When Something Works Too Well

Post workout

My son and I walked through heavy fog to get to the school bus stop. I was worried that my old blue parka didn't provide enough visibility for the occasional car streaking down our road. By the time I got home, the sun was ablaze in the sky and temps crested at 57°F. Crazy! Of course, there was still ice on the lake and snow dotting the road like haphazard molars in an ornery mouth.

The gym was crowded with seniors this morning. All the ellipticals (there's only 4) were occupied. Most of the cross-trainers were too. But I manage to snag one next to my favorite one. Well, better than nothing. I'm tired today. My shoulder still aches weirdly, sometimes down the inside of the bone just under the bicep. But it's not horrible pain, just discomfort. I smeared myself with coconut oil this morning before dressing to alleviate dry skin itchiness. I can't cook with it because it doesn't agree with my gastrointestinal system, but it smells nice when I apply it to my shins and belly.

Because I'll probably be shoveling tomorrow, and there's a good chance school will be cancelled, I figure I'd better get a decent work out in today. But something that's not shoulder-intensive. I'm too tired to whack the machine. Better save that for Friday. Instead, I opt for a "Cardio Day" which is all my basic core stuff, and two sets of cardio. Not much different from my regular routine, except I don't touch a BB or DB today. I have trouble slogging through the cross-trainer. My feet go numb sooner than I expect. The pull ups always start out easy and increase in difficulty quite quickly.

Knee-Ins are always easy, but I think I'm developing a rough patch just over my tail bone. My skin is dry and scaly, and extremely sensitive, especially to irritants. Callouses build easily with little provocation. It's a good thing I'm not consumed with mani-pedis because I could quickly spend a small fortune weekly just to have civilized nails and cuticles. Sshhh. I file the callouses on my palms.

I haven't pushed myself to go past 80 reps for push ups because of the wonky shoulder. My crunches are better when I take my hair clip out so I do that, but put it back in for planks, and the final set of push ups. I see the young Latin Lovebirds again, cooing encouragement at each other. Well, mostly him cooing at her. They're cute and I smile to myself. I do a few Pistol Squats in the hallway. I'm happy that I can actually still do them, but unhappy at how stiff I am when I do them. These used to be easier. But of course, I used to be younger.

I'm drenched and strip off my hoodie before returning to the cardio platform. Hmmmm. Step Mill or elliptical? I decide to do Intervals on the elliptical because I, most likely, won't get the chance on Friday. 17 minutes into the program, my headphone announces "battery low" but I'm not sure if that means the headphones or the iPod is out of juice. I'd forgotten to charge my iPod and noted that it had about a 1/3 charge left on its battery. It turns out to be the A8 earbuds. Hmmm. Not quite the 8 hrs it advertises. I end the program, leave all my stuff in place because there are 3 other ellipticals available and the gym's not all that busy at the moment, dash into the locker room and swap my useless gear for the back up in my purse: old wired Sony MDR-J20s and my ancient square iPod nano. Then I restart the Intervals program for just 15 minutes. Ugh.

Still dripping, I stretch out and then do my final set of pull ups. The last rep takes me a moment to get my face to the bar. Ugh. It was hard. I'm tired. But I want to do one more set of Pistols and the class room is empty. While I walk across the room I note how my arm hangs bent at a 20° angle. Yep, those are big-ass triceps. Catching a photo of them is another matter. My hands are small and the phone is too big for me to manage it well. After another set of Pistols, I retreat to the locker room. Well, at least I didn't fall on my butt. I take a few more photos because I want to see if my efforts to lose this bulk are making any noticeable progress. My face looks a little better. I don't like it when my face is full and round like the moon.

Looking billowy

I'm really surprised when the gym scale bounces between 107.8 and 108 lbs. I'll take the latter. The only things that I've done differently this week is replace lunch with a protein shake mixed with 8 ounces of fat-free, lactose-free milk. I use the Optimum Nutrition vanilla because it tastes like vanilla ice cream. Yum! It seems to keep me full for the rest of the day, and I'm not horribly eager to wolf down dinner later on. Today I added a half teaspoon of cocoa powder, but I think I'll need to add more to actually taste it.

I'm worried I'm going to sabotage myself because this weight loss happened so quickly. I should be more concerned with fat loss, but fitting into my clothes is always a good thing. I'm thinking I can drop further because I need to shed fat. I don't think building muscle is in the cards for me right now. I'm just happy at maintaining what I've already got. Except I know my quads and glutes will bloom with even just a few pistol squats a week. I might have to add split squats sooner than I planned. Just for some hamstring balance, of course.

Tomorrow, Winter Storm Niko is suppose to dump 6-10 inches of heavy wet snow on us. Lovely. Then it'll raise temps at the North Pole a good 30 to 50°F. Seriously? On Friday, we can witness the full moon, which has been rechristened the Snow Moon. Doesn't that sound lovely and benign? It used to be called the Hunger Moon by Native Americans, because February is usually a bad time to search for food or game. We're also suppose to be privy to a penumbral lunar eclipse, and potentially a passing comet (Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková). The latter will require binoculars in the pre-dawn Saturday sky. Yep. I'll be we don't see any of it.

Wednesday
6.05 cardio miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 131
Miles 3.32

HGPU 36
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 60
Pistol Squats 6 ea leg

17 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 159
Miles 1.43
Change iPod & earbuds
15 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 148
Miles 1.30

HGPU 34

Pistol Squats 5 ea leg

Constructive Uses for Destructive Forces

Post-push-up Selfie

I used to have a much worse temper than I do now, but it does flare up every now and then. I get it from my father. Working out has helped to keep me more or less on an even keel. But sometimes I just can't let things go. Last night, for example. I took my son to his Cub Scout Pack meeting. Badges are awarded once in the Fall and once again in the Spring. My son's Den was going to receive a slew of badges plus Compass Emblems for having completed the entire 20 badge program. Except for one child whose parents just can't seem to get themselves organized. I've spent the past few weeks sending them text messages and emails regarding the status of their son's Webelos rank, to no avail. Meanwhile, I'm still wrestling with another Den leader over the direction of the Blue & Gold banquet this Spring, when our Cub Scouts transition to Boy Scouts. In the middle of all this, I text my hubs some photos of the event, figuring he could enjoy without being actually there.

Instead, he questions me about the guest speaker, a former Army Medic who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. (November is a Veteran's themed meeting.) This fellow was invited by one of the parent's who also serves on the Planning Committee and it's great that someone is willing to take the time to speak to our kids about their experiences. My husband goes on a rant about politics, and all I want to text him back is "Shut up! WTF?!" But I don't. I should've ignored him, but instead I type "Whatever" because it's nicer than what I want to say. And it has the desired effect, but I know he's mad now. Which makes me even more mad.

These handles rotate.
But they're comfortable.

I'm still mad when I wake up this morning. After I get my son off to school, I drive the rental to the gym. I'm stuck with this car until at least next Tuesday because they're waiting for a part. That seems to be standard with Subies. No one ever has what you need in stock. I haven't worked out in two days so I feel a bit stiff. But because I'm still mad, I have a lot more energy. Today I actually make over 7 miles in cardio, and that feels pretty good. My gym has three different types of push up handles and I take the ones that look the most hand-friendly. I'm weirded out by the fact that they rotate but use them anyway. The other handles look like someone wrapped them in tape to make them easier to grip. And I haven't been able to figure out what the ones that look like over-sized picture hanger hooks are for. At least my knuckles have been saved. I'm able to knock out the rest of the routine (push ups and planks) without issue.

Not sure about these handles.

I catch glimpse of myself in the mirrored wall by the Max Rack. My arms are huge! Cool! I stay with a light weight for reps because I notice a very slight twinge in my lower back, and I'd rather be safe than sorry. Perhaps because I'm not worn out from RG BB Rows, the DB Laterals seem easier today even though I'm doing supersets with DB Reverse Flyes. But instead of upping the weight, I add two more sets. Next time I'll consider upping the weights a hair, and will need to grab those magnetic discs from the front desk. One-Arm Seated Cable Rows are a tad harder than I expect but just that means my arms are tired. However, I can still knock out three sets of Drag Curls and RG Curls.

I always do Intervals on Friday, figuring that I should end the week with intense cardio. I've forgotten to charge my iPod but even a sliver of battery life is enough to power my entire workout. I've been eyeing the stretch Cage, and today, after loosening up my hamstrings and quads, I grab hold of the bars in the roof of the Cage and pull myself up. The first dozen feel pretty good. The last two are a little hard, considering I haven't done them in several weeks, and the last time I did, I got horrible pain in abdominals from under the sternum down past my navel. I'm really happy now. What the hell, I'll go for broke! I grab a bosu ball and plant it in front of a Lat Pull Down station. It's been a really long time since I've done these. But it's not an issue. At least I can do one complete set. I don't push my luck though. One set is good for just getting back to it! I'm even able to knock out Pistol Squats on the Mat. It's easier on the flat hard floor but balance is one of the things I like to work on simultaneously with flexibility. It's kind of critical as you age.

The sit up board has a big gouge in the foam under the cracked vinyl. I wonder when the gym will have the benches all re-upholstered? Meanwhile, I'll contemplate doing Lower Ab Knee-Ins, but not today. I have errands to run! The gym scale reads 107.6 lbs which actually surprises me since I've been snacking on chips before bed lately. Chips, cheese, hard cider. I'm probably fat and don't realize it yet, so I've been avoiding my own home scale. I don't want to read the BF measurement. Yet. I text my hubs and we make up over the phone without either of us actually apologizing. Marriage is a series of compromises. And I'm not mad anymore.

Friday Workout
(7.04 miles cardio!)

Cross Trainer

Steady State

Calorie :   144 CAL
Distance: 4.28 mile
Speed :    8.55 mph
Duration : 00:30:05

Handle Push Up

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep

Regular Plank

Elbow : 00:00:30
Straight : 00:00:30
Elbow : 00:00:30
Straight : 00:00:30

Diamond Push Up

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep

Bird Dog Plank

Bent Knee Left : 00:00:30
Bent Knee Right : 00:00:30
Straight Leg Left : 00:00:30
Straight Leg Right : 00:00:30

Dand Push Up

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep

Side Plank

Elbow Right : 00:00:30
Elbow Left : 00:00:30
Straight Arm Rt : 00:00:30
Straight Arm Lft : 00:00:30

One-Leg Push Up

Left Leg : 50 Lap/Rep
Right Leg : 50 Lap/Rep

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

@ MaxRack

Set 1 : 55x25
Set 2 : 75x25
Set 3 : 95x25
Set 4 : 95x25
Set 5 : 95x25

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 20x12
Set 5 : 20x12 SuperSet with

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 20x15
Set 3 : 20x15
Set 4 : 20x15
Set 5 : 20x15

Cable Seated One Arm Row

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 45x12
Set 3 : 45x12

Barbell Drag Curl

Set 1 : 50x15
Set 2 : 50x15
Set 3 : 50x15

Barbell Reverse Curl

Set 1 : 50x23
Set 2 : 50x22
Set 3 : 50x22

Elliptical Training

Intervals

Calorie :   322 CAL
Distance: 2.78 mile
Duration : 00:30:02

Hammer Grip Pull Up

Set 1 : 110x15

Glute Ham Raises

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

Set 1 : 110x10

The Importance of Sequence

Sequence is defined as the particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other. In weight lifting, it is common practice to do big compound movements first that work the entire body, followed by smaller movements that isolate particular sections. The only reason to do the opposite is if you want to pre-exhaust the smaller muscles because they seem to do doing the bulk of the work in the bigger movements. I find the sequence to my workouts to be a determining factor in whether I can do 4 sets of hammer grip pull ups successfully, and without elbow discomfort.

Today I warmed up with 15 minutes on the Step Mill only because I hadn't done it all week, and it happened to be available. If there's an opportunity, I'm going to take it! From there I can do a set of hammer grip pull ups fairly easily. The gym is mostly empty today so I have access to the Mats. Plus the gym owner has finally relocated the ab tower that sat in the middle of all three mats in the stretch area. I do 60 regular push ups. The trick to doing volume push ups is to do them quickly. I barely breathe in order to knock them out.

Planks are becoming easier now that I intersperse Straight with Elbow Planks. Diamond Push Ups are still hard, especially on the right elbow. I shift my weight a tad to the left to compensate. 25 is all I can manage. Another set of planks. It always takes me a few moments to get my balance when I lift my leg for these. Dand (or Hindu) push ups is a lot more taxing that it looks and I'm not sure why. I do them slowly in comparison to my other sets. I want to get the full stretch in my back and shoulders. I can only do 25. My last set of planks is the Bird Dog. It's not too bad once I find my balance. The right side balances more easily than the left. My last set of push ups are regular ones and figure I'll just go for broke: do as many as I can before I fall on my face. I get to 60!

I'm breathing hard and my arms are a bit shaky when I leave the Mat area. I want to do another set of Hammer Grip Pull Ups, but I feel weak and resort to a slight kipping motion to get my reps. It's discouraging. I don't like kipping because it feels like cheating even though CF people use it when training. I get on the Precor for 30 minutes of Intervals. That program kicked my butt on Wednesday, and since I'm not smart enough to avoid a challenge, I'm at it again, knowing full well that I'm going to be doing a lot worse today. That's not the point. The point is to condition the body.

Once I'm done with that, and logging a respectable 2.73 miles (Wednesday was 2.77), I'm back at the Stretch Cage. This time Hammer Grip Pull Ups are easy. I move back to the Mat to do some Pistol Squats and a full Mat Stretch (splits and all). Then before I hit the locker room, I do another set of Pull Ups. And they still feel pretty good. No elbow issues! But dang, my lats are tender.

What I hadn't realized was just how taxing push ups and planks are on the whole body, including lats. It's really difficult to pull yourself up with arm strength alone. Pull Ups utilize those huge back muscles, the lats (latissimus dorsi) to hoist the body against gravity. I'd always thought of Push Ups and Planks are being Core (abs) and Chest (pectorals, triceps, delts) exercises. Now I know better. And that doing Pull Ups right after Push Ups and Planks is going to be really really hard. Because of the exercise sequence.

Friday Whole Body Workout

Step Machine

Warm Up

Calorie :   132 CAL
Lap/Rep :  57 Lap/Rep
Duration : 00:15:00

Hammer Grip Pull Up

156.8

Set 1 : 112x12

Regular Push Up

60

Set 1 : 60 Lap/Rep

Plank

Straight/Elbow

Set 1 : 00:02:00

Diamond Push Up

25

Set 1 : 25 Lap/Rep

Plank

Leg 

Set 1 : 00:02:00

Dand Push Up

25

Set 1 : 25 Lap/Rep

Plank

Bird Dog

Set 1 : 00:02:00

Regular Push Up

60

Set 1 : 60 Lap/Rep

Hammer Grip Pull Up

156.8

Set 1 : 112x12

Elliptical Training

Intervals

Calorie :   315 CAL
Distance: 2.73 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Hammer Grip Pull Up

156.8

Set 1 : 112x12

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

141.87

Set 1 : 112x8

Hammer Grip Pull Up

156.8

Set 1 : 112x12

Acknowledging Fatigue

I didn't sleep all that well last night. Perhaps it was the rainstorm. I'm a light sleeper and despite the soothing white noise from the floor fan, I still managed to wake several hours before dawn. Perhaps it's a good thing that this is the last day of summer camp, and I'll be doing abbreviated workouts for the next two weeks. I suspect I'm over-tired, or even, over-trained in spite of working each body part only once weekly. Except for legs. Because I do some semblance of cardio nearly every day, even if it's just 10 minutes of HIIT followed by 20 minutes of leisurely LISS. The body is adaptive, but there are limits!

It seems counter-intuitive to plan more cardio and less lifting for the next two weeks. But what I'm planning is a sustainable program change: something I can do that won't make me unhappy. Cardio makes me happy. We'll see if I lose any size, but I doubt it. I have the type of body that retains mass and strength very efficiently. Being scrawny just isn't in my genetics.

I'm in a rush this morning so I neglect to put a patch of moleskin over the bunion bump on my right foot. The leather trainers I wear for whacking the Nexersys, and for Leg Day (I own two pairs), seem to chafe at that spot. Worse, I have a rectangular birthmark (shaped like a flag) very close to the bunion, and I'm leery of inflicting any damage to such delicate tissue. No one wants to effect changes to a black birthmark (melanocytic nevus) because of the potential for it to degenerate into melanoma. Pedaling on the elliptical and cross-trainer aggravate the chafing. I don't have this issue with my mesh shoes, but they don't provide enough foot support when I'm shouldering weight for Split Squats. Next time I have to build time into the schedule to apply that patch!

The Smith Split Squats are heavier than I remember. Worse, my lower back seems a bit sore but only when I do the movement. I keep adjusting my stance, but the soreness persists. I only do one heavy set today. I don't want to chance an injury. I think my back is just tired. I do three heavy sets of Smith SLDLs, which means GHRs are going to be super hard. The gym isn't as crowded today. I see Venus, trailed by Chatty Guy. I guess they are dating after all. She's got her long wavy blonde hair loose, with dark roots showing. That seems to be a valid look these days. She has a stunning figure, big bust, tiny waist and high round butt. The college guys can't help but give her a second stare.

The gym staff is busy today with several new members being introduced to various machines. Most of them are middle-age women who seem very timid. I hope they find their comfort zone and discover how much fun this all is. GHRs just get harder each week. But of course, I'm not helping myself by increasing the workload my hamstrings have to contend with prior to doing GHRs. It's a case of pre-fatiguing the muscle group to make them work harder. I'm such a sadist.

I always do the Interval program on Fridays. Maybe I should change that next week. Even though I'm pedaling at a pretty good pace, I'm only able to log 2.81 miles which isn't enough to break the 7-mile total. I'm also trying to keep my heart rate reasonable. Venus is on the treadmill for 10 minutes then switches to the rowing machine. After 10 minutes she's on the Step Mill. I had thought about doing a few minutes on the Step Mill as well, but there's only two machines and a tall thin woman with lavender highlights in her bleached white hair is on the other Step Mill. (I know it's bleached because I can see the dark roots near her scalp and neck.)

At the Stretch Cage, an older woman (maybe she's my age -- I can't really tell) gets off the Cybex Glute Machine and puts her leg up on the platform next to me. I guess she's stretching her hamstrings. I do my own hamstring stretch and then, as usual, stick my leg out 90° to the side and rest my foot on the side bar of the Cage. Then I move it up so that it's about 135° from the floor. I change positions so I can bring my foot up the next rung, until I'm at the top side rung and my foot is over my head. Then I rise up on tip-toes and stretch the calf of the supporting leg. I do this with the other leg as well. The woman seems taken a back. Her rolled up mat tells me that she's taking the Yoga class. I hope she's not discouraged. Shaggy is giving me a wide berth today. I think I prefer it to his past behavior where he seemed to be hovering.

At the big Mats, I do my routine stretch but add a few pistol squats. They're actually pretty easy but I only do 10 in total, which is 5 per leg. I could do more but it takes a bit of time, and I'm impatient to change and shower. I'm tired. And hungry. And I have errands to do. I'm so outta here!

My son wants to see Hitman: Agent 47, the movie based on the game he just talked me into buying him. Granted it's a pre-owned game so for $7 it's okay although I blanched at the Sales Clerks warnings about it's M rating, violence and sexual situations. The movie got horrid reviews, and although I think I'd have a vaguely better time at American Ultra, my son has his heart set on Hitman. So I guess we're going to see Hitman on Tuesday. 

Friday Leg and Cardio Day
(6.93 miles total, 11,385 lbs moved)

Cross Trainer

Steady State

Calorie :   141 CAL
Distance: 4.12 mile
Speed :    8.24 mph
Duration : 00:30:04

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

196

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 140x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

168

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 120x12

GHRs

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training

Interval Prgm

Calorie :   325 CAL
Distance: 2.81 mile
Duration : 00:30:15

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

129.5

Set 1 : 111x5

Having My Cake and Eating It Too

Today is Leg Day. Driving to the gym stresses me because I'm not sure if the wheels will fall off, or if some other part will suddenly drop off the car and into traffic. When I'm at the gym, I don't have to think about it until I leave.

Leg Day means cardio and weights. I warm up with 30 minutes of LifeFitness cross-trainer before getting to the Smith machine. I don't care what anyone says, the Smith machine is a godsend because I wouldn't be able to do these movements otherwise. It's been a long time since I did Smith Squats and I work up to 150 lbs. Because Smith SLDLs make my lower back tired, I keep the weight low and just do sets for reps. Finally, I get to Smith Split Leg Squats. I know I can do 80 lbs but I feel it's safer for me to work up to it. The 70 lbs stresses my knees, but the 80 lbs feels great. So I do my 3 sets for reps and I'm happy. Then I take the bosu I've been using to support the back bent leg and put it by the lat pull down machine for GHRs. Those are still hard for the last 4 reps of the last set.

After 10 min of HIIT and 20 min of LISS, I just squeaked by with 6.03 miles in total. The HIIT is hard. I hope it gets easier. I'm able to reach 284 SPMs for a few moments. The LISS feels so good afterwards. I'm singing to myself and I notice Jude on the treadmill in front. I don't know how to react to him. He's a regular, like PonyTail, Maroon and Tattoo Tank, and he's not chatty like The Mayor. It's a good thing.

Friday Workout
(6.03 miles cardio total; 17,787 lbs moved)

Cross-Trainer

Warm Up

Calorie :   140 CAL
Distance: 3.96 mile
Speed :    7.91 mph
Steady State
Duration : 00:30:05

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12

Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift

168

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 120x12

Smith Machine Single Leg Split Squat

112

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 50x12
Set 3 : 80x12
Set 4 : 80x12
Set 5 : 80x12 Yaaay!

GHRs

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   195 CAL
Distance: 2.07 mile
10 min HIIT
20 min LISS
Duration : 00:30:00

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

148

Set 1 : 111x10
Set 2 : 111x7 (knees achy)