Eye on the Prize

Ever wonder why people hate Millenials? You probably have your own stories. Here's mine. It's posted here because texting back and forth added a substantial amount of time to my workout and detracted from my workout focus. I did go to the gym with the intention of doing an intense cardio workout. That got done, but it's hard to constantly redirect your focus toward the task at hand when you feel that people are working against you.

As you probably know, we agreed to adopt a dog who was in danger of being put into a shelter because his parents had divorced. The dog was never able to adapt to a new home life in spite of our best, persistent and gentle efforts. Luckily, his parents reconciled and the dog's mom was able to secure permission from her landlord to have a dog again. After 7 weeks of needing to be handfed, the dog has been reunited with his family and is once again a happy pup. But we are dogless. The house feels really empty again.

First, we were told that we should adopt two dogs to make the air travel from overseas more bearable as well as the transition to home life easier. Currently, all the dogs live in a big group home. Okay, that makes sense. The rescue presented two dogs who are not the type we want. We agreed to one because we are familiar with the Chow breed, but not the other. We suggested two other dogs, young Jindos. The rescue then had another "adoption committee" member suggest a completely different dog who was totally foreign to us. What is it? A 4-year old poodle-mix? When I demurred, they said they thought this dog would be more suitable for us. Why? Well, because the first dog never gave us a chance to show them how well he would be cared for. What?!

Filtered to show
actual color of
the tank top

Now they'd like photos and videos of us with our former dogs on adventures to show them what a great life the dogs will have if we adopt them. This is truly a Millenial thing, right? Our last dog was 16 when he passed. He didn't go on any adventures with two ruptured CCLs. He was a homebody who hated car rides and anything different or new. I had a dog who traveled well and got into a lot of adventures, but 30 years ago we didn't have cell phones!

We have a few photos and videos of when our dogs were much younger playing in the snow, say 10 or 15 years ago. I told them as much. And then I offered to shoot a cell video of what a walk around my neighborhood would be like, with a ride to the dog park (because there's no shoulder to the road and it's not safe to walk), a park trail and the beach at the lakefront. But they're not getting it until after the Holidays.

All this chatter in between my cardio exercise and pull-ups. I'm not only distracted, I'm also pissed off. It takes me a few minutes to refocus and calm down because my first impulse is to text something snarky. Ugh. That's not going to be productive so I bite my tongue, calm my fingers, and take several deep breaths.

For the third cardio movement, I get on an Expresso bike. The one that fits me best has a big sign stating Under Repair. The next bike has a seat that doesn't adjust forward quite enough. I can use it if I keep my arms fully extended. The buttons and controls are slightly different so I spend 5 minutes playing Dragon Island just to get the feel of the bike again. Then another 10 minutes actually playing. So I only have data for 10 minutes, not that it matters. It's really late by the time I leave the gym. The painters are still working on the trim. Some walls are still the original orange. Then I see the painters have changed into gym clothes and are working out instead. No wonder this is taking sooooo long.

Pre-Turkey Cardio Wednesday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.91
Calories 327
HR 164-200 (135)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Leg horizontal scissors 60
Bicycles 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 129
Total steps 851
Floors 53
HR 109

HGPU 26

10 Expresso Bike + 5
45 cal
1.67 m
116/133 HR

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12

HGPU 25

Quick Stretch

Day Two of a Three-Day Week

I don't normally follow a Push Day immediately with a Pull Day, unless like today, we're in a shortened week, because it's a Holiday week. Not just any holiday, but Thanksgiving. We have plans and they don't include working out. Hopefully, I won't get too fat. Kidding. I'm gonna get fat.

The gym fills up fast. A lot of folks may have the entire week off. The painters are still painting. It's never going to end. Even though it's a Pull Day, I skip doing pull-ups because I did them yesterday. It's better for my elbows if I don't do them every day. I do everything else though.

I spend the most time doing Seated Cable Rows. I only do Smith RDLs because I don't want to lose a full-body movement but I'm over feeling guilty about only pulling my bodyweight. Sight is more important and there is some danger in rising IOPs (interocular pressure) when lifting heavy. Most of my time is spent with Seated Cable Rows. One hundred pounds seems to be my limit here. Any heavier and my lower back starts to complain -- I'd rather not risk any discs. I'm stubborn but I try not to be stupid.

The gym fills up quickly but at least by the time I'm done with weights, the cardio platform has emptied. Yaaay me because I've cooled down too much to stretch. Lifting weights does not make me sweat unless the room is uncomfortably warm. Cardio brings my temperature back up so I'm limber again. The stretch area is crowded with drop cloths and ladders so once again I'm in the CF space by the front door. It's okay. I get done what needs to be done. Tomorrow I'll concentrate on cardio and pull-ups. Yep, I've got it all planned out.

Meanwhile, I'm looking through the Korean dog rescue site for a new pup or two. I'm told by the site admins that it's much better if we already have dogs, or if we adopt two dogs. So, now to start again. Our "foster" pup has gone home and is overjoyed to be a dog again with his original family. I'm very happy that it has all worked out.


Foggy Tuesday Pull

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.87
Calories 321
HR 154-192 (79, 87)

Cage Stretch

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

Smith RDL
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
110 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12
90 x 12
95 x 12
100 x 12

RG BB Curls
40 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.06
Calories 230
HR 139-190 (117)

Quick Mat Stretch

Best Possible Outcome

Today is a Push Day but I want to make sure I'm home before noon when a couple from Vermont are due to arrive. The dog I adopted some 6+ weeks ago has not been able to adapt to his new surroundings. He just looks depressed or scared all the time. His former owners reached out to the rescue and asked if they could retrieve him since they had rectified their situation and were able to bring him home now. I'm happy to let him go if that means he can be a normal dog again.

I feel like a slug on the elliptical. Program 1 is not my friend either. But, as much as I complain, I can still do pullups and core without any issues. Because I space out and lose count too easily during crunches (3 sets of 20, but wait, am I on set 2 or 3 now?), I've resorted to actually counting. Yes, as in 20, 21, 22 all the way to 60. I'm surprised at how quickly that goes!

There is a woman using the Smith machine for squats and it looks like she'll be there for a spell. I'm resigned to doing what I consider warm-up work on the Breaker Inclined Bench. I don't quite get to 25 on any of my sets. My boney little hands get sore from the weight because I have some connective tissue issues and not enough padding in my palms. Definitely don't have meaty paws.

I've never been able to do the pinky-up pour-the-pitcher movement for DB Lateral Raises. This is supposed to isolate the medial deltoid. Instead, I bend over slightly, keep my elbows bent (to take stress off them) and my hands in a thumbs-up position. I can feel the delts work and I'm not in danger of destroying my rotator cuff. Meanwhile, the Reverse Inclined Flys at 25 are just fine, even after 6 sets. Those muscles are stronger.

I'm afraid I've lost all respect for KickBoxer Gal today since she hogged two benches while rotating out of the area to do other things. She didn't return for a good 15 minutes with DBs in disarray at the foot of one bench and a gear bag on the adjustable inclined one. I'm shameless. I toss the gear bag onto another bench and do my sets. If she's upset, she can bitch at me because I don't actually care. It's annoying and disrespectful to everyone else to leave your stuff everywhere thinking you can "place hold" benches and DBs. But I'm old school and actually believe in gym etiquette.

The painters still aren't done with the gym and today they're in the Stretch Area. After Rip Skulls and 25 minutes on the elliptical, I drag two foam pads to the CF area and do my stretches there. I wonder if the gym will finally be painted by Thanksgiving. It's highly unlikely...

Pre-Turkey Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.83
Calories 313
HR 143-192 (125, 85)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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
55 x 20
65 x 21, 21, 18

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

Rev Inclined Flys
25lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 12, 12

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 1
Calories 235
Miles 2.09
HR 145-186 (95, 91)

Mat Stretch

Tunnel Vision is Another Word for Focus

A friend of mine told me that her hairdresser saw me at the gym and said Hello but that I ignored her. Apparently, she goes to my gym. A lot. I told my friend that if I have my earbuds in, then I'm fairly oblivious to people. I look just enough to avoid walking into them, but otherwise, my mind is focused on getting my workout done.

My friend also suggested that out of context I probably didn't recognize the hairdresser anyway. (I've only met this hairdresser person once before while meeting up with my friend for coffee.) Valid point, but honestly, even people I know only from the gym (no context problem there) will have to get right in my face or tap my arm just to say Hello. Because once I'm in workout mode, that's all I focus on.

Unlike a lot of gym members, I don't go to socialize or meet up with friends. I certainly don't hang out drinking coffee and reading the newspaper by the front desk. It's a type of tunnel vision that I'm not going to apologize for even though B would say it's rude not to greet people. To be brutally honest, chatting just eats into my workout time, and it's annoying enough to cool down between sets as it is. You can talk to me in the locker room, or as I'm leaving. I'm perfectly social once I'm done.

You probably can't talk to me outside the gym unless I already know you though, because that's just weird and creepy. I like seeing regulars like Maroon at the gym because there's comfort in seeing familiar faces even if I don't interact with them. People don't understand that it's not necessary to actually engage with people just to appreciate their presence. It's like a nature hike. You don't have to make your mark, or take away anything for a souvenir other than the experience.

Pre-Turkey Cardio Friday
30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.92
Calories 328
HR 146-196 (106, 91, 81, 88)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 131
Total steps 862
Floors 53
HR 128

HGPU 26

15 Octane + 2cd
Program manual lateral 3
Floors 36
Calories 112
Miles 1.12
HR 129-155 (54, 72, 93)
Numb feet!
2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 15
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12

HGPU 26

Mat Stretch

Stressing Those Satellites

Lately the program I hate the most has been Intervals, probably because it's difficult. I could make it easier. All I'd have to do is pedal slower. But it wouldn't be much of a cardio exercise if I was pacing with snails and turtles. I stopped doing the Norwegian 4 x 4s for now because I'm a bit freaked out by the toll that's taking on my toes. I'm inordinately sensitive to pressure injuries, and pedaling really fast on the elliptical seems to damage the nail bed.

The big toe on my left foot has developed a bizarre thickening which I attribute to pressure damage. It doesn't appear to be fungal or anything else. And I have noticed how hard I press into the front of my feet when I'm accelerating. Just ask race walkers how their big toes fare, and if they still have toenails. Meanwhile, yes, I'm incredibly stressed out about the upcoming toenail biopsy in December.

I have to postpone doing Cage Stretches until after core abdominals because I'm a tad late and Snow Bird is already doing his myriad movements. It keeps him limber and he's got be at least 80 years old! No pull-ups today. Those were yesterday and tomorrow. Instead, I break out my green stretchy silicone band and do a set of band pulls. Then off to the DB area where I grab tiny little 5 lb DBs and do three sets of the T, Y & I Raises on an inclined bench.

Meanwhile, the painters are covering the far wall with that dark gray paint. It's surreal how the light changes depending on what color you stand next to. Today is Shoulder Oblivion Day so I do multiple sets of Lateral Raises and Reverse Inclined Flys. It didn't seem productive to struggle with laterals at 25 lbs so I dropped those in favor of keeping the 20s throughout the workout.

However, the rear delts and all their accompanying minor members seem able to handle not only the 5 lb increase but the high reps as well. Not that I don't feel it. I definitely feel it at the end.

I'm not content to end the workout there. Just for kicks, I grab the V-bar handle and do a few light sets of Tricep Press Downs at the Cable Station. Then back to the elliptical for 20 minutes of Program 3. If I thought Intervals was hard this morning, then I shouldn't be surprised at how much I'm dragging my butt for the first 10 minutes here. And after 25 minutes, I'm not tired. Surprise!

The question of muscle growth and renewal still nags at me so I do more research to find out just how muscles grow. They can't actually divide and create new muscles. Some are probably created from the body's stem cells. Others seem to originate from the satellite cells that surround muscle fibers. Satellite cells can actually replicate themselves and are enlisted by existing muscle cells in order to gain size and strength.

Tests on whether the elderly can increase strength by resistance training show that those who already have muscles (from previous years of activity) even if those muscles are weak and enervated show a greater increase in strength than those who had little muscle to begin with. Well, duh. Did somebody mention muscle memory here?

The trick is to build up muscles while you can so that even if you need to take a hiatus you can still regain much of what was lost. Granted, a lot depends on your genetics, nutrition and training routine, but it is possible to stay decently muscled into your "golden years." Wow, I hate that term.

Activating those satellite cells is key. In a 2008 study, hard-gainers showed no activation while others who are more blessed showed activation of over 20%. And we all know what activation means: a training routine that creates enough muscular stress aka cellular damage for satellite cells to respond. Time over tension, go heavy enough, get that pump! But you also need to feed and rest them. It's what gym rats have known all along.


Sunny Thursday Shoulders Plus

30 + 5 cd elliptical
Program Intervals
Miles 2.90
Calories 325
HR 147-203 (101, 93)

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

Cage Stretch
Mid-Band Pulls 15
High-Band Pulls 15

T, Y & I Raises Inclined Bench
5 lbs x 15 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets
20/25 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Tricep Press Down
20 lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 12

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.06
Calories 231
HR 146-194 (130)

Quick Stretch

Base Coat Layer

I'm not happy about averaging less than 6 hours of sleep each night, but there's little that will change other than me constantly trying to hit bedtime at a reasonable hour. I skipped the gym yesterday so I absolutely have to go today. Once on the elliptical, I feel as if I've never done cardio before in my entire life. Yes, that's how tired and out-of-shape I feel. Afterward, even though my right forearm is a tad sore, I'm still able to muscle through my pullups.

Other than a slight discomfort in my lower back that makes me super cautious at the Smith doing RDLs, I feel fairly normal. Which means I'm able to pull all my weights. Granted, I'm mostly only performing each exercise once a week, except for shoulders. I've pulled back on my workouts from doing each body part twice weekly because I'm prone to injuring my tiny shallow joints through overuse. Happily, I seem able to maintain my strength and size in spite of this unconventional routine. I credit muscle memory for creating that critical base coat. Am I thinking in painting metaphors because the gym is still half-painted? Afraid so...

For years I was under the delusion that the human body replaced itself every 7 years because that's what we've all been taught. Except that's just an average since some cells only live a few days, and others, like specialized muscles of the heart, appear to have a lifespan of 40 years. (What happens after 40 years!?) Skeletal muscles, like those attached to our arms and legs, have a shorter span at 15 years. That doesn't explain how you can maintain muscle mass for more than 20 years. Muscles retain their "memory" for size and strength because the extra nuclei gained from satellite cells during exercise are stored when the muscles are dormant. You exercise again and the cells enlist all their stored nuclei to answer the call for more power and strength.

Fine. But if muscle turnover is every 15 years, then working out when I'm in my 20s wouldn't promise muscle retention when I'm in my 50s. Should we assume children and teenagers grow muscle cells and adults do not except every 15 years? What about the scientists who state muscle memory might be forever? I'm missing Step 2 here, specifically how this muscle memory is passed on to, I'm assuming, newer cells. Anyone else or am I the only one having a problem with this? Or maybe that's why we can't really build new muscle in middle-age? (Forget about seniors! When does that age start anyway? If I listened to AARP, I would've been classified as a Senior Citizen nine years ago!)

The painters haven't completely covered the dark orange paint that matches the vinyl backing of some of the free weight stations. I'm surprised to see a dark slate gray paint being applied to the far wall, covering what seems to be a light gray base coat. It kind of matches the Gold's Gym logo color scheme so I wonder if this is the intent.

I'm almost cold when I finish my last sets. Thank goodness I can get on an elliptical and warm up again. The stretch area is littered with ladders and drop cloths so I drag a foam mat to the CF area. Not ideal but at least I can do my cool down before showering. I pass two of the younger women regulars and give a quick glance, maybe a nod. What I see in their faces is... respect. I'm happy.

Frigid Dry Wednesday Pull

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.86
Calories 318
HR 159-194 (117)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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

Smith RDL
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
110 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12
90 x 12
95 x 12
100 x 12

RG BB Curls
40 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.11
Calories 238
HR 152-188 (95, 81)

HGPU 25

Quick Mat Stretch