No socks, Today’s Transcript

Aug16
by Duf on August 16, 2016 at 5:47 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Endurance activities, Injuries, Today at the Gym

I went to our employee clinic regarding my popped and ringing ear.  She saw nothing obviously torn but referred me to an ear specialist so they can take a look, awesome.

I managed to forget my socks today, a pain in the ass for any gym day but especially on a day when you are planning to do a run/bike brick.  Even attempting a brick today was a mild accomplishment since I just ran three and a half miles with Cindy on Sunday and put in around 10 miles on my Ninebot One electric unicycle over the weekend. Surprisingly the lack of socks did not cause me as much discomfort as I expected.  I did not feel any new blisters form during either exercise.

So today’s awkward and ill timed transcript began as I was grinding out the last two minutes of my bike segment.  I was hunched over on my elbows, sweating profusely, and surely had no look on my face that would indicate I was interested in engaging in random conversation.  It didn’t matter, the man whose name rhymes with lemonade came out from behind the counter and begins. I did not have a tape recorder rolling so I will be paraphrasing a bit.

Him: Hey what did you hear about the kid that got shot at the Coastland Mall?

Me: I saw the headline, that’s it.

Him: I heard some kids were playing around and stuff.

Me: I don’t know, just saw the headline.

Him: Man it’s getting to be a crazy world.

Me: I think it already is a crazy world.

Him: Man everyone is going to need to carry a gun soon.  It’s crazy how some people want to take away your gun.

Me: Nobody is going to take away anybody’s guns.

Him: Did you hear how Obama wants to let illegal immigrants to vote??  He just wants to do that because he knows the immigrants are against the wall Trump wants to build.

Me: (Head shake and mumble)

So I finish my sweaty ride and he engages me again.

Him: So aren’t you a state trooper?

Me: No, I work at the tax collector office

Him: Oh man, that is why I was asking you all of that gun related stuff.  I thought you were a trooper.

Me: No dude, I don’t even own a gun.

Him: You might need to get one soon!

Me: (fake laugh) Yea, maybe.

Be sure to tune in for tomorrow’s episode.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Run/Ride brick

20 minute run – 2.14 miles

10 minute ride – 3.15 miles

 

 

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Still popped, I have issues

Aug15
by Duf on August 15, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Today at the Gym

ear[1]So when my ear popped on Friday doing skin the cat I assumed it would work itself out shortly.  Well three days later it still felt closed accompanied by a low level ring in the ear.  I went to the gym today hoping I could undo whatever I did.  Strangely enough it did seem somewhat better after a decent pushing session.

Although the low ring in the right ear is still there, I can definitely hear better than I could out of that side when it first happened.  My non-expert opinion is I may have perforated my ear drum somewhat from the combination of high exertion while being upside down.  Damage to the ear drum can cause ringing.  From what I read ear drum damage basically heals itself eventually but I still wouldn’t mind having somebody look in there.

Cindy posted an article to Facebook that claims that people that post their workout routines to Facebook have psychological problems.  Tell me something I don’t know.

Today I saw somebody with the phone to his ear while doing back extensions on the roman chair, a new first. SMH

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Dumbbell chest press – 65lbs x 10, 70lbs x 10, 80lbs x 8, 90lbs x 6, 75lbs x 8, 70lbs x 8

Dumbbell pull overs – 55lbs x 10, 60lbs x 10, 70lbs x 10, 75lbs x 8

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Popped something

Aug12
by Duf on August 12, 2016 at 6:34 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Injuries

So as I was winding down my workout I came up with the bright idea to do some skin the cat reversals.  On my third rep I felt something pop in my right ear which I assume was due to the combination of exertion and the odd angle your body is at for the movement.  My ear felt like it was clogged and my hearing out of that side is greatly diminished as of right now.  It is one of the oddest gym “injuries” I can recall.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

20 pull ups

50 push ups

Seated plate loaded overhead shoulder press – 200lbs x 6

Knee raise pulls ups x 10

Standing oblique twist x 20

Seated plate loaded overhead shoulder press – 200lbs x 10

Knee raise pulls ups x 10

Standing oblique twist x 20

Seated plate loaded overhead shoulder press – 200lbs x 10

Skin the cat reversals x 3

Standing oblique twist x 20

Skin the cat reversals x 3

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Captain Clueless, Less limp, Peppered in

Aug11
by Duf on August 11, 2016 at 5:31 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Injuries, Today at the Gym

no_treadmill[1]Several times I have pointed out that people that hold onto the rails/handles while walking on a treadmill are greatly diminishing the exercise benefit.  Unless you have some sort of physical disability, you should do whatever you need to to NOT hold onto handrails.  They are there primarily as a safety if you would lose your balance, not to provide you balance.  You totally negate using your core to help stabilize your body when you continuously hold onto a support, it makes no sense.

Well today we had a guy that I think I may have described at some point in the past taking this behavior to new heights of cluelessness.  The man is middle aged and has hair that looks like it is being grown into a psuedo-mullet.  When he walks on the treadmill not only does he hold on, he holds onto the back of the LCD tv screen, something that is not engineered to be load bearing.

The incredibly annoying side effect of this is his body is pulled even further ahead on the belt, far enough that each and every stride hits the plastic belt cover which creates a constant BANG/SQUEAK combo that is just ridiculous.  I have no idea why gym staff allows him to abuse the equipment in this manner nor how this man does not realize how fcking stupid this behavior is.

I woke up this morning with a pretty severe limp that radiated pain through the lower right quadrant of my back, right hip and knee.  I believe all three areas of discomfort are caused by one culprit, my IT band.  The IT band on my right side has been problematic for a couple years.  For over 6 months it stopped me from doing ANY running.  If I tried to run I would be limping for days afterward.  I added a daily IT band stretch to my warm up routine which has helped but not eliminated the issue.

The difference is now the pain is more short lived.  By the time lunch rolled around I was back to walking limp free although I can still feel there is inflammation going on.  It’s just part of the cards you are dealt if you continue with impact activities as you enter middle age.  You just have to play them.

Even though my gym week is extra short I still mixed in some leg work along with my bi/tri movements.  Tomorrow I am going to mutate my normal all core day to include shoulders and back exercise as well.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

20 pull ups

Seated leg extension – 115lbs x 10

Standing alternating dumbbell bicep curl – 25lbs x 10

Standing tricep press down (rope attachment) – 80lbs x 10

Seated leg extension – 130lbs x 10

Standing alternating dumbbell bicep curl – 40lbs x 8

Standing tricep press down (rope attachment) – 100lbs x 10

Seated leg extension – 145lbs x 10

Standing alternating dumbbell bicep curl – 50lbs x 2

Standing tricep press down (rope attachment) – 120lbs x 8

Prone leg curl – 90lbs x 10

Decline hanging dumbbell curl – 25lbs x 10

Seated one arm dumbbell overhead tricep extension – 25lbs x 10

Prone leg curl – 100lbs x 10

Decline hanging dumbbell curl – 30lbs x 10

Seated one arm dumbbell overhead tricep extension – 30lbs x 10

Prone leg curl – 110lbs x 10

Decline hanging dumbbell curl – 35lbs x 8

Seated one arm dumbbell overhead tricep extension – 35lbs x 6

 

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Back to brick, can’t stop the sweat

Aug10
by Duf on August 10, 2016 at 5:26 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Endurance activities, Old Age

__8440024[1]So I decided to jump back into endurance training with a gym brick of 20 minutes of running on the treadmill with a chaser of 10 minutes of riding a stationary bike.  I have not done this since I came back to Retro.  In the past I always treated endurance training and lower body strength work as being sort of mutually exclusive.  I felt that both activities had a negative effect on the other.  When I was at the height of my endurance fitness several years ago I did no lower body strength training at all and weighed in the low 170’s.

Well my hope is to not ignore lower body weight training but scale it back so it can be incorporated into my 5 day gym schedule.  Moderation in most things is the key to a balanced, successful outcome.  Of course I need to be very mindful of the ever growing possibility of injury as I continue to push my body to perform things it isn’t thrilled about as it approaches a half century of walking around the planet.

I also could not believe how much I sweated during the half hour brick, despite the gym air conditioning being in operational condition once again.  I looked like someone sprayed me with a fire hose when I was done.  Even with taking a cool shower it didn’t stop my body’s sweat reflex.  My fresh t-shirt was soaked through by the time I got back to the office.  I tried to counteract it best I could with my fan and a liberal dosing of talcum powder.

Today’s Workout

20 minute run / 10 minute ride

20 minute run – 2.13 miles

10 minute ride – 3.15 miles

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