Sick Day Workout

Because I can't seem to get warm unless I work out, I'm downright miserable if I stay home all day while the temp hovers in the low 40s. There's only so much hot tea that one can drink without becoming absolutely sodden. It's as if my body is in hibernation mode until I shock it awake with a healthy dose of cardio. Today is Back Day and probably the most taxing of my 5-day routine, so I'm game to see what I can make of it. I already know cardio is going to blow chunks, but I make a gallant effort anyway. I don't even come close to four miles. Still, it makes me warm and sweaty, and that makes me feel better.

My head cold is progressing -- I have tissues in my hoodie pocket because my nose is running. Or rather, my right nostril is running. The left seems unperturbed by all this talk of illness and colds. I've slathered Liquid Skin all over my fingers and parts of my heels and toes in an effort to stave off cold weather skin fissures. My finger tips are shiny like plastic, but the bleach spray I use to wipe off the elliptical tends to dissolve that protection. I'm only planning to do four sets of Neutral Grip Pull Downs but I toy with the idea of Seated Cable Rows. I stopped doing them when my lower back suddenly reacted badly, and initiated a warning bout of sciatica down my right leg. It's not worth risking the injury. My elbows don't complain too loudly about the Pull Downs. Perhaps next week I'll try some Pull Ups.

This week I'm constantly reminding myself to go slow and easy, although I frequently have to check the Jefit app on my phone to remember what I did last week, and subsequently, what I was planning to do today. I do feel a little tired when I stretch out at the Cage. But mostly I feel fatigue in my lower eyelids. They burn a little, as if I've stayed up too late watching bad TV. The rest of me feels fine. The free weight area is a complete disaster, as if teenagers held an all night rave and forgot to have their moms put everything back in order. I have my four magnetic discs from the front desk.

There's a guy blocking the BB rack because he's put the EZ bar where the 80 lb BB should be. The 80 is on the floor by his feet. He's attempting to put plates on the bar but the EZ isn't long enough to fit properly. Okay, I've just pegged this young black guy with the V-shape physique as a moron. I remember B talking about him ("Oh, he has such a nice body") and how she'd made him some soup or stew and was constantly bringing it to the gym but he'd never be there. Eventually she gave up. I'm sure he was avoiding her attentions and I was embarrassed for her.

Eventually he realizes that he's in my way and he moves aside so I can grab the 100 lb barbell. I'll skip the 90 today. I have discs so I'm not going to bother with the 110 either. BD curls the EZ bar, but never replaces the 80 lb BB. I hate people who don't clean up after themselves. I do a warm up set at 100 and then knock out six sets of 12 reps at 110 lbs. My grip is okay for this but I know my hands are already starting to tire. Lower Back Extensions are next. The seat and shoulder rest are set at the lowest points, for someone my size. But the weight is set at 75 lbs. Yeah, gotta fix that. One warm up set at 165 lbs. The next six sets are at my max weight of 187.5 lbs for 12 reps each. It's a bit of work, but not impossible. I'm not sure how to move the weight up because at 195 lbs, I can't make the full arc. I don't know if a partial movement should count. I see ZZ trying not to stare. He's wearing a fluorescent yellow shirt and a pompadour. It's hard not to notice him, even peripherally.

When I'm done, I bring the 2.5 lb discs back to the front desk and swap them for the pair of 1.25 discs. Together they'll make a 55 into a 57.5 lb DB. I'm tired but I can always move weights. I grab a bench close to the plastic beauty bells because that is where the 55s start. I warm up with a 50 though and have to walk it all the way down the rack first. A set at 55. I've put the VGs on because my hands are tired. Then I plop the discs on and brace myself for the next three sets. I don't take as long to recover from each set but still, it's odd that my left seems stronger than my right. Of course, my left is fresher because I do left side first -- it's literally my weaker side. I feel a bit hollow, but not really tired. I think the tank's gone empty. However, there's still abs to do, and the sad thing is, I can always do abs. So I do abs. Sit ups, knee-in kick outs, crunches, torso twists. All of it. Now I can finally settle down for the Mat stretch. Once I get those DBPUs and plank out of the way. Sigh.

The gym scale reads 111.0 lbs. My face seems a tad puffy so I think having bacon and eggs for dinner last night was probably a bit too much salt. But my son enjoys it when I swap brunch foods for supper, and it's a nice change especially when the hubby is away on business and will have already had dinner by the time he gets home. Tomorrow is Leg Day. I'm not sure how the Double Cardio is going to go, but I'll give it a shot. I can always push weight. It's the cardio that I suck at, and that I have to work at. But maybe not when I'm sick.

Tuesday Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.80 miles Blech!

Neutral Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
Will see how Pull Ups feel next week

Cage Stretch

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 100 / 6 x 12 @ 110 lbs PB
I guess I should grab the 110 lb BB and start adding discs to that

Lower Back Extension: 12 @ 165 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 187.5 lbs PB
Not sure where to go with this because I can't complete the full arc movement at the next plate 195 lbs

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 50 lbs / 12 @ 55 lbs / 12, 11, 10 @ 57.5 lbs
Guess I'll up the weight when I can get 3 sets of 12 at 57.5 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 125
Lower Ab Knee-In Kick-Out: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 20 sec plank, splits, etc.

Two Steps Back and One Step Forward

It's Tuesday and I get to the gym much later than normal because I had things to do before I left the house. Never mind the snow flurries that weren't suppose to stick. A feathery white blanket on the trees, grass and shrubs makes our run down neighborhood downright pretty, but the 31°F temperature meant winter parkas and gloves were a necessity. The gym was crowded but I still got my favorite elliptical so I was happy enough. I just missed my four mile quota but I was still in a good mood.

I see B chatting with M on the brand new stair climbers, and since I don't have anything to say, I just walk by with my hoodie over my face. My elbows don't like the Close Grip Lat Pull Downs but I only do four sets as a sort of warm up. Then I stretch at the Cage. Since the Cage is situated next to a mirrored wall near the gym entrance, I can see people coming and going if I'm paying attention. Most people are oblivious to me which is the way I like it. Then I see the Flirty Girl walk in with a head band, capris and snow parka. She looks around, sees me and leaves. Most people leave and return because they've forgotten something. She's just gone. I'm really quite amused but you couldn't tell that from looking at me.

I grab 4 magnetic discs and head to the free weights. I wish I didn't have to traverse an obstacle course to get to the BB rack. I guess I'm lazy because I grab the 90 lb BB and do a set of Reverse Grip BB Rows. Then I swap it for the 100 lb BB. But it's such an ordeal ducking between benches and Olympic bars jutting haphazardly out at face level (for me, anyway). So instead of swapping the 100 for the last barbell in the rack, the 110, I plop magnets on the ends. Eventually I'll just start with the 100 and swap it for the 110. But not yet. My grip seems okay today and I can feel the center of my back contract with the rowing motion. Cool, I think to myself.

After I re-rack the barbell I jump on the Lower Back Extension and dawdle a bit on where to start. WTH, I'll start where I started last week, at 150 lbs. It's actually really convenient to have the Jefit app on my phone since I can easily check what I logged last week (instead of trying to guess what I did) and judge how heavy and how many reps based on facts. As I do and log each set, I remember that I was going to do three sets at the max weight any way. So I do that too. No wonder I spend so much time at the gym.

Okay, there's only one exercise left to do and that's always saved for last ('cuz I just don't count abs and stretching). I start with the 45 lb DB and regular grips. I've replaced my old broken neoprene grips with a leather/neoprene grip but I'm not sure how much I like them because the leather seems slippery. When my fingers starts to falter I'll pull the VGs out of my gear sack. I can get 12 reps. I grab the 50 but only get 10 reps. I grab the 55 and put on the VGs and again I get 12 reps. I contemplate doing another two sets when I suddenly remember that I was going to up the weights a tad so I trade the four 2.5 lb discs for a pair of 1.25 lb discs. That makes the 55 a 57.5 lb DB. And I get three sets but not 12 reps. Still, I'm pretty happy. The guys in the DB area are trying really hard not to stare. And if they're making comments, I can't hear them because I'm plugged in.

Only abs and Mat stretch to do. While I'm on the Mat, a guy plops down on the adjacent one. He's the same guy I saw earlier, peering from the Mat area, with puppy dog eyes. He has his brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail, unusual for this part of the country. Briefly, I wonder if he's the same guy from Friday, but I soon forget about him because I've busy trying to complete my routine without falling on my face.

The gym scale reads 111.6 lbs and that's better than yesterday. The small Latina woman I spoke to weeks ago comes in and weighs herself. Apparently she's a tad heavier than me although I would've said she was smaller. Heck, she's probably taller too. I'm so bad at judging these things. She's shocked that I weigh less than her and I tell her that it's just numbers. They don't mean anything. What means something is moving the weights down and upping my reps again. But they don't mean anything to anyone except me.

Tuesday Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.98 miles (Yawn!)

Close Grip (neutral grip) Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
my elbows still don't like this movement so I'm not even going to attempt pull ups today

Cage Stretch

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 110 lbs
I think I'll work up to 6 sets of 12 at 110 before upping the weight

Lower Back Extension Machine: 12 @ 150 / 12 @ 165 / 12 @ 180 / 3 x 12 @ 187.5 lbs
I'll try to work up to 6 sets of 12 at 187.5 lbs

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 10 @ 50 lbs / 12 @ 55 lbs / 11, 10, 8 @ 57.5 lbs
working towards getting 3 full sets of 12 reps at 57.5 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
I feel this loosens my lower back up after doing all those lower back extensions
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch (still hate the 20 second plank)

Versa Gripps Saves My Workout

Today is Election Day and although banks are open and there is postal service, the schools are closed. Which means that I have my son in tow today. It's a busy day. First the gym, then the $5 movies next door to catch the animated Free Birds, then off to vote, then home to do a quick load of laundry or two and maybe organize dinner, and get some Chinese home work done before rushing out the door to my son's tae kwon do class. Whew.

The gym is crowded with new faces. I'm bummed when I approach the cardio area because literally all the ellipticals are occupied. I scan the line of machines when two overweight young women decide they'd rather be on different ellipticals, ones just vacated. I'm annoyed that they don't bother to reset or wipe down the machines as they exit and I kick the On/Off button by the power cord to reset the panel. I'm on my favorite elliptical and singing along to Meatloaf classics (silently) but I still don't quite make my quota. Oh well. I'm kinda in a rush anyway and had actually thought about cutting my cardio time short, but the gym rat in me wouldn't allow it. Instead, I decided I'd do my workout and hopefully the child care people wouldn't complain when I went over the 2-hour limit. I'm always running late to get my son, but he's not any trouble (unlike babies or toddlers) so no one's said anything so far.

Today is Back Day and I again debate which exercises to do. Close Grip Pull Downs feel okay except for the top of my elbows so I only do four sets. Because my elbows are bothering me, I take a break and head to the Cage for stretches before returning to the free weight area. I grab a 90 lb BB and do BB Rows, holding them overhand. I'm not happy with the strain it puts on my forearms and elbows so after another set at 95 lbs, I switch back to Reverse Grip BB Rows. I've also swapped the 90 lb BB for the 100. Then I affix magnets. Do a set and add the rest of the magnets. Inexplicably during the rows, my left pointer finger starts to ache at the base and upon closer inspection, I see a bruise forming a thick purple ring. I know I didn't bang it so I'm perplexed as to how this injury occurred. My finger starts to swell, making it difficult to grip the barbell, but otherwise it doesn't really bother me.

I'm stubborn. After a mere five sets, I wander over to the Lower Back Extension machine and start with the pin set at 150 lbs. Four sets of 12 later, I've put a half-brick (7.5 lbs) on the stack. I can actually get the full rotation so this is where I'll keep the weight until I'm strong enough to properly move 195 lbs. Gotta have goals, right? Regulars float in and out. I've seen The Mayor, Tall Pace, Jude, Hoodie Tattoo, Skinny J, M, RR and R. R seems to be sporting a new look, or he's decided not to shave. Because he's got large angular dark features, his appearance is markedly menacing, if you don't know him. I give a quick nod but I'm not in a chatty mood. I've settled myself on a bench in the middle of the DB area because the 50s are at the far right of the top rack, and the 55s are at the extreme left of the bottom rack. Yep, one-arm DB rows.

I can handle the 45 without much pain, but the 50 make the damaged finger ache and I have to cut my reps short. I re-rack the 50 and grab a 55 lb. I'm sure the guys are trying hard not to stare. Time to pull out the Versa Gripps. These make rowing the 55 so much easier. I always start with the left because it's the weaker side, but by the time I've finished 12 reps, I'm breathing hard and need a moment before I can set up with the right side. The second set gets the better of me so only 10 reps. I don't think it was my body that gave out, but my head. I need to be mindless to finish the third set and I'm happy to get another 12 reps. Okay, now that I'm doing reps at 55 lbs, does that mean I should move the weight up. Maybe I should grab the smaller magnets next time (1.25 lbs apiece) so I can inch up to 57.5 lbs instead of trying my luck with the 60 lb DB?

I'm soooo done. Well, I should do something for abs, so a quick turn at the Sit Up bench and then the Mat Stretch. I think about bagging the plank but I don't. I hate how my body quivers every time I exhale, but that' right after doing two dozen Dive Bomber Push Ups so I probably should cut myself some slack. The gym scale reads 110.2 lbs and I'm good with that since I've sucked down nearly all my water. My son isn't quite the last child in the child care room. The movie doesn't start for another 45 minutes so we have time to get a snack in the car before walking back to the cinema. Medium popcorn, of course.

Back Day Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.99 miles Sigh

Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs

Cage Stretch

BB Rows (first two sets with normal overhand grip, last last sets with reverse underhand grip): 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 12 @ 110 lbs

Lower Back Extension Machine: 12 @ 150 lbs / 12 @ 165 lbs / 12 @ 180 lbs / 12 @ 187.5 lbs
Maybe next time I should just do all my sets at 187.5 lbs?

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 45 lbs / 10 @ 50 lbs / 12, 10, 12 @ 55 lbs
Thinking about moving the weight up again but perhaps I'm being overly ambitious

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125

Mat Stretch, etc

Knowing When to Say When

It's hard for a lot of us stubborn gym rats to know when to back down. We hate quitting. We hate losing, especially to ourselves. Ego, pride, stubbornness. Having a training plan helps to schedule rest and recuperation days into a punishing program. Some of us just play it by ear, listening for the signs of over-training, trying to prevent injury while working through discomfort. I should probably put together a better plan that the one I have right now which is basically work each body part once a week, going for reps with as heavy a weight as I can muster without hurting myself. It's starting to catch up with me. Either that or it's seasonal allergies.

I'm stuck pedaling the "tractor" elliptical and even though I'm a bit breathless and sweaty at the end of 35 minutes, I'm no where near my 4-mile quota. Sigh. Well, at least tomorrow's Leg Day when I'll have a chance to redeem myself.

My elbows have been sore for several days although it's not debilitating. More of an annoyance but today I take care not to stress them too much. It's hard to work back without your elbows so I have to compromise between what I want to do and what I know I can do without too much damage. I have half a mind not to do Wide Grip Pull Downs today, but I'm stubborn and talk myself into just a few sets. I should've known better because on the last rep of the last set, my right hand suddenly slips off the bar and the weight stack slams down. It's not THAT much weight so it's not THAT noisy, but I reach up and steady the wobbling handle over my head. Don't want it to poke some tall guy in the eye. Sheepishly, I glance around. Only Nixon, standing halfway across the free weight area, seems to have noticed my mishap. And that's only because he spends a lot of time waiting for M to spot him and M spends a lot of time chatting.

My grip sucks today. I ponder my next moves while stretching out in the Cage. Normally I do Close Grip Pull Downs. Instead I do Reverse Grip Barbell Curls, marching over to the barbell rack and grabbing the 90 lb barbell. It's so bloody crowded in the free weight area that I've confined myself to a little strip between the mirrored wall and one of the shoulder machines. I remember doing 90 lbs without any issues and I'm confident I can do them again. After three sets, I realize that they're too easy and I swap the barbell for the 100 lb one. This is only harder because I have trouble again with my grip, but only during the last two reps. My back feels okay. I do three sets and figure that's enough for now. Back to Close Grip Pull Downs. Those are easier on my grip but harder on my elbows. It's a bit frustrating but I still manage to kiss the handles to my chest for each rep, keeping my elbows tucked close to my body as I pull down. 

The Lower Back Extension machine is free and I'm feeling ornery. How much weight can I do? I start at 120 lbs and do my standard 25 reps. I figure if it's too heavy, I won't be able to finish my set. Since each plate is 15 lbs, I add a half brick of 7.5 lbs for the next set. Then I up the stack to 135. Then I add the half brick back. This makes the 4th set of 25 reps. It's 142.5 lbs. I could probably up the weight again to 150 but I decide to save that for next time. My back feels fine, not even vaguely tired. It's 100 reps. I'm probably going to feel it later. Either that, or I've waaay underestimated myself.

Moment of truth: DB Rows. I can't find an unoccupied bench even though there aren't a lot of people in the DB area. One of the benches is in Cage area next to the other cable machines on the other side of the gym. As I approach, a scruffy guy in the Cage makes to vacate immediately. I motion to him that he's ok, I just want the bench. Is he using it? He motions Oh no! Go right ahead. I see R adjusting the other cable machine so I put my hand up to wave in his face. He's 6'4 so there's no other way to get his attention. He smiles and I motion to the bench. He motions back Not using it. Go take it. Cool.

I'm good with the first few sets of DB Rows, progressing from 40s to 45s to 50s, but my right shoulder feels odd. There is a dull ache running from the front delt down the bone into the top of my elbow. It's not pain, but it's not pleasant either. I have new straps that are thinner and a bit longer than the previous brand. My hands are too small and I can barely wrap my fingers around the stem of the 50. Bummer. I strip the strap off and use just the grip pad to finish.

My lower back feels a little stiff and I know that doing abs always loosens it up so I do crunches first and then twisting sit ups before Mat Stretch. Now I feel pretty good. In the locker room I chat with D who was out sick last week because her oldest kid came home with a head cold and then passed it on to each of his brothers and then her. I find myself pulling back a bit because I hate getting sick. We discuss the knee and elbow blows in the Avatar Intermediate level. It makes me eager to wail on the Nexersys again but I'll wait until Friday. Tomorrow is Leg Day.

The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs. I know it's water because I ate fried chicken from Roy Rogers last night. I don't ever make fried chicken so that's probably the only fast food I'll actually eat once or twice a year. I know it's loaded with salt and MSG and fat, although not as bad as KFC which contains so much MSG that it gives me the proverbial "MSG headache".

Back Workout:

35 min Hill 6 = 3.89 miles Bleah!

Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 8 @ 120 lbs
And here I lose my right hand grip on the very last rep.

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and side kicks

RGBB Rows: 3 x 12 @ 90 lbs / 3 x 10 @ 100 lbs
Again, the last 2 reps of the last 2 sets have my fingers starting to fail

Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
At least here I can get my hands fully around the handles and rely less on my fingers.

Lower Back Extension: 25 @ 120 lbs / 25 @ 127.5 lbs / 25 @ 135 lbs / 25 @ 142.5 lbs
At the heavier weights I'm feeling it a bit in my hamstrings as well as lower back.

DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 50 lbs

Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150

Mat Stretch with 10 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling PUs, 10 regular stance DBPUs, splits, lower back, upper back, hamstring & hip stretch, etc.

Welcome DOMS Tuesday

DOMS is the acronym for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and it's been a really long time since I've experienced it. Yesterday was Chest and Delts and I've been pushing the intensity. Unfortunately it takes a lot of make pectorals ache -- I think the last time that happened to me I'd been seeing if I could do 50 push ups straight in a row. I did, but damn if I wasn't really sore the next day. Instead, I felt parts of my upper back, specifically posterior deltoids, feeling a bit stiff and achy. Guess I'll stick with the 30 lb dumbbells as long as my joints hold out!

This morning my right wrist and thumb were also achy, with a throbbing pain that pulsed down the inside of my forearm. My elbows were complaining as I dressed and I hadn't even picked up anything heavy yet. I was trailing zombies (brain dead drivers) all the way to the gym. But I had my pick of ellipticals, although I had to weave through the clucking and cackling of the Zumba class in order to get there. Punched in Interval 7 and loaded a Billy Idol playlist just for a change of pace. At least I made my quota today.

I step off the cardio area and run into B who says breathlessly that she's getting up on the Step Mill before someone else grabs it. It does seem to be a popular machine and there's only two of them. After I claim a space at the Lat Pull Down Station, I see R by the DBs. For my own piece of mind, I walk over to him and ask him if he's mad at me. He looks a little surprised. "Why would I be mad at you?" he asks. "Dunno," I shrug, then add,"but I waved at you and you had this look on your face like you were mad or something." He smiles a little and says, "Oh, that was just my mojo. I gotta lot of things going on, that's all." Betting on the Giants? They've been absolutely abysmal this year. "So we're okay, right?" He laughs a little. I realize I have no idea whether he's telling the truth or not, nor does it matter.

I miss doing Reverse Grip Barbell Rows but I don't know how my lower back feels about it so I resist the urge. Instead, I grab the lightest pull down bar available and set the pin to 75 lbs. Then 90 lbs. Then 105 lbs. Then a 7.5 lb brick. Then 120 lbs. By this last set, my elbows and forearms are starting to complain. I only do one set and feel like a wus. The Cage Stretch feels good though. Then I return to the pull downs and grab a close grip handle. I like these better except for the weird rumble along my ribs as I pull my arms down and the handle taps my chest. Only five sets but my elbows are sore. I use Lower Back Extensions as an excuse to rest my forearms. For the first set, the seat belt is too loose and I'm nearly standing, with my butt off the seat. I tighten the belt for the next set and up the weight. And up it again, wondering how much weight I can push, wondering how much is too much.

Dumbbell rows are my grips biggest challenge. I bought new grip straps that are longer and seem thinner so I can actually get my hand around the DB stem if I need to. But I struggle without them today, figuring that I can always dig them out of my gear sack if my grip fails. My grip eventually fails but it's during the last reps of the very last set. My forearms are aching. Regulars float in and out of the free weight area. I see The Mayor, Nixon, M and a few others but I don't pay much attention. It's too hard to move weight if I'm looking around at everyone else, so I don't. There's no way I'm even looking at barbell rows now.

I've already done abs. These new workout pants are okay for everything except the sit ups because of an unpleasant seam. This morning, I snipped out the 5 inch plastic materials strip because really, who the heck designed workout pants to have a plastic strip of Made in / How to Wash running down your butt crack? Tomorrow I get to try my new ten dollar shorts. They come with a built-in, really soft running liner that should keep my modesty intact. They were probably ten bucks because although the shorts are a modest gray, the liner is puke green.

I actually remember to do everything on my mental list for the Mat Stretch including the wide-legged dive bomber push ups and the regular stance ones. My splits are good today and I feel very limber. The gym scale reads 110.0 lbs before I shower. When I get home, my scale reads 108 lbs. Just as I thought. My upper back feels a tad sore, but at least it's not my lower back. I might try doing a few barbell rows next week. Gotta play it by ear.

Back Day Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.64 miles Yay!
Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs /12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 / 10 @ 112.5 / 8 @ 120
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips & Calf Raises and Side Kicks
Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 4 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 lbs / 25 @ 105 / 25 @ 120 / 25 @ 130 / 25 @ 135
DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 12 @ 45 lbs / 4 x 8 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Staion: 100
Mat Stretch with 10 wide DBPUs and 10 regular stance DBPUs; splits, lower back stretch, etc.

Do You Have Your Plan B?

Back Day and all
I see are biceps.

One of the most difficult things to teach young children is adaptability. Too often when expectations are not met, there are tears, frustration and incomprehension that all is not lost. Resiliency is not a standardized skill that can be taught in school although we'd all benefit if it was. We should always have a Back Up, a Plan B just in case things aren't what we were expecting. Today, I remembered my iPod and the rest of my gear but I had no Precor machine to board because Tuesdays is the day that everyone does morning cardio. Even the sludgy Life Fitness machines were all occupied! That left only the Cybex Arc trainer because my knees can't handle the impact of running on a treadmill. Luckily, I'm vaguely familiar with the machine, familiar enough at least to make it go. It (the TV screen AND the Cybex display panel) doesn't actually power up until you start peddling so it appears non-functional to most people.

Calories on top; Time on bottom.

Because I'm slightly too short for this machine, I break my time into smaller segments to minimize my lower back discomfort from reaching for handles a tad too far. After 10 minutes of gliding with my hands holding the side rail, I punch in 15 minutes and place my hands on the alternating handles which sometimes manages to measure my heart rate, but more often does not. Then a final 10 minutes with my hands down by the side rails again. I have no idea what the total mileage is as I snap quick photos with my cell phone, but I know how many calories it thinks I burned. (When I get home I compare it to the Precor and find that the Cybex claims to have burned more in equal time.) Sweat is dripping from my hoodie and I'm satisfactorily warm-up. Ugh, I've broken the zipper pull on this hoodie yet again and it's not worth paying to replace it more than once. I guess it's become a pullover until it's too frayed to wear. That shouldn't take long with daily use.

I've given up Seated Cable Rows for now because although my lower back doesn't hurt, it still feels stiff and unwieldy. And I certainly don't want another bout of sciatica. I might be stubborn, but I'm not stupid. Instead, I do a few sets of Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs and hang at the end of each set just for the stretch. This constitutes my first "big" muscle movement so I do Cage Stretches then return to the cable station with the handle I usually reserve for Seated Cable Rows. I figure I can do rows without involving my lower back by doing Close Grip Pull Downs. By the last three sets, I'm just able to wrestle myself down under the thigh pads to anchor me to the seat. No Bent Over BB Rows either unless I want to pick up the 60 lb BB and do a million reps. No thanks.

Inclined DB Rows

One-Arm DB Row
muscles involvement

There aren't many people in the free weight area so I position myself on an inclined bench and perform a few sets of dumbbell rows. The 20 lbs are too light, the 25s are better, and the 30s are just too big. I do sets with them but I risk smacking my hands or the DBs because they're so wide and I have small hands, small arms, not a lot of radius. I feel my middle back but want more lat involvement so I move to a flat bench and do a set of One Arm DB Rows, upping the DBs after each set until I reach the 45s. I can get 3 sets of 8 hard reps with these. It's not Arm Day, but my biceps are pumped. I'm so toasted that I'm looking forward to a few sit ups for relaxation. Instead I do two sets of Lower Back Extensions first. My lower back is definitely stiff, but at least it doesn't hurt. Plan B seems actionable. At least until my elbows start to complain. Ssshhh.

When I finish sit ups, Mo is standing next to me with an acrid cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup. She's teasing me, "Boy I can really feel that burn," "Oh, you can feel MY burn?" I ask, "Sure it's not the coffee?" Her workouts are only an hour so she's off to run errands. I'd barely be done with cardio if I limited my time to just an hour. Instead, I dance over to the Mats and do my mat routine. I even manage a few seconds rolling forward in the horizontal split. It's the stretch that needs the most work. The Dive Bomber Push Ups feel good and I knock out 10 with shoulder width hands, and another 3 with hands under my waist. Maybe I'll remember to see how many actual push ups I can do on Thursday, Arm Day... What I don't remember to do is weigh myself at the gym. My home scale tells me 107.6 lbs and I'm good with that. It's my back up.

Alternate Back Workout:
35 min Cybex machine... no idea how many miles! 450 calories
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down: 12 @ 60 (warm up) / 2 x 12 @ 90 / 3 x 10 @ 105 lbs
Cage Stretch with Heel Dips (it's a full flex from standing tip-toe to dipping heel 2") and side kicks
Close Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 60 / 12 @ 75 / 12 @ 90 / 2 x 10 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Inclined DB Rows: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 30 lbs
One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 30 lbs / 12 @ 35 lbs / 12 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 45 lbs
Lower Back Extension: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 150
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 Dive Bomber Push Ups (hands under shoulders) + 3 (hands under waist) with vertical and horizontal splits