Monday 7 January 2013

Fun at the gym

Day 7 of the Janathon found me back at the gym where, according to my training schedule, it was Upper Body Day.  It was also Heaving with New Gym Members Day, which made it Annoyed at Having to Wait for the Machines Day as well.

The free weights were scattered all over the place and I couldn't find the ones that I needed.  All of the treadmills were taken by people who looked to be out for just a stroll and a gossip; some of them had even paused the treadmill so that they could have an in-depth natter with their neighbour without the inconvenience of being out of breath.  And I had to wait to do my stretching as there was a queue for the mats, most of which were being used by people who were just...lying there, having a rest. 

Part of today's routine was the dreaded hand bike.  (Hah, no queue for this.  Can't imagine why not.)  This sits off by itself and faces the weight machine area.  Now, I know that proper gym etiquette says that you shouldn't stare at other people when they're working out, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by the very substantial man on the lat pull-down machine who was wearing a very much too-small sweatshirt.  Every time his arms went over his head, the bottom of his sweatshirt inched ever higher until it reached his chest, leaving his belly fully exposed in all of its perfectly round glory.  There were 3 sets of this.  He didn't seem to care, so I decided to not mind on his behalf either.  Besides, admiring his obliviousness and single-mindedness helped to distract me from how much I was hating the hand bike.

January at the gym.  There's always something to see.  Or complain about.

Gym stats:  10.5 min/5km stationary bike; 10 minutes/3km hand bike; 10 reps/3 sets each of bicep curls, tricep dips, upright row machine, and lat pull down machine (making sure that my top stayed over my belly).  10 minutes x-trainer cool down.  And stretching.

NoMoreCake-athon update:  It's been six days without cake.  I've gained one pound.  It's going to be a long month.

4 comments:

  1. Ah, but it'll be a pound of muscle!

    Used to hate the gym when it was like that. Always wanted to give those types on the treadmill a really dirty look, or even "suggest" that they, in so many words, shove off! And do you find that the guys using free weights so often use really poor technique so that they can lift heavier weights than they'd be able to otherwise - ie correctly!? :-)

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  2. Thanks for your optimism, but I suspect it's really a pound of cake that's just now making a post-holiday appearance. Hopefully this is the last of it!

    The gym will settle back down again in a couple of weeks; I'll just have to exercise (hah!) my famous patience in the meantime. And yes, every time I see one of the big weightlifter guys arch their back when they're doing bicep curls, I cringe inside. And straighten up my own posture immediately!

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  3. Wow you're doing so well... with your patience I mean! I think I'd have left at the first sight of all those people. Well done you! And I agree with Cathy, it must be the muscle not the cake at all. Let your Janathon continue as stress free as possible.

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  4. Perhaps there's muscle under the cake layer...I don't understand why it takes weeks to lose the same weight that it took a matter of days to gain. Not fair...if it hadn't been for Janathon, I probably would have left the gym in a huff. If nothing else, it's been good for my motivation!

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