Pump You Up: The Fitness Thread

[Gatito Grande]

Ack: I hadn't worked out (lifted) for 8 days, and I can really feel it now (that is, I could feel that sense of BLAH setting in---if I hadn't made myself lift, I could see it going another 8 days, or 18 . . . and then I'm flabby again!). Ideally, I'd like to lift every 4 or 5 days, but "Sh*t Happens".

As it was, I still did a somewhat abbreviated work-out (got a late start, cuz I was on the road: I don't like to work-out much past 6PM, or it'll keep me up at night), but nevertheless---

Squats: kicked it up to 125 lbs.
Pec Deck: 20lbs (which doesn't sound like very much, but that Pec Deck really makes ya work for it!)
Lat Pull (using the Preacher curl handle, w/o the Preacher platform!) 50 lbs.
Calf Raises (as indicated in previous post): 25 lbs. Correct form makes ALL the difference!
Extended Arm Shoulder Raises: using my 10lb Window Sash "Dumbbells"!

and last but not least

Crunches: using my "Ab Roller" thingie. I did a couple a sets, 20-25 reps, on my abs, and also turned on each side, to work my obliques (~15 reps each)

GG Also used "Grip Strengtheners". I really don't know how to measure the degree of the springs on 'em. I can do about 20 reps on my right hand, 15 on my left Out

. . . and that's a GG "light" work-out!

Missed today: Bicep Curls (on the Preacher Bench), Leg (Hamstring) Curls.

Alternate work-outs: Bench Press (Flat, or Incline, or Decline), Tricep Extensions, Shoulder Press, Leg (Quad) Extensions

Good luck, everybody---Stay Strong!

Edited: to distinguish pounds from reps (repetitions)

[GayNow]

My jeans feel bigger on me...and these are the true denim ones...not the ones they blend with other materials to make them stretchy or shiny or whatever.

I hope this isn't a figment of my imagination or wishful thinking.

[watty]

I wonder if this means that pretty soon I can't hide behind Car. Good for you if your jeans are getting looser.

I'm still walking home from work. I missed one day this week because I didn't leave work till almost 8.30pm and I'd had a long day. I read somewhere that 30 minutes brisk walk is only half the 10,000 steps you're supposed to do everyday. I was hoping it'd be more. But I'll persevere.
[br]

[MemsMapper]

I find that 30 minutes is around 5000 steps, but it really doesn't take a lot of effort to make up 5000 more steps. I've been wearing a pedometer for a few months now. Even just getting up from your desk and walking around the office several times a day (picking up a printout, or avoiding emailing/phoning a colleague), or going for coffee or to the washroom can easily add 2000-3000 steps. I have the advantage of walking to/from work every day, which is a great start on all those steps, so my goal is closer to 14000 steps, which is 10 km for me.

Spring has finally arrived in Ottawa. It's nice to be walking without the heavy coat, boots, gloves, etc. And the street sweepers are out so the grit is finally disappearing, makes walking much more pleasant. My goal is a regular 15 km once a week by the end of this year, which will be about 3 hours of walking. I'm up to just under 12 km in just over 2 hours, so I think it's doable.

I'm enjoying reading about all the different methods people use to get their exercise. Makes me think about some of the other things I can try as well.

Mems

[JustSkipIt]

GG - congrats for getting back to it. Car & Watty - I can't even say how excited I've been to see the two of you posting in the thread. Mems - I totally agree about the 10000 steps. I even suggested it as something to earn points for in our upcoming wellness program at my office. I'm glad that my estimate of an hour walking = 10000 steps was on.

Me, skipped yesterday but avoided the donuts the office was selling to raise money too. Yay me for that. Today did my 8 minutes which was dips and hammer curls. Then 45 minutes at 4.52 on the NT and I'm still dripping sweat. Love it.

[Artemis]

Next week my training will go up from half an hour to a full hour. In the event that I don't survive, Elvis and Watty and the rest have access to my WTTV story and can post it posthumously on my behalf.

I'm actually feeling kind of good about it. Recent training sessions haven't tired me out as much as the first couple did - I sort of reach a state of 'semi-exhausted' and stay there, rather than getting more and more exhausted as it goes on.

My trainer also suggested doing the City to Surf, which is 14km (with hills and stuff along the way), and I may give that a go. My mother walks it every year, but my trainer thinks I could be made fit to run it, if not at a particularly blistering pace. Have to get some better shoes though - the ones I have would suck for jogging. I figured it was a bit ridiculous paying $100 for shoes that cost 2c to make, but it turns out that if you only pay $50, you get 1c shoes which are really crappy.

[JustSkipIt]

Chris, that would be awesome for you to do City to Surf. I'm not a runner so it sounds awful for me but if you enjoy it, those things are really fun. You're doing great it sounds like.

Yesterday I felt exhausted all day after my workout and then had a very busy day. Today I forced myself to NT because I didn't do it on Wednesday but it was like slogging. I did 35 minutes at 3.22.

[MemsMapper]

Well, I had my first long walk of the spring: over 17,000 steps, 12.6 km, and 2:17 hours. And being the numbers/data geek that I am, and not wanting to mislead anyone... I would say that I cannot walk 10,000 steps in one hour. However, I know that I walk very slowly, so I think it would be reasonable to assume that someone could walk at that rate. Anyways, the counting doesn't really matter, it's the walking that matters.

[JustSkipIt]

That's totally awesome Mems.

We just got back from Kayaking. Some friends of ours babysat Asher (for the first time) and we went to rent kayaks. This week we got 2 singles rather than a double and it was fantastic. Coming back to the dock the wind picked up and it was hard rowing but we had probably 1:15 of good exercise from it. We're totally hoping to make it a habit.

[Gatito Grande]

I was feeling kind of bleh again today (PMSing?) . . . a situation rectified by lifting!

Bench-press (flat): kicked up to 85 lbs. I could only do 4 reps at that weight, but I did a full 8 reps at 75!
Leg Curl: did 25 lbs on each leg (~8-10 reps)
Shoulder Press: 50 lbs (~6 reps, I think?)
Leg Extensions: this being an "off-day" from my squats, I just did a light set at 25 lbs or so.
Bicep Curl: 25 lbs (each arm, ~6 reps---more reps down at 22.5 and 20. The 20 pounder being that funky window-sash weight!)


GG ... and then closing out w/ Crunches Out

I still feel a little bleh (why I think it's PMS) . . . but a lot better than if I hadn't lifted!

[I hope you folks don't mind: I've made this thread into my Work-Out Journal! ]

[JustSkipIt]

[I hope you folks don't mind: I've made this thread into my Work-Out Journal! grin]

I think it's totally great. I've been kind of doing the same thing. I guess I don't put down what exercise and how many reps/weight but I put the general and put my NT stats.

Speaking of which. Today I did leg curls (no weight) and then 2 sets of lunges. It was supposted to be 4 of each but I ran out of time so I'll force myself to do more tomorrow. Honestly, lunges are the hardest exercise I ever do. Then I did 40 minutes on the NT at 3.65. It seemed slow again but I guess what's important is my heart rate, not the total distance.

PMS - exercise definitely helps. Last month I was very very crazy with PMS and a friend recommended some tea (Dong Quai) that has really helped. They had it in the natural section of our normal grocery. Good luck and keep it up.

[watty]

I changed my walking route today, took the route that included a steep set of stairs. I counted, there were 167 steps, my aim is to be able to walk up those without getting short of breath.
[br]

[Gatito Grande]

As much as I love having my own equipment---and being able to lift whenever the heck I feel like it---there's one thing I'm really missing: a spotter.

It's not so critical in squats: I feel like I know what I'm capable of (and I think if worse came to worse, I could drop the bar---probably crack the cement floor, though!).

But in bench press? I know I could have done more than 4 reps (at 85 lbs), if I'd had a spotter to make sure I didn't crush my chest at the end!

GG "Need Work-Out Buddy" Out

...or a (self-spotting) Smith Machine (don't think that's in the budget for . . . forever! )

[MemsMapper]

I counted, there were 167 steps, my aim is to be able to walk up those without getting short of breath.

When I lived in Toronto, one route I could take on my walk to the subway was around 100 steps down into a ravine, and 117 steps back up out of the ravine (notice that I remember the exact count coming up). I think I may have made it up once without having to stop. Usually I chickened out and took the bridge, so Watty doing 167 without getting out of breath is pretty amazing to me. I find Ottawa is a fairly flat city, as was Toronto if you avoided the ravines. I visited a friend in New Westminster (a part of the greater Vancouver area just east of Vancouver). It's built on a hill down to/up from the Fraser River. Got a lot of great walking in during those 3 weeks.

I think that is one of the things I really enjoy about walking. It changes your whole concept of scale/space/elevation from what you understand when using motorized transportation or even a bike. It makes the world (at least the small part I'm in at the moment) much more real to me.

No walking today due to rain/wind/meetings, but definitely plan on it tomorrow, despite the supposed snow forecast.

Mems

[JustSkipIt]

Watty - 167 steps sounds like a lot so that's a pretty good goal. GG - totally get it about the spotter. Mems - tomorrow then?

Me, I didn't wake up with the alarm went off because the music was too low so I woke at 5:23 rather than 5:00, started to NT for 30 minutes, jumped off, ran in to wake the wife, ran back and did another 15 minutes. Ironically it was the first good NT session I've had in days (4.23). I did manage to finish Ocean's 12 which was astoundingly boring.

At work, our new wellness/fitness program started yesterday. It's a little strange because it's one of those programs where they want us to be fit but they can't spend any money. So we can make up teams of up to 15 people and the winning team (each quarter) gets 4 hours leave and gets to share parking spots, etc. I've got 14 people on my team right now. I'm pretty excited about it but some people think it's a croc. Whatever, they can opt out. Right?

[Alcy]

You guys should see Wellington. The whole city is built on a series of hills (might as well be mountains) and you can't go far without having to walk up one of 'em. I live up one of the bigger hills so running home entails running the 6kms along the flat around the waterfront and then up a series of steps, I havent counted them yet but I'd say there is at least 400 or so. I was bounding up them two at a time the other day thinking I was pretty special when a guy ran past me and asked me why I wasn't running up the stairs! I've still got a long way to go!

The weather has been shit for the past week so all my running has been done inside on the treadmill, my girlfriend keeps complaining that I forget to wipe all the sweat off it when I finish...which is a fair enough complaint!!!

[Artemis]

Yay, I got through my first hour-long training session without falling over dead, woofing my cookies, or having my legs fall off. So that's good. Seeing as everyone's talking about steps, I counted them this time: Fleet Steps on Lady Macquarie's Chair is 108 steps high. I get up them pretty well the first time. The seventh time was about my limit, today.

[Gatito Grande]

Went for another great hike yesterday in the Nature Area (while entertaining many happy thoughts about a certain someone ). If I'm reading my busted-up ol' pedometer watch correctly, in 47 minutes I

* hiked 4.2 miles

*in 4756 steps

*burning 498.7 k/cals along the way...

GG which sounds pretty good--then again, I'm not sure the thing (9 year-old Casio) is working well enough for that to be half-way accurate. When I replaced the battery last fall, the "beeper" died: ergo, I can't even tell if I'm hiking at the pace I set it at... Out

Ach well: I know it was a beautiful hike, on a beautiful spring day (Green! I see green coming out of bare branches!), so that's enough.

[JustSkipIt]

Everyone's enjoying nature and walking. Awesome. I didn't get up to nordic yesterday although I did take a longish walk to and from lunch. Just did my 8 minutes which was seated calf raises. Then 40 minutes on the Nordic Track (3.82) and a good workout.

If I were a poet, I'd write an ode to tech shirts. I don't know if that's the right term but I've started wearing these exerise shirts that have the itty bitty holes and wick the sweat away from your body. I've got 3 long sleeve and 3 short sleeve. Much better.

[Artemis]

If I were a poet, I'd write an ode to tech shirts.

Amen to that - part of the reason I'm on this exercise kick is so I can handle exertion in heat better, without becoming the Incredible Sweat Monster. I'm not a natural hot-weather person, so summer in Sydney isn't kind to me, even if I'm just doing a 40-minute round trip walk into the city and back. So when I'm doing actual exercise, my tech shirt is my friend.

Sadly I only have one - I have to schedule my laundry carefully so it's always available on personal training days and tennis days. I did have another one, but it got engine grease on it from an outboard motor, and that stuff just doesn't come off.

I did some kind-of exercise today, or at least more walking than usual. Aside from the city and back I saw my mother off on her European holiday, and then had a 30-minute walk from the terminal to the train station. There's actually a station in the terminal, but it's part of a privately-owned line that got added onto the network a few years back, and the company that owns it adds a huge charge on top of the usual fare for using the stations on that line - it's like $11.00 to get to Central from anywhere on the airport line. But just on the other side of the river from the airport (there's a bridge, I didn't swim) is the Illawarra line, which isn't privately-owned, and is therefore only $3.00 to get to Central. Selah.

And thanks to the lack of rain so far (touch wood) tennis is on again tomorrow, so that'll be a whole hour of flailing about like a spaz, and occasionally hitting the ball.

[Gatito Grande]

A decent, though not spectacular work-out:

Squats: 125 lbs.
Inclined Bench Press: 55 lbs.
Calf Raises: 35 lbs.
Lat Pull: 50 lbs.
Biceps: 25 lbs (I think it's time I adjusted my small bar to 27.5)
Leg Curl: 50 lbs.

GG Finishing w/ grip-strengtheners, and crunches! Out

It's continuity which makes strength gains happen: the fact that I've kept this up for 6 months now (never going more than 10 days since my last lift) is what I'm proud of. (Heh: it's nice having "a fan" too! )

I'd really like to thank my elderly next-door neighbor, for making this possible: she let me move my bench (et al) into her (now car-less) garage, and that has made all the difference (in giving me a sheltered-from-Michigan-winter place to lift ). Thanks, Wilma!

[Artemis]

I'm going to count today as 45 minutes of exercise, even though most people might not think that term would apply to playing laser tag. But believe me, wearing a big heavy leather vest full of LEDs and sensors and batteries, carrying a fairly hefty laser rifle, and racing around a maze-like arena for three quarters of an hour works up quite a sweat. Especially because you can't stop - just like in Nintendo Goldeneye, the trick is to keep moving at all times, so no-one can take their time sneaking up on you carefully. It's like the kind of workout you get from tennis, except there's no pausing between points.

[justin]

I ws planning to walk along the "five pits trail" tomorrow. Which is a 5.5 mile trail along five old coal pits (hence the name ) which have now been made into parks.

However if this snow keeps up, I doubt if I'll be doing it :(

[JustSkipIt]

Chris wrote:

Sadly I only have one - I have to schedule my laundry carefully so it's always available on personal training days and tennis days. I did have another one, but it got engine grease on it from an outboard motor, and that stuff just doesn't come off.

I've been wearing them for kayaking too and they're really fantastic. I probably don't have genuine "tech shirts" because I can say that they're not that expensive here. I got Champion ones from Target long sleeve (gone now) for 13.99 and short sleeve 9.99. I think I have 3 of each (got the final long sleeve on clearance for 6.99).

Justin - that sounds totally awesome but snow!??? eek.

Yesterday we went kayaking and took Asher with. He did a good job of sitting in the kayak, not trying to pet the ducks or jump over but we found it very hard to maneuver the kayak (sit-in rather than sit-on this time). A decent workout but not as good as last week with the one-man. I think that in a few minutes when he falls asleep I'll go for a walk. I know the Nordic Track is a more intense workout but it's beautiful out and it's not an option during the week so I want to take advantage.

ETA: Ok, did walk. The baby didn't go to sleep so I took him in the stroller and he fell asleep right off (very unusual). I walked an hour at a pretty good pace. Got home and the wife was using a hoe to till a former dead-grass bed/future flower garden and asked me to help so I did that for a while. So no Nordic Tracking today but I did: clean both bathrooms, fold a load of laundry, fix the toilet, take a walk, till some soil, clean the kitchen, and make dinner. We'll see if I actually iron some shirts or not...

[JustSkipIt]

Sorry for the double-post. I just finished nordic tracking. Went 4.02 in 42 minutes which is pretty good. Finished the 2nd disc of Profit (one more). I'm going to try Alias next, see how I like that.

My work has started a new fitness program with teams and stuff. I met with the organizer early to see if I could help or anything. Anyway, she said there would be teams and I should start putting mine together. So I did. I picked a friends from across departments and then just let anyone on my work team join. Now people in the office are resentful that I "have everyone good" and "started early." I thought about disbanding it but the person who, quite honestly, is in most demand says not to. She say it will be fun, etc...

[justin]

Fortunately the snow fall last night didn't last very long so I was able to go out today.

Actually it turned out to be the perfect weather for walking. A nice clear sky with a slight breeze so I didn't get too hot. I'm thinking about going on the trail again, but taking one of the longer routes next time.

[Gatito Grande]

Actually it turned out to be the perfect weather for walking

I'll say! Just got back from another hike in the Nature Center: sunny, 60s---perfectamundo!

I have a little more confidence, this time, that my pedometer watch is reading correctly:

* 34 minutes, 36 seconds (short hike!)

* 3 miles, even

* 3454 steps

* 378.1 k/cals burned

GG That last figure is the best: I was feeling extremely hungry, even before my hike began. This gives me hope that, without anything *IN* my gut, I was burning the fat *ON TOP OF* my gut, instead! Out

All my crunches, and there's this damn pillow of fat on my gut, that I can't quite seem to get rid of...

[JustSkipIt]

GG - the pillow will get gone.

Did 45 minutes today on NT. Don't know how far.

Yesterday I was sooo hungry...

ETA: Man did I not want to work out today. I wanted to go back to bed. But I didn't. I did my 45 minutes on the NT like a good girl. Went probably 4.06 and really worked up a sweat.

ETA: Again with the not wanting. I did 25 minutes only. If it was lighter out, I'd go out and walk but it's like o-dark-thirty here so none of that. Maybe Asher will want to go for a stroller walk when he wakes up...

[Gatito Grande]

Shoot: I was feeling all strong about my bench press today, and then, looking above, I see that I should have been lifting more (I've got to make a point of checking this thread, before I lift---if I'm really going to use this thread as a work-out diary)

[Note: I only provide my highest weights, per exercise, below. Generally speaking, I will do 3 sets at progressively lower weights---sometimes, only 2]

Bench Press (flat): 9 reps at 75 lbs.

Leg Extension: 12 reps at (?) 40 lbs (I'm always pretty cazh on the days I don't do Squats...)

Shoulder Press: I tried to get ambitious here, and press 65 lbs. I did *one rep*, and reconsidered! (I then did 8 reps at 55)

Leg Curls: 25 lbs each leg (separately)---but only about 6-8 reps

Bicep Curls: I did them two-arm this time (using the preacher bench attachment), and upped it to 60 lbs (by comparison, I've been doing 25 lbs on each arm, separately)

Tricep Extensions: 15 lbs each arm, 6-8 reps

GG And finishing w/ crunches and grip-strengtheners... Out

Keep workin' out, y'all!

[Is anyone here interested in GG's history w/ weight-lifting (combined w/ Bigger Issues)? I've been thinking of writing some of it down (though not on this thread). Let me know. ]

[MemsMapper]

Longest walk yet! Beautiful day here in Ottawa, and I managed 2:30 hours. Yay! 19,000+ steps, 13.6 km. I think my goal of 15 km is doable this summer. And no blisters, which is nice. I just got my summer runners on this week and had a blister at the beginning of the week. Fortunately, gone by this morning. And 3 good walks at lunches Mon-Wed.

I've got an extra long weekend, so I'm hoping for a couple of good long walks Mon and Tues mornings as well.

Happy Easter/Passover/Spring all!