Rescue Company 1

Let's see now, where were we before we were interrupted? Building strong bodies, minds, spirits and loving relationships I believe. I suspect our endeavors on all the above accounts have improved and it's becoming part of our nature as a society — the good that comes from the bad and the ugly.

Ordering one's life is a sure way of caring for it when it is suddenly at risk. It is a natural response to withdraw and tidy up the world around you. As you know there is no effort more efficacious than organizing one's eating habits and exercise plan. We who are familiar with the process are miles, tens of hundreds of miles, ahead of those around us. Pick up the protein and weights, build your back and courage, spread the word.

My course is set and wanders like the Colorado River. That is, it is circuitous but does not wander anymore than the flooded banks in the spring. What is my favorite line of action in the gym these days? As I review the last month of training to gather fodder for this letter, I realize a few things that are certain.

Once I step up to the bench, the bar or the plates and get in a few reps I'm on my way; on my way, things unfold; things unfold, I meet the struggle. There's pain and pump or no pump; there's burn, an unwelcome torque in the wrist, an impasse that needs circumvention, then a new angle, less weight and higher reps to satisfy the need, solve the problem, move on. There's a laugh or two about how heavy the weights are today or how good it feels to be alive and young at fifty-eight.

The slugs of water go down and short stares out the window on a world so apart and yet together fill in gaps between tough and winded sets. Favorite exercises carry me forward with delight as I battle with the burdensome rascals that slow me down and bruise my bones. Like slow arching fiery arrows, grizzly thoughts of yesterday and over there cross my narrowed vision. I snuff them with contempt and focus on my breathing, count to three and grasp the iron for the final intense set. I'll crush you before you crush me.

Wednesday's workout is a departure from the norm as I kick around the last day on the (?) book, "Straight Talk to the Overweight." It goes to the copyeditor Thursday for a splash of reality. I'm hoping it doesn't drown. Repeat, Wednesday, I enter the gym, greet Ryan (the boss man) and head directly to the cable machine where I commence with the first of four supersets: rope tucks (40 reps) and 15-degree incline crunches (75 reps). Warmed up, I break out my black rubber Exer-flexor and complete five sets of supine and five propine (25 reps) rotation cuff movements — secure those nagging deltoids.

Now what? I ask as I recall my most frequent workouts and quick-scan my joints and muscles for pain or permission. I know it's leg day for sure but the upper body is craving some attention. Big softy that I am I find room for minor delt and pec work that gets lost in the shuffle each week. I choose a flat bench in the corner by the water fountain, lay on my side and proceed to do five sets of eight and ten reps of the lying one-arm delt raise — back and forth I go with focus and meticulous form to make up for the lack of heavy weight usage. This is good cap work and complements the rubber band action.

To extend muscle activity in the same area I raise the bench ten degrees and complete five sets of lying flys (light weight, up the rack, sets of eight and ten). This is a comfortable tie-in for the front delt and pec if the focus and contraction are controlled. Before returning the weights to the rack I perform four reps of dumbbell stiff-arm pullovers (tags the pecs and lats and stuff — always thinkin').

Now, moving from single sets I shift to a superset of dumbbell shrugs and close-grip overhead pulldowns. Shrugs work across the shoulder cage, traps, upper pec and grip. Pulldowns done with proper focus work upper pec as well as back (more stuff). Five times eight and ten up the rack, up the stack.

The man is demented. He trains with volume and intensity. Stone him.

Before heading off to squats, I finish my upper body skirmish with bent-over heavy rear lateral raises, five sets of six reps.

That was a relief, now for legs. Nothing fancy here: extensions, curls, calves — five sets of each to prepare for squats. The squats are a typical good fight with sets of twelve, tens and eights to complete six sets.

I look out the open back doors, early afternoon and the sun is still shining and warm. My good friend from New York sent me a T-shirt from the N.Y.F.D. Rescue Co. 1. I'll wash up, put it on and head home feeling as good as I can.

And so I join you and say out loud and with deep feeling, God bless you and your family.

Your pal� Dave