Exercise and Fitness II

[Frosty]

I have been hitting it okay - 6 sets 10 each of bench press and tricep curls. Minor crunches and lots of walking - 5 walks a day!

:thumbsup: :grouphug:

Hi Ghost of Nymeria :D

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

Yeah, I'm out in "public" but it's still 5 or 5:30, so the place is empty. I'm sure there's security footage of me somewhere, but oh well. I love having the place to myself. I tell myself getting up that early is worth it. Often.

(I missed out this morning due to total brain meltdown, so I'm getting ready to make up for it now. Ugh, people in my gym!)

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Yeah, I'm out in "public" but it's still 5 or 5:30, so the place is empty. I'm sure there's security footage of me somewhere, but oh well. I love having the place to myself. I tell myself getting up that early is worth it. Often.

(I missed out this morning due to total brain meltdown, so I'm getting ready to make up for it now. Ugh, people in my gym!)

I overslept my morning workout as well. I really don't want to do it when I get home, but I will.

[Stego]

I have to pretend I am gay - and if I dance in front of the mirror and don't get turned on, then I need to still keep reaching for my goal!

You are one weird motherfucker, Frosty.

<3

[Kat]

Nothing wrong with dancing in front of a mirror when you're by yourself.

I recently heard of something called Dance Dance Party Party and I am bummed to hear it is not in the Bay Area yet, although it's in over a dozen other cities. Apparently, groups of women will rent out a dance studio, put on music for 90 minutes, and dance like no one's watching, without the pressure of judgment or fitness instructors with impossible routines. The only rules are, no alcohol, and no men. I'm a terrible dancer, but I love doing it anyway, and I'd go out to clubs more often if there weren't the pressure of having to dress up and, well, other baggage that comes from clubbing.

[lessthanluke]

Fuck sheiko. Sick of it. I'm going to max out on Friday and start Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 next week.

[seastarr]

OK, I do believe it's update time for the monthly progress report in which only I seem to have participated.

Still trying to get my head to touch the top of my feet in a forward fold. Red shirt is one month ago, blue shirt is yesterday. I see little progress, but I didn't expect much in just one month. I see I am using my arms differently in the two pictures, in the first I have a different bind (holding wrists) and in the second I am using my arms to pull more, with my hands on my toes. It doesn't seem to have made much difference either way. I have a backbend project, too, but that picture might have to wait a week, for a photographer as well as for my elbow to feel a bit better.

I probably won't post anymore the forward bends because it's going to get very boring, as the progress is so slow. Maybe I'll post it again in three or six months if I have some kind of change. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to be eeking out the millimeters here for a while.

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

This gym does too, Triskele - in fact, you need a swipe card to get in there (and, by extension, the women's locker room and showers). The weights room, though, is first come, first served. <Imagine crazy Viking-esque emoticon here>

Kat - could you look into renting a space yourself, and getting some like-minded women together? I don't know what community center rents are like, but I imagine you could get at least a one-off and cover your costs. (If it's really popular, you could make it a regular thing.)

[seastarr]

Good work, Chataya! It just keeps getting easier the more you do.

I think my arms look more muscled in pic #2 because they are more flexed, instead of relaxed. I'm pulling harder with them to draw my body down and forward, in the hopes of getting closer to my feet. The change in them is an illusion.

Lately I've hardly been able to do a thing with my arms. My arm regime is pretty scattered, even when I'm feeling fine. I honestly credit a fair chunk of my arm strength to lifting my clients and moving them around (One of the things I do is a passive stretching massage similar to thai massage). If you do that for several hours a day, you are bound to get strong.

BTW, Chataya, I'm glad you enjoyed the green tea!

[lokisnow]

Deadlifts today. I was happy with my form 80% of the time. my Starting form I've got down. the negative part of the lift I've got down. the places I need to make some small improvements is on the main pull and making sure I'm lifting in the right order and not engaging my hips too soon. Did 200 as well and felt I'm still not more than 80% of what I could do on a 5 or 6 rep set. but now that my form is stronger I'm not as worried about the weight going up.

Presses also, and form was okay, still lots of room for improvement.

[Kat]

While this seems to be technically true, do you think you are really getting any major muscle workouts from this kind of machine as opposed to just a good cardio workout? I've always just thought of it as a good cardio machine.

It depends on what you mean by 'major muscle workout'. You're not going to bulk up by using an elliptical with arms, or I'd be in body-builder shape by now. :P But, in the same way that your legs get stronger from things like running, hiking or biking even though these are cardio exercises, your arms and back do get more used to moving around a lot when you go on an elliptical. Well, at least I feel like mine do, because I'm a different kind of tired when I also move my arms. I guess the cloest thing I have to compare it to is hiking with/without poles. At the end of the day, you've done the same amount of work, but using the poles takes some strain off your legs and hips and makes your shoulders and arms deal with it. I'm not sure what benefit this has, other than having a body which is more balanced in strength, but I guess it could be applicable to other sports where you use all your limbs, like swimming or cross-country skiiing with poles or whatnot.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

While this seems to be technically true, do you think you are really getting any major muscle workouts from this kind of machine as opposed to just a good cardio workout? I've always just thought of it as a good cardio machine.

When I was running hills (3-5miles a day) you could say it was just a cardio workout, but my thigh muscles flexed and were very noticable with every step I took walking. Enough cardio, does eventually build muscle in the groups you are working, but I think it takes a lot more and a lot longer than if you were using weights to build the muscle.

[Stego]

People need to understand what causes hypertrophy and how to build muscle.

An elliptical machine can ABSOLUTELY build muscle in a beginner. Not a lot, and not so that you'd really notice, but sure. It would. Assuming you ingested the building blocks of muscle. It may seem as if you do because of lowered body fat.

But it has been proven, time and time again, that the more effort you put into an action the more hypertrophy you will cause and the more muscle that can form as your muscles rebuild to adapt to said effort.

You can build muscle squatting 25% of your max. But you wouldn't ever want to limit yourself so much. You can build muscle pulling back those silly little handles on an elliptical if you have never done anything like exercise before, but you are going to spend your entire life disappointed if you want any real amount of muscle.

[Lucky Pierre]

A 5 day split is just ridiculous, man. Give your body some recovery time.

I agree with Stego. Do your opposing muscle groups two at a time. Monday, chest and back, Tuesday, cardio and core. Wednesday, legs, arms, shoulders, Thursday, cardio and core. Friday, you can either do another round of chest/back or legs/upper body, or do a circuit. Saturday, cardio and core. Rest Sunday.

Sorry guys-I oversimplified (never a good thing for this group) by just pointing out the major muscle groups. I have to say though that so far (day 2 lol) I'm liking it. Its about 2 exercises shorter each day so I get it done quicker-but I'm more focused. Anyway-here are the exercises for each day:

Soloflex exercises are HERE if you need to see what they are.

Monday-bench press, incline bench press, dip, incline situp

Tues-dorsi bar pulldown, bent over row, bicep curls/lat pull down, Pull Ups, Leg bends

Wed: squats, calf raise, leg press, dead lifts, frontal squats

Thur: military press, back of neck press, shoulder shrugs, upright rowing, haney shrug, body curls

Fri: tricep extension, standing bicep curls, tricep press, tricep extension, roman chair situps.

Now what do you think?

I need to do some real cardio but haven't figured out when I'm going to do that.. Perhaps in the afternoons... I did spend about 30 min in the pool yesterday psuedo swimming (on steps kicking legs and moving water with arms underwater). That actually made me sore in new places. I'll try that maybe 3 days a week.

While this seems to be technically true, do you think you are really getting any major muscle workouts from this kind of machine as opposed to just a good cardio workout? I've always just thought of it as a good cardio machine.

As with anything-its all about form. When you PUSH with your arms you are working different muscles then when you PULL-so if you increase the tension and really concentrate on using your arms-you will def get an upper body work out... Also be sure to go backward when you are using legs too. That works different muscles as well.

[Frosty]

Sorry Stego - a little TMI - :D

[Stego]

As with anything-its all about form. When you PUSH with your arms you are working different muscles then when you PULL-so if you increase the tension and really concentrate on using your arms-you will def get an upper body work out... Also be sure to go backward when you are using legs too. That works different muscles as well.

Yes, this is true. But there different ways to work muscles. Some make them get bigger, some do not. This is one of the cases that does not for the most part.

Pierre, do all of your upper body, 2 times a week. Splitting it up the way you are doing right now is a VERY common mistake that most people make. That doesn't make it any less wrong. You should also do legs twice a week. Or rather, the ABA BAB split. Upper/lower/upper and the next week lower/upper/lower.

[Frosty]

I just ran my first near mile - but afterwards I can't catch my breath for 15 minutes.

Will this go away or diminish in time?

At first I could not even jog a block and I am building up but still sick dog slow but improving - I am gonna run again or die trying.

My Dr said two yrs ago I have mild Asthma - but my Toprol I am on does have bronchial constriction side effects.

Oh yeah folks - since you all kicked off these threads and my weight pumping has been consistent my BP is at record lows - I am hoping by June to be totally off all the way. /crosses fingers.

[Lucky Pierre]

Pierre, do all of your upper body, 2 times a week. Splitting it up the way you are doing right now is a VERY common mistake that most people make. That doesn't make it any less wrong. You should also do legs twice a week. Or rather, the ABA BAB split. Upper/lower/upper and the next week lower/upper/lower.

What? It's either wrong or it's not... And if it is wrong-why?

Um Sorry Stegs but this is not making sense to me. How do I do legs 2X a week if I only work out 3 days a week?

Upper/Lower/Upper what? Body or legs?

Also-does anyone have a spreadsheet template for tracking workouts? The one's I've run across online are crap. ATM I've got about 50 post it notes with all my stats since I started working out and I need to get them organized. I just know that if I create it from scratch I'll spend the rest of the day fucking with it...

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

What? It's either wrong or it's not... And if it is wrong-why?

Um Sorry Stegs but this is not making sense to me. How do I do legs 2X a week if I only work out 3 days a week?

Upper/Lower/Upper what? Body or legs?

Also-does anyone have a spreadsheet template for tracking workouts? The one's I've run across online are crap. ATM I've got about 50 post it notes with all my stats since I started working out and I need to get them organized. I just know that if I create it from scratch I'll spend the rest of the day fucking with it...

you alternate weeks

wk1: U C L C U C off

wk2: L C U C L C off

so in 2weeks you do upper and lower 3x each.

[Kat]

Fuck this bike to hell. The other one is more comfortable but in my experience more comfy=less calories burned. At least I don't feel like my ass is going to be asleep for a week on this one.

I'm doing 50 minutes biking and then weights. I'd like to jump on the elliptical so that I can punish myself right for eating extra spaghetti :P, but the childcare at the gym is only for so long.

I hate this shit. I hate it with the burning heat of a thousand suns.

Mandy, are you using the upright stationary bike and finding it uncomfortable? Imho, there's really no need for that; it's not good to, uh, put too much weight on your crotchal area anyway. You can't go as fast on a recumbent bike, but if really depends on how fast you're going anyway--you might as well just go with more resistance and less speed if the seat on the upright is causing you pain.

But, that's just me. I'd much rather enjoy a workout and burn a few less calories than burn more, but really hate doing it, which isn't great for sticking to something for the long run. Or, if you don't like bikes, just go on the elliptical for most of the time.

(ETA: This is just coming from someone who hates stationary upright bikes. I mean, my own bicycle that I use for getting around is not recumbent, but my seat is not some shitty, never-breaks-in gym seat either.)