Boxing Day at the Gym

I never knew the significance of the day after Christmas, except that it was celebrated in the UK as Boxing Day. I'd always had thoughts of pugilists whacking each other over gifts. Memes make light of cats and their obsession with empty bags and boxes. Google the term and we learn that it's the day the upper class box up leftovers and small gifts to hand down to their staff. Well, I guess it's better than calling it Leftover Day. 

What it is is really crowded at the gym, with kids out of school and people on holiday between Christmas and New Year's. I've never seen five out of six cross-trainers in use at one time until today. Thankfully, only Wind Breaker was on one of four ellipticals. I can use machine #3 with it's wonky heart rate console display. Today it tells me that my max heart rate was 232. I think I would've noticed that. And if it were truly that high, I probably would've experienced panic, breathlessness and other unpleasantries. 

This is the main reason that half the programs in these type of machines are useless: they insist you keep your heart rate within a certain range, but their ability to monitor that rate accurately is suspect. I've pedaled at a constant rate only to watch the monitor rocket sky high for no discernible reason. Ostensibly, the only way to bring the rate down would be to stop pedaling. Not a great practice, highly impractical, and extremely imprecise. So, rather pointless. I only utilize the programs that don't rely on heart rates. Interestingly, I glanced at an article in LifeHacker about determining your max HRs just as I'm sitting down to type this. Click here to read it.

Cardio starts out okay, but I get uncharacteristically tired toward the end of the session. Well, that's what happens during the holidays, isn't it? I do okay with pull-ups so that makes me feel better. I'm wearing my new "in your face" tank. It doesn't fit as well as most of my workout tanks since it's cotton (not nylon), and it's cut a big snugger than I'd like. A size M would be too big. No one says anything to me. Just as well, since I'd probably bite their head off. Unless they wanted to know where they could get one too. That'd be okay.

I do better on the step machine, and the cross-trainer. Which means I'm kind of tired by the time I get to the Aerobics Room. I get through everything in the routine but skip the Wall Sits. I'll save that for tomorrow. Maybe I'll even do Walking Lunges. While my sciatica still bothers me during Hip Bridges, it's silent through all my push-up reps and barely noticeable during Bird Dogs. That's an improvement! It's only been five months! It really helps that we didn't have to do the long drive to Buffalo in December and probably won't for my kid's return to school in January. I'm glad he and his friends have discovered the Amtrak. We won't have to do that drive until May when we bring him home for summer!

26 Dec 2024 12:17-2:09

Thursday — All Cardio

Blustery Cold Crowded post-holiday

Precor elliptical #3

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5378)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 164, 232!? lol!

New FB: 52-154

HGPU 17

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (38) / 1 (29)

Steps 423

Floors 26

Cal 64

Hr 125

HGPU 15

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(1:24-1:37)

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.30

Cal: 102

Avg Hr: 119-126

HGPU 13+2/2

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (slight tingle)

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga