It's been so long since I've set a personal performance record that I've almost forgotten what it feels like. I never expected to break this record, and certainly not at age 35 (I set my old record when I was 28). I didn't wake up this morning planning on it. I didn't peak or taper for it. I just figured "Hey, I'll stop at the gym after work tonight."
I was feeling pretty good on the Stair Mill warming up, cruising from level 7 up to level 10. I only stay on for 15 minutes since I'm only on it to warm up. I hate that thing, but I think it's a decent workout and is a little more fun than being on a stationary bike.
When I got to the leg press machine, I knew it was going to be a good day. My first set, at 490 pounds, felt like it didn't have any weight on it at all. I did 15 reps of it.
I added more weight, expecting to aim high now, and bumped it up to 630. I did 12 reps without much effort. A few sets later, adding more weight each time, I was looking at 1000 pounds on the machine. That's a lot of weight: ten 45 pound plates on each side, plus a couple 25's and 10's to even it all out. I really wanted that nice big 1000 in my training log.
I was able to lift 1000 pounds for 3 reps. As soon as I locked the weight back in place, I practically bounded out of the chair. This was the time to make a decision. Do I add more weight, going for the record and making this a workout worth noting, or start to take weight off?
What the hell kind of question is that? I knew my old record was 1 rep at 1050 pounds and I was going to try to beat it.
I loaded 1055 pounds on the machine. I flipped through my iPod to find something really aggressive and motivating. I sat down in the machine, braced myself, and lifted off.
1...... 2..... I'm done. I locked the weight back in place. I had done 2 reps at 1055 pounds, a new record for me.
I did a few more sets, each with less weight than the last, focusing on moving the weight as quickly as I could to build a little speed/power in my legs. I worked my way back down to 12 reps at 540.
I should also note that I've lost 2 pounds since I weighed in on Saturday. I know it's not humanly possible to lose that much fat in 4 days, but I've got a theory. I was really sure that I was keeping an eye on my food intake the whole trip and I should not have gained weight. I should have lost a few ounces, really. I think the change in time zones and sporadic sleep made my body retain some water. As soon as I got back home and into a routine, my weight returned to "normal" and leveled out where it should have. I've been hovering right around 181.8 lbs and 24.8% body fat yesterday and today.
So, not only did I break an all time performance record, I'm also now down 15 pounds. Not bad for a random Wednesday!
