If It Hurts Don't Do It

You'd think I'd know better by now, but after a week of not doing "alternating bicycles" and my lower back/sciatica feeling a bit better, I thought I'd test myself by doing a few today. And the twingey pain over the right lower back re-emerges from hibernation. Yes, it's rainy, cold, and positively dreary today. Truly a November kind of day. I still took the dogs to the Bark Park and they had a blast running at full speed through wet leaves, kicking up dirt and sticks and small rocks. 

Last week's dramatic episode was probably caused by the bigger dog slamming full-force into the smaller dog and knocking him out. I say that because today I witness the smaller dog stopped at a tree to sniff and the bigger dog galloping toward him when suddenly, the smaller dog wheels about and bares his teeth to protect his flank. That display works and the bigger dog veers off to the right. No incidents today, no yelps of pain, no prostrate unconscious canine. Just wet, muddy, happy puppers. 

The 7.5 lb plates are hidden!

I get to the gym slightly past noon and it's almost empty. Not quite though. I do Seated Cable Rows because that station is available while someone squats in the Smith machine. Even though my right lower back is sensitized, I don't experience any problems with the slightly heavier weight of 92.5 lbs. At first, I can't find any of the 7.5 lb bricks and then I realize that someone has carefully placed them perpendicular to the full flat plates inside the weight stacks for the cable stations. Hidden in plain sight! Meanwhile, I think I'll permanently remove Alternating Bicycles from my repertoire. After a few weeks, I'll give 100 lbs a shot and see how that feels. 

My sciatica isn't gone, it's just quieter when I don't aggravate it. So, when doing Inclined Presses, I again have the left foot pressed against the seat base for stability while my right leg plays footsie with the air. Standing unevenly is probably the worst position for the irritated nerve, seconded by sitting on a seat that's too high and too hard. 

Finish with a few minutes on the Step Mill. I should probably investigate the other cardio machines since there's only one Step Mill. And no, I can't explain why doing the same 15 minutes at the same number 5 speed gives me different "step and floor counts." Last week I got 700 steps and 44 floors with the same time interval and same speed on the same machine (it's the only machine). Meanwhile, the dead Nexersys machines are now social distancing spacers between other equipment on the floor. I'm glad I had my fun with them while I could... 

26October2020
Dreary Monday Again

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 3
HR 144, 189, 114
Cal 310
Distance 2.81

Crunches x 60
50 Bicycles (ugh!)
Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Bicycles 50
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 25
Piriformis Stretches
Quick Mat Stretch

Seated Cable Row (light)
70 lbs x 15 reps
85 x 12
92.5 x 10, 10, 10

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 20

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 143
Cal 104
Steps 694
Floors 43