Unexpected Benefits

I like to front-load things I hate to do just to get them out of the way. If I wait until I'm done with everything else, I reason I might feel justified in skipping out because I'm too tired, or I've run out of time. That's my original reason for doing 30 minutes of cardio first, then core exercises. But I've discovered that my body responds well to a 30-minute cardio warmup, and it turns out that doing core before all my other weight-lifting exercises is exactly the right thing to do. Personally, I do it because I'm lazy and would rather not.

I just read an article, which granted is a few years old, but still makes a valid point: warming up your core preps your body for the hard work to come. I'd actually never thought of it that way. Duh. Learn that you're doing something right all along even if your reasons are rather dubious!

My left arm is slightly sore, but I only noticed it when I leaned up against something. Otherwise, like the flu shot itself, I don't actually feel any discomfort. I was really surprised that I didn't discern even the slightest needle pinch. It made me doubt whether I'd actually gotten vaccinated at all, except for the bandaid with a spot of blood on the gauze. And being a little sore without any bruising or even a pinprick. At least not one that I can see from the disadvantage point of staring at your own lateral deltoid.

A personal trainer is coaching a young woman, using the Smith machine to perform Inverted Rows. I would have her straighten her legs (would that might make it too hard for her?), but I'm not a trainer. After I do one warmup set in the breaker inclined bench, I see that the Smith is vacated and I'm there super quick to get my inclined presses done. Afterward, I look around the DB area but there are only flat benches there. A fellow has dragged the other inclined bench to the cable station to use while doing some sort of reverse inclined rows with a wide lat bar. I stay put in the Smith machine and do my DB supersets there. I'm able to get 20 reps for the reverse portion and that makes me think next time I should increase my DBs by 5 lbs, but just for the reverse portion.

After I knock out Rip Skulls, I hop back on the elliptical for 20 plus more minutes of cardio. It's not a cool down. The Mat Stretch is a cool down. This is actually to warm me up again so I can stretch and not pull any ligaments. Tomorrow I'm thinking about a quick cardio session before I get that toenail biopsy done on my right foot. I just hope I can drive afterward because my son has after school activities later in the day.

Sleepless Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.98
Calories 337
HR 147-205 (92, 86, 97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Inclined Bench
Bar (45) x 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15 x 2 (30, 60 degrees)
50 x 12
70 x 25 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 4 sets

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 10, 8

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 3
Calories 236
Miles 2.10
HR 142-171 (90, 88)

Mat Stretch