Whacking the Machine Again

Post Workout Selfie

I was a little worried about hitting the Nexersys more than once a week, but I had to know if proper hand wrapping would really protect me from serious knuckle damage. My hands aren't sore so that's good. I do my 10 minute warm up and spend a few minutes taping and wrapping before stuffing my hands into gloves. I've braided my hair and clipped it to my head, but the intensity of the Intermediate Follow Me workout causes my hair to fall loose from my head.

I'm constantly readjusting my hair between rounds and eventually I give up, happy just to clip the hair out of my face. At least it's braided so that it's not a wet ponytail smacking me in the face when I twist as I throw a Power Hook. I have favorite moves, and less successful blows, like the Lead Sweep. But I'm most happy with how my hands feel. Two of my fingers feel a bit odd, perhaps I've taped them a tad too tight, but my knuckles don't hurt, my hands don't hurt, and I haven't lost any skin. Yaaaay!

People constant walk past in my  peripheral vision. The machine doesn't register my Lead Kick. And is overly sensitive to my Cross and Power Body. I note with some caution the woman who mounts the mountain bike simulator closest to my machine. She has three bikes to choose from but of course, being somewhat oblivious, she chooses the one most likely to result in personal injury if she isn't careful. She's on the bike for maybe 15 minutes. 14 rounds means 56 minutes, of which 42 are active and 14 are rest minutes. When I'm done, I put my hoodie on and lay down on the Mat to stretch out my lower back. It's been really stiff this week. And my lats are still sore. It's hard for me to believe that my body-weight workout is actually harder on my body than pumping iron. The body is adaptable! I plan to maintain this workout for a few weeks, and then move back to weights. Eventually.

Thursday Workout

Elliptical Training

Warm Up

Calorie :   97 CAL
Distance: 0.05 mile
Duration : 00:10:00

KickBoxing

5 r Beginner
9 r Intermediate
Lap/Rep :  14 Lap/Rep
Duration : 00:56:00

Photos posted for actual stats:

5 Rounds Beginner Follow Me

9 Rounds Intermediate Follow Me

Day Five is a Wild Card

35 min hill 5 and 35 min interval 8

Day 5!

Since I didn't make it to kickboxing last night (my husband had to work late and I don't like to go without him), I figured I'd do cardio and then get some time in on the Nexersys machines. They usually stand abandoned next to the more popular, less scary cardio machines. On rare occasions I've spied a middle-aged woman or man tentatively poking the pads. I like to punch and jab. Punch hard enough to make the machine beep at me for punching too hard. But that's just me. I punch hard enough to make people look up from their elliptical daze, and when I'm done, sweat is pouring off me like I've just completed a run in the blazing sun. It's very satisfying.

Day Five Workout
35 min hill #5 = 3.93 miles (bleah) + 35 min interval #8 = 4.08 miles  Grand Total = 8.01 miles Whew! I just barely made my quota of 8 miles and I'm so relieved that it's over!
Cage Stretch & Kicks: this includes several sets of body weight heel dips (part of the stretch) and hamstring stretches (heel to face height bar) and side kicks to loosen the hips.
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups because I feel guilty not doing any abs before a weekend where I'm basically a slug and don't do anything: 125
Mat Stretch: I'm tired from cardio but my splits still feel good although I don't push the horizontal because I want to save time to play with the Nexersys.
Nexersys: I do a 3 round set of avatar Follow Me (3 minutes per round), and then a 3 round set of avatar Sparring. The machine beeps me several times for punching too hard. Maybe next time I shouldn't tell it I'm female because it seems to be expecting softer punches. I land a lot of punches and my punching power (127%) is well above 100% but I don't really know what that means, nor do I really care. I land a lot more punches than the program calls for (200/150) and I have to be careful not to completely exhaust myself during the first round. Pacing myself is not something I'm used to doing but it seems like a good practical skill to have. 

Looks suspiciously like a blister!

I'd taped my knuckles under those stupid pink Everlast gloves but I've still managed to skin my knuckles, especially my right. I've also split the skin on the 2nd joint of my pointer finger just where the glove ends. When I get home I apply some Liquid Skin in spite of the extremely unpleasant burning sensation associated with antiseptics, and shiny plasticized sheen. The slight yellow glob on my pointer knuckle suggests pus but that's impossible so I'm forced to conclude that it's a blister. All from a few rounds of play boxing. Jeepers, I need better gloves, and it's not for lack of trying. I just haven't been able to find any that fit me. I like my husband's gloves but they're old (probably not available anymore) and waaay too big. Also, I have to learn how to tape my hands. Online, I read about cotton wraps vs elastic ones. I'm using tape. Perhaps I need to use something else?


The gym scale reads 108 lbs and I'm pleased. I've barely drank half my water but damn I'm hungry. My home scale reads 107 lbs and says my BF has dropped to 19.1 which could just be a statistical error considering it usually reads 19.4-.6, at least for the last several months. I haven't decided whether I'm going to work out next Thursday, July 4th. Traditionally I work out regardless of holidays unless it's a day the gym is closed. My son doesn't have camp so he can sleep in. But I'd feel guilty skipping the gym. I'll probably work out, but use the New Plan, leaving me wiggle room for two Wild Card days. As long as I get cardio in, then whatever else I do is cool. I like that.