July 14, 2026

Yesterday’s Iron Came Due

Yesterday’s workout did not stay politely in yesterday.

I could feel the accumulated work as this session moved along, and it became especially obvious once I reached the low cable rows. The opening sets were fine. By the time I reached 120 pounds, the previous day had arrived to collect its payment.

That did not turn the workout into a disaster. It was simply there. The session was more tiring than it might have looked on paper, but it remained manageable, and I completed everything as planned.

The incline dumbbell press moved steadily from the 35s to the 75s. The first set with the 75s landed at an RPE of 7. The second reached an 8. Nothing dramatic happened, but the effort was climbing, and I knew I was working with something less than a completely fresh set of arms and shoulders.

The low cable rows told the story more clearly. I worked through 80, 100, and two sets at 120 pounds. The final set reached an RPE of 8, and that was where I felt the accumulated fatigue most clearly. The repetitions were still there, but they were no longer arriving for free.

Finishing the Upper Body Work

Rear delt flys followed the rows, ending with 75 pounds for 12 repetitions at an RPE of 7.5. Two sets of Pallof presses finished the resistance work.

The Pallof press is an anti-rotation core movement. Instead of twisting against the cable, I hold my position and prevent the weight from turning me. It is not the loudest exercise in the room, but that does not make it optional.

The strength work stayed controlled from beginning to end. There were no missed repetitions, no altered sets, and no need to bargain with the plan. I was tired, but I was still capable of doing the work correctly.

The Better Machine Won

I used the elliptical cross trainer for seven minutes at the beginning of the session and another eight minutes at the end. Both rounds were completed at Resistance Level 2 and Incline Level 2.

The elliptical has become my clear favorite for conditioning. The treadmill remains in second place. Everything else can argue over the remaining positions.

It gives me steady conditioning work without feeling awkward or unnecessarily disruptive to the rest of the session. Today, it also provided a good frame around the lifting. Seven minutes to get moving, the full upper-body session, and eight more minutes to close it out.

This was not a fresh, effortless day. Yesterday’s work followed me into the gym and became harder to ignore as the session continued. Still, every planned exercise was completed, every repetition remained in place, and the workout held together all the way through the final minutes on the elliptical.

Workout Log

Exercise	Set	Weight / Settings	Reps / Time	RPE
Elliptical Cross Trainer	A	BW	7 minutes
Serratus Wall Slide	A	BW	8
Shoulder External Rotation	A	BW	8/side
Incline Dumbbell Press	A	35s	10	3
Incline Dumbbell Press	B	50s	8	4
Incline Dumbbell Press	C	65s	8	5
Incline Dumbbell Press	D	75s	6	7
Incline Dumbbell Press	E	75s	6	8
Low Cable Row	A	80	10	4
Low Cable Row	B	100	10	5
Low Cable Row	C	120	10	7
Low Cable Row	D	120	10	8
Rear Delt Fly	A	55	12	6
Rear Delt Fly	B	70	12	7
Rear Delt Fly	C	75	12	7.5
Pallof Press	A	45	10/side	5
Pallof Press	B	45	10/side	6
Elliptical Cross Trainer	A	BW	8 minutes