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