<p>Real world weight lifting for me today. My wife and I wrestled an old sofa from the basement, up the bulkhead stairs, into the backyard, and around to the driveway to be hauled away. That required me on the top side, bending way down, and deadlifting it up to the next step. One by one. Then carrying it maybe 20 feet at a time. I did wrap some straps around it so at least there was something to grab onto.</p>
<p>I say this without hesitation, without reservation, and without exception:</p>
<p>If you are not doing some form of squats in your exercise program, your program is NOT complete!</p>
<p>Taking that a step further, if you are an athlete your program is NOT complete without SINGLE LEG SQUAT of some variety. I don’t care what you can back squat…</p>
<p>1 hour and 50 minutes of doubles in a wooded private clay court. It was a decent workout and the doubles was very good (7-5, 2-6, 3-3) - it wasn’t like the singles slugfests that I’m used to. I also had 1,100+ calories for breakfast and lunch so plenty of energy today. The clay is much easier on the knees and feet and the wooded setting means that the sun isn’t too bad. The major part about courts near woods is mosquitoes. About an hour before sunset, they come out and buzz around while you’re playing and the get more aggressive as you get closer to sunset. I used to play after work but there wasn’t enough time before the bugs came out so we’re back to playing at lunchtime with my regular people.</p>
<p>The body feels very good after almost two hours of tennis.</p>
<p>I only play on clay about two times a year on average. There are clubs with clay courts in my area but I’m more of a hard court player.</p>
<p>My program is not complete. I don’t do squats. They hurt me.</p>
<p>I go back and forth on squats because I see some back damage from them - at least I think that there’s back damage. I think that walking up a lot of stairs (either real stairs or a machine) can give you a decent amount of the benefit that squats can give you. The thing that I notice when doing squats is that the stairs (when I’m carrying 30 pounds of gear) are easier.</p>
<p>MOWC – Did you see the story about the runner in the Chicago marathon who ran it, had dinner, and then proceeded to have her baby?</p>
<p>Yes! I saw it on my running forums, but my son sent it to me and wrote “This sounds like you!” I ran right up until the day of delivery with both kids, and with my son a woman followed me around the outdoor track because she was sure I was going to deliver on the track.
Downside- my labors were very long. Docs said my ab muscles etc were so strong that they didn’t respond as easily to the contractions. So much for staying fit…</p>
<p>^^^Gosh…if the reverse is true that could be why I delivered D1 in 3 hrs and D2 in 45 minutes!!! :eek:</p>
<p>There was a Chicago marathoner that died too - 35 year-old firefighter, died fairly late. There’s a theory around that a very few runners get an adrenaline rush at the end of the race and that this could have cause heart attacks. I’ve seen it in races, people relaxing and then charging at the finish line.</p>
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<p>I would agree with that. I’m about ready to start a new jihad to do one-leg pistol squats. I think I’ve finally made enough progress on balance and single leg strength to give it a go.</p>
<p>BC: </p>
<p>The back pain is tied to specifically to back squats. Barbell across the shoulders is notorious for tweaking the back. It’s why Mike Boyle longer has any of his college or Olympic hockey players bacl squat. Everything is either single-leg squats or front squats. I can’t think of any good reason why us geezers have to be back squatting when there are so many good alternatives. It’s just not favorable loading for the back.</p>
<p>I like two dumbells at the shoulders for two-leg squats – the DB version of a front squat. I’m in no danger of needing more weight than I can get from a pair of dumbbells!</p>
<p>My coworker really appreciated the hero welcome she got at the office. 
She said she was not aware of any train incidents, but the weather was very crappy in the morning. The protesters decided not to tick off the running community and mostly stayed out of the way. She missed her goal by several minutes, but she was still very happy about her race. </p>
<p>I read about the Chicago lady giving birth after finishing and also thought about MOfWC. :)</p>
<p>I have the same problem with dumbbells low.</p>
<p>It might not be the squats at all. Could just be hitting big serves. Hitting really big serves for a few hours can be tough on the back and the days that I play are non-deterministic. When my back is feeling good, I do squats but I play tennis too.</p>
<p>I do a squat just to get the dumbbells off the ground to do a bench press. The dumbbells weigh more than the barbell. The dumbbells load the back too; they just load it via the arms. The interesting thing is that the military press doesn’t bother my back at all, even though the back is still under load.</p>
<p>I do know that doing squats makes it easier to go up stairs with a lot of gear.</p>
<p>I have been away for almost a week. Congratulations on everyone’s continued success.</p>
<p>I spent several days on the opposite coast, taking care of a baby. What an easy gig! Utterly relaxing, but not much exercise, except putting the little one in a backpack and doing the 4 mile round trip to Starbucks. Had some decent hills, though and the pack with baby and all accesories was probably over 25 lbs., so at least I kept moving.
Followed by a weekend in the mountains: an easy hike, a longer mountain bike ride and then some easy tennis.</p>
<p>This morning back in the gym and greeted by this workout:</p>
<p>Dynamic Warm Up</p>
<p>5 minutes double under jump rope</p>
<p>3 rounds as fast as possible:</p>
<p>.25 mile treadmill run
25 split squats on each leg
.25 mile treadmill run
50 KB swings (12 kg)</p>
<p>I actually really liked this particular workout, because I am the only girl in the class and when it’s essentially all lower body like this one, I beat a lot of the guys, even the ones who are doing the same KB weight. Throw in a bunch of push ups, and it is a whole different picture.</p>
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<p>Oh, gotcha! Moving weights from the floor up to about knee level is dicey no matter how you do it. That’s why I got a pair of 9 inch stools. I put the weights down on those so I don’t have the wear and tear of going all the way down to the floor.</p>
<p>For squats, I go down to the point where the top of my thighs are parallel to the ground. There’s not a lot to be gained by squatting lower.</p>
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<p>I’ve spent the last few weeks doing overhead squats. Those things are nasty. Barbell outstretched overhead, while squatting. It’s a heckuva challenge to the core. Don’t need much weight – I’ve been using about 43 pounds. I tried to go a little heavier and couldn’t keep from arching my back.</p>
<p>The weather is turning really ugly. It looks like my run tonight is going to be on the treadmill. 
Maybe I should just do some squats instead. </p>
<p>CJane, it sounds like you had lots of fun exercise while taking care of that baby!</p>
<p>BB- I did! No backtalk, no discipline, no college lists 
Just pure love of life and any problem could be fixed by a bottle, a diaper change or a nap!</p>
<p>Right on cue. Mike Boyle posted another YouTube today. This time he’s doing Rear Foot Elevated Goblet Squats. Another terrific geezer squat.</p>
<p>[Mike</a> Boyle Rear-Foot elevated goblet squat](<a href=“Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning - YouTube”>Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning - YouTube)</p>
<p>Holding a dumbbell in the goblet position is now his prefered way to do all squats (for geezers and college/Olympic athletes) until you progress to the point where a single DB is too heavy to hold. Then, he switches to two DBs held at the sides.</p>
<p>MOWC–I have heard that about labor, related to ballet dancers. They are so “pulled up” that the muscles can’t relax & let the baby out? Reasonable theory…never applied to me! (I mean, I had long labors, but not b/c I was in such terrific shape.)</p>
<p>Anybody know anything about exercises for arthritis of the neck? I have a diagnosis, and the doc says I should live with it, that “if you know anything about arthritis, you know that improving the muscles won’t do anything.” Yet all these spine care centers offer physical therapy & non-surgical alternatives they claim will work. (I am nowhere near needing surgery…just have twinges that bother me, especially when I’m trying to sleep.)</p>
<p>I’m thinking better muscles help posture, which helps take the load off the discs & so forth. But what do I know? :D</p>
<p>The weather continues to be beautiful so I walked outside again! 4 miles…Hard to get the knee moving but I managed and am now icing as I type. No way could I do squats!!! :eek: Am loving the map my walk website. So nice to get an accurate measure of where Ive been or plan to go!</p>
<p>Mommusic – I don’t have particular experience with arthritis of the neck, but I’ve had enough other joint issues to have learned one good lesson: everything is connected. When something hurts, your natural tendency is to position yourself and move in ways that minimize the hurt, which often leads to other problems – and that’s something that I think some work with a PT could help with. </p>
<p>On the arthritis front in general – warm water therapy pools make every one of my joints much happier, and I seem to move better and sleep better after spending some time in one. It might be worth a try for you.</p>