Various Postures on Stairmaster

[kaneohe]

I recently discovered the Stairmaster at the local gym.
I observe two types of postures on the machine: a normal
posture (standing straight) and a hunched-over posture
typically with forearms leaning on the horizontal bars at the top.
Often a single individual will alternate between the two.

I tried the hunched-over posture for giggles and decided
it is easier to do the hunched-over posture bc some of your body weight is carried by the forearms and less by the legs. A Google search found an article by the manufacturer suggesting they were going to redesign it to prevent "cheating".

I wonder what the real reason for that 2nd posture is. The
people seem to be looking at their feet and concentrating very
hard when they do that.

 

[Rambler]

I've seen similar on the treadmill (not often), where the guy pushes his weight up on his arms, and his legs are just flailing the belt. I'm a regular at the gym. The guys I see doing this are the "irregulars"...only show up once in a blue moon.

R

 

[bright eyed]

I like the "look ma, no hands" posture so you work your core too...but I like the elliptical far better in general...

 

[kaneohe]

I like the "look ma, no hands" posture so you work your core too...but I like the elliptical far better in general...

Thanks to bright eyed.....tried to sent a Thanks but wasn't very successful.
Discovered that if you press return when the Thanks line looks full (dates me to typewriter age), the Thanks gets sent before you intended; then discovered that you're supposed to just keep typing but then also discovered you can't send Thanks twice to the same posting.

Anyway, a belated thanks for that "look ma, no hands" comment. That "work
your core" stuck w/ me and although I could only do the no-hands thing for a few min. at a time in the beginning, I can now do the full 35-40 min workout w/ the "look ma" look........ and altho the beer belly/little bit pregnant look is still there, the abs of jello are morphing toward steel slowly but surely.

 

[Nords]

I can now do the full 35-40 min workout w/ the "look ma" look........ and altho the beer belly/little bit pregnant look is still there, the abs of jello are morphing toward steel slowly but surely.

Next level of pain: spouse just introduced me to rotating the elliptical in the opposite direction.

I can do no-hands in the forward direction, but backwards is way harder to balance. Still too many coordination issues going on in my brain to do it without holding on to the bars.

 

[kaneohe]

I sometimes see folks doing various things backwards...treadmill, stairmaster,elliptical.......always wondered (and still wonder) if there is some purpose to it. DW's doc recommended it after knee surgery for therapy but for otherwise?

 

[bright eyed]

Nords, you're also supposed to tap your head wth one hand and rub the belly with the other!

Kaneohe i eventually got a thanks! Glad the tip is working for you!

I remember hearing from Jackie, the woman trainer w/ a reality show on TV saying she never does abs (in isolation) she just makes sure she tightens her core with everything else and her abs rock!

 

[W2R]

I've seen similar on the treadmill (not often), where the guy pushes his weight up on his arms, and his legs are just flailing the belt. I'm a regular at the gym. The guys I see doing this are the "irregulars"...only show up once in a blue moon.

R

I am [-]a little[/-] awkward and afraid of falling down on the treadmill. So, I hold onto the side bars lightly while I walk. I try not to put my weight on my hands, but I feel a lot more secure that way. Sometimes I just touch the bars with one fingertip on each side, and that is enough to calm my fear of falling down. I know that if I should slip, I can grab the bar right away.

I sometimes see folks doing various things backwards...treadmill, stairmaster,elliptical.......always wondered (and still wonder) if there is some purpose to it. DW's doc recommended it after knee surgery for therapy but for otherwise?

On the treadmill, I am pretty sure that walking backwards uses a whole new set of muscles.

 

[Nords]

I sometimes see folks doing various things backwards...treadmill, stairmaster,elliptical.......always wondered (and still wonder) if there is some purpose to it. DW's doc recommended it after knee surgery for therapy but for otherwise?

On the treadmill, I am pretty sure that walking backwards uses a whole new set of muscles.

Oh yeah.

The muscles, which you may never have known you even had, make their existence apparent fairly quickly...