A little leg workout and a little Ohio Renaissance festival...

Went to Urban Active today. I thought about trail running, but I can do that tomorrow.

So, here's my fantabulous routine:

• 15 minutes elliptical
• walking lunges (no weight, back and forth once; 12.5 dbs, back and forth twice)
  
• leg press (no weight, wide stance, 15 reps; 90 lbs, wide stance, 15 reps; 180 lbs, wide stance, 15 reps)
  
• loaded plate leg press (90 lbs, 15 reps; 180 lbs, 15 reps; 270 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• bend over thingies with bar in my hand (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• plie squats (60 lbs, 2 sets of 15; 70 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• calf exercises on the leg press (90 lbs, 30 reps; 180 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps)

Felt very good to do this and not at all taxing... I AM A MONSTER...well, a leg monster. Ok, maybe not quite a monster of any sort, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE working my legs. The feeling in my glutes (that's just a nice worse for my bubble) is amazing. When I'm doing walking lunges, I REALLY try to tighten my glutes with each bend. Awesome stuff. I could have done a lot more today but I had places to go...

Went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival. I remember as a kid always wanting to attend the one in upstate New York. I remember Dad and I vaguely discussing it but never doing it. When I moved to Ohio, I went within a few months of getting here, and I think my lack of enthusiasm for it really disappointed my neighbor. Oh well. I've been three times - having missed last year? - and it's never terribly good or terribly bad. It's interesting and worth the trip... not worth the full price ticket, but nonetheless it's a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

I will perhaps write more about the Renaissance festival later....

Attack of the Harriers...what's a harrier?

Went to MUH's gym today, because I was at MUH to meet with a student, and it seemed like a good idea to workout while there.

Here's what I did:

• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• side and front lat raises with db (10 lbs, 3 sets of 15; 5 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• overhead pulldown (20 lbs, 15 reps; 40 lbs, 15 reps; 60 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• cable rows (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• tricep ex with V bar and cable (20 lbs, 15 reps; 30 lbs, 15 reps; 40 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• one arm bicep curl with handle thing and cable (10 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• bicep curls (15 lbs, 2 sets of 15, 1 set of 8; 20 lbs, 1 set of 8)
  
• one legged bend down things (3 sets of 15)
  
• on back raise legs things (3 sets of 15)
  
• knee lifts (3 sets of 15)
• 5 minutes on elliptical

Am thinking of running MUM trail later, but I don't know. Lots to do around the house given I've been gone for a bit, so I probably should just clean the house and call that cardio.

Overall, today's workout felt good. I could just keep going and going once I'm in the gym, so I really have to watch that I don't overtrain or hurt myself. My left shoulder still feels weak, and I just don't trust it. Not sure what to do about that.

Appreciate the negative aka Oh my gosh two in a row...

So today I headed down to Urban Active. It's an interesting scene at about 5:30 or 6:00pm. Lots of young, pretty people with young, pretty bodies. No complaints from me.

Let me get to the workout then some comments:

• 10 minutes elliptical
• decline bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15)
  
• overhead db press (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• decline db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• flat bench db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• incline db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• squats (no weight, 15 reps; 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• hack squats (no weight, 2 sets of 15)
  
• calf sled thing (no weight, 15 reps; 90 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• seated calf raises (25 lbs, 15 reps; 50 lbs, 12 reps; 75 lbs, 8 reps)
  
• seated db curls (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• ez bar curls (40 lb, 2 sets of 8)
  
• 5 minutes rowing

I was doing the bench and thinking about the negative - you know, the downward push of gravity that most people use as a crutch to help them in their reps - and I decided to slow the negative and explode up with each rep...very cool stuff. I don't want to get too thoughtful here - I mean, working out isn't supposed to be thoughtful - but there was a certain... irony isn't the right word... no.... synchronicity... yeah... with me not merely enduring the negative but actually PROLONGING it by resisting gravity. Sometimes one should listen to gravity... it's a force that can't be resisted indefinitely. It's time for a change, a break, something different.

And I was also thinking about my poor left shoulder, which must really have some sort of injury, because I definitely felt weakness in it after I did the crazy db flys in three different positions... I suppose 135 reps will do that too...even at light weight... but I do think there's something wrong. I felt it, too, when I did squats. Oops.

Overall, an ok workout. I wanted to go a bit longer but I realize I need to ease myself back into things or I'll hurt myself. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Ha.

Finally, another workout

Went to Urban....

• 15 minutes elliptical
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• leg press press (no weight, 3 sets of 15; 90 lbs on, 3 sets of 15; 15 reps of calf exercises)
  
• 15 minutes stationary bike

Yeah, pretty wimpy, but at least it's something. I'll do more Wednesday, etc.

I have returned!

Due to an illness in my family, I have been unable to workout, so today was the first day back at the gym for me. I anticipate it's going to be rough getting back up to speed, but hopefully the time off helped my left shoulder heal.

So, what was my routine?

• 10 minutes on the elliptical
• bench press (no weight on bar, 15 reps wide grip, 15 reps not so wide grip; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• leg press (no weight, 3 positions, 15 reps; 2 45 lb plates, 4 positions, 15 reps... twice)
  
• walking lunges (no weights, just walking back and forth twice and SQUEEZING my bubbles!)
  
• overhead dumbbell press (5 lb dbs, 15 reps; 10 lb, 15 reps; 12.5, 15 reps)
  
• incline flys (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• leg plate press (whatever it's called) (2 45 lb plates, 2 sets of 15)
  
• side lat raises (5 lbs, 15 reps; 10 lbs, 15 reps)