Cross-training, Strength Training, New Clothing?

January 23, 2009 at 12:02 pm | Posted in Cross-training, Strength Training | 10 Comments

Strength Training – Thursday Evening, Jan. 22nd

Time of Day: 5:20 PM

Weather: Climate-controlled

Duration: About 40 minutes

Notes: Another crowded gym day. I’m getting tired of hauling a mat, dumbbell, and stability ball to the gym hallway so that I have room to workout. I did, however, get to do lat. pulldowns today. Not much to say about the weights, so I’ll just report. Besides, I have a lot to say about my cross-training session this morning and don’t want to make the post too long.

2 x 15 reps of the following:

• Lat pulldown
• Lat row
• Chest press
• Vertical butterfly

1 x 15 reps of the following:

• Biceps curls on stability ball
• Tricep dips
• Lateral shoulder raises with a dumbbell
• Dumbbell shoulder press on stability ball

Core exercises (all of these in Ultimate Abs):

• Back extensions, 25 reps
• Swiss hip extension, 10 reps then 11 reps each side
• Erect lateral bends, 15 reps each side
• Turkish get-ups, 15 reps each side

Legs:

• Squats with a stability ball between my back and a wall, 2 x 12 reps
• Balance run, usually 3 x 30 seconds
• Heel raises, 1 x 10 each leg
• Hamstring push-up, 1 x 10 each leg

Cross-training – Today, Jan. 23rd 

Time of Day: 5:55 AM

Weather: Climate-controlled, yet freezing

Duration: 50 min. elliptical

Notes: My gym has three elliptical. I like exactly one of them, and I use the term “like” very loosely. Today I showed up early, and yet the gym was already crowded.  Apparently they’ve been opening a little earlier and not telling me. Anyway, my favorite elliptical was taken. My second favorite elliptical, also taken. I had to use the reject elliptical, the one that feels stiffer and more awkward than the others, despite being the same make and model. Sad story, I know.

Thankfully, that is not the most interesting thing to happen to me today, because somehow, before 6 AM, someone managed to ask me:

“You must wear children’s clothes.”

I’m not quite sure how to respond to such a statement. Was this woman complimenting me? Should I be offended? Is she saying I look fit? Does she think I’m too skinny?

But then it hit me: her statement is rude, but brilliant. Because you see, readers, I’ve been buying pants in petite sizes and then attempting to shrink them in the dryer to make them shorter. I should just cut out the middle man and buy kids’ clothing.

And then the statement hit me even harder: I can go shopping at Limited Too.

Most of you may not realize the significance of the above realization, but it’s huge, people, HUGE. You see, when I was 9 or 10 years old, my best friend had many, many pretty clothes, most from Limited Too. And she let us all know they were from Limited Too. She pranced in her Limited Too jeans. She preened in her Limited Too tees. She sparkled around school with her shiny blonde hair and her Limited Too matching ensembles. At least I was smarter–the Velma to her Daphne, if Velma was good at Freeze Tag.

I also wished to dress in Limited Too, of course, so I would drag Mumsly into the store, where she looked at the price tag, laughed at the manufacturer’s apparent audacity, and redirect her silly daughter to the sales rack of a much cheaper store.

But now, readers, I have my own money, most of it expendable. I can buy all the Limited Too I desire. I may desire none, but it’s the principle.

Also, I’ll be able to tell people I wear size 14 pants next time they rudely inquire (yes, a co-worker did this!). I’ll leave out the information about children’s sizes. They can ponder that for the rest of the day.