Home Exercise Enthusiasts- week of Jan 12, 2009

[avariell]

Hey everyone- I figured I would get us started. I worked out last night at the gym. I did a light leg work out (I am still trying to get back into the swing of things) and then cardio for 20 minutes. I have been running back and forth from work, to home, to gym, to hospital, etc. I seriously think I am going to need a week of sleep to catch up. I think my roommate will be able to come home in a day or two, but I also think her parents (rightfully so) may take her home with them. At least she is doing as well as can be expected.

I will hit the gym this afternoon for some cardio before going to the hospital. I managed to get some bonus training appointments with another trainer at the gym, so hopefully I won't have too big of a setback from my illness and my roommate's surgery. :)

Have a happy Monday!

[testkitchen45]

Josie, I haven't been on the home-workout threads lately b/c DH's and my workouts were sporadic over the holidays. What happened with you and your roommate (I did get the illness & surgery part; did I miss more?)? I'm glad you're feeling better!

This evening, DH and I will get back into the swing of things. I'm glad he is already experienced & dedicated w/weight training; if it were just up to me, a rank beginner, I would probably find a reason not to work out--it's not a habit yet, and I always feel too busy. I'll drop DD off at a class & then head over to meet DH, so I'm in the shopping center anyway (where the fitness place is). We'll work out with weights & get back up to 3x/week. I need to add in some cardio on the off days, but as a beginner I'm still fighting the "my to-do list is too long" excuse. :o Baby steps . . .

[avariell]

I was sick from about Dec. 20-Jan. 2. It seriously slowed down my workouts. Additionally, my roommate who is also my personal trainer, had a very serious surgery to remove a large, fast-growing tumor from her hard palette. So I didn't work out for a couple weeks from being sick and then my personal trainer is in the hospital! Not to be selfish, but it just doesn't jive with my workout schedule ;)

I agree about baby steps - I try to look at it as finding time for myself (as opposed to tiime for the gym) which helps some.

[Valerie226]

Josie , hope your roommate continues her recovery .. sounds like an unpleasant process. You're right, this might be a time for her parents to step in and do the nursing til she is back closer to normal. I'm still surprised these days when people are released to go home and still need a lot of care. I had knee surgery a couple years ago. DH took several days off work to take care of me... it ended up not being necessary after the first 24 hours... but you can't tell that ahead of time. Best to have someone there 24/7 for the transition and no one better than Mom and Dad.

I am sticking to my resolution. I work out 6 days a week as it stands.. my resolution was to "work in" a Cathe DVD 4 times a week, in some combination, even if I had to trim a little cardio time to do it. I did KPC, GS legs, GS biceps, and GS chest/triceps last week, in addition to the bike, treadmill and elliptical. I do Cathe's Coremax regularly too but I'm not counting that as one of the four. So it was a good first week. writing it on my calendar feels good!

I was doing coremax #2 while DH was home yesterday. I had him watch me do pikes on the stability ball. they are hardI had no idea if I was doing them right. That's the bad thing about working out alone at home.. no feedback. but I got a good report. I'm getting my butt up in the air properly, much to my surprise.... and delight. My tight jeans are getting looser... still not where I want to be, though.

I exercise almost every day but still write it on my "to-do" list . once it's written down, it's much harder to skip it.

[cniles]

What a great idea Valerie - besides posting here (which I absolutely need to do - you guys keep me honest!) I should keep a calender and write down my workouts. DH does this with his weight workout. Need to find an "old" 2009 calender;)

Josie - glad to hear that your roomate is doing well. I can't even imagine recovering from something like that!! Your workouts sound good as well as your plan to get back into the swing of things!!

testkitchens - absolutely baby steps. And I don't think that excuse EVER goes away - you just carve out the time and then go back to the list!!:D

I did Burn and Shape yesterday and today I pulled out an old workout - BSS3 Fat Blastin Cardio. I used the fanny lifter (ugh). It's a short workout but intense. My plan is at least 3 more this week - have to work around making RebeccaT's tortilla soup for our luncheon fundraiser at school and Sam's soccer practice. :)

[Canice]

Another one getting back into the post-holidays swing of things!
My gym closed early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and then remained closed for the holidays and the Fridays after, so that killed my Wed and my Fri afternoon workouts for two weeks, plus I went down to Santa Cruz for two days, so the whole two weeks were sort of a bust. My first "weigh date" since starting in November was meant to be December 12, but I messed up and wasn't weighed til the 22nd. A bad date for me, as I was pre-menstrual, throwing things off. But heck, it's a new year, a new calendar, a new chance to get back with the program. I went every week day last week, and did the weigh-in today to get back to my benchmark date. The 3.5 pounds I'd "gained" are gone, and my bust is down 1/2". Darn, guess that was hormonal too ;). So from November my weight is the same but I've lost a total of 1-1/4" inches. I consider Nov/Dec my "ramp up" period and will take it from here.

I was going to take a nice 6 mile walk tonight, but DBF called and invited me to meet him for dinner on Fillmore Street, a nice little boutique and restaurant street three blocks from me. The weather is downright balmy, and it was too pleasant an invitation to pass up. See what a pushover I am? I'm not a warm-weather person, but I do love to see the street alive with folks strolling and sitting outside visiting. Tomorrow's another day!

BTW, I have a question I should have asked at the gym: the owner said I've lost 1.5 pounds of body fat since November. But my weight is the same. Do I take it that I picked up muscle weight in place of fat? :confused:

[testkitchen45]

BTW, I have a question I should have asked at the gym: the owner said I've lost 1.5 pounds of body fat since November. But my weight is the same. Do I take it that I picked up muscle weight in place of fat? :confused:

Yes, I would think so. Congrats! :)

DH told me that as he and my teenage DS drove somewhere last night, DS was asking how the workouts with Mom were going. I was realizing just how much my kids will be watching my every step--for me, quite a motivation to get fit & healthy, yet quite a fear of failure since I've never stuck with a workout program . . . :o My weight is OK for my height, but could be better, & I know fitness'll only get more difficult as I age if I don't take care of business now--but it's scary to wonder if I can really meet the goals I've set for myself.

Had a good (chest/arms) weight workout with DH. Our time was short b/c we had to be done by a certain time but DH couldn't start when we wanted to start, but neither one of us wanted to reschedule. I did the elliptical trainer for 15 mins till DH showed up, plus the chest workout got my heart rate up, so it's all good. If I can get to the gym & do the elliptical on our off days, then I might build up my (very sad) stamina much faster. :p (It's so true that housekeeping & kid chasing, as a SAHM, do NOT get us into shape! ;))

Charisse, just the *names* of your workout DVDs make me out of breath!

[avariell]

Valerie- can you describe the pikes on a stability ball? I do planks using the stability ball where you get in a plank position but have the stability ball under your elbows/arms. I hold for about 30 seconds, release, repeat, etc. They are hard. I am constantly reminded to keep my core tight which helps maintain the proper form (when I tighten my core, I automatically lower my butt and lift my chest, which is how I tend to "cheat" ;)).

Charisse- the calendar idea is one that I should steal too... hmmm... :) My roommate gets to come home today, and she got all the tubes/packing removed last night. She is looking good, and I think she is going to go home with her Mom to the couch for a week- smart move imo :)

Canice- I am an easy target for skipping exercise for going to dinner too. I think that is where having an appointment at the gym really helps me cuz I can't miss them.

testkitchen- Congrats on getting started... every little bit helps!

I made it to the gym last night and did 45 minutes on a cybex. I was only planning on doing 30 minutes, but then I wanted to watch all of Ina Garten's steak episode... hehe. I am sure there are a lot of people at my gym who roll their eyes at me constantly watching cooking shows while working out. ;)

Tonight is ballet class and then I am headed to the OSU basketball game. I need to stretch desperately - my legs are super tight. I think I will take tomorrow off, and then I have an appointment with my back up trainer on Thursday night.

[testkitchen45]

testkitchen- Congrats on getting started... every little bit helps!

I made it to the gym last night and did 45 minutes on a cybex. I was only planning on doing 30 minutes, but then I wanted to watch all of Ina Garten's steak episode... hehe. I am sure there are a lot of people at my gym who roll their eyes at me constantly watching cooking shows while working out. ;)

Tonight is ballet class . . .

Thanks, Josie. :) DH and I are meeting again this afternoon, for legs this time. This means creative dinner preplanning on my part b/c it's hard for a foodie mom to be gone during typical dinner-prep time :p. A DS (the DSs are older) will stay one-on-one with my DD (play a game, hit golf balls, whatever); the other DS will do it on Thursday so that my DD doesn't feel left out (or, God forbid, with the electronic babysitter--no, thanks!). Working out at that time of day is the only way for DH, so this arrangement with the kids should make it an OK time for me.

Questions for you: what's a cybex? How are you watching Ina's steak episode--downloaded to an iPod? (My gym has TVs; a few are closed-captioned but you can bring headphones & plug them into the ellipticals, etc. to watch the other channels. Several channels are preset by the gym, so it's pretty slim pickin's. :D) And ballet . . . did you do ballet as a girl or start as an adult?

[Valerie226]

Josie, pikes are tough!
Put your shins on the stability ball with your arms in a pushup position. think "plank" with your shins on the ball. she first does 'ball roll-ins". you use your feet to pull the ball toward you and then back. in and out. then, instead of straight back and forth, you pull the ball in and out with angling your legs a little bit to the side. once you get the balance part these are not bad. the ball wants to roll around so it takes a lot of 'core" to keep it under control.
the third set is pikes. you lift your butt skyward while pulling the ball towards you, and then roll it back out. she is almost vertical with her butt in the air, legs straight, and toes on the ball. she does about 10 in a row.

I don't expect I look that good. :othe hardest part was figuring out where to "pull/lift" to get in the position. one day it clicked.. with no mirror you need someone else to tell you. I've been trying these occasionally for a year, mostly doing the roll ins. your arms and shoulders have to be strong enough to support the position. sometimes the ball still gets away ...
going to yoga, more later.

[avariell]

Holy crap. I totally bow down to you Valerie. Those sound incredibly difficult (and of course I want to go try one now :)).

testkitchen- It is good you have a system worked out with your kids. I think it is good that they are exposed to their parents exercising regularly. I sometimes think if I had seen my mom exercise a little bit more (and enjoy it) it wouldn't seem like such a chore to me today, ya know?

My gym has the best tv set up ever! Every single piece of cardio (with one major exception) has its own tv with a complete digital cable set up that you just hook earphones into. I try to get to the gym around 4:30 on weekdays, and Ina Garten starts at 5:00. So I can usually catch her when I start my cardio.

As an aside - this is pretty cool - my gym also has a "cardio theatre". It is a movie theatre with cardio machines! They show a different movie everyday, so you can work out in the dark if you want to.

I started dancing at a very young age, doing the whole ballet-tap-jazz routine. I think I danced for about 12-13 years until I was 14-15ish. Then I got sick of it and the fact that my body would never be quite right for a dancer. However, in the past year my friend (who I met through this board- kyra is her screen name) started talking about her dance classes. Basically she got me to agree to try it out and go back. It has been a lot harder than I expected, but I love the thorough stretching I get from ballet.
/sorry... I am long winded today ;)/

[Kahlico]

After last week which was pretty much a work-out dud for DH and me, we did go back up to Michigan over the weekend for some winter sporting. I snowshoed 13 1/2 miles on Saturday and 12 miles on Sunday before we headed back to the city. We went to the Muskegon State Park who had a very well marked snowshoe trail that had a few good hills in the middle of very beautiful scenery. My abs and chest are the sorest from this time's jaunt.

Last night we skipped the gym out of sheer exhaustion but I told DH that we have to hit the gym after supper tonight. He agreed as we're not going up to Michigan again until the weekend after next. However, there is enough snow in Chicago that I could snowshoe in the park, but it's just too
*(*%* cold outside!

Josie my best to your roommate. And Canice, the first day that feels balmy around here (something in the 40s would do it), I'm skipping the gym to take my river walk. I'm itching for spring, but I don't see it anytime soon. :(

[Valerie226]

Emilee, 13.5 and 12 miles on snowshoes on consecutive days is a WORK OUT! congrats. your cardio is done for the week!

Josie, try "ball roll in's" and get those down before trying the pike. they aren't easy but you learn to keep control of the ball. when I first started, the ball would get away from me and I'd fall sideways. I never thought I'd be able to do the pike.... but here I am a year later and I can say (now) they aren't that bad. the first move cathe does in coremax though, levitation holds, have me failing. just can't get those.

Testkitchens.. baby steps is the way to do it...at a pace you can keep up for the long run. throwing yourself into a frenzy for a month and then quitting accomplishes little. every January there's this huge blast of media attention but by mid february it's mostly died down.
I was reading (Body For Life) how women typically lose ( thru disuse) 5-10 lbs of muscle between 40 and 55. muscle is what keeps you looking tight and toned and is what burns the calories. it's a big cause of weight gain that most of us deal with. so if you don't actually lose weight, the muscle is replaced by fat. and it unfailingly goes to the middle!
Canice, that's probably what happened to you.. 1.5 lbs of muscle takes up a lot less space too, so many people can drop several sizes without losing weight on a scale. I'm working very hard at removing 10 lbs of fat. I work hard but it doesn't show like it should cause it's buried.

Charisse.. I'm finding the calendar a big boost. It hangs above my desk and it feels good to see the squares fill in with workouts. Cathe sells little stickers, minatures of the pics on the front of the workout DVD's that stick on calendars.

I'm hoping my new computer comes today... this one has been giving me fits! it's about 6 years old and the sound just disappeared, it locks up if there's a popup etc.

[testkitchen45]

I'm finding the calendar a big boost. It hangs above my desk and it feels good to see the squares fill in with workouts. Cathe sells little stickers, minatures of the pics on the front of the workout DVD's that stick on calendars.

Am heading upstairs to "borrow" some of my DD's teeny round teacher-ish stickers (you know, the kind that come a zillion to a pack for $3 ;)), to put them on the fridge calendar when I work out. Great idea! (Builds in a little more accountability, too--it's good to see those stickers accumulating. Kind of like when DD learned to use the potty. :D Talk about baby steps.)

[JenniferJJ]

Emilie - great job on those long snow shoe treks. How cold was it?

Canice - congrats on losing inches.

Josie - I would love a cardio theatre!

Val - thanks for the info about muscle loss between the ages of 40 - 55.

I joined a gym right before the New Year. It wasn't part of a new year's resolution per se, but it was just a good time to regroup. After I got back from visiting my sister and her family for Christmas, I had a whole week to myself with no work. It was a great time to eat exactly how I needed to, catch up on sleep and work out. My gym is exactly two miles from my house and is on the cheaper side. It's got a cardio room, weight room, studio, pool, basketball/volleyball court and a track (overlooks the court). My first week I went quite a bit. Then last week at work was very hard since I had something to do almost every night (or during the day, so I worked later).

Anyway, I was there Sunday night on the treadmill and after 13 minutes realized my friend was on the treadmills two away from me. Actually, she realized I was there and yelled my name. It was pretty cool. I had told her on Jan. 3 I had joined and she had just joined the evening I saw her.

I will go there tonight right after work to do mostly cardio. I might do weights for a few minutes.

I also bought two pilates books over the break. I was doing them for a few days...need to continue.

[cniles]

Welcome Jennifer!:) It's great you can workout with a friend!

Valerie - I remember Engineer describing those moves as flopping like a fish!!:D Great job in keeping at them - My ball needs to be inflated more and it's still in the basement so I stick to Coremax #1 for now - and yes, those Levitation holds.....:eek:

Emilie - holy cow! Great job on snowshoeing - that sounds like a lot of fun. I heard Chicago got hit with snow today!!

Josie - your gym sounds awesome!! That's so cool you can watch your own show - and the cardio theatre - wow! Hope ballet goes well for you tonight!

Canice - great job on the body fat loss!!! I think maybe it attached to me over the holidays!!;) Your dinner sounds lovely! I remember you posting about the area where you live - it really sounds great!!

testkitchens - yes - stickers - yes - calender!!:)

I did Cardio Overdrive this afternoon. Good sweaty cardio (surprise!) workout! Now off to make soup for tomorrow and dinner for tonight!:)

[srahndennis]

Wow, we are rockin' this week! It's great to see everyone checking in. Lower body wimp that I am, I did the Push/Pull lower body twice premix this morning! Don't be fooled - 2 times and it's still only 39 minutes. ;) First dedicated lower body workout in a while so I wanted to make sure it wasn't too hard. Kept the squats at 25 but I really think I need to go to 30. I finally got 2.5 lb plated so now going up won't be so hard.

Valerie - That's great you can still do the pikes! I still can't, although I can do the roll ins. My biggest problem is that after KPC, I am soooooo sweaty that my legs keep sliding off the ball! I really should try to do them before the workout.

Emilee - Your snowshoeing sounds wonderful...and hard! That's a lot of miles.

I'm using the program manager on Cathe's website to track my workouts. It will work for other workouts, too, but wouldn't have the fun little pictures of her DVDs. It is so nice to be able to see your hard work over time. You can see where you fell off and times when you did really well. Anyway, I agree that tracking them is a great motivator.

Jennifer - Welcome! Glad to have you join us.

[Kahlico]

Emilee, 13.5 and 12 miles on snowshoes on consecutive days is a WORK OUT! congrats. your cardio is done for the week!



Yippee!!! Does this mean it's okay if I stay home tonight and do 30 minutes worth of crunches (like I did last night)?

Did I ever mention that DH and I walk the 1/2 mile to the workout facility and walk back the 1/2 mile from the facility? And yes, it did snow in Chicago yesterday, it's still snowing, and my daily trek to the train's platform, to work, from work, home from the train's platform is about 2 miles total. So if I decide, when I see that it's a balmy 13 degrees outside right now (and falling), to stay home and do 30 minutes worth of crunches, does that count with all my walking? Pretty please? LOL.

Jennifer where we went in Michigan it was in the mid-20s, no wind, and perfect weather as my body heated up nicely but I didn't break into a huge sweat as I did when it was in the mid-30s the previous week. I never thought I'd see the day when mid-20s felt "nice." ;)

You all rock with the inspiration. I'm glad I have this checkpoint or else I wouldn't do the crunches tonight. My eating habits are better as I've cut way, way back on my annual holiday sweet-fest. I'm still working on cutting back on my cheese. Not now though.

[testkitchen45]

Yippee!!! Does this mean it's okay if I stay home tonight and do 30 minutes worth of crunches (like I did last night)?

Did I ever mention that DH and I walk the 1/2 mile to the workout facility and walk back the 1/2 mile from the facility? And yes, it did snow in Chicago yesterday, it's still snowing, and my daily trek to the train's platform, to work, from work, home from the train's platform is about 2 miles total. So if I decide, when I see that it's a balmy 13 degrees outside right now (and falling), to stay home and do 30 minutes worth of crunches, does that count with all my walking? Pretty please? LOL.

Jennifer where we went in Michigan it was in the mid-20s, no wind, and perfect weather as my body heated up nicely but I didn't break into a huge sweat as I did when it was in the mid-30s the previous week. I never thought I'd see the day when mid-20s felt "nice." ;)

You all rock with the inspiration. I'm glad I have this checkpoint or else I wouldn't do the crunches tonight. My eating habits are better as I've cut way, way back on my annual holiday sweet-fest. I'm still working on cutting back on my cheese. Not now though.

Yes, it's OK if you "just" do 30 min of crunches!! Geez, Kahlico, are you like what, a size 0 or something? :D :D If I did 30 minutes of crunches, or 13 miles of snowshoeing, you'd have to Medi-Vac me outta there. ;)

OK, from the other end of the workout spectrum (the baby-steps end, to make all you veterans see just how far you've come): DH had me do legs & triceps last night, then abs. We got on that machine where you rest your weight on your forearms & let your legs dangle, & bring your legs up to your chest & straighten them out (down) again. Guess how many I can do w/o stopping. Seven! Yes, seven! That's not seven sets, mind you, but three teensy sets of seven each. :o But the first time we went, I could only do 3 of 3, then 3 of 5 . . . tomorrow, I'll shoot for 3 sets of 10!

(you can all quit laughing now :p)

[cniles]

Not laughing at all!!! GOOD JOB!!!:) Abs are tough!

We had a 2 hour delay here today (frigid temps and light snow) so I did Pump, Jump and Jab (LOVE THIS) and then went out and shoveled our driveway and our neighbors. Luckily it was really light snow - I just pushed it aside. But holy toledo is it COLD!! And windy.

Gotta go get ready for school!! More later:)

[avariell]

Yesterday was my off day... and I ended up shovelling 3 times. Wooo! I am ahead of schedule ;)

Tonight I have an appointment with my backup trainer.. I don't know what I feel like doing. Probably back and chest. I might ask her to mix in some abs too since I suck at doing abs on my own.

If I had to walk to the gym in the temperatures we've been having, I think I would just give up. Seriously. Heck, if I had to walk to get to work in this weather I would seriously contemplate quitting ;)

I have gotten way off track with food this past week. I think I felt entitled to eat whatever I want since I was so sick over the holidays and didn't get my cheat time. I seriously need to get back on track cuz I don't want to gain back any of the weight I lost. Last night I baked some peanut butter chocolate chip blondies to take into work, and I had celery and bell peppers as a snack instead of trying one - I figure that's a good start ;)

[Kahlico]

Yes, it's OK if you "just" do 30 min of crunches!! Geez, Kahlico, are you like what, a size 0 or something? :D :D If I did 30 minutes of crunches, or 13 miles of snowshoeing, you'd have to Medi-Vac me outta there. ;)

OK, from the other end of the workout spectrum (the baby-steps end, to make all you veterans see just how far you've come): DH had me do legs & triceps last night, then abs. We got on that machine where you rest your weight on your forearms & let your legs dangle, & bring your legs up to your chest & straighten them out (down) again. Guess how many I can do w/o stopping. Seven! Yes, seven! That's not seven sets, mind you, but three teensy sets of seven each. :o But the first time we went, I could only do 3 of 3, then 3 of 5 . . . tomorrow, I'll shoot for 3 sets of 10!

(you can all quit laughing now :p)


I'm laughing, but not at your routine (which doesn't sound like anything I could do right now!), but I'm laughing at your comment about my being a size 0 :snort: and your Medi-Vac comment that for some reason sent me into such hysterics that it hurt my muscle-sore belly when I laughed. ;) It sounds as if your DH is quite encouraging and supporting. I wish it were my DH who was after me to weight-train. I'm on his case (too much, I'm sure) to get his butt moving.

Josie, I've had to put a serious halt on baking for work and for DH because it seems as if I have to do a taste test no matter that I've made that cookie or that cake before (maybe it come out dry this time; I'd better nibble on it to double check). I'll be interested to know what your backup trainer has to you ab-wise. I don't have an excercise ball, but I'd be interested in doing some other ab exercises other than just crunches. I want to target my abs because when I do snowshoe, it really works the abs to the point they're so sore, I can hardly move. I need to work on those muscles obviously.

We had a 2 hour delay here today (frigid temps and light snow) so I did Pump, Jump and Jab (LOVE THIS) and then went out and shoveled our driveway and our neighbors. Luckily it was really light snow - I just pushed it aside. But holy toledo is it COLD!! And windy.

Okay, DH has been shoveling the snow around the car, so I have to admit I shouldn't be on his case so much about exercising. This is hard work! Awesome you did both your driveway and your neighbors! And yes, it is *&*% cold. Like ice cream headache cold.

[LakeMartinGal]

We haven't had any snow to shovel (I'm not complaining -- that's why we moved to Alabama!:p) and the pool where we do water aerobics has had a heater problem, so we've been exercising at the fire station. Today, it was an hour of Belly Dancing!!!!!:eek: Suffice it to say that we put towels over the security cameras, so we wouldn't freak out the guys who watch... Picture this. One woman of normal shape and size in her 40's, one heavy woman in her 60's, one large-busted woman in her 70's, and one apple-shaped woman in her 80's -- all trying to move the rib cage without moving hips, and some even more strange movements, like trying to shimmy!:D:o I wouldn't have wanted to watch it!

That being said, it was a pretty fun workout, though not as good as the water aerobics! Hope they fix that heater soon!

[Valerie226]

Went snowshoeing yesterday. our ample snow got rained on, causing the major flooding that made the national news, and then in the mountains it got colder without new snow, so it's some pretty nasty stuff up there now. crusty & lumpy. we did a 7 hour trip. It should be faster but snowshoes are difficult for me...my normal stride is close together and when I try to go faster, I trip myself. so there's a max speed, and it's not blinding fast. we did around 10 miles with some very rough spots. two big avalanche debris chutes needed to be crossed. anyway, Emilee, I respect that you did TWO snowship trips on two consecutive days. (no way would I be snowshoeing again today) 30 minutes of crunches? Yipes... you've gotta get some variety in there! I like doing abs with a stability ball. Cathe has a lot of different approaches and it keeps it from getting tedious and hits your abs in different places and different angles. I never much liked ab exercises but I find if I change it up it stays fresh.

testkitchens.. I think that's a Roman chair.. at least that's what we used to call it.... most equipment has multiple names... and those are tough! congrats on upping the number. abs train faster than other body parts and you ( in theory) can do them every day if you want. There's a belly dancing program on the fitTV channel and those people have FANTASTIC abs and great muscle control. I have no clue how they do it.

Jennifer... welcome!

Charisse... you guys are in the deep freeze now!. I moved away from Wisconsin forever after one winter with -30 temps.

Josie... if I deny myself too much it backfires, and I go overboard. I usually allow myself one very small piece of whatever I bake, to test for quality, of course! DH can eat whatever ( and he does) and not gain an ounce. I have a tiny square, he eats the rest of the 9x13 pan.

Did anyone watch Oprah by chance and see the biggest loser guy who has fell off the wagon? and the other weight training lady? I think it was tuesday. I've never had to lose a large amount of weight... the guy had lost 200lbs... but he'd put back on 100 of it due to falling off his program and dropping exercise. they are talking about food in "addiction" terms and I'm not sure I buy that, at least not for most people. I know weight control is harder for some than others but it seems more related to bad habits and judgement than addiction. and the fact that people generally don't like to exercise. anyone else see it?

I'm going to be gone for a few days. we have a trip to california for a wedding and then I need to set up my new computer so I won't be around till some time next week. Carry on everyone! Work hard!

[testkitchen45]

testkitchens.. I think that's a Roman chair.. at least that's what we used to call it.... most equipment has multiple names... and those are tough! congrats on upping the number.

Wahoo! I did 3 sets of 12, not 10! :) I think my very first # was 3 of 3, so that's progress. I, however, prefer the term "Chair of Death." ;) I also did a different ab machine that targets the upper abs, although (my apologies to any guys lurking) I call that one "The Boobinator" :eek: b/c you have to lean forward on this pad & crunch forward--guess where the pad hits, unless you reset the machine? :rolleyes: I told DH that the last thing I wanted was to encourage the girls to fly south, so we figured out how to make it a comfortable machine for me to use.

(Yes, we're having some fun with this. :))

I also got to the gym early to get in some time on the elliptical (my stamina is zero--further proof that taking care of the home & kids is NOT an aerobic activity :o) before we did the back-and-biceps workout on the machines.

How's everyone else doing today?

[avariell]

I did about 25 minutes on the stair mill yesterday and then 15 minutes on the tread mill. Then I lifted chest and back. I did 5 set of 10 incline presses at 65 lb! Woohoo!! That is the best I have ever done. I am not too terribly sore today so all in all, I consider it a success :)

Emilee- I do so many random ab exercises... hmm... if your husband is available, lay flat on your back and have him stand over your head, grab onto his ankles for stability and put your legs straight up in the air, he should be able to push your legs down and you have to fight to maintain control and basically do leg lifts with him throwing your legs down - does that make any sense? I can usually do about 20 before wanting to die - and then I mix them into a circuit. I think they are called Throw Downs - I am sure you can google it.

planks are really popular for overall core strength (google it, i don't even think i can describe it :))

One of the hardest ab exercises I do involves laying flat on my back with my arms stretched out above my head, then I have a stability ball between my ankles and I basically do a v-up (like don't crunch in and bend your knees) and bring my arms up to grab the stability ball and stretch it all the back down above my head. So basically just passing the ball back and forth between my head/arms and ankles.

I have no idea if I am explaining any of these very well. Oh also - I highly recommend spying on people at the gym (especially people with personal trainers) to get ideas :)

testkitchen- your post made me giggle... boobs sure can get in the way some times :)

[avariell]

We haven't had any snow to shovel (I'm not complaining -- that's why we moved to Alabama!:p) and the pool where we do water aerobics has had a heater problem, so we've been exercising at the fire station. Today, it was an hour of Belly Dancing!!!!!:eek: Suffice it to say that we put towels over the security cameras, so we wouldn't freak out the guys who watch... Picture this. One woman of normal shape and size in her 40's, one heavy woman in her 60's, one large-busted woman in her 70's, and one apple-shaped woman in her 80's -- all trying to move the rib cage without moving hips, and some even more strange movements, like trying to shimmy!:D:o I wouldn't have wanted to watch it!

That being said, it was a pretty fun workout, though not as good as the water aerobics! Hope they fix that heater soon!


This post totally made my day Kay!! I hope I am that adventurous when I am 80s (maybe I will somehow grow a large bust too ;))

[Canice]

LOL, Kay - love the tossing a towel over the security camera :p.

Emilie/Valerie - I can't tell you how much I've always wanted to try snow shoeing or cross country skiing! I'm sure I'd make it 200 yards before going face-down, but I'd love to give it a try! BTW, Emilie - 30 minutes of crunches?! You guys would totally laugh at my "workout"! (Only you wouldn't, because you aren't that kind of person.)

Thanks for the info on the body fat, everyone. I really need to change my diet if I want to drop pounds, I know. On NYE I got attacked by a stomach bug, which set me down for a few days. I'd had a few decadent cheeses that night and (trying to avoid TMI here) I seem to be off cheese now! :D I walk by my former downfall at WF, the cheese counter, and I just feel sort of ill, so that's one less temptation :p.

Oh, another question for you all -- about one's target heart rate: So there's a chart on the wall with ages listed in 5 year increments, and then rates from, say 50% to 85%, and we're supposed to shoot for 70% (I believe) for maximum fat-burning. I keep meaning to ask when I'm there, but what does each percentage represent? And what makes 70% optimal for burning fat? If I'm working hard and working up a sweat but haven't hit my THR, what does that mean? Burning calories but not fat??

testkitchen45, I wanted to say something about your DS's question: I think that's kind of cool that he asked and is curious. I would think it could be a big "whatever" to most teens, so I can see why it struck you - and why you feel responsible for setting a good example (but don't be too hard on yourself!). I think I posted before that there's a mom, probably early 50s, who goes to Curves with one or two of her daughters, probably 13 and 15. I think it's great for all the obvious reasons, but I also think it's great that the girls see women of so many different ages, shapes, and ethnicities all taking responsibility for getting exercise and being in a supportive and respectful environment.
I think I'm not an awful lot older than you, and one of the things that motivated me to do this was the knowledge that it would only get more difficult later, while the benefits of getting in a program now is a true investment. I do not want to be 60 years old and huffiing and puffing my way home from the library! Your good health (barring disease or the unexpected, of course) is one thing that cannot be taken from you, and I'm so inspired by folks in their 70s who are playing tennis and jogging and living well. I won't be that person, but I'd like to be the one carrying groceries and library books up the hill! :)

[Kahlico]

planks are really popular for overall core strength (google it, i don't even think i can describe it :))

One of the hardest ab exercises I do involves laying flat on my back with my arms stretched out above my head, then I have a stability ball between my ankles and I basically do a v-up (like don't crunch in and bend your knees) and bring my arms up to grab the stability ball and stretch it all the back down above my head. So basically just passing the ball back and forth between my head/arms and ankles.

I have no idea if I am explaining any of these very well. Oh also - I highly recommend spying on people at the gym (especially people with personal trainers) to get ideas :)

testkitchen- your post made me giggle... boobs sure can get in the way some times :)

Josie and Valerie, thanks for the ab tips. Need some variety, and if I'm thinking correctly, planks are similar to yoga planks (and I describing that correctly).

Emilee- I do so many random ab exercises... hmm... if your husband is available, lay flat on your back and have him stand over your head, grab onto his ankles for stability and put your legs straight up in the air, he should be able to push your legs down and you have to fight to maintain control and basically do leg lifts with him throwing your legs down - does that make any sense? I can usually do about 20 before wanting to die - and then I mix them into a circuit. I think they are called Throw Downs - I am sure you can google it.


Great idea to try, but I'm afraid once I get into position, DH will have other "ideas" of physical exercise. :rolleyes: :p ;)

Skipped the ab workout today. And to end the week on a decent note, I did a 4.5 mile walk, outside, over slippery snow, at a fairly fast clip. Woo hoo! I had several errands to run (walk) and I broke them up to get in as many miles as possible.

Canice, I hate, hate being that kind of sick, and that's the only thing that would make me eschew cheese for awhile. For me, personally, that would be a blessing and a curse all at the same time. And Canice I don't know if you do much hiking or scrambling over rocks like I did when DH and visited Bodega Bay, but I think snowshoeing can be a bit like hiking, even on flatter ground, as you have to sort of dig your poles in to get some momentum going somewhat like using your arms to climb a rock. Valerie feel free to jump in if I sound silly. :P Anyhow, guess where DH and going next weekend?!?