Back to the gym

“Go currahee! You can do it!!!”

“Ugh. I can't work out on a full stomache. I work out better before I eat... but that's me.”

“I did my record in pullups tonite, 14 nonstop which for me is a biggy.

I also have been doing a "plank" workout. Get in the plank position and extend the right arm for 15 sec then put it down, extend left leg for 15sec put it down, extend left arm 15 sec, then right leg, the whole time kepping the core as stable as possible, very fun stuff indeed.

lee the crawl thing looks easy but I bet its a killer.”

“I waited 2 hours after eating. Time was short, knee has been giving me fits, so I did 30 minutes on the stationary bike at a wobbly leg inducing pace. I do go to the gym before eating. Usually as soon as I wake up. I must not have eaten enough yesterday coupled with trouble sleeping lately I almost had myself talked out of it.
Take that Couch Potato Jackson!!

Unexpected workouts are the best.
Must shower and head to work.
Thanks Pixie!”

“Head to work? It's supper time :D”

“I work at a pub. My schedule sucks.”

“You did it currahee! I'm proud of you!

Take care of that knee tho!”

“Another splendid workout under my belt today. I'm gonna try that planking exercise before I go to work tonight.
Well done with the pullups Birch. I have a hard time with them myself. I need to try to get them in at the beginning of my workout before i'm smoked.”

“No kidding Birch. I can't even do one pull up. Almost, but not quite.

well folks, I'm going bp-ing this weekend for the first time in several months. Does that count as my workout? LOL! Well I suppose it did if I were going uphill. But carrying 30 pounds 9 miles roundtrip with no elevation gain over 2 days probably isn't much exercise. Although 3 of those miles will be on the beach.”

“will you be backpacking in a thong bikini...if not, just lie and say yes, some of us need new fantasies.

Been working out and I zen raked the leaves off my yard the past 2 days. I'm gonna hit it hard this weekend though, since the crappy weather will keep me house bound.”

“Currahee, how'd the plank go? I hate doing abs so I have to do a different workout each time, it seems to work though.

Pixie, I think walking in sand is definitely excercise. Most importantly though, enjoy the hike!

Stikmon, how do you "zen rake" leaves?

Saturdays are usually my loooong workouts. But with family in town I slept in and will just do my long run this afternoon.”

“I never got around to it. I ended up running a bunch of honeydo's instead.”

“I'm at my son's place in Richmond doing my final prep for the AT. He, a trainer, also has me doing some stability ball exercises. They are all fun and difficult. One is to stand on the stability ball and do squats. What makes it intense is having to maintain balance while doing the squat. So far I am only able to climb on the ball with it touching the wall and then do 3 sets of 15 squats. With the ball touching the wall in front of me stability is assured in that direction. Therefore, I only have to maintain balance in 3 directions, both sides and to the rear, while doing the squats. I am now at the point where I can push away from the wall and stand erect on the wall for almost 30 seconds, but no squats without support at this point. He (Joe) can climb on the ball without support and do squats with ease. Give it a try, it's harder than it looks and a real butt kicker. He's having me do other exervises with the ball, but this one I've decided I'll be able to do before leaving on my thru hike in 2 weeks. Try it!”

“Good luck Nimblefoot. I wish you success on your trip.”

“here is some info on excerising I got from a newsletter from Carmichael Training

Switch from coffee to water: If you need a warm beverage, switch to green tea. And don't just drink some water…drink a lot of water. The recommended 8-10 glasses a day sometimes seems like too much, and it will take some getting used to, but your body will thank you for getting into this habit. In the beginning, you'll be taking frequent bathroom breaks, but this will subside as your body gets accustomed to processing more fluid. Keep in mind that the recommended dose of 8-10 glasses is not for athletes…if you are training three to six times a week, then you can certainly increase this.

Desktop Pushups: Sure, you might look silly, but your triceps will definitely stay toned. Stand a few feet away from your desk. Place your hands on the desk, shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight, lower your chest toward the desk, then push out. Don't rush. Repeat 8 to 12 times. This is a good way to take a quick and invigorating break when you're getting tired in the middle of the afternoon.

Get Fidgety: Studies have shown that people who are restless and constantly moving have a higher resting metabolic rate. This translates into a higher caloric expenditure throughout the day. Finger flicks are a favorite. With your hands in front of you make a fist, then spread your fingers wide. Open and close your hands quickly. Repeat 8 to 12 times. You can also use power-putty or a stress ball.

Pack your own lunch: The benefits here are two-fold. You control the quantity of food and the quality. It's a smart idea to have healthy snacks around, such as nuts, veggies, fruit or yogurt.

Get on the Ball: Swap out your desk chair for an exercise ball, if your office allows it. This allows you to strengthen your legs, abs and back muscles. Though the neuromuscular activity is low, over the course of a few hours or a full day, the cumulative effect is significant. The natural urge to avoid sliding off the ball also helps train your balance system. Position counts in ball work. The ball should be big enough to allow your upper legs (thighs) to slope slightly downward so your knees are not quite at a right angle.

Tibialis Anterior exercise: While sitting on a ball or in a chair with your feet on the floor, lift your toes off the floor (dorsiflex your foot). Hold the contraction for a second or two and then release. This strengthens the muscle on the front of the shin that pulls your foot upwards, an especially important muscle for runners.

Gastrocnemius exercise: While sitting on a ball or in a chair with your feet on the floor, lift your heels off the floor (plantarflex your foot) and hold for a second or two. This strengthens the large muscle on the back of your calf that allows you to push off the ground while running and is an important stabilizer during cycling and swimming. This exercise is also referred to as the "muscular pump" because it helps squeeze the blood pooling in the legs during long spells of sitting up toward the heart. These are great exercises for anyone on long airline flights, especially people with known circulatory problems in the legs and feet.

Hip Stretch: While sitting on a ball or in a chair, cross your legs so that the ankle of one leg is on top of the knee of the opposite leg. While keeping your back straight, lean forward slightly and you'll feel a stretch on the outside of your hip and buttocks. The muscles on the outside of the hip are stabilizers and helpers in just about any exercise that requires you to use your legs. They are often overlooked and can cause problems down the road if they're always tight.

Belly Breathing: Over the last years, it has been found that the most efficient way to breathe during endurance sports is not to take deep breaths that expand your chest, but rather to breathe so that your belly bulges out. It takes practice before it becomes natural, so at your desk is the perfect place to do it.

Pelvis Rotation: Rotating your pelvis works both the lower back and abdominal muscles, both of which are critical during cycling, running, or swimming. To do this, picture your hips swinging forward and then backward. When your pelvis tilts forward, your back will arch slightly. The muscles of your lower back are contracting. To tilt your pelvis backward, contract your abs - you should feel your stomach suck inwards and your butt will move forward slightly on the seat.

Shoulder Lift: Lift your shoulders towards your ears and hold for a few seconds and then release. This movement helps strengthen the trapezius musculature across the top of your back and shoulders and also is a great stress reliever. Many cyclists tend to bunch their shoulders as they ride which can cause discomfort on a long ride. The shoulder lift has the dual benefit of strengthening the trapezius and also causing it to relax more fully.”

“Good tips Ewker. If only I could sit at work. *sigh*”

“I have the "fidgety" part down...”

“I have the "fidgety" part down...”

“Working these past 3 weeks on the stability ball is already paying dividends, esp. in balance. Yesterday I stood on the ball, without support for over 70 seconds. Today I made a big jump in progress in doing pushups on the ball (this is with my feet elevated on the rear track of a treadmill so I am hovering over the ball). It's very difficult and today was the first day that I didn't feel wobbly. My hope is that this will pay off with improved balance on my thru. No way to tell for sure, but it seems logical. In any event it's keeping me off the street.”

“Nimblefoot, I have heard lots of good stuff about the pushups on the ball. I am sure it'll help. I have done them with my feet elevated about 6-8 inches and I put each hand on a medicine ball, same idea.

I did 15 pullups today!!!

When I do the pelvis rotation at work my co-workers get kinda nervous...LOL.”

“Birch, you do not do that at WORK do you!? I highly doubt it...you'd hit something swinging that!”

“Fifteen honest pullups is a big deal. I've been doing them on a machine that gives you an assist. Where you set the stack of weights determines how much of an assist you get. I'm getting as much as that damn machine will give me. The idea is to do 3 sets of 20 each. Today I was able to do 20, 15 and 11. I'll be better at this when I finish the AT and weigh 30 pounds less.”

“wolfeyes...great to "see" ya! We need to have a drink or 5. I will be careful not to put your eye out LOL!

Nimblefoot, my form sux for the last 4 or so but I figure I am still lifting my weight even if I look goofy doing it. Those pullup machines are very nice.I wish our gym had one.”

“thats pretty good. I've laid off the sustained excercising...don't know why..but I have. I did my normal feet on the tub push ups and nearly broke my nose when my arms collapsed at 46...#&%!$ me. first time in ages I couldn't do at least 50. I gotta get back in the swing and get back to the workouts.”

“currahee what is the update on ashville? are you guys still talking about moving there?”

“Not much available there, so Angie is lookin local. How have y'all been?
Call us, lets go out Sunday for brunch or something. Tell Opie I was talkin to English Dave tonight and he says hello.”

“Birch - This is a Gold's gym, so they really do have everything and all the clients are VERY serious about working out. What we have up north could be fit into a closet here. They have a treadmill that elevates to 50%, most are only 10 or 15%. Getting in shape would be much easier here because you just get caught up in the flow of seriously working out. However, I do miss the rural laid back life of up North, the deer, eagles, bear, and occasional wolf. Everyone here is chatting on their cellphones as they do the treadmill. There just seems to be something self important and sad about it. Thank God my son's not like that; he just laughs and collects their money.”

“I've been using the Stairmill at my local LA Fitness on a regular basis - For me, I think the Stairmill mimics hiking uphill more than any of the other aerobic machines.”

“They need to develop a treadmill with irregular sized, slippery rocks on it.”

“That'd be cool Nimblefoot!

The Self Challenge has started. Self magazine does a fitness/nutrition challenge every year. March through June.

So now I'm really motivated.”

“I'm sorry things didn't work out for you two in Ashville but I'm glad you guys are still around!! We can't do brunch this weekend because Randy will possibly be in Memphis and my parents are coming into town. Maybe next weekend we can get together. Randy is looking for someone to go to Lewis Black with him March 11th. Do you have to work every Friday?”

“Pretty much. If I take a Friday off, I miss a $250.00 - $300.00 shift. Factor in what I'd spend on tickets, dinner, drinks, general merriment - $100.00+, and it gets expensive fast.
I generally go out on Sunday nights when it's quieter and all my bar friends are off.

Let us know when y'all might be able to go out for dinner or something low impact.”

“nimblefoot, I have worked out ata golds before. They are very nice and have lots of stuff for sure. And you are correct when you talk about how easy it is to get motivated when everyone is really into working out. I work out a my towns local rec center (http://www.recmanagement.com/features.php?fid=200405AW1H), its about one year old and is really nice. We've never had one so evidently the city wanted to go all out. I like it because its so family oriented, I can take my daughter to a kids area for $3 for up to 2 hrs. Its usually busy but I like to see so many people being active, not many muscle heads many average folks trying to stay fit.”

“Sounds great. However, mine being in Wisconsin, it does have a bar. Really, no kidding. I joked with them about developing some standards on how many beers you can drink while on a treadmill and whether the waitress should take drink orders there as well. And, of course, it being Wisconsin the presence of a bar makes it officially family oriented.”

“just curious if anyone stops by a Smoothie King after a workout. They have quite a few products. If you go to their website you can find a drink designed for you. I ended up getting one that was low fat and is a post workout drink. I may try another one tonight that is low fat and for weight management.”

“They serve beer at your gym!?!? That's f'd up!”

“Ewker, thare are a lot of things you can eat/drink post workout that are beneficial. Remember that the magic post workout ratio is 4/1 carbs/protien. I always go for fruit and fat free cottage cheese or a tuna packet and fruit for dessert. There is a shop near the pub that sells Odwalla juices that have a good mix of nutrients.”

“Obviously, you've not spent much time in Wisconsin. I've been to some Catholic weddings when the reception was in the church's hall or basement. There was tap permanently fixed to the wall with a walk in cooler on the other side of the wall!”

“the thing I remember about Wisconsin is that there is a bar on every street corner no matter how big or little the city is.


currahee, I do the smoothie king on the way home from the gym then after cleaning up I fix me something to eat.

I like the Odwalla or Naked Juices”

“You are doing the right thing. You need get something into you right away, so you don't start breaking down muscle.”

“I believe in WI that if you are 18 and with your parents, you can drink at the bar. I've got lots of cheesehead friends from college who've told me stories...”

“bars in Wisc are a lot different than bars in Nashville. There they are like a family gathering place. You can eat a good meal, play pool or darts, socialize and drink.”

“hey currahee, I see the pub got some exposure the other day in the newspaper. It seems they were in there interviewing customers about the Titans letting players go. They kept on mentioning the place”

“How come no one believes me when I tell them that this tube around my middle is muscle?”

“Smiley - 21 everywhere.

Ewker - I missed that, the Tennessean?

NS - tell 'em it's table muscle!”

“yep the Tennessean
http://tennessean.com/sports/titans/archives/05/01/65966371.shtml?Element_ID=65966371”

“I guess Ireland is like that too. The pub is a community place and it's the center of social activity. A friend of mine knew a woman who was married to an Irishman and he left her and moved back to Ireland because he missed the pubs so much! That's crazy.”

“pixie, that depends on the woman. The pub might have been safer esp if she was like this one http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/36641,-1.php”

“it is an extention of the home.
Pub is abbreviated for Public House.
I've worked for years in several different pubs here in Nashville with the same Irish guys (2 Dubs and one from Donegal).
The thing I love about the pub is the relaxed, casual atmosphere. There is no pretense. It's not trying to be something other than a big ole living room with beer. I've never been in a northern tavern, but I imagine that it is just about the same thing.

Pixie, that guy was either an alcoholic, or it was a flimsey excuse.”

“oh, by the way, no gym for me today. Kamper & i have been fighting a sinus infection together for a couple of weeks today which finally had us recruit the services of our Dr. Her's is bad enough to give her a fever. We gots lots of antibiotics for the fight. And I got some anti inflammitories for my knee.
Should be good as new soon.”