Prior to writing this post, the most recent entry for a traditional workout was Sept. 28 2007. Ironically, on that day I was coming off a 3 month layoff, or thereabouts.
The fire that destroyed our home had taken place nearly 6 months prior to the Sept. 28, 2007 entry. The fire introduced a huge amount of chaos into my life, and so many areas of my life had suffered tremendous blows. I had not been able to eat well and my training was more or less non-existent. Had been for months; and judging by the numbers of that Sept 28 workout my body was clearly beginning to show the combined affect of several risk factors: stress, age, starvation, illness, poor training habits.
Yep. I was getting weaker, losing some muscle density and my health was taking a beating. Little did I know then that things would get worse. Much worse.
Seven months later, 35 pounds lighter and three months removed from three lengthy hospitalizations over a two month period (the months of Feb and March), I am truly starting over again. I am in a new town, with a new life and I am staring up a very steep hill toward recovery. I exhale deeply and sigh when I think about it too much. I do try not to think about it. I always fail. I think about it a lot. More than I should.
Of course, I no longer have my equipment. That was sold because I had no place to store it. Big mistake. I prefer training at home, and especially now because my lungs are reeling from the pneumonia that nearly took me out. Each day is a battle of biblical proportion to get my lungs stronger, healthier and breathing better. Without my strength tools, I am lost.
I was able to finagle a two month membership from a local health club (you will notice I did not use the word “gym”. Such places no longer exists. Maybe I should open one!).
The joint is plush and sparkling, with plush sparkling people and their sparkling friends. I hate plush and sparkling. Always have. But at least they have a relatively good free weight area. I am so grateful to Phil Wendel and ACAC for their generosity.
My first three workouts at ACAC have been humbling to say the least. In fact, I was expecting to have to learn to “walk” once I got back into the gym, but it never occurred to me that I would have to learn to crawl first, and then to walk.
I have been assigned a trainer because my fitness levels have sunk so low I qualify for ACAC´s Physician Referred Exercise Program (PREP) – the fitness equivalent of a convalescent home.
Essentially, the P.R.E.P. program is designed to help folks who have been through hell, medically speaking, get back on their feet. Truthfully, I like the idea. The problem with it is that an iron war horse like myself is having a tough time adjusting to the both the realities of my physical setback, as well as the powder-puff approach the P.R.E.P. program takes to fitness programs.
With the P.R.E.P. program you come into the gym no more than three times per week, and initially you are only permitted to use one machine per workout, focusing on one movement or body part and performing only 1-2 sets of 20 reps. Moreover, free weights are verboten. WHAT! No squats? No bench press? No deadlift?
Nope.
To give you an idea of the mentality and atmosphere of most health clubs today, my personal trainer at ACAC explained the absence of a lying leg curl thusly: “Lying leg curls can cause back problems.”
Ummm….excuse me? Lying leg-curl machines cause back problems? I must have somehow missed that little tidbit of information somewhere along the road of a 35 year strength training career. Heheh
When she told me that I nearly fell off the poorly designed seated leg curl machine I was trying to train my hams on. And wouldn’t you just know it would have to have been a female or a mamma’s boy that would offer up such drivel in the first place. I wonder if she realized just how inexperienced she was coming across as, no matter however well intentioned. I doubt it.
Anyway, I am not complaining all that much. After all, I think a little bit of mothering is going to be good for me in the long run. I imagine God brought this facility into my life for a reason, I might as well sit back and enjoy it.
My first three workouts were uninteresting accept for the fact that I was pleased to find out that my body responded to the stimulation.
Here are the workouts:
Cardio and Legs
- NUSTEP Stationary: 5 Minutes, Level 1
- Technogym Leg Press: 3 x 20 reps x 40, 60, 60 (that’s right. 60 lbs. And I was breathing afterwards.)
Cardio, Back, Neck
- NUSTEP Stationary: 6 Minutes, Level 1
- Dumbbell Pullovers: 4 x 15 reps x 30 lbs
- Seated Row Technogym ( I like this machine): 3 sets x 60 seconds, 1-super-slow, HIT rep with 40 lbs (I failed in my execution as I was not able to pull for a full 60 seconds for both positive and negative phases, but I came close)
- Military Presses: 4 sets x 8-10 x 45 pound bar
- Seated Calf: 3 sets w 60 lbs x 10
Yesterday:
Cardio and Legs
- NUSTEP Stationary: 5 Minutes, Level 2
- Technogym Leg Press: 3 x 20 reps x 60, 80, 100
- Front Neck: 3 sets w 10 lbs x 10 reps
Observations:
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you”, I reminded myself as I left the gym. Gee whiz. Is this how far I have fallen? Has it come down to doing leg presses with 100 pounds?
Apparently.
But I am determined to recover.
Finally, I have to make this point. I am sore. Really. I am. As light as the weights are and as easy as the weight is to move, I am sore. That means my muscles will respond by growing and that I won’t have to use hundreds of pounds to do it. Is that a good thing?
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