<p>CJ:</p>
<p>If I had to absolutely, positively lose 10 pounds that wasn’t coming off, I would probably try exactly what you are trying. I track my carb intake and I’m seriously impressed that you can get down below 40 g per day.</p>
<p>I’ve done the starvation diet thing and I can go at it for about a week if I don’t have too many distractions. The thing is that I have to cut way back on exercise and it’s losing muscle along with fat. I haven’t felt the need or desire to do that in quite some time. It’s a lot easier to just cut back a little bit over time.</p>
<p>Last night I got in my stretching, and core video routines - about 20 minutes worth - stuff that was usually hard wasn’t. Stuff that was incredibly hard (that I didn’t do) is still incredibly hard. I was also working until 1:00 AM and up at 6:00 AM to prepare to go to the office. I have a busy schedule today but I packed my running gear - we’ll see if I make it.</p>
<p>BTW, I find it easy to relax and not worry about a few pounds here or there but I was more motivated last summer and spring and fall to lose weight. I still check the scale but my clothes are the main way that I check.</p>
<p>My new resolve not to eat as much cr#p lasted until the morning mail arrived at work. My admin (and dear friend) from my last job sent me a sweet Valentine’s card with a bunch of Hershey’s kisses. Well, at least they are small…</p>
<p>Something very gratifying… When I was in law school 100 years ago, I became friends with my supervising attorney in the legal aid clinic (I still remember his teaching…“All clients lie…”). He and his wife have remained my friends even though we don’t see each other much since they are still in Chicago. He called yesterday and they will be coming through Nashville on Friday on their return from Florida and will stay with us. He said, “You got me back to swimming back in 1975 and I think about it every day when I swim. I don’t think I would be alive today without you!” Makes it all sort of worth it! (This is NOT an athletic person, by the way…)</p>
<p>4.2 miles this morning- easy and done. Legs recovering a little.</p>
<p>Voss also explained that the hippocampus area of the brain, key for memory formation, shrinks 1% to 2% per year in those older than 60, but when people in this age group begin fitness regimens, it grows by 1% to 2% instead.</p>
<p>[Brains</a> benefit from exercise, many studies show: In-Your-Face Fitness - latimes.com](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-mind-20120213,0,7344477.story]Brains”>In-Your-Face Fitness: Dumbbells can make you brainy)</p>
<p>Rachel Cosgrove had a good article on working out in a hotel gym last week:</p>
<p>[No</a> excuses | Rachel Cosgrove](<a href=“http://www.rachelcosgrove.com/2012/02/no-excuses/]No”>http://www.rachelcosgrove.com/2012/02/no-excuses/)</p>
<p>This would also apply to a lot of workplace gyms, home gyms, etc.</p>
<p>**Power **
1A Box Jumps on the Reebok Steps (2 sets X 8 reps)</p>
<p>**Core **
2A Medicine Ball Wood Chops (2 sets X 8 reps each)</p>
<p>**Strength 1 **
3A Dumbbell Deadlift with the 50 lb dumbbells (3 x 12 reps)
3B T Push Up (3 x 12 reps)
3C Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat with 30 lb dumbbells (3 x 12 reps)</p>
<p>**Strength 2 **
2A Single Arm Dumbbell Push Press with 30 lb DB (3 x 12 reps each)
2B Single leg Romanian Deadlift with single arm row (3 x 12 each)</p>
<p>**Finisher **
Medicine Ball Body Weight Jump Squats (2 X 8 reps)</p>
<hr>
<p>I want to try the [Single</a> leg deadlift with single arm row](<a href=“Single Leg Romanian Deadlift to a Dumbbell Row - YouTube”>Single Leg Romanian Deadlift to a Dumbbell Row - YouTube). This combines the hip exercise with the upper body pulling exercise. Pair this with a [url=<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube] DB squat press<a href=“knee%20and%20pushing%20exercises”>/url</a> and get a complete strength exercise with just two exercises.</p>
<p>BC:</p>
<p>I knew those split squats were making me smarter! :)</p>
<p>Every old CC member should be working out and eating salmon.</p>
Today’s Work Out
Dynamic Warm Up and Stretching
3 rounds as fast as possible:
Stair sprints 3 times
HEAVY rope jump 30 singles
6 rounds as many reps as possible in 30 seconds:
30 seconds on/ 30 seconds transition to next station
Box Jumps
Undulating Rope (thanks to whomever invoked this upthread!)
Knee to Elbow Cross, Hanging
Med Ball Hellraisers
<p>Gosh darn it! Guess my CT scan did show some disk issues. 
No wonder my back still hurts. Pouring a glass of wine to calm down and then will refocus on exercise and diet tomorrow.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Almost had to be disc issues with as long as you’ve had the pain. If it’s any consolation, McGill says that, if we all had MRI’s or CT scans, the vast majority of us would show lumbar disc degeneration at our age. It’s just a normal part of the wear and tear of aging. And, most of us are symptom-free most days. Sucks, though.</p>
<p>Time to order:</p>
<p>[Ultimate</a> Back Fitness and Performance](<a href=“http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10151_10751_1004611_-1]Ultimate”>http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10151_10751_1004611_-1)</p>
<p>and</p>
<p>[The</a> Ultimate Back: Assessment and Therapeutic Exercise (DVD)](<a href=“http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10151_10751_1005205_-1]The”>http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10151_10751_1005205_-1)</p>
<p>You can get them at McGill’s website: [url=<a href=“http://www.backfitpro.com/]BackFitPro.com[/url”>http://www.backfitpro.com/]BackFitPro.com[/url</a>] or from Perform Better or from Amazon.</p>
<p>I would particularly want to see the DVD. He takes actual back pain sufferers and show how he finds out what causes the pain, what and how much they can do pain free, and then tailors a program to strengthen their core (the best long-term solution). It’s a dance that has to take into account what each person can do. If they can only do ten minutes pain free, then it would be five minutes several times a day until they can go longer. Different people have different pain sensitivies. For some, it’s flexion (bending forward). For others, it’s extension (arched lower back). For still others, it’s compression (sit on a chair, grab the seat with your hands and pull yourself down. If it hurts, that’s compression intolerance).</p>
<p>I’m sure your PT has been doing a lot of the same stuff, but having the knowledge would let you be your own master.</p>
<p>3.5 miles, 8:41 pace. Smith Machine, and extended free-weights session.The 3.5 to 4 mile area is the divider between short and long distance so I’m going to work on 3.5 this week and push on to 4 for next week. I will slow down a little in going to 4. I’m running on five hours of bad sleep and two cups of coffee and son will probably want to go to the gym tonight - I might just sleep there.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I’m making a ton of progress on my work backlog.</p>
<p>Burpee fusion plus for me today. The plus means I added overhead med ball slams to the swings and burpees:</p>
<p>Three 6- minute sets, starting an new exercise every minute on the minute. Full heart rate recovery between sets. Each set consisted of:</p>
<p>*12 kettlebell swings (40 lbs)
6 burpees (w pushup)
18 medicine ball overhead slams (8 lb)</p>
<p>12 kettlebell swings
6 burpees
18 medicine ball overhead slams*</p>
<p>Heart rate wasn’t super high (max of 88%), but the rest periods were short, I was panting like a dog, and got a great little “metabolic interval” workout in 28 minutes, including a few minutes of warmup on the Airdyne. My cat watched me – he’s learned he gets a head scratch between exercises! He didn’t much care for the med ball slams. Two violent, I guess! I love 'em. Just put all you’ve got, including a grunt, into slamming the ball down as hard as you can. 18 of 'em in 30 seconds.</p>
<p>I bumped the weight up on the swings to 40 pounds (18 kg).</p>
<p>You should post a picture of your basement equipment.</p>
<p>I should, especially now that it’s all cleaned up and organized. Maybe I’ll grab the camera tomorrow!</p>
<p>Do! I would love to see it. I’m so impressed with all of the exercises. iDad could become a personal trainer out of his own house!</p>
<p>Trust me. It is primitive functional. Concrete floor, bare walls. Standard basement.</p>
That’s like the fitness room at our Y - it was an old squash court - just four walls with high ceilings, all painted white. The interesting stuff is the equipment.
Stopped off at Trader Joes for groceries this evening - they had the “For Love of Chocolate Cake” cake for sale along with small samples. I repeat, SMALL. Of course I had a sample - very good cake, not too sweet, dark chocolate. I was tempted to buy one but may pick one up tomorrow instead - if they still have them. They had plenty there but I discovered that they won’t sell them after Feb 14 or maybe they won’t sell them at that price.
[Trader</a> Joe’s](<a href=“http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=459]Trader”>http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=459)
<p>MOWC, you should feel incredibly proud for being the inspiration for your former colleague. He actually said he wouldn’t be alive without you. How awesome is that??</p>
<p>I know. It meant a lot to me, especially since he has kept it up for 37 years!</p>
<p>It’s no different than if you had rescued him from drowning. </p>
<p>I think you can die peacefully.</p>