<p>MOfWC, I got bitten by a spider twice while doing yardwork this spring. I’ve been doing gardening for as long as I remember myself, but these were my first spider bites! One bite was so bad my entire hand turned purple and swollen. Do you wear sunglasses when you run? If the bugs get under the glasses, maybe you should try a new pair? If you do not currently wear eye protection, maybe you should look into protecting your eyes with “windshields”?</p>
<p>I don’t run with sunglasses. I probably should. It was early in the morning, but my cycling (sport) glasses might be fine since they aren’t a very dark tint with the lenses I have in them. I feel like I need to wear a ski mask or something!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The upper body/lower body split is old school bodybuilder stuff (think Arnold Schwartzeneggar) where guys “did biceps and chest” one day, “legs” the next. It fit well with the old school (and machine based) concept of isolating specific muscles. It works if your goal is to “pump up” and increase the size of particular muscles, which is the point of bodybuilding. Works even better if you use the steroids that go with bodybuiding!</p>
<p>The NROL4ABS workouts are designed for people who can go to the gym three days a week and give it a solid hour. They are pretty much the first category of exercise in Alwyn Cosgrove’s [Hiearchy</a> of Fat Loss](<a href=“AlwynCosgrove.com”>AlwynCosgrove.com), which is a blueprint for how to allocate your exercise time for maximum fat loss if you have 3 hours a week or 4 hours a week or 5 hours a week or whatever. “Do this first. Then, if you have more time, do that. Then, if you want to exercise even more add some of this…”</p>
<p>The weight lifting part is done in two-exercise supersets. You alternate a leg exercise and an upper body exercise. So you do one, then the other, then the first one again and so forth. This allows short rest between exercises because your leg muscles are recovering while you are doing the upper body exercise and vice versa. The idea is to keep it moving at a pretty brisk pace. I actually used a timer to beep after 60 seconds of rest following each exercise. There were times when I couldn’t go again in 60 seconds because I was still hammered, but at least I was pushng to keep it moving. On the other hand, it’s not supposed to be a Crossfit workout where you do 8000 reps without stopping. That’s when form disintegrates, although Phase III is as many sets of the two alternating exercises as you can do in 10 minutes. Then as many of the second two alternaing exercises in 10 minutes.</p>
<p>I cut the workouts a bit. Part of Cosgrove’s approach is metabolic circuits – fast paced high intensity strength exercises that serve as cardio conditioning, for example the swings and burpees I do on the minute every minute. The suggestion is to do ten minutes at the end of the NROL4ABS workouts as a “finisher”. I found that I was toast after these strength workouts and prefer to do my interval cardo in short 20 minute sessions on my “off” days. So I only did the “finisher” one time and, after that, incorportated them into my rotation of off-day interval cardio stuff and can actually do a little more intense version because I’m fresh. But, I like to do something five or six days a week. I’m following his hierarchy, just a slightly expanded version. I actually followed his hiearchy to the letter from day one, even though I didn’t discover his article until I had already been doing it.</p>
<p>Another way to split up the workouts would be to do the dynamic warmup and core one day and the strength portions and cardio interval finishers on alternating days or something like that. That’s the approach I would take if I only had 30 minutes a day five days a week.</p>
<p>I just don’t feel like working out today…</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - No Excuses](<a href=“Warhawk Matt Scott in Nike 'No Excuses' Commercial - YouTube”>Warhawk Matt Scott in Nike 'No Excuses' Commercial - YouTube)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I actually worked with this guy last summer!</p>
<p>I went to the gym this morning, took a shower then went out and measured two houses, now I’m so sweaty I need another shower!</p>
<p>I generally do machines at the Y alternating sets of lower body and upper body as fast as possible to get through as much as possible. I do the Cosgrove dynamic warmup and try to do some planks every day at home.</p>
<p>MOWC so sorry! I can’t do oral benadryl at all, it makes me totally hyper.</p>
<p>MOWC, a paste of meat tenderizer is supposed to work well on stings. Benadryl is awful stuff. Is there anything that repels those gnats? Skin so Soft?</p>
<p>I have read some posts and I gather that “weight training” by machines at the health club (which I enjoy) is not considered the best thing these days? Is there a “primer” on the newer workouts? I checked out a couple of websites and videos from this thread, and I am not ready for them (refugee from the “Dummies” thread!)</p>
<p>It’s like learning recently that sheer pantyhose have been out of style for 20 years. I had no idea. I only learned that they have been out of style by reading that they now may be coming back into style, because Kate Middleton wears them!</p>
<p>I think that it depends on the machines.</p>
<p>I’m fairly impressed with the latest generation stuff at my new YMCA.</p>
<p>Played two hours of tennis. The temperature was 79 degrees but the relative humidity was around 77%. We were both sweating buckets - good thing that I brought along my usual 40 ounces of water. Next time I’ll bring 60 ounces. I thought about it.</p>
<p>We split sets. My regular weekly singles guy has upped the level of his game. I was beating him regularly after I got my weight down to a certain level. The thing is that we’re both competitive and we’ll eventually raise our game if we lose for a long enough period of time. The other thing is that he has a new girlfriend and his entire outlook on life is so much better - he’s happier than I’ve seen him in five or six years.</p>
<p>So that means that I need to raise the level of my game. I am still adjusting to my new racquet. I made some modifications to my serve which helped in the second set. I think that I need to increase the weight in the handle to make the racquet more stable. It’s also an XL which may be throwing off my game. I have a standard-length from arriving Monday and I’ll give that a try too.</p>
<p>NYMom:</p>
<p>If you like the machines, do the machines. They certainly aren’t going to do any harm (at least in the reps or weights that any of us could do.</p>
<p>They have fallen out of favor in sports conditioning circles for a number of reasons:</p>
<p>a) We already sit too damn much, so the last thing we need to do is go to the gym and sit on a machine while we “work our biceps” or whatever.</p>
<p>b) Because the range of motion is limited to a single muscle and often a single plane of movement, machine exercises do not require stabilizing muscles to work as hard. For example, when I press a pair of dumbbells over my head, I’ve got to not only lift them, but stabilize them from falling to the front or sides or back. That’s very different than pushing on a machine that can only move one way.</p>
<p>c) Maximum fat burning occurs when you do compound exercises that work multiple large muscles. That’s why things like squats and lunges and pushups and chin ups are so effective in fat loss programs.</p>
<p>Having said all that, resistance training using machines is much better than not resistance training at all. Infinitely better.</p>
<p>Thanks, idad! I see the point about off-machine exercises calling on many more muscles. But are things like squats and lunges bad for the knees? I could do those, but pushups and chinups are out of the question for me now. Until I lose some weight and increase strength in my arms, I won’t be able to do even one.</p>
<p>That’s the nice thing about machines you can do those chin ups and dips with a little bit of extra help. And you can get the pushup muscles started so that you will be able to do pushups. Can you do pushups from the knees? I literally started 30 years ago, by being able to do 1 real pushup. I do mostly machines at the Y, but also some free weight things, including some squats with weights.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>You can get injured on weight machines if you don’t know what you’re
doing. You really have to adjust them to your body and use them
correctly. Last week, there was a lady trying to use the combination
fly/delts machine - she was trying to do flys. But the machine was set
up in the delts position. I saw her bend her arms back at the elbow to
reach all the way back to try to move the machine arms forward. I
immediately went over to show her how to use the machine for flys.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Not all weight machines are sitting machines.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>I’d suggest looking at the cards on machines - many machines do work
multiple muscle groups. Some machines only work one muscle group.
Last night I used the leg extension machine. It’s a good machine if
you’re recovering from chondrolacia as you can isolate the left and
right muscles just above the knee to try to balance them out.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>People workout with differing goals.</p>
<p>At the Y, I mainly use:</p>
<p>Abductor, adductor, abdominal, pullups, dips, cable/pulley, flys,
delts, leg extension, rows, rotary torso. I use barbells for bench
presses and the military press. This set of machines and exercises
keeps my core quite healthy for other exercises. I’m not particularly
concerned with burning fat with these exercises. Many of these
exercises directly support my tennis game.</p>
<p>The use of weight machines probably aren’t the most efficient for
losing fat but they can be quite useful for other goals. My son likes
to run at the YMCA so I have to be there anyways. My choices are
running, working, reading a book or using the weight machines. I
usually choose to use the weight machines as they are unique to the
three gyms that I have access too.</p>
<p>I took myself to the walk-in clinic this morning (since my dr.'s office was closed, of course…). I’m glad I went. The guy said it was too late for antihistimines at this point (yay) and he presrcibed a steroid pack. It’s already working. It DOES mean I won’t sleep for about 4 days, though. He said next time I should take a non-drowsy antihistimine as soon as possible after the sting. It’s looking better- still bad- but better. My left eye is more than a slit now! If it’s not one thing…</p>
<p>When I was better about doing weights I did a combination of free weights and machines. I liked the lat pull machine and, of course, now I’m doing the butt machines when I’m at the gym. I liked dumbbells for shoulder and chest and the regular bench press with the bar and weights.</p>
<p>Bugs are stupid. I swallowed a fly when I was huffin’ and puffin’ up the steepest hill on my walk. It was disgusting, but there was nothing I could do.</p>
<p>This time of year, I really should put the bug spray on, but I really hate the stuff and I paritucularly hate it when I’m sweating like a pig. We left a bottle of bug spray on top of the dryer in the laundry room (it fell from the shelf overhead) and some leaked. It peeled the paint off the top of the dryer down to bare metal. Yuk. Like I really want that on my skin. But, at a certain point, I have to relent.</p>
<p>BC:</p>
<p>I’ve actually read some articles from pretty well respected strength coaches that leg extension machines are actually pretty rough on knees.</p>
<p>Here’s one from Eric Cressey, who works with a bunch of pro baseball players at his facility in Hudson, MA:</p>
<p>[T</a> NATION | Truth About Leg Extensions](<a href=“The Truth About Leg Extensions”>The Truth About Leg Extensions)</p>
<p>i-dad, unless you are walking through a Siberian tundra, you do not need to smear bug repellent on your skin - just spray your clothes and your hat while holding your breath (do not inhale the stuff!) DEET is digusting, but bugs are even more disgusting.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Leg extension and good machine should not be in the same thought! One of the WORST machines ever invented. Why people (including physical therapists!) still use them is beyond me.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>They can be if you have existing injuries.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Many do chinups with some assist. It could be a Hoist machine or
just keeping one food on a chair to provide the assist. You can
do resistance using stretchable bands too which provide some
resistance but not your whole body weight.</p>
<p>If regular pushups are too hard, you can do them on stars to get down
to about 70% of a regular pushup. There are also pushups at the knees.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>This is talking about bulking up. I’m talking about recovering from an
injury. Standard advice from doctors for chondromalacia is to do leg
lifts. Most people do them without weights on a chair or stairs. You
can do them on a leg extension machine too. Obviously someone with an
injury isn’t going to use much weight on the machine.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.orthoseek.com/articles/chondromp.html[/url]”>http://www.orthoseek.com/articles/chondromp.html</a></p>
<p>I still can’t do a full pushup. But I’ve worked my way down from using the fourth step up to the second stair up when I do them at home – at the gym, we use a bar on the Smith rack. I still huff and puff through them, but I’ve gotten better. Years ago I started even easier, using a stability ball against a wall and doing pushups against the ball, which is surprisingly hard. </p>
<p>Similarly, there are a bunch of easier versions of plank, and I’m still working my way through them, mostly using my forearms for support rather than being in the “up” part of the full push-up position. Everything still gets nicely tuckered out. </p>
<p>One of the (many) things I’ve learned from working with a good trainer is how much benefit I get from non-obvious stabilizing efforts required during exercises that aren’t done on machines. The only machine I use at all regularly is a Free Motion dual cable cross machine, which I do find really handy. Otherwise, it is all mat, exercise ball, free weights, bands for the legs (monster walk stuff), and low or high steps. Nice, because I’m slowly building a home supply of most of this stuff.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how important it is to worry about pull-ups at the early stages.</p>