Doesn't everybody do their shoulder presses in the ocean?
So I'm back at the gym. Absence did not make the heart grow fonder.
As I previously blogged, I've decided to approach this process as a marathon and not a sprint. Thus I've revamped my exercise program, alternating days with cardio and weight training. My cardio is now a walk on the treadmill at 3.8 mph for 45 minutes, focusing more on burning fat, so I can bring the weight down and alleviate some of the pain in my knees. The weight training is all about changing some of my jiggly bits, into less jiggly bits. Plus there's the whole muscle burns more calories than fat thing, which is good for me, because I like to eat!
So Monday saw my first day of weight training begin. I decided to use the machines, instead of the free weights. I know there's a lot of pros to the free weights, but I can get in and out in just under an hour if I use the all the machines I need, and I've realized that an hour is the extent of my interest in working out.
The club where I work out is part of a golf and country club. The clientele, or rather members are on the whole, my age or older. One has to reach a rather comfortable financial spot in life in order afford a membership here. Being retired (or unemployed, but I prefer the term retired), I'm free to work out during the day, which is when the other retired people are working out too - many of them with a personal trainer. During my time spent in the gym, I've met a few of them. One of my favourite's is Ruth, no Ruth has to be pushing 90 years old, she's had a double mastectomy, a hip replacement and has buried three husbands (as you can tell, Ruth likes to chat). Ruth works out every day with the attitude, if you don't use it, you loose it!
When I arrived at the gym, Ruth was working her way through the machines ahead of me with a personal trainer. Since Ruth is less than five feet tall, the trainer has to adjust most of the machines for her stature, which means I have to adjust them for me (sans trainer). Ruth uses the lightest weights, so I have to come along and adjust the weights upwards/heavier to achieve the resistance that I require for toning. This went along predictably as I worked my way around the circuit untill I came to the shoulder press.
When I had been working out the previous winter, I had not done any shoulder presses. There were so many other problem areas on my body that required my attention and as far as I could see, my shoulders weren't jiggly. This time around I decided to add the shoulder press, since I've enlarged my weight training process.
Thus I approached the machine, adjust the seat (after Ruth's previous height challenged state) and naturally added on more weights than Ruth was using. I settled in, and went to raise the weights above my head ... I must have adjusted the machine incorrectly, because I couldn't really move the weights! I got off checked everything over, but it all looked to be in good working order, plus Ruth had just used it. I shrugged and thought well maybe I'll just take off a bit of the weight, when lo and behold ... I could just barely move it! I had to take off almost of the weight before I could properly do my reps!
Oh the shame, oh the ignominy! Ruth could do more in shoulder presses than I could.
I clearly have a long way to go ...
Tuesday I was pretty stiff and sore from the new regime. I know this will take perseverance.
Maybe I should find a 100 year old member and follow them when I weight train!
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