Sleeplessness Makes You Mean

I got to the gym at the time I'd normally be leaving during the school year... that is to say, around 9 AM. Not horribly crowded either. But my left shoulder has been suffering from odd, sporadic twinges in the front delt. And perhaps sympathetically, something's gone awry with my left front hip. It doesn't hurt all the time, but if I step funny, then a sharp zap! I haven't figured out exactly how to avoid this unpleasantness so I've been walking rather cautiously, feeling as if I've got to tiptoe on eggshells. And when I forget, then whammo!

There's someone on elliptical #1 and I don't feel like dealing with the other machines in that line-up. Which means I use the cross-trainer instead, hoping that the arm motions will help loosen up the shoulders. No pull-ups today, and the chatty regulars in the Functional Gym area have moved on to the Expresso bikes so I don't have to listen to them trying not to flirt with each other. There are fewer kids here today and I wonder if school's started yet (it hasn't). I read about how lack of sleep not only makes one grumpy, but also less generous. Yeah, I can definitely see that. (Click here to read the article.)

After core and stretches, I wander to the back of the gym where the free weights are. Doing triceps has me worried about exacerbating my wonky shoulder. If it's not one thing, it's something else with these super-sensitive joints. I'm slow today. And tired. And the elbows are sore and the left shoulder still twinges. It's not the shoulder with the slight labral tear either. So it's something new. Ugh. 

This is different, not inside the shoulder joint but where the pectoralis minor inserts underneath. So, it might not be a delt injury after all. When I get home, I slather my shoulder and armpit with Penetrex cream. I'm disappointed in the over-packaging: a round metal tin opens to reveal a much smaller plastic jar sitting atop a foam disc. My old jar held 4 oz. This one is half as much but I bought it locally at a shop instead of Amazon. I could just order it directly from the company itself... 

25 Aug 2022
Late Morning Thursday

LF cross-trainer #3
Program manual level 1
Time: 20 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.83
Cal:203
Avg Hr: 134-124

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Upper body stretch
Air Squats 25
Eye yoga

Skull Crushers / Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps each x 2 sets total
32.5 x 12 x 4 (twinges left shoulder)