Leg Day with Ben, or, Eating Humble Pie

[Guest guest]

As much as I hate to say it, Ben's Leg Day was harder than Noel's.  Noel's is extremely intense and I can't walk for days, but his is over with in 30 minutes and I'm not as breathless in between sets.

You how in the Popeye cartoon when Popeye sees Olive Oil and his heart pounds way out of his chest and back?  Well that's how my heart was the entire hour.  There were times I had to stop because I felt like I was literally going to pass out - i.e., the room started getting black, seeing stars, feeling light headed... After the workout I chugged down a protein shake so that I could stumble to the bus stop without passing out on the sidewalk  in NE Portland.  I left endorphinated and delirious.

Here is what we did three times through, 15 reps each:1) Free Squat - gee, I used to love squats until this came along!  With Noel it's all on machines, this was a free barbell loaded first to 95 lbs, then 115 lbs, 15 reps.  It was very hard and OMG one time I couldn't get back up and the bar made a loud CRASH because I actually fell! 

2) High Step Ups - I couldn't decide which I hated worse - the squats or the step ups, but in the end I decided it was the fucking step ups.  Thank goodness at Strada you are alone in a big gym with a trainer, there was no one but Ben and I and I was grunting loudly on these ones.  We started with 25's, then went down to 20's then 15's. 

3) Jump lunges to squat jumps - I actually liked these, not that they were easy or anything.  You do a plunge on one side, center jump squat, then a plunge on the other side.  30 of em.  I felt like a little froggie!

4) The Chair Push - this one was my favorite of the day!  I sat in a chair holding on to resistance tubing with Ben on the other end and I pushed/rolled to the other side of the room dragging Ben along with me.  Then we went back the other direction.   It reminded me of something you'd see on The Biggest Loser.

5) Falling Hamstring Curls - if anything had to be easiest, it was this one.  You hook your back ankles on the dumbell rack, fall forward to the ground, push and use your hamstrings to pull you back up.   For the last set we did bridge lifts on a stability ball and rolled it in to your butt and back which I thought was even easier, actually.

6) Leg Press Machine - 235 lbs  this was one of the easier ones for me as well. 7) Forwards and Backwards Lunges - 15 each leg8) Cone Agility - loved these too, second only to the chair!  You run sideways low to the ground touching all these cones and then run backwards to the starting line and do it 4 more times. 

I MUST BE CRAZY but I think I want to do legs again next week because I can lift heavy with upper body on my own.  I woundn't push myself this hard on lower body and it's what I need to further my development.  Plus working the larger muscle groups burns more calories and I have 'em to burn.  Training sessions are precious to me and I want to make the most of them!

Off to take an epsom salt bath and coat my beat up legs with arnica.Peace be,