Something Creepy...

There are three or four supermarkets that service our area but none of them are convenient to where we live. That one got demolished last March (2017) to make way for a superstore, but they've just gotten around to putting up structural steel girders as of last week. I get all the flyers so I know that the Acme (formerly an A&P) has 4-count bags of avocados for $2.50, which is so much better than the 2 for $4 currently at the grocer next to my gym. The road I would normally take into town is closed during the week because some huge conglomerate energy company is laying a natural gas pipeline through the area. They've imported out-of-state crews to work from 7 to 7, 5 days a week. So I have to drive miles out of my way just to get to the Acme today. And all because I want to buy bags of cheap avocados. Temps will only be in the 40s so the "hard as little rocks" fruit will be fine in my car while I go clear across town just to get to the gym. And afterwards I'll hit the grocer there just for perishables, like milk. Because my son lives on milk and breakfast cereal.

I get to the gym just as the Body Pump class is clearing the locker room. The gym is more crowded than I expect for a nice Friday. Still, I have my choice of machines and glutton for punishment that I am, I get on the elliptical and punch in Intervals. For 30 minutes. My legs are actually a little stiff from yesterday, or maybe the day before that. Cardio always helps loosen everything up! I even do the 5 minute Cool Down afterwards because I'm not certain of access to other machines later. To make up for such a brief workout yesterday, I do a full Core routine after Pull Ups. (Those last two reps were a little hard, with my lips barely clearing the bar. But the first dozen I did manage to pop my head above the entire Stretch Cage roof! Yaaay me!)

After Core, I wander over to the Smith and do low bar shoulder stretches. I must look odd to the other fellows since I never actually put any weight on the bar, nor do I do any Squats. But I don't care what they think, so it's okay. The Step Mill has been recently vacated so I set myself up to do 15 minutes there. Level 6 (more of a speed function) has me slightly breathless. At least I'm moving too fast to actually get bored. I see some people draping themselves over the bars after a few minutes and I'm not sure why they're on the equipment.

There's a woman lazily biking on the newest Expresso bike. Sigh. Still, I really wanted to ride a game so I adjust one of the older machines to my height and leg length. It's fairly uncomfortable and I worry that the seat will fall off the mount because I've pulled it so far forward on the tract that it's not really secured. The older bikes have different controllers and no touch screen. But I find the game selection and tap in one called Coin Toss that my son and I have ridden before. I can actually program how much time I want to spend doing this, so I enter 10 minutes. I get to "bike" around an oversized lawn and run over floating coins for points like a Mario Brothers racer. Every now and then I hit a big hill and nearly have to stand in my pedals to get over. Still, it's a lot of fun. There are other games, most notably Dragon Cove, but I'm not ready to actually log in just to access this yet. But it does look like fun.

While I'm doing this, I catch someone in my peripheral vision watching me. Creepy. It's the super big (6'5"), super old (70s?) guy J. He has been trying to talk to me since I joined the gym and I'm sooo not interested in chatting with old guys. Especially ones old enough to be war vets. Because they especially have weird notions about small Asian women that I have no desire to fend off. Seriously.

Afterwards, before a Mat Stretch, I decide to see how many Pistol Squats I can get away with before falling on my face. Step, left leg. Step, right leg. I get to 10, which is 5 each leg, before I decide that I'd rather not see if I'll fall on my face. No issues with my quads clenching and I'm surprised that after all these years, I finally learn that it's because I wasn't warmed up enough! Never too old to learn something new about yourself!

I started logging food again although I'm not thrilled with MyFitnessPal. Of course, anything to stave off the inevitable weight gain of middle-age! The dog doesn't really like the new skid mats, but they do keep him from falling over. He and I had breakfast together like we do every morning. Me: coffee and a 1/4 cup of non-fat cottage cheese. Dog: toasted ciabatta with cottage cheese smeared lightly on top after inhaling two slices of deli turkey breast (with his Metacam), and picking at a cup of boiled ground turkey, chicken liver and white rice. I was starving by the time I hit the locker room, and glad I'd stashed a RTD strawberry shake in the car. Not thrilled with the calories (170), but 15 gms of protein is okay with me.

Cardio Friday

30 elliptical + 5 cd
Intervals
Calories 339
Miles 3.01
Average Heart Rate 147 / 222

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith low bar shoulder stretch
3 x 10s

15 Step Mill
Level 6
Total steps 796
Floors 49
Calories 116

Expresso Bike
Game: coin toss
Time: 10m
Calories 51
1.83

Pistol Squats
5 each leg

Leg Day is Really Just Another Cardio Day

I have big legs and I don't want them to get bigger. Really. What I do want is for them to have better muscular balance because not only does that look good, but it's also prophylactic. Weak hamstrings and strong quads beg for hamstring injuries. I've had a few when I was younger. Not fun at all. As we age, our muscles lose their strength and flexibility unless we actively maintain and exercise them. I might be fighting a losing battle since I'm a woman in her mid-50s. Not only do I need to ramp up my metabolism to keep post-menopausal weight-gain at bay, but I'm also trying to gain muscle. Crazy, right? Or not. Because estrogen levels are falling, this might actually be an opportune time to concentrate on building muscle mass while I still can. Eventually my body won't be able to do it anymore. Eventually. But I don't know when that will be. So go for broke now!

I'm slow today and only log in a total of 6.22 miles. On good days I can hit close to 7 miles. I like the LifeFitness cross-trainer because I fit into it, AND it has stationery and moving handles. But the pedals are angled such that my right foot tends to tingle halfway through the session. That tingling is my foot falling asleep from the pressure of pedaling. Sometimes it's the ball of my foot, sometimes just the toes. It's unnerving and makes me think of diabetic nerve pain. But I'm not diabetic. Once I'm done with the cross-trainer, the tingling goes away and I forget how uncomfortable it was. I do a quick hamstring and hip stretch before wandering into the free weight area. Because I only stretch out a few times a week instead of every day, my stretches have become easily more limber. Very counter-intuitive.

I skip Smith Squats and focus on Smith One-Legged Split Squats since they're more productive. Today I add 10 lbs and do 4 sets of 12 reps. Not too bad. I do a quick 3 sets of Smith SLDLs just to loosen up my hips afterwards, and this time I use the VGs for the last set. My hands aren't going to get stronger. Just more injured. Already my left hand has sporadic tender spots (on the palm side) I can't explain. GHRs are super hard today. Probably because I upped the weight on the Split Squats. I still manage to do my 3 sets but I won't lie: I was grinding out the last 3-4 reps of every set.

Good lighting hides loose skin!

Back to cardio. I get on the Precor elliptical and punch in the Intervals Program because it's my compromise between doing HIIT cardio and a Performance session. Then 10 minutes on the Mat with a few Pistol Squats for fun. It's much harder doing them on the Mat than the solid floor as you balance on one leg while descending and then rising up. I don't see anyone doing these either. There are some regulars. They look the same as they have for years. There are some HS girls coaching each other through basic routines. And yoga people walking barefoot through the gym with their mats rolled up on their backs. The gym scale tells me I'm 109.6 lbs. My home scale tells me I'm 15.5% BF. Pretty good for a 55-yr old woman. Since I've no plans to ever compete (because the Master Class starts at age 35), there's no actual reason (except vanity) for me to get my body fat much lower. I'd like to see my abs one day, but that's not going to happen with all the loose baby skin that never shrank back after I had my son 10 years ago. Oh well...

Friday Leg Day Workout
(6.22 miles cardio; 9,640 lbs moved)

Cross Trainer

Steady State

Calorie :   145 CAL
Distance: 3.54 mile
Speed :    7.07 mph
Duration : 00:30:04

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

140

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 70x12
Set 3 : 100x12 Yaaay!+10
Set 4 : 100x12
Set 5 : 100x12
Set 6 : 100x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12

GHRs

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

Elliptical Training

Intervals

Calorie :   307 CAL
Distance: 2.68 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

139.33

Set 1 : 110x8

Drawing on Inner Reserves

I didn't really feel like eating breakfast this morning, but because I'd already tossed a 1/4 cup of blueberries and raspberries into the oatmeal, I felt compelled not to waste those anti-oxidant powerhouses. I guess it worked because I didn't actually get hungry until I got home around 3 pm with just enough time to put groceries away, get the laundry started and send a quick email about Cub Scout's Rocket Night out to the Pack Leader.

People must be taking Fridays off because the gym's not very crowded today, although the staff seems very busy signing new members up and showing off the amenities. Yes, it's THAT season where people are suddenly aware that they can't hide behind fleece and wool anymore. I'm moving at a good clip on the LifeFitness Cross-trainer so I'm thoroughly warmed up by the time I get to the Smith machine. I saw Tattoo Tank earlier so I wondered if I'd have to wait for the machine, but he was done. And getting very tan. Or maybe it's just the white tank he's wearing today.

Latin Baseball and Soccer Boy are among the regulars milling about the free weight area. The Mayor shows up to do benching and inclined benching. I'm annoyed that he's chosen the bench directly behind the Smith because there's others. Soccer Boy doesn't have any room on the T-bar row to place any more 45 lb plates. That's a lot of weight. Later I see him benching with 2 plates on each side of the Oly bar. The Mayor can't bench that much. But Soccer Boy's much younger than The Mayor. And he doesn't spend all his time chatting.

I see a lot of regulars and a lot are MIA. The immense DBFanboy is here after a long absence but not his crippled girlfriend. Shazam has been fairly consistent, but his wife/GF hasn't been here in months. Schedules change. My own hubs has been having difficulty finding time to squeeze in a cardio session. No one covers his work when he's away in Boston so even on weekends at home, he's working. I see one of the trainers working with a ginormous newbie. This is the first time I've ever seen him actually working out side-by-side with a client to keep them motivated.

Smith Squats feel heavy. Smith SLDLs make my lower back tired. Smith Split Squats sometimes bother my knees. I do 4 sets at 80 lbs instead of 3. And I get through my entire routine. My lower back is definitely tired. I use the bosu from Split Squats and move it to the Lat Pull Down machine for GHRs. This isn't going to help me feel any more refreshed. Yes, the last set is a grind, but it seems to be a tad less of a grind. Maybe I'm actually improving?

I see D on one of the machines and stop to chat with her for a few minutes before hitting the elliptical for an Interval program. She tutors math and chemistry to HS kids. NYS Regents Exams are this month but she's trying to get to the gym at least twice a week. She's the only other woman who routinely whacks the Nexersys machine. She's got three sons, one a teen with Asperger's, her youngest is 4 yrs old and doesn't let her get much sleep.

People are amazingly inconsistent. I've never seen the same person twice using the kickboxing system. Perhaps they need to work on their coordination? Or maybe their knuckles got bruised? I doubt it. I like the fact that it works strength, reflexes and cardio, and that you can do this for nearly an hour. I think it's awesome. Others probably don't want to muss up their hair. Or makeup. Or find that they don't have the stamina to do more than a round or two. That's just something to work on, but most people don't really want to push themselves.

I'm moving pretty good on the Intervals program although I did take the resistance down from 8 to 6 on the peaks. I don't mind the increased incline, but the additional resistance is hard on my ankles and knees. Then I do a quick lower back and hamstring stretch before showering and changing. Lately I've felt leaner although it's only under the right lighting that I can actually see my triceps or anything nice in my back. I haven't had time to set up a tripod and timer to actually see if anything's changed.

I get on my home scale today and it reads 108.6 lbs and 15.1% BF. Well, that's pleasantly unexpected! Something must be working, just not quite sure what though. I'm most definitely not dieting. Haven't cut out carbs either. Still drink sangria and apple ale. Maybe just not as much. I do feel guilty not doing much ab work (some sit ups on Monday in between sets of push ups). I should probably add those back in somewhere in my "routine". But where?

Friday Cardio and Leg Workout
(6.51 miles total; 17,130 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Steady State

Calorie :   139 CAL
Distance: 3.89 mile
Speed :    7.77 mph
Duration : 00:30:03

Smith Machine Squat

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12
Set 6 : 80x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

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

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 80x12
Set 4 : 80x12
Set 5 : 80x12

GHRs

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

Elliptical Training

Interval Prgm

Calorie :   298 CAL
Distance: 2.62 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Feels Like Coming Home

Friday is Leg Day. And I use it as an excuse to do cardio as well. Not that HIIT/LISS isn't cardio. But I'm not a fan of the 10-15 minute warm up before I lift on those days. I figure I'd conserve a little energy and put it towards my lifting but I'm not sure I see any advantages to this strategy yet. I know that I'm limited by the amount of weight and stress my joints can handle, not what my muscles can push or pull. I can't make my joints stronger, only the surrounding muscles. I can't make my ligaments and tendons stronger either, just take care not to injure them. But, I still think I'm making slow steady progress towards my goals of being stronger and leaner. I'm going to give this program another couple of weeks before I decide whether to keep it or up my cardio again. I miss the 30 minute cardio warm up! It feels like "coming home" on days I incorporate it. Like today.

Leg Day is always a good excuse for 30 minutes of steady state cardio on the Cross-trainer. I alternate every 5 minutes between the stationery handles and the moving ones. Sometimes I find my arms driving the pace, forcing my legs to move quicker. Odd. I stretch a bit and see that the Smith is occupied by a woman doing squats. I decide to do more cardio. I'm the type of person who believes that human nature, for the most part, is lazy. In our current society, there is a large population who don't understand manners or common courtesy. Like the person who left gum stuck to the side of the elliptical today. Really? It was relatively fresh so I could remove it easily with a paper towel. I'm guessing it was one of the chatty young women who show up  I tell the front desk about their disgusting clientele and they tell me that I haven't seen the half of it. I'm glad I don't own a gym.

I ask my husband if he thinks our society is doomed to fall like Rome because we've grown so complacent as a society that bad behavior is tolerated as amusement? Gladiatorial fight to the death anyone? But, I'm really speaking of reality TV shows, which I loathe. Everything is geared towards ratings. Sell, sell, sell. I can see why we're ripe for a fall. People have no discipline anymore, no ability to ignore the lure of instant gratification. Everyone wants to be famous. Even if it's only for 10 minutes. No one wants to put in any work. Sometimes it feels like that at my gym. But I'm gratified to see solo regulars who spend their time working out. I can see improvements in their form and especially in their muscle tone, but I don't say anything to them because they might become self-conscious or embarrassed.

The Smith is free and I do most of my workout there. I see a milky-white, tall, skinny girl with curly carrot-red hair. I've see her almost every day for some months now. Today she's in the Squat Rack doing light squats, getting her form down. Her arms are starting to develop some shape, the curve of a bicep here, the shadow of a tricep there. The solo lifters are the serious ones. Most of the women come in pairs or with their boyfriends, as if they need backup in order to step foot in the free weight area. The problem with relying on a buddy is that you rely on them, and if they can't make it, well, you don't either. I haven't seen Venus in over a week although I do see The Mayor, Tattoo Tank, LoudMouth, Hannibal Baggy Knees, Soccer Boy, Maroon and Latin Baseball.

The Mayor is doing standing OHP in the new Max Rack. He's got a 10 lb plate on each side of the bar. Between sets of 5-6 reps, he does a few reps on the new chest press machine or runs off the chat with a few guys by the cable station. On the other side of the Smith are two fat young newbies. I guess they're each others moral support. They lift weights but mostly they chat. And stare. It's not nice of me to say it, but I hope they get bored and stop coming to the gym.

Smith Squats are just a warm up for Smith Split Leg Squats. For some reason I'm having trouble with my right knee today. Squatting with my right is fine. I used just the step platform to raise my back foot a little. But squatting with my left leg is causing some issues with my right knee. It's not until nearly the end of my sets that I realize it's how I'm dropping on my left side that's causing the discomfort in the opposing knee. Ugh. I've got to remember this for next week! I move the platform forward until it's under the bar and do some Smith SLDLs, pulling out my VGs for the last three sets.

There's a middle age man casually trying not to stare as he does BB presses in the breaker bench behind me. I'm not the only woman here. Not quite sure what the issue is. I re-rack everything and move to the lat pull down station with a bosu ball just for Glute Ham Raises. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fall on my face at some point. Because I don't want to hurt my lower back, I'm satisfied to do drop sets. I scrunch up my face during the last set, unsure if I'm actually going to make 8 reps without my form totally disintegrating. Then I dust myself off and plop all my stuff onto the big Mat for a full Mat Stretch routine. It's been ages since I did this and I wonder how Dive Bomber Push Ups will feel. They're actually not bad, but they do make the 60-second plank that follows immediately after kind of difficult.

from gymflow100.com

As I drop into my splits, I'm busting a sweat all over again. I'm usually so focused that I don't really see anyone unless they're in my way. I look up for a moment and that middle aged man seems utterly and completely crestfallen. Not sure why he's suddenly so defeated, but I can guess. I am a crusher of dreams. Yep, I've gone and said it. But what really thrills me for the moment is the newly pronounced brachioradialis in my forearms. I have very small forearms, but the RG BB Curls seem to be actually doing something. Yaaaay!

Friday Workout
(6.78 miles cardio; 14,825 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Steady State

Calorie :   147 CAL
Distance: 3.78 mile
Speed :    7.56 mph
Duration : 00:30:03

Elliptical Training

Intervals

Calorie :   264 CAL
Distance: 3 mile
Duration : 00:30:02

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

98

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 70x12
Set 4 : 70x12
Set 5 : 70x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

160

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x10

GHRs

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 10 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 8 Lap/Rep

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:01

Dive Bomber Pushup

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

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

134.17

Set 1 : 115x5

Friday is Workaround Day

Not having a working desktop is really challenging my ability to write a proper blog entry. I can't get my Bluetooth keyboard to link to my iPad either. So typing on this tablet, and having to negotiate workarounds for actions I took for granted, like cut and paste, are slowing me down considerably.

It's no so much that my desktop is dead, but that it's lost it's network connection. So no internet, no email, no iCloud, and no printing. But it has a strong WiFi signal. I'm not sure how to fix the network problem. Meanwhile, its cold and grey and flurrying outside. My ancient laptop still prints but can't access email through Safari anymore and I only use the web browser on it sparingly because software incompatibilies cause the hard drive to overheat. Sigh.

I stayed up way too late and I'm suffering for that indiscretion today. But instead of crawling back into bed and hibernating, which is what I really wanted to do, I went to the gym. Because today is Leg Day, I did a 30 minute cross-trainer warm up. My mileage really sucks today, giving credence to the idea that you lose what you don't maintain. Plus, I think the HIIT cardio is starting to take a toll. I hog the Smith machine and use it for Squats, One-Leg Split Squata, and a few sets of SLDLs.

I've figured out that the bench was to high for my Split Squats, causing knee pain. I use a Step platform with just two blocks and my knees don't hurt. But the Squats are still hard as ever, and I only do three sets. I should really cut my Smith Squats and concentrate more on the Split Squats. I'm fairly light on my Smith SLDLs, especially since I don't want to resort to using VGs. I keep losing my grip on a mere 100 lbs. and this doesn't bode well for the rest of the workout.

GHRs are the last thing I want to do. (The JeFit app doesn't list them so I use the entry for Glute Kickbacks. Normally I can edit the data if I copy it from the JeFit webpage, but I can't on a tablet, hence the screen grab.) I feel like I'm going to fall on my face, but I don't actually. Thank goodness. I get on the elliptical, fairly certain that I'm going to be pathetic. For the first two HIIT rounds, I can only max at 265, but I'm able to increase my max speeds for each cycle until I hit 284. But once I do, it's a slow decline. I'm not able to maintain that max for each cycle, dropping to 268 by the 10th minute. Then 20 minutes of LISS, blissfully jogging anywhere between 116-130 SPMs. I'm drenched.  And hungry. And tired.

Tomorrow our Cub Scout pack is visiting the Intrepid museum for an overnight trip. I've enlisted a dog sitter. And I suspect we will not be getting any sleep.

Friday Workout (6.11 total miles)

Session SummaryEdit+Add

Session 1f

Session Length

01:37:42

Actual Workout

01:19:42

Wasted Time

00:00:00

Rest Timer

00:18:00

Exercises Done

6

Weight Lifted

13050 lbs

Re-Calculate

Workout Logs

 Exercise Name

1RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training 

N/A 

Calorie :   148 CAL
Distance: 3.8 mile
Speed :    7.56 mph
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:30:10

Smith Machine Squat 

210 

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat 

98 

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 70x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift 

140 

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 100x12
Set 5 : 100x12

Glute Kickback 

12 

Set 1 : 8 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training 

N/A 

Calorie :   177 CAL
Distance: 2.31 mile
Speed :    --
Lap/Rep :  --
Duration : 00:30:00

Friday the 13th is Just Another Day

I'm in the odd position of mourning someone who isn't dead. Yet. Because you don't survive metastasized breast cancer that's spread to the brain/lung/liver. And feeling guilty about it, because although this is someone I used to work with a very long time ago, we hadn't stayed in touch. We have mutual friends and acquaintances though. And she's not passed yet, but I still feel an overwhelming sense of loss. I know it's so much worse for her family and close friends. "Men die and they are not happy." That was my HS yearbook quote, taken from Camus' Caligula. Because it's true. And I'm not a terribly cheerful person.

I'm at that age now where people are starting to drop off here and there, because we all expect to live to be 100. And most of us won't. It's always shocking when someone dies young. It's not normal. But we survive. Then we get complacent, feeling as if we should all live well past our 80s. After all, isn't this the Golden Age of Medicine. Don't we know all the ways we can stay healthy, and young forever? Barring a freak accident, road rage, random acts of Nature and our own stupidity. My in-laws are battling the indignities of age, losing their memories and independence. No one expects that to happen either.

This morning, my first thought before I got out of bed was "I'm too tired. I can't do it." That was followed by the shadow of a thought, "Just 5 more minutes," but the dog was licking my hand and I hate rushing to get everything done. Dog needs to be fed and walked. And it's 4°F outside. WTH? I make my son's lunch, fix myself coffee and oatmeal, refill the bird feeder, start the car so it's warm by the time I have to drive down to the school bus stop. It's Leg Day. Well, if nothing else, I'll get some cardio in, because cardio is good enough. After 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, I feel like a human being again. The Smith is free. Not only free, but set up as if it was expecting me. Really odd. There's no weight on the bar, but the foam neck pad is attached. And the small flat bench is close by. I suspect one of the regulars, but I have no proof.

I do my Smith Squats. My right knee is a tad sore. I cut my back on the Smith SLDLs because at 120 lbs, there is an unpleasant pulling sensation in my right forearm that runs through my elbow. It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel right either. (I don't get this from RG BB Rows and I move heavier weight there.) I've decided to up my sets for the Smith One-Leg Split Squat and use the small flat bench to put my back foot on. I can really feel this movement in the glutes, and quads today. Usually I only feel my quads when I'm doing Pistol Squats. I'll do those later. I know I'll just fall on my face if I attempt GHRs immediately afterwards so I "rest" by doing 30 minutes on the elliptical, Performance Program #3 which ends with a lot of backward pedaling. The GHRs are still hard, but I get them done. Just grit my teeth under my hoodie and muscle through.

Last is a modified Mat Stretch, with just one set of Dive Bomber Push Ups, a plank, a few pistol squats, and of course, lots of stretching. Tomorrow my son has a dress rehearsal for kung fu, and then I suggested to my hubs that we go to a favorite local Latin restaurant because we're both tired of sushi. I know it's Valentine's Day so I've gotten my son a small box of candy, and a card and box of chocolate covered blueberries for the hubs. My son just lost his second molar, and the Tooth Fairy left him another "gold" dollar coin. I have kept all his baby teeth, because the Tooth Fairy is loathe to discard such intimate items, no matter how petty or trite. We all want to live forever. And in the end, we know that we can't. But we can sure give it a good try.

Friday the 13th Cardio and Leg Day Workout
(total mileage = 6.4; weights moved = 14,255 lbs)

Cross Trainer

Calorie :   150 CAL
Distance: 3.86 mile
Speed :    7.68 mph
Duration : 00:30:11

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x12
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 : 120x12

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

98

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 70x12
Set 4 : 70x12
Set 5 : 70x12

Elliptical

Calorie :   285 CAL
Distance: 2.54 mile
Duration : 00:30:18

GluteHamRaises

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

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:30

Dive Bomber Pushup

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

134.17

Set 1 : 115x5