Limitations

I hate it when your doc gives you horrible news, an ultimatum of sorts, sets up a course of action, and then, after you've had a moment to digest and adapt to the news, backs off three steps, leaving you to wonder just how dire your situation is. The glaucoma specialist I saw yesterday said that my optic nerves were damaged so badly by the IOP that she estimated I only had 20% left for vision. Considering I'm only in my 50s and plan to live a good long life, she worried that 20% wouldn't be enough to ensure a long sighted life. She tells me that she'll consult with my regular ophthalmologist and recommend I start using two different eye drops to bring my eye pressure down. 

The specialist agrees with my brother that the name-brand drops are significantly more effective than the generics that health insurers press upon everyone. It's back to Xalantan® instead of generic latanoprost. And lets try Azopt again. I might only be mildly allergic to the preservatives in them. She says that I ought to schedule pressure checks every two to three weeks to determine if the drops are working. But after a phone consultation with my original doc (who happens to be a corneal specialist) she recommends that I just move up my appointment by a month, so I'll see him in May instead of June. What happened to getting a pressure check every 3 weeks? Her office is too hectic to provide an answer. I have a discount card that will provide a significant subsidy for the prescription, but the health insurers don't care about efficacy. They'll cover generics, but not name brands. I know it's gonna cost a lot out of pocket. Sigh. But I don't want to go blind either. Double sigh.

I can't believe that I still feel tired but my workouts have been pushing the limits. I'm a little sore, but not enough to really bother me. I don't do HIIT cardio today because I want to be able to move that 165 lb BB. More than once. I toy with the idea of pulling the 25 and 10 lb plates off and replacing them with a 45 lb. That would certainly get people's attention. It would also raise the bar off the floor to about mid-shin. With the 25 lb plates, the bar is just over my ankles. Today I leave the 25s on and just slap on 10s. But I'm giving serious thought to the 45s just to see if it'll be easier. Because 165 lbs is hard. It takes me significantly longer to pull upright than with 155 lbs and that's only a 10 lb difference. I get three sets but not all 12 reppers, leaving something to work towards. On the other hand, doing a 20-repper at 115 lbs is cake afterwards.

I probably should pick either BB Rows or One-Arm DB Rows to do per workout. But I don't and so I'm pretty tired by the time I get to a bench and haul a 60 lb DB over to it. Warm up. Some short Latino dude is doing jumping jacks in front of the DB rack, trying to impress a cute little Latina gal. Which is fine, but they're not even using DBs so go play somewhere else! I feel exasperated. People constantly leaving their weights all over the place as if the maid or their mom was going to happen by and tidy it all up for them. The 65s absolutely do not feel any lighter than last week. Maybe even a tad heavier. I get my 8-rep sets but find myself laying down on the bench in between sets. The Lower Back Extension machine is busy so I grab Neutral Handles and set up at the Lat Pull Down station. I skip the 90 lb warm up and move directly to 105 lbs. No point in wasting energy.

My elbows don't complain and I'm mildly surprised. I get myself anchored and then pull back with my elbows tight to my sides. I figure this is as close to Seated Machine Rows as I'm going to get without actually risking my lower back. Then the Lower Back Extension machine where I do three sets of 15 reps at 180 lbs. I can feel it in my glutes and hamstrings at this weight. I have time to do abs so I drop onto the mat to alternate crunches with those weird knee to elbow crunches that's all lower abs and lower back. It's a small weird, difficult movement. I almost forget the LISS as I grab my hooie. Step Mill busy, so it's either the elliptical or the recumbent bike. Bike it is! I catch up on my email and the forum postings. Done! The gym scale reads 112.8 lbs and my face is all pink and puffy. I'm seriously considering doing Legs tomorrow so I can box on Thursday, and give my lower back a rest before Friday, when I'll have to figure out what I'm doing with that BB Row. I may have reached my limits.

Tuesday's Back Workout

20 min Precor elliptical = 2.03 miles

BB Row (overhand grip for warm ups)
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x95 lbs

RG BB Row (use VGs with underhand grip)
12x115 lbs
12x135 lbs
12x155 lbs
12, 10, 12 x 165 lbs +10 reps, +12 reps Yay! PR
20x115 lbs (for fun)

One-Arm DB Rows
10x60 lbs (each arm)
3x8x65 lbs

Close-Grip (Neutral) Lat Pull Down
12x105 lbs
10x120 lbs
8, 7, 8 x 135 lbs

Lower Back Extension Machine
3x15x180 lbs

Torso Twist Machine
2x25x50 lbs

Crunches alternating with Knee to Elbow Crunch
50 / 50 / 80 / 50

Mat Stretch with 2 x12 DBPUs and 60-second plank, splits, stretches

20 min LifeFitness recumbent bike = 2.46 miles

Walking the Line Between Warm Up and Worn Out

I'm starting to hate getting to the gym early on Mondays because every single elliptical is in use. Every machine, every bench has a body on it. I've been coming here for three years and I've never seen it this crowded except on holidays when there's no school. Surprisingly, the Step Mill is free which is at least some sort of cardio warm up. After 20 minutes I'm a bit damp although not really feeling warmed up. A bench frees up and I jump on it. Guys have stolen my yoga blocks to use as cushions between the squat rack and the mirrored wall that divides the free weight area from the classroom. I plant all my gear on the bench while I hunt down two more yoga blocks.

My triceps were sore yesterday, no doubt from those merciless Rip Crushers. I didn't take my son to the gym over the weekend because he got an invite for a play date in Connecticut. He tells me that next Sunday he definitely wants to go to the gym instead even though he had a good time. There's an odd pin-prick sensation in my left trap that I can't quite identify and I chalk it up to sleeping oddly.

Today is Chest and Delts so the first thing I want to do is Bench. The first three sets are basically warm ups for 125 lbs. I get JF to spot me again, telling him that I'm just not feeling it today. Amazingly, 6 reps isn't that hard. I take a few minutes to stretch and unkink my left hand because my wrist and fingers feel oddly cramped. I get JF to spot me again, and I get 7 reps without too much hassle. Just one more set I tell myself. And this time, with JF spotting again, I knock out 8 reps. All me. It makes me feel really good, and confident that I might be able to up my weights. Perhaps doing the Step Mill for warm ups instead of my usual 2 mile jog has made a huge improvement? It's worth investigating if I can get over the fact that I'm putting on size.

I feel so much weaker doing Inclined BB Presses, and not just because I barely fit the equipment. If I didn't have the JeFit app to check my old logs, I probably would've done less weight today, and less sets. The app is certainly keeping me honest. My only solace in doing Inclined DB Flyes is that I can see the striations in my chest, even in the bad fluorescent gym lighting. Since I don't want to backslide, I up my sets instead of the weights. I think I'm at my limit with the DBs anyway. At least for now. I used to love DB Lateral Raises. Now it's all I can do to grit my teeth and grimace through my sets. I know it's because they're so damn heavy. Hours later, my delts are tired and tender. I've also reached my limit on the Bent-Over DB Rows because I start to feel the movement in my lower back instead of my rear delts.

I completely skip abs today because I don't want to be late for a doctor's appoint all the way across the county. (A new glaucoma specialist to check out my damaged optic nerves. I have 25/20 uncorrected vision. And glaucoma, which isn't curable, just treatable. Unfortunately, I'm either allergic to the eye drops, or they don't have any effect on my eye pressure. The doc suggests using at least two different families of eye drops in conjunction, if I'm not too allergic to them. I don't want surgery but it may become my only option. And of course, my main concern is, will I still be able to lift weights with those godawful flaps in my eyeballs? Not 50 lb weights, but real weight. I do pose the question to the doc when I see her, but she doesn't have an answer because there's not a lot of literature on weight-lifters, power lifters and eye pressure.) I do have time to do 20 minutes on the Precor before rushing off to shower. I'll do abs tomorrow. I only have to go to the vet to pick up some special food for the dog, and a new medicine because he's still not quite right and the vet suspects whipworms. Ugh.

Chest and Delts Monday
20 minutes Matrix Step Mill = 1112 steps

Flat BB Bench Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
10x95 lbs
8x115 lbs
6, 7, 8 x 125 lbs +1, +2 Yay!
12x115 lbs

Inclined BB Press
12x45 lbs (bar)
12x65 lbs
12x85 lbs
3x8x95 lbs

Inclined DB Flyes
12x25 lbs
4x12x30 lbs +1 set Yay!

DB Lateral Raises
12x25 lbs
4x12x30 lbs +1 set Yay!

Bent-Over DB Reverse Flyes
12x30 lbs
3x12x35 lbs +2 sets Yay!
2x12x30 lbs

20 min Precor elliptical Steady State = 2.0 miles

Cage Stretch

The Good, The Bad, and the Mediocre

I was a slug for three days instead of my normal two this past weekend because driving to Philadelphia is about 6 hours round-trip. Yep, a long butt-numbing ride where the only thing we exercised was our patience and the capacity to marvel at why more people aren't killed on the highways with all the stupid maneuvers they pull. There's not a lot of great scenery to view either, unless you count the actual trek from Cherry Hill, New Jersey over the bridge into the city of brotherly love. However, the trip was well-worth missing a workout because my consultation with the glaucoma doc revealed lower IOPs (intraocular pressure) for me that were well-within the target range for someone with low-tension glaucoma.

After a state-of-the-art Visual Field test which was compared with tests from previous years, the doc determined that yes, my tests are consistent with someone with glaucoma, but that with pressures at 11 and 13, he didn't feel surgery was necessary at this point. He also suggested an eye drop different from my current generic latanoprost: Lumigan® which is in the same family as Xalatan® but might have better efficacy. Yeah, well, we'll just have to see how much it costs and whether insurance will cover it or not because health insurance tends to blindly insist that generics are just as good as brand names, and the Philly doc disagreed, pointing to literature to support his claims. I don't need literature. My own brother can verify the difference in efficacy with his own IOP.

I got the gym much much later today than I was planning. My car was suppose to be ready this morning, and of course it wasn't so I had to wait until the part arrived from the dealership, and then it had to be soldered in where the old rusty parts had fused together. Subarus are known for a lot of things, and unfortunately rust is one of them. The auto repair shop tells me that I might want to start shopping because it's an old car that'll start "nickel and diming" me until it just won't be worth fixing. I'm not at all pleased that Subaru redesigned the Forester on the Legacy frame, making it bigger and heavier. More like a real SUV I suppose, but I've always loved the old Forester's tight handling (based on the Impreza). I'm not prepared to look for a new old car yet. Sigh.

The gym is eerily vacant because I've missed the morning rush and it's not quite lunch time yet. I jump on my favorite Precor with my hoodie zipped up and punch in Hill #5 because I'm not really sure how I feel today. I make decent mileage and feel pretty good, but just as I reach the free weights, the 7 foot tall dude claims the Smith so I plop down on one of four free weight Olympic benches. Wrapping my wrists really helps here and I knock out a few sets until I get to a weight where I think I might need a spot (25 lb plate + pair of 10s each side = 135 lbs). There are two kids on the next bench over but I don't want to ask them. RR has wandered away after pretending to fix the broken cable station that one of the gym staff guys has been fiddling with. I'm pretty sure I can get a few reps but I've been using a thumbless grip which is inherently dangerous. Suddenly I see that the Smith is free so I grab my gear and drop it on that bench before stripping the plates.

I probably should've stayed with the Olympic bench though because the Smith again felt sticky and heavy. I start with 95 lbs (which I had no problem with on the free bench) and it feels odd. It's the same with the 115 lbs, which again I had no problem with on the free bench. The next progression feels really heavy and my right shoulder twinges. Sets at 155 are completely disappointing. Benching felt unexpectedly better on the Olympic bench so I think I may have to actually find a spotter next time. Next time I'll come earlier and there will at least be people I trust to spot me.

25 lb DB (left) are so much
smaller than the 30 lb DBs (right)!

The rest of the workout seemed a bit mediocre with Cage Stretches and then back to the free weight area to wrestle with dumbbells. At least I have access to the Inclined Bench, a coveted piece of equipment. I've also got a pair of 2.5 lb magnetic discs because I don't quite know what my shoulders can handle today.

I like the 25 lb DBs but it's time I moved up from 15 rep sets so I only do one set. Then I add 2.5 lbs and do another set. That feels okay. I grab the 30 lb DBs and do 4 more sets at 8-10 reps although I find myself losing count so maybe it's 8-12 reps? But I don't like the 30s because they're too big and it's hard to get a decent grip on them because the plates are too wide. Next time I'll grab 4 discs and affix to both ends of the 25s instead.

Next are standing Lateral Raises and start with 20 lb DBs. After a set, I add the magnets. Then I move up to the 25 lb DBs. These are heavy but I can still do a complete set so I add the magnets. My goal is to reach a weight where all I can do is 6-8 reps. I can barely get 4 sets at 27.5 lbs so this is a good weight for me now.

Because this is a shortened week for me I ponder what to give up and I decide it's going to be Arm Day. I just like boxing the Nexersys too much on Fridays to give that up, and I still need to work Back tomorrow and Legs on Thursday. I briefly consider adding some Tricep work today but I'm actually too tired and feel guilty that it's early afternoon already. Besides, there's still abs and Mat Stretch to do. I don't remember to do Upright BB Rows either but since my front right delt is bothering me, I'm not that concerned with missing the exercise. Abs are a no-brainer as I can do a lot more than I actually do, so there's nothing to really work up to here. I stopped using weights for abs because I tend to bulk and no woman wants a bulky waist no matter how muscular.

The Mat stretch goes as expected, the right hamstring a tad more limber than the left (old college injury has left it a bit tight) but in general everything feels good. My lower back doesn't really bother me, but it is stiff and because I don't know what's wrong with it, I'm going to resist doing anything that will stress it. Maybe it's a disc on the verge of doing something it shouldn't? I'm tired of doctors for now so I'm taking a break from dealing with them. I finally badgered my internist's office about the 24-hour urine test but I'm not wholly satisfied with their answer. Instead of telling me that my micro-albumin levels are normal, they tell me they've consulted with the Nephrologist who says everything's fine. In fact, they never confirm that they've actually run the test they mentioned. My husband believes that they goofed up and are just covering their tracks now.

Today's Chest and Delt Workout:
35 min hill #5 = 4.07 miles Yay!
Olympic Bench Press: 25 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 65 lbs / 12 @ 85 lbs / 12 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 lbs
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 4, 6 @ 155 lbs / 8 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 23+10 @ 95 lbs (I had to pause at rep 23, rest for 5 seconds and then push out 10 more reps)
Cage Stretch with heel dips and side kicks
Inclined Rear DB Raises: 15 @ 25 lbs / 15 @ 27.5 lbs / 4 x 8-12 @ 30 lbs
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 8 @ 27.5 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 10 Dive Bomber Push Ups + 3 Hands Under Waist plus splits and other stretches

I'm not too surprised when the gym scale reads 112.0 lbs because I've been a slug all weekend, and we ate sushi for dinner last night, and I tend to retain a lot of water when I eat foods like that. What's surprising is how measurements change for something as simple as taking a pee. I weighed myself on my home scale and right afterwards I had to pee so out of curiosity, I weighed myself again just to see what readings would change. Everything except bone changed! And not in the way you would expect! Weight went from 110.6 to 110.0 -- okay, that seems normal. Body Fat went from 20.1% to 20%, Total Body Water Percentage went up from 50.8 to 51.1 (??) and Muscle Percentage dropped from 39.2% to 38.8. All from peeing. And I'm sure that by the end of the week, all the measurements will have changed again. So all I'm really looking at are Big Round Numbers and Trends. All the rest is just micro-nutia and not worth worrying about.