Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

Parent Cafe
5061

<p>bromfield:</p>

<p>I don’t have an iPhone and I’ve never used an iPhone app, but I’m guessing that you need to create a playlist in iTunes, long enough for the workout you are making. Call it, “Interval Playlist” or “Panting like a Dog” playlist or whatever. Then, sync your iPhone to iTunes and include this playlist so it’s on you iPhone. Then, I bet it would show up as an available playlist when you go to build your Workout Muse workout on your iPhone. </p>

<p>That’s my best guess.</p>

<p>You can create the list manually in iTunes by clicking FILE > NEW PLAYLIST and the just dragging the songs you want to it. There are other ways, but that would be the easiest.</p>

5062

<p>OK, so I did the Mixed Martial Arts interval pyramid again. Same deal as my Tuesday “recovery” day, only I cranked it up a notch (5 rpms across the board) today.</p>

<p>I did the four 6 second intervals at 80 rpms.
I did the four 20 second intervals at 75 rpms.
I did the four 40 second intervals at 70 rpms (major burning thighs)
I did the four 60 second intervals at 65 rpms (thought I was going to die).</p>

<p>I tried to do all eight of the final 10 second intervals at 80 rpms. I didn’t quite make it on the 5th and 6th intervals (out of gas, needed to get my heart rate back down under 95%), but recovered to bring it home with the 7th and 8th at 85 rpms.</p>

<p>32 minutes plus a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down. Short and sweet. Enough variety to keep it from being boring as each set of intervals requires a different mindset and works the body differently. That is a seriously intense cardio workout. Averaged 77% heart rate with a max of 95%. That average is pretty amazing considering I never got above 60% on the warm up. Basically, every interval is above 90%, recovering down to low 70% range on each rest period, except the final eight, where the heart rate just stays above 90%.</p>

5063

<p>I have been looking at the ones offered by Amazon and I am confused. Do I need the chest strap thing or is a watch-like monitor good enough? “Polar” seems to be a fairly reliable brand, based on the reviews at least. </p>

<p>For those of you who use a heart monitor, what kind do you have?</p>

5064

<p>You want one of the heart rate monitors that have a chest strap transmittter and a wrist watch receiver. Timex, Polar, and Omron all make them.</p>

<p>For a low-cost option, the basic Timex analog model is a lot of bang for the buck:</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Timex T5G971 Unisex Sports Personal Heart Rate Monitor Watch: Timex: Watches](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5G971-Unisex-Personal-Monitor/dp/B000P8VWQS/ref=pd_sbs_watch_2]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5G971-Unisex-Personal-Monitor/dp/B000P8VWQS/ref=pd_sbs_watch_2)</p>

<p>This stores your last workout and give you peak heart rate, average heart rate, etc. I’m a satisfied user. There is an even cheaper model that just shows your heart rate and doesn’t store a workout. I think the extra features are worth the extra $15.</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Timex T5G941 Heart Rate Monitor Watch: Timex: Sports & Outdoors](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5G941-Heart-Monitor-Watch/dp/B000F5WB66/ref=pd_sbs_watch_3]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5G941-Heart-Monitor-Watch/dp/B000F5WB66/ref=pd_sbs_watch_3)</p>

<p>Note that these use the same transmission frequencies as the old-school Polar units. The chest straps are interchangeable: a Polar will read on the Timex watch and vice versa. Both chest straps will read on exercise equipment in the gym (and Schwinn Airdynes).</p>

<p>The more expensive Timex’s (labeled “digital”) and the more expensive Polars use encrypted signals so that your chest strap will not read on the treadmill next to yours in the gym. That is meaningless to me, but may be important to somebody else.</p>

<p>I bought the Timex because, at the time, the Polars did not have user replaceable batteries in the chest strap. When the batteries die, you throw away the chest strap and buy a new one (for the same money as the whole Timex package). I think Polar may have gone to replaceable batteries. I know that the new $70 Polar chest strap for the iPod Nike + package has replaceable batteries. If I ever needed a new strap, I might buy that one because it is compatible with the analog Timex, the analog Polars, the Airdyne, and the proprietary format of the iPod Nike + system.</p>

5065

<p>How useful are the heart rate monitors on exercise equipment at the gym? I checked my heart rate periodically on the elliptical yesterday, and it didn’t seem like the heart rate matched how I was feeling.</p>

5066

<p>I think that they are fine - the ones where you place your hands on electrodes on the handles and it gives you your heart rate in a few seconds. One other approach that I take is to just take my pulse while watching a clock with a second hand. Some of the equipment at the office works with HRM straps though I don’t have one so I don’t know how they work.</p>

<p>Just did weight machines yesterday. It’s been a rough week and I didn’t get enough sleep and I felt some joint issues from tennis on Wednesday. Basically I felt light and quick and really went after some balls that put a bit more stress on my knees than in the past when I was a bit more careful in deciding which balls to go after. My joints should respond by getting stronger. I only got a few hours of sleep last night so I won’t run today unless I can sneak in a nap somewhere. I can always do weights again today and then sleep tonight and run tomorrow.</p>

<p>One thing that I noticed about my weight session yesterday was the loss of strength in certain leg muscles. Some muscles are quite strong because of running but the quads have weakened - by about 15% based on the effort needed one some exercises.</p>

<p>My schedule pressure should ease up somewhat in the nearterm so I will try to make more trips to the YMCA for the weight machines. I may try the barbell again if I can get my son to help me out. I may need him to spot or help we get the barbell over my head so that I can do shoulder presses and lunges.</p>

5067

<p>Yesterday was a “change up” day at the gym–every 4 to 6 weeks my trainer likes to mix things up. He was absolutely obsessed with squats and I am feeling it! Why just do curls when you can do them in a squat position? I’m up to 60 pounds on the incline bench press, 3 sets of 12. Needed some spotting on the last 3 reps of the last set. Not in Teriwitt’s league yet!</p>

5068

<p>This weekend is the 2 day Jack and Back ride. 75 miles tomorrow and probably the short route (57) on Sunday, especially if there is a wind from the north as predicted. Weather looks good- sunny and cool (cold at the start, so I’m trying to deal with that in terms of what to wear). My goal is not to be a whiney b**** in front of my company vice presidents! I hope my leg doesn’t just kill me. It isn’t doing well at all and after this ride I will be stopping all riding (running is already stopped). I have also had to stop sitting at my desk :slight_smile: I rigged up a standing work station with books and boxes. Standing gets old, but it sure is better on my painful sitbone. I am going to only do the elliptical and may try some deep water running. I will do my stupid PT exercises (I am good about that). I am also seeing my gifted PT in Dallas in early November just for a 2nd opinion and good guidance on exactly what to do and not do. I feel like I’m sort of floundering here. I will get the one last cortizone shot on Tuesday, but I am not optimistic. What I have read about this injury is not encouraging- can takes months or even years to get it resolved and it does NOT resolve with just rest. But for now- 2 days of bike riding and some good barbeque and maybe even a sip of Jack Daniels tomorrow night! Ahh-sleeping under the stars with my senior vice president! (well, not exactly)</p>

5069

<p>That sounds like fun MOWC, if it weren’t for the pain. Especially the Jack Daniels part! I hope you find some relief for your injury.</p>

5070

<p>

</p>

<p>You betcha! A curl, by itself, only works small muscles, but get those thighs and core firing at the same time and you’ll be panting like a dog in no time!</p>

<p>I hear ya. I’m feelin’ it, too. There are three variations on the squat position in the Spartacus circut (plus three lunge variations). I’m feeling it in my thighs and butt and places I didn’t even know I had.</p>

<p>Instead of curls, I’m doing dumbbell rows in the squat position. Nice strong lower back. Dumbells hanging straight down to the knees. Then, pull them up to the shoulders, bending at the elbow. It’s basically an upper arm/shoulder exercise, but sitting there in the squat position gets the thighs burning, too. I love the exercise.</p>

<p>I’m also loving this goblet squat - holding one dumbell like a goblet, cupping one end in both hands under the chin. The weight helps stabilize you over your heels for proper squat form. It’s creaky on the first set, but on the second set I’m able to slowly sink down to a pretty decent squat posiiton – butt out, knees bent, thighs close to horizontal --and slowly rise back up. This guy explains it nicely:</p>

<p>[Goblet</a> squat](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg406rGg8b0]Goblet”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg406rGg8b0)</p>

<p>bceagle:</p>

<p>I’ve got one that’s perfect for tennis players or golfers. The lunge with a twist. Hold a small dumbell in front of the chest, one hand on each end of the dumbell, elbows bent, weight close in to the body. Do a lunge and while in the lunge position, rotate towards the side with the front leg so the chest and the weight and your head are facing as much as 90 degrees to the side. Then, return to the center position and come up out of the lunge. There’s a flexibility component so you may not be able to twist a full 90 degrees, but twist from the waist keeping the chest, shoulders, and head in a line (don’t just move the weight with the hands and turn the head). In addition to the thighs and legs, it works the core muscles in sides that are used for a strong connected core in rotating during a golf swing or tennis shot – from the side at your waist down through the side of your butt. Also the perfect exercise for us old guys who have started to notice it’s not as easy as it used to be to turn and look over the shoulder backing the car down the driveway.</p>

<p>I was falling over the first time I did this exercise, but I’m getting the hang of it and starting to see a little more flexibility.</p>

5071

<p>MOWC:</p>

<p>Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Are you sure you don’t want to volunteer to drive the chase car tomorrow? I hope this thing turns the corner for you pretty soon. Not being able to sit down isn’t good.</p>

5072

<p>Some seats don’t bother it, but I haven’t figured out what the determining factor is. The padded arm chairs in my office seem good. Yesterday I had a pretty good day with not much pain and I did some of the exercises throughout the day. Got home last night, side-stepped to avoid stepping on one of the cats and had pain. The price we pay…
I chose to train at a high level of intensity with high mileage all through 2009 and I was too close to the edge- I know this because I fell OVER the edge!</p>

5073

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<p>I use the rotary torso machine at the Y. It’s one of the machines that I can max out on weight (200 pounds). What I’ve found is that good tennis players have strong side muscles with the right side stronger than the left. The forehand and backhand do the motion of the rotary torso and the serve makes your dominant side stronger.</p>

5074

<p>Cool. </p>

<p>I have to go to YouTube and look up each of these machines. I’m so old-school.</p>

5075

<p>I have an exercise for the sides for you.</p>

<p>Take a fairly heavy dumbbell (50 to 75 pounds) and pick it up. Compress the opposite side of your body while standing. I call this the side pull. I find that the hardest part of this exercise is taking the dumbbell out of the rack and putting it back in there. It is murder on the fingers.</p>

<p>Son found the 17.5 pound dumbbell setup and is working out with that one now. I may need to go out and get that 20.</p>

5076

<p>My benchpress hurts my left hand. I"m hopeless! I am also a sight to behold on the wobble board, which is something I need to do for this injury. Goal is to not go flying across the gym when I fall off of it.</p>

5077

<p>

</p>

<p>Yeah, right. What the heck, why not just pick up a Volkswagen!</p>

5078

<p>MoWC, I suggest bike tights over bike shorts on the bottom and a cycling jacket, a light wool top (wool long underwear) and a short-sleeve jersey on top. You’ll soon peel off the jacket, but the light longsleeve wool top works over a wide range of temperatures.</p>

<p>My favorite light top is this:
[Merino</a> Wool Baselayers and Long Underwear: Base: Ibex](<a href=“http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/product/1779/2457/womens-woolies-zip-t-neck]Merino”>http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/product/1779/2457/womens-woolies-zip-t-neck)</p>

<p>So small it fits in a purse, yet warm enough for cool weather and a great layering piece when it gets colder. On my last bike tour, where the weather was several times below freezing in the morning and in the high 90s in the afternoon, I wore my Ibex woolie every day.</p>

<p>I’m sure you know this, but just in case, dress more warmly than you would if you were running. When I used train for triathlons, I was always amazed how little I wanted to wear when I was running-- but cyclists need more.</p>

5079

<p>I think the rule is that cycling is an effective 10 degrees cooler than standing temperature. I am going to wear leg warmers with my cycling skirt (sounds strange but really comfortable and cute), arm warmers with my company/team jersey and a jacket. Either long fingered gloves or liner gloves under the cut-off finger cycling gloves. Smartwool socks. Taking my Zensah calf sleeves for afterwards. I do have some light wool tops- may take one for the 2nd day. The leg warmers (actually knee warmers but they cover most of my legs up to the bike shorts) can easily come off at a rest stop.</p>

5080

<p>I love cycling skirts! Only trouble is, they don’t work with tights. But they do work with legwarmers.</p>

<p>If it’s going to be quite cold in the mornings, a very thin wool hat under the helmet works for me. I knitted myself one out of leftover sock yarn.</p>