Summer Growth Spurts

We didn't make it to the gym yesterday. Instead, I let my son sleep in until an hour before the 2nd showing of Toy Story 4. The theater seemed deserted and we nearly had the room to ourselves. Two other groups were already seated, and the experience was marred only by the late entrance of a family with toddlers. Toddlers do not want to sit in a dark theater being quiet. Luckily, they were planted on the other side of the room.


I still had to drag my son out of bed to hit the gym today. He fell asleep on the ride and yawned periodically throughout our workout. Maybe he's getting taller? My husband and I theorize that kids have greater sleep needs when they're doing that growth spurt thing. (I'll have to measure his height at the end of the summer.) I did HIIT cardio and he merely pedaled on the elliptical. At least he was moving. I had him cross his legs and try to keep his torso rigid while doing pull-ups, telling him that even if he only does five, that'll be great. He manages to squeeze out 8, but the last rep was a struggle. I know the feeling. He knocks out his pushups, but I can tell he's not feeling very strong. (I'll let him sleep in tomorrow since he's got a pool playdate in the afternoon.)

Core is easy but I wish he would stop being so exuberant with his crunches. I'm worried he's hurting his neck but no matter what I tell him, he refuses to soften the movement. I've never seen crunches performed this violently before. Back in the weight room, the Smith is vacant so we do Inclined Presses. I do my three sets of 25 at 70 lbs while he struggles with fewer repetitions. This is hard for him. But he's in better shape than I was at his age.

I remember how disappointed my father was that summer when he decided (at my mother's insistence) to teach his kids some martial art techniques. We struggled to do just ten push-ups and ten sit-ups, but we all made it to yellow belt. However, my father lost interest in teaching us when my sister's classmate showed more promise. She was a lot bigger and more athletic than all of us put together because she hadn't been raised to spend her childhood studying quietly. I don't know whatever happened to her, but she didn't continue with martial arts either. My father did tell me that if I worked hard (due to my innate flexibility) I'd probably be able to achieve a black belt in 18 months. But as a teenager, studying under my father was the last thing I wanted to do, so that never happened.

We do a few sets of Seated Cable Rows. My son is still perplexed by it because he's used to rowing on the erg machine where your legs push your body back as you row. Then we move to the other side where the Lat Pull Down station is and I change out the bar for a neutral close grip handle. Again, he's still learning where his muscles are and how they work. And I've been doing this for years, so of course, I pull heavier weight for more reps.

Finally, I invite him to spend a few minutes on the Step Mill. He's happy enough to watch videos on his phone while climbing. Afterward, we stretch in the classroom. There is one very large woman who plants herself right next to the pile of mats. I can't decide if she's too embarrassed to move further from the safety of a corner full of equipment, or if she's too fat to make the effort to drag a mat further out. Where she's positioned means no one else can retrieve or replace a mat because they'd have to climb over her. No one cares what you look like or what you're doing, but dammit, have a bit of consideration for other members!

Thankfully, she leaves before my son and I are ready to put our mats away. I see a few regulars in the gym like Maroon, Stinky Butt, and Crunchy Granola. The sun is blazing outside. I'm glad my car a/c works.

July 10 Wednesday Combo

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 293
Miles 2.67
HR 134-186 (97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23
Child 8
Child Push Ups 30

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

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 12
50 x 12
Child 70 x 10, 8
70 x 25, 25, 25

Cable Rows
70lbs x 12 x 3

Lat Pull Downs
Child 60 x 12
85 x 12
Ch 85 x 12 x 2
100 x 12
115 x 12

15 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 116
Total steps 741
Floors 46
HR 133

Mat Stretch