BFL: Back on the horse

[avram]

I’ve noticed myself turning back into pudding these past few months — muscle tone vanishing, pants getting tighter. A couple months back I set aside $55 cash on a shelf, one month’s membership in the gym, so I’d have one less excuse to rejoin if I woke up early and felt like working out. A couple weeks ago I printed out a lower-body workout. Last night I finally decided that just relying on myself to get up early and feel like going wasn’t gonna cut it, so I went to bed at 11 and set my alarm for 7. Somebody courteously sent a helicopter to buzz my neighborhood at 6 AM just to help wake me up.

• Weight: 284.5
• Total time: 51 minutes
• Hamstrings (Lying Leg Curls, Lunges for last set):
  • 12 reps at 70 lbs. Effort: 6
  • 10 reps at 80 lbs. Effort: 6
  • 8 reps at 90 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 6 reps at 100 lbs. Effort: 8
  • 6 reps at 90 lbs, dropped down to 80 ibs for another 6 reps. Effort: 9
  • 12 reps with pair of 15-lb weights. Effort: 8
• Calves (Seated Calf Raises, Standing Calf Raises for last set):
  • 12 reps at 65 lbs. Effort: 5
  • 10 reps at 90 lbs. Effort: 6
  • 8 reps at 115 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 6 reps at 140 lbs. Effort: 8
  • 12 reps at 115 lbs. Effort: 9
  • 12 reps at 260 lbs. Effort: 8
• Quads (Leg Press, Leg Extensions for last set):
  • 12 reps at 205 lbs. Effort: 5
  • 10 reps at 230 lbs. Effort: 6
  • 8 reps at 255 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 6 reps at 280 lbs. Effort: 8
  • 12 reps at 255 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 12 reps at 90 lbs. Effort: 9
• Abs (Abdominal Machine, Penguin Crunches for last set):
  • 12 reps at 70 lbs. Effort: 5
  • 10 reps at 80 lbs. Effort: 5
  • 8 reps at 90 lbs. Effort: 6
  • 6 reps at 100 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 12 reps at 90 lbs. Effort: 7
  • 20 Crunches. Effort: 8

Discoveries: I’ve lost a little strength in my hamstrings, but not much. I’ve been taking it too easy on my calves and quads — I accidentally incremented with 25-lb weights instead of 10-pounders on the leg press, and still didn’t have as much difficulty as I ought. And I might give up on the ab machine and just do crunches. Or not. Maybe I’m using it wrong; I’d expect 100 pounds to be giving me trouble.