Whaddya Mean I'm Punching Too Hard?

The weather seems typical for April: chilly and wet, and the only thing I'm glad of is that I get to slack off for the next two days, because today is Friday. Yay! The back of my upper arms are uncharacteristically sore and I attribute that to the heavy benching I did yesterday. Yep, they're sore, but not painfully so. Just a little tender when I flex them straight. Today I get to do Back & Biceps, and try out the new padded sports bra I bought online from Old Navy. I had to exchange the size M for a L and I'm worried that with my AA(A?) figure, the bra'll just slip right up. Gosh that reminds me of Phyllis Diller jokes!

Again the gym is busy, but I get on my elliptical and peddle away. Today my butt is sore as well and as hard as I try, I can't really move past the 195 SPM pace. Again, I miss my 4 mile quota, but just barely. Seated Cable Rows seem a bit daunting today and I have to think about how many reps I ought to do. I skip Lower Back Extensions completely today: I've been feeling a little stiff there, and I'd rather do Pull Ups, and maybe even a set of Chin Ups whenever possible.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.96 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 / 10 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 135 lbs
Pull Ups: 12+2 / 10+2 Legs curled up to my chest
Cage Stretch & Kicks
The Nexersys Virtual Boxing stations are up and running and I make a note to check them out when I'm done with my workout.
Pull Ups: 12+2 / 10+2 Legs straight out perpendicular to my body 

90 lb barbell

Reverse Grip Bent Over BB Rows (I'm too lazy to go back to the front desk to pick up magnetic discs so I just up the weight instead and pray that it's not too heavy for me):
6 x 12 @ 90 lbs (the last 2 reps are hard so this is a good weight)
Alternating DB Curls (my arms are so tired that by the 3rd set, I can barely turn the DB to raise it):
3 x 10 @ 25 lbs
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
BB Curls: 3 x 15 @ 40 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Pull Ups: 12 + 2 Legs curled up to my chest
Chin Ups (I'm really really happy that I can actually do these considering that this is the end of my back and bicep workout and my arms are burnt): 11+1 Legs curled up to my chest

I go check out the Nexersys station. My lifting gloves have too many internal seams to make them good for punching the pads. There's a 4-minute intro session that I start. It asks me whether I'm male or female, and a beginner, intermediate or advanced. I punch in Beginner Female. I can barely hear the speaker on the screen above the ambient gym noise and there's no place to plug in headphones. There's no volume control. I miss part of the instructions but start wailing away when it seem appropriate. Several times the machine stops to warn me that I'm punching too hard. Really? Too hard? It tells me to adjust my stance or power down my punches. I quit out of the program, but not before viewing the stats that tell me my power is at 120%. Good thing I decided to try this AFTER my workout, now that I'm tired and looking to cool down. The gym has appropriate MMA gloves on order. I may buy a pair and give this another try. It still looks like fun.
Mat Stretch: stretches are so much better when I do kicks at the Cage! even though I stretch at the Cage, it's apparently not enough and I feel it at the end during Mat Stretch.

I see B, and M and a few other regulars. There are a lot of new faces too. There's one gal who is making amazing progress since she ditched her svelte girlfriend for a dude to coach her through her cardio and weightlifting. She looks like she's dropped a good 30 lbs around her hips and belly. The dude isn't anything special to look at, but he's definitely having a great effect on her training! Yay for gym buddies who actually help you achieve your goals!

I see S and she always looks distressed when she notices me (she hasn't been around for several months). I'm not sure why--I've never spoken to her. She and M are good friends. I know she can move a lot of weight (power lifting) and that she once told B that she could get her to "the next level", because she's a Personal Trainer. She's relatively young, maybe in her 30s, with two young kids. But she doesn't have the type of body that screams Personal Trainer. She's strong, but her arms are covered in a layer of dimpled fat. She's not fat. She's not even really big even though she's bigger than I am. But then again, just about everyone here is bigger than I am.

I wave a quick Hi to M during Mat Stretch. He seems a bit embarrassed and he's not on the mat for very long. I'm thinking my stretches are probably intimidating as well, but I work hard every day to get to this point. I don't really care what anyone else thinks, and when I'm working out, I don't really see them either. The locker room scale reads 107.8 lbs. I haven't even drained my water bottle yet!

Today I strayed from my  trusty Ensure High Protein RTD and have a Muscle Milk 20 gm protein vanilla drink. It's really kind of awful: too sweet in a weird artificial way that leaves an odd aftertaste that makes me not want to eat or drink anything afterwards. I'm back to the Ensure on Monday. I may be bored with Homemade Vanilla and I wished they'd make Strawberry flavor (the chocolate is just too intense and seems to mask a slight sourness) just for a change of pace. But at least I can end the week with a chuckle... punching too hard? Really?

Does This Make My Butt Look Fat? Do I Even Care?

Short people look
horrible in long shorts!

These look so
different on the model!

It's Leg Day and I get to see how the new, more modest KickBooty yoga shorts will hold up. As much as I like my Underarmour Shorts, I'm still inhibited from doing the full range of kicks and stretches while wearing them. These new shorts promise to be clingy (no leg gaps) but not compressive. My body, with it's collapsible veins, super flexible joints and fish-scale skin, does not respond well to anything compressive. I suspect there's some genetic collagen-connective tissue defect but it's never been confirmed.

I'm tempted to put my Underarmour shorts on over the yoga shorts but that feels way too bulky and I worry about the inner seams chafing my thighs during cardio. By the time I get to the gym, I don't even care anymore as long as I can get my workout done. I note new equipment in the cardio area. They've moved all the Precors further down and rearranged the order so I don't know which one is #3 anymore. I suspect, from the missing bottle holder peg and the scratches on the glide track, that #2 is actually my old favorite #3. I'm proven correct as I punch in program #6 Hill and proceed to peddle away.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min hill #6 = 4.07 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.37 miles  Grand Total = 8.44 miles Wahoo!
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
I don't like the fact my right knee is clicking on the descent and work hard to adjust my footing.
Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
They're still breathlessly hard and I'm sweating so much that I strip off my sopping hoodie in order to let my head dry a bit. The doors are all open and the fans are blowing but it's humid and unseasonably warm today, peaking in the mid 70s by this afternoon.
Cage Stretch & Kicks
12 pistol squats each leg: since I'm plugged in, I like all my movements to flow as if they were choreographed. I set up my Pistol Squats as if I'm standing on an imaginary balance beam with toe to heel footing. I'm concentrating so hard on not falling over that sweat beads up on my face and drips off my nose. Or, it could be a hot flash! Kidding.
Seated Leg Curl: 4 x 12 @ 97.5 lbs 
I can't remember what weight I used last week and decide to just go with this. I don't think I can handle anything heavier because it's all I can do to brace myself in the seat, even with the lap bar down.
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs 
Now this is definitely heavier than last week but my movement on this is very short and limited.
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch: my stretch is so much better now that I'm able to toss a few kicks out during Cage Stretch earlier in my workout. 

I see a few regulars today but Wednesdays don't get crowded until later in the afternoon. I haven't seen Mo since last week, but M is always here. Again I don't say Hi because I'm never in the same part of the gym as he is. I just do my routine. I don't quite understand what he does though because he seems to jump between cardio and weights and stretching but sort of erratically to me. But I'm sure he has a system. He looks like he has a system anyway. Just like I have a system: cardio, weights, stretch. Simple! And you might ask Why. Why do this? Because I believe that the cardio not only gets you warm, it uses all your readily available carbohydrates. By the time I get to weights and focused stretching, I feel I'm forcing my body to burn fat. I'm not a skinny person by nature, but I have noticed changes in my body that I find fascinating. For instance, I noticed a round bump in the groove just above the elbow (just under the brachioradialis) and I wondered what it was. It's the end of the humerus bone! Wow, never saw that before! And never realized how knotty the end of it was! Kind of cool. I'm also fascinate by the increased vascularity in my forearms. I've never had such prominent veins before! Again, I think it's kind of cool. Okay, I've always been a weird kid.

I ask the gym owner P what the new equipment is and he tells me it's Virtual Boxing; the stations are just waiting for the video chips to be installed. My face lights up. Oooh, that sounds like fun! I'd be willing to try THAT! Secretly, I wonder if my ersatz cage kicking had any influence on this purchase. I know that everyone's interested in what they can do to get "beach ready".  Yesterday, at my son's TKD class, one of the lady instructors gushed over my arms. She'd been in the kickboxing class last week with me and my husband. 

"I saw you throwing punches and you have such great definition and I want that! I want those arms!" Wow, I'm flattered. She asked me if I'd gotten that from kickboxing but sadly, I had to tell her, "No, it's from my morning workouts at the gym." "Ah, so by the time you get to kickboxing, that's your cool down," she teased. Yeah, well she's sort of right. 

The scale reads 107.8 lbs which is exactly the same as last Wednesday. I'm good with it. I'm not actually getting any bigger as far as I can tell. I still have a saggy butt (losing weight means that not all your skin shrinks) but the fat behind my knees is gone. Honestly, I work out so hard and so intensely that the only person who would even dare comment on my butt is me. And I don't care because there's nothing else I can do except what I'm doing. 

Will Stronger Mean Bigger?

I'm still tired and I'll confess to being a tad sore as well. Nothing really specific, although I'm happy to say it's not my butt. For weeks my butt hurt. Now it doesn't anymore! Yay! Instead, I think there's a diffuse soreness to my entire upper body (I can't believe it was just a 6 rep set at 155 doing this!), but nothing that's going to inhibit me from daily routines.

Precor #3 seemed a bit clunky this morning, at least until I started to get into my groove and upped my pace to a brisk 195-205 SPM. No stitches either. After 35 sweaty minutes, I did manage to squeak past my quota, but just barely. I saw M but never in any context to say Hi so I didn't. The Mayor was unusually quiet today. I see Tall Pace and he seems to be frowning a lot. But I'm focused on Seated Cable Rows because I've been at a plateau for some months now. Today's the day I mix it up a bit and I drop my reps as I move the weights up. When I get to 120 lbs I hesitate. Last week I'd done a few sets at 127.5 so doing the next plate, 135 should be doable. And after convincing myself that doing sets of 6 reps is perfectly respectable, I do it.

After yesterday's personal best (for me), I posted it on the forum and got the reply that since I'd done an additional 49 reps (12, 12, 25), I most likely could handle another set or two of 6 reps at my max weight. Can't really argue too hard there. We are our own worst enemies!

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 4.02 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 3 x 6 @ 130 lbs
Not picture perfect form but that's kind of hard when you're pulling something that weighs more than you do and it's all you can do to stay in your seat. It's a lot of leg working with back and arms. 
Pull Ups at the Smith Rack: 12+2 / 10+2
I keep my legs curled up to my chest while I do these. It's cheating because I don't fully extend my arms but at least I'm working lats, and I'm not completely destroying my forearms.
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
This area is suddenly crowded with broken equipment to be repaired and I can't kick outside the stretch cage without tripping over someone so I only do cage kicks.
Pull Ups: 12+2
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 15 @ 80 lbs / 6 x 15 @ 85 lbs
I should probably move up to the 90 lb bar but I'm so damn lazy.
Seated Alternating DB Bicep Curls: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Pull Ups: 10+2 / 8+1
I'll do as many as I can until I just can't do them
Lower Back Extensions (again): 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 100
BB Curls: 15 @ 40 lbs / 3 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 3 x 15 @ 40 lbs
Pull Ups: 10+2
Mat Stretch

According to the gym scale I'm 110 lbs today. At home I weigh in at 107 lbs. My measurements seem the same so I'm not quite sure if I'm actually getting bigger somewhere that's not measurable. Uh, like my big toe perhaps? I am eating an egg with my oatmeal everyday. I'm also eating local Salinger Farm apples with cottage cheese & pineapples, or pepper-jack cheese, and drinking a big steaming cup of Tazo Awake tea in the afternoons with honey and half 'n half. I need that caffeine kick or else I'll be yawning through my son's homework.

It's 74°F today and I'm wearing a skimpy spring green t-shirt and bright blue khakis (Gap). The size 0 are always too big in the butt and waist, and the size 00 fits there, but is a tad tight in the thighs. I really can't win, unless I wear shorts, or a dress. But tomorrow the temp's going to plummet back to a more seasonal 58.

I don't mind the cooler weather because I can get away with wearing a tank top undershirt under my long sleeve flannel. With the warmer weather I'm back to the sartorial dilemma of what to wear under my shirts because penlight that I am, I still prefer not to have headlights on my chest. I've got a 36AA Lula Lu padded bra that does the trick but when I look down, I don't recognize my own body profile. It's like wearing prosthetics! Perhaps if I were a bigger person this would seem more proportional, or downright dainty. Maybe I really need a 36AAA. Hmmmm.

The bugs are out en masse: found a stink bug in my dog's water bowl this morning! And I saw robins courting in the road when I took the dog out around 7:30 am. Mayflies and gnats buzzing our faces at the school bus stop. Yep, it's spring. The trees are all tipped with tiny red swollen buds. My eyes are intermittently itchy.

I'm hoping to get stronger, but not really any bigger although a tad more definition would be nice. But everything's really just one great big experiment. Do it and see what happens! And if it doesn't quite turn out the way you expected, well, there's always tomorrow to revamp things and try again! That's actually part of the fun, seeing what works and what doesn't. It keeps things fresh, and exciting. No point to getting yourself in a rut. Life's too short to suffer through self-imposed ruts.

When Power Goes to Your Head

I dragged myself to the gym today. Even though it's Monday and I should be feeling fresh and rested, I'm actually tired and not quite as focused as I'd like to be. I get to the gym late and hope that I've missed the cackling din that precedes many of the popular classes like BodyPump, Zumba or RPM.

I just want to plug in, pull my hoodie over my face and peddle blissfully away. I still hate my new earphones: not only are they a pain to untangle, the ear clips are tenuous and the sound quality isn't as good as I'm used to. I'm not so lucky to get my favorite Precor and have to settle for #1 which isn't as horrible, as let's say, having to use a LiftFitness elliptical. Still, my weariness shows because I can't make my 4 mile quota. I'm not even that sweaty. Sigh.

The Smith machine is occupied by "MacGyver" who is stretching out his leg on the bar. He's got a pair of 45 lb plates and a pair of 10s. I ask him how many sets he's got left, and he tells me it's his last one.
"I'll wait for it," I say, and settle against the wall with my water bottle.
Then, unexpectedly and quite contritely, he asks if I want any plates left on the bar, or if he should strip it all down.
"Strip it all down. Thanks."
He mumbles about not knowing if I'd want to re-rack weights but I'm all business and thank him again. Wow, I wasn't expecting that. He's still smarting from the time I dressed him down over a year ago when he left plates on the bar. Everyone gets spacey so it's not a big deal but his snide remark, "Can't you lift that?" got him a scowl and the reply, "I shouldn't have to."
Still, I'm pleased that it's not too late for middle-aged pretty boys to learn manners.

I look around to see who's here. I see M, Barbie & JerryO and a few others. Uh oh, the Mayor's just arrived too. I settle down to business, trying to remember the new benching routine I want to try today. I want to up my weight but I'm unsure as to how much I should add, or how many reps I should go for. I'm still debating (with myself) even as I bridge my back and set my legs to bench with M spotting me.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min = 3.90 miles Bleah! Nothing to celebrate here except that I did my 35 minutes.
Smith Bench Press: 25 @ bar (45 lbs) / 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 12 @ 145 lbs
I find M and ask him if he'll do me a big favor and spot me because I'm nervous about pushing a weight I've never done before. He's a great spot. He tells me it's all me even though I see his hand encircling the bar, but I feel as if it's all me. Damn, I hope it's all me!
6 @ 155 lbs / 12 @ 135 / 12 @ 115 / 25 @ 95 lbs
The front of my right shoulder twinges slightly but I feel pretty good. And I don't want to jinx myself so one set is good for today. I start to drop my weights but keep my reps steady until I get to 95 lbs. Then I just have to knock out 25 reps, and they're soooo easy I almost feel guilty.
Cage Stretch & Kicks and a few kicks outside the cage for fun
Rear Bent-Over DB Raises (chest in lap): 6 x 12 @ 25 lbs
M is doing inclined BB rows in the Smith and there's only 1 incline bench so I do bent-overs. They're harder than Seated Rear Inclines so I'm not too disappointed. When he's done, he asks me if I did drop sets. "Oh yeah," I said and then conceded that they were awfully easy. We agree that everyone's physiology is so different that what works for one person may or may not work for another. Power lifting sets of 2-3 reps doesn't do anything for him, no increased strength, no size gain, just soreness. I tell him I like doing heavy reps for the pump and because I want to build endurance which I define as a different type of strength. I'm glad I haven't seen B today: I'm sure she'd be giving me the stink-eye and not even realize it.
Standing Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs these never seem to get easier. For the last 3 sets, I superset them with One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
It seems like a natural progression of the movement and I'm doing triceps anyway so what the heck...
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Ugh, I see the ragged knee of torn plaid pj pants and know it's PJPants sitting across from me. Luckily, another old guy is chatting with him, standing with his back to me so I feel less self-conscious while I knock out my sets. It takes me less than three minutes.
Tricep Press Downs: 12 / 11 / 8 @ 50 lbs
The edge of my right triceps is just barely visible in the lower edge of my peripheral vision, and I wonder how they really look.
Mat Stretch

My stretches are good today in spite of two days off and I'm happy. The Mayor has been usually quiet today although he is still running back and forth between constituents. I wonder if anyone's said anything to him about how loud he is. I look up, see the clock and realize that I have to rush home because the water softener guy is suppose to show up this afternoon to install the new system. Our super hard, pH 5.6 well water is eating through everything!

The scale reads a whopping 111.4 lbs but it's not like I'm crazy fat or anything, although I did eat an awful lot of these wonderfully addictive chips. These are so light and crunchy and delicately flavored that you can eat them solo, although they can stand up to a good salsa. Adios Garden of Eatin' Blue Corn Tortilla Chip! Hello, Xochitl! Everything else tastes like a salt lick compared to these delightful tortillas.

I did also have a lot of sangria with frozen strawberries (my own), and a few bottles of hard cider. I like to relax on the weekends, and I don't pay a lot of attention to what I'm eating and drinking because it's enough for me to work out 5 days a week. I don't need to stress over food or the fact that imitating a sloth is my favorite weekend activity. I punch my numbers into a site at bodybuilding.com but it's disconcerting to see that it calculates 12 reps at 145 lbs as more powerful (a greater one rep lift) than 6 reps at 155 lbs. So according to that site, I'm losing my strength, even though my 12 reps at 145 preceded my heavy lift. Sigh. It's always something. But I'm still really happy! I benched 155 lbs! I have a new heavy lift! I just gotta be careful to let all that power go to my head ;-)

Learning to Embrace What You Hate

It's not a two-toned tank;
I'm just soggy from cardio!

I say it every week, "I love, love, love Leg Day." You might actually believe that I really enjoy peddling furiously for over an hour once a week, exiting the elliptical soaking wet and yet thoroughly parched, with saliva crusted at the corner of my mouth and a mix of snot and sweat dripping from my nose. You might think that I'm the sort of person who loves aerobics, zumba, anything cardio. And you'd be wrong. I hate cardio and avoided it for years.

I always had an excuse ready: it made me tired, it took too much time, I have bad knees, flat feet, a funky hip, I get stitches. But I didn't make much progress with my workouts until I not only actively incorporated it into my routine, but embraced it as if it would save my life. I gave up the slow glide while watching TV and instead challenged myself to reach 5 miles in a 45 minute period. The weight fell off and I retained all my hard-earned muscle. I built endurance. My stamina increased. I could lift heavier weights. My stretches improved. And I still hate cardio. I'd so rather lift weights than do cardio. Which is why I do it first. Get it out of the way while I'm still fresh. I love Leg Day because I've forced myself to do something I hate, and it feels good.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min hill #6 = 4.08 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.41 miles  Grand Total = 8.49 miles Yippeeeee!
This was not stitch-free however, I just grimace through it, hope it doesn't cause any permanent damage and am really happy when it's all done and I've made my quota of 8+ miles!
Smith Rack Squats: 12 @ bar / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Smith Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks both inside the Cage and standing flat on the floor. It's hard to keep my balance without the Cage and I have to focus much harder to direct my foot at the imaginary target. I wear body-hugging capris today so I can stretch and kick without worrying about who's going to see my underwear under my shorts. B would say, "Well, at least you're wearing underwear." Yeah, yay me.
10 Pistol Squats alternating each leg
This exercise really has me beading up with sweat while I concentrate on not falling over!
Seated Leg Curl: 3 x 15 @ 97.5 lbs
I was going to go back and up the weights but it became popular so next time I'll see if I can do 105 lbs. I do feel a tad guilty not doing a full 6 sets...
Seated Leg Extension: 6 x 15 @ 60 lbs
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
All the lights go out suddenly and everything comes to a standstill momentarily. Those of us who don't require electric continue our workouts while the treadmills, elliptical and stationery bikes idle. The emergency exit lights stay on, and the locker rooms flicker back but everything else is dark, including all the flat screen TVs throughout the floor area.
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Mat Stretch

The lights finally come back on while I'm on the Mat. Mo's there and we chat briefly. There are other regulars about, M, The Mayor, Eagle Eye, skinny Mustache. Back in the locker room, Mo tells me that she doesn't talk to anyone except me because she knows me from Tower Fitness some 15 years ago. She especially doesn't like "that guy who talks all the time, telling everyone what to do." I don't tell her that I've already nick-named him The Mayor. Instead I say, "He's kinda like a politician." She whispers that she thinks he's in his late 40s, that he looks much older and I'm actually surprised because I really thought he was probably late 50s or early 60s and not wanting to admit it.

The Zumba chick complains that she doesn't like the way she looks and I try to reassure her. She has a great body, in and out of clothes. Personally, I'd like to see more muscle on her arms and shoulders but that's just me. She's 53, same age as me, but looks younger. We all do. She could pass for a hard late 30s. JL, who's mid 40s, could definitely pass for 30s. JL teases me that I look like a kid, and I tell her that I wear make-up so people won't tell me to go find my mom. Everyone laughs. The scale reads 107.8 lbs. When I get home, my scale reads 105.8 lbs and that seems right based on how my clothes fit, and what I perceive in the mirror.

Tomorrow is Chest, Delt & Triceps. A Push Day. Tomorrow, I also have the dreaded "boob test" where a well-intentioned medical technician grabs your chest including your armpit and pectoral muscles and tries to squish it all between two plates of glass. This may be fine for larger-breasted women, but for AA gals like myself, it makes me want to avoid the test like the proverbial plague. They'll also do an ultrasound because I have "dense" breast tissue. Two years ago they did a biopsy and I still haven't forgiven them for that extremely intrusive and scarring procedure. If there are any lumps now, it's the new scar they created by snipping out what little breast tissue I have. Honestly, I have such a low risk factor that this just seems superfluous. But, like most women, I concede that it's better to be safe than sorry, so I will indeed go to that test. Sigh. Embrace what you hate. I used to like seeing my mammogram images because they looked like lunar landscapes. They still do.

Give and Take

Back in the day!

It is with some dismay that I've just learned of Joe Weider's passing. Okay, he was 93 years old which is pretty darn old. But more than Jack LaLanne, Joe Weider is credited with popularizing bodybuilding, fitness and strength training via Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bevy of other larger than life figures, like Frank Zane, Cory Everson, Bev Francis.

We also have a wake to go to tonight so what's become clear lately is that there is always going to be give and take. People die, hopefully not too young and hopefully not unexpectedly, and babies are born, grow up and hopefully become wonderful adults. Endings become beginnings. It's a hard lesson to accept. But it seems applicable to everything. I just don't want to hear anyone say it's for the greater good. That's getting a bit old.

All that being said, I had an absolutely awful cardio session this morning, managing only 3.64 miles after 35 minutes on Precor #3. The elliptical didn't quite seem right today. The glide track felt gritty and I wondered as I panted through my set if someone hadn't swapped it for machine #1 or #4. #3's always been smooth as ice. Until today. I did get my pace up to 226 SPM, but it was difficult to keep it anywhere over 200 for any length of time. Mostly I panted like an asthmatic between 180 and 190 SPM. And I blame it on too much red wine this weekend (I couldn't resist bringing a bottle of Cupcake Red Velvet  to our friends' house), too much sugary snacks from Salinger's farm bakery, and not getting enough sleep. I know better, and still, it's hard to resist temptations when they coincide with social functions.

However, as horrible as cardio was this morning, I still bench pressed at the Smith machine. It didn't start out too promising, with my own little voice telling me that perhaps I should just do reps. Stubbornly, I worked through my standard progression, then stopped at the 9th rep on my first heavy set. My thumbs and wrists didn't feel quite right. Ignoring all the nay-saying little voices in my head, I changed my hand positions on the bar and knocked out two more full sets of 12 reps. It felt great!

Today's Total Workout:

35 min cardio = 3.64 miles BLEAH!
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 25 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 9, 12, 12 @ 145 lbs / 12 @ 125 / 25 @ 105 lbs The last set was hard and I had to pause for a few seconds during the 17th rep, and then again at the 20th rep. But it got done, and again it felt great!
Cage Stretch & Kicks & 10 Close-Grip Pull Ups (they seemed easier last week!)
Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Torso Twist (I realize too late that I can't effectively do Tricep Press Downs afterwards because my obliques will be too tired to stabilize my core): 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Tricep French Press with BB: 3 x 15 @ 30 lbs
Mat Stretch: My calves were feeling very tight during the bench press sets so I'm pleasantly surprised that they're much looser when I do my final warm down on the mat. This consists of a lot of hamstring, calf and glute stretches, then lower and upper back stretches. I always include shoulders, neck, fingers and a bit of toe wiggling.

The scale reads a whopping 111.4 lbs but I was expecting that. I did drain my water bottle today, didn't sweat as profusely as I'd liked, but all in all, had a pretty good Monday workout. Tomorrow's workout will be abbreviated because not only will I have my son in the ChildCare Room but we have to meet a service rep at the house from between 12 and 4 pm. So it'll be a rush rush rush workout. But I think I can manage it.

Ending the Week Well

One of these days I'll figure
out how to take photos without
me staring into the phone

It's Friday, the sun is blazing bright and I'm done for the week! I'm pretty happy with myself for actually upping the weight in a few movements. I'm not the impulsive type, so it always takes me a while to get used to an idea before I actually do it. Now's probably a good time to think about the abbreviated workout I'll have to do a few days next week when I have my son at the gym with me. Especially since I have the water softener guy coming between noon and 4 on Tuesday. Our well water is so hard that it's literally eating away the copper hot water pipes. I only realized how serious this was when my white face cloth turned green as I rinsed it in the running hot water!

Not VIA but pretty good

I've eaten all my frozen blueberries so now my oatmeal's kind of bland, and I've resorted to a spoon of maple syrup to liven it up. My grandmother used to add a beaten egg to the oatmeal to give it more fill power, but the last time I did that, I wound up being hungrier faster. I've switched from my beloved Starbucks VIA instant coffee to supermarket instant espresso. (Thankfully I have access to several food markets in my area because 3 out of 4 stores don't carry jarred instant espresso like Café Bustelo or Medaglia D'Oro. That leaves ground coffee, K-cups, and national brands like Taster's Choice, Sanka or Nescafe.)

Still, I had an excellent workout today. I managed to squeeze in several sets of Pull Ups throughout my routine, upped the weight on the Reverse Grip Barbell Row so I don't need to borrow the magnetic discs anymore, and knocked out a few sets of dumbbell curls at a higher weight as well. Even my stretches seemed smooth today.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio #6 hill = 4.13 miles (again, a minute and a half to go during cool down and I sense the beginning of a stitch inside my right rib cage; it's very disconcerting considering I made sure to give myself at minimum, an hour between breakfast and working out)
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 10 @ 120 lbs
Oddly, I don't feel warmed up until the 3rd set!
Smith Rack Pull Ups: 12+2 / 10+2 / 8+2

Not tall enough to unrack
the 70 lb bar but I can just
manage the 80 lb bar!

 

Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch, Kicks & 10 Neutral Grip Pull Ups
Ab Curl Machine: 100 (ok, boredom isn't quite the right word here)
Reverse Grip BB Rows (I'm barely tall enough to get this bar on and off the rack without help, but I can do it!): 6 x 12 @ 80 lbs
DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Smith Rack Pull Ups: 10+2
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Smith Rack Pull Ups: 8+2 (uh oh, diminishing returns here!)
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 5 x 20 @ 40 lbs (my left forearm twinges with pins & needles during the last few reps of the last 2 sets so I cut it short and only do 5 sets)
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch

I see B and she excitedly tells me about the new Asian-food market she & her husband discovered in White Plains. After hearing her description, and because she can't ever remember the names of anything including what brand cell phone she now owns, I say to her, "It's H-Mart, isn't it." She's flabbergasted, but I tell her that all my friends rave about it, but we've yet to make the journey.

Other than B, M, Skinny J, PonyTail, MacGyver, Baggy Knees, PJ Pants, Short Pace, Skinny Mustache and a bunch of HS boys, I don't see many regulars. I catch a glimpse of The Mayor as he's leaving, noting that he must've resorted to wearing even bigger polo shirts because they positively hang on him, and not in a good way. I also note a few woman who seem to steal glances at me as I work out. That's okay with me. I hope they feel encouraged instead of intimidated.

The scale hasn't budged in several days, and as much as I sweat, I haven't actually drained my water bottle all week. Something's changing in my physiology. I weigh in at 107.8 lbs, and probably a few pounds lighter on my home scale (after I've peed 6 times!). But I'm stronger, and a tad bigger in the right places, so things are good. The week's ending well!

Abbreviated Push Day

Even though I need to abbreviate my workout today, I refuse to cut back on my cardio warm up. I'll cut the number of sets or reps, even actual exercises, but 30 minutes seems like a reasonable amount of time (and effort) to spend on something that stokes the metabolism, thoroughly warms the entire body, builds endurance and really gets those endorphins pumping!

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio #5 (for a change) = 4.08 miles
I don't drink any water at all before I start, and I still develop a slight stitch inside my right rib at the last minute and a half of the cool down! But at least my toes aren't twitching.
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 25 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 10 @ 145 / 12 @ 125 / 25 @ 105 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks & 10 Neutral (palms facing) Close-Grip Pull Ups
Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Bent-Over DB Raises: 2 x 15 @ 20 lbs (because the Inclined Bench is occupied)
Inclined Seated Rear DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 25 lbs (yes, I upped the weight and 12 reps is all I can get for each set but the sets feel strong so I'm pleased)
Tricep Press Downs: 12, 12, 11 @ 50 lbs (the back of my arms are a tad sore but I'm pleased that I can actually get a decent 3 sets at this weight considering it's the 2nd time this week)
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100

Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25
Mat Stretch
My stretch is so much better today than it was yesterday. Perhaps doing an hour of cardio is pushing too hard where leg bicep flexibility is concerned.

I see B today as she's about to leave. She's back to her old chatty self, interspersing her workouts with long garrulous conversations. Regulars like M, Fish Guy, MacGyver, Tall and Short Pace sporadically appear and disappear. One person I'm surprised not to see is a guy who spent 2 plus hours yesterday on the fancy stationery bike with the mountain bike terrain program. He's lost a lot of weight. I used to see him doing abs on one of those big blue exercise balls. This week he was on that simulated mountain bike for a good 2-3 hours each day he was here. Perhaps he's training for some event or race. It's kind of odd, but odd is what makes us all interesting!

The gym scale reads 107.8 lbs just as a woman calls out to me to ask if I'm looking to lose weight or gain muscle. I tell her that I'm just keeping track. She tells me I look great, and I thank her. I'm still toying with the idea of "one-arm pull ups", but I've got to work up to that. Doing a few Pull Ups every day at the Cage Stretch is probably one way to ensure I work those muscles. I want to move up from the 20 lbs to the 25 lbs dumbbells, but I don't think I can get much further benching unless I enlist someone to spot me. Egads! I'm going to have to ask someone for help. Ugh!

I'm out of the gym in time to high-tail it home, toss reeking gym clothes  into the washer, and rush back out to meet the school bus. Of course, it's late because the regular driver went home sick and the new driver doesn't know the route that well, and the snow plow decimated our road sign... Then off to the orthodontist, the market, and oh yeah, I promised my son we'd get a replacement for the Betta that passed away two weeks ago. Oh well, tomorrow's another day! A long leisurely day for Back and Biceps. Yippeee!

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Another Leg Day!

I'd always thought Spring came on the 21st or 22nd of March, not the 20th so I admit that I was surprised to see it on the calendar today. I only ever really look at the calendar to jot down stats when I get back from the gym. It gives me a physical record that I can glance at without having to power on my computer, and I can track my progress for the last two years this way. Of course, that means I keep a lot of old calendars as well. But they have nice photos of dogs and cats and other critters that I tell myself I'll use for drawing models one day, so....

Today is Leg Day and I'm glad I'm not the only one at the gym wearing fluorescent shorts. There's some very popular classes so the locker room is loud with chatter. Boot Camp and RPM seem to be elbow room only, and admission tickets are issued in order to ensure that the classes aren't dangerously overcrowded. Of course, RPM is limited by the number of stationery bikes available.

My first cardio set is really good, but I soon start to regret my exuberance as I develop a stitch 15 minutes into the Intervals set. I have to slow my pace because the pain inside my right rib cage seems to be spreading under my diaphragm and downward into my lower abdominals. What a drag. Still, I manage to finish past the 8 mile mark and I'm happy. I also look like someone opened the hose on me. I wear my sopping hoodie for Squats because I'm not comfortable having the bar pad (that's been lying all over the gym floor) against my bare skin. The pockets get in the way of Dead Lifts so I take the hoodie off and drape it over the railing like everyone else does.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min hill #6 = 4.15 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.39 miles  Grand Total = 8.54 miles Wahoooo!
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar / 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
I wave Hi at R before grabbing the pad off the squat rack floor. He's doing one-armed barbell lifts there, straight up into the air. Always very impressive to watch. His back must be feeling better. But I don't have anything to say to him, and he leaves before I'm done with the Smith.
Smith Straight-Legged Dead Lifts (I'm not quite sure what the difference is between Romanian Dead Lifts and Straigh-Legged Dead Lifts): 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Cage Stretch, no kicks, but 10 close-grip (palms facing each other) just for fun! I pull myself up until my chest is kissing the top of the Cage, and I let my legs hang without swaying. I should've done 12 but I got distracted and stopped short.
Pistol Squats: 10 each leg
My right foot is cramping oddly, with two of my toes (index & ring), twitching and crossing uncontrollably. It's very distracting and started while I was doing cardio. Normally my fingers might do that near old scar tissue but this is a first with the toes.
I can't seem to get a good photo of my thighs because the camera doesn't focus quick enough to catch the best angle when I can see separation between the v lateralis, r femoris and the sartorius.
Seated Leg Curls: 3 x 15 @ 90 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 97.5 lbs (upping the weight because I'm bored)
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 15 @ 60 lbs (but not bored enough here to up the weights)
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch: my stretches here have been worse on Leg Day lately, feeling tight and stiff compared to yesterday's stretch routine.

I see Mo and she asks how my birthday was. I tell her my husband got me a portable hammock for reading outside in the yard, but that I'm still waiting for Restaurant Week to be over so we can go for a nice juicy steak dinner. Last night I defrosted some flap meat, tossed it with soy sauce, powdered ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, sesame oil and corn starch before sautéeing it in a hot pan with blanched broccoli and canned sliced water chestnuts. I tossed left-over whole wheat egg noodles into the mix to heat thoroughly. Voilà: beef & broccoli stir fry. Yeah, no wonder my husband needs to do more cardio! Although he's been declining desserts lately, so he is trying.

The gym scale reads 107.4, and my home scale reads 105.8 which is exactly what it was last Wednesday, my last Leg Day. I take my measurements because I'm curious as to whether I can fit into any of these Spring catalogue outfits I keep seeing. 34-25.5-33.5 and the only surprise is the chest because I'm a double-A (yes, penlight!) so that means, yes, my back is getting bigger! Yay! It means that doing pull-ups is actually having an effect. Of course, this sucks for clothing shopping, especially being a petite woman, but I'm fairly comfortable wearing boys L or XL. Of course, my favorite shirts are flannel but what the heck, the sun is shining, it's reasonably warm out, and it's Spring!

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Shoveling as a Warm Up

I had to shovel my car out from 5 inches of wet, ice-encrusted snow this morning. Five inches doesn't seem like a lot until you start shoveling it, realizing that it's not light and fluffy, but dense and heavy, like beach sand. Luckily, my husband had to shovel his car out first so he did the bulk of the work. There was a two-hour school delay, so while my son leisurely ate breakfast while playing with the DVR, I shoveled important paths to the outdoor dog poop bucket, my car, and cleared the snow-plow residue out of our driveway. I didn't bust a sweat, but I was definitely awake by the time I got to the gym at 11 am.

The parking lot is sparsely populated, and as I park, I see R's car pull out and drive away. I don't see B's car so I'm surprised when I catch a glimpse of her running alongside M on the treadmills, something I've never seen before! Partnering with D has been really good for her because now she's working out with some enthusiasm again. The Precor's are all vacant and I have my pick so I'm psyched as well. I plug in my alternate mix which contains an odd medley of tunes from the flick Real Steel, some MeatLoaf, the electric guitar version of Pachelbel's Canon, as well as a medley of the Game of Thrones theme music, and of course, some pop to fill it all out.

Singing along with Meat Loaf while peddling furiously has me breathless and grinning simultaneously. Because I had breakfast several hours ago, and forgo drinking any water until after cardio, I don't develop any stitches. My lungs burn, my teeth stick to my lips and sweat burns my eyes, but I'm really happy when I step off the elliptical. I feel so good that I actually forget that I'm in the last seconds of the cool down -- my mind is telling me that I have another 5 minutes to go. It's one of my best 35 minute workouts yet!

Today's Total Workout:

New Grips!

35 min cardio = 4.17 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 /
3 x 10 @ 120 lbs
My new grips feel great cushioning my boney little fingers!
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
There's hardly anyone here but the two items I'd use next are both being used by other people. It's a bit frustrating so I plop myself on the Toros machine to kill time, and work some abs.
Smith Bar Pull Ups: 12+2 / 10+2 / 8+2+2
I've been entertaining thoughts of trying one-arm pull ups for one or two reps but I'm not brave enough yet; it's a projected real-world scenario when hand/arm strength might become critical. Of course, it could totally exacerbate my elbow pain and give me shoulder pain as well. Not entirely sure that it'd be worth it.
Bent-Over Reverse Grip BB Rows (I'd thought of doing DB Rows but I've done them before and always worry that I'll throw myself out of alignment because I'm too flexible): 6 x 15 @ 75 lbs

Alternating DB Curls: 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 10, 8 @ 25 lbs
My left arm is tiring and unable to complete the wrist turn on the bicep contraction towards the end of the set. I don't want to be here all day so I skip Concentration Curls. I'd wanted to do a few Chin Ups but the Smith is occupied again.
Ab Crunch Station: 100 upper (Yes, I'm killing time and resting my forearms)
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
ZZ is doing military presses a few feet away, and several HS boys come in to play on the free benches. Suddenly it feels really crowded in here.
Mat Stretch

I always intersperse some yoga and pilates movements to end the workout with muscles long and relaxed. I think this helps to prevent knots, soreness, stiffness. But truly, the most relaxing thing is the piping hot shower and great water pressure. The scale reads 108.4 and that's exactly what it was last Tuesday so everything's good! My shoulders and back aren't even sore! And tomorrow's Leg Day! Ah, so much to look forward to!

That's perhaps not quite as exciting as the mussels we ate for dinner last night: a 2 lb bag from the supermarket costs $5, steamed in a skillet containing half a head of smashed garlic, butter, olive oil and 3/4 cup of sake. The recipe calls for drinkable white wine but I don't drink white wine (wines are so hard to keep unless they're fortified). But sake keeps well and makes a perfectly good substitute. Even my son liked the mussels and whole wheat egg noodles we served them over. And he's picky!

Monday Madness

Before 5/11 and After 4/12

The sun was shining this morning so I had no clue that there was another winter storm making its way toward the northeast. Having had the past three days off, and yes, the Verizon tech finally did show up and complete the 4-plus hour installation process on Friday, I was certain that today was going to suck eggs. I even parked halfway to the supermarket because I knew I'd have errands to do before my 2 pm eye doctor appointment with the glaucoma specialist.

I nod Hi to Rene Marven on elliptical #1 and then clamber on #3 with my iPod turned up. Madison Rising is singing The Star Spangled Banner, which you might think is a weird tune to put into a cardio mix, but you have to hear it to understand. I don't bust much of a sweat today, even with a decent 199-207 SPM pace, and I've forgotten to apply lip balm or swig any water so I don't develop any stitches, but my lips are so dry they stick to my teeth.

Image from Bodybuilding.com

M is on the Smith doing Inclined Bench Rows so I resign myself to free bench pressing, which is not very satisfying because my hands and wrists will give out before I actually push any substantial weight. I do a few sets while keeping an eye on the Smith. After M is done, another guy does a few sets of dead lifts, and then the station is free!

Today's Total Workout:
35 min = 4.14 miles  Yippeeee!
Flat Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 12 @ 65 lbs / 12 @ 85 lbs / 2 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 25 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 10, 8 @ 145 lbs / 12 @ 125 / 25 @ 105 lbs I start to feel lightheaded during my heavy set which worries me enough to cut my set short; besides my wrist and right palm hurt from the free bench sets so they're done for now.
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
I stretch between sets by plopping myself into the Inclined Bench and crossing my arms in an awkward asymmetrical hug; I can feel pecs flex and stretch.
Rear Inclined Seated DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 22.5 lbs
I really should up the DB to 25 lbs but I'm too lazy today
One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions: 12 @ 20 lbs / 2 x 12-10 @ 22.5 lbs My left wrist and thumb start to fail during the last set so I abandon the idea of using a heavier DB for now
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
I look up and people sitting in ab stations facing me are just staring stupidly; less staring and more reps would probably benefit them
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Ab Crunch Machine: 75 upper
Guilt for slacking over the last three days makes me do a ton of abs today but I'm also buying time to rest my triceps before going heavy on the Press Downs
Tricep Press Down: 3 x 12 @ 50 lbs
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs (much much better to do these AFTER doing Press Downs)
Mat Stretch

In the locker room, B gives me a belated birthday gift of a scented candle and holder, which was very sweet of her. I feel as if my birthday were a million years ago even though it's not even been a week. I don't see too many other regulars today except for the creepy ones like Hannibal Baggy Knees and PJ Pants. I read in the NASM online magazine that "50% of all adults joining an exercise program will drop out within three to six months." It's only the 3rd month of the year.

The scale reads 110.4 lbs which is good considering I completely slacked for three days, and drank lots of Angry Orchard hard cider. I really like their Apple Ginger flavor but since each bottle is 210 calories, it's not a beverage to drink mindlessly. I'm out of sangria, which truthfully, can be drunk like fruit juice, not that anyone should. I don't have any white wine either so I'm contemplating using sake in the mussel garlic & butter sauce I'm planning to steam for dinner tonight. I'm hoping they'll be less sandy than the littleneck clams we get from the supermarket. Fish Guy wasn't much help today as to whether they'd be sandy since he doesn't eat clams or mussels. I haven't seen him at the gym lately either but I don't say anything to him about it.

My glaucoma doctor doesn't have good news. He's labeling my right eye with acute advanced glaucoma and recommends skipping over the laser procedure, going straight to actual eye surgery (trabeculectomy). I'm not at all happy. Apparently I have advanced glaucoma for someone so young. 53 is young for glaucoma, because it's usually the elderly who are diagnosed with it. I'm bumming. My doctor says I might suffer from blurry vision for a while afterwards, and no heavy lifting or anything with impact. However, I can use the elliptical, but not do yoga or pilates. That seems kind of odd. Meanwhile, I'm trying to psyche myself up that the surgery, whenever it gets scheduled, will be successful and I'll have one less thing to worry about. It seems so horribly ironic: With 20/25 vision, I don't need glasses to see, and I can still thread a needle to mend things, but I might go blind because my relatively low eye pressure is damaging my optic nerve.

Like Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say: It's always something.

Another Combo Thursday

 Maybe it was the half glass of sangria that I had with dinner last night, or maybe it was dinner (turkey meatballs made with salvaged week-old stale ciabatta roasted garlic bread, and pasta with jarred asiago cheese sauce), but I had a really hard time on the elliptical this morning. Nevermind that it was Precor #1 which is a tad harder to peddle, or that I'd decided to mix it up by punching in program hill #5, which is a tad steeper. Or maybe it was my turning 53.

I feel a bit tired these days but since I'm down to 4-day workouts, I have trouble believing that I'm over-training. Still, my lungs were burning from the 15 minute mark through the final warm down, and at the last 2 minutes, I developed a killer stitch just under my right diaphragm that made me wonder if my gall bladder was declaring war. When my 35 minutes is up, the stitch immediately resolves and my lungs feel fine. I'm not even breathing hard. Perhaps it is just getting old(er).

The Smith is free so bench pressing it is! I go heavy, and during the 2nd heavy set, I feel as if I might fail during the 11th rep. It's a slightly scary feeling. It makes me wus out and only do 10 reps on the 3rd set before starting to rack down the weights. It's one good reason to have a spot, but the gym is oddly quiet today and there aren't a lot of people here this morning.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min = 4.02 miles (No one is more surprised than I am that I've actually made my 4 mile quota!)
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 25 @ 95 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 11, 11, 10 @ 145 lbs / 12 @ 125 / 25 @ 105 lbs
There's a really good article on the mechanics of bench pressing on the Muscle & Strength website. Click here to read it.
Pull Ups (I cheat today and hold my legs perpendicular to the floor, feet about waist high):
12+3 /11+3 / 10+2
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Lateral DB Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Rear Bent-Over DB Raises: 3 x 15 @ 22.5 lbs
There's only one inclined bench and a woman is using it, oddly enough, to do sit ups. When she's done, I scramble over there for my next round of rear delt exercises. 
Seated Rear Inclined DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 22.5 lbs (maybe I should move up to the 25 lb DB?)
Pull Ups (just for fun before I do biceps): 10+2
Standing Alternating Bicep Curls: 12 @ 22.5 lbs (okay, those don't hurt so I move up a weight)
3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
Ab Curl Station: 2 x 70 (upper) / 1 x 70 (lower)
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs (unexpectedly, this feels really light today)
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Decline Bench Press (it's a toss-up between doing this or triceps and I decide to skip triceps today):
12 @ bar / 25 @ 65 lbs / 3 x 25 @ 85 lbs (my right front delt twinges from the effort so I'm cautious)
Reverse Grip BB Curl: 4 x 20 @ 40 lbs
I look in the mirror while doing these and notice that my left arm is bent away from my body, and perhaps it's the uneven gym lighting, but my left trap seems bigger, or more engaged while doing this movement. It's puzzling, especially since my left forearm is definitely weaker, and a tad sore from this exercise. 
Mat Stretch

I see Mo and we chat for a bit while I try to keep warm by doing some "elbow to the ground straddles". She actually remembers my birthday's today, and she's also wearing her elbow braces. We chat about unemployment benefits and the economy, and perhaps finding jobs. She'd like to work at Home Depot for the discounts. Of course, she's about 6 feet tall, so it'd be easier for her, than for someone short like me. B texts me Happy Birthday from her phone. My husband finally texts me Happy Birthday as well, and then tells me he got me a gift but it won't arrive for a while... ah, it's the thought that counts!

The scale reads 107.4 lbs and I'm so tired and hungry that I don't even care. But I do remember that I have the Gold's Gym Happy Birthday postcard, and I bring it up to the front desk and get a free beverage. "What do you have that's lactose-free?" "Hmmm, that's a problem," says V "but I could mix up the protein powder with just fruit juice." I decline because I want something more than 15 grams of protein. I've been working out hard!

I have my Ensure® in the car, but it's my birthday and I want something a little different. "Well, you can have something from the case," she says and points to the protein drinks. The Muscle Milk® purports to contain 32  grams protein per 17 fl oz, and no lactose. Plus, it comes in flavors other than Vanilla and Chocolate. So I have Banana Creme. It doesn't taste too bad. The gym charges $3.50 per container so I feel good buying my Ensure discounted with coupons at the CVS, making it less than $2.50 per bottle for 25 grams protein.

I'm not sure I want to go to kickboxing tonight. I'd rather have a big juicy steak dinner. Right now I'm boiling a corned beef to try and de-salt it before slathering it with mustard and brown sugar, wrapping it in tin foil and putting it in the oven to bake for a few hours. My stomach's growling. Egads! I'm hungry and looking at slathering those new brown rice Triscuits® with cottage cheese. Yeah, we Boomers develop weird tastes for food as we get older... but at least we're still trying new things!

Procrastination

Tasty right out of the can

I'm procrastinating right now. I should be working on itemizing all my taxable items for my meeting with our accountant tomorrow but instead, I'm writing this blog. And looking up Bumble Bee Sardines in Mustard because that's what I ate for lunch yesterday, and oddly, there's no nutritional label on the packaging. It is available on their website, but what if you don't own a computer, or have internet service, or (gasp) don't know how to enlist a search engine? I guess you go to the library and ask the librarian for help, or depend on your friends, or remain clueless. Today I think I'll try the sardines in Hot Sauce. I'd purchased several tins some years ago but haven't been brave enough until now to actually see what they taste like. I'm not 100% certain, but I think it was an article in Men's Health magazine that suggested eating sardines because they had a high calcium content, and that mustard was the best flavor. It was actually pretty good. I think I like it better than tuna, although I don't eat tuna, canned or fresh, very often.

When I got to the gym this morning, I thought there'd been a new holiday announced that I hadn't heard about because the parking lot was empty. And the gym looked pretty desolate as well. Perhaps it was all the rain. I actually beat B to the gym today, although she's been pretty happy, judging by the big grin she sports while working out with D. I had my choice of ellipticals and plugged in my regular cardio mix. I'm constantly doubting myself, wondering if I'll make it all the way through 30 minutes while my lungs are on fire, my lips feeling cracked and parched, sweat pooling in my ears and running off the tip of my nose and chin.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio #6 hill = 4.05 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 lbs / 12 @ 105 / 10, 10, 12 @ 120 lbs
The last set was the best, as if I'd needed all sets previously just to warm up!
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
It's all I can do to keep my toes from popping out of the footrest when I use this weight.
Cage Stretch & Kicks
In my peripheral vision, I see R glide in but his gait is odd, as if he's dragging his feet and I think he's probably in agony due to the humidity wreaking havoc on his back and all the broken bones he's had.
Pull Ups: 12+3 / 10+2 / 8+2
Damn, these ARE harder with the legs crossed and dangling under you because it takes extra effort not to swing your body as you pull up! But I miss the ab workout from holding legs perpendicular.
Bent-Over Reverse Grip BB Rows: 6 x 15 @ 70 lbs
I say Hi to R and B comes over to chat as well. I tell them both that Thursday's my birthday and damn they'd better wish me Happy Birthday. Then I tell him I've got 20 years on him, and B counters with "I've got 30!" as if we're placing bets. We tease R about being a "baby". He says he feels old. I know it's the humidity. B tells him that he's a handsome baby, him and his brother. He's in too much pain to really say anything but grimace a bit. 
I'm actually surprised to see him at the gym at all, but guys are so macho that's there's no telling them they should be home in bed. That's like telling them they should go home, curl up and die.
Seated Alternating DB Curls (I decide to see if I can handle heavier weights): 12 @ 20 lbs / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 12 @ 25 lbs (it's not that bad but I only do one set because my forearms are so pumped the elbow braces are cutting into them) / 12 @ 22.5 lbs / 12 @ 20 lbs
No concentration curls today
I wind up sandwiched between Tall Pace and The Mayor while I'm doing curls. Since B blurted out my age, I notice odd looks between the older men. I think Tall Pace is positively grinning at me, but because I won't make eye contact, I'm not entirely certain. 
Ab Crunch Station: 2 x 50 legs up / 1 x 50 legs on floor
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Up: 125
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Pull Ups (just to see if I can do any at this point): 8+2 Pretty pathetic!
Reverse Grip BB Curls: 6 x 20 @ 40 lbs (still grimacing and noting that my left forearm feels a tad sore but only during this exercise)
Mat Stretch

Mo plops down on the mat and we chat for a bit before I head off to the locker room. She's developed tendonitis but keeps forgetting her elbow and wrist braces. She's also completely given up on cardio since bad knees and hips (loss of cartilage) prevent her from moving any faster than 2.7 on the treadmill. "I'm just wasting my time doing that because I can't get my heart rate up so I don't bust a sweat. I'd rather do weights in a circuit and get a bit of cardio benefit that way." She doesn't stay more than 45 minutes at the gym and I wonder if she's getting any benefit at all. I have to assume she's getting something out of it, but she's told me that she's been doing this for 40 years (she's 57) and she's done. She just can't work up the enthusiasm or the energy. She comes to the gym grudgingly, kicking and screaming the whole way. "But you're here!" I tell her brightly, hoping to encourage her. "Yep, I'm here, but I don't wanna be," she replies.

I don't really know enough to argue with her one way or the other. Perhaps I should finally get serious and go for the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certification. Again, I'm just procrastinating! I've also joined Zoetrope.com because as much as I enjoy writing, I never seem to do it unless I have a deadline (like a class submission). The gym scale reads 108.4 lbs which is in line for Tuesdays, and I head home because, damn, I've got a lot of things to do! But, be back tomorrow! Tomorrow, after all, is Leg Day and I love love love Leg Day.