<p>Musicmom, when I’m at the gym I use weights that are a little heavier than at home. Get ready, this part should be good for a laugh. That means I recently <em>progressed</em> to, woohoo, 7.5# weights for bicep curls and tricep kickbacks. Still using the 3# ones for lateral arm raises and, what are those called, shoulder or military presses. I should probably up that to 5# weights and fewer reps at this point. 10# for db 3 point rows. </p>
<p>If I am now considered to be there, cough, cough (clearly never going to be the weight lifter here), that’s awesome! In my defense I am scrawny with particularly scrawny arms.</p>
<p>I don’t think those are light weights for bicep curls, kickbacks, or lateral arm raises. Those are all focused on relatively small muscles and require relatively light weights for just about everyone. The lateral raises, in particular, are brutal because the weight is on such a long lever arm. I had to quit doing them because I gave away my 5lb weights and trying to do them with 10 lbs was killing me…</p>
<p>The shoulder presses and the 3 pt rows use a bunch of big back muscles, in addition to all the smaller muscles of the arms and you can probably go heavier than you think, although I wouldn’t go heavier than you can comfortably do for at least 6 reps. I don’t try to push to the limit on the shoulder presses because it is, after all, iron weights precariously over my noggin. People say I have a thick skull, but still… I don’t get to the point where the weight is shaking and trembling overhead! I know that’s it’s too heavy or too many reps when I start arching my back to “cheat”.</p>
<p>3-pt rows, on the the other hand, lend themselves to really pushing the weight up. It’s safe. I bet that you can lift a 20 lb container of cat litter or charcoal or mulch into the car. That’s the one to pick up a weight that makes you grunt (unless it’s at Planet Fitness).</p>
<p>Yes, no grunting allowed at PF. I don’t think I’m even close to approaching a grunt. </p>
<p>We had zero snow here. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. Today I am planning on a big walk with sabadog as it is cold but gorgeously sunny. Too nice outside to exercise indoors. Back to the gym tomorrow. I think every other day is going to be about all I can take.</p>
<p>Packer, so you AREN’T a newbie after all! 50 lb loss, you rule.
I can’t wait till I can post that I’m trying to lose the LAST 5 lbs…but am happy that i’ve lost the FIRST 5 lbs!</p>
<p>DeborahT- I go to a Parisi Gym about 2 miles from our home so very easy to get to.
That’s my criteria for selecting a gym…someplace I might actually go to.
Good cross section of folks exercising there but I do seem to be there when the fit young men pumping iron are there while I ‘pump’ 10-15 lbs on the upper body machines…Legs are doing better and feel pretty strong.</p>
<p>This thing is so nice, it almost makes me want to go running in it. Would have been a perfect day for snowshoeing except that we don’t really have enough snow to cover the ground. Need one more good snow to replace everything that melted early this week. </p>
<p>Marmot’s cut is definitely trimmer than EMS power stretch. I thought it might be just that the EMS was a full zip jacket, but this thing is full zip and noticeably more fitted – pretty much the same as their 1/2 zip pullovers.</p>
<p>It was in the low-teens here last night and it is somewhat windy today. I went out to play tennis in a fleece jacket and I forgot my running gloves. Fortunately I found parking spaces close to the entrances at the club and at work.</p>
<p>BTW, I don’t work out in any of this fancy, high-tech clothing from EMS or Patagonia. I use it to keep warm while outside or in the office or maybe shoveling snow.</p>
<p>It’s all a matter of perspective. Sometimes you read Marmot reviews complaining how the stuff cut so “big and boxy”. Then, you look and the guy complaining is 6’4" and 145 pounds. :)</p>
<p>I have noticed that the Marmot stuff tend to be cut appropriate to the use. A base layer or mid layer will be trim. An outer layer, a bit bigger. In all cases, it’s cut trimmer than an LLBean or Lands End or Columbia equivalent. In comparison, the EMS hoodie seems to be cut more like the LLBean/Lands End side of things. It’s a little hard to tell with Power Stretch, because it is… ah … stretchy! :)</p>
<p>BC, you should try running in your fancy stuff. That’s where it really excels. And, the stuff washes really well after you “glisten” in it for a while… Power Stretch is really ideal for winter exercise because its warm, but breaths really well, and stays warm even when wet. Same thing with all the wicking baselayer stuff.</p>
<p>The EMS TechWick is more of what I’d call skin tight. I wore the hoody over the TechWick and it fit fine - the hoody is a mid-layer and I’d expect it to fit over the baselayer.</p>
<p>I really don’t like being outside in these kinds of temperatures for very long. Even less in the teens and lower.</p>
<p>I actually got myself outside this morning for a short run (2 miles) for the first morning run since I got this stupid cold. It was clear and 24 degrees, with just a couple of places with ice that were easy to see. It was nice being out in the light. I’ll try to do some noon runs next week. I’m going to make another attempt at a longer run tomorrow since last Saturday’s wound up with me at the medical clinic!</p>
<p>Walking for 3 mi today in very cold weather very early in the AM. I walked with my H who has been walking consistently–he goes right at 6 am–and losing weight. He’s lost much more rapidly than I could. I have to admit I’m both happy that he’s finally started taking care of himself, but I’m also a bit envious. Maybe that’s why I decided to go to spin class later at 9:30–just to see if I could outdo him on some level. Dumb, I know. It turned out OK. I thought I’d be on the couch all afternoon, but I wasn’t. I’m pleasantly tired and burned many calories.</p>
<p>Idad: thanks for posting the link to the Rachael Cosgrove videos on Utube. They’re really helpful. It’s much easier for me to follow the video than looking at the photos in her book. I also listened to the Dr. Lustig interview that you posted as well.</p>
<p>Hops Challenge: I’ve kept up, except for the 2 days when I was away this week. I did squats and pushups, but didn’t take a KB in my suitcase, so I didn’t do that. I’m back on track today.</p>
<p>New year and decided to finally start exercising. Can no longer stay fit just by moderating my food. uggh! Not a huge fan of exercise, but am determined to find something that works for me. Did a few miles on the bike today and the time actually went fast! Yay!</p>
<p>Am finding inspiration by reading all your threads! Thank you for being role models! :)</p>
<p>Quick trip to the gym this AM–weights and treadmill; brisk two mile walk this afternoon.<br>
socalmom, greetings! A bike ride sounds like a great start to your exercise program. I think it’s great to have a place like to share workout info. There’s just something about writing it down in in a public confessional that motivates.</p>
<p>I got in pushups, an hour of tennis (practice) and 1 mile. I found out that I can hit but I can’t play. I understand why Andy Murray hits some balls the way he does as he has braces on both ankles. You finish shots a certain way when you’re worried about your ankles - I think that keeping them fairly rigid might have a similar effect.</p>
<p>I either need to wait a while for this to heal or get a brace. There’s a local medical supply outlet that carries Pro Sports ankle braces.</p>
<p>I was going to run at the office and prepped my wireless headset. It was dead. I plugged it into the wall adapter. Nothing. I plugged it into my laptop. Nothing. Go to their website and get online assistance. He asked me three questions and then sent me the instructions for the RMA process. So no wireless music. By the time we were done, it was too late for a run. I take care of an errand (takes a few hours), run to the Y and barf out a mile and that’s it. Right now I’m charging my iPod Nano for wired running tomorrow. I’ve only had the JayBird for a month. The tech said that it’s probably a defective battery. For me, enjoying running is making sure that the shoes, clothes, environment and electronics are right. When something isn’t right it causes ripples in the force which can be surprisingly annoying. I also have MotoRokr S10s which I’ll charge up too but I absolutely hate wearing them as the bar in the back bangs against my neck (a truly horrible design).</p>
<p>Deborah T, I’d never laugh at light weights. We all have to begin somewhere. Back when I did dance aerobics we never did anything with more than four pound weights. I don’t think I’ve done lateral raises since those days. I remember them being killers. I do bicep curls pretty regularly with 15 pound weights, but have been leaning toward idad’s notion that moving your whole body with weights is probably more productive so I just throw them in, but only enough so I don’t get feebler. I always think it’s cool when I do something with heavier weights than the guys (some of the leg machines at the gym - nothing ever involving arms or pull ups.)</p>
<p>I’ve been keeping up with the challenge. Yay me. Didn’t get to the gym like I’d planned to, but did do the Group A Rachel Crosgrove exercises. I need to get at least a ball for the Group B ones. We had one, but it’s vanished.</p>
<p>I do bicep curls every once in a blue moon as part of one of Mike Boyle’s sadistic combination exercises:</p>
<p>Stand with dumbbell in each hand.
Curl them up to the shoulders.
Do a full squat and back up.
Press the DBs overhead from the shoulders and back to the shoulders.
Return the DBs to your sides and repeat.</p>
<p>Forget heavy weights. This will get you panting in no time flat.</p>
<hr>
<p>I skipped my workout today. Got distracted hooking up a new wireless router and, before knew it, it was 8:30 and too late for the workout. So I headed down the the basement and did one set of HOPS challenge:</p>
<p>Another gorgeous day here - 2 mile walk with sabadog, then forced myself to the gym. 45 minutes of “hills” on the elliptical. Got it out of the way early. Anything else I do today will be a bonus!</p>
<p>Stretch/strength including more buttkicking idad squat routines followed by 20 minute spinning intervals. Do 5x - 1 minute easy at 4 level and then 3 minutes 20 mph or greater at 8 level</p>
In my defense I am scrawny with particularly scrawny arms.</p>
I don’t get to the point where the weight is shaking and trembling overhead! I know that’s it’s too heavy or too many reps when I start arching my back to “cheat”.</p>
