I am thrilled when I can make it to the gym on the weekends. The mob has usually died down and there's a more relaxed feel about the place. I have come to realize that Monday is the busiest day at Planet Fitness. Each day that goes by brings fewer people in. I didn't have any big plans for my Saturday other than to get in a good workout before the family festivities on Sunday. I hadn't gone on Friday either so this was my chance to give my best effort and make the day count. I decided to skip cardio. I walked on the elliptical for a light workout, then decided to take advantage of the mostly empty circuit express area. Users of the circuit express area are supposed to follow a certain pattern. There are 20 stations comprised of 10 weight machines and 10 steps. A light that turns green (for 60 seconds) and red (for 30 seconds) tells you how long to stay at a station and when to move and adjust. The idea is that you can complete the circuit in 30 minutes, hence the "express" portion of the area's name. If you adhere to the rules of this area, you're not supposed to sit at one machine and complete multiple sets. Nor are you supposed to skip machines. I try to be respectful of that when the area's crowded. However, on a weekend, when there aren't so many other people using the space, I'm a little lax on the rules.
Of the 10 weight machines, only three are for your legs. There is the traditional leg press, the seated hamstring curl and the knee extension. After going through the gauntlet of physical therapy when I had tendinitis, I learned how to do a few variations of exercises using only the leg press machine. Four years later I still love those exercises because I can feel them.
One variation is the common one that people use this machine for. You put both feet on the platform, about hip distance apart, squat down to an approximate 90-degree angle, and push up, using all the muscles in your legs. Most people can easily lift their entire body weight and more. A second variation is only using one leg, mimicking one-legged squats. Just like with two legs, you come all the way down and push all the way up. I am doing this one with a weight that's about 60 percent of my full body weight. The third variation is to push up from the platform with both legs but then only lower down with one leg. For this exercise, I use a weight that's about 72 percent of my body weight. You feel this one at the very bottom of your buns.
As you can tell, I'm the hog who would prefer to use this machine for multiple sets. However, I try to be respectful of other people in this are who use this machine for their circuits. On Saturday I did all of the above-mentioned exercises two times each and then I did all the upper body exercises for two times each. Each set is 60 seconds, the duration of the green light. In that time, I manage to do anywhere from 15-18 repetitions.
The amazing thing is that I was at the gym for only an hour and yet I still achieved a very satisfactory all-over body workout. That is what I consider success at the gym. By the time I was finished, it was 11:00 a.m. and I still had the rest of the day to accomplish a zillion other things! Of course friends stopped by, the sun was shining, the temperature was beautiful ... It was easy to throw down a beer in the middle of the afternoon. And after that, well, there weren't too many accomplishments on the agenda. However, it was a great day at the house with friends and dogs! Summer is in the air.
