The fitness center, of which I am a member, contains a myriad number of exercise machines. Equipment is available to work almost every part of the body. Because members are more self conscious of the appearance of their larger muscles, the bench press machines get the most use. Other popular machines are used to exercise the biceps, legs and abdominal muscles. There are also an abundant amount of cardio machines to exercise the heart.

I was astounded when I realized I had mistakenly placed ten extra pounds on the bar. Sometimes what you don't know can help you. I now had a new max - 200 lbs.

The body part that is most often overlooked is the hands. This is ironic because the hands are used in a good number of exercise routines and relied on in most daily activities. The hands are also easy to strengthen and do not require modern training equipment.

The famous martial artist Bruce Lee constantly exercised his hands. He was famous for performing push-ups on his index finger and thumb. Baseball slugger Ted Williams was noted for squeezing a rubber ball and hall of fame pitcher Steve Carlton would dig his fingers into a large container filled with dried rice between pitching starts. The hands are often taken for granted. It's hard to imagine living without them.

My Sunday morning exercise routine starts early. The alarm sounds at 6:30 A.M. but it's not from the clock radio that rest on my night stand besides my bed. It's the internal clock that resides in my subconscious. I am not happy about the early wakeup but it's necessary for me to beat the crowd to the gym and complete my work out.

I am now on a timer and every minute is precious. There are three things that I would like to accomplish this morning. First, I would like to arrive at the gym before other members occupy one of four coveted bench press machines that start my work out. Second, is my desire to have breakfast at McDonalds and third, is to finish in time to listen to my favorite sports talk radio show that begins at 9:00 A.M. This show is really important to me because it provides expert analysis for the upcoming NFL games. The show offers the latest information on weather and injuries. This data is critical for me to select the winning teams in my fantasy football pool.

I arrive at the gym parking lot as several other cars are pulling in. I know that I must be quick to beat my "competition" to the gym. I use technology to my advantage. As the other gym members' pause to search their hand held devices for the latest messages on Facebook and Instagram, I ignore my flip-phone and race into the gym. My efforts are rewarded as I notice one of the four bench press machines still unoccupied.

Three other members are already hard at work pumping out reps with heavy barbells. The trio consists of "The Great Hussein", "Mr. Clean", and "Psycho Man". I don't know the real names of these individuals but I have nicknamed them based on characteristics that I have observed. I coined the first man "The Great Hussein" because he is of Middle Eastern descent and reminds me of a WWF wrestler from the 70's. He is a short but powerfully built man who possesses thick bones and a large neck.

No matter how early I arrive, one of the bench press mechanisms is always occupied by "Mr. Clean". It is as if he has been there since the night before. I call him "Mr. Clean" because he resembles the Proctor and Gamble mascot that was introduced in 1958. He is already busy working, pumping out reps with more weight than I can lift in my dreams. I think that if Mr. Clean stopped lifting weights today and I continued to lift for the next twenty years I still would not surpass him.

On the bench at the far end of the row is "Psycho Man". He is so called because he is painted with tattoos from head to foot. He portrays a deep scowl and never makes eye contact with other members. He creates the impression that he wants to be left alone and I am more than happy to oblige. In addition to being covered by tattoos he is also covered with muscles. "Psycho Man" goes about 6'2" and is an intimidating presence in the gym. Something about him looks different today. Perhaps he is sporting a new tattoo - somewhere.

One of the most interesting of the Sunday morning regulars is "Palates Girl". She is an extremely fit girl about 25 years of age. What I find the most fascinating about palates girl is that she never uses any of the weight machines. This young girl performs her entire exercise routine on one bench. She does various stomach and leg routines without resting. "Palates Girl" appears to have 0% body fat. In my opinion she is the best physical condition of any one in the gym.

When I arrive at the gym I always greet "Mr. Clean" with a friendly hello and petition him for which machine is unoccupied. I do this not out of necessity but out of respect. No matter how early I arrive he will be there before me and no matter what time I leave he will remain long after. What I find remarkable about him is that he performs three different routines consecutively. After completing a set of bench presses he move directly to the lat pull down machine then he finishes with a set of arm curls using the free weight curling bar. "Mr. Clean" works out harder than any of the other gym members.

The "Great Hussein" has also earned my admiration. He is extremely strong and lifts much heavier waits than I. This man has also spotted me on several occasions and has been quite accommodating when I requested the use of some of the plates off his rack. He also performs an interesting exercise known as the decline bench press. This exercise targets the lower pectorals and allows you to increase size and strength to your upper torso. A special bench is used for this exercise that enables you to secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench. I have not yet experimented with this exercise but I plan to add it to my repertoire in the near future.

As for "Psycho Man" I have only two words - keep away.

On this morning I had an exceptionally good workout. At the end of my bench press session I raised the weight to my max - 190 lbs. I was surprised when I could do only one repletion. Usually I do at least three. I was astounded when I realized I had mistakenly placed ten extra pounds on the bar. Sometimes what you don't know can help you. I now had a new max - 200 lbs. This was my goal since the beginning of the summer and I had doubts as to whether I would achieve it.

Afterwards I completed the remaining part of my work out. This consisted of 6 sets of lat pull downs followed by 5 sets of free weight curls then three sets on the preacher curl machine. I do these quickly with little rest in between sets. This maximizes the burn effect on my biceps. I complimented this routine by next working my triceps muscles.

One of the more difficult exercises for me are chin and pull ups. On a good day I do 10 chin ups and 6 pull ups. I do three sets of each exercise. I have developed course calluses on my hands from the firm grip required to complete these reps.

Finally, I finish my workout with three sets of sit ups. The machine that I use allows for weight resistance. I use a lighter weight and do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

Exercise does not end at the gym. For cardiovascular fitness I walk, jog up a steep hill, and bike up to 22 miles. I have also started planking to develop my core stomach muscles. I plank up to 2 minutes which I describe as 2 minutes of hell.

As I exit the gym I glance at the four bench press machines where I began my workout. They are all unoccupied. Looks like I could have slept an extra hour.

After completing my work out, I realized if I hurried I could go out for my morning breakfast and have time to listen my favorite radio show. During the NFL season I make a point never to miss this program. I also like going to McDonalds for breakfast since I am extremely hungry after a hard work out.

I need to hurry because my breakfast order is extremely complex and takes a considerable amount of time to prepare. This could prevent me from listening to the beginning of the show which is the most informative part. Although I order the same meal every week the good folks at McDonalds have a difficult time preparing my order. The manager almost always is called for help. Even with his assistance they often get it wrong.

As I race down the western lanes on Street road I glance at the clock on the dash and realize that I am slightly behind time. It doesn't help when I approach the last traffic light just as it is turning red. While waiting at the last stop light I notice a potential problem. A mother with three small children is walking up the street. One boy about 5 years old and two girls ages 2 and 3. Immediately I realize that my timeline is in jeopardy. The young family is surely going to McDonalds and destined to be in front of me in line. I picture the woman stepping up to the cashier then quizzing each child on what they want as my dreams of catching the beginning of my radio show quickly evaporate.

We enter the restaurant at the same time. There is a standoff. We stare at each other for a few seconds then I blink yielding for her to step ahead of me. To my surprise she politely declines my offer and lets me place my order first. What a break! Now I will surely have time to catch the beginning of my radio program.

Today it takes two clerks plus the manager to fill my order and as a bonus they actually get it right. I sit down to enjoy my breakfast - a delicious egg white sandwich on a plain English muffin.

After my breakfast I pull out of the parking lot just as my radio show begins. As I proceed down the east bound lane of Street road I get caught at the same traffic light. I glance to my left and see the young mother and her children standing on the corner. She tightly holds the hands of her youngest children as they begin to crosses the busy street. Her young son leads the pack as he cradles their food in one arm. His other arm hangs limp by his side. As he passes by I notice that he is missing his right hand.