<p>UBE is generally used for rehab purposes. As a general rule, unless you need specificity of training for shoulder and arm endurance, it’s not the most efficient nor productive way to spend your exercise time because it’s arms only (relatively small muscle groups, even for those with big “guns”, ;)) and does not create nearly the O2 demand that running and cycling will by engaging large muscle groups in the legs. Rowing, on the other hand, will hit the arms as well as the leg and back muscles and is a great alternative for those looking to vary their cardio training routines.</p>
<p>MOWC, it’s great to see that you are getting back into the swing of things. I know you must be chomping at the bit. I was out riding on Tuesday with a friend who until a few months ago was a nationally ranked masters bike racer. She had a severe disk rupture while “doing nothing” that required quick surgery to prevent potential paralysis and has spent the last 6 weeks doing relatively nothing. She is finally back on the bike going slow and easy, but just being out again was like sunshine and a rainbow after a long storm.</p>
<p>The TRX will pack smaller because it doesn’t have molded handles/foot stirrups. However, if you prefer a single mounting point, the Jungle Gym includes an adapter for single point mounting over a bar or tree limb, turning it into a TRX-style system. The adapter even has a rubber cushion so a rough tree limb doesn’t saw through the strap. I’ve never actually used the adapter, but I could find it (along with the mesh travel sack for the Jungle Gym and the ValSlides! :)</p>
<p>Or you could stop by an REI and get a climbing carabiner clip and just clip the two straps together at the top without the adapter. </p>
<p>I’ve never actually adjusted the width. I just set the straps up shoulder width and leave it permanently installed – to rafters at the old basement and to my pull up bar in the current basement.</p>
<p>Basement for me. Valslide alligator crawls, DB snatches, rear foot elevated split squats (in the Jungle Gym), and KB swings were good. Chin ups were lousy. Everything else was so-so. All in all, not too bad I guess. At least I punched the clock.</p>
<p>Today, I felt much better. My headache is gone and a somewhat miraculous thing happened. </p>
<p>I did a 100s workout where you essentially do a hundred of various exercises. While it was the most intensive exercise I’ve had for the past five months, I felt really energized. I’m unsure if it’s from my detox, but while I was pushing myself to get through my reps I never felt gassed out. A ten second break and I felt like the next was doable. </p>
<p>Did a fast paced 30 mile hill ride last night. Besides being a lot of fun, it got me thinking about concepts of overtraining. For the last few months, I was having a tough time getting my heart rate above 165 and my rate of respiration was much higher under heavy load, like hill climbing, which I assumed was a compensatory process for O2 volume delivery. Was puzzled whether I was somehow deconditioned (unlikely) or just getting old ;)! Over the last 3 weeks, the frequency, duration and intensity of many of my rides have been reduced for a variety of reasons with only one ride per week being a high intensity ride. Last week, I did a very intense ride with a very fast pace and a couple of climbs. Last night, was a hill ride with about half a dozen steep medium length hills. My heart rate last night hit as high as 181 with the same respiratory effort that I previously had felt at 165. At a 165 hr, I could talk in short sentences and felt like I could continue at that level for 15-20 minutes at least. Last week on the fast ride, same deal.</p>
<p>So it got me thinking. Either the spinning up of my heart rate was an artifact of an inaccurate hr rate strap or I had been overtraining and hadn’t even realized it! Maybe sleep and hydration factors were at play too. Really started me thinking about all of the literature that recommends that for endurance/performance athletes, 80 % of training should be below VT1 and only 20% at or above anaerobic thresholds.</p>
<p>Michael- remember that all the stresses of life can really have an impact!</p>
<p>3.3 hot, humid miles this morning. 73 degrees, 98% humidity, but at least it wasn’t raining yet. I’m glad to be out there, but it does NOT feel easy. I am working hard at not being horrified at the numbers on the Garmin and slowing it down even more. </p>
<p>MOWC, yes they can. But usually that results in me eating half a bag of Michelle’s Chocolate a Cherry Granola! It’s sold at Whole a foods and is like taking a box of granola cookies and crumbling and sticking it in a cereal bag. But it’s granola, it’s got to be good for you, right?</p>
<p>Note to self for weekend study: learn how to “punch the clock” versus just skipping exercise altogether, and re-learn what I used to know about heart rate training before I became vitamin D deficient. </p>