Take Advantage of Limitations

The insects are biting me through my clothes and I have an angry, red, finger-spot just under my left arm as evidence. I also have an assortment of other bumps, welts and red spots all over my limbs. It depends on which insect. Fly bites are the worst as they're painful and leave bright red marks. But gnats and mosquitoes aren't painless either. I use a combination of hydrocortisone cream and an antihistamine cream (diphenhydramine) to keep me from scratching myself bloody. But sometimes that happens anyway. What I'd really like to find is a skin-softening alphahydroxy cream that contains tea tree oil because insects seems repelled by it. What I'm using lately is my standard Amlactin cream (which attracts biting insects like I put up a neon sign that screams Diner!) followed by a gob of "Paul Mitchell tea tree oil leave-in conditioner". Yes, a hair-care product that doesn't need to be rinsed out. I slather it all over my exposed skin and it seems to keep the bugs away for a good 20 minutes. Otherwise it's the backwood's strength DEET (27+%) because normal DEET (15-17%) apparently doesn't work very well. I have the angry red bite to prove it.

I drop my son off at camp, go to the bank and then head to the gym. The weather reminds me of Hawaii: one minute it's blisteringly hot and sunny, and the next there's torrential rain. Followed by blazing sun again. I can't leave my car windows open so it's steamy by the time I get back to it. Today I follow my standard Back and Biceps Routine: 15 min warm up, then RG BB Rows at the Max Rack station. Like last week, I'm kind of tired by the time I get to Seated Cable Rows so I do pyramid sets. Shaggy suddenly appears adjacent to my station. I tend not to look at people who are working out next to me because 1) I think it's rude; 2) I'm not really interested in what they're doing or how much they're lifting; 3) I don't want to lose focus or momentum with my own workout.

Afterwards, I change handles to do One-Arm Seated Cable Rows. The Wraith King seems alarmed and pulls his hands off the station support beams on the other side of my station. I'm amused but don't let on. I suppose he's seen me whacking the kickboxing machine. At one point Shaggy leans with both hands on the station, as if he were resting. I'm sort of annoyed, but I tend to just walk away when I'm annoyed at the gym. Eventually he goes away. Yaaay. I hate passive-aggressive people. If you want to talk to me, talk to me. Don't expect me to look at you just because you think you're pushing a lot of weight. And if you talk to me, at least have something interesting to say.

I see an big old guy pushing the entire stack on the Lower Back Extension machine. That's where I'm headed next, but I'm only doing a tad over 2/3 the stack and I'm pretty sure he's more than twice my weight. And a whole lot taller than me. Finally, partial Drag Curls and then RG BB Rows. I'm happy now that I'm pulling more weight for biceps than for forearms. And it might just be my imagination, but I think my biceps are getting bigger. Of course, the true test would be to take a tape to them. But I'm not ready to do that just yet. So, it seems that even a partial movement (because my elbows can't deal with a full movement) means increased weight, means strength and size gains. Win Win!

Wednesday Workout
(3.95 miles cardio; 36,585 lbs moved)

Cross Trainer

Warm Up

Calorie :   73 CAL
Distance: 1.77 mile
Speed :    7.08 mph
Duration : 00:15:04

MaxRack BB RG
Bent Over Row

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 105x15
Set 3 : 125x15
Set 4 : 145x15
Set 5 : 145x15
Set 6 : 145x15
Set 7 : 105x25

Cable Seated Row

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 112.5x10
Set 5 : 97.5x12

Cable One Arm Seated Row

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 45x10
Set 3 : 52.5x8
Set 4 : 52.5x8
Set 5 : 52.5x8

Back Extension Machine

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Barbell Drag Curl

partial

Set 1 : 40x15
Set 2 : 45x12
Set 3 : 50x12
Set 4 : 55x12
Set 5 : 55x12
Set 6 : 55x12

RG BB Curl 

Set 1 : 45x20
Set 2 : 45x20
Set 3 : 45x20

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   216 CAL
Distance: 2.18 mile
10 min HIIT
20 min LISS
Duration : 00:30:00

Trying New Things

My kahlua pork turned out well and we enjoyed pulled pork over sticky rice and pan-fried pineapple slices. My hubs discovered cinnamon-spiced broiled pineapple slices at a Brazilian churrascaria (steak house) while in Boston. It sure beats eating canned pineapple rings. We also bagged up 9 lbs of home-made Cajun-spice beef jerky that's finally done, having been in the food dehydrator for over a week. It has to be so dry it snaps when you bend a strip in half, and with days of torrential rain, that's been difficult to achieve. But it's done.

Today the sun is out. And the temperature's gone from a wet, chilly 50F to a blazing 70. There's a lot of teenagers at the gym today. Very chatty teenagers. I do my 15 min warm up and then use the Star Trac Max Rack for RG BB Rows. I've dropped the weight in order to improve my form and go for reps, as is my wont. I don't like how my form falls apart with the One-Arm DB Rows, especially at the heavier weights so I'm skipping those.

I saw a video on how to perform a Shotgun Row, aka, One-Arm Cable Row. I try this seated and then standing. I'm actually fairly cautious by nature so I start with very light weight until I get the hang of the movement. Because I'm able to stretch my arm farther than its length, I have to position my start further back than I expect. I hold the handle with a neutral grip and rotate my arm so my hand faces up as I pull in to my side. It almost looks like the pocket hand in a martial arts punch stance. I make sure I am standing so that I have to cross the center line as I pull back. That's suppose to guarantee lat involvement. I don't know. I feel it more in my arms and delts. I wish I could see myself do this exercise. That would help me determine if it's doing what I want. What I want is something to replace the One-Arm DB Rows. At the heavier weights, I feel stress in the  muscles over my hips and lower back.

To my surprise, my left side adapts to the new movements easier than the right. Yes, I'm asymmetrically ambidextrous, but my right side is stronger. Which is why I always start with the left side. However, it doesn't explain why my left looks better than the right. Hhmmm. The Lower Back Extension machine is a no-brainer and I do all three sets without much issue. I'm getting tired, though so I'm not seeing an increase in weight or reps anytime soon.

I do remember biceps before the final cardio leg. I know I'm performing incomplete Drag Curls, but as with the Glute Ham Raises, I might do a partial movement for several weeks until I'm comfortable before adding the second half of the exercise. In this case, I'm able to drag the bar halfway up my torso while focusing on keeping my elbows from flaring out. The second part is harder because it involves pinning the elbows and moving the forearms up the torso until the BB is across the chest.  Of course, I worry about how this part will affect my wonky elbows. Next week I'll drop the weight back down and try to do full sets. At least my BB RG Curls are good.

HIIT cardio is ridiculously hard, but I max at 290 SPM which is a PR for me. I've only rarely gone past 280. The girl on the adjacent elliptical seems perplexed by my sudden manic bursts of speed, followed by several seconds of breathless grimacing. I'm not sure if this is normal for everyone, but I don't start to really sweat until after the exertion is over, and I'm drenched doing LISS cardio. I do most of my Mat Stretch, skipping Dive Bomber Push Ups, Planks and Pistol Squats. Maybe I'll do those on Friday. Tomorrow I get to smack the kickboxing machine. Yaaaay!

Wednesday Back and Biceps
(4.05 miles; 33,980 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Warm Up

Calorie :   73 CAL
Distance: 1.84 mile
Speed :    7.32 mph
Duration : 00:15:06

Max Rack BB RG Bent Over Row

Set 1 : 55x15
Set 2 : 75x12
Set 3 : 95x12
Set 4 : 105x12
Set 5 : 125x12
Set 6 : 125x12
Set 7 : 125x12
Set 8 : 95x25

Cable Seated Row

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x8

Cable One Arm Seated Row

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 30x12
Set 3 : 30x12

Cable Standing One Arm Row

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 30x12
Set 3 : 40x12

Back Extension Machine

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Barbell Drag Curl

(partial)

Set 1 : 40x12
Set 2 : 45x12
Set 3 : 50x12
Set 4 : 55x12
Set 5 : 55x12
Set 6 : 55x12

Barbell Reverse Curl

Set 1 : 45x20
Set 2 : 45x20
Set 3 : 45x20

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   222 CAL
Distance: 2.21 mile
10 min HIIT
20 min LISS
Duration : 00:30:03

Using Cardio As a Rest Period

Sometimes it's not the excruciating minutia of what we do, but that we do it at all. Today is Back Day. Normally I do just a cardio workout between days that I lift, but since I'm short a day this week, Back Day is successive. I'm also trying to cram in cardio, and still have time for the one thing I truly enjoy: whacking the kickboxing machine. My triceps are a little tender from yesterday. Luckily my glutes are finally not sore anymore. Yaaay! However, my lower back also feels tender and I'm not sure why.

I do 30 min on the cross-trainer and then wander over to the racks. There's 25 lb plates on the Smith machine bar but it doesn't really look like anyone's using it. No matter. I'm better off using the Max Rack any way. I believe in doing big compound movements first and smaller, isolated movements at the end of the workout. I figure as long as I can feel my lats and middle back working, I'm doing good. When I glance over at the DB rack and realize that no one's there, I jump at the chance to grab a flat bench and set up for One-Arm DB Rows. I've forgotten how hard these are.  

I catch a glimpse of a tan shapely arm somewhere in the middle of "machine city". At first I don't recognize the woman, but I suspect I've just glimpsed Venus. Being tan helps accentuate her muscles. Familiar faces trickle in. Everyone comes after 11 am today: Jude, PonyTail, The Mayor. Tattoo Tank is just finishing up. After Cable Seated Rows, I move onto Lower Back Extensions and I'm pleased to get all my sets.

I'm on the elliptical before I remember that I should be doing biceps to finish. Luckily, I"m still at the gym and not already driving home! A few regulars are surprised to see me returning to the free weight area since I'm hot and sweaty from 30 minutes of Performance Program #3. BB Drag Curls still feel odd to perform but they're so much easier on my elbows that I'm able to up my weights today. Yippeee! I do 3 sets of RG BB Curls and finally I'm pulling more weight on biceps than on forearms. Yaaaay!

Wednesday Workout
(6.2 miles cardio; 31,170 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Calorie :   147 CAL
Distance: 3.71 mile
Speed :    7.4 mph
Warm Up
Duration : 00:30:06

Max Rack BB RG Bent Over Row

203

Set 1 : 55x20 (Bar)
Set 2 : 75x15
Set 3 : 95x15
Set 4 : 105x12
Set 5 : 125x12
Set 6 : 145x12
Set 7 : 105x20

Dumbbell One Arm Row

82.33

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 60x10
Set 3 : 65x8 OMG!

Cable Seated Row

152

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x8

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Elliptical Training

Perf Prgrm #3

Calorie :   279 CAL
Distance: 2.49 mile
Duration : 00:30:02

Barbell Drag Curl

70

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 40x12
Set 3 : 45x12
Set 4 : 50x12 (+12.5 lbs)

Barbell Reverse Curl

75

Set 1 : 45x20
Set 2 : 45x20
Set 3 : 45x20

Testing the Waters

Today is freakishly cold and I pack a flannel shirt with my jeans for later. At least there are fewer biting insects when the temps drop. I don't mind. I haven't worked Back & Biceps in two weeks so I'm a bit hesitant with how to proceed. The first thing I do is cut my warm up cardio by 5 minutes. I'm actually a bit sweaty when I head over to the free weight area. I'm still chuckling about the big thin plates in the CF rack. I had no idea that they were only 15 lbs! Of course, as the plates get thicker they get progressively heavier. I see Venus on the Step Mill today. She's wearing a sports bra and capri tights, baring her midriff, but she's too far and at the wrong angle for me to see if she's got any definition. No sign of Chatty Guy either.

Both the Smith and the new Star Trac® Max Rack are vacant so I choose to use the latter. At least I don't have to worry about catching the bar on the supports if my hands rotate. I'm trying to keep good form but I can't do this movement parallel to the floor. There's just too much stress on my lower back unless I angle up a bit. I suspect my flexibility actually weakens me there. The gym starts to fill up. I'm sandwiched between Tattoo Tank doing OHP in the Smith, and another fellow doing Squats. I should try doing DLs one of these days. Maybe next week.

There's not a single unoccupied bench by the DB rack so I move onto Cable Seated Rows. I'm actually a bit tired so I'm this is a tad disappointing. ScuzzaButt makes an entrance and spends a lot of time chatting with Jude. Which is odd. Because Jude can lift a lot of weight. And ScuzzaButt can't. Later, I see Jude load the Leg Press with 10 big plates on each side. And then he does a few reps. He's not ginormous either, athletic but not so you'd know it.

I start off lighter on Lower Back Extension machine as well, but move the weight back up. I can't quite make the reps though. Finally, I can grab a bench for One-Arm DB Rows, but my bench is at the end of the rack where the 50s are. It's so crowded with women vying over the beauty bells at the other end, where coincidentally, the 2nd row of DBs starts with 55s and progresses, that I just opt to use the 50 at my end. Then I get to test my notion of BB Drag Curls, first with an unloaded EZ bar, and then with a few pounds on it. It's very different from regular BB curls and I can actually feel my right bicep contract. The inner elbow is a tad sore, but nothing like with regular curls. The last exercise, RG BB Curls, are best done with a straight bar.

I'm never sure if I can actually do what I planned so 10 minutes of HIIT cardio seems almost like a fantasy. Until I do it. I can actually make my max speeds during the 8th and 9th cycle. But start to struggle during the 10th and final cycle. Just as well. It makes 20 minutes of LISS all the more endurable. I do most of my Mat Stretch but skip the Dive Bomber Push Ups, plank and pistol squats. I can do those on Friday.

Back and Bicep Workout
(3.28 miles cardio; 31,390 lbs moved)

Cross Trainer

Warm Up

Calorie :   48 CAL
Distance: 1.18 mile
Speed :    7.06 mph
Duration : 00:10:04

Max Rack Barbell RG Bent Over Row

Set 1 : 55x12 (bar)
Set 2 : 105x12
Set 3 : 125x12
Set 4 : 145x12
Set 5 : 145x12
Set 6 : 125x12
Set 7 : 105x25

Cable Seated Row

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x12
Set 3 : 120x6
Set 4 : 120x6
Set 5 : 120x8

Back Extension Machine

Set 1 : 195x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x12

Dumbbell One Arm Row

Set 1 : 50x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 50x12

Barbell Bicep Drag Curl

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12

Barbell Reverse Curl

Set 1 : 40x25
Set 2 : 45x20
Set 3 : 45x20
Set 4 : 45x20

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   201 CAL
Distance: 2.1 mile
10 min HIIT
20 min LISS
Duration : 00:30:00

Spring is Here and So Are the Bugs

I'm so certain that the warm weather is no fluke I purchased two basil seedlings and two parsley seedlings to plant in my raised bed. I read that they make good companion plants for asparagus. I have some Mary Washington asparagus seeds, but apparently I need to soak them first. I may buy marigolds and tomatoes as well, but I'm not sure they'll survive the onslaught of grasshoppers that's sure to follow. Tiny grasshoppers decimated all the broccoli and bok choy two summers ago. And one summer we had weeks of several dozen dragonflies circling our yard so that all my son had to do was run about with a butterfly net and he'd be sure to catch a few. Of course, we always let them go after examining them. But we never know who's going to be in abundance. Except for the annoying gnats and flies that circle our heads, buzz our ears and get inadvertently inhaled. Yuck.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the 15 min warm up on the Cross-trainer. Today I got fairly warm, probably because it's warm out and all the doors to the gym are open. I start with Smith RG BB Rows and then move to the Oly bar for RG BB Rows. I feel tired, but not enough for me to change my routine. The Mayor, Tattoo Tank, Skinny J, Loud Mouth, Ollie are all here. Chatty Guy shows up without Venus and spends a lot of time talking to The Mayor. Then I watch him load the Trap Bar with 3 big plates each side. He's tall and I wonder how he's going to get his knees past the bar when he stands up. But I don't want to stare so I move on.

The Mayor is doing a modified Rip Skull, barely able to bring his arms over his head and dropping the bar into the cradle of a preacher bench set up behind him. I think he's missing the point to the movement without the drop behind his head, but I don't want to get into a discussion about it. He's put on a lot of weight since he's been away. There are a few women who seem to have made tremendous progress over the past several months, dropping girth and gaining confidence and shape. Women are showing more progress here than men. Men tend to already be in shape, or never seem to progress. Perhaps it's just maintenance. Perhaps that's what my routine is these days: maintenance.

I'm overdue for a "back selfie" so I don't even know if I'm making any noticeable progress. Seated Cable Rows are still hard at 120 lbs. And I'm always uncertain when I start sets on the Lower Back Extension. But everything's good and I get all my reps and sets. I set the elliptical for 30 minutes. Today I do 12 minutes of HIIT and 18 minutes of LISS. I'm still unsure how to measure LISS and that's troublesome. How much over resting should my heart rate be? Does it matter? I'm sweating profusely when I stop.

There's a old man in shorts on the big Mat, rolling his legs over his head. I'm kind of disgusted so I walk into the vacant classroom and do some stretches there instead. Because it's an air conditioned room, I keep my hoodie zipped up. Done. I'm cutting back on my Mat Stretches. It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it's easier to drop into a split if I haven't done it in a few days. Puzzling. My best guess is that as easy as these stretches feel, there's still some stress and inflammation that follows. Doing these stretches every day actually makes me less limber.

Tomorrow I get to Whack the Machine, and I'm happy about that. But tomorrow is also the day I have to drive my son to school early, pick him up early to take him to kung fu, then rush home to make and eat dinner and feed/walk the dog before rushing off to a Cub Scout Pack Meeting. The one where we're delivering 50 paper robot kits for the boys to assemble. Meanwhile, the parents of the child who is always hungry, has reached out to our Cub Master to get a ride for their son to the Pack Meeting. I've already declined. They live across town, in the opposite direction of our school. They actually don't go to our elementary school but attend our Cub Scouts Pack because their school doesn't have Scouts. My husband, who is still in Boston, thinks we should retrieve the child for the meeting. I'm not at all happy about this. We'll see if he even makes it home in time. At least I get to whack the machine. That makes me happy.

Wednesday Back and Biceps Workout
(4.05 miles cardio; 37.142.5 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Warm Up

Calorie :   72 CAL
Distance: 1.85 mile
Speed :    7.38 mph
Duration : 00:15:03

Smith Machine Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

140

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

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

232.5

Set 1 : 45x15
Set 2 : 135x20
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 155x15
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 135x20

Cable Seated Row

152

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x8

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Barbell Curl

56.25

Set 1 : 17.5x15
Set 2 : 37.5x13
Set 3 : 37.5x15
Set 4 : 37.5x15

Barbell Reverse Curl

79.17

Set 1 : 37.5x25
Set 2 : 47.5x20
Set 3 : 47.5x20

Elliptical Training

12 min HIIT 18 min LISS

Calorie :   220 CAL
Distance: 2.2 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Big Girls Don't Cry

I'm not a laid-back easy-going person so I woke up this morning knowing that my stress levels are only going to increase until my show is down, and we're back from our trip to visit my In-Laws. After I worked out, I texted my husband to tell him I was stopping by Home Depot to pick up a new tarp for the wood pile, and pies from Salinger's Bakery. I was suppose to get them tomorrow but heeding all the storm warnings, I called them and asked for an earlier pick up. When I got there, the pies were literally flying off the shelves. They make dang good pies. Then my hubs texted me to ask if I knew why there was no hot water this morning. No clue.

I get home and trot around back to the basement, figuring the boiler needs servicing. I'll say. As soon as I figure out where all the water is coming from. There's a foot of water in the basement that appears to be leaking out of the sump pump. What!? I bump it as I'm trying to adjust it and the whole thing breaks apart like a possessed fire hose. Just great. What now? I almost feel like crying. Almost. I call my husband but all I get is his voice mail. Figures.

Then I call my neighbor up the road who's a builder. There's a chance he's around, or he could be in NJ or CT. I'm so lucky because he actually answers his cell. He's at the local Kmart and can be by in a few. He's in the midst of putting up a roof so he can't linger but he tells me it looks like the sump pump check valve failed. I live on a big steep hill but in a pocket that's surrounded by ground water, hence the swamp behind my yard. He retrieves a small oil pump from his house and we hook it up to trickle water out of the basement. This is going to take a long time. Meanwhile, I can't turn the oil burner on, so no hot water or heat either. Just great. Suppose to be a snow storm tomorrow dumping 12 inches on us. And we're suppose to drive to my brother's in NJ on Thanksgiving. I'm bringing pies.

Knowing that school will most likely be cancelled and I'm not getting to the gym for a few days (although I'll probably be shoveling a lot) means that I decide to do a Back Workout with some cardio variants. Today I do Interval programs so my mileage is considerably less, but it's still a good workout. It's my standard Back Workout, with alternating DB bicep curls tossed in at the end. Not much stretching today, but a few sets for the much neglected abs.

Tuesday Workout

Elliptical Training

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

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

232.5

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 135x15
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 155x15
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 135x20

Dumbbell One Arm Row

77

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 55x12
Set 3 : 55x12

Torso Twist Machine

91.67

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   195 CAL
Distance: 1.73 mile
Duration : 00:20:15

Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

28.67

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x13

Abs

50

Crunches : 50 Lap/Rep
PulseUps : 50 Lap/Rep
Bicycles : 50 Lap/Rep

Week Ending Workout

I filled out an online request to have Subaru dealerships contact me if they had 2014 Foresters for sale. I got 6 emails today but haven't looked at any of them yet. I did however, retrieve the vehicle registration from the bank, just in case my car had some sort of trade in value. It's old but it still drives really well, accelerates quickly and turns on a dime. Plus my speakers sound loads better than my husband's 2005 Forester. It's the rust that's killing it.

Today isn't horribly crowded at the gym, probably because it's cool enough for people to go run outside. Autumn feels imminent. My snow peas are done already and I'm considering sowing a second crop. I don't know if there's time. I finally got around to checking on the one zucchini plant that sprouted from all the seeds I tossed into the raised bed. Last time I looked, there was one lone fingerling. Now it's bigger than my chef's knife. It's even bigger than the cutting board. But there are two more fingerlings at the base of the monster plant so even if this one is inedible, at least there are a few more coming.

I get over 2 miles on the LifeFitness cross-trainer and feel pretty good heading into the free weight area. While I'm pedaling, I see Island Jerk following a tall, young blonde. She plants herself on the adductor machine and he makes a sudden about face. He can't offer any help there so he stalks a different young blonde woman, this time helping her get on the assisted pull up machine. Next time I see him he's doing a circuit routine again, but at least he hasn't glommed all the Oly bars. However, he also never re-racks his weights, and he makes a ridiculous amount of noise with the plates. There are no women hanging with him.

My lower back feels a tad achy and especially when I start to lift heavy on the RG BB Row. Once I get the bar up, it's not so much an issue though so I go for reps. The Lower Back Extension machine doesn't really put any stress on my lower back. I feel it a lot more in my glutes and hams. The One-Arm DB Rows aren't getting any easier and that kind of sucks. The RIP crushers are still hard too. I'm only working each body part once a week, and there's probably some overlap since I'm kickboxing the machine twice a week, but still... I glance over at the Cable Tricep Press Down station and creepy PJ Pants is hanging all over the station. Literally draped over the back pad. Eew. I decide to do One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions instead. After a go at the Torso Twist machine, I clamber onto the Precor (which looks like it hasn't been cleaned in 6 months there's so much dust on the runners) and knock out just under 3 miles.

I do a full Mat Stretch with Dive Bomber Push Ups, a 62 second plank, splits, upper and lower back stretches, pistol squats and end with a set of crunches. Done! Yay! The gym scale reads 111.4 lbs. I'm okay with that. I just wish my shorts weren't so tight but I'm not having much luck cutting back on carbs when there's so much fresh fruit and vegetables in season.

My husband left for Boston today and might make it back Sunday so I'll be taking my son to the gym tomorrow so he can work out, and then we have Cub Scout tickets to a local baseball team (the Renegades) game up in Dutchess County. My son has never been to a game and I was hoping it'd be a good father-son event, but looks like it's gonna be a mom-son event. I don't even like baseball. I've been to one game in my whole life at Shea Stadium, seats behind the catcher, and all I remember are the jerks around me splashing beer and smoking like chimneys. My son remarked to me today that he'll probably be bored. I asked him if he still wanted to go, and he said, well, he'd at least like to see what it was like. Good answer. Yep, he's my son.

Friday Workout

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   96 CAL
Distance: 2.24 mile
Speed :    6.64 mph
Duration : 00:20:00

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

247.5

Set 1 : 45x15
Set 2 : 135x15
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 165x15
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 145x20

Back Extension Machine

292.5

Set 1 : 195x15
Set 2 : 195x15
Set 3 : 195x15

One Arm Dumbbell Row

86.67

Set 1 : 55x12
Set 2 : 60x10
Set 3 : 65x10
Set 4 : 65x10
Set 5 : 65x10

Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

52.5

Set 1 : 15x15
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12

Torso Twist Machine

91.67

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Elliptical Training

N/A

Calorie :   3322 CAL
Distance: 2.89 miles
Duration : 00:35:00

Plank

N/A

Set 1 : 00:01:02

Dive Bomber Pushup

12

Set 1 : 12 Laps/Reps
Set 2 : 12 Laps/Reps
Set 3 : 12 Laps/Reps

Crunches

50

Set 1 : 50 Laps/Reps