<p>
</p>
<p>Well, I might make you feel better. My trainer does also have me do dumbbells. Did them this week. I will text my trainer and ask him what he had me doing. I know it’s no where near what I bench press, but you’re right, it’s much harder to control each dumbbell individually than a barbell, although sometimes I definitely notice bobbing and weaving on my last couple of reps.</p>
<p>Got my reply… now remember, when I do the higher weights, I’m only doing 3 or so reps. So he says he had me use 20 lb. dumbbells on the incline bench press. But I did three sets of 12-15 each set. 'Bout where you’re at idad. You weren’t outchicked.</p>
<p>BCEagle:</p>
<p>Just glad to hear that you are OK… aside from two knee injuries, an arm injury, and a neck injury, that is!</p>
<p>teriwtt:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s still pretty impressive. You must be seeing and feeling some nice changes. I love how just a little work with weights makes everyday stuff easier. Like carrying grocery bags out to the car. The other day I had two plastic bags in each hand – heavy stuff, cans of soup, cans of cat food, a pork roast, and so forth. Instead of slumping my shoulders and dragging my butt to the car, I braced my core and curled the grocery bags across the parking lot. I could almost hear iPod nazi’s voice urging me on! If I start doing burpees in the grocery store parking lot, they’ll probably haul me away.</p>
<p>Well, I’m still not anywhere near what I was doing before the ankle injury and bronchitis. But that’s OK… am getting in three sessions a week with him.</p>
<p>However, I severely aggravated my golfer’s elbow again. I think the bowling might have done it. So we didn’t do any upper body stuff today (well, we did a couple of exercises until I told him the elbow was bothering me) as I knew I’d be spending a good chunk out in the yard today with the leaf blower. He suggested I get some of those elbow braces, which I did, and have worn them all day. I just knew that today was probably going to be my last chance to get the yard cleaned up. I just might pay for it this week. </p>
<p>Last week I stopped at Costco and picked up a 5 lb. package of ground beef (for making my dog’s homemade food). As I stared at it in the cart, it fascinated me. I kept thinking, I’ve lost over four of those packages! </p>
<p>Have to say I’m getting a bit intimidated at the prospect of meeting Bunsenburner next month. I keep bragging about my arms and I’ll be damned if this elbow injury causes me to cut back on arm work!</p>
<p>I have a friend who could not lift her suitcase into the trunk when we were on a business trip. I was shocked. It IS the everyday things that are easier when you have fitness and strength.</p>
<p>I agree with what toneranger said about all you who manage to keep up with exercise while working full time. I really fell off my schedule the last two weeks because of jury duty, and once I get out of my routine, it is a struggle to get back to it. I am determined to make today my get-back-to-it day, and luckily have a week off so I should be able to do it. After Thanksgiving, I am moving up to a full time position at work, and I am not sure I have the self discipline to fit a proper workout schedule in. But next year means 2 kids in college, so the extra money trumps my burning desire to win the 5k world championships for old people :)</p>
<p>yeah blankmind…when I’ve had the time, I didn’t have the money…and when I’ve had the money…my time is very limited. Somehow, we all need to find the right balance. Saving for the future will help. I don’t want to win any competitions…I just want to keep healthy. I need energy for a much increased work schedule and so that I have something left over for my family. I know regular exercise would help on that front, but I don’t seem to be able to fit it in during the week right now. I"m optimistic that I will adjust over time. Patience…</p>
<p>blankmind - that was my BIGGEST worry a few weeks ago after I fell then got sick. In all my previous attempts at maintaining healthy habits, an episode like I experienced (anything that takes you away from your routine, that you have no control over) would have sent me packing it all in. I would not have returned to the gym. But by telling people of my fears (both here and to my trainer - believe me, I told him over and over again), they kept encouraging me, and while I did not return to the level I was pre-events, I returned. I’m not sitting at home every day thinking, “I should return to the gym now.”</p>
<p>So keep coming back here so everyone can encourage you.</p>
<p>BTW - is jury duty over with? How did it go?</p>
<p>I have found it useful to get on the free mailing lists from iPod nazi (Yuri Elkaim) and Rachel Cosgrove. Both send regular e-mail links to “coaching” videos. This means that I get a daily reinforcement to stay focuses on moving more and eating less. Some of it is really interesting and relevant to me, some of it is less so. For example, Cosgrove targets all of her coaching at women, so I have to filter that, even though her methods are equally applicable to men.</p>
<p>Downside? You get a lot of fitness oriented e-mail. I just have it all moved to a Fitness e-mail folder.</p>
<p>Here’s the address for signing up for Cosgrove’s free video coaching. I’ve only gotten three installments, so it’s a little early, but if I were a woman looking to get going on an eat less/move more program, I’d jump at this one. The sign-up is on the right side of this page:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.fitchickcoach.com/public/main.cfm]fitchickcoach.com[/url”>http://www.fitchickcoach.com/public/main.cfm]fitchickcoach.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>teri - no worries, your muscles are not going to evaporate in a few weeks. According to what I read, we, females, lose 5% of our muscle weight every year after we turn 35 if we don’t do anything about it. You should be just fine even if you give yourself a break here and there. :)</p>
<p>blankmind, as I read it, you still have one kid in the nest -? With both kids out of the house, you will be surprised how much extra time you will have even working full time! You will be able to squeeze a few workouts in your busy weekly schedule. Stick around this thread - it is very motivational.</p>
<p>I hear what everyone’s been saying about the difficulty of keeping up a with exercise routines when you travel or have to deal with unexpected events. In the beginning of last week, I spent the entire night in the ER with my H (he was diagnosed with cellulitis); it took me two days to catch up on sleep and start back with my exercise routines. Went to see my D at college this weekend and last. I was able to get out and walk–which was great. Also went to a spin class with D. Class was at a club that was geared to younger folks–the room was completely dark and there were strob lights. The instructor was good, but I hated the music. Also, this was a combination spin and vinyassa (sp?) yoga. I don’t do yoga and was surprised that this type of yoga wasn’t like other classes I’d taken. Some of the poses were tough–side planks and such. Anyone know the difference in the various types of yoga classes?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have to agree wholeheartedly. That’s when I did it initially, but fell off the wagon. It was the impending big 5-0 that got to me. But I actually started the most recent attempts about four months before turning 50. It did happen to coincide with the start of this thread (Can you believe it? This thread will be a year old next month!). </p>
<p>It is amazing all the things I do now that I didn’t do when I still had kids at home.</p>
<p>Yes Bunsen, next year will be the beginning of the empty nest. I hadn’t thought about that, but now that you mention it, I can see how that will free up some time. No one asking to eat every 5 minutes for one :). </p>
<p>I went to the gym to run this morning because it was raining cats & dogs. I was only able to do 1.5 miles on the treadmill, I didn’t feel particularly good. It was very warm in the gym and I haven’t been sleeping properly, so I’m hoping it was just one bad day. I think I was just tired because I went back to bed about 1:00 for a nap and just woke up a little while ago.</p>
<p>teriwtt, jury duty was quite, uh, educational, in ways I never expected. It was a vehicular manslaughter case, and I felt a very heavy weight on my mind from the minute I stepped into the courtroom. I never want to be a juror again, ever.</p>
<p>Oh, dear… We went shopping, and DH bought a kettlebell: a 16-kilo one, with a bright red sticker proudly announcing “made in China”. H says I have to use it instead of my measly t-pushups. :)</p>
<p>Are you kidding me?? That’s 35 pounds!!</p>
<p>Exactly! That’s what it says on the other side of the darn thing. No way I’m lifting that sucker! DH can have it all to himself :)</p>
<p>Tell him you want to see 10 one arm kettleball swings on each arm with that that thing – start with the kettleball between his legs, knees bent, and then, with with a straight arm, drive it up to eye level.</p>
<p>Went to Sports Authority to look at weights with son and daughter. First time I’ve seen a kettleball. Son picked one up (35 pounds) with one hand. He’s picked up 75 pounds before so 35 pounds wasn’t a big deal. We looked at the rubber covered 20 pound weight (he needs one as 15 is way too easy). $2/pound - too much. Daughter didn’t even try picking up the kettleball and didn’t want to lift anything outside of single-digits. I’ve tried to get her to do weights with me but she doesn’t like guys staring at her there.</p>
<p>BTW, with tennis elbow on the right arm and a neck issue on the left side, I wasn’t going to mess with the heavy stuff.</p>
<p>"With both kids out of the house, you will be surprised how much extra time you will have even working full time! "</p>
<p>Hmmm…I must be doing something wrong. I’m out of the house by 7am and back between 7 and 8. Eat dinner. Tired. Chill out in front of the TV or read the newspaper. Respond to emails piling up. Go to sleep at 10. Do you folks out there get up at 5 and work out? I’m wondering if that’s what I need to do. </p>
<p>Elder care problems are also part of our life too. Really the main reason I had to go FT since we need bennies when my H scaled down his work due to his mom’s increasing needs.</p>
<p>Anybody see this article? It just seems to defy all logic: [Phys</a> Ed: The Workout Enigma - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/phys-ed-the-workout-enigma/]Phys”>Phys Ed: The Workout Enigma - The New York Times)</p>
<p>I’m not touching a 35 pound kettle ball, but I’m working up to the idea of doing the swing thing with something much smaller. </p>
<p>I’m thinking about asking for some sort of weights for home. I think I just have 3 pound ones from my dance aerobic days. I usually do curls with 15 lbs and something smaller for anything with my arm fully extended. Any opinions about what I ought to have hanging around?</p>
<p>I can put a 35 pound weight back on the rack one handed, but I’m not exercising with that size one handed!</p>