Personal Training: Session 7

I arrived at the gym 45 minutes prior to my scheduled session today.  I hoped I could get my run on the treadmill in before my workout with Alison.  (Since it's been proven running on the treadmill after she kicks my butt is a silly idea.)  I like to run on the treadmill at least once a week so I can "test" different paces.  I suppose you could call this "speed work," but we don't want to get too fancy or technical here.  Anyway, I had foolishly anticipated that at 3:45 PM the gym would be fairly empty, especially when I though of all the people who must be picking up their children from school.

I was incorrect.

Every single treadmill was taken.  Every single elliptical machine was in use.  Ditto with the spinning bikes.  My options for cardio equipment were:

1. The stair stepper that broke my headphones.  (Though that incident may not have been entirely the machine's fault.)
2. That weird elliptical and stair stepper hybrid which always makes my feet go numb.
3. A recumbent exercise bike.

I chose the bike.  Since it didn't have it's own TV screen, and I wasn't much interested in the shows playing on the big TV screens (basketball, blurgh) I turned on an audiobook and pedaled away.  Harry Potter is pretty good listening if you're on the recumbent bike for 35 minutes.  I was a teeny bit disappointed I wasn't able to watch the Food Network today.  Heaven help me, I love watching cooking shows when I'm on the treadmill.

Once I met up with Alison we headed over to the "meathead" area.  (Her words, not mine. Though to be fair she was right.) I felt doughy and pale the second we walked into the free weight section.  True, I *am* doughy and pale, but it doesn't stand out so much when I'm over in my normal section of the gym.  I blend in with the other doughy and pale people.  The people in the free weight section were not doughy, or pale.  They were ripped. They wore shirts where the armholes were open to the waistbands. The heaved heavy weights and then stared at themselves in the mirror.  They were very tan, especially when you consider the fact that it is March in Portland. 

Luckily we slowly worked our way back to the weight machines and kettlebells, leaving the buff men behind.  I did lots of dips, push-ups and pull-ups.  We discussed restaurants for most of the session.  (Why do I think about food so much when I workout?) She asked for my top picks here in Portland (she's relatively new to the area) and here they are:

• The Observatory
• Dingos
• La Buca
• Jam on Hawthorne
• Mother's
• Utopia Cafe
• Dick's Kitchen

Yum!

Today's Workout

2x

10 x lat row with barbell (30lb)

10 x reverse fly (12.5 lb each hand)

10x fly

10x twisty crunches (15 lb)

2x

15 pushups

10x bench step ups (15 lb, each leg)

10x reverse crunch

10x dips

10x pullups

10x dips

10x dips

10x pullups

2x

10x medicine ball twist

45 sec plank

2x 

10x bicycle crunch

10x bicycle crunch double pulse