<p>Santa’s sleigh arrived late and brought me a couple of new workout toys:</p>
<p>I got a “suspension trainer” hanging from a rafter in the basement. [TRX[/url</a>] popularized this piece of equipment. I bought a cheaper knockoff called the [url=<a href=“http://www.lifelineusa.com/en/products/new-jungle-gym-xt]Jungle”>http://www.lifelineusa.com/en/products/new-jungle-gym-xt]Jungle</a> Gym XT](<a href=“http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/]TRX[/url”>http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/). Very nice piece of gear. I’m using it for interted rows – kind of like an upside down pushup where you hang from the handles, body straight, feet on floor, and pull yourself up. You can go from easy to hard by starting with the handles raised and progressively lower them. I’m also hoping to use it for some of the unstable core exercises – feet in the straps while doing plank or side plank, etc.</p>
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<p>And, more and more of my exercises were requiring steps of various heights. I had a collection of old milk crates and stools I had been using, but not of them were really all that stable. So Santa brought me a Reebok Step. It’s a large step (38 inches long, weighs 17 pounds) that can be configured 6 inches tall, 8 inches tall, or 10 inches tall. The photos don’t really do it justice: it is large enough to be a weight bench, very stable, holds 350 pounds, and has a soft rubber insert on the top. The heights are really good for most purposes. For example, 10 inches is good for plank or side plank with elevated feet. 6 inchs is good for front or rear foot elevated split squats. 10 inches in plenty to work up a sweat doing step exercises, especially if you are pressing dumbells at the same time.</p>
<p>I had decided not to compete in the 2011 Senior Games in Houston. Who wants to be racing in Houston in the summer? We had a great time in San Francisco, but it does cost to fly somewhere and stay for a couple of days. I decided that although I qualified, I wasn’t going to spend the money on Houston. </p>
<p>Today I got a letter from the PA Dept of Aging (wow, that’s always an uplifting phrase). They said they were encouraging senior athletes who qualified to participate in the games in Houston and that I could enter a lottery and win $1000 for travel. They are going to support 20 people! I can’t believe it. I guess I will put my name in and see what happens. This means two things. If I happen to get the money I will have to start training harder & I will lose my amateur status as an athlete :)</p>
<p>I’ve generally avoided step-type exercises because of potential knee injuries. I already have enough knee issues with tennis. Our basement has a low ceiling too in the part where the TV is so any kind of hand raising on a step wouldn’t work very well. I do see that it is still used in some classes at the YMCA and at the office. I think that STEP used to be dominant in classes until a much wider variety of workouts came along in the 1990s.</p>
<p>I watched the video for the TRX and it certainly looks interesting until I realized that it didn’t include that big bar contraption thing. I’ll have to look around at the YMCA to see if they have something like that. We have a rather complicated pulley machine that you can do a lot of things on but it’s hard to beat a pair of straps for variability.</p>
<p>wip2- ARe you sure you would lose amateur status? I thought the rules had loosened a lot.</p>
<p>iDad- Neat! Merry Christmas. Did you buy that stuff yourself (Santa) or did your family decide to get with the program and support your habit? :)</p>
<p>I just got done with my workout for the day. Short and to the point. I only worked about for about 10-12 minutes, but was soaked in sweat when I was done. I did Hang Clean 3x4 and straight-leg deadlift 3x12. Then I finished with 3x15sec of hurdle hops with a 6" hurdle.</p>
<p>**hops: **That will do it! The hurdle hops would kill me. The two phase I workouts in my new program have deadlifts: a two leg barbell (or two dumbbells) dead lift in one and a single leg single arm deadlift in the other. Those are kicking my butt and I’m using very little weight as I try to get the form right. I actually have to do the single leg deadlift next to a wall so I can reach out when I lose my balance.</p>
<p>WIP2: Sounds to me like the politicians in Penn must have more money than they know what to do with. I guess Penn must not have a budget crunch, but, if they did, supporting racewalkers for the senior games would be a terrific candidate for the budget axe. Makes you wonder what else is in these state budgets.</p>
<p>**NMinn: **Most of this stuff came from looking at what I was going to need to do this new program. I desperately need to include some pulling exercises and the straps (“suspension trainer”) really seemed like a good way to do that. If you travel, you can even hook them up on a door in a hotel room – or outdoors in a park. I think a lot of gyms have them now.</p>
<p>**BC Eagle: **Both iPod nazi and this new NROL 4 ABS book are big on step combinations: stepping up and down on a step while doing something with dumbells – like pressing one overhead while stepping up. I had been using the first step of my stairs, but needed something a little taller. All the stuff I had tried rummaging around in the basement (old stools, milk crates, etc) seemed to have a high potential for flipping over on me or sliding out from under me. Steps are an issue with knees. I have a tall step outside (probably 14 inches) that is a bit uncomfortable.</p>
<p>IDad - not specifically for racewalkers - just people who participated in state senior games. Recipients are being chosen not by a drawing actually, but from responses. They are clearly looking for inspirational stories and for people who have been active in their communities. </p>
<p>Proceeds from our state lottery benefit senior citizens so who knows, maybe it was a particularly big year.</p>
<p>I understand. And I think it would be great if government could afford to do every wonderful thing for every deserving person while we all dance with leprechans an unicorns in fields of green grass under fluffy clouds and rainbows. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has a $4 billion deficit in the current budget and is going to have to start making some choices.</p>
<p>Well, I’m humbled. After walk-thoughs of the first two NROL4A workouts, I did the first workout for realz today and it kicked my ass. You know you are in trouble when you see an 88% of max heart rate during the warmup!</p>
<p>I did plank for 90 seconds – bird dog style, lifting an opposing arm and leg for 10 seconds at a time. Ouch. I did side plank, 45 seconds per side, extending the top arm towards the ceiling and lifting the top leg (for about 5 seconds).</p>
<p>The split squats with the front foot up on a 6 inch step are brutal. Of course, all squats are pretty much brutal. I did these with 2 15 pound dumbells. I did the deadlifts with 2 20 pound dumbells. Those felt pretty good. I’m starting to get this hip hinge thing…</p>
<p>I did the pushups with my feet up on the 6 inch step. Those were “fun”.</p>
<p>With a 5 minute Airdyne cooldown, it was 58 minutes. Average heart rate 75%, peak heart rate 96%. I might be sore tomorrow. I’m working some new muscles.</p>
<p>Will I ever stop coughing? 4 miles on the dreadmill after work. Abandoned the low HR plan (for the first time) because I simply couldn’t keep HR down with the coughing and gagging. Instead I did a few intervals at a blazing 10 minute pace. I had PT last night and he wants me to start doing some hamstring curls at the gym (besides the ball curls) with light weight, so I tried some of those. My left hamstring is still incredibly weak. He did think it is getting better, though.</p>
<p>Thanks, MN, but I have attended the National Games and I have been blown away by some of the stories. My accomplishments are nothing compared to what I have witnessed. People who have battled cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and have courageously worked to restore their health. People who were morbidly obese and got a wake up call because someone they loved died. People who are over 90 and pole vaulting for goodness sakes. Many of the people at SF voluntarily participated in a genome project aimed at determining how much staying active can overcome genetic predisposition for various diseases. The Games are really about people who are committed to doing all they can to remain healthy by staying fit, staying connected, staying involved. You cannot imagine the vitality of the participants. The over-80 women’s B-ball was just amazing to watch. They were serious. And then there were the over 90 crowd doing butterfly. </p>
<p>What struck me the first time I attended was the mental acuity of the participants. I am not naive, it may not be purely cause and effect - but I have to believe that being as active as they are helps maintain not only physical fitness, but mental fitness as well. </p>
<p>So - I am not going to debate the fiscal wisdom of the decision. This is the Health & Wellness Thread. And frankly, the letter was just a day brightener for me & I think I will just continue to enjoy it.</p>
<p>MoWC - the hamstring curls really seemed to help me when I had that high hamstring thing. I do them regularly, so I just used lighter weights than usual and more reps. I also did a LOT of leg extensions. My hamstrings are very strong, but a little tight and I find that when I concentrate on leg extensions, my hamstrings feel better. Not sure why, but I know it works.</p>
<p>Hamstring curls can either be lying on your stomach and pulling up with your ankle on the pads or in a sitting machine where you press the pad down (legs going from extended to bent knee) with the back of your ankle.</p>
Would love to cheer for you! You need to tell them how you have inspired all of us! :)</p>![http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41n%2BF6dQdHL._SS400_.jpg[/url]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41n%2BF6dQdHL._SS400_.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
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