Back to the Back

The dreary drizzle seemed to have kept a lot of people home this morning. Mid-week is usually busy as a lot of folks adhere to a 3x weekly schedule, which means Tuesdays and Thursdays (off days) are normally quieter. Perhaps everyone's caught on now? I still get on the desired elliptical and pedal hard for 35 minutes, usually averaging anywhere from 160 to 180 SPMs (strides per minute). If I were doing Intervals, I'd aim for 190-200+ for 60 seconds before dropping to 160-180 for the next 60, and then 120-130 for the last two minutes before starting all over again.

Just as I approach the Stretch Cage, a senior regular clambers in. These guys take forever to do anything so I don't stick around and wait. I'll come back after I knock out Core in the Aerobic Room. The floppy skinny woman is already there, doing haphazard variations of arm exercises with 5 lb plates and plastic dumbbells. It's not the exercises that I object to, but the fact that she does about 5 or 6 reps while walking backward and forward, and her form is awful. I'm not sure what she's trying to accomplish.

I skip the Sideways Scissors today: they're making my tailbone raw from the friction of rubbing against my sport pants seams. I know you're supposed to place your hands under your butt for cushioning, but my small, boney hands go numb and painful doing that. I also skip Side Planks. My right foot is still feeling bruised and side planks are harder on my feet than any other part of my body. I do pushups and count to 20, then count to 20 again, then count to 10 just because I can. Okay, I'm a little winded at 50.

When I return to the gym area, I see that the Cage is vacant so I do my stretches and pullups. I hate doing things out of order because I worry that the pushups will be so taxing that I'll fail at pullups. Which is silly of course; the exercises impact different muscle groups. Technically, I could call myself done and go home, but today I'm actually going to lift some weights.

I had planned to do Seated Cable Rows first and then focus on Delts like last week, but both cable stations were occupied and I'm not one to share, i.e., you won't see me asking to work in. The Smith machine is vacant. The last person there was doing squats because there's a pad on the bar. There's no bench so I decide to do a few RDLs on a whim. I don't pull more than 100 lbs, but it's been a long time so even that is a bit heavy. At least I can actually hang onto the bar with 100 lbs. If it had been any heavier, I'd be forced to dig my VersaGrips out of my gear bag. I do a few sets of RG BB Rows too.

Now I'm worried I've over-tired my arms before doing Seated Cable Rows. I have a choice of heavy steel close-grip handles, and heavier black steel handles: both stations are empty now. I like the superlight aluminum handles but I'm too lazy to them switch out. I had a lot of trouble getting the carabiner to open last time and my hands are slightly sore today, so I'm not even going to try. Sore hands dog me during my DB supersets as well. I stick to the 20 lb DBs because I don't want to drop the 25s!

Wednesday Back & Bi’s & Delts

30 + 5 cd elliptical
Program 3
Miles 2.96
Calories 335
HR 140-205 (97, 86, 90)

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
PushUps 50

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12

Smith RG BB Row
80 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
85 x 12
92.5 x 12

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

Pulling Day Three

Six hours just isn't enough sleep for me. As a night owl, it's too easy for me to stay up at night tending to chores that could be done later in the week. But I'd rather get things done when I think of them instead of forgetting to put them on a list to do later. So when my son finally tried on new shoes for school that I had ordered online, I remembered that he hadn't tried on shoes I had bought him last Christmas. They're the same style but a different brand. Both are the same size, same color, both are supposed to be a D width. And both are too narrow.

He went to bed. I got a return label and credit from Zappos for the first pair of shoes. And then I had to call LLBean for the Christmas shoes. Luckily, since they'd never been worn, I could return them for full credit. I had used a lot of Bean Bucks to reduce the price from over a hundred dollars to about $25 so I was quite pleased that the store will be sending me a gift card for the total Bean Buck amount. Then I spent an hour packing the shoes and affixing the proper return labels so I could ship them back today. Yes, it could've waited until the weekend, but why would I do that? That means I don't actually crawl into bed until just past midnight, and the alarm sounds while it's cold and dark out. Ugh. Winter is going to be so much fun. Not.

The school bus is only six minutes late this morning. I get to the gym just 15 minutes later. I'm really tired but I persist in doing my routine, starting with HIIT cardio. I might not rack up as much mileage today, but at least I'm doing it. The problematic right foot is rebelling against the increased activity with the pinky toe going numb sporadically. The hammertoes also seem bent on curling into the sole of my sneaker, as if I had Dr. Scholl toe grip sandals on.

I do a Cage Stretch but skip the pull-ups since today is a Pull Day and there'll be plenty of opportunities to aggravate my elbows and forearms. I'm wearing leggings with phone pockets that I never use. I'm always a tad self-conscious when my clothes are snug, especially since I have highly impressionable skin and a slight connective-tissue issue, i.e., I can always see all where all the underwear lines, waistband lines, bra-strap lines are on my body as if my flesh had no firmness whatsoever and was just a wad of memory foam. It's not pretty. I feel downright pudgy. I'm going to take a lesson from Arnold Schwarzenegger who famously used to wear cut-off pants to work out because his calves were his weakest body part. Don't hide your weaknesses. Use them as an incentive.

There's no class yet so I'm able to do my Core workout there. I've increased my reps to 60 because it's easy to just do sets of 20 three times. At least the leggings aren't causing me any tailbone discomfort yet. Back in the gym, I see a lot of regulars from before Summer Recess. They spend way too much time chatting. I'd rather be moving. Lat Pull Downs followed by Seated Cable Rows hit back and biceps, while RG BB Curls handle forearms. I have tiny ones and nothing I do will make them grow. It's genetics. I'm forever impressed by women with great arms because they usually also have wonderfully muscular forearms. Check out IFBB pro, Dana Linn Bailey.

I finish with another session on the elliptical, and then a Mat Stretch. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a Cardio Day with some Walking Lunges and 2:1 Seated Leg Curls. Don't think that all this isn't having a potentially adverse impact on my health: I noticed a weird taut spot on my upper lip the other day and I'm not going to wait until it starts to tingle. When I increase my workouts, my immunity gets blown out, especially when I'm not sleeping enough. We all carry dormant viruses hiding inside our bodies, like the varicella-zoster which causes chickenpox and shingles. I've had shingles more than once. My immune system is not the most robust. Now I'm trying to prevent a full-blown cold sore and once a day, I'm dabbing on a little Abreva cream (docosanol) although I should probably do this more often. I'm also adding lysine to my vitamin routine.

Overcast Thursday Pull

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 291
Miles 2.65
HR 141-186 (91, 81, 100)

Cage Stretch

Crunches Legs Up 60
Bicycles 60
Crunches knees bent 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Lat Pull Downs Close Neutral
70 x 12 (warm-up)
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 8

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
85 x 12, 12, 12

RG BB Curls
40 lbs x 20+5 reps x 3 sets

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Calories 227
Miles 2.04
HR 150-180 (147)

Mat Stretch

Skipping A Day and Calling It Rest

I skipped yesterday's workout and tried to get more things done around the house. Like cleaning. Not my favorite activity. Actually, I got more done today, like sorting my son's room out, before I went to the gym. Which means I got to the gym around noonish, when it's nice and empty. My feet and knees have made their displeasure known, so today I do 35 minutes on the elliptical instead of the cross-trainer. There's no arm involvement. The glide is smoother. And even though I seem to do less in mileage, it appears that I burn more calories. Appears. Because I don't punch in my weight or age for the machine to tell me that I'm not making the proper cardio range. But at least my foot doesn't fall asleep, and my knee doesn't ache, at least until I get to the Smith to do RDLs.

I think it's my stance that's screwing with my knees. Today it's my right knee. I inch my foot back slightly and try to set all my weight flat on my feet. If I don't have the proper stance, my lower back will hurt as I straighten up. At the heavier weights, I find it difficult to breathe, not that I'm holding my breathe throughout the entire set. I get all my reps and all my sets. That makes me feel better. I follow the same routine for the RG BB Rows. The gym is starting to fill up with HS kids. And middle age men. Or at least I think they're middle age. I'm always surprised to see someone's photo in the news and find out that they're in their 40s or early 50s, while I thought they were closer to 70. Good thing I don't talk to anyone.

I stay with the lighter weight for Seated One-Arm Cable Rows because I'd like my elbows to feel okay. I haven't really decided whether I'll try another set of pull ups. I'm okay with not. I don't even do push ups today! Guys are hovering around me, trying to be nonchalant. I'm so glad I have working earbuds and music so there's no awkwardness. Because I refuse to make eye-contact. So not interested in chatting with anyone. Seriously.

I saw the Mayor's BMW in the lot as I came in and realized that it's not a sedan, but an SUV that looks a lot like a hearse. However, I don't actually see or hear the Mayor at the gym today. Weird. I do see other regulars like WTC, Square Jaw, Loud Mouth, Big Mustache, Little R, and Ponytail Braid, whose long silver braid comes to his waist. Since he's much bigger than I am, I can only conclude that his hair is also much longer than mine.

Yesterday's hectic dinner consisted of reheated, store-bought fried chicken. It was tasty, but invariably well-seasoned, i.e., salty. It's either that or pizza on a night when my son and I have only 30 minutes between walking in the door from kung fu and leaving for Boy Scouts. We scarf down a few pieces before Scouts, and finish the remainder when we get home at 9 pm. So I'm not surprised that I'm a bit puffy today, and the gym scale confirms this with a 111.4 lb reading. I'm actually not trying at all to get leaner, and that's going to have repercussions. Some people bulk for the winter. I'd just like to maintain an overall healthiness. And being over 110 lbs isn't it.

Tomorrow will be better. Because tomorrow is probably Cardio Day. Unless I decide to repeat Shoulders. Nothing is set in stone so I'm free to change my mind if something doesn't quite feel right. But Friday is always Whack the Machine Day. Unless I make that a Cardio Day.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Tom Petty dying at age 66. That's not very old. The report of a DNR order suggests he knew he had heart disease or another terminal ailment. I remember listening to him during my HS and college years, although I was always more of a NewWave/Punk kind of kid... but I am a fan of REM, U2, The Wallflowers and Simon & Garfunkel, so go figure.


Wednesday

35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 3.03
Calories 344
Average Heart Rate 144

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3sets

Thursday -- Pulling Out Knots

Somehow I managed to aggravate a muscle under my left shoulder blade while stretching. I'm a very knotty person, so it's not an unusual occurrence, but I haven't had one in several months. Sometimes, if I extend my left arm straight forward and reach from the shoulder, I can pull the knot out. But most often, the knot is recalcitrant and needs to be coerced into relaxation. That coercion can either be my husband's thumb, using immense pressure. I have a fairly high pain threshold so I have him press into the knot until it releases. Until then though the pain radiates from my shoulder blade up into just in front of my left ear. This morning I had a recurrence and my hubs had already gone to work (he didn't get selected for the jury so he's off the hook for the next five years — yay!) so it was just me and the old dog at home.

I have a foam roller, but it's much too big and wide for a knot under the shoulder blade. Luckily, I still have a small wooden knot roller I bought in NYC over 30 years ago. It's shaped like a small hourglass. I haven't seen anything like it since. It also works surprisingly well, if you can find a hard surface to place it on while you press your back up against it. I usually resort to the front door because it's steel. Or I put a mat on the floor. Because you don't want put grooves in your sheet rock walls, wooden doors, or hardwood floors.

I get to the gym and it's a Pull Day. So just 35 minutes of cardio, some pull ups and then over to the Smith machine. I'm tired from getting up before dawn to drive my hubs to the train, and I don't feel very strong. But cardio always makes me feel better. My lifts go well. I'm happy. Friday is whack the machine day, which makes me happier.

Thursday

35 xtrainer
Calories 169
Miles 4.68
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Not What I Expected

It's probably too soon to tell if my abbreviated cardio is having the intended effect. Today I'm exhausted. I don't think I slept all that well, now that temps are starting to climb again. My bug bites have necessitated the application of bandaids to keep my tender skin from the chafing edges of sleeves. I don't think my nerves have been quite the same since the shingles. Seriously. I also didn't eat all that well either, and today I'm regretting not eating more protein yesterday. Weird, right?

The 15 minute cardio warm up is fine, especially since I'm not on there long enough for my toes to go numb. I manage a good set of HGPUs so that makes me happy. The Mayor and two other middle-age guys are standing but a few feet away from the sit up bench where I do my knee-ins. A wallet and water bottle sit on the floor near the base of the machine. I'm not even going to bother to ask if anyone's using the bench, because obviously they're not. They've been standing in that one spot for over 10 minutes kibbitzing. I do 50 knee-ins and a guy finally goes to retrieve his wallet and water.

50 push ups are good. I don't want to lose my opportunity to use the Smith so I skip crunches and planks today. Besides, I did them yesterday! I'm still dragging around the Rogue collars in my gear bag though, just in case. The one thing I don't like about the Wilma Flintstone tank is that the fabric is only printed on one side. The underside appears whitish, instead of pink all the way through. All my other colored tanks are colored through and through. The tank also seems to pull to the right. Ugh. Just like the ridiculously breezy Avia tank I got at Walmart. Well, at least I'm wearing the hot pink sports bra underneath. They make it look more like an outfit, than something I just haphazardly pulled out of a dresser.

My back is a bit stiff and sore from yesterday. The RDLs are not so much heavy, as I am tired. I get my sets done, but I've done this feeling better. Not sure why though as there are too many variables. The RG BB Rows are okay though. Of course, One-Arm Seated Cable Rows are hard once I commit to sets at the heavier weight. Between sets, I see Gym Owner and Client with the multi-grip bar. Some call it a Swiss Bar. Afterwards, I see Client carry the bar into the locker room. My first thought is that he's going to wash it. Then I realize that Gym Owner probably can't tell him how much it weighs, and there's a digital scale inside. Well, that's one way to figure out how much you're lifting.

I'm glad I'm only doing 20 minutes on the elliptical, even though it's Intervals. Stuff I suck at, stuff that I hate, tend to be my favorite things to do. Kidding. But 10 minutes into the program, the back of my left knees feels odd, and for a moment, as if the tibia and fibula had twisted into each other. It's painful for a split second, and then it's just a little sore. This is the same spot where I still have remnants of the shingles rash. But I can't say I have shingles anymore, can I?
I'm happy when the 20 minutes are over. Time for wide grip hammer grip pull ups. Still not brave enough to attempt regular pull ups. And let's be clear: I am cheating on my hammer grips. I don't fully extend my arms because the pain in my left elbow becomes prohibitive. I'm not doing pull ups to give myself tendonitis, so however I can do them without messing up my joints is how I do them.

Tomorrow I'm planning to whack the kickboxing machine. Although the Gym Owner has fixed the Dry Sauna, I harbor serious doubts that he's going to invest in repairing the Nexersys machines. Which is too bad, because I really like using them.

Tuesday
3.58 miles

15 min x-trainer
Calories 69
Miles 1.77

HGPU 30
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 8
150 x 6

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12
60 x 8 x 3

20 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 208
Miles 1.81

Wide HGPU 20

Delusions and Then Some

I'm still 110.8 lbs which is okay, but not great, but not horrible. It's better than 113, especially since I'm not even 5 feet tall. My son is now a full inch taller than me, having sprouted 3 inches in the past 6 months. I guess kids do that. Unfortunately, I stopped gaining height when I was 10 years old so yes, I am the size of a 10 year old, although I like to think I'm considerably stronger. And while I'm okay with being roughly 110 lbs, I'd be happier just a few pounds lighter because my clothes would fit just a tiny bit looser, better, more comfortably.

Some people seem a bit more delusional. I frequent an online weight-lifting site where we cheer on our "friends". A woman recently friended me. She seems harmless enough. But there are certain aspects of her online personality that make me wonder if I shouldn't unfriend her. We can choose however we want to be known and her screen name is Mrs X. It's not really X but I'm not sure what to think of a woman who defines her identity as a relationship to her hubs. But that's not enough to unfriend her. No, there's more...

Never mind the endless nattering and cheerleading about going keto. People have what works for them. Or not. Never mind the endless chatter about being a good person and working hard on the marriage. Uh, this is a muscle-head site. What's weirding me out is her latest post where she states she hasn't tracked her weight since July and shows a 30 lb increase in 5 months. She attributes that to Thanksgiving and wedding anniversary overindulgence. Sorry, what?! The last time some gal put on 30 lbs it was because she was going to deliver a baby in the near future. So it's all I can do to bite my tongue and not ask if she's eating for two. Because keto isn't healthy for unborn babies. I think she's just nuts though...

Today is a Pull Day and I've arrived late morning. The gym is mostly empty so I'm happy, but of course, it'll fill up again towards the end of my routine. As much as I hate doing cardio on the cross-trainer because there's only one machine that I like, and I invariably get numb toes from it, I dutifully start my workout warm up with 30 minutes on it. I'm dragging a bit from yesterday and I already know that I'm going to skip the elliptical session later. The cross-trainer seems to help me maintain my weight whereas the elliptical does not. Go figure.

Even though my mileage is down, I can still muscle through a few more pull ups than usual. Yaay me! The core routine seems very routine. I actually breeze right through push ups so maybe I ought to put variations back in? There's a guy in the Smith doing BB Shrugs. I'm not sure why you'd want to do shrugs in the Smith since there's no one in the Squat rack. Otherwise you'd have to trek all the way to the other side of the gym to the CF area where there are two loose Olympic bars and a rack full of plates. I haven't even ventured there even though I used to do my RG BB Rows without the courtesy of the Smith machine. But I was younger then. And the gym was a lot less crowded with equipment.

I do a few sets on the MaxRack but I hate this contraption. The bar is much heavier and constrained from left to right. It's awkward for me to use. As soon as the Smith is free, I'm over there in a heartbeat. The Smith needs to be cleaned but I keep forgetting to mention it to the staff. There's a lot of visible dust in the pulley system, which makes the motion somewhat sticky. Ugh. Still, I get my reps and sets for RDLs, and RG BB Rows. I'm about to wander over to the Stretch Cage for another set of pull ups when I see that it's occupied.

Some kid in a navy hoodie, and long board shorts doing pull ups. I'm not sure how many. But instead of walking away, he/she (I can't really tell) rests a minute or two and proceeds to do another set. And another. Only a few reps for each set, but I admire the persistence. Of course, I'm not one to sit and hover, so I grab a handle and knock out my Seated One-Arm Cable Rows. This makes doing pull ups that much harder because this movement pre-exhausts my biceps, but I don't really have a choice. I don't want to waste time because I have plans that include baking a banana bread for the Boy Scout Holiday Party tonight, picking my son up from his after-school chess program, walking the dog, and trying a new chicken recipe that calls for vermouth, garlic, lemon and "herbs de Provence". Uh, I'm just going to sprinkle thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram and rosemary.

Eventually the kid is done and I get the chance to stretch my lower back and hammies before doing my last set of pull ups. I'm a lot stronger than I used to be since I can still remember struggling with a mere dozen pull ups. I attribute that to learning how to use my back instead of my arms, but it's a hard thing to teach. There are a few regulars but most of them are gone from the morning. I saw The Mayor lingering by the Smith while BB Shrug guy was unloading the bar. Of course. And I couldn't wait until he said his say and left so that I could finally do my routine.

In the locker room I chat briefly with two ladies. We all discuss losing our jobs and considering alternate career options. I mention that my hubs suggested I become a personal trainer because I like to work out. The older lady pipes up with "Oh no! People would hate you because you're tough. I've seen you work out!" I don't tell her that I'd dumb down the workouts or that I really hate the idea of having to sell a program or machine because I don't believe in them. I only know what works for me.

Tuesday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.68
Average Speed 7.35
Average Pace 8:10

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dog 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

MaxRack RDL
Bar (55 lbs) x 12
12 x 75

Smith RDL
12 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Smith RG BB Rows
22 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Seated One Arm Cable Rows
45 lbs x 12 x 3

HGPU 31

Getting Serious

Post Halloween and the gym is remarkably quiet. I get on the cross-trainer, beating a guy to it by a few seconds. Good for me! I start off a bit slow, and remarkably my right foot doesn't go all numb in the toes. Yaaay! I am feeling a wee bit stiff and sore. Not enough to impede anything, but just enough to know it. I wish I could say that push ups and pull ups feel easier, but they don't. The Smith is in use, but like yesterday, after I set up on the MaxRack, the dude is done. Yaaay me again!

SLDLs feel routine, but I decide to up my reps to 20 for RG BB Rows. It feels right. Pull Ups are still hard. The Mayor is long gone. Thank goodness. I get three really good sets on the Seated One-Ar, Cable Rows. My elbows and forearms start to complain a tad. Ugh. Time to burn a few more calories on the elliptical. Then more pull ups. And a good stretch.

No more slacking on the cardio. And back to eating more salads. And no more beer or hard ciders until I lose those nasty 5 lbs. Down one pound today. Four more to go! Or maybe five...

Good workout

Tuesday Pull Day
(6.2 total cardio miles)

30 min x-trainer
3.72 miles
239 cal
8:07 av pace
7:39 mph

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60 sec
Side Planks 2 x 60 sec
Elbow Plank 60 sec

Smith SLDL
Bar x 15
12 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Smith RG BB Rows
20 x 80, 100, 120, 130

HGPU 31
Seated Cable 1-arm Row
45 lbs x 12 x 3

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 278
Miles 2.48

HGPU 31

What The Hot Moms Are Wearing... Kidding!

Yellow Wood Sorrel is delicious!

Me and the dog are definitely enjoying the cooler weather! I know it won't last, but it's always good when I need a blanket to sleep. Unfortunately, our county just declared a drought warning and asked all residents to refrain from gratuitous watering. Uh, hmmm. I was planning to water the peas tomorrow, only the 3rd time this season that I've actually turned the hose on. The peas are going to be tough, but stir fried they'll still taste good. I also like to harvest the wild yellow wood sorrel that grows like wildfire in my raised bed, their luscious lemony leaves offering a bright counter point to bland salad greens. It's got a decent amount of Vitamin C, but also oxalic acid, which is not good for people with gout, rheumatism and kidney stones. Luckily, it's fairly safe in small quantities as a flavor accent.

Drawstring and pockets

Because it's cool out, I take the opportunity to try out the new Everlast "bermudas" I got from Kmart. They're made of sweatcloth, have both an elastic waistband and a drawstring, and deep front patch pockets. They come just to my knee although I'm sure they were meant to be slightly shorter. I don't like the drawstring because it leaves a weird belly lump under my tank top, but the shorts themselves are extremely comfortable. The Old Navy boys shorts arrived yesterday and they fit fine. I'll see how well they hold up during a workout next week. This is soooo exciting! Old Navy tends to run too big so I bought a tank size XS. This is probably the one time I should've just bought a Small because this tank is form-fitting skin tight. I can still wear it, but probably as an undergarment itself, because I don't think there's room to put a bra on under it. Seriously.

Today's a slightly better day for push ups. I took yesterday off because my son and I had a million things to do, from retrieving items left behind at Boy Scout camp from his Troop Mate's mom, to purchasing his 6th grade planner from Middle School, to getting tickets to the movies and then killing time at the local pizzeria, culminating in getting ready for Parent Night at his day camp that evening. Well, at least I didn't have to cook yesterday!

I'm wearing my raspberry and grey Asics because they are more supportive when I'm pulling heavy weight. They're not quite so much fun when I'm doing cardio. Still, I managed a decent mileage today, and pulled decent weight as well. I wish the old guys would stop looking so shocked when they seem me put plates on the Smith machine bar. Agreed that most women use the Smith for Squats and maybe Split Squats. Venus use to do Hip Thrusts there, but I haven't seen here in a very long time. Of course, now that I think of it, very few women consistently show up to Bench or DL here. Maybe at night, but not when I'm at the gym.

It could be my imagination, but I think I actually heard some faint cheering at the pull up bar when I dropped into a full extension at rep 30, and then managed one more full rep. There are a lot of regulars here today, and I'm visually familiar with most of them. There are some I just have no respect for because they never wipe down the machines once they use them. Being old and out of shape isn't a free pass! I see the middle-age redheaded Skinny-Fat chick on the treadmill with a cast on her right leg. Hmmmm. She walks for 5 minutes then gets caught up in conversation for the next 10 min. She was making great progress all winter and then she took a few days off during Easter. When she returned, it looked as if she'd put 20 lbs back on. Holidays are hard on people and their best intentions.

I add more sets to the RG BB Rows today even though I'm still trying to recover from SLDLs. Again, I see old guys staring, and not because they want to use the equipment. After I do a set of pull ups, they're too embarrassed to stare. The college boys arrive by the time I'm done with my last cardio session. They are really cute with great bodies so it's fun to sneak a glance at them. They're certainly a lot nicer to look at than the fat old guys who wander the gym, spending more time gabbing than exercising. I feel the faintest ache inside my elbow from Seated One-Arm Cable Rows, so no Drag Curls. I'd like to get one more set of pull ups today. I finish with most of my Mat Stretch. It's probably a bit intimidating, but I don't do it for other people. I do it for me. Friday I plan to whack the machine. Tomorrow I have a swim class, and no plans to go to the gym. I'm curious to see how I feel on Friday.

Wednesday Workout
(6.39 miles total cardio)

Xtrainer
30 min
136 cal
3.82 miles
7.63 av spd

Hammer Grip Pull Ups
Barely 31 Ugh!

Crunches 3 X 50

Bird Dog Planks
2 X 60 sec

Knee-in 50

SLDL
15 X 30
12 X 80, 100, 120
10 X 130
15 X 80

RG BB Row
15 X 30
12 X 50, 80
15x 90, 100 Hmmm

HGPU 31

One arm seated cable row
12 X 37.5, 45, 45, 45

Elliptical
30 min Prgm2
2.57 miles
292 cal

HGPU 31