Another gym post

[redbird]

I didn't leave work slightly early, as planned, because I ran across what seemed like a simple problem, but turned into a "now why is this patch file wrong, and where is the proper file?" hunt, with random conversation. The answer to the former was "Cindy will know, and [other editor] will talk to her tomorrow morning." The latter included my commenting that the weight-lifting serves me as an anti-depressant, which led to her saying that exercising makes her depressed. This is unfortunate, as well as being another case of how much people vary. (I think she meant something beyond finding it tedious.)

And then I went to the gym, which wasn't as annoyingly crowded as it had been when I arrived around the same time last Wednesday. A decent workout, and this time my back didn't complain when I put the daypack on afterwards.

Cardio, 16 minutes, not sure of top heart rate, at least 142, maybe 144
Leg press, 250 pounds, 12; 230 pounds, 2 sets of 15
Balance ~fly, 55 pounds, 2 sets of 15 with each foot forward
Calf raise, 70 pounds, 2 sets of 13; 60 pounds, 13 (I used weight plates the previous person had left, and misread them as 80 until I went to swap the 25 for a ten and a five, but it was hard enough getting through the second set that it's probably as well that I hadn't tried 80+.)
[Briefly tried a "shoulder press" machine as substitute for my chest press [unavailable because of Xpress Line] but my left wrist objected; 2 of those at, I think, 50 pounds]
Crunches, 3 sets of 30
Back arches, 3 sets of 17
Tree, 4 sets of {3 on each leg}

Balance lateral raise, 5 pounds each hand, 2 sets of 15
Wrist curls, 30 pounds, 2 sets of 15
Glute machine, 50 pounds, 12 with each leg (my belly wasn't thrilled, perhaps because of all those crunches, which is the main reason I did sets of 12 instead of 15)
Bicep curls, 10 pounds each hand, 2 sets of 20

Stretches

Comments

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

I find that when I'm stressed or depressed, exercise (not weightlifting, for me, but either Pilates, a really vigorous yoga session, or a good long bike ride, when the weather's nice) does tend to lift me out of my funk, but I have a much more difficult time convincing myself to go in the first place. I used to run, and that worked too, but wow is it ever difficult to convince myself to go running since I stopped (also since I gained a couple of cup sizes).

Alas, one of the problems with yoga, in particular, is the period of rest at the end of the class, which tends to bring everything creeping back. I'm pretty sure they don't intend for this to happen, but my enlightenment is not very light, so it does.

[redbird]

Getting oneself to the gym (or the yoga studio, or out in the park in one's running shoes) can be a real problem; what startled me was her saying that exercise made her depressed, rather than that depression made it hard for her to exercise.

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

I find that startling too, but, as you say, it's further evidence that we're all very different, and what works for one fails dismally for another.

I can't think of a time when exercise has actively depressed me, though now that I think on it a bit, a friend used to find that going to the gym, specifically, exacerbated some of her body issues, which fed into her depression.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

That's how it worked for me. Many kinds of exercise aggravate my pain problems if I do them at all. Any exercise at all will cause pain flares if I do it vigorously. It's nerve-wracking and depressing to try to work out without triggering pain flares, because of how broken and vulnerable it makes me feel. And the endorphin response people talk about? I've never had that from exercise since I had chronic pain.

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

I think I would find that depressing too. I'm sorry to hear that you have such pain problems.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Thanks.