Doing It In Spite Of

I was so tired this morning that I didn't think I was going to make 5 miles of cardio. Instead I managed 6.18 and I was really surprised. Because I've been intermittently hungry all day. But not when I woke up to the snowy mess that had me clearing my car and cautiously inching down the hill, because the last thing I want to do is rear-end my neighbor whose 5 year old takes the same school bus as my son. School is on time today but the town hasn't salted the roads. At 25°F, a little salt would've done a world of good. The school bus driver tells us that a car nearly slid into the bus just before she got to our road. I have to shovel and salt my driveway and walkway when I get home, while the sun is still out, and before the temperature drops to -3°F tonight. Sigh.

I'm barely on the cross-trainer 15 minutes when my stomach starts growling but there's nothing I can do except sip my water. The hunger passes. Today is Arm Day and everything is fairly routine until I chat with B. She's got a scab on her shoulder from a biopsy and she tells me her doc discovered she's got a skin cancer that will have to be removed. At least it's a slow cancer. It's from all that ridiculous sun-bathing she and her hubs likes to partake in on weekends. I'm also weirded out by the tragic Metro-North train-car crash. That's the train line I used to take when I worked in the City. The news is on in the locker room, the TV perched just under the ceiling with no way to change the channel. It's nothing but murder and mayhem all over the world and locally as well. I put my headphones on and turn up the volume.

The only movement I up today is the RG BB Curl for forearms. 35 lbs isn't so hard and when I knock out 25 reps for my 3rd set, I know that I'll be using the 40 lb BB next week. My stomach growls at me when I get on the elliptical to do Intervals. And it growls at me when I shower afterwards. I've been keeping a protein shake in my car to drink right after working out. It really seems to make a difference in keeping my appetite in check. But not today. I get home with barely any time to make a few phone calls before I have to rush off and pick my son up from school. I'm starving and I scarf down a can of tuna mixed with some pickle relish. At the library, where the chess instructor is 30 minutes late because he can't find a parking spot due to bad plowing and snow removal, I'm hungry yet again. Ugh. When I get home, I have an apple with peanut butter while I make dinner: chicken sausage and kale. And an Apple Ale. Finally, I'm sated.

Thursday Workout

Cross Trainer

Calorie :   148 CAL
Distance: 3.59 mile
Speed :    7.12 mph
Duration : 00:30:05

Dumbbell Standing Press

21

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 15x12
Set 3 : 15x12

Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Barbell Curl

52.5

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x10
Set 4 : 37.5x12

Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

52.5

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12

Barbell Reverse Curl

64.17

Set 1 : 35x20
Set 2 : 35x21
Set 3 : 35x25

Cable Triceps Pushdown

56

Set 1 : 40x12
Set 2 : 40x12
Set 3 : 40x12

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   293 CAL
Distance: 2.59 mile
Duration : 00:30:15

Workout to End the Week

My vet called and left a message about my dog's blood work. The dog is nearly 12 yrs old but fairly healthy. Apparently a few of his tests had slightly elevated readings for triglycerides and bilirubin (fat and liver) which could be attributed to diet, so they want to re-do a few tests with the dog fasting for 12 hours. I'm inclined not to do it. First, he's still stressed from going to the vet yesterday. Second, I'm pretty sure licking chicken fat off the dinner platter probably elevated his blood fat levels. Third, he not only gets upset when he's not fed regularly, but actually barfs up stomach bile. Yuck.

The gym is crowded today but I don't have any problems getting to any of the equipment I want to use. First I do 30 min on the LifeFitness Cross-trainer. My quads have been vaguely sore all week and taking yesterday off didn't really make much of a difference. I'm still tired from taking my son to Kung Fu and then Cub Scouts yesterday, trying to glean information about upcoming Den meetings, the Pinewood Derby (which coincides with my son's kung fu belt test), the Klondike event in February, a Den meeting this Sunday, Chinese school tomorrow and massive amounts of homework to be done tonight... I feel better after putting some miles in.

The Smith machine is empty and I do my Smith Squats without any issues. I'm keeping my weights relatively light because I already feel too uncomfortably big as it is. I go lighter with the SLDLs as well. GHRs aren't much of any issue either but I find myself judging people by how long they chat while I work out. Can I do three sets of 12 reps and they're still chatting? No wonder people don't seem to make much progress. I do notice two women who have been hitting the weights and are looking pretty good (lost weight, built up decent arms).

Back at the Precor, I tap the Performance button a few times and it cycles through 3 different programs and then the Fitness Test. Okay now! I choose program #3 because it looks the most interesting, not just a hill, or two hills, but a stair-stepped plateau with an odd peak 2/3s through. I had no idea that the Precor went to Level 13 either. By the 3rd plateau, the machine tells me to pedal backwards, which I do. Then when I hit Level 13, Pedal Forward. Cool. 30 minutes later and I'm a bit bummed that it's over. I'm actually tempted to punch in another 10 or 15 minutes of cardio, but I realize that I still planned to do a few sets for arms before stretching and showering.

Because I did DB curls on Tuesday and BB Rip Skulls on Monday, I do BB (EZ bar) curls and Cable Tricep Pushdowns today. Old guys stare without meaning to. I do have dang big triceps. There's a couple of cute guys I like to watch secretly but they're not here today. Oh well. I skip Dive Bomber Push Ups and plank today to give my shoulders a break. They're still a tad stiff. I'm very happy with my new 48 oz Nalgene water bottle with the smaller cap. Today I've drunk nearly 42 oz during my workout. The scale reads 112.4 lbs. It's all good.

Friday Workout

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   145 CAL
Distance: 3.62 mile
Speed :    7.19 mph
Duration : 00:30:11

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

Torso Twist Machine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Glute Ham Raises

Set 1 : 13 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 13 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 13 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   235 CAL
Distance: 2.73 mile
Duration : 00:30:37

Barbell Curl

52.5

Set 1 : 15x15
Set 2 : 27.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12
Set 5 : 37.5x12

Cable Triceps Pushdown

68.33

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 40x12
Set 3 : 50x11
Set 4 : 45x12
Set 5 : 35x12

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

134.17

Set 1 : 115x5
Set 2 : 115x5
Set 3 : 115x3

Inching Along

Took this photo
last Nov. Hope the
dress still fits!

The school bus was horribly late this morning because the substitute driver didn't really know the route. My son complained that he should go back to the house and call it a day since school will have already started by the time the bus actually delivered them. I hope he had a better remainder of the day. My husband got home earlier than I expected yesterday, but in no mood for Cub Scouts so I took our son to the Den meeting which was more chaotic than usual. Our current Pack Leader is moving on to Boy Scouts with her son, which means we have a new, and inexperienced Pack Leader. She needs to learn to project a voice of authority. I think the Cubs Scouts actually brought her to tears last night. Then my husband tells me that he has to go back to Boston on Saturday but should be home Monday night. "Well, as long as you're home next Saturday," I tell him because that's the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Banquet, being held at West Point this year. The Bear Mountain parkway gives me vertigo so if he's not driving, we're not going. But I'd like to go. It's an excuse to get dressed up!

I'm tired and this accounts for my lack of enthusiasm going to the gym today. Still, I do 20 minutes on the Precor, and then a few high-rep sets on the flat bench before facing BB Rows. I have to steal a bar off one of the benches because nothing is where it should be. There's an abandoned EZ bar loaded with plates and a single spring clip on one end. The Mayor is back, wearing a big white long sleeve shirt and thick red gloves which look more like oven mitts than lifting gloves. I can't deal with this chaos and do my first three sets in the DB area. But this isn't optimal since the bar is really too big for the area. The Mayor and his posse of regulars move off to another station and I drag my stripped bar to the mirrored wall. Today I'm actually going to use the big plates. Yep, I put a 45 lb plate on each side. That's 135 lbs and I know I can lift that!

Me and 170 lbs!

The bar sits just below mid-shin now. It's easier to move because there's more room for my hands and the VGs. When the bar was lower, I could barely fit my hands under the bar because my feet were in the way! I add another 10, then a 5. When I feel braver, I put the tiny 2.5 lb plates on, totaling 170 lbs. In the mirrored wall, I see B peering over from the Step Mill, high on the cardio platform. I've purposely skipped over 165 lbs, moving directly from 155 to 170. Next week I'll try 175.

I can pick up 170 lbs without too much difficulty. The rowing motion itself is harder, and feels a tad like a shrug. Actually, I feel it everywhere, my upper and middle back, my arms, my shoulders. But I'm not going to worry about it. I don't do anything special for traps anyway. When I'm done, I strip the bar down to just the 45s and do 20 reps. Just for fun. What's a workout is trying to get that 45 lb plate off the Olympic bar. I'm not comfortable unless I've put all my plates back, but grappling with the last 45 lb plate makes me a bit frustrated until I realize I can upend the bar and have the plate slide to the mat. It's a Homer Simpson Doh! moment.

I don't have access to the  EZ bars today because idiots have left them loaded with plates and spring clips, which I can't remove. I haven't done the Cable Tricep Press Down (with the angled bar) in quite a long time. So long that I don't even remember what setting to use. 50s probably good. I have to reach up on tiptoe to grab the handle properly and then I remember that 50 was probably my max weight. Still, I'm quite pleased to get three hard 12-rep sets. The DB Area is finally less congested so I head there to do some DB Curls, but I have to rotate my forearm as they come up to take stress off my elbows, so they're not actually straight DB Curls. I could lessen the weight, but then I'd be there all day. I don't want to do 20 reppers for biceps. But because I'm a masochist, I do a few sets of Rip Crushers as well, but I can't go as heavy as last week because my arms are already tired. I've decided I'm going to stop doing BB Curls as well. My elbows get too stressed at 50 lbs, and I've had to modify the movement so that it's less a curl and more a rowing motion. The biceps do get worked -- proof's in the mirror, but I'm ambivalent about how much I've bastardized the exercise.

Three sets of Reverse Grip BB Curls and I'm done with the weights. A quick Cage Stretch and then a jaunt on the Step Mill for 20 minutes. The gym feels really warm and humid today so I start to sweat almost immediately. Afterwards, I can't resist a stretch on the Mat, foregoing only the plank. I did do a turn at the Torso Twist machine, but I just don't feel like abs today. The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs and I've sucked down just about all my water.

Friday Workout

20 min Precor elliptical = 1.91 miles

BB Flat Bench
12x45 lbs (bar)
3x20x95 lbs

BB Row (overhand grip - -these are all warm up sets)
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x95 lbs
6x115 lbs (lost my grip with just gloves)

Reverse Grip BB Rows (underhand grip with VGs)
12x135 lbs
12x155 lbs
12x170 lbs Yay! +5 lbs PR!
20x135 lbs (for fun)

Cable Tricep Press Downs
3x12x50 lbs

DB Alternate Standing Bicep Curl
12x20 lbs
2x12x25 lbs

Rip Crusher
12x40 lbs
2x12x45 lbs

BB Curl
12x45 lbs
12x50 lbs
12x55 lbs
12, 12, 10 x 60 lbs

Reverse Grip BB Curl
3x20x45 lbs

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

Cage Stretch

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 1138 Steps

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, splits, upper and lower back stretches

Caution and Optimism

For the past two days, I've awoken feeling relatively good and pain-free. I'm able to walk the dog and get my son and husband ready for Boy Scout Camp without any issues. Sleep does a body good! Even though today is Arm Day by default (chest & shoulders on Monday, back on Tuesday, legs yesterday... yep, today is arms), I can't resist doing Intervals on the Precor. I'm not more than 12 minutes into my session when sweat starts to pour down my face. I'm a bit more tired when I engage in session number two so I'm not surprised when I don't make 4 miles. But overall, I've made my quota and I feel pretty good.

I saw B in the parking lot this morning and had a chance to chat with her. I don't mind chatting if I'm not actually working out. I haven't seen Mo in a while and wonder if I've missed her since I'm usually at the gym around 9 and it's already after 10 am. The gym is really empty and I relish having equipment and benches all to myself. I consider Decline Presses but opt to do reps on the Smith as a tricep warm up. I place my hands fairly close to my chest and knock out sets of 25. I feel good so I move on to the Cage to test my stretches. So far my back and legs haven't complained. Only my right pinky toe seems a bit numb as if it's been chafed all night, an inflamed nerve ending no doubt.

The stretches and kicks seem perfectly normal today although I take great pains to move slowly and deliberately with any bending motions. When I head back to the free weight area, I see a big guy (picture an ex-football player) and his not-quite-as-big-as-him girlfriend. She's on crutches. It's not often you see that at the gym. They're sharing a bench, him hoisting large heavy dumbbells and her, gingerly moving little plastic beauty bells. Eventually though, she winds up with real iron dumbbells.
R passes in front of me and we wave cautiously at each other. He doesn't have his headphones plugged in so I ask him how he's been. "Okay," he tells me although the humidity always makes him feel crappy. Well yeah, I know that. I do sets of DB bicep curls alternating with One-Arm Tricep Extensions. Then Tricep Kickbacks. I'm about to move to the barbell area so I stop by R's bench and ask him about the odd cable exercise I see everyone doing.

As I describe it, R tells me it's called The Woodchop and I can sort of see that, although, having chopped wood, it's a completely inaccurate description of the movement. "It's a core exercise but it works arms and shoulders too." I tell him about the guy who almost smacked me with his swing and how he actually hit his girl in the head. R laughs. He agrees with me that core, or what I call plain ol' abs, should be worked every day since it's so integral to most major exercises. It's very old school, but I'm very old school. After a few minutes R starts to hoist a pair of 110 lb DB to press. "I'm gonna go now 'cuz I don't wanna distract you... those weigh more than I do," I tell him and he laughs again. It must've been his last set because in a moment he's gone. I still have sets of bicep curls to do, and abs, and mat stretch.

Cautiously Optimistic Workout:
35 min Interval 8 = 4.57 miles + 35 min Hill 5 = 3.86 miles  Grand Total = 8.43 miles Wahoo!
Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 3 x 25 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and Side Kicks
DB Curls alternating with One-Arm Tricep Extensions: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
DB Tricep Kickbacks: 3 x 15 @ 20 lbs
BB 21s: 3 x 21 @ 40 lbs
BB Curls: 3 x 15 @ 40 lbs
RGBBCurls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch: I'm able to do most of my stretches slowly and cautiously. I don't push the horizontal split (no rolling forward) because that can put a lot of stress on the lower back, nor do I finish with the hamstring stretch (sit with leg straight out in front, pull other knee close to chest and extend leg to ceiling while flexing foot, using arms to hold leg in position).

I suck down the last of my water bottle and head off to a nice hot shower. The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs which is a bit surprising but I feel good and think I look okay as well. I'm cautiously optimistic that this bout of sciatica will pass as quickly as it came on. Now to head to the doc's office to get that 24-hr pee container for the weekend. I'm still planning on coming to the gym tomorrow. Perhaps I'll actually get in a few rounds at the Nexersys boxing station. Again, cautious optimism!

Week Three Day Three: A Feel Good Wild Card

Intervals 7 and Hill 5 today

There are some days that I really don't know what I'm going to do until I actually do it, letting some hidden part of me decide my course of action. This morning I slept in a bit, not getting up until 8 am. Perhaps the extra hour of sleep did me good because when I mounted the Precor I felt very energetic. I'd planned to do only 30 minutes of cardio and then Triceps and Biceps, but 35 minutes of Interval #7 felt really great, and I wanted to take advantage of this "good feeling" by punching in another round of cardio. Normally I do the hill first and then intervals, but today I reversed the order. It didn't seem to make any difference as my mileage was consistent for whichever program I punched in.

The gym seems crowded today but the Cage is empty so I get Cage Stretches out of the way. Then I strip off my sodden hoodie, don my elbow braces and grab a pair of dumbbells. I see Mo and we greet briefly. Ranger Rick wants to use the inclined bench she's perched on and there's some discussion of alternating users, but I've already put my headphones back on. Later I notice R working out as well. I've never seen him do Standing Lateral DB Raises before. R and Ranger Rick seem to be spending a lot of time chatting, so I'm not surprised to see Ranger Rick performing one-arm barbell presses, a signature R move (I've never seen anyone else do it here). I assume it works the core and shoulder much harder in order to stabilize the weight. Discussion boards on bodybuilding.com and other places deride the movement as dangerous and inefficient. I suspect that's just snobbery.

Tons of day lilies this year!

The alternating DB curls hurt the inside bottom of my left elbow, just as yesterday's cable rows initially did. I do these to warm up the joint, knowing that bicep work isn't doing my elbows any favors. I skip the barbell curl in favor of concentration curls even though I know this is really going to hurt. And it does. But only my left elbow. The Press Down cable station is free and already has the correct handle affixed to it. How fortuitous! I'm only attempting three sets because I know I'm running out of time. I knock out 12 reps for the first two sets, but the last set is hard and I can only squeeze out 11 reps before completely losing my breath. Still, it feels pretty good.

My last weight movement is Reverse Grip BB Curls for forearms. Four breathless sets and I'm done. Off to the Mats. Three girls occupy three mats, but two of them appear to just be taking up space and oxygen. One is staring into her phone. The other is sitting cross-legged, deep in reverie. I move her water bottle a tad and she wakes, embarrassed and scurries off the mat. Just as well. The first half of my routine takes up the entire length of the Mat anyway. My splits seem good, at least the vertical ones. Because my right knee is a bit sensitive today, I don't push my horizontal split with a forward roll. Instead, I merely spread my arms out at 180° and push my feet as far as I can manage. The gym scale reads 109.8 lbs. I haven't even finished my water, but I'm so hungry that I can't wait to shower, dress and leave.

Week Three Day Three: Wild Card Workout
35 min intervals #7 = 4.64 miles + 35 min hill #5 = 4.03 miles Grand Total 8.67 miles. Wahoo!
Gosh, this is soooo much better than yesterday!
Cage Stretch with bw heel dips and side kicks
DB Curls alternating with One Arm Tricep Extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Concentration Curls: 3 x 12-10 @ 25 lbs
Tricep Press Downs: 12, 12, 11 @ 50 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch with splits

At the gym exit, my son stops to examine a poster on the door. I see ZZ working the cable station. There are sporadic regulars present. I spoke to B this morning in the locker room. She never looks very happy to see me even though I'm certain I'm pleasant enough to her. The Mayor, M and Nixon are missing today, but Hoodie Tattoo, Ponytail Tattoo, Skinny J and Skinny Mustache are there. When my son and I get to our car, I hear chatting behind us and realize that R and Ranger Rick have also strolled out together. I wonder what's happened to Skinny Blonde because I thought that perhaps Ranger Rick and she were dating. Or not. He's a nice enough looking guy, shorter than R but most people are. He resembles Jesse Porter (Coby Bell) on Burn Notice although not nearly as tall. He also has a nice build, from what can be seen from the wife-beaters and long pants he favors. He's certainly in better shape than The Mayor who's over-sized polo shirts don't fool anyone. A lot of guys hide their legs, guts and upper arms with T-shirts and pants. But its always a nice surprise when a guy suddenly wears shorts and a tank, and there's actually delts and and triceps to look at. Like Nixon, a dark horse working his way up the stretch.