Warming Up Is Suppose to Help

Pre-gym Morning Selfie

Yes, the Stretch Cage is gone for good. Bummer. Not only did I use it to stretch my legs and hips, but it was the only place I could use a Hammer Grip to do pull ups. Now there's no place that accommodates my tiny hands and fingers. Double bummer. The gym owner tells me that the stretch chairs are now positioned next to the recumbent bikes. It's a good place for them as far as I'm concerned because neither does anything for me. Seriously.

Today is Leg Day, and that's a good enough excuse for me to do 30 minutes of cardio on the Cross-trainer. Use it or lose it. I'm not able to make the same mileage anymore. Bummer. I am busting a sweat though, so that's reassuring. I wander down into the free weight area. Yellow balloons are tied to the three new pieces of equipment: a tricep machine, a chest press, and a power rack cage. The latter is situated right next to the Smith machine. Whew! I'm happy the Smith is still there, and apparently vacant, so I glom onto it for my Squats, One-Leg Split Squats and SLDLs.

Squats feel unusually heavy today, the weight painful on the base of my neck and upper back. Then I realize that the pad that's affixed to the bar is not the one I normally use so I pull it off and replace it with the thicker neoprene half sleeve. That is soooo much better!

New Power Rack Cage

Between sets, I glance over at the new cage. A small diagram on the side bar shows the different exercises that can be performed on it. It appears that the bar is affixed to metal rods that keep it inline. A guy drags one of the big adjustable benches over to do Inclined Presses. He's flummoxed by the way the bar is attached to the guides, eventually gives up, and resorts to DBs while still seated inside the cage.

There's a lot more people willing to check out the tricep machine and the new chest press than the rack. The rack looks medieval even though it's brand spanking new. Next week maybe I'll get one of the trainers to show me just how it works because I'm curious. The rack also has pull-up handles at the very front top of the cage. I can't reach them without standing on something very tall, and the hammer-grip handles are probably too wide for me anyway. But I won't know unless I try.

Leg Day Selfie

I see Jude, The Mayor and other regulars. Because all the equipment has been rearranged, people are milling about trying to locate their favorite bench, etc. I can't find anything to use as a low bench for my Split Squats so I grab a bosu ball. That actually works well since it's the right height. My injured left index finger only hurts intermittently so I put my VGs on for the heavier sets of Smith SLDLs. The diagram on the new cage suggests that one can perform DLs there but I'm not sure whether you'd be facing the mirror or the gym to do it. I've done a lot more sets today than I have for the past few weeks. I think doing a 30 minute warm-up really helps. But the idea of GHRs leaves me worried. Still, I'm not one to let the thought of failure keep me from the very last exercise in my routine.

I'm actually surprised that I can do actual GHRs today, pushing myself up to perpendicular, feeling my hamstrings and calves contract. Or at least I get the first two sets, and then most of the last set. By rep 8, I can feel my lower back, a signal that my form is crumbling. Back to the ellipticals for 30 minutes. I try talking myself into doing just 10 min of HIIT cardio, but since I did 12 last time, I do 12 this time. I'm trying to work up to 15 min of HIIT, and 20 min of LISS. Today I manage to keep the LISS portion fairly steady. And although HIIT started off a bit slow, with me hitting a max of 264 for the first three cycles, my legs acclimatize and I'm able to reach a max of 284 for a few seconds during the 10th cycle. Then it's all downhill. Well, not really. But I'm only able to reach 264-268 for the last two cycles. Then it's a slow jog. The gym is fairly empty today because it's nice out and that's where everyone wants to be. I seize this opportunity to use the Step Mill for 15 minutes for more LISS. At least we're not hiking tomorrow: I'm sure my glutes are going to be complaining.

Friday Leg Workout
(5.95 miles cardio, 16,560 lbs moved)

CrossTrainer

Calorie :   147 CAL

Steady State
Distance: 3.79 mile
Speed :    7.57 mph
Duration : 00:30:03

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

98

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 60x12
Set 3 : 70x12
Set 4 : 70x12
Set 5 : 70x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

196

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 140x12
Set 6 : 90x12

GHRs

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training

12 min HIIT  18 min LISS

Calorie :   187 CAL
Distance: 2.16 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Step Machine

Calorie :   104 CAL
LISS
Lap/Rep :  43 Lap/Rep
Duration : 00:15:00

Wednesday Means Leg Day

I'm slowly easing back into my weight routine although I haven't been quite so cautious with the cardio. I just feel so much better when I do 5+ miles. Today I reverted back to 30 min on the LifeFitness and 25 min on the Precor, bookending Smith machine Squats, SLDLs, Glute Ham Raises and some ab work. And I feel pretty good. Some slight stiffness in the shoulders and upper back but nothing painful. I do have to remember not to schedule my Leg Workout the day after Back Day because my lower back is tired. This doesn't affect my Smith Squats as much as it does my Smith SLDLs. Today I get my full set of Squats, but cut the SLDLs short at just three sets.

If I move Leg Day to the end of the week, my lower back will be better rested and I'm sure I'll be back to a full six sets at decent weight. Doing RG BB Rows is akin to a Dead Lift for the first movement because I'm pulling the bar off the floor. Probably another reason to move back to using the 45 lb plates (yesterday I used the 35s and added 10s and 5s) — the bigger plate sets the bar higher off the ground. I have enormous calves so the only work I do for them is stretch them at the Cage.

In the locker room, I take a few quick selfies in the mirror but they don't really show my legs so I give up and catch a bicep shot. I'm actually surprised at how well they've held up considering I haven't done a curl all summer, biceps only being worked when I do rows and chin ups. Again I'm surprised when the scale reads 109.4 lbs. This Halloween Candy Diet seems to agree with me. Later I go to the store to see if there's anything cute that I can wear to my photo show reception this Sunday. I'm half tempted to go in my jeans and T-shirt (which is how I tend to dress most of the time). But it's kind of a special occasion so maybe I'll dress up. Except it's going to be 45°F. I find a cute velvet dress that seems to look great with my cowboy boots. And it's only $17. Good thing it was Leg Day today.

Leg Day Workout

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   144 CAL
Distance: 3.61 mile
Duration : 00:30:09

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x20
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 140x12
Set 6 : 150x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

168

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12

  Torso Twist Machine

91.67

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Glute Ham Raises

12

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   229 CAL
Distance: 2.07 mile
Duration : 00:25:20

Crunches/PulseUps/Bicycle

25

Set 1 : 25 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 25 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 25 Lap/Rep

Back in the Saddle

The show is up and my new printer seems to work the way my old one did so I'm pretty happy. Which means I can concentrate on other things I've been meaning to get to, like cleaning out the clothes closet and emptying a corner of the living room of accumulated toys that my son really no longer plays with. I just have to do it while he's not home. It's November already, which also means I should probably get the repair guy to come fix my oven. Sigh. The electrician is suppose to stop by this week and service the generator, and replace my kitchen ceiling light. I'd like to have a fixture that actually works regardless of whether it's raining or not. I should probably set new mouse traps as well. The disgusting smell in the hall last week was just one tiny little mouse body.

It's 37°F when I take the dog for a walk so I bundle my son into the car and drive him down to the school bus stop. We could walk but he's got his viola to carry as well. At the bottom of the hill is the kindergartner and her dad. Usually it's her mom. We chat until the bus comes and then, since I have all my gear in the car anyway, I get to the gym early. I only have to be mindful of my time since I have an eye doc appointment at 1:45 pm across the county and I have to stop off at the post office and the bank on the way. Luckily, it's not a very big county.

I haven't added any tricep work back into my routine yet but I do extend my cardio time to make my 5+ miles today. There's a woman doing T-bar rows at the Smith so I plop myself onto the Breaker Inclined Bench for a few sets. I still hate this equipment, but not as much as I hate the Flat Breaker Benches. Once she vacates the Smith, I grab all my gear and claim it before someone else realizes it's free. The adjustable inclined bench is facing the wrong way for me to do Flat Benching but I leave it because it's facing the right way for Inclined Benching. Next time I'm going to put my feet where I put my head today because it makes a big difference to my wrists when I'm flat benching and I need to rotate the bar out (away from the frame). I get my sets, but my wrists are sore from it.

While I'm working out, I think I see the kindergartner's dad at the cable stations across the room. But I'm not actually going to go see if it's really him. Because I'm in the middle of working out. It wouldn't be the first time that people who know me vaguely have been surprised to see me at the gym. Not so much surprised that I'm at the gym. Just surprised at how I look, and how much weight I can push/pull. Because I'm not a very big person. And that's the way I like it.

Monday Workout

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   145 CAL
Distance: 3.67 mile
Speed :    7.32 mph
Duration : 00:30:09

Barbell Incline Bench Press

105

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 65x12
Set 3 : 75x12

Smith Machine Bench Press

168

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 100x12
Set 6 : 90x20

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

140

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x15
Set 3 : 100x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 20x12
Set 5 : 20x12
Set 6 : 20x12

Dumbbell Seated Bent Over Reverse Fly

37.5

Set 1 : 20x20
Set 2 : 25x15
Set 3 : 25x15
Set 4 : 20x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   227 CAL
Distance: 2.05 mile
Duration : 00:25:03

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:10

Dive Bomber Pushup

20

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 20 Lap/Rep

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

128.33

Set 1 : 110x5
Set 2 : 110x5
Set 3 : 110x3

Hit or Miss

Over the weekend I got curious about something I'd noticed sporadically while I work out: an ammonia smell that made me think I'd peed myself. Of course I hadn't but when you're a 50+ woman in menopause, there's always the possibility that body parts are failing without the courtesy of informing you beforehand. I drink a lot of water when I work out, nearly the entire 1.5 liter bottle of purified RO (reverse osmosis) water. I eat a breakfast consisting of complex and simple carbs, a bit of protein and some fat: instant espresso with raw sugar and half & half, and a bowl of oatmeal with an egg, raw sugar (or honey or maple syrup) and sometimes raisins. For variety, I toss a teaspoon of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder either into my coffee or my oatmeal, making either mocha coffee or dutch chocolate cereal. An article in the NYTimes suggested that cocoa has a lot of useful anti-oxidants and since a whole tablespoon is only 10-12 calories, I'm not going to deny myself an occasional cocoa treat.

Several internet sources state that this ammonia smell is a sign of ketosis so of course I'm concerned that I'm losing my hard-earned muscles although I don't see any evidence of that so far. But I'm also trying to get my body to burn fat. And I don't see any evidence of that either. But I'm impatient. I front-load my cardio today again, and 45 minutes gives me three and three quarter miles. My heart rate reads so erratically on the Precor (from 202 to 130) that I give up and focus on my speed instead. Afterwards, I set up for a few sets of Bench Press. I'm nervous because I don't don't know where my fail point is anymore, figuring that the cardio has probably negatively affected my strength. I skip from 95 lbs directly to 115 lbs and get my three sets at 8 reps. I'm surprised. I'm even more surprised when I get two sets of 20-reppers at 95 lbs. Most of the regulars are MIA today, but there are a lot of young new faces to take their places. School is almost over and the local HS is probably a quarter mile from the gym.

Both Inclined Benches are occupied so I grab a pair of DBs and drape my towel over one of the Adjustable Inclined Benches. I hate these benches: too wide, too high off the ground. 20 lbs is too easy so the next set is a pair of 25s. Then a pair of 30s. I see that both Inclined BB Benches are free now so I decide to do a few sets there. I know this is going to suck because I've already done three sets with DBs. But I stick to my routine and do my five sets. The Standing DB Lateral Raises and Seated Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes are also routine: 6 sets of 12 reps. I almost forget to do triceps. But I don't. And I know these are a potential disaster.

I start the first set of Rip Crushers with just an EZ bar. No problem. Then I add a pair of 10s to the bar and my own Rogue collars because I'm not going to wrestle with those stupid spring clips. This set is hard but not impossible. If I was smart, I'd stick to sets of this, like last week. But I add a pair of 5s to the bar just to see. I start to falter on the 12th rep so I know to expect less for the next two sets. I get 8, and then barely 5 for the last set. I know what failing feels like.

I skip abs because I'm lazy although I do a turn at the Torso Twist machine because hopping onto one of the LifeFitness ellipticals by the front door. That heart rate monitor seems more reasonable, or perhaps my heart has simmered down to a regular rhythm because 20 minutes gives me two miles and an average heart rate of 132 BPM. Very reasonable. I do my Mat Stretch, and skip the plank although I keep the Dive Bomber Push Ups. The gym scale reads 114.4 lbs which is more than I was expecting, but considering how sodium sensitive I am, and all the salty foods I eat on the weekends, well, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Tomorrow will be better.

Push Day and Cardio

45 min Precor elliptical = 3.8 miles

BB Bench Press
12 x 45 lbs (bar)
12 x 95 lbs
3 x 8 x 115 lbs
2 x 20 x 95 lbs (for fun)

DB Inclined Press
12 x 20 lbs (each hand)
12 x 25 lbs
12 x 30 lbs

BB Inclined Press
12 x 45 lbs (bar)
12 x 65 lbs
3 x 8 x 85 lbs

Standing DB Lateral Raise
6 x 12 x 20 lbs

Seated Bent-Over DB Reverse Flye
6 x 12 x 30 lbs

Rip Crusher
12 x 15 lbs (EZ bar)
12 x 37.5 lbs (2.5 lbs Rogue ProLoc collars)
12, 8, 5 x 47.5 lbs (last set did 5 reps and couldn't do another)

Torso Twist machine
2 x 25 x 50 lbs

20 min LifeFitness elliptical = 2.02 miles

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 Dive Bomber Push Ups, splits, lower & upper back stretches