EOW!

End of the Week! EOW! Yay! I'm tired. Yep. I admit it. But it doesn't keep me from doing what has become habit for me: going to the gym during the week. I only work each body part once a week but that doesn't take into consideration the 5 miles I do three times a week or the hour of kickboxing twice a week.

Today is Back and Triceps Day, so after my 2 mile warm up on the LifeFitness I'm a bit sweaty and warm, and ready to hit the RG BB Row. I'm annoyed that I have to tidy up the space first because the Trap Bar and other assorted bars are lying all over the floor. I don't want to trip over equipment so I put everything up against the wall. Now I grab an Oly, do a quick 20 reps and then wrestle the 45 lb plates onto it. Being annoyed makes me much more energetic and I actually knock out more reps than I intend.

Oh well. That just means that I have to pull back on other exercises. Like the One-Arm DB Rows. I get a set at 50, and manage to grab a 60 lb DB, but it's so crowded at that end of the DB rack with a posse of teenage boys and clueless old guys, that I decide to forgo the 65 lb Row. The 60 lb DB is hard enough today. Luckily, the Lower Back Extension machine feels easier. I manage 15 reps per set and that makes me happy.

Again, there are no flat benches available in the DB area, so I hijack one of the Breaker Benches to use for RIP Crushers (or Rippetoe Skullcrushers if you like). It's a difficult movement and even though I can get 12 reps per set, they are hard reps and I'm not confident I can do more weight. So I don't. Instead I add another set.

I know my triceps are too fried to do sets at 50 lbs at the Cable Press Down station, but I like this movement better than DB Kickbacks or One-Arm DB Extensions. I settle for doing a Drop Set starting at 50 lbs, then dropping weight as I add reps. I'm hoping this will increase endurance and perhaps add some shape to my massive arms. And yes, I'm a small person, but dang, I got big upper arms. I wish my forearms were more proportional but we work with what we got, right?

I do two sets at the Torso Twist machine and then finish my cardio on the Precor elliptical. I always feel good afterwards. Since today is Friday and the end of my workout week, I need to finish with a full Mat Stretch to prevent soreness. Today the three sets of Dive Bomber Push Ups don't feel that hard. The plank still sucks though, and if I didn't have the stopwatch function on my phone, I'd probably skip it altogether. I can feel and hear my spine popping as I hold the plank, feel my exhalation cause my torso to tremble, watch time slow to a maddening crawl.

Thankfully, the rest of the routine moves quickly. I've added Pistol Squats and perform them in a walking motion: lift right foot, squat with left leg, rise, place right foot directly behind left foot, lift left foot, squat with right leg. Then once you reach the end of the mat, perform the movement by stepping forward. My quads must be stronger because this is the easiest it's ever been. No crunches today. No pulse ups today. I've been here too long and I have things to do.


Weight Lifted
35105 lbs


Elliptical Training
Calorie : 96 CAL
Distance: 2.31 mile
Speed : 6.85 mph
Duration : 00:20:00

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
247.5
Set 1 : 45x20
Set 2 : 135x20
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 165x15
Set 5 : 145x20
Set 6 : 135x25

Dumbbell One Arm Row
84
Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 60x10
Set 3 : 60x12
Set 4 : 60x12


Back Extension Machine
292.5
Set 1 : 195x15
Set 2 : 195x15
Set 3 : 195x15

Torso Twist Machine
Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25
Set 3 : 50x25
Set 4 : 50x25

Barbell RIP Skullcrusher
52.5
Set 1 : 15x15
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12
Set 5 : 37.5x12

Cable Triceps Pushdown
66.67
Set 1 : 50x10
Set 2 : 40x12
Set 3 : 30x15
Set 4 : 20x25


Elliptical Training
Calorie : 309 CAL
Distance: 2.83 mile
Duration : 00:35:00

Plank
Set 1 : 00:01:02

Dive Bomber Pushup
Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Pistol Squat
Set 1 : 10 Lap/Rep

Back and Triceps Day

All the LifeFitness cross-trainers were occupied today and all four Precors vacant. Weird. So I did 20 min on the Precor and only logged about a mile and a half for warm up. The BB area was unusually crowded as well. Perhaps everyone's indoors because of the weather? I see a woman with a 30 lb BB. I don't really know what she's doing with it. I don't think she knows either. There's also a young guy with a few plates on an Oly doing deads. The Mayor is holding court with Tall Pace and a few others on one of the Inclined Press Benches. I go to the other end of the gym and do a quick Cage Stretch to kill time.

When I get back to the free weight area only the woman is gone. I pull an Oly off the other Inclined Bench for RG BB Rows. The young guy looks a little confused when I grab 45s to put on my bar. He's got a pair of 45s on each end of his bar, plus 25s and then some. I don't know why he's dismayed. Perhaps the woman with the 30 lb bar confused him. Because I got high reps last week, I know I can get high reps this week, but my left hip is bothering me. I've been noticing some tightness in my lower back on the left side when I'm on the elliptical. I'm hoping this isn't going to lead to something nasty like sciatica. I've already had that in my right leg last summer. Eventually everything loosens up and the pain is gone. Whew.

One-Arm DB Rows are quite the challenge today. It doesn't help that one of the trainers has a pair of women swinging DBs around right next to the bench I'm on. On the other side, the Mayor has planted himself for a few sets of DB curls and flyes. I hate being crowded. I'm pleasantly surprised that the Lower Back Extensions are good, without any hip or lower back discomfort. While I'm working triceps, a swarm of very young teenage boys comes into the free weight area. There is one adult who is apparently the father of one of the boys. The boys take turns at the Cable stations and benches, but no one appears to know how to do anything correctly, including the adult. Hhmmmm.

I finish with 3+ miles on the LifeFitness and a full Mat Stretch. I see how many neutral grip chin ups I can do at the Cage and only get 8 the first set. I'm not wearing my elbow braces so each set gets progressively more painful. Oh well. At least I got a few in. Next time I'll brace up, but I'm not sure I'd get any more reps. Some of the regular guys seem to be weird today. I got my hair trimmed yesterday so that my bangs aren't in my eyes anymore and suddenly everyone is all moony-eyed. It weirds me out enough so that I completely don't make eye contact with anyone at all. The gym scale reads 111.2 lbs and I'm good with that.

Friday Back and Triceps

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   171 CAL
Distance: 1.58 mile
Duration : 00:20:00

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

247.5

Set 1 : 45x15
Set 2 : 135x15
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 165x15
Set 5 : 165x15
Set 6 : 145x20

One Arm Dumbbell Row

86.67

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 60x10
Set 3 : 65x10
Set 4 : 65x10
Set 5 : 65x10

Torso Twist Machine

2 x 25 x 50 lbs

Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

52.5

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

Back Extension Machine

292.5

Set 1 : 195x15
Set 2 : 195x15
Set 3 : 195x15

Cable Triceps Pushdown

63.33

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 40x12
Set 3 : 50x8
Set 4 : 50x6
Set 5 : 50x6
Set 6 : 40x6
Set 7 : 30x8
Set 8 : 20x12

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   143 CAL
Distance: 3.37 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Neutral Grip Pull Ups

8

Set 1 : 8 Laps/Reps
Set 2 : 7 Laps/Reps
Set 3 : 5 Laps/Reps

Plank

N/A

Set 1 : 00:01:01

Dive Bomber Push Up

12

Set 1 : 12 Laps/Reps
Set 2 : 12 Laps/Reps
Set 3 : 12 Laps/Reps

Crunches

50

Set 1 : 50 Laps/Reps

Pistol Squat

2

Set 1 : 2 Laps/Reps

Anger as Fuel

Yesterday I was convinced that I'd seen the last of the vertigo fairy, only to be disabused by an episode of rolling blackness. Nothing more disturbing than being half asleep, turning over in bed and having your brain feel as if it's doing somersaults inside your skull. Morning light didn't make it any better. Plus I had to adapt myself to my husband's car to drive to the gym, since he's significantly bigger than I am, and his car is a different model year. Everything's similar and just different enough to be annoying. The door locks button moves in a different direction. The window buttons sit further back. The sound system is awful and tinny. He usually hooks his phone up to the radio to stream Sirius. I have an actual Sirius antennae in my car and better speakers. The phone holder stuck to the windshield is right in my line of vision but because I'm only borrowing his car while he takes mine for repairs, I try not to make too many adjustments.

I'd half convinced myself to take it easy today. I only did 2 miles warm up on the Precor. No Tabata. Then I get down to the free weight area and see it's a wreck. A member seems to be training a small woman with a free weight circuit routine. Which means he has his crap draped over benches he's not actually using at the moment, two Oly bars with different plates on them, DBs of assorted sizes all over the floor, and a yoga mat between the racks. I do a few sets of Lower Back Extensions while I assess the situation.

He's really pissing me off. They have all this crap all over the BB area but they're over in the DB area on one of those benches? When they return, I ask him if they're using ALL THIS STUFF? And he says yes, and I look at him like he's a big a-hole and he says, "Oh but you can use this bar 'cuz she's done. What are you doing?" I tell him Rows and he says I can use her BB, like he's doing me a big favor. I strip the single 25 lb plate off, do a quick set with just the bar and then grab the 45 lb plates. Because I'm doing RG BB Rows. He's doing what look like Pendlays. When I'm done, I strip the bar and roll it to the wall, out of the way. I hate people who leave stuff for the maid to pick up. I look around and they've got two stripped Oly bars, one on each stay (high and low), of the Inclined Press. Really? WTH?

Matrix Breaker Bench: too big,
too high, too wide, and I really
hate the separate head area.

I'm in such a mood that I ignore the vague dizziness that lingers after I set up for V-grip Lat Pull Downs. I'm mad enough to actually just barely get all my reps for my three heavy sets. I still want to do Rip Crushers so I put my towel at the end of a Breaker Bench, placing my feet on the support bars. I have to adjust my ponytail because it's uncomfortable to lay on. After three sets (not including warm up) I look for the Cable V-bar Tricep Press Down but it's in use. Instead, I grab a DB and do One-Arm Tricep extensions. I don't think these really do much for me because although my triceps could probably handle more weight, my wrists and elbows can't. Still, it's better than DB Kickbacks which I think are fairly worthless.

I'm a little tired so I wonder how my next 3 miles will go. After 5 minutes, I stop thinking and just do the Tabata. For 5 minutes this time. There was a second after the 4 minute point when I thought, Hey, I can just stop. But the next thought was, Hey, let's see how godawful hard this will be. And then it was done. And I got to lope along for the remaining time until I hit 3 miles. And my heart rate stayed mostly within reasonable range. I do a full Mat Stretch although not fully inverting my head to touch my nose to my shin from a standing position. I can feel the vertigo lurking in the background, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let it ruin my day.

Tomorrow I have to wait for the septic tank people to come inspect our system. We have a "state of the art" peat moss "digester" installed by the county to preserve the local water quality. Our land is clay and swamp atop granite rock up a very steep hill. There's little drainage except for the stream that feeds into the small lake across the road. That lake is one of many "back ups" for the NYS reservoir system. It needs checking every two years. They're suppose to come tomorrow morning and that means I might not have time to get to the gym. Oh well...

Wednesday Back & Triceps Workout 

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   169 CAL
Distance: 2 mile
Duration : 00:23:00

Back Extension Machine

Set 1 : 180x15
Set 2 : 180x15
Set 3 : 180x15

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 135x12
Set 3 : 155x12
Set 4 : 155x12
Set 5 : 155x12
Set 6 : 135x20
Set 7 : 135x20

V Grip Front Lat Pulldown

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 120x8
Set 3 : 135x8
Set 4 : 135x8
Set 5 : 135x8

Rip Crushers

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

Dumbbell Standing Triceps Extension

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   254 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Duration : 00:32:00

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:00

Dive Bomber Push Up

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