I choose pain

[Goldhedge]

I ran across this video:

Just watched and leared a bit about what I'm doing wrong.

I use the machines up at the Community center in our neighborhood. There are four. I haven't kept track of any progress as that seems a bit anal retentive to me.

I have been working the upper 5 days a week though. It was hard at first but now it's like a good stretching exercise.

I haven't been great at reps, but have increased the number 10, to 3 times that with a short 60 sec rest period in between. There's two options on the first machine, so I do the chest pushes first, 1 min rest and then the bicep pulls. 3x each working different muscle groups, so as to not over do it. I might rest 30 secs more?

I've gained progress in that I could only do one rep at 10lbs per arm and now I can do 3! Sometimes it just feels good to keep going, but after watching the video I'll try 12lbs (much harder!) and see what happens.

I forget what the other machines do, I'll make a note of it. I do know the last machine is a gut cruncher at 10lbs. At 12lbs I'm unable to pull forward. It has these padded straps I pull over my shoulders. I do 3x 10 and sometimes 3x 20 reps on that. My gut is pretty strong.

I'll do the stair stepper/ellipse machine on T and Th and upper body MWF. That seems to be a good workout. Weekends off. Increase the weights as necessary and increase the rest periods.

I really need to learn the name of muscles!

I wonder if there are any apps to put on a phone to track stuff...? Anyone?

 

[Joe King]

That's impressive.

Thanks! It sounds like a lot, but it's really not that hard. Average speed over the whole distance is about 12mph, with about 15-18 mph being normal cruising speed.
....and two 30 minutes breaks along the way at a couple spots to see some trains.

Mix in some HIIT where I do intervals at faster speeds.
Takes about 5 hours or so. Burns a bunch of calories too.

We have a bike rack on the sidewalk. Last year when they redid the automatic lawn sprinkler, they put a new sprinkler head...right next to the bike rack. Nobody uses it.

Clearly planned by people who prolly haven't ridden a bike since they were 8 years old.

But mine is across town

Nothing closer? What's out of sight stays out of mind.
.....and what is inconvenient to get to, doesn't get used.

and I just opted not to bother.

If the point is to stay in shape as you age, then ya gotta figure something else out, as time is not exactly on our side anymore after a certain age.

Have to treat it the same way as havin' a job.
Ie: gotta get up and go make time for it whether we feel like it or not.

Traffic is way, way up, too...ever go to a rural or mountain town somewhere, Opening Day on Deer Season?

Yea, small towns suck when it comes to traffic. All the little two lane roads can fill up quick.

and the heat...

Its been up to 109 here this Summer. I love it when it gets that hot. That's when I wanna get out for a long ride.

Now, the weather's changed and the A/C is put away...but I haven't got the bike back out.

No time like the present.

Better hurry and get some riding in. It'll prolly be -40 there before long. Lol

 

[Joe King]

I haven't kept track of any progress as that seems a bit anal retentive to me.

What gets measured gets improved.

I wonder if there are any apps to put on a phone to track stuff...? Anyone?

Look on the app stores for activity trackers.

If on Android, you can also try Fdroid.

 

[Casey Jones]

Nothing closer? What's out of sight stays out of mind.
.....and what is inconvenient to get to, doesn't get used.

No. I tell you, this is a funny town...it's become a magnet for people who live in California and have FedGov jobs, and seniority enough to transfer...jobs with NWS, NPS, Forest Service, FAA air-traffic control. I've been here 14 years and the town size has grown half-again.

That has the roads clogged up (many of them, now 4-lane; it's funny to go to Google and see what the Street Views looked like 15 years ago)...

...but also, has led to an explosion in U-Stor locker-demand. See, these Calinvaders sell HOUSES out there, get their millions, and come out here, where houses not only aren't much cheaper anymore (they were, in 2012) but just aren't there. So they move into one of the new rabbit-warrens being set up, and all their furniture goes into those storage units.

I've been waiting three years to get into one of the three that are close by my current building. Contrast that to when I moved out here...no wait, no problem, low price.

 

[pmbug]

... I do know the last machine is a gut cruncher ... My gut is pretty strong. ...

How are you mentally at enduring pain? Try the crucifix crunch, core hold series and side planks (video in the first post of this thread) instead of that machine. It is very challenging when you start, but pain will lead to gains (gains that help improve real core strength (and posture) and relieve lower back stress). After my journey, I'm a believer.

 

[pmbug]

This morning jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Arms parallel to legs @ ~20 degrees angle to the floor (I kept feet lower to the floor than usual today). Back started lowering a little with every breath starting around breath 16. I really tried to bear down and stop it, but the muscles were not listening to my brain. Back hit the floor after breath 25. I finished to breath 30 with the back down.
Form 2 - I kept my lower flat to the floor and was able to keep my legs/feet low to the floor as well (maintaining the ~20 degree angle). Around breath 15 or so I realized lower back was slightly off the ground and I bore down with the abs and was able to push the lower back flat to the floor where it stayed for the rest of the Form. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - Today I kept my kicks super low - around 20 to 30 degree range from bottom to top. Lower back stayed flat to the floor. 30 breaths done. Abs felt ... tired more than sore when I finished. They did work today.

Side planks
Left side - Slow and controlled. 20 reps. Shoulder signaled pain at rep 18 and reps 19 and 20 were a struggle to maintain form.
Right side - 20 reps. I did them faster than I probably should have. Shoulder and oblique could have done more.

Active Dead Hang - Wide grip today. Today I got my wife to use the stopwatch app on my phone and time my hang while I counted my breaths as usual. At breath 17, I could feel my back getting tired, but I pushed. At breath 20 I was hoping to make it to 25, but I ended up stopping after breath 21. That took a lot of effort. I was shocked to see the stopwatch app reporting a whopping 40.61 seconds. I guess my breath is longer than a second when I'm doing these isometric exercises!

 

[Casey Jones]

Unusual day for me.

I got off my dead Equus.asinus - got the mountain bike out, and for the first time in six weeks, rode.

Twenty-two miles, with some breaks. This works best when I incorporate it with my normal business, so to speak - that's walking or riding or whatever. So, across town, off for ten minutes, off to Stop 2; off it five minutes, then down to the deli counter at a local grocer for lunch.

Had my GPS speedometer-odometer mounted, so the miles, and the speed (avg. 11 mph) I'm sure of.

It was all I had in me. There was an overpass I've pedaled up and over, many times - today I had to walk it. No big deal, but a reminder...things are not as maybe they used to be, give it for my lack of miles, or my extra trips 'round Ol' Sol...it is what it is.

EDIT: I misspoke the speed. I don't know how to pull up a daily average on that speedo - there's a way; it's like today's microwaves. A 50-page manual to set the time.

But I was all done with the trip in an hour and 45 minutes (rolling time, my counter doesn't count stationary time). Twenty-two miles. I was closer to about 14-15 miles an hour average.

 

[Joe King]

Twenty-two miles, with some breaks.

That's great!
.....and it also shows that it's really not that hard to go a good distance.

I did a rough calc on calories burned, and it said about 1270. I don't know your weight, but used 200 lbs.

At 180 lbs you'd burn about 1150 riding that distance.


That's a good way to "pay" for a greasy slice of gas station pizza.

 

[Casey Jones]

That's great!
.....and it also shows that it's really not that hard to go a good distance.

I did a rough calc on calories burned, and it said about 1270. I don't know your weight, but used 200 lbs.

At 180 lbs you'd burn about 1150 riding that distance.


That's a good way to "pay" for a greasy slice of gas station pizza.

That's good to know - because I had a double-cheeseburger for dinner.

I batch-cooked some Kirtland Grass-Fed Beef patties - you know the drill; Costco packs for large groups. Couple of days ago I had the grill all set up - cooked them all (with a meat thermometer) and they were EXCELLENT.

I had two for dinner. Lunch wasn't pizza; it was Sudden Dried Chicken at Yoke's Fresh Market.

So I was a little over (but no sugary condiments on the burger; didn't need it). I'm a bit over 200; so I probably burned off about 1300 carbs, by your formula.

 

[Goldhedge]

Working out this morning I had a dizzy spell. Turns out that when lifting weights aggressively one's blood pressure can drop precipitously right after the work out!

Who knew? I sure didn't, but GROK did! I got cold and sweaty and had to sit down for about 20 minutes. Never experienced that before! I've been 'spacey' all day since that episode! Maybe tomorrow it will fade away...

I guess I'll take it easier next time!

 

[pmbug]

I took two consecutive rest days - no jogging, no workout.

Pain report

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Today I held my phone in my right hand with the stopwatch app open. I started the timer with my index finger when I started. Arms parallel to my legs at about a 20 degree angle to the floor. Lower back firmly on the floor. I kept my back off the floor through breath 30, pressed stop on the stopwatch app with my index finger and set the phone down as I transitioned to Form 2.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor. Maybe 15 degrees up - lower than usual. I kept the lower back flat on the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I kept my kicks low to the floor - maybe 15 to 20 degrees from bottom to top. Finished 30 breaths with lower back mostly on the floor.

Stopwatch says I held Form 1 for 48.45 seconds. Wow! I could really feel the difference in how strong the abs were today versus the last time I worked them 3 days ago. They do really good with a day or two of rest (but not seven days).

Side planks
Left side - Slow and controlled. Stopped after 25 reps. Form held together through the end today. Shoulder felt great until rep 20 and then signaled mild pain. Fortunately, the shoulder pain did not really increase too much, but I stopped at rep 25 to avoid risking injury. Oblique felt pretty strong today. No burning sensation, but after I stopped and rested before doing the right side, I could feel the oblique soreness/tiredness.
Right side - Slow and controlled. Stopped after 25 reps. Shoulder popped loudly on reps 5 & 6 and then was quiet without pain ... until rep 20 or so. Very mild pain - less than what I experienced with the left side. Oblique handled the reps easily.

Horse Stance - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I hold the phone w/stopwatch app in my right hand and get into the stance. It takes me until breath 5 to really get my form correct with hips rotated for vertical spine alignment. I turn the phone away from me so I can't see the stopwatch running, relax and count breaths. I feel leg muscles start to burn (mildly) around breath 30. Around breath 50 the muscles start to complain a bit but knees aren't really trembling. I kind of space out while counting and I lost track of my count and reset back a bit - maybe did 3-4 breaths extra that I didn't count. I reach breath 60 and am I'm just starting to feel the real burning pain that I'm used to with these isometric exercises. I decide to push for longer. Each breath at this point is real pain. Knees are steady though - no trembling/shaking. I finish breath 70, put my left hand on my knee and stand up with some difficulty. Stopwatch says I was in the stance for 2 minutes, 15.86 seconds!

Wall Sit - 1 set of 60 is MY goal
I hold the phone w/stopwatch app in my right hand and get into the stance. I settle into the stance. I breath. Quads are burning at around breath 30. Knees stay steady (no trembling/shaking). Burning in the quads ramps up with each breath after 45 or so. I reach breath 60 and the quads are on fire. I keep going. 70. 65. 80. I stop after 80 breaths and shimmy up the wall. Stopwatch says I held the pose for 2 minutes and 13.98 seconds, but I think I was a second or two late hitting the stop button. My breaths were definitely faster on this hold than they were on the Horse Stance. I was in more pain so I guess it makes sense.

 

[pmbug]

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon - while watching college football)

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Timed with the stopwatch again. Arms parallel to legs @ ~20 degrees angle to the floor. Back started lowering a little bit around breath 23, and hit the floor on breath 27. I finished out 30 breaths. Stopwatch app showed 45.71 seconds for the 30 breaths.
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor. I kept the lower back flat on the floor. 30 breaths done.
Form 3 - I kept my kicks low to the floor - maybe 15 to 20 degrees from bottom to top. Finished 30 breaths with lower back mostly on the floor.

Side planks
Left side - 25 reps. Shoulder was fine until the last few reps again. Oblique seemed strong today. Final rep was not a struggle.
Right side - 25 reps. Oblique did fine today.

Bottom Push Up Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
Around breath 23, the lowering of the chest/head begins. I was not mentally focused and just quit after breath 27. I did not push for maximum effort today. Stopwatch says 27 breaths were more or less 34 seconds.

Bear Crawl Hold - 1 set of 45-60 seconds is MY goal
I get into position, start the stopwatch app and breath. I had to close my eyes for a while to avoid looking at the stopwatch and just focus on breathing. Body was shaking from breath 40 or so onwards, but none of my muscle groups were burning or signaling soreness or tiredness. It was somewhat bizarre really. I stopped at breath 90 and for the last ten breaths (from 80 to 90), the shaking was pretty strong (head bobbing mildly). Stopwatch says my 90 breaths were 2 minutes and 30.51 seconds.

While resting after the bear crawl hold, my right side shoulder blade area felt like something was tweaked (I suspect it's related to the side planks). I decided to stop the workout here to avoid injuring something.

Texas won their football game in a messy, ugly finish.

 

[Casey Jones]

Rain, overnight and this morning. The bike slept in with me.

I did, however, come up on a new strategy...which makes sense. An Asian doc, never saw him before, but he seems to make sense...suggested that "resistance" exercises after age 70 are crucial in keeping muscle tone (along with hydration, regular daily sleep-and-waking times, and other issues). He suggests it can be as light as carrying the groceries in without a cart, and as infrequently as twice weekly.

The back and legs, he stressed, more important for overall balance.

I still have the gym membership, although I've been nine months not using the weights. But it's time for me to get back with light weights...avoiding my right shoulder, the one with bone spurs. My recent spurt of bicycling really lit THAT off...

The science and strategy of growing old.

 

[pmbug]

Casey - resistance exercises = isometric exercises. That's the whole reason I started this thread. No weights required really. You can maintain muscle tension with just your body and gravity.

 

[Casey Jones]

Casey - resistance exercises = isometric exercises. That's the whole reason I started this thread. No weights required really. You can maintain muscle tension with just your body and gravity.

I will have to look into that. The coming winter is long...

 

[pmbug]

This morning I jogged a mile at the track.

(afternoon)

Active Dead Hang - I decided to do the Active Dead Hang first to test my right side back area that was feeling tweaked yesterday. I put my phone/stopwatch app on the floor and tap it with my toe as I activate my back muscles and start the hang with a wide grip. I didn't feel anything off in the right side so that's nice. I stopped at breath 22 and I'm not even sure why. I could probably have pushed for longer if I had been mentally focused. Stopwatch shows 32.10 seconds elapsed.

Crucifix Crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps slow & controlled.

Core Hold Series (immediate transitions)
Form 1 - Timed with the stopwatch again. Arms parallel to legs @ ~20 degrees angle to the floor. I kept the back off the floor for the full 30 breaths. Stopwatch app reports 48.44 seconds (I stopped the timer, but didn't see the result until after Form 3 was done).
Form 2 - I kept my feet low to the floor. I kept the lower back flat on the floor. 30 breaths done. Abs let me know they were straining a bit today, but they kept working.
Form 3 - I kept my kicks low to the floor - maybe 15 to 20 degrees from bottom to top. Finished 30 breaths with lower back on the floor. Abs were straining to hold lower back and low leg form throughout. It felt like a good/productive workout today.

I'm going to stop here for today. I'm going to take a break from the side plank and let my right side recuperate a bit. I'll give the side planks a go next time.

 

[Joe King]

I did, however, come up on a new strategy...which makes sense. An Asian doc, never saw him before, but he seems to make sense...suggested that "resistance" exercises after age 70 are crucial in keeping muscle tone

That's what I've been telling everyone.
.....and it's not just after 70. Needs to after 60, at the latest.

By the time you are 70, you'll already see signs of sarcopenia. It's why old people look frail and weak. Only starting to do something about it at that time though, you'll be fighting an uphill losing battle.

Gotta start before that shit sets in.

If you only do some things, start with legs, grip strength, and wrists and arms. Those are the things that'll help keep one from falling if/when one loses their balance.
.....and falls are the number one thing that cause older folks to lose their independance.


A good test of leg strength and balance is, can you sit on the floor (with legs crossed) from a standing position and then stand back up WITHOUT using your hands or arms?
.....and then can you do it 10 times in a row?

 

[Casey Jones]

^^
FAIL.

Since I broke the hip, I can't get up off the floor at all, without hands and something to pull up on. Some furniture, a chair seat nearby.