TMJ?

I went to the gym after work and had the shortest workout ever. Immediately after the set of squats with 275 pounds my jaw felt really strained. After a few half-hearted leg presses I realized I had a splitting headache and I decided to go home. I’ve used this amount of weight on squats before, so I think my jaw must be really tired from grinding my teeth during sleep. A long time ago I thought I had a cavity and the dentist told me it was just TMJ due to stress. It’s been a stressful few weeks, to be sure.

Work it girl

Yesterday a girl was workin it in the free weights area. She had headphones and apparently a good song came on because she backed that ass up and twisted it side to side in time to the beat. Naturally everybody watched her show. Then she resumed her workout as if nothing had happened.

Beach body

We went to the gym last night at 10pm and it was fracken PACKED. My only explanation is everyone is rushing to get a beach-ready body. All the cardio machines were taken and I had to wait for some weight equipment.I used lifting straps for the third time to focus on my back and they work brilliantly. I realize for the past years I used my arms way too much during back exercises. Maybe that’s why my arms are disproportionate to my back. Or maybe it’s just genetics.

The Greek ideals calculator tells me I’m too buff in some areas and too fat in others. Then again, I’m not Greek!

Fleet Week

It’s Fleet Week in SF this weekend, and several friends who work in SF complained about the Blue Angels practicing on Thursday. I thought nothing of it until I was at the gym last night. Two tall, beefy guys were on the treadmills in front of me and on the ground next to them was a large sky blue bag that said “Blue Angels” in white cursive font. The pilots were different ethnicities, but they looked like twins build-wise. Why do pilots have to be so buff? I didn’t think 24 Hour Fitness was good enough for these guys. Maybe they got a free membership for Fleet Week?

Gym rock Why does my gym always play the overhead…

Gym rock

Why does my gym always play the overhead music at such high volume?! Over 50% of the people in the gym have headphones so you’d think they would lower the volume. I end up working out with two songs going because I can’t drown out the overhead music. What’s more, the music selection doesn’t exactly rev me up for my next set. Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson back to back? I think I’m going to talk to a manager next time.

Self-image

So Ambulance Chaser doesn’t know why I’d take creatine (see comments on totally unrelated blog post below). She “never really understood why people wanted to have bigger muscles when they already look very muscular to begin with.” Well, the simple answer is – these people don’t believe they look muscular at all.  You could think of it as “reverse anorexia” in which guys who are quite big always see a skinny weakling in the mirror.

The authors of a book called The Adonis Complex blame the media for this body image disorder, just as the media is blamed for girls having anorexia. Everywhere you look on TV or magazines, movies, etc, the “ideal” male body has become much more muscular in the past decades. Just compare James Dean to The Rock, or look at a GI Joe figure then and now. Guys these days think they have it tough; they gotta look stronger than the other guys to appeal to women (contrary to what the guys may think, the book and I both agree that most women probably like lean guys, not huge bodybuilders).

I gave the Adonis Complex a read and it was fascinating. I think a part of me has this “reverse anorexia,” but not nearly to the degree at which it impairs my life. I would never resort to steroids, and going to the gym is rarely my absolute #1 priority. I don’t think I’m like some of the guys described in the book (one big guy wouldn’t take his shirt off in his backyard because he thought people in a plane flying overhead would see how skinny he was!), but there is definitely an on-going battle between my self-esteem and the way the media shows me how I should look. Fortunately, I think I’m winning that battle.

Website idea

I had a quick dinner at Fresh Choice with BD, then hit the gym with Ted at 8:30pm. We rolled through incline, flat, decline, flyes for chest, then did skull-crushers, pushdowns, and one-arm pulldowns for triceps. I bet Ted will be very sore on Saturday (the 2-day soreness syndrome). During our workout I suggested that Ted publish his artwork – and I’m getting more excited about the project than he is. I’d like to make a website for his artwork and see if someone out there wants to pay him to draw something. Yeah I think he’s that good. Software testing isn’t cutting it for his artistic mind, I can tell! I’m even willing to invest…

24hr lafs

At Viv’s request, I’m moving the “24hr lafs” to this main frame so she can comment on them! Here’s what I wrote last time:

No big guys slapping themselves this time, but I did see more people wearing polo shirts with gym shorts. Is this some new trend? Why would you want to sweat in a polo shirt?

Staring contest

Finally made it to the gym today with JC after a long hiatus. Lunchtime workouts are great, but lately I’ve been skipping them b/c I feel like eating something good instead. Ironic, huh? Anyway today’s workout was awesome. Then in the middle of shoulders, I caught a guy staring at me through the hollow structure of a weight machine. Instinctively, I looked away first. What the hell was that? It’s one of those bizarre social moments when you’re not quite sure what you should do. Nod and smile? Say hello? (but he was too far away) Stare him down and frown? Just look away? Well after that I pretended he didn’t exist. So much for being friendly at the gym.

Ahhh

Finally got to the gym today during lunch with TM and it was all good. I actually feel good this time around, unlike last Tuesday when I hurled in the upstairs bathroom after simple tricep extensions. I vote for lunchtime workouts over wee-morning workouts anytime. We did back and bis. Still no wings for lats but I’m working on it!