Waiting,.........for your machine

Today was upper body day for me; which means when I get to the gym I have a great deal of light weight work to do before I head to the heavy stuff.  I don't stretch until I've lifted some light weights and warmed up my muscles either so I typically head over to the cables.  I can cover just about everything on them; a rubber band would also work for a light lifting warm up.  As I rounded the corner I spotted a guy who was going in the same direction; I hadn't seen him earlier or I would have picked up my pace.  He got to the machine a fraction of a second before me, so he got it.  My rule is whoever gets there first wins.  I have beaten guys before to a machine when they declared "I was going to use that."  Really?  Me too and I'm am right here using it now.  I just shrug and say "sorry," obviously without really meaning sorry.  Ya snooze ya lose dude.  :)

So I lost this morning and altered my destination; making a right turn and heading over to the lat pull down bar.  I can get quite a bit done on that as well before I start my real workout.  I then hit the rope tricep cable and warmed them up.   (Triceps, the muscle all ladies should be working on)  Once I'd done my light lifting I wanted to use the cable machine but 'he' was still on it.  I waited on the pull up machine doing several reps until I got to the my heavy stuff.  I pulled myself up for one last grunting rep just as he picked up his stuff and vacated MY MACHINE, just kidding, actually not really.  ;)

On the cable machine I can warm up all of my muscles by giving them a quick light lift.  If I want to do that with separate weights it takes a while and although I am dedicated to my workouts; I don't like to waste time, I'm in and out as fast as I can accomplish what I want to.  Chest, biceps, triceps, lats, upper back, shoulders and traps; all warmed up and ready to roll.  Having injured myself before by pushing too heavy, too soon; I've learned my lesson and am very careful now when lifting and stretching.  DO NOT STRETCH BEFORE WARMING UP.

All done on the cables; I was ready to hit the heavy stuff and headed over in that direction just as a guy a head of me grabs my weights.  I scan up and down the weight rack and realize that he has the last 25lb.  So, I have to wait again; but I don't wait and waste time; I go one dumbell down and get in a good workout before I can have my weight.  This of course will mean that I cannot pump out the same number of sets or reps with the heavier weight but that is perfectly fine.  More reps with a lighter weight is a good change once in a while.

Finally I head to the seated cable rowing machine to work out my upper back.  A nice gentleman and I arrive at the same time; he says something to me and motions toward the machine.  Being that my music is blasting in my ears; drowning out the mundane sounds of gym chatter, I pull one earbud out.  He says again "do you want to use this machine?" Nice.  I thank him, set my weight and motor through my exercises.  There are considerate and polite people in the gym; there are also people who think that they own the equipment.  I wish everyone understood the etiquette in the gym; but unfortunately that is not the case.  What I have found is that the more serious folks are the ones who share nicely; the ones who are there to strut their stuff?  Not so much.