It has been a challenge not being home during the week especially when it comes to training. For instance, let me tell you about this weeks gym experience.
I decided to get another gym membership in Toledo at the YMCA to train when I am out of town. I got 50% off the membership fees for being an employee of ProMedica Health System. With this membership I can train at sister YMCA's.
So I decided to train at a YMCA in Michigan. The free weigh area was small. It had a squat rack, ONE flat bench, ONE bench that inclines, 3 45 pounds barbells...one for the squat rack, one for the flat bench, and one for the incline bench. The dumbbell selection was awesome and they had one of those multipurpose racks with pulleys....you know what I mean.
Of course, the cardio room was HUGE and filled with all the latest and greatest cardio equipment, and it also had a sizable Cybex machine room...blah. So, of course I went straight to the free weight room which was busy. Each bench was in use with sweaty guys, I looked around for the towels...thank goodness there were some towels available. Awkwardly I gazed around the room to see where I could possibly start my training. You know the feeling...new person in the gym, some dudes checking the new girl out between their sets as they SIT ON THE BENCH THAT I WANT TO USE!! I wanted to work my chest shoulders and triceps and I typically like to start with flat BB sets followed by inclines...BENCH exercises, so the only way I was going to get started was to work in with the sweaty bench hog. I politely asked and the guy was very nice and accommodating....I no longer viewed him as a hog. But he was a sweaty gross mess and it sickened me to use the bench after him even though he politely wiped it off. So I got my flat BB done and the guy was so nice...unloading hits plates and helping load my meager weight.
Then I needed the incline bench and I asked to work in with another less sweaty hog. He was using the barbell and all I wanted to use was the bench with my dumb bells. That dude was not so nice. He let me work in but he was visibly irritated, which was not nice. So instead of me taking the high road and ignoring him and not taking it personal, I extended the number of my sets just to be more irritating...not nice. I usually do 2-3 sets, I did 5 sets. Shame on me.
I wanted to do a full body workout, but because the gym was so full I did my upper body only. The next day I returned to do my lower body. The gym was less full, but someone was working on the squat rack with some serious poundage on the bar, so I did not ask to interrupt that dudes routine. So, I decided to do leg presses....they have a great machine for that, but what I encountered was a person that smelled really, really, really bad and he was stinking up the entire room, especially the corner he was training. I am REALLY sensitive to smell....I have a keen sense of smell to the point that I can tell when another woman is on her period no matter how clean she is. It is a blessing and a curse. So in this case, when the smell is horrible it makes me nauseated. So I could not even train in the free weight room. I ended up leaving that gym and traveling to another YMCA to train. I get to YMCA #2 and guess what.... NO SQUAT RACK!!! I wanted to scream!!! But at least the area was free of smells. NO FREE WEIGHT LEG PRESS!! AGH!! Oh well, they had a machine leg press machine.
So I ended up changing up my leg routine since the gym did not have all the equipment that I needed for my normal routine....so, ended my leg routine with single leg lunges....3 X 10 each leg. I did the lunges with a 30 pound weighted bar. Seemed easy enough until the 9th rep on my right leg, 3rd set. I was shocked when my muscle went to complete failure and my leg went down to the floor. Thank God the only injury I sustained was a hurt ego.
I was having a conversation with a friend about appearances and how (sadly) appearances help in attaining certain positions etc. My friend told me about Mexican weather girls. I never paid attention to the women that typically do the weather. My friend is a male and he told me to check out Mexican weather girls and I was surprised to see some of the attire that these girls wear on TV. But then I found this vid that pointed out that it is not uncommon in the states as well to see weather girls sporting body hugging, cleavage spilling attire. Sex sales. See link......
As a society, many of us have become so appearance driven.....beauty on the outside. I wish that I could honestly say that I don't see people as ugly or beautiful. Truth is that I do initially look at appearances, as sad as that is, but what I can say is this......after the first external impression, I do focus on the inner person and it is the inner person that means the most to me.
We know that beauty sales....look at the cosmetic industry. Many of us are striving for that beautiful image...dye our hair, makeup, lose weight, tan, etc. How do we stop being so appearance focus? How do we stop the insanity and raise our new generation to not be so vain? Just a thought.
my 13 month grandson :)
My super cool workout outfit that I will look smashing in by mid July
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