Whacking the Machine Gently

The Nexersys was still functional when I arrived at the gym this morning. I did a quick 10 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, followed by two sets of baby bell shoulder exercises and some band stretches at the Cage. I pretty much skipped all other types of stretching. I didn't wake up with that annoying ache running down my sciatic nerve, which means there can absolutely be too much of a good thing. Stretching is good, but maybe not every day. I know it sounds counterproductive, but stretching is also a muscle and ligament stressor.

I debated not putting on all my hand protection but did it anyway. It's safer to have too much padding than not enough. Each layer serves a purpose: the moleskin adds padding and protection against chafing my knuckles raw; the tape keeps the moleskin in place; the cotton wraps offer padding between my fingers and holds the little bones in my hands together. Everything gets stuffed into my padded gloves. It's one-size-fits-all, and I have tiny hands. Without all the preamble, my hands would slip and slide inside the gloves. That'd be catastrophic! Blistered raw knuckles and potentially sprained hands in no time at all. (Something to do with loose connective tissue and why I find walking barefoot so painful. Yes, I've sprained my foot, not my ankle, walking barefoot.)

7r Beginner

I pull my punches because I don't want to break the machine. It shows in the final tally of points, accuracy, and power. And because I'm not really whacking all that hard, I don't work up a good sweat until I'm into the Intermediate rounds. I did manage to blackout the screen 3 times during the 7 rounds at Beginner Level though. But that was just a warmup. The first Intermediate round was a little crazy: the pacing was much faster and the combo of Jab/Jab/PowerElbow/Lead-Dig seemed more appropriate in the Advanced setting. Also, the Intermediate Level defaulted to SouthPaw and had to be reset to the Traditional stance. (I didn't even bother with the Advance Level.)

5r Intermediate

I admit I was a little nervous about how tired I felt during the first few rounds. It's been a long time and I was a little winded. However, as we all know by now, I'm the type of person who needs a long warmup. By the time I got to the Intermediate Level rounds, I was feeling great. If I'd given up and given in when I felt tired, I'd never make any progress. It's important to understand when to listen to your body, and when to push further. The little voice in your head isn't always right. Sometimes it's just scared.

If the machine is still working next week, I might go back to 7 rounds each level. In spite of the machine's many failings, it's still a fun workout with great cardio and hand-eye coordination benefits.

Whacking Thursday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 90.4
Miles 0.81
HR 147-186 (86)

DBs Overhead, Front & Side Raises
5lbs x 15 reps x 2 sets

Mid-Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM (gently!)
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r

Quick Mat Stretch