I noticed on Friday that using the LifeFitness Cross-trainer to warm up did not adversely affect my Back workout. Today I purposely skipped the Precor elliptical in favor of 2 miles on the cross-trainer. I alternate between just using legs and also using the handles, switching it up every 5 minutes. I've been having some issues with my benching for reps, even at the paltry 115 lbs weight because of my right shoulder. I've seen people making arm circles with small 5 lb plates as a shoulder warm up. I figure this might work as well. Yesterday my triceps were still a tad sore from Friday's Rip Crushers so I'm a little worried.
I'm on the bench with the skewed breaker frame. It's disconcerting and makes me much more cautious with my body position. I warm up with just the bar, then 95 lbs, careful to keep my elbow close to my sides. It's hard with such a wide bench. But 115 lbs isn't all that hard and I knock out 10 reps for each set. I could probably've gotten more reps, so maybe next week. I finish with a 20-repper at 95 lbs because I really enjoy the pump that gives me. There are only two BB Incline Benches and one is occupied, and the other has a fully loaded Oly bar and no one in sight. I hate people who do circuits. It's my excuse to do DB Incline presses instead at one of the adjustable benches. These are also too wide and too high for me. I'm not sure how much I can press so I start off light: 20 lbs. Then 25 lbs. Then 30 lbs. This is a good weight to do sets at. It's considerably less than what I lift with a BB, but my left arm is a lot weaker than my right so I have to take that into account. Don't want to clock myself in the head with an errant DB.
I also haven't done DB Flyes in a long time so while I have the bench and DBs, well, WTH. I do just a few sets of these. It's a bit taxing on that pesky right front delt. Standing DB Lateral Raises feel okay enough that I up the weight after the first set, and drop it back down for the last set. I'm a bit more cautious with the rear delt work. I've given myself knots in my right shoulder blade and a stiff neck when I'm not careful with my form. I swap my adjustable bench for a flat bench, but it's still too big for me. I really hate how the bench is wide at the head rest and tapers narrower towards the feet so I flip over for Reverse Flyes. At least my arms can clear the bench this way. These feel okay. I'm glad I have my music blasting. The Mayor and Tall Pace are yabbering just a few feet away from me. For a moment I'm really annoyed too because Tall Pace appears to be staring at me with a stupid grin on his face, like a cat who swallowed the canary. There are a lot of regulars who have suddenly made an appearance again after months. Finally decided to get off the couch or come back from the dead? Whatever.
I only need to knock out some bicep work, more cardio and then incorporate abs into my Mat Stretch. I feel a little lame only doing 3 sets for each exercise, but I figure it's cumulative. I'm also trying to spare my joints and three sets of 12 per movement is all my wrists and elbows can handle, even all braced up. I get on the Precor for the next 2 miles, and dang if it doesn't take forever. Tomorrow I'll have my son with me so I'll do much shorter cardio sessions. We've seen all the kids movies and I'm not about to spend money on crap like 22 Jump Street. We're going to catch the last week of Jersey Boys. My son isn't thrilled, but I remind him that we saw two kids movies last week. Mommy's choice this week.
I added another round of Dive Bomber Push Ups to the Mat Stretch. THAT was hard! The plank immediately after wasn't much easier. After splits and other stretches, I curl up and knock out sets of crunches. Nothing fancy. I still can't bring myself to do any of those odd moves I've watched in my hubs' P90X videos. Mostly because I can't really remember how they go. The fawn in our yard comes and goes, bedding down against our garden fence or under the deck steps. I've put out cut apples, carrots and other vegetation near his favorite grazing areas but he doesn't seem to know those things are edible. We had a whole apple out on a small plastic table at the edge of the woods for him, and instead, a very large deer stepped out and gulped the apple down whole. Oh well...
Monday Workout
Calorie : 96 CAL
Distance: 2.23 mile
Speed : 6.64 mphDuration : 00:20:00
Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 95x12
Set 3 : 115x10
Set 4 : 115x10
Set 5 : 115x10
Set 6 : 95x20
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 30x12
Set 4 : 30x12
Set 5 : 30x12
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 20x12
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 20x15
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12
Set 1 : 40x20
Set 2 : 40x20
Set 3 : 40x20
Set 1 : 25x50
Set 2 : 25x50
Calorie : 222 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Duration : 00:24:00
Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 50 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 50 Lap/Rep
We were out most of the weekend and I'm feeling it today. I did my 2 miles on the LifeFitness before lifting but never busted a sweat. I hate days like that. The free weight area is fairly empty, but the breaker benches need adjustments. When I pull the bar forward to take it off the rack, the breaker stays forward and doesn't snap back. Which means I have to use the bar to push the breaker back, out of the way. Fine if it's just the bar. Lousy if you have a loaded barbell. It just sucks all your energy and momentum out of the lift. My benching sucked today. So instead of upping my bench today, I didn't even finish my heavy set. Instead, I went for reps at the lower weight. At least it wasn't a total loss. Later, as I'm exiting the gym, I see the owner working out and mention how the breaker benches need fixing. He thinks they need to be oiled. I think they're too loose and need to be tightened. Whatever. As long as they're fixed by next week. 
