Working Out In Spite

I wake up to several phone calls and text messages telling parents that the school will start two hours later on Monday, but just our school. Huh? What about my son's early morning gym class? Later, we are informed that a teacher at the school has passed suddenly and services will be held Monday morning. The delay is to allow staff and students alike to attend if they want. There are grief counselors on hand when my son gets to school. When he gets home, he tells me that students in another class were quite upset, crying hysterically. I think back to my grade school years and realize how insulated we were because no one ever died. I only learned of the one classmate who did pass away only several years after the fact. In the five years my son has been in grade school, we have learned of two former student deaths and now a teacher. The world seems more dangerous, and not just because we are tied closer through our electronic media devices.

My son goes to school and I go to the gym. After I sweep all the snow off my steps, walkway, car and driveway, then salt. Because I live in a cold spot on the hill and if I don't take precautions, my driveway will be a slippery mess. I definitely have a head cold and I have half a mind to curl back up in bad, but I'm already dressed in my gym clothes, so what the hell... Hi ho, hi ho, off to the gym I go. I do my 10 minutes warm up, and then 15 rounds at the Nexersys machine. I'm much more annoyed with it today because not only is it blanking the screen more often, but it's not registering some of my combinations (I'm too fast for the Beginner rounds). Ugh. There goes my Accuracy score. Oh well. I also have to blow my nose a lot today. It's annoying. But not as annoying as the horde of HS kids in the gym today. Did they cancel school in this town? I knew some of the neighboring towns had delayed school starts. By noon, all the wet, slippery snow is gone.

I also do 15 minutes of Intervals on the elliptical, but since I'm not quite 100%, I'm pedaling at less than optimal capacity. Still, I can knock out my 21 pull ups, so it's not that bad. I read online that Close or Neutral Grip (Hammer Grip) Pull Ups also do wonders to work the posterior delts. Hurray for me! My eyelids burn so I know I'm not just tired, but actually sick. Bleah. My shoulders are tired too. I look in the mirror sideways but I can't tell which part of my delts I should be concentrating on these days. At least they balance my triceps. I've started finishing my showers with a few seconds of cold water. My sciatica persists but it's mostly just annoying now. I'm reading that cold showers help to activate the body's brown fat, which is found mostly in the scalp, back of the neck and upper back. Not sure how true this is, but out of all the body parts subjected to cold water, the back of my head and neck are the least sensitive. I can stand under the cold water for at least 20 seconds...

I'm so hungry I feel like I'm burping up bile and I resort to devouring a Quest bar before I can leave the parking lot. Normally I wait until I get home to mix up a whey shake, but today I have to errands: purchase some ezekiel bread, finally, to see what that's all about. I've read a lot about it and then I see it advertised in the local supermarket flyer. Amazon wants $15 when it can be purchased locally for $5 at Trader Joe's. And apparently ShopRite! But it's in the freezer section. Of course!

I also drop off the Cub Scout program to have it printed; buy ciabatta bread (because it's the dog's favorite treat and he's all out) and bagels to toss in the freezer. Tomorrow's schedule is back-to-back and I need to pack lunches for my son and myself. I can't wait to sit down and close my eyes...

Friday Workout

Elliptical Training

Warm Up

Calorie :   88 CAL
Distance: 0.79 mile
Duration : 00:10:00

KickBoxing

Lap/Rep :  15 Lap/Rep
Duration : 01:00:00

Elliptical Training

Intervals

Calorie :   132 CAL
Distance: 1.2 mile
Duration : 00:15:00

Hammer Grip Pull Up

190.4

Set 1 : 112x21

Photos posted for actual stats:

5 rounds Beginner

5 rounds Intermediate

5 rounds Advance

Sick Day Workout

Because I can't seem to get warm unless I work out, I'm downright miserable if I stay home all day while the temp hovers in the low 40s. There's only so much hot tea that one can drink without becoming absolutely sodden. It's as if my body is in hibernation mode until I shock it awake with a healthy dose of cardio. Today is Back Day and probably the most taxing of my 5-day routine, so I'm game to see what I can make of it. I already know cardio is going to blow chunks, but I make a gallant effort anyway. I don't even come close to four miles. Still, it makes me warm and sweaty, and that makes me feel better.

My head cold is progressing -- I have tissues in my hoodie pocket because my nose is running. Or rather, my right nostril is running. The left seems unperturbed by all this talk of illness and colds. I've slathered Liquid Skin all over my fingers and parts of my heels and toes in an effort to stave off cold weather skin fissures. My finger tips are shiny like plastic, but the bleach spray I use to wipe off the elliptical tends to dissolve that protection. I'm only planning to do four sets of Neutral Grip Pull Downs but I toy with the idea of Seated Cable Rows. I stopped doing them when my lower back suddenly reacted badly, and initiated a warning bout of sciatica down my right leg. It's not worth risking the injury. My elbows don't complain too loudly about the Pull Downs. Perhaps next week I'll try some Pull Ups.

This week I'm constantly reminding myself to go slow and easy, although I frequently have to check the Jefit app on my phone to remember what I did last week, and subsequently, what I was planning to do today. I do feel a little tired when I stretch out at the Cage. But mostly I feel fatigue in my lower eyelids. They burn a little, as if I've stayed up too late watching bad TV. The rest of me feels fine. The free weight area is a complete disaster, as if teenagers held an all night rave and forgot to have their moms put everything back in order. I have my four magnetic discs from the front desk.

There's a guy blocking the BB rack because he's put the EZ bar where the 80 lb BB should be. The 80 is on the floor by his feet. He's attempting to put plates on the bar but the EZ isn't long enough to fit properly. Okay, I've just pegged this young black guy with the V-shape physique as a moron. I remember B talking about him ("Oh, he has such a nice body") and how she'd made him some soup or stew and was constantly bringing it to the gym but he'd never be there. Eventually she gave up. I'm sure he was avoiding her attentions and I was embarrassed for her.

Eventually he realizes that he's in my way and he moves aside so I can grab the 100 lb barbell. I'll skip the 90 today. I have discs so I'm not going to bother with the 110 either. BD curls the EZ bar, but never replaces the 80 lb BB. I hate people who don't clean up after themselves. I do a warm up set at 100 and then knock out six sets of 12 reps at 110 lbs. My grip is okay for this but I know my hands are already starting to tire. Lower Back Extensions are next. The seat and shoulder rest are set at the lowest points, for someone my size. But the weight is set at 75 lbs. Yeah, gotta fix that. One warm up set at 165 lbs. The next six sets are at my max weight of 187.5 lbs for 12 reps each. It's a bit of work, but not impossible. I'm not sure how to move the weight up because at 195 lbs, I can't make the full arc. I don't know if a partial movement should count. I see ZZ trying not to stare. He's wearing a fluorescent yellow shirt and a pompadour. It's hard not to notice him, even peripherally.

When I'm done, I bring the 2.5 lb discs back to the front desk and swap them for the pair of 1.25 discs. Together they'll make a 55 into a 57.5 lb DB. I'm tired but I can always move weights. I grab a bench close to the plastic beauty bells because that is where the 55s start. I warm up with a 50 though and have to walk it all the way down the rack first. A set at 55. I've put the VGs on because my hands are tired. Then I plop the discs on and brace myself for the next three sets. I don't take as long to recover from each set but still, it's odd that my left seems stronger than my right. Of course, my left is fresher because I do left side first -- it's literally my weaker side. I feel a bit hollow, but not really tired. I think the tank's gone empty. However, there's still abs to do, and the sad thing is, I can always do abs. So I do abs. Sit ups, knee-in kick outs, crunches, torso twists. All of it. Now I can finally settle down for the Mat stretch. Once I get those DBPUs and plank out of the way. Sigh.

The gym scale reads 111.0 lbs. My face seems a tad puffy so I think having bacon and eggs for dinner last night was probably a bit too much salt. But my son enjoys it when I swap brunch foods for supper, and it's a nice change especially when the hubby is away on business and will have already had dinner by the time he gets home. Tomorrow is Leg Day. I'm not sure how the Double Cardio is going to go, but I'll give it a shot. I can always push weight. It's the cardio that I suck at, and that I have to work at. But maybe not when I'm sick.

Tuesday Workout:
35 min Hill 6 = 3.80 miles Blech!

Neutral Grip Pull Downs: 12 @ 75 lbs / 10 @ 90 lbs / 8 @ 105 lbs / 6 @ 120 lbs
Will see how Pull Ups feel next week

Cage Stretch

Reverse Grip BB Rows: 12 @ 100 / 6 x 12 @ 110 lbs PB
I guess I should grab the 110 lb BB and start adding discs to that

Lower Back Extension: 12 @ 165 lbs / 6 x 12 @ 187.5 lbs PB
Not sure where to go with this because I can't complete the full arc movement at the next plate 195 lbs

One-Arm DB Rows: 12 @ 50 lbs / 12 @ 55 lbs / 12, 11, 10 @ 57.5 lbs
Guess I'll up the weight when I can get 3 sets of 12 at 57.5 lbs

Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 125
Lower Ab Knee-In Kick-Out: 100
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 20 sec plank, splits, etc.

Pulling Back Just a Tad

Well, it's finally happened late in the year: I've caught a cold. Not just any common cold, mind you, no coughing, not much sneezing, no runny nose. No, it's a dreaded head cold. I can tell from the sore throat I gargled away last Thursday. My throat wasn't red, but it hurt. And it hurt because there was gobs of mucous stuck to it. Once that was gargled away, everything was fine. Except where it all originated. Post-nasal drip indicates a sinus infection. I'm not at all surprised by now that only my right side that appears to be congested. I made chicken soup yesterday for dinner, thick with onions, garlic, celery, carrots, boneless chicken thighs, and egg noodles. Topped with sriracha hot chili sauce, otherwise known as Rooster Sauce. I feel better today, although not 100%. There's only so much that zinc tablets, vitamin C and plenty of fluids will do for you. Sleeping in works wonders, but that was Saturday morning only. Then we went out to the local Latin American bistro to enjoy empanadas, platano relleno, ropa vieja, braised lamb shank in banana leaves, mushroom risotto, mango-vanilla cheesecake, and a flourless chocolate torte with vanilla ice-cream. Yum.

Today's it's back to the grind. Oatmeal, egg and raisins for breakfast with a cup of coffee. I've been testing new protein powders 'cuz as much as I enjoy the RTD high protein Ensure after my workout, I"m getting bored with just the vanilla or chocolate flavor. I bought Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey strawberry flavor. My husband complains it has no taste. Mixed with water, he's right. It doesn't taste bad. Or good. Because it doesn't seem to taste like anything. I mix a scoop with lactose-free skim milk and it tastes vaguely like strawberry Quik, but not as sweet. His GNC brand AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 tastes better, but it makes me grind my teeth. Of course, original Sudafed makes me grind my teeth as well. Doesn't seem to bother him. But he eats pre-workout Cellucor Extreme C4 before he trots off to the garage. All I need is a cup of coffee.

The parking lot is packed but there's not a lot of people in the gym. Perhaps they're in class? I mount Precor #1 and punch in program Hill 5. I don't really feel sick and I'm pedaling fairly quickly. Still I don't quite make my quota. I see all the regulars down in the free weight area, The Mayor, M, Tall Pace, Jude, The Slav and even a few irregulars, people who show up sporadically. But since I've decided to concentrate on getting stronger by getting more reps in than pushing heavy, I don't see the need for a spot. Because I'm sick, I'm also cutting myself some slack on the amount of sets today.

Size Small Equator tank is
a tad tight in the shoulders

Even though I just did 35 minutes of cardio, I still feel the need to warm up the muscles I'm working next. Hence 12 reps with just the bar. Then another set with a few more pounds. I don't actually feel as if I'm pushing weight until I toss the 25 lb plates on. In the past I've done six sets of 12 reps at 95 lbs. Today I only do eight reps because I'm trying to get sets at the next higher weight: 115 lbs. At first I can only get 6 reps. But the next set I get 8, and the following set as well. I know I could struggle with more reps but struggling isn't pretty so I don't. Instead, I drop back down to 95 lbs just to see how many reps I can get. I almost stop at 12 but realize I can do more. I stop at 15. I could probably do more but I need to keep something in the tank.

I'm wearing a new Athleta yoga top today because daily workouts are making my clothes ragged and rough, edges frayed, holes growing in the fabric like an unquenchable alien life form. It's a size Small because I made my purchase based on the sizing chart, but since I'm not built like the average woman, I have to actually do a wear-test to see if it truly fits. Halfway through the delt workout, the shoulder straps start to dig into my traps and I wonder if I shouldn't've sized up to a Medium. Tomorrow I'll wear the other yoga top I bought, but that garment is actually a Medium because I got smart and purchased both sizes, tried them on, and have already returned the smaller top.

My Jaya tank is a
Black Medium

I cut back on the weight for the delt work although it's annoying that my gym only has two 1.25 lb magnetic weights and four 2.5 lb ones. Still I do six sets at decent weights and reps for both rear and lateral raises. Between sets, I see a short Latino standing inside the hex bar with small plates on it. I don't know what he's doing but the rounded back he's using to lift the bar isn't going to end well. Jude is in the Squat rack. He squats a lot of weight. The Mayor switches between preacher curls and something with DBs. I'm not really paying much attention. My batteries feel like they're draining down so I'd better get moving... only abs and stretching left to do. Yay!

The Dive Bomber Push Ups are definitely easier but I'm not inclined to do any more than the two sets of 12 before the 20 second plank. Splits are mostly good today, and laying on the Mat while I stretch out my lower back definitely felt luxurious. The gym scale reads 112.4 lbs, a result of salty well-seasoned restaurant food, and fatigue snacking. I'm not worried.

Monday Workout:
35 min cardio Hill 5 = 3.94 miles 
Bench Press: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 10 @ 75 lbs / 8 @ 95 lbs / 6, 8, 8 @ 115 lbs / 15 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch, etc
Rear Inclined DB Flyes: 15 @ 25 lbs / 3 x 15 @ 30 lbs / 12 @ 30 lbs / 15 @ 25 lbs
DB Lateral Raises: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs / 4 x 12 @ 27.5 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with 2 x 12 DBPUs and 20 sec plank, etc