In which things get intense, arguable madness ensues...

For the last few weeks, the weight loss has been kind of stuck. Certain changes must be made. Here they go.

     First, the weight workouts have been changed, again. They have the gall to be divided into three parts. The first part uses some intensity, in the 8-10 rep range. Second is a volume section, which uses 50-75% of the weight in the first part, for many, many sets. The third part is the small stuff, mostly rehab for shoulders and knees.

     I'm using two workouts. The first is leg presses, bench presses and seated rows. The second is deadlifts, military presses and pulldowns. With the exception of deadlifts, these will all happen on machines. Deadlifts may well get swapped out for more leg presses, because of a weird cultural thing at my gym.

     Most gyms I've been in are based around machines. The free weight section (if there even is one) is tucked away at the back, and is nearly deserted. Everybody wants to use the machines, with that sweet, sweet, shiny chrome that makes everything better.

     My current gym is about 25% free weights (by floor space) and the rest is a bemusing variety of machines, most of which isolate one muscle at a time. So far, so expected. But about 80% of the people at any one time in the back doing free weights, while the machines stand mostly idle. I've seen squat racks that were constantly busy before, but this one is actually being used for squats, instead of shrugs or curls. I feel like a rarely privileged and fortunate anthropologist, given the chance to see an ancient folk ritual in the same class as the Minehead Hobby Horse but I can't really afford to

wait an hour and a half for a chance to do three quick sets.

     Besides the waiting time, I'm still having issues with my left shoulder, so squats are off the menu right now, and I'm doing leg presses, instead.  And leg presses hit 270 last week! Rows were 120. Bench presses were a gingerly 60, with minimal problems. The first two weight will go up five pounds at a time until I hit a sticking point; bench presses will slowly sneak up at a lower speed.

     The second workout is aerobic, and that now means running. I burned 600 calories yesterday, but more importantly, I did nearly five minutes of real, no-kidding running. This has prompted a spasm of "I just gotta try this.."

So, I'm going to set an actual goal for running: a ten minute mile by the end of July. That'll be about twice as fast as I usually go on the treadmill. We'll see whether it results in this

 Or this.

I'm hoping for the first option.
    
     Finally, I've realized, again, the truth that you can't outrun a bad diet. My one indulgence is almonds. I've been eating too many of them. Reluctantly, I have to cut them back. I'll miss them.

Onwards!