<p>mathmom, I’m with you on elective surgery. However, if I’m ever in some big accident (god forbid), my family is under strict instructions as to what I want my new nose to look like and I’d better have a much flatter tummy as well!</p>
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<p>I think the most important lesson I learned is to not be afraid to get totally gassed. Intense exercise gives you the confidence of knowing that, no matter how hard you may be panting, you’ll be recovered in 30 seconds or 60 seconds or 120 seconds or whatever the case may be. I mean, if you look at professional athletes, there are plenty of times they are completely gassed. Fitness is being able to recover from that, but it’s a challenge for an ol’ (formerly) fat guy ex-smoker just as it’s a challenge for an NFL player or a somebody in the fifth set at Wimbledon.</p>
<p>Played 90 minutes of table-tennis and did some free-weights. The problem with table-tennis is that it’s hard to get a good workout. I worked up a sweat but it’s nothing like running. The problem is that the room is so small so you really can’t go after a lot of balls without getting hurt.</p>
<p>Tennis partner canceled so I’m hoping for a run tomorrow to call it a week.</p>
<p>Thanks for doing those burpees for me, Idad!</p>
<p>^^^ No problem. I don’t want to see you pulling a MOWC and doing burpees while you still have your stitches in. They were kinda fun (I never thought I say that about 50 burpees). I’m speeding them up so the jump down into the push up position and going down to the floor is all one motion and I’m doing all my jump ups with hands in the air.</p>
<p>I’m in a celebratory mood. In a little over two hours (about 1:00 am), it will be the three-year anniversary of my last cigarette and the **one-year anniversary **of starting to eat less and move more and adding the “(formerly)” to my ol’ (formerly) fat guy designation. To commemorate the moment, I just did my first ever full-depth single leg squats. I did them hanging to elastic bands for assistance, but I did them with decent form and all the way down to thigh parallel to the ground.</p>
<p>Three years ago tonight, I couldn’t tie my shoes without getting winded. And now I’m doing cardio intervals with dumbbell swings and burpees and practicing single-leg squats. Is this a great country or what? :)</p>
<p>And, from the *is this a great country or what ? *department:</p>
<p>Rachel Cosgrove and Men’s Health Magazine just released the Spartacus 2.0 workout:</p>
<p>[The</a> Spartacus Workout 2.0 | My Men’s Health](<a href=“Hearst Magazines”>Hearst Magazines)</p>
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<p>It’s five exercises. Do each one for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds. Repeat the circuit two times through without resting, then rest for 2 minutes, and do it all again. </p>
<p>[The</a> Spartacus Workout 2.0 | My Men’s Health](<a href=“Hearst Magazines”>Hearst Magazines)</p>
<p>Then rest 2 minutes and move on to the second set of five exercises. Same routine.</p>
<p>[The</a> Spartacus Workout 2.0 | My Men’s Health](<a href=“Hearst Magazines”>Hearst Magazines)</p>
<p>Just between you, me, and fence post, I’m going to do two sets of the first five, take two minutes, and then do two sets of the second five. I think that will be gracious plenty for an ol’ (formerly) fat guy.</p>
<p>The only equipment you need is dumbells and something to lean on like a chair or the arm of your sofa. You can use an interval timer or just start an evercise every minute on the minute. Or download the free Workout Muse Spartacus 2.0 soundtrack and rock it out on your iPod with the mean man who says “begin next exercise in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1”</p>
<p>[The</a> Spartacus 2.0 Workout Soundtrack! | Workout Muse - Interval Workout Music - Interval Training Music](<a href=“workoutmuse.com”>workoutmuse.com)</p>
<p>I just listened to a bit and this is a great workout soundtrack. It can be used for Spartacus or with any exercises you like. Exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20. I guess I know what my Friday workout is going to have to be.</p>
<p>I found a couple of bruises on my knuckles tonight on both hands. They’re both quite discolored. You wouldn’t think that something as light as a ping-pong ball could do any damages but we were hitting smashes at 50 - 60 miles an hour and they can do some damage. I think that I have gotten cuts before in playing.</p>
<p>I did some weights with dumbbells after table-tennis and could definitely feel the bruises while carrying the weights. So no hand-type stuff for a few days.</p>
<p>I was having a little trouble hanging onto the 25 pound dumbell on the tenth set of swings tonight. In the past, I’ve really used momentum to swing the weight, but this Dan John guy really stresses that the swing is a power move and you want to freeze the weight at the shoulder (stick it like a landing or like a punch) and then forcefully drive it back down. So you aren’t just letting the weight swing, but actively driving it both up and down. I was probably holding the weight too tightly, but my grip was starting to go after a hundred of the things.</p>
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<p>My hamstrings are on fire all day long anyway!</p>
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Wish we could all go have a drink to celebrate! Sincere congratulations!!!</p>
<p>Congratulations, interesteddad! That is an amazing accomplishment. </p>
<p>Has your doctor been amazed and astounded?</p>
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<p>Doctors are such dweebs when it comes to quitting smoking or losing weight. I don’t think he knew what to make of me.</p>
<p>You’re an inspiration, idad!</p>
<p>The Globe should do an article on you.</p>
<p>Well, I have reached a milestone: I have an injury due to working out.</p>
<p>Part of my usual routine is to stand on the bosu ball (on the flat part, not the rounded part) while lifting various heavy things. I do that because balance is extemely important as we age. At my gym where I live during the week, they have two bosu balls – one is much steeper and higher than the other. I usually use the less steep one, but last night I couldn’t find it, so I used the steeper one. </p>
<p>Mistake.</p>
<p>I did fine getting on it with the five-pound weights, the ten-pound weights, and the 25-pound barbell for my first set. When I tried to get on with the 25-pound barbell for my second set, I couldn’t get on the damn thing – I wound up slipping off and having the barbell crash down on my left side. </p>
<p>I thought I was fine, with only my dignity damaged, but this morning my left thumb is swollen and painful. Yes, I took aspirin and I’m icing it.</p>
<p>This is hardly the worst thing that has happened to anyone, but jeez – my thumb!! Had trouble getting dressed this morning. Well, a few days and I should be good as new.</p>
<p>Congrats, Idad on two huuuuuge milestones!</p>
<p>VeryHappy–ouch! Hope you heal up quickly. I have several bottle of controlled substances on my night stand if anyone needs anything…</p>
<p>Don’t know what a burpee is, but here’s my contribution to this thread. My problem is getting to the gym in the morning. I set my alarm, but it’s all too easy (especially when it’s cold and dark out) to tell myself I need the sleep, or I’ll go tomorrow, etc. Then I thought about all the things I do for H and kids that I don’t feel like doing either, but I do them (laundry, cooking, shopping, a bazillion errands). So a few days ago I was telling D I wanted to go to the gym but I can’t make myself go, and she said “great – if you go to the gym you can pick me up coffee and bagels!” So guess what – I went to the gym because now it’s linked with something else I do for my kids. I’m not getting up at 6 to go to the gym – I’m getting up to go-to-the-gym-and-get-bagels-for-the-family. The 2 are linked.</p>
<p>^^ Sounds like you need to make YOURSELF a little more of a priority.</p>
<p>^^Please translate, MOWC – does that mean I get extra bagels or something? :)</p>
<p>It’s hard to make room for exercise in the context of a busy life and there are various ways to provide motivation. I’m a competitive person so I like running, weights, tennis, etc. The running and weights are self-competition - can I beat my previous record? Tennis is something that I do weekly with one or three others so there is the group aspect there. Some people really work better in a group environment. There is a lady in my work organization that works out daily with two other ladies. When one is feeling down, the other two drag her along. Some people need a social aspect of working out.</p>
<p>Family can be very helpful. My son goes to the Y when he is at home and he drags me along with him. We all need to figure out what we need to self-motivate or join a group that spreads the load around. One other thing: exercise needs to be easy as it is too easy to skip. If the gym is far away or you don’t want to go out into the cold, exercise at home, either doing exercises that don’t require equipment, or buy a piece of equipment here and there and build up the capacity to workout at home. I have a fitness facility at the office, am a member of the YMCA and have weight equipment at home. If I’m really pressed, I can always do stretching or weights at home.</p>
<p>We should have warmer temperatures in six weeks; you just need to focus for a relatively short time and then things will get better.</p>
<p>Or you could do the very popular snowshovel/icebreaker workout.</p>
<p>I’ve only had two weight training accidents in my life and neither was of the dropping kind. I have a very healthy respect for weight equipment and keep myself firmly planted when using weights.</p>
<p>If I can get cut or bruised by a 2.7 oz ping-pong ball, I know that a lot of damage can result from much heavier weights. In general I like to have someone spotting me when I workout with over 60 pounds on the barbell. The spotter is usually my son who has no problems with a 70 pound barbell. He does a gazillion reps with a 70 pound barbell.</p>