<p>Looked at the workout…not for me! I still can’t squat or lunge. Wonder if I ever will??? That’s why I bike and bike and bike! I have always had strong legs. When I go for pedacures or massages I always get comments on how firm my muscles are and I did win best legs in HS!!! ;)</p>
<p>I’m going to do one “T-pushup” (in Station 4), before I meet my maker. Or, maybe that will be how I meet my maker! Wow. That is seriously fit.</p>
<p>I do one of these exercises: the Dumbell Push Press (#10) or squat press as iPod nazi calls it. It will absolutely gobsmack you in 45 seconds. I haven’t tried yet, but I think I can probably do #1, #3, and #6. This is the kind of workout where I would have to spend a month just working on the exercises before trying to string them together into a set. That combines cardio, interval training, and whole body strength training in one.</p>
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<p>I had to back the truck up and start with the basics on the squats and lunges. I finally gave up on lunge walking and just took one step into a lunge position. Then, I just stayed there, lowering my weight a few inches and back up – up and down, up and down. At first, just a few inches. A few reps on one side and then switch legs for a few reps. Squats really help to do them leaning back against a stability ball, again starting by just lowering a few inches. </p>
<p>I can do a halfway decent old fat guy facsimile of both squats and lunge walking now, although my knee isn’t happy about going all the way down to the floor. I’m sure that losing weight has helped as much as strengthening my leg muscles. 45 seconds while pressing a pair of 14 pound dumbells over my head is pushing my endurance. I have to go at a very deliberate pace to last the 45 seconds.</p>
<p>I did one! A “T-pushup” (#4). No style points, but I did one on the first side and one on the second side! I’m not pressing my luck. I think that was my limit. At least I didn’t meet my maker or break any bones. I’m shocked I could do even one.</p>
<p>I can do #8. Did one on each side. I think I might actually able to do two or three reps of that one. That is a really nice exercise. If I’m not mistaken, that would target the “bat wing” flaps on the upper arms, while giving the core a serious workout from the pushup position.</p>
<p>Hey BC:</p>
<p>Marshall’s actually has a style of above the knee running shorts. adidas RSP Baggy Knit shorts. 7 inch inseam which is longish above the knee for me. Same as these, but with black stripes on black instead of white stripes on black as shown. </p>
<p>[adidas</a> Men’s Response 7; Baggy Knit Shorts - Shorts - Running Apparel](<a href=“http://www.shopadidas.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2434542&mr:trackingCode=7CD85F62-C663-DF11-BAA3-0019B9C043EB&CMP=CAC-GOOGCSE&mr:referralID=NA&sv=641197]adidas”>http://www.shopadidas.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2434542&mr:trackingCode=7CD85F62-C663-DF11-BAA3-0019B9C043EB&CMP=CAC-GOOGCSE&mr:referralID=NA&sv=641197)</p>
<p>Nice dri-fast mesh. Meshing lining. One zipper pocket for car keys in the back. They fit loose unlike some of the running shorts that almost seem fitted; I bought a size smaller than I’ve been wearing. $14.99.</p>
<p>They had a few pair in LARGE and XL.</p>
<p>I have officially lost 20 lbs. H actually said to me, “You’ve lost a lot of weight.” Yay! </p>
<p>My knee is holding up well in my C25K running program – no pain at all. I guess my personal Personal Trainer (aka D) was right – I have to ease my aging body into this whole running thing. I’m not worried about speed – I just set the speed on the treadmill for what’s comfortable so I don’t “overrun” the machine. But, out of curiosity, what’s a decent time for 5K? (I’m AARP eligible. Oh, this also assumes I can maintain my current speed for the entire 5K, when I work up to that distance.)</p>
<p>It’s hard to say what a decent time is. I think 31 minutes (basically 10:00 per mile) is a decent pace for an older person. I ran 25:05 a year ago tomorrow on a hot day at age 56 3/4 (which won my age group) and ran 19:24 at age 29 or so. With my injury I ran 28:15 (9:15 pace) a month ago.
For a first 5K 11-12 minutes per mile would be a nice goal, but whatever gets you through the thing with a smile is wonderful!</p>
<p>Thanks MOWC. I’m currently doing 10 min/mile. (Must be those Brooks shoes!) So the question is whether I can keep to that for the full 5K. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess. The first thing is to actually run an entire 5K!</p>
<p>Oh, I just snagged a Russell Dri Wear sleeveless (women’s) top at Ocean State Job Lot (New England + NY) for $5.00.</p>
<p>We went to the New Balance Factory Outlet in Boston. I got two tech t-shirts (New Balance brand) for $10 each. Picked up a tech short by Insport for $15. The material is very thin. It has the liner and the pouch. 3 inch inseam - not a problem as I will be using compression shorts underneath. Also, wrist bands. Never used these before but I can use them for running and tennis. I had a look at some of their trail runners. What I noticed was that some shoes had a tag/booklet indicating that the shoes were made in the US!</p>
<p>Good timing. FOX News had a segment on New Balance and their US manufacturing on the evening news tonight. Interview with the CEO, video of Massachusetts workers making shoes. Apparently about 25% of their shoes are made in the US.</p>
<p>3 inch inseam on the shorts would be a bit too short for me. My sweet spot is 5 to 7 inches. Above the knees, but long enough so that I don’t look like Richard Simmons. Who knew that you would have to carry a tape measure to buy a frickin’ pair of gym shorts. Is this a great country or what?</p>
<p>Did my iPod workout today, finishing up with ten hard Airdyne intervals (10 seconds fast, 20 seconds easy), all at Cardinal Fang’s pace (75 rpms). Saw a 98% heart rate on the last interval. My arms are feeling the three sets with heavier weights.</p>
<p>I will never do those one armed push ups and have no interest in looking like that guy (or for the record being married to someone who looks like that guy) either. That said, I’m sure I could be fitter and I think there’s something to be said for making the weight routine more work than it currently is. I’m happy I can do real push ups and not sissy ones.</p>
<p>I think that workout would be a monster for fat burning. Of course, if I ever get to the point where I can do three sets in 45 minutes, I probably won’t have any more fat to burn!</p>
<p>I’m not proud. I do “sissy” pushups from my knees in my iPod workouts. Three sets of 45 seconds, with good form. I hope to graduate to real pushups. I better, because looking ahead to Phase III, I see pushups with my feet on the stability ball. Ouch. I also do my side bridges from the knees. Time to graduate on that one, too. </p>
<p>BTW, anyone who tries that Sparticus workout with anything heavier than about 8 pound dumbbells is crazy. That is a seriously hard workout.</p>
<p>Question to all you experienced runners: I’ve been walking/running for the past 11 days, with 2 days off mixed in. The last two days my knees have been achy. It’s not unbearable pain or anything, and I can run without really noticing it, but they are achy afterwards. Is this something to just train through (as my unsympathetic son tells me) or should I stop? I’m not running more than a 1/2 mile, and that is broken up into 1 minute intervals, so I’m mad at my knees for being such whiny babies about it.</p>
<p>You might have this:</p>
<p>[Chondromalacia</a> - Runners Knee - Chondromalacia Treatment](<a href=“http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/patelladisorders/a/chondromalacia.htm]Chondromalacia”>Runner’s Knee: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment)</p>
<p>Some things to check are the type and quality of your shoes and the strength of the muscles above your knee. Leg lifts often help in this area.</p>
<p>Not exactly an “experienced runner” since I’m just getting back into it myself, but back in April when I decided to start running after a haitus of many, many years, I had knee pain after only about a week. I think it was tendonitis (diagnosed with help from the web and MOWC). I stopped running, took Advil and did ice massages. Pain disappeared after about 3 weeks. Where exactly is your pain? Mine was on the inside of only my left knee. In my online “research,” I found hamstring strengthening and stretching was important. So, when I started running again in June, I started doing that, along with gradually building up my running distances. So far, so good.</p>
<p>Cross posted with BC – my pain was NOT on the kneecap, so I decided I didn’t have “Runners’ Knee.”</p>
<p>blankmind:</p>
<p>I was reading some very good articles on fitness training by Mike Boyle last night. Boyle is Boston’s top fitness guru. He has two facilities (see the video tour at his website [Mike</a> Boyle Strength & Conditioning | Boston Athlete Sports Training: Personal, Professional and Group Training | Winchester, Massachusetts 781-938-1330](<a href=“http://www.bodybyboyle.com/]Mike”>http://www.bodybyboyle.com/)) in Boston, where he is a top trainer of professional athletes, including large numbers of NFL players.</p>
<p>These two articles are a primer on interval training, walking through the science and practical implementations:</p>
<p>[Mike</a> Boyle: Explaining Interval Training](<a href=“http://training.fitness.com/interval-training/mike-boyle-explaining-interval-training-38775.html]Mike”>http://training.fitness.com/interval-training/mike-boyle-explaining-interval-training-38775.html)</p>
<p>In the article, he details all of the options for interval training: running, shuttle running (back and forth to a line), treadmills, exercise bikes, stairclimbers, ellipticals, etc.</p>
<p>These three introductory paragraphs are pretty sobering when it comes to running (which is the most effective from a workout standpoint):</p>
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<p>In his gym, Boyle has four areas for interval training: shuttle running on a 40 yeard astroturf field, treadmill running, slideboards (slippery board for side to side skating motion, developed for ice hockey training), and Airdyne bikes.</p>
<p>I tried the new shorts on and they were tight. Then I had a look at sizing charts for New Balance and they are two inches less than traditional US sizes. So I’m not wearing these new shorts. Hopefully in a few months. So I need to find shorts again with enough time to try them on a run. Backup plan is my old shorts.</p>
<p>The shirts are fine though. My daughter said that I should wear an undershirt because they are see-through. Well, that’s life.</p>
<p>On running: yes, injuries are pretty common. Hard to find a runner that’s never had a running injury. I’ve had three out of the big five running injuries but I’ve addressed those with better shoes, stretching and working on a certain muscle group. A beginner wouldn’t necessarily know to look for causes and fixes for running injuries.</p>
<p>If you’re out of shape, running can be tough but this Couch to 5K plan does seem to show success. It’s gradual which allows the body to get stronger slowly to support fitness levels needed for running. I’ve been a tennis player and tennis puts a lot of stress on joints so running, even if overweight, is not much of an additional burden on the joints. It might even be less of a burden.</p>
<p>Running requires less equipment than most other activities. You can do it at home, work (if you have showers available), or while traveling. You can get lost in running too which is an interesting feeling.</p>
<p>I’m probably doing weights and stretching and some floor exercises today. I notched 23 miles running this week and it wore me out. Went to bed around 8:30 last night. I think that running four days a week is good enough. It will certainly make it easier on needing as many clothes for running.</p>
<p>I should talk about injuries, right? I’m the one with the little “ouch” in my knee, probably from doing lunge walks this week.</p>
<p>Nice easy recovery day today. It is so nice out that that I went for a little 5k stroll to the state park. Don’t tell anyone, but I threw in a little 60 second jog interval on a dirt road in the park when nobody was looking. Overall, I wasn’t looking to max out my heart rate today. I had four days of 95% heart rate workouts this week and that’s enough.</p>
<p>I’m pleased with something new I’ve added to my routine: I hold a 25-pound barbell behind my head and do lunges. It’s taken me five years to get to this point, but I’m pleased that my legs, core and arms and shoulders can handle this as if it’s nothing.</p>
<p>Met my lady friends for breakfast this morning (first Saturday of every month) and walked there – only a mile each way. They were amazed that I would do that.</p>
<p>Mike Boyle bothers me with his lack of coaching abilities (can’t post youtube links or I’d show what I mean), his rants against back squats, and the fact he looks like he spends more time with his accountant than at the gym. Eric Cressey is a stand up guy with much experience in the weight room & a quality academic background. Pretty sure he’s in Boston.</p>