End of Summer Days

Having some software/hardware issues with my ancient aging computer systems. Gone are the days when you could maintain equipment. Software updates become limited by the hardware you own, and eventually you find you can't connect to the world anymore. I'm a bit tired of the entire digital world right now after spending two hours with tech support just to unlock my email, And the email was only locked because I got a prompt from Apple to enter my password into my phone. Which it promptly rejected. So I had to create a brand new password. Which unlocked my phone, but my desktop, the very place I actually initiated the new password, decided it didn't know who I was. Ugh. I have to get a new computer. I just haven't decided what type yet: Mac Mini or MacBook laptop?

My son and I decide to do our regular cardio warm up of 15 and 30 minutes. Pull ups are still hard afterwards. Again, we save push ups and core for our cool down later. Instead, we're at the Smith for RDLs. I skip the Smith BB Rows and replace them with T-bar Rows. My son decidedly hates these even worse. I don't mind them, but it annoys me that I don't know how much an unloaded bar weighs. I'm guessing 30 lbs? Because there is weight. The handles are uneven because the neoprene grips have been partially ripped off. Ugh. My son is uncomfortable with the bent knee, straight back but bent over position to properly execute the movement. I don't force him to do it. Instead, after I get my 3 sets in, I give him the choice of Lat Pull Downs or Seated Cable Rows. He chooses the latter. I put a half-brick (7.5 lbs) on the stack.

Finally, we grab a BB and do curls with elbows pinned to the sides. I think my son actually likes doing this exercise, maybe because it works something he can actually see? The gym is mostly empty. Our town starts school next week, but this town started this week. Weird. So no kids here today. Also not here is Crazy Woman with White Chihuahua. I'm happy not to trip over the dog or the water bowl or the girl sleeping under the coat rack.

Next Monday will be the last day I can bring my son to the gym. He's looking forward to school, but he says he enjoyed our gym time. Friday we'll have a Cardio Day. I think I'm going to miss having him with me, even if it has lowered my workout intensity. In a few weeks I'll be back to a crawl anyway as I recover from cataract and stent surgery on the other eye. Sigh.

Resting between sets means staring at our phones

The Last Pull Day with My Son

15 + 2cd Octane Calories 100
Miles 1.39
31 floors
AHR 112/130

30 treadmill
Incline 10% Speed 3
Calories 263
Distance 1.48
AHR 116/209 (no, didn’t see that)

HGPU 15, 15, 15, 15 (60)
M pull ups 8, 7, 7, 7 (29)

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15, m15
60 x 12, m12
80 x 12, m 12 x 2
120 x 12
140 x 12

T-bar Rowing
Unloaded (30?) x 12 reps
25lbs x 12 x 3
M 12

Seated Cable Rows
77.5lbs x 12 x 3

BB Curls
30lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Push Ups 60
M 35

Crunches 30/20
Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

The Fasted Workout

Because I had a noon appointment for my annual physical that required a "fasting blood test", I didn't eat breakfast or drink my usual cup of Cafe Bustelo. Instead, I had some jasmine green tea which was okay but not what I prefer first thing in the morning. I was concerned about how much this would impact my workout, but I needed've worried.

Top: Precor elliptical
Bottom: LifeFitness recumbent bike

I do 20 minutes on the Precor, but not HIIT since I did that yesterday. Instead, I lope along at 175-180 Strides Per Minute. By the time 15 minutes has passed, I'm up to 190-200 SPMs and it feels pretty good. Fridays are my catch-up day for whatever I feel is lagging. Since I'll be doing Arms later, I like to warm up with two big exercises: bench and barbell rows. I'm careful to position myself on the bench so that the bar is directly over my chest. It means that the top of my head is just parallel with the edge of the bench. I knock out two sets of 20 reps. I can probably do 3 sets but start to hesitate at rep 15. I really don't want M coming over and grabbing the bar so I rack it, take 5 breaths and then knock out another 5 reps.

I like the Reverse Grip BB Rows, but my back is still a touch achy from the real Squat attempt on Wednesday. I don't like that feeling so I go slow and easy. After 135 lbs and 12 reps, I debate whether to up the weight for less reps. I definitely don't want to do sets today. And I don't want to hunt around for the 2.5 lb plates either so I grab a pair of 5s. That's 145 lbs. I'm good for 8 reps. Yay! I absolutely know that there are guys trying not to stare. I so don't care. Just stay out of my way.

Now for the stuff I don't do quite so well. I figure I can do one shoulder exercise on Fridays. Last week it was Bent Over DB Flyes. Today it's BB Shoulder Press. I know I can do a set at 30 lbs so I use that as a warm up. My shoulders click loudly on the press motion because I can hear it through my tunes. I use the 40 lb BB for the next 3 sets. My right shoulder is a little sore today and I don't want it to be a lot sore. 40 lbs is perfect for the Rip Crushers that are next. 40 lbs is all I can manage for the 12 rep sets. I know I'm grimacing throughout the entire three sets because it's that hard. But 40 lbs is light for BB Curls. I do one warm up set, swap it for the 50 lb BB, then add a pair of magnets to bring it up to 55 lbs. Three sets! Yay!

I drop back to the 40 lb BB for the Reverse Grip BB Curls. Okay, I can do better so I add the magnets and get three more sets of 20 reppers. Yay again! My arms are shot but I try to do Pull Ups anyway, just because the Smith machine is vacant and it's the only place I can do Pull Ups in the entire gym. It's diminishing returns: 8, 7, 6. At least I did them. My elbows aren't happy but I'm sure they're going to be screaming at me later because they're the weak link in this movement.

I look up at the clock and figure I've got time for 20 minutes of LISS and the one recumbent bike I actually fit in (the seat comes forward all the way instead of being stuck halfway) is free. I pedal, read my email and the online forums. Got to go shower! The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs but I'd already weighed myself this morning and was surprised to see 108.6 lbs and 20.2% BF. It's a nice surprise for the end of the week. My husband actually made it home last night although he has to leave again Sunday afternoon, which means he won't be part of the Cub Scout march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. No, that'll be me and my son and whichever other scouts show up. But he's 13 lbs lighter from working nights, eating only one meal a day and trying to make use of the hotel gym equipment.

I'm 9 minutes late to the doctor's office but no one's in a big rush. There's blood and urine, EKG, hearing test, blood pressure and a silly survey about whether you've noticed any mental issues with yourself. WTF? The doc says it's good I've only put on 2 lbs since my last annual, and that women in general gain a lot of weight and fat in the five years after their periods stop. Five years? After five years, she says things seem to settle down, but everyone's different. No hot flashes or night sweats? Naw, I just feel a little blush sometimes. That's about it.

The doc also tells me that since it's been a year since my period, it's time to do a Bone Density Test, so I've scheduled that for a day in April. Oh, yeah, and I should probably go see my OB/Gyn, and make that appointment with the glaucoma specialist. It's only when I get back to my car that I realize how goddam hungry I am. Good thing I have a high protein beverage in my cooler that I drain on the spot. If all goes well, I'll be back at the gym with my son in tow tomorrow to play on the cardio machines.

Fasted Friday Workout

20 min Precor elliptical = 2.02 miles

Flat Bench Press
12xbar (45 lbs)
12x75 lbs
20, 20, 15, 5 x 95 lbs

RG BB Rows
12xbar (45 lbs)
12x95 lbs
12x115 lbs
12x135 lbs
8x145 lbs PR Yay!
12x115 lbs

BB Shoulder Press
12x30 lbs
3x12x40 lbs

Rip Crushers
3x12x40 lbs

BB Curl
12x40 lbs
12x50 lbs
3x12x55 lbs PR Yay!

RG BB Curls
20x40 lbs
3x20x45 lbs PR Yay!

Pull Ups
8, 7, 6 (wow do these hurt after curls)

20 min LISS on LifeFitness recumbent bike = 2.19 miles