What was Your Workout Today?

[W2R]

Lately on my bench press, I have deviated a bit from my typical 5x5 by pyramiding up as follows: 10 with bar only, 3 x 95, 5x135, 5x155, 5x175, 5x195, 5x205 and then I pyramid back down to failure on each set at 195, 175, 155, and 135. When I get back down to 135, I typically do about 17-18 reps on that last set. It has hammered my chest a lot more using this approach vs trying to go heavier doing only 5x5 exercise. I haven't tried for any single lift max in quite a while, but I used to hit the wall at about 215, and am hoping after a few months of this, I can get to a couple of reps at 225.

Terrific! Hope that works.

I don't use a spotter, so I am always a bit nervous when going heavy.

At the gym, the trainers who stand around looking bored would probably be thrilled to spot you. Usually they are bored and would welcome the chance (and would much rather spot you than call an ambulance after an accident). As you might guess, I do tend to nag F to get a spotter when he is lifting free weights.

Last night the gym owner asked if I was in my early 50s, that made me .

Regular exercise does wonders. There is a guy at my gym who is 82, and he looks about 53.

 

[grasshopper]

Well I am walking 3+ miles daily instead of running with Skye dog. Skye is nursing her torn ACL, while Mr G is still whining about the $900 spent for the orthopedic brace, she is wearing. Good news is I haven't fallen down in the rocks, gravel, scree, 2 track, I call a road. Getting out to hike the higher elevations in the back yard, even down here 9K ft is cooler than the homestead.

Happy trails

 

[2soon2tell]

I just hit the big 66 and continue to do my 4-5 mile walks in the late afternoon and early evening. Here in Houston that means the temp is still in the low to mid 90's with high humidity. Good hydration is very important.

I would like to do upper body exercises but have very limited movement of my right arm and shoulder. Three total shoulder replacements and two rotator cuff repairs. Any suggestions?

2soon2tell

 

[Lsbcal]

I just hit the big 66 and continue to do my 4-5 mile walks in the late afternoon and early evening. Here in Houston that means the temp is still in the low to mid 90's with high humidity. Good hydration is very important.

I would like to do upper body exercises but have very limited movement of my right arm and shoulder. Three total shoulder replacements and two rotator cuff repairs. Any suggestions?

2soon2tell

Great that you are doing that walking. It's a lot more then most Americans ever do.

Regarding upper body, I run a lot but don't do anything more then pushups and crunches. Could be why I look a bit like a T. Rex.

 

[eytonxav]

I would like to do upper body exercises but have very limited movement of my right arm and shoulder. Three total shoulder replacements and two rotator cuff repairs. Any suggestions?

2soon2tell

I would try some light dumbells coupled with elastic tubing work. I have the same issue with my right shoulder (torn cuff, but never repaired). I started out light and with that work it did get stronger, but probably will never be like it was in my younger years.

 

[W2R]

Today's lifting went really well and without pushing myself very much I increased some of the weights (see post #218), reaching a personal best. Overall the total for today's workout was 19.1 tons.

Now, if only I could persuade myself to stick with some sort of cardio like walking or the stationary bike. Somehow it just seems to slide under my radar. Maybe tonight I'll do some walking in place with the "Walk It Out" game for my Wii.

 

[Moscyn]

Nothing too strenous - just swimming lesson today. But yet I feel more tired than my usual 1.5 hours workout in the gym. Maybe I drank too much swimming pool water.

 

[Koogie]

Hill repeats this morning. 5 x 400m on a new hill with a slope of about 45 degrees in spots.
Liquid lava in the lungs on the way up the last couple of times.

 

[F500drone]

On the dreadmill at lunch: speed intervals (6 x 400m @mile pace + 400m @easy pace) and 2.25 mi @ just slower than 5K pace. Felt great to do some faster running -- all my recent outdoor runs have been extremely slow paced due to Summer heat!

 

[Nemo2]

Although my 70th birthday isn't until the end of next month, I caught a 'breakaway' this morning and did 70 stair repeats.

70 x 59 upward stairs = 4130; divided by 40 = ~103.25 office building storys.

Feelin' good.

 

[W2R]

It is so cool to read about all the different types of exercise that everyone is doing - - for example swimming, hill climbing, treadmill, and steps in the past few posts. As for me, I did the same weight lifting workout yesterday as I did on Wednesday, 19.1 tons. I worked SO hard at it and it seemed a lot harder than it did on Wednesday for some reason, but my heart rate monitor said it wasn't. I guess it just seemed harder because the gym temperature was a little warmer.

 

[Nords]

It is so cool to read about all the different types of exercise that everyone is doing - - for example swimming, hill climbing, treadmill, and steps in the past few posts. As for me, I did the same weight lifting workout yesterday as I did on Wednesday, 19.1 tons.

I've been doing the same ol' boring routine-- calisthenics with spouse, taekwondo, "vigorous yardwork", and surfing. Mostly on separate days. I can combine dawn patrol with evening taekwondo, but mixing any of the others is just asking for trouble.

I've been reading Dick Couch's "Sua Sponte" book about Army Ranger training. Ye gods. And my cousin thinks that I had the tough military career?!?

 

[W2R]

Your workouts sound like a lot of fun, Nords, especially because you do so many different things. I have to admit that the "vigorous yardwork" part doesn't sound like as much fun as the rest, but it does need to get done somehow.

As for the Rangers, those guys are supermen IMO.

 

[eytonxav]

I've been reading Dick Couch's "Sua Sponte" book about Army Ranger training. Ye gods. And my cousin thinks that I had the tough military career?!?

Wonder how Ranger training compares to Seals?

 

[Nemo2]

I read Couch's Chosen Soldier.......those guys don't sit around either.

 

[FIREd]

Only walked 31 miles and climbed 640 ft this week. Felt a bit under the weather early in the week.

 

[Nords]

Wonder how Ranger training compares to Seals?

I read Couch's Chosen Soldier.......those guys don't sit around either.

I've read all of Couch's books. He's become the default expert on this training-- nobody else has earned the access.

To my uneducated view, I think Ranger & SEAL training are about the same. SEALs work much harder on upper-body strength and cold-water endurance while Rangers work much harder on whole-body strength and long marches with full packs. Both have their weapons skills. Both have their mission skills. Both train to excess on fighting hurt & fatigued, which is a good thing.

Both could improve each other's training by borrowing techniques from each other. I'm impressed with the Ranger's peer-review system and their formal boards at the end of the training. I'm impressed with the SEAL emphasis on competitiveness ("It pays to be a winner") and individual initiative. But both communities could probably debate their training effectiveness for hours.

The good news is that both communities seem to work well together in combat... and that's due to lots of training together, too.

It's interesting that the Ranger instructors say "Our swim test shows which soldiers grew up playing in the swimming pool and which ones grew up playing around the fire hydrant" and "Our peer review system shows which soldiers grew up playing organized sports (with adult referees) and which ones grew up with their own sandlot pick-up games."

I need to sit down with my cousin the Army Ranger (as of June, a veteran pursuing a civilian career) and see how his experiences match Couch's opinions.

Dick Couch describes a concept that I've been fumbling to explain to my daughter: mental toughness. It's the difference between a freakishly brilliant student who breezes through school with a 4.00+ GPA and no real effort versus one who has to spend hours on extra instruction & study while scrabbling for every point they can wring out of homework, projects, and tests... and then grumbles about a 3.20. You can guess which category surrounds my daughter on campus, and which category she's feeling a little discouraged to be in.

 

[Mulligan]

I would try some light dumbells coupled with elastic tubing work. I have the same issue with my right shoulder (torn cuff, but never repaired). I started out light and with that work it did get stronger, but probably will never be like it was in my younger years.

I am a big fan of using the elastic tubing. Great resistance workouts and maintains my flexibility. My body and ego had to have a discussion about weightlifting. The body won. The lifting was taking a toll on my body joints. Now I lift just for tone and maintenance. The ganglion cysts I got on my wrists were the final straw. Fortunately they went away. I thought it was a tumor or something. Never had heard of them but they were disgusting looking. Glad they are gone.

 

[easysurfer]

Was going to go for a bicyle ride but instead spent the morning and afternoon taking my car to the shop.

I did end of having to leave the car overnight and hike back home a few miles by foot...so that was my workout!

 

[Nords]

Surfing this morning, making sure that conditions are good for a friend who wants a lesson on Wednesday morning. It took me a couple hours to make sure everything looked OK.

No taekwondo tonight... a friend is having troubles with her sprinkler controller, and I think it's because none of us have the programming instructions. I found a copy on the Internet so now I'm ready to try this again.

 

[Gotadimple]

Swam this morning - 1.2 KM in 48 minutes. A little slower than usual, but I'm ready to add 2 more laps to the 24 I swam this morning, as my arms don't feel as tired at the end of the session.

-- Rita

 

[packrat44]

12 oz curls. Have to build those arm muscles.

 

[Rambler]

3+ mile run (30 min) followed by a mile walk to "cool down"...except there was no cooling down to be had. The temp at 6:30 this morning in Tokyo was already about 84, with about 94% humidity. The air felt thick enough to need a knife to cut thru it. Followed that with 6 miles on the bike.

R

 

[Nords]

Spouse and I were total slugs today. Blew off taekwondo last night, blew off our calisthenics workout today.

I broke a slight sweat about 6 PM pruning some branches off a bush.

At least I'm going surfing tomorrow...

 

[H2ODude]

In response to plantar fasciitis from running, acquired a great used mountain bike (specialized epic) and took it out for my first trail ride this morning. I gave up road biking from car danger and too many reports of people being killed/maimed. Now I can go out and break bones but hopefully not get squished! I had a blast out there!