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

Ever-Shifting Goals

Tuesday is Back Day and although I'm not consciously working them, the Biceps get a nice workout as well. The lower back and elbows seem okay today so I'm cautiously optimistic about upping the weights on some of the exercises. The gym is oddly empty again, except for the women rushing pell-mell into Zumba class before all the spots are taken. Again I have my favorite elliptical, and again its not enough for me to make my arbitrary quota. I'm so cold when I start that I have my hands tucked inside the sleeves of my hoodie. Ten minutes later I can feel a trickle of sweat on the nape of my neck. By the end of 35 minutes, I'm nicely warm and sweaty. I'm just shy of the quota again, but a hair better than yesterday. I think it's because I'm tired. Still tired from the weekend. And getting up extra early today to pack an actual lunch for my son because Tuesdays he has "Chess at Recess" and so doesn't get to purchase lunch in the cafeteria.

I see a small crowd of regulars, M, Tall Pace, HDA (he looks like Harry Dean Anderson) at one of the cable stations where the lat pull down machine is situated. There's another station, but someone has draped their hoodie over the knee bar, claiming it. The Mayor, Jude and a few others are at the free weights. Because I'd rather put my energy towards the barbell and dumbbell rows, I only use the Neutral Close Grip handles for pull downs today. My elbows screamed at me last week whenever I did wide grip pull downs or actual pull ups, so none of that today. R glides in and greets a few guys near the dumbbells. He's very chatty today. And I'm resolutely not. After a few sets on the Pull Down, I retreat to the Cage Stretch where it is quieter. I've got my iPod blasting. My stretches seem good, but the kicks are a little tired.

I grab 4 discs from the front desk (who knows, I might need them all) and head towards the barbell rack. I grab a 90 lb BB and do a set, then swap it for the 100 lbs. I don't want to waste energy on lesser weights, and even though I have the Versa Gripps tucked in my gear sack, I worry about losing my grip too early in my routine. So I only do 10 reps. I toss a pair of magnets on the ends and do another set. This time I allow myself 12 reps. Then another pair of magnets. Okay, that's 110 lbs.

Jude is on an incline bench a few feet away. I can see he's got a pair of 45s on each side of the bar, which he presses a few times. The Mayor is red-faced and disheveled after squatting. I've only ever seen him do overhead presses and assorted DB work before. I could've swapped this barbell for the last one on the rack, but I'm too lazy to carry it back to the rack while weaving in and out of the various benches and bars jutting haphazardly into the narrow walk aisles. Perhaps I'll just choose the 110 lbs next time because every time I set the barbell down, the magnets slide a bit. (It's not an issue until I do DB Rows where I set the DB down after every rep.) I'm pleased that I get 3 sets of 12 reps at 110 lbs without any grip issue whatsoever. Yay!

My elbows and forearms need a break so I wander over to the Lower Back Extension Machine. It's set to 135 lbs so that's where I start. After each set I move the pin down another plate. Last time I ended at 180 lbs. This time I decide to give the 195 lb a shot. The stack only goes to 300, but that's way more than I can move. I can move the 195 but it's not a full movement where I feel my back hit the bottom of the arc. Maybe next time I'll use the half brick (7.5 lbs) for 187.5 lbs and see if I can get full reps out of that.

Standing at the DB rack, I'm undecided where to start. 45s are right in front of me so it's where I start, and I brace myself on a bench. Then 50 lbs. Then I grab the discs and make the 50 a 55. The first set I only get 8 and not because my grip is failing, but because my elbow and forearm seem a little strained. I dig out the Versa Gripps. It takes me a while to position them properly. I can tell that Big White Mustache on the adjacent bench is trying not to stare. There are a lot of regulars floating about the gym including ZZ, RR, Hoodie Tattoo and Ollie. The Versa Gripps make this movement so much easier and I get 10 reps for the next two sets. I'm done. Well, almost. I still have to do abs. And Mat Stretch. And then I'm done! Yay!

When I get home I snap a few photos of my arms and back. I don't see much of a difference between now and the last good back shots I took back in mid-June. But the biceps are definitely uneven and I'm not quite sure how to fix that since it's the weaker left side that looks good. Go figure. It's probably working harder just to keep up with the right. That's actually funny. I'm definitely stronger and learning how to work around my weaknesses, i.e., joints. But perhaps I'd like to be a little more symmetrical? I look at my triceps and wish they had better definition. That most likely would need me to cut back on fats in my diet. Would I lose strength? Like beach sand, goals keep shifting.


Tuesday Workout:
35 min Hill #6 = 3.94 miles Bleah

Neutral Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
I lean back slightly and then pull the handles down until they just touch my chest, keeping my elbows tucked close to my sides

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 100 lbs / 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 110 lbs Yay!

Lower Back Extension Machine: 12 @ 135 lbs / @ 150 lbs / @ 165 lbs / @ 180 lbs / @ 195 lbs
last set wasn't a complete movement of the full arc, will drop down to 187.5 lbs next week

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 40 lbs / 10 @ 50 lbs / 8, 10, 10 @ 55 lbs last two sets with Versa Gripps

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, 20 sec plank (yep, these are getting shorter 'cuz they're so boring), splits, upper back, neck and shoulder stretches, hamstring and lower back stretches, etc.

When Innovation Really Works

I'm always a bit off on Tuesdays, probably my body trying to recover from Monday after two glorious weekend days of doing absolutely nothing. Well, nothing gym-related. I had all the ellipticals to myself (the gym's oddly empty except for the zumba and yoga classes) and mounted #1, punched in Hill #6 and proceeded to warm up. My left glute grumbled soreness and my hands seemed on the verge of cramping. I didn't make my quota, but close. As I'm fumbling with my cell to enter numbers into the Jefit app, sweat is raining from under my hoodie onto the floor. Bleah. I've been snapping a quick photo of the end screen just to verify mileage. Jefit wants calories too so I punch those numbers in as well. I'm not really that concerned with calories, but perhaps I should be?

I've decided I really dislike the Lat Pull Down because of how stressed my elbows are. I do a few sets and they are abysmal. I have the new Versa Grips in my gear bag but I don't feel like pulling them out just yet. The cable area is crowded with The Mayor, Tall Pace, M, Hoodie Tattoo, Jude, and a lot of other guys I only vaguely recognize. After a weak, painful last set on the Pull Down, I take refuge at the Cage Stretch and work on my kicks and stretches. My legs are a bit tired as well. When I'm done, I grab two discs from the front desk and head back towards the free weights, completely skipping Close Grip Lat Pull Downs. There's still a big crowd at the cables and I'm not in the mood to deal with any of it.

I grab the 90 lb BB to do Reverse Grip BB curls but I momentarily forget the "reverse" and do them with a regular grip. Then I swap them for the 100 lb BB. Then I put the magnets on them. Surprisingly, my grip is fine for the moment. I'm entering all the stats into my cell after each set, which means now I don't actually have to actively remember what the heck I just did. I'm not sure if this is good, or just making my memory lazy. The Jefit only loads places for three sets so any more than that must be manually loaded. I find myself doing that a lot. Is this a flag that perhaps I'm doing more than I should be?

I like the Lower Back Extension machine now that I've been able to utilize the seat belt. I start with 120 lbs and only do 12 reps. Set one. Up the weight (plates are 15 lb increments). Set two. And so it goes until I've reached 180 lbs. At this point, I can still get 12 reps but I'm feeling it all in my glutes and hamstrings instead of my lower back. Not sure if this is good or bad. It's also 3/4 of the weight stack. Hmmm. I'm gonna feel this tomorrow. And of course, tomorrow's Leg Day.

Then I do something crazy because the Smith machine is empty. Just a bar and no bench. It's like an invitation! I know I'm going to regret this but I do it anyway: pull ups. I can only get 10 with my legs straight out perpendicular to my body before my elbows are screaming. I readjust my elbow braces, pulling them tighter and moving them until they just cover the joints. I get two more sets (legs tucked to my chest, and then legs out perpendicular again) and I feel much better about myself.

I look around. A lot of the benches are missing, probably because there's new equipment on the horizon. Breaker Benches Are Coming! screams a sign next to the locker rooms. Remembering that I need to be able to have my DB touch the floor at the bottom of the DB Row, I use the DB rack itself as a support. I giggle to myself because I've only ever seen old iron rats using this pose. I start with a 45 lb DB and get 8 reps. I know I should move up to the 50s, but I don't and do another set at 45. Then I grab a 50. I can only get 6 reps and it's because my grip is failing. I'm feeling ornery, so I stick one magnet on the DB. It's only 2.5 lbs but it throws the balance off so I only get 5 reps.

These are the XtraSmall VGs.

I guess there's a method to the madness even if I'm not always aware of what I'm doing. I stick the other magnet on the other side of the DB. Now it's 55 lbs. And I pull out the Versa Gripps. It takes me a while to position my hand properly because it's completely different from anything else I've tried. I'm not completely sure if the end of it is suppose to hit the center of my palm when I wrap my hand around the DB stem. But, I get 8 full reps and I'm more surprised than any of the guys loitering behind me. Just to make sure it's not a fluke, I do another set and get another 8 reps. Okay, I'm sold. This thing really works. And I'll be using it more often on my other lifts.

And also Done! All that's left is the Mat Stretch, and I do add a plank between the regular-stance DBPUs and walking my hands back to my feet. Oddly, the plank feels very relaxing, as in it doesn't feel like anything, or perhaps because it's just relatively easy compared to the DBPUs. Or maybe I just need to hold it longer than 30 seconds. That'd be boring. My stretches are very active. None of this lying about, faux sleep stretching. I see N and she looks really good, her eyes bright and her skin cleared of blemishes. She tells me that she took the zinc as I suggested and her cold disappeared overnight! I also see D as I walk back to the lockers. We chat briefly about bringing children into the gym over the weekend. Apparently it's free from 1-6 pm if they're between 8-13 years old. Ah, but then I wouldn't have a complete slug weekend. The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs. It's all good.

Back Workout:
35 min Hill #6 = 3.93 miles Bleah

Wide Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
not a good set at all as my elbows really didn't like these today

Cage Stretch with BW heel dips & calf raises and Side Kicks

RGBBRows: 12 @ 90 lbs (I spaced and did this set regular grip) / 12 @ 100 lbs / 8, 10, 10 @ 105 lbs

Lower Back Extension machine: 12 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 135 lbs / 12 @ 150 lbs / 12 @ 165 lbs / 12 @ 180 lbs (last set felt it all glutes and hams)

Pull Ups off the Smith Machine Bar: 10 legs perdendicular (3 min rest) / 10 legs curled to chest (3 min rest) / 8 legs perpendicular 

One-Arm DB Rows (dead stop): 2 x8 @ 45 lbs / 6 @ 50 lbs / 5 @ 52.5 lbs / 2 x 8 @55 lbs (these last two sets done with Versa Grips)

Ab Crunch Station: 100

Mat Stretch with 12 wide-legged DBPUs, 3 rolling, 12 regular-stance DBPUs, plank (30 sec), walk back, splits, upper and lower back stretches including hip bridges.