My workout is fairly routine, starting off with 30 min on the cross-trainer for warm up and cardio. Shaggy is on the adjacent machine, but I have my hoodie pulled low over my face. I think he's got a gold stud in his ear, like he's a dang pirate. I change the channel of the attached video monitor to SyFy because there's usually a dark movie on at this time in the morning. Not that I'm watching. I just don't like the bright screens of most of the shows flashing in my face when I work out. If I can turn the monitor off, I do but that's only possible with the Precor ellipticals. The TV screens on the LifeFitness cross-trainers don't seem to have an Off button. When the monitor gets really hinky and threatens to evoke epileptic seizures, I toss a towel or hoodie over it. Because it's just too damn distracting.
I'm really happy that my stomach isn't bothering me and I've been able to return to hammer grip pull ups. I'm not brave enough to add another set yet though because the last time I did, well, that's when all the trouble developed with gallbladder/abdominal pain. I've viewed my lab results from this past Autumn and everything seems okay, with just a touch elevated ALT at 37 (range 0-32) suggesting some past liver or gallbladder distress, and high-end of normal for serum glucose, chloride and sodium. But my VLDL (Very Low-Density Lipoprotein) seems really good at 13 (range is 5-40), and HDLs are okay at 77. The LDLs are a tad high at 100 (range is 0-99), but Triglycerides are good at 67 (range 0-149). I'd like to think I'm pretty healthy for a 55 yr old woman. I'll probably outlive my social security benefits, if a car doesn't fall out of the sky and kill me first.
I do the same push up and plank routine I did on Monday. I do the same DB routine too, except this time my adjustable bench is in the Smith rack. I wish short, fat guys would stop hovering close to me. What do they think? that I'm seriously going to start talking to them, because, what? I don't even talk to the buff guy who comes in to bench on the breaker bench behind me. His long-sleeve camo T seems to be painted on his body builder torso. He's got well-defined pecs, chiseled V-taper and broad shoulders. Sweat pants hang baggy though so he's probably not squatting as much as he should. He does a few light sets so I assume he's cutting for a show, and not pressing heavy. A big guy like that looks odd doing only 1 plate (per side). It's only 135 lbs. I've benched 135 lbs.
I actually don't know if I'll ever go back to benching. I'm getting older and my joints aren't getting any younger. I don't miss the uncertainty of whether I'm going to injure my shoulder. When I do lateral raises, I can see striations in my front delts. Am I getting stringy? When I switch to 25 lbs, my first thought is Dang this is heavy! But eventually it gets easier. Even though I'm getting tired. Weird. I'm just trying to build muscular endurance in my shoulders to aid my kickboxing. It hasn't happened, but it'd really suck to not keep your arms up just because your shoulders are tired.
Finally I'm ready to try Renegade Rows, but realize to my dismay, that all the DBs have round plate edges. Which means they roll. It's impossible to balance yourself on a pair of them in the plank position. Luckily, there are those plastic, fun-colored beauty bells with angled edges. The heaviest ones are 15 lbs so those are the ones I use. They're too light to do anything for my back or arms, but maintaining the plank position does some core and leg work. Eventually, I might do this workout at home because we have angle-edged DBs in the garage. The hovering short, fat guy seems perplexed. I'm not about to enlighten him. My JeFit app doesn't even have Renegade Rows listed, but I'm not surprised. It doesn't list a lot of exercises. I'll just punch in One-Arm Rows and fix it later.
I'm horrified at all the people who do odd things that can really hurt them, like seated toe-touching with legs straight out in front of you. That's a recipe for lower back damage. I see a woman doing just that, and I'm tempted to warn her, but I really don't want to get into a conversation. Most women get so embarrassed and self-conscious that I'm afraid to tell them anything. Yes, I know. It's because I'm such a bad-ass. Who's wearing mismatched shoes.
After another set of pull ups, I do 30 min of Intervals on the elliptical. It's extremely humid in the gym and I'm drenched halfway through the workout. I turn the television monitor off at this machine so I can focus on my pace. I tend to lag when I'm staring at programs instead of the task at hand. Another set of pull ups, a hamstring stretch, some pistol squats, splits and more stretching. I see R and hand him a holiday card. He's putting his condo up for sale and hopes to be moving by next April although he's not sure just where yet. He doesn't want to rush into something, not with his brand new family. I tell him I'll miss him. He seems tickled.
The gym scale reads 106.6 lbs. I'm sure the scale is broken. Although I'm starving at the moment, I did have my instant coffee, and a bowl of Greek-style yogurt with maple syrup. That reminds me. Need to buy more maple syrup, more Greek-style yogurt. And more instant espresso. Like I've said before, I seem to weigh less on days I eat that for breakfast instead of oatmeal, egg and (frozen) pomegranates (or blueberries). It's a mystery. Tomorrow I have my son in tow as school is over until next year. My hubs was suppose to be home yesterday, but things have gone awry and he hopes to be home tomorrow. I've saved several packages of dark-chocolate-covered espresso beans to fuel the midnight wrapping Santa needs to finish before Christmas morning.
Wednesday Workout
(6.43 miles total cardio)
35
Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x10
Set 6 : 25x12 SuperSet with
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x10
Set 6 : 25x12 SuperSet with
37.5
Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 20x15
Set 3 : 20x15
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x15
Set 6 : 25x15
Set 2 : 20x15
Set 3 : 20x15
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x15
Set 6 : 25x15
