Station 1: The cage for bench press, pulldowns, pullups, rows, tricep extensions, squats, deadlifts, military press, abduction and adduction for the legs.
Station 2: The leg press/hack squat. The hack squat is a very good burn and the leg press gives us that adrenaline rush of pressing a lot of weight. Pam and I really like this new particular piece of equipment.
Station 3: Vertical knee raises to tone the lower abdominals and bardips to work the pectorals, trapezius, deltoids and triceps.
Station 4: The Roman Chair for the firming up the hamstrings, buttocks and strengthening the lower back at the same time.
Station 5: Adjustable barbells. Pick your poison and pump up those veins.
Station 6: Curling bars. She got hers and I got mine. Tricep extensions, upright rows, bicep curls.
Station 7: Leg extensions and leg curls and other uppper body workouts such as wrist curls and preacher curls.
We will add two more stations in the immediate future: a slant board to work the abdominals and a stationary bike.
Since acquiring all this weight equipment, Pam has really toned up and has gotten stronger. Her weight is holding steady. As for me, I have bulked up in size and have become more vascular. My weight is holding steady at a solid 198. My short-sleeved shirts are snug around the arms.
At the end of a long day, both of us squeeze in a half-hour or forty-five minute workout together. This does not include the other extra-curricular activities such as hiking with heavy packs up and down hills or trailrunning for another 30-45 minutes before our weight training begins.
With the temperatures still hovering above 90° around 6:00 p.m. those hikes and runs are brutal. With no cooling down and with no fan in the garage, the sweat pours out our bodies as we commence the weight training regimen listening to either 105.1 The Blaze or 105.9 Jack FM on the radio.
After some of our workouts there are the table tennis matches (Pam always wins, damnit!), banging the Pearls and crashing the Sabians.
We culminate our workout with a quick dip in the pool to soak or to swim a few laps in the 15' by 30' pool. Even a good soak in the spa afterwards does wonders for the body and spirit as the jets massage those tired muscles. Yes, getting into a spa that reads 102° while it is still 90° out doesn't make sense, but we call it acclimatizing. But after a dip in the pool for a few laps in 76° water it is just a matter of perspective. It just doesn't matter anyways. It just feels good. And without getting into graphic details, we can do whatever we want in our own backyard, in our own pool and in our own spa.
So why all this expensive gym equipment and intense workouts? Let's just say Pam and I like to do things our way on our own time as we make prepare for the second half century of our lives. We do not want to rely on medicines to sustain us and to keep us alive. Vitamin supplements yes. Prescription medications no. We don't want to be like our parents. We will do whatever it takes.
