to completely give up lifting weights so my only recourse is to modify my workouts to make them much more aerobic. That means higher reps and lower weight. I already do that with my final set of Smith Inclined Presses. I'll just have to skip the three sets at 90 lbs and do three sets of 25 reps at 65 instead. Smith RDLs pose more of a problem and I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to fix it. I'm inclined to ditch it totally.

Today is my Cardio Plus workout minus push-ups. I'm relieved and yet guilt nags at me. As much as I hate cardio (I'd never do it if it wasn't for magical elliptical machines), I always feel great afterward-- all sweaty and limber. Pull-ups feel really good too. I get a big rush when I pop my head over the bar for the first 20 reps. Those last three are the challenge. Core is so much easier when it doesn't follow 60 push-ups. I feel guilty. I do more crunches instead. On the StepMill, I sing to myself to keep from getting bored. That and changing my footwork every 60 seconds. It's depressing to watch other folks draped over the console of the StepMill, trudging up the stairs like a doomed man going to his death. That's not me. I look like I'm dancing.

The cross-trainer is available so that's my third cardio machine. Then another set of pull-ups. Each set is the same: the first 20 reps are pie, and the last three I can barely clear my lower lip. Oh well.... Today I realized that doing Walking Lunges right before Seated Leg Curls makes all the difference in whether I can feel my leg biceps contracting during the exercise! Since Walking Lunges target the leg (glutes, quads, hamstrings) and core, it serves as a "pre-exhaust" prior to the isolated hamstring movement of 2:1 Leg Curls. A longer stride during Walking Lunges helps to activate the three leg bicep muscles. The core works to maintain balance -- no one wants to fall on their face while traversing the length of the gym. I can't believe I didn't realize this until today! Now I don't feel guilty about ditching the Prone Leg Curl machine!

I'm here late and there are kids dribbling into the gym. Most of the regulars have already left, including The Mayor. Shiny Shoes is still here though. At least he's pleasant. And not stinky. There are a few guys who leave an aftershave scent wake, which is preferable to the other kind. They seem to be cognizant of the potential for being odorous.

Blazing Hot Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.92
Calories 328
HR 145-192 (85, 97, 85)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

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

20 StepMill
Level 3
Calories 112
Total steps 701
Floors 43
HR 136

HGPU 23

15 X-trainer + 3 cd
Manual Level 1
Calories 143
Miles 2.11
BPM 145

HGPU 23

Walking Lunges
30+29=59

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12, 12, 12

Mat Stretch

Personal Space at the Gym

Today is the first day of Summer Vacation for my son so I let him sleep in. I got up a bit later as well but still made it to the gym, and even scored a decent elliptical to do my HIIT cardio. It's hot. There's a/c but it's not arctic so shorts were appropriate. I don't actually feel good until I'm thoroughly drenched and inhaling sweat. Doing cardio helps to clear my drippy nose and sinuses too.

The classroom is empty but not cold. It's better than being in the crowded stretch area by the utility closet. Pushups let me know my shoulders aren't happy today. The free weight area is mostly empty. Someone has left a 70 lb solid BB in front of the Smith. Ugh. I roll it to the side because I'm not picking up after people. The women are as bad as the guys. I constantly find DBs in the classroom that I know belong in the rack in the DB area outside. The classroom has its own set of distinctive DBs, weighted bars, and BBs. People are so lazy!

At the Smith, I made the mistake of being a tad lazy myself and didn't correct the inclined bench position until the last heavy set. You wouldn't think that a quarter inch would make that much difference, but it did. I wish I would've made the adjustment sooner because a heavy set suddenly became a not-so-bad set. I'm still resisting the idea of upping my weight past 90 lbs even though my reps are creeping up. I see my glaucoma doc tomorrow and I'm worried she'll tell me that my visual field test says I've lost peripheral vision. Personally, I don't see it. Not quite a pun. I see lots of people in my peripheral vision, but I won't really know what it is I don't see.

Big adjustable bench

At the DB area, there's only the big adjustable inclined bench and it doesn't fit my needs. The yellow knob that adjusts the seat back gets in the way when I do Reverse Inclined Flys. The smaller bench, which I left at the Smith, doesn't have this protrusion. I resort to flopping myself onto the breaker inclined bench instead. Not great, but better than bruising my fingers. There are some regulars, most noticeably The Mayor, Big Russian, Maroon, and a lot of newbie schoolboys. Not too many women though.

There are two stations I can use for V-bar Press Downs, but one doesn't actually have a handle on the carabiner. Which means I can't reach it to pull the cable down. Luckily, the other one has a rope handle. My hands are too small to grip it properly, but it allows me to pull the cable to face-level so I can replace it with a V-bar. I check my phone to see what weight I should start with. I keep everything on my phone! Surprisingly, I can really feel my triceps during this movement, something that I don't recall happening before. Weird, right?

The cardio platform is nearly deserted and I get on my favorite elliptical to do Program 2. I see Maroon on the treadmill. It looks like he's doing HIIT cardio, based on the fast and slow running intervals. He's one of the friendly faces I like to see around. I never talk to him, but I find it reassuring knowing there are regulars who are perfectly happy to coexist. Because a lot of the other regulars seem vaguely predatory. Maybe it's just my NYC paranoia kicking in?

It's time for a quick Mat Stretch. There's a guy laying on a mat with a foam roller. I also saw him on the treadmill. He's relatively new but has been coming here a few weeks. I pick a spot on the opposite side and put my gear along the wall. While I'm putting my gloves on, someone steps behind me. I turn around and find Stinky Butt has planted himself six inches away. I don't have any room to place a mat or even stretch out. Ugh. I'm so offended by this violation of personal space that I just gather up all my stuff and walk off to the classroom. It's not like he couldn't put his fat butt a few feet away. I don't talk because I don't want a conversation. I just walk away. In hindsight, if I did speak, most likely it would've been an expletive-filled barrage. No one ever expects that.

Personal space designations explained by LiveScience

It's one thing to be stuck in a crowded elevator or subway with strangers. It's quite another matter when there's room to spread out and you're literally breathing down someone's back. If I don't know you, you need to stay a respectful 4 feet away. Did I mention I find a lot of the male regulars creepy and predatory? My response isn't flight. It's fight. I'm a short woman with big legs and a bad attitude. Still, I expect basic etiquette. Wipe down your bench. Rerack your weights. Don't crowd people.

And if you don't remember, Stinky Butt got his monicker from 1) smelling as if he's never heard of laundry detergent and 2) while I was stretching out on a mat he decided to do air-squats and stuck his butt in my face. He could've done air-squats anywhere. There are very few spaces delegated to stretching out. Do guys think this is endearing? Or is he really that clueless? I'm not interested in his story. He's one of the regulars I avoid like the proverbial plague.

Another Sunny Wed 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 309
Miles 2.77
HR 146-194 (97, 87, 97)

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
Bar (30) x 12
80 x 13
90 x 13, 13, 13
65 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/15 reps
20/25 x 12/16 x 3 sets

V-bar Press Downs
40 x 12
50 x 9
45 x 10
40 x 12 triceps!

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.09
Calories 235
HR 145-183 (97)

Mat Stretch

Damn I'm Tired

When I get run-down, my body rebels and lets me know in not so subtle ways. I don't just get sick, I'll suddenly develop tender spots on my gums between my teeth--dreaded canker sores! It makes flossing and brushing painful and difficult. Usually, it happens after I've inadvertently burned my tongue, or overindulged with crushed red pepper flakes on my pizza. Eating pineapple, both raw and canned, also does it to me.

Science freely admits that the causes of canker sores are unknown but there are many theories, some involving heritable factors. While lysine can heal cold sores (by preventing the herpes simplex virus from replicating), canker sores appear to be a self-inflicted reaction to trauma and stress, not excluding physical, chemical and physiological factors. Online articles come this close to not stating this might be an auto-immune reaction, but I wouldn't be surprised.

I add lysine to my supplements anyway as I already use B-12. The lysine isn't going to hurt and might help reduce healing time. I'll also add zinc because I've developed a nagging sore throat over the weekend. It's most likely due to an irritating post-nasal drip, which means it's likely to blossom into a head/chest cold if I'm not careful. Or maybe, in spite of all my precautions. There's a queasy stomach bug making the rounds as well as upper respiratory infections. Welcome to Summer!

I've heard people say that there's no need for supplements because you get all the nutrition you need in your food. (Observationally, these people tend to be old and fat. Sorry, but it's true.) I've looked at the nutritional information the government provides for whole foods and it seems that you'd need to exceed your caloric limits in order to attain nutritional balance for a lot of your requirements. I'm a small person, and I'm not going to eat the same amount of food as someone twice my size. I'm also not going to eat things that will cause digestive issues, like apple skins, sunflower seeds, and cottage cheese.

I get plenty of sunshine (to the point of getting sunburnt) yet doctors constantly ask if I'm taking my D3 supplements. For a while, doctors nagged us all to take calcium supplements, something I've deferred for years because there's never been any proof that supplementing with calcium works. Now there is evidence that those supplements are detrimental to heart health. Just as acid-reducers have been implicated in higher mortality rates.

The gym is refreshingly cool this morning because the a/c has been running for a few hours. I either have to come earlier or later though if I want to score an elliptical with a working dashboard. Once again, I'm stuck with the one at the end that clunks and has a broken HR monitor. A weekend of overindulgent eating and drinking, and a lack of quality sleep makes me less than thrilled to do HIIT cardio this morning. My right hand gets a little tingly during the peak phases, and I wish my left foot wouldn't surreptitiously travel up the large pedal until my toes are rammed against the front lip. It only happens with my left foot. The right foot stays anchored, I'm assuming, because it's my power leg and I'm pressing down on it harder. But my toes don't go numb. Yaaay me!

I manage to squeeze out one more pull-up at the Stretch Cage so today isn't terrible. The classroom feels warm and sticky though. The first class starts in 25 minutes so no one has turned the a/c on in here yet. I have my hoodie on because I don't want to sweat on the black foam mats and I don't trust those mats to be particularly clean. You can pick up a lot of skin infections at any gym. Ten minutes later, a trainer comes in and unlocks the a/c control box. I can feel the room get instantly cooler. But outside the room, the gym itself feels warmer as if the cold air has merely been diverted, not increased. I peel off my hoodie at the Smith but I'm still sweating through all my RDL sets.

I see a lot of regulars and some new faces that I'll probably never see again. The only exercise I'm concerned about is Lat Pulldowns. The close grip handle allows me to do this movement without too much damage to my elbows and forearms, but it rolls my shoulder blades weirdly. (I think it might contribute to knots in my upper back.) But really, my only worry is how many decent reps I'll be able to perform after RDLs and RG BB Rows. Pulling the handle to my chest is an explosive movement I find more satisfying than RDLs. Go figure. I finish with DB Cross Hammer Curls. They are necessarily done standing and alternating because of the crossing movement. My forearms burn more after three sets of these compared to RG BB Curls.

Not quite finished. This time I'm able to mount a good elliptical and my ride is marred only by the woman next to me speaking loudly into her phone. No matter how high I turn up my tunes, I can still hear her babbling away in Spanish. It's not like she's not pedaling. I just wish she would do it quieter.

Sunny 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 290
Miles 2.66
HR n/a

Cage Stretch
HGPU 24

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 x 3 sets

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

Standing Hammer Cross DB Curls
20 lbs x 15 each x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Calories 231
Miles 2.06
HR 15-178 (87)

Mat Stretch

Summer Solstice Friday

It's rained four out of five days this week and this morning was no exception. With cool temperatures in the 60s, weirdly bright yet overcast skies, and intermittent rain, I'd completely forgotten it was the Summer Solstice, the official first day of summer. I drop my son off at school at 7:35, normal time even though he has a final exam. School contracts insist that the last three days of school be half days, so today is a half day, as will be next Monday and Tuesday. Never mind that most of this week 8th graders needed to be dropped off at 10:40 for an 11:30 final exam. Except for Friday. When I was a kid, we didn't have separate days for each subject's final.

I'm at the gym at my regular time and it's crowded. Especially for a Friday. It's the rainy weather that brings people indoors. I'm early enough to get on a decent elliptical for Program 3. My hammer grip pull-ups feel strong, except for a slight twinge in my right elbow. The air is so humid I still feel like I'm drowning, not helped at all by the sweat I'm inhaling. At least the a/c is on full blast in the classroom. Still, I can't help the sweat rolling off my nose and onto my phone when I finish with planks. 

Today is a regular Cardio Plus workout, complete with stair-climbing, three sets of pull-ups, two sets of pushups, walking lunges, seated leg curls, and even the Expresso Bike. The programming for the Dragon Island game must've been updated and not for the better. It loads differently and I'm disoriented when the game starts. Once I finally figure out where the portal is, I find the treasure box but it doesn't renew, meaning you can only collect that bonus 5,000 points once. In the past, you could collect treasure boxes several times, dramatically upping your point score. Oh well, it was still a great workout even if my score is a mere fraction of what it once was. 

Since I'm not pressed for time, I do a set of Walking Lunges and then sit myself down at the Seated Leg Curls. I'm more comfortable with the setup now so after a warmup set at 15 lbs, I jump right to 30 lbs. Today I can actually feel my leg biceps contracting as I push the bar down. I've never felt that before! Of course, in the past, I've only done Leg Curls with both legs simultaneously. It's a much different exercise when you use only one leg at a time. 

Yesterday I had a checkup and my blood pressure was 110/70, which is awesome because that's what it was in HS. I'd like to credit my exercise routine, but I've been doing that a long time and I'm actually exercising less. Could less weightlifting and more cardio lower blood pressure? That's a definite maybe.

Then I remember that I've been taking a dose of SuperBeets every day for the past month. And I actually can't remember the last time my toes and feet went numb while I pedaled on the elliptical. Perhaps I have selective amnesia? Or maybe the nitrates (nitric oxide) are working to keep my capillaries dilated. And while I'm happy to have blood pressure lower than my formerly borderline high (138/100), low blood pressure is considered a "non-traditional risk factor" for glaucoma. Low perfusion or blood supply to the optic nerve might be just as bad as high pressure in the vision loss it can cause. It only comes to mind as something to be aware of after that low pulse reading (47) I got last September while prepping for eye surgery. 

Watching a Netflix original movie with some favorite Asian actors: Randall Park, Ali Wong, and nice guy, Keanu Reeves. Actually looking forward to seeing some flicks with my son this summer, i.e., MIB International (with Chris Hemsworth and Liam Neeson) and SpiderMan: Far From Home. 

Summer Solstice Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.92
Calories 329
HR 157-198 (87, 97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Push Ups 60
Crunches 30/50
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 725
Floors 45
HR n/a

HGPU 23

15 Expresso Bike
Dragon Island
Points 69,340
Calories 61
Miles 2.71
BPM 127 average (140)

HGPU 23

Walking Lunges
31+31=62

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12, 12, 12

Push-ups 50
Mat Stretch

Halfway Thru the Week Wednesday Workout

This is finals week for the middle school so my son doesn't need to get to school until late morning. The bus schedule is a complete disaster so I just drive him, then head to wherever I need to be. It's gray and drizzly today, nothing like the torrential rain yesterday when flash flood warnings went into effect. I get to the gym at 11 and happily miss the morning crowd. 

I still feel like a slug though. I need that cardio kickstart to make me human. It's Wednesday, Hump Day and that means HIIT cardio on the elliptical. I can't say this has gotten any easier. If it was easier, I'd be tallying more miles per session because I'd be moving faster. Am I so exhausted that I can't do anything else when I'm done? No. But I've never felt that way. This is just a warmup. 

Twenty-three seems to be a good number for hammer grip pull-ups. Sixty is pushing it for pushups, although I'm sure I could eke out a few more if I really wanted to. But it's stressful on the elbow and shoulder joints so I don't really want to. And, in spite of what my doc says, I think it might actually raise my blood pressure, and potentially, my IOPs. I have to pay better attention as to what point I start to feel my head... maybe I should cut back to 40? 

I am paying more attention to my breathing during weight lifting movements. I have to wait for the Smith so I pass the time by doing a few light sets on a flat breaker bench. I forgot how light just pressing the Oly bar is and then I add 20 lbs and it's still fairly easy. (Seven years ago I was warming up with a pair of 25s on the bar, but I was so much younger then.) I'm impatient once I can access the Smith so I toss caution to the wind and immediately load a pair of 25s. That's only 80 lbs total, so I'm not being completely reckless. It's easy enough. Add another 10 to get to my standard 90 and find that it also feels easier today. So much that I wind up with sets of 13 reps. 

Glaucoma patients are warned to keep their heads above their hearts to prevent sudden spikes in IOPs. It's damn near impossible to tie your shoelaces that way. I dip my head briefly when stretching, or pulling my socks on. In the gym, I try to avoid laying flat, especially on my face as I can feel pressure rise in my head. So no more Lying Leg Curls. And I'm having to give Rip Skulls a second thought. I noted today that I hold my breath when I pull the bar back over my head. The "arms overhead position" makes breathing difficult as it limits rib cage expansion. I have this issue when I'm doing Inclined Presses as well, but I've learned to breathe through it, although oppositionally (inhaling as I press up). 

Or, I could just do regular Skull Crushers, and skip the movement that goes past the head altogether. I'm sure I'll miss that tricep stretch. I just don't want to be limited to the V-bar Tricep Press Down, although it's more satisfying than DB kickbacks. Those are just silly and don't do anything for me. The DBs might be too light, but my tiny sensitive elbows and wrists say otherwise. Meanwhile, the triceps don't get anything out of it. 

I did remember to take two pairs of DBs for the delt superset movement, 20s for DB Laterals (keeping elbows bent), and 25s for the Reverse Inclined Flys. There are a few unfamiliar faces floating around the free weight area... maybe kids back from college? WannaBe has perched herself across two flat benches, like a bridge, just to do DB rows while planking. I'm not sure what the point is except to use two pieces of equipment when one will do, and to again flaunt that push-up bra. It might be a desperate cry for attention, like The Mayor with his wild gesticulations and super-loud annoying voice. Lemme kick my tunes up a notch. 

When I get on the elliptical for my second cardio run, I see creepy PJ Pants on the treadmill. He is the only person I want to whack in the head with a rolled-up newspaper and yell "No! Bad!" when he lounges at a station and leers at young women walking by. 

I've been taking a dose of SuperBeets every day this month for the nitrate benefits. We'll see if it has any effect on my IOPs next week when I see my glaucoma doc. Nitrates dilate blood vessels and increase oxygen efficiency. It's also being used in the latest glaucoma medicine to lower IOPs. Lately, I've been reading more articles about how non-athletic people might benefit from additional nitrates. While dosing with nitrates, especially from beets, has proven useful to endurance athletes, there seems to be evidence that nitrates also increases muscle strength. I feel stronger, but I've been attributing that to cutting back to a mere three days a week. Because there IS such a thing as too much. I'm a gym rat. Do you know how hard it is to admit that?! 

I'm not so much tired as I am hungry while I'm pedaling. A fellow gets on the stationary bike in front of me. I recognize him from earlier when he was alternating standing BB presses with jumping straight up into the air and bringing his legs in, making it look like he was jumping half his body length. An optical illusion, but still kind of cool. 

I decided to calculate how much weight I moved today, but I'm not sure if I should count push-ups as a full bodyweight exercise. It certainly feels like it! When I use 111 lbs as my bodyweight (because that's roughly correct), I see that push-ups account for almost a third of it. And I'm surprised. 

Exam Week Wed Push
(21,013 lbs)

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 2.70
HR 138-192 (85)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23 (2553)

Push Ups 60 (6660)
Crunches Legs Up 40
Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 60
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Flat Bench
Bar (45) x15 (675)
65 x 13 (845)

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 12 (360)
80 x 12 (960)
90 x 13, 13, 13 (3510)
65 x 25 (1625)

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/15 reps (240+300=540)
20/25 x 12/15 reps x 3 sets (720+1125=1845)

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12, 12, 12 (1440)

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.09
Calories 235
HR 142-190 (94)

Mat Stretch

Mixed-Emotions Monday Pull

While at the fundraiser dinner on Friday, I received a text from another Scout leader. The local judge who was at our Court of Honor the previous Friday (in an official capacity and also as one of the Scout Cooking Competition judges) had suddenly passed away from a heart attack that morning. I'm still having a hard time processing this. It's not like he was old and obese. In fact, he was two years younger than me. (I do not consider myself old!) And like me, he was short. And a bit overweight. But he was a dynamic figure, easy to talk to and always willing to volunteer for a good cause. I actually think he was directing foot traffic at the Cornell Extension Plant Sale a few weeks ago where I bought my milkweed plants.

My husband says that most men don't survive their first heart attacks, that if you suddenly throw a clot, well that's it. While the specifics might be true, in general, a lot of people survive their first heart attack. As of 2016, the average age for a man to suffer his first myocardial infarction was age 65. In women, it's 72. But women have a higher mortality rate from heart disease. The judge was 57. He didn't smoke, but heart disease may run in his family. We hear stories all the time about people dying suddenly. Normally, we only "know" them because they're celebrities. Like Luke Perry, dead at age 52 from a massive stroke. Or Bill Paxton, 61, from complications due to an aortic aneurysm. I've known other men who have survived heart attacks. And one who didn't while working overseas, a friend of my husband. This fellow had survived a previous cardiac event, but was admittedly, not in the best of health.

We can pay our respects this afternoon, but my husband and I will wait until our son gets home from school. Later this evening is my son's Stepping Up ceremony because, for some reason, schools have decided not to call this middle school graduation. Scouts have been asked to don their Class A attire while paying their respects to the late judge. But my son will not want to be dressed as a Scout when he steps onstage to receive his "diploma." Scouting just isn't cool these days, unless you're with your Scout buds.

I managed to sleep in over the weekend, but on those days I actually feel more tired than usual. Today I'm at the gym a tiny bit earlier than usual. However, I can't get on any of the good ellipticals and I'm stuck with the one at the end that doesn't register heart rate and clunks loudly if you pedal too fast. It doesn't bother me and I set the timer for 33 minutes. I feel a lot better, a lot more awake, more alive once I'm done. The rest of the workout is fairly routine with standard pull-ups, pushups, core and Smith RDLs. The gym seems busier than usual, but as long as I can get to the stations I need, I'm oblivious to it all.

It seems as if Shiny Shoes and Loud Goatee are hovering, but that could also just be my paranoia. Shiny Shoes is actually reracking plates onto their appropriate stations. I don't know about Loud Goatee. Smith RDLs proceed without any issues. The set of Smith RG BB Rows, however, stress my forearms and that's new. I just know this is going to haunt me later. Lat Pull Downs are also routine, but I'm rushing a little, so my heavy sets aren't as good as they could be if I had rested more.

The only change to today's routine is that I'm doing Alternating Cross-Body Hammer Grip Bicep Curls standing instead of seated. Standing allows a greater range of twisting motion from hands down by the thighs to across the body and ending in front of the upper chest. While seated prevents swaying and using "body english" (Grammarly insists this should be capitalized, but the word "english" in sports terms is not necessarily initial capped.) for heavier weights, it also limits the trajectory of the DBs. Again, my forearms get tired doing this, and only my forearms. This works the biceps a little more than RG BB Curls though.

I see a glint across the gym, like a spool of shiny fishing filament. It's WannaBe with newly lightened hair. She saunters across the free weight area sporting a very tight white tank top over what seems to be a pushup bra. The two women standing next to me doing their DB variation workout roll their eyes. I manage to suppress a smirk.

I'm not entirely sure that the men have actually noticed the blonde bimbo even though she walks perilously close to Loud Goatee on the Preacher Curl Bench. Ten minutes later, WannaBe has put a pink Staff hoodie on and is instructing a timid, tiny woman on floor exercises. I grab my gear and get on the elliptical for 25 minutes. This time, the heart rate monitor is working.


Monday Mixed-Emotion 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 294
Miles 2.68
HR N/A

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 x 3

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

Standing Hammer Grip Alt DB Curls
20 lbs x 15 each x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Calories 236
Miles 2.09
HR 149-188 (136)

Mat Stretch