Week Four Day Four is Leg Day!

18july2013 hill5 and intervals7

It's suppose to be near 100°F today. So far it's only reached 94°F and it's only a tad cooler inside the house although the dang dog keeps running in and out. In to cool down. Out to chase chipmunks at the bird feeder. Because I did a double cardio session on Tuesday, I wasn't sure if today was going to be better or worse. My butt sure is sore, probably from the barbell exercises yesterday (Back Day). I'm wearing skin tight yoga shorts today even though I don't need the compression. Next time I'm going to buy the S instead of the XS. I finally loosen up at the 20 minute mark during the first session. I'm sweaty and thirsty, and feel pretty good. My second session goes even better and I'm pleased that I'm able to muster a burst of speed for the last minute and a half (averaging 220 Strides Per Min from 190 SPM). I'm also singing along to the iPod with my hood down over my eyes and sweat dripping off my nose. It's a good cardio session!

Calves!

The gym is fairly empty and I'm very happy that the Smith is vacant. I see a few regulars though, and I'm thoroughly surprised to see R. But I'm all business because I need to knock out squats and stiff legged dead lifts while the cardio-induced euphoria is still coursing through my veins. (I wave a quick Hi at him when he crosses in front of me. I don't need to be a complete unsociable jerk). As long as I have my elbows braced, the Squats and SLDLs are fine. Well, not fine, but I haven't puked all over myself doing them. Afterwards I strip off my hoodie and head across the gym to the Cage Stretch. Counterintuitively, stretches are easier when not done immediately after cardio.

I'm on my 4th Pistol Squat when R wanders over to use the cable station. Of course, I lose my footing and balance and fall over because I've lost my concentration. I can't even acknowledge his presence. Instead, I just stare fixedly into the mirror because I want to finish this exercise before moving on to the machines. Sweat is dripping off my nose but I ignore everything just to finish.

Week Four Day Four Leg Workout:
35 min hill #5 = 4.09 miles + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.45 miles  Grand Total 8.54 miles Wahoo!
Smith Machine Squats: 12 @ bar (butt to heels) / 12 @ 95 lbs (thighs parallel) / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 3 x 12 @ 155 lbs
Smith Machine SLDL: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Pistol Squats done in a continuous motion alternating each leg: 14
Seated Leg Curls: 3 x 12 @ 97.5 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 105 lbs
I could probably either do more reps or more sets but I'm feeling lazy right now
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs
I see R walk back from the cables and again I'm surprised because I figure he'd already slipped out the exit door. Instead he gets a drink from the fountain just as I've dropped my head onto my knees because my lower quads are burning from the Leg Extensions. I recover my composure and he's walking past me. We wave Bye at each other but I note a distant look in his face, a grimace, a slight shake of his head, and a hand gingerly touching his lower back. I want to ask him if he's okay but I know he's not. 
Mat Stretch: ZZ and a girl are on the mats but there's enough room for me to stretch out. Because I stopped to chat with Mo beforehand, my hamstrings are tight and I know better than to push them. Still I mange to work on my splits with reasonable success.

Today's harvest

The gym scale reads 108.8 lbs and I note it, but it doesn't have much meaning for me. As long as the scale trends down, under 110 lbs by the end of the week, I feel good. I've harvested a bumper crop of zucchini blossoms so it's time to figure out what to stuff them with. The peas aren't very happy though and look very small although the "dwarf" plants are certainly making full use of the trellis I put up for support.

Something, probably a beetle, is eating big holes in the blossoms, but I've only noticed them in blossoms that are attached to actual zucchinis. I hurry to snip whole blossoms before they're ruined by foreign mandibles.

As I'm dressing this morning, movement immediately outside my window catches my eye. It's something big and brown. Yep, deer. Grazing like it lived in my yard year-round. Pests, not pets!

Week Four Day Three is Back

When I wake, the house is warmer than it is outside so I set the fan in front of the screen door to blow some coolness inside. When I return from the gym, the insulated house is at least 5° cooler than the blistering sun outside and I shut the front door against the heat. My son is at camp today so I'm not rushed at my workout. Still, the heat and humidity sap my energy before I even set foot on the elliptical. I punch in the leisurely hill #6 and proceed to peddle up a furious sweat. Because I find myself longing to hear only the new songs on my iPod, I select the playlist feature that lets me only listen to the latest additions. That's so cool! I make my quota in spite of singing along with most of the songs and I'm happy. The gym seems crowded but there are seniors enjoying gossipy coffee and a Boot Camp or Body Pump class. By mid-morning the gym will seem abandoned but for a few hard core masochists.

I decide I'm going to up my weight on the Seated Cable Row even though 3 sets of 6 reps is still hard at 127.5 lbs (120 lbs plus a 7.5 lb brick). I want to get stronger but I'm not sure what really works for me here so I'm playing with the next higher weight on the stack, which is 135 lbs (increments of 15 lbs). I don't bother to look for the smaller metal handles which proves to be a mistake as my hands tire from the larger padded ones. Small hands and fingers absolutely make a big difference when it comes to hoisting weights. Yesterday my left pinky went numb while I was on the elliptical, followed by my ring finger. I'm always periodically flexing my hands and changing my grip -- I suspect it's the collapsible veins (probably related to a collagen and connective tissue issue), so easily compressed, that are causing the problems. My hands go numb on playground swings as well as monkey bars, so no wonder I was never much of a schoolyard athlete.

Week Four Day Three is Back
35 min hill #6 = 4.04 miles Yay!
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 60 lbs / 12 @ 90 / 10 @ 105 / 8 @ 120 / 6 @ 127.5 / 3 x 5 @ 135 / 8+2+2 @ 120 / 12 @ 105 lbs My right hand seems to be having a grip problem today, especially the last two fingers and it's affecting my workout because I can't hang on to the handles properly.
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and Side Kicks
Reverse Grip BB Rows: 6 x 12 @ 105 lbs
I easily knock out 15 reps on my first set, but I start to lose strength in the last two fingers of my right hand again, and by the 6th set, I've had to pause twice so I can adjust my grip just to finish 12 reps.
Pendlay BB Rows: 6 x 12 @ 65 lbs
This is still a really hard movement but at least I can keep my hands on the bar!
Lower Back Extension Machine: 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 200 and then I got bored...
I didn't plan to do 200. I was doing crunches until the three old guys chatting while resting on the Sit Up Bench got done chatting, but that lasted well into the Mat Stretch because some people spend their entire gym session exercising their mouths and nothing else.
Mat Stretch with splits: again I don't roll forward to push my horizontal split past 170° but the verticals seem good and I enjoy the opportunity to stretch my upper and lower back.

The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs which seem reasonable considering I've just about finished my water bottle. While undressing in the locker room I see Am, the woman who teaches Body Pump, Boot Camp and a Spin Class here, as well as at major corporate location. She's my age and looks good, but she lacks muscle density, especially in her arms. Mo arrives and I chat with her as well. I'm sociable once I'm done with my workout. Just don't interrupt me while I"m exercising!

Wild raspberry canes

Once I'm showered and dressed, I walk back out into the free weight area to finish my conversation with Mo. I show her my cell photos of our wild raspberry bushes and I congratulate her on getting the part-time job at Home Depot that took her four applications to finally get an interview for. Mo tells me that I look thinner and I tell her I've put on weight. "No, your waist looks smaller," she declares. I think it's the street clothes. And probably the lightly padded bra, because an 1/8" is 1/8" more than nothing! While we're chatting, I see Nixon, Ranger Rick, and R. R is benching an Olympic bar with 45 lb plates, and his legs straight out at a 45° angle. I suppose it's another balance/core exercise because a standard bench press utilizes legs to stabilize the torso while pressing. When I finally go to leave, I make a point of waving Hi and Bye at R. I make it quick because I don't want it to get weird.

I'm always curious as to what kind of vehicles people drive. Ranger Rick, I finally discover, drives a silver Subaru WRX, my dream car. Too expensive to be practical (I do love my battered old Forester) but still... R's silver Audi is parked next to my car, it's roof vent tilted open, and the windows cracked. I've been leaving my windows cracked a bit because it's been so hot that opening the car door actually fogs my sunglasses with a heat blast. The cinema must be packing in the crowds now that school's out and the heat is unbearable. Normally R parks really close to the gym so I'm surprised to see his car next to mine. The parking spaces are tighter the closer you get to the stores (for econo or compact models) so I prefer spots further out. I reason that I'm less likely to get my doors dinged or dented that way, although that doesn't prevent the errant shopping cart from smashing itself into unsuspecting vehicles. That's probably why Ranger Rick parks in the far lot across the access lane. No one parks there. And there are no shopping carts there either.

Tomorrow is suppose to near 100°F and there's a heat advisory. Just as well that I believe in benign neglect of the green areas around my house. I'll snip zucchini blossoms in the early morning, letting the bees have their fill before harvesting the blooms to stuff later. I note that several small zucchinis appear to be well along, and I snip a half dozen snow peas. Finally! Peas don't like the heat and I've been hoping that the broad zucchini leaves will provide shelter and shade. Tomorrow is also Leg Day! I'm excited. How can I not be?

Week Three Day Five is Leg Day!

Hill 5 and Intervals 8

Counterintuitively, it doesn't seem to matter whether I do one or two sessions of cardio on Leg Day so if I have the time, I prefer to do two. I'm a tad disappointed in my mileage today, but only because I've come to expect better of myself, and I can't always deliver. I should be happy that I made my 8-mile quota for a double cardio session, but instead I feel a bit let down that it was well short of 8.5 miles. Yes, we are our own worst critics!

I'm not even sweating that much and I attribute that to the air conditioning that's running full blast. My hoodie is sodden but not as much as I've come to expect. I do, however, drink my water bottle dry, which is something I haven't done in a long time. The free weight area is sporadically peopled with HS kids and a few regulars. The Mayor, M, Pony Tail Tattoo and Hoodie Tattoo seem to be finishing up their workouts. The Mayor looks sodden in his splotchy over-sized polo shirt, but no amount of fabric can hide the man-boobs. He's not obese by any means, but he's not in shape either. Or at least not a shape I'd consider good. B flits from group to group, chatting. I'm surprised to still see her here this late in the morning, but chatting seems to be her drug.

My right knee felt odd while I was peddling but it didn't hurt. Eventually, by the end of the 2nd session, the knee felt ok. Perhaps it just needed a vigorous warm up. Squats don't feel too bad either and I concentrate on my form, keeping the pressure off my lower back and more on my quads. The Still Legged Dead Lifts taunt me, but I manage to knock out my sets without having to pause or readjust my grip. This is an improvement! The teenage boys who were hovering by the Smith machine quickly dissipate after I strip off my hoodie. No, I don't look anything like those leggy teenage girls in their tiny shorts and neon tanks.

After stretching out in the Cage and performing a few side kicks, I try to knock out a dozen or so Pistol Squats but I'm distracted by a tiny little boy running up and down the exit ramp. He's just in my peripheral vision, and like any mom, I'm half keeping an eye on him to see that he doesn't hurt himself or accidentally escape into the parking lot outside. My right knee starts to act up a bit here and I'm not able to perform my moves smoothly this time. But I don't linger over this because there's Leg Curls and Extensions to do, as well as Abs.

I have half a mind to try a suggestion from the Muscle & Strength forums which cuts sets down to 5 sets of 5 reps. Of course, these have to be heavy weights! Instead I compromise and do 3 sets of 12 reps at my last heaviest weight, then up the weight a tad (adding a 7.5 lb brick to the stack) and doing 3 sets of 6 reps. It actually feels pretty good considering that at 112.5 lbs, this stack weighs more than I do and I'm struggling to remain properly seated. I'm encouraged by seeing my legs in profile and noting a slight curve on the back of my thighs where previously there'd been none. Little things can be so exciting!

The Leg Extensions are still hard and painful, even with me limiting the range of motion of the machine. Feeling a bit guilty I see that most of the abdominal stations are available and I do a few sets of abs. I don't seem to have a flat stomach anymore. Instead, my abs protrude slightly like the underside of rounded beetle carapace. I've only ever seen this on hugely muscled people, and I'm not one of them, so perhaps it's good not to do abs every day.

Week Three Day Five Leg Day Workout
35 min hill #5 = 3.94 miles + 35 min intervals #8 = 4.34 miles  Grand Total = 8.28 miles Yippee!
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar  (butt to heels) / 12 @ 95 (thighs parallel to ground) / 12 @ 115 / 12 @ 135 / 3 x 12 @ 155 lbs
Smith Still Legged Dead Lifts: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 lbs / 5 x 12 @ 115 lbs
I can finally do these without having to pause in the middle of a set! Yay!
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and  Side Kicks
14 Pistol Squats each leg
Seated Leg Curl: 3 x 12 @ 105 lbs / 3 x 6 @ 112.5 lbs
Thought briefly about doing 5x5s but couldn't figure out what weight to use.
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 12 @ 75 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150 (yep, I counted)
Ab Crunch Station: 100
Torso Twist Station: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Mat Stretch with full splits. The verticals are good although my left hamstring is always a tad tighter than the right (old rugby injury back in college); the horizontal hurts my knees when I roll forward but I manage to hold the position for a few seconds. In general the stretches were successful.

I'd rather eat the blossoms!

The gym scale reads a surprisingly heavy 109.8 lbs. I suspect that draining my water bottle didn't help. But my clothes fit okay, and I don't see anything gruesome in the mirror, so I'm good! I've harvested another 5 zucchini blossoms this morning and I'll be stuffing them with herbed goat cheese (and American cheese for my son).

Yesterday I introduced him to his first root beer float. Since we don't normally drink soda, he had no idea what root beer tasted like either and wasn't sure he'd actually like it. We made a special trip just to get Virgil's Root Beer (no high fructose corn syrup please!) and Blue Bunny All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. I split one 12-oz bottle between the two of us. Add a straw and long-handled spoon and he was in heaven. I was pretty happy too!

Week Three Day Four is for Boxing!

Interval 7  11July2013

I spent most of the 35 minutes aboard the Precor debating with myself how many sets of cardio to do today. If I did two, would I still have time to hit the Nexersys station? Better not chance running out of time, so I only did intervals today with respectable mileage. It's good enough for today.

Afterwards, I see R at the cable station next to the stretch cage and wonder if I should greet him. Social graces do not come easily to me. Oh f@ck it, I put my towel, cell and water down near the Cage and walk up to R to ask him about one-arm bench pressing. He spouts out how much it helps to work the smaller shoulder and chest muscles. Our conversation wanders from attitudes at the gym to injuries and recovery. The humidity exacerbates all his old injuries so he's not feeling great, but working out is salvation and pain relief. "Are you going to physical therapy?" I ask him. "I was but then I got too busy." "Busy is good," I offer, "it means you're making money." "Yeah, but then if I get injured 'cuz I'm not doing therapy, well, then I don't make money." "Well, yeah..." I concede.

He tells me that if he forgets his baseball cap, he won't come to the gym and I'm surprised. It's his shield from unwanted attention and comments, and I can relate because it's what I use my hoodie for during cardio. I'm also surprised to hear him say that people say bad things about him behind his back, deride his exercise routines but then copy them after he leaves the gym. We both agree it's probably jealousy, and I recount the stupid things people say to me, like "Why do you work out so hard every day?" or "Are you supplementing? 'Cuz how else are you getting those muscles..."
He almost finishes my sentence for me with "by working out hard and eating right." Well, he's right for the most part but I'm not going to correct him about my diet.

I find out that Ranger Rick has the same given name as R, and that perhaps it's Ranger Rick that R is referencing as a copy cat. The appearance of friendship might be misleading! But R's willingness to speak to me at length says that he's comfortable talking to me and that's reassuring. At least I feel more justified tuning out the rest of the gym when I work out. R tells me that he no longer brings clients here like he did last summer (his brother and a pro hockey player). Too many snide remarks, too much negative energy. That's too bad. I thought it was only me and my city-bred paranoia! But I'm stubborn. I know who the "girls" were making fun of last year, and I stared them down. Now they're embarrassed to show up when I'm around. I don't back down. These are the women who get upset when they see me. I'm oblivious to them, and I look a helluva lot better than they do.

It's refreshing how easy our conversation flows but then it's time for him to leave and time for me to do my stretches so I can tape up my hand and beat the crap out of the Nexersys station. As we talk, I see M peer over the railing from the cardio area. No doubt he'll run back to The Mayor et al with a full report. But I don't care.

Week Three Day Four Workout
35 min intervals #7 = 4.58 miles Yippee!
Cage Stretch with BW heel dips and side kicks
Mat Stretch with vertical splits; I don't push the horizontal split because I'm short on time
Nexersys Station: 3 rounds Follow Me avatar & 3 rounds Sparring Avatar
At least my accuracy is getting better as is my pacing (so I"m not completely exhausted before round 3 ends!) and my power is a bit more consistent, starting at 126% and only dropping to 96% by the end of the 6th round. I put little pieces of moleskin on my joints, then wrap tape around my hand and finger before donning my stupid pink gloves. It seems to work because afterwards my hands are barely pink and not at all bruised or skinned. Yay!

Great stuffed with goat cheese!

 I wait until the gym owner finishes his rounds on the Nexersys. There are two stations but I'm not comfortable boxing next to someone else. When I go to leave, I recognize the middle-age lady from last week going a few rounds with the Nexersys. She's not actually punching anything. Rather, with full boxing gloves on, she's merely shadowing the movements in a cautious manner. I'm the only one who seems to wail on the machine. Perhaps I will select Intermediate next time.

The gym scale reads 109.4 lbs and I'm good with that. I'm also starving so off to the car to suck down a cold Ensure®, and then errands... It's a good day! I've harvested zucchini blossoms to stuff with goat cheese (my son prefers American cheese), and the peas have blooms now.

Unfortunately, the day lilies are now just stubby stalks. I blame the deer that wander through the yard throughout the afternoon when no one's home but the dog napping in the window.

Tomorrow is Leg Day. And I love love love Leg Day!