I discovered this product line during a business trip to Boston with DH four years ago. We stayed at the Charles Hotel on Harvard Square. After a frigid day of exploring the streets, I took the hottest bath imaginable with the bath bubbles and slept in an incredible deep featherbed. At the time my youngest was less than a year old. Just the opportunity to sleep in without interruption was sheer bliss.
Rabbit: Please Please Please come and remodel my bathroom when you are finished with yours. Seriously, you have so many wonderful remodeling projects under your belt. How did you learn how to do these things? I'm a really good wall painter and that's it. If I learned how to use anything with an electrical cord it would be all over. DH would come home from a business trip and not recognize the house when he pulled into the driveway. ...not that I think he would mind......one less thing for him to do.
I'm pretty sure my form was crappy on the bottom, because I'm not quite flexible enough yet. I'll keep practicing, though.
Develop the hip mobility first, then resume practicing. Practing now without the proper flexibility will only groove improper movement patterns meaning that you will need to unlearn improper form before learning proper form later. And that is actually a best case scenario. Worst case scenarion your form causes an injury. Better to start with rack pulls and perfect your form on that part of the deadlift while you work on your mobility and flexibility and then work your way down to pulling from the floor. I had the same issues when I started out and my trainer started me on rack pulls.
The Rack Pull will give you most of the benefits of the deadlift (and actually allow you to use a heavier load although don't worry so much about load right now as nailing down that form).
Here is an excellent blog post by Mehdi over at Stronglifts on how to perform rack pulls.
You may want to click on some of the links imbedded in his article, especially the one on hip mobility for drills that will help you gain the needed mobility to progress to conventional deadlifts.
I believe Alwyn uses them in NROL and/or NROL4W at some point, so you will want to become accustomed to them anyway.
Egads. I visited with a 78 year old friend of mine tonight who is 3 weeks post-knee replacement (only one though). She's doing great. She is using a cane as needed, which she says is mostly on uneven ground - which we certainly have a lot of around here. I'm very impressed with how well she's doing. Her doctor had her walking as soon as she was alert enough (i.e. after all the anesthesia was out of her system) and she's been having physical therapy for about 10 days.
You guys are the best for things to do - and not to do - in the WL world. I'm still trying to convince my DH he needs to do something with UB for his upcoming canoe trip (end of August). The last time he did one he spent a lot of time on a rowing machine. I'm thinking there are things in the WL arena which are not nearly as boring as a rowing machine. Though he did get a cardio workout at the same time.
Cheryl - great job getting into the free weight area. And for getting it included in your free session.
Hi guys, thanks for the lovely welcome. Just got back into the office after visiting a client and wooooot! My weights have arrived! How excited am I???? Now, if one of you could just give me a hand lifting them into the car everything would be sorted . I had to order NROLFW from Amazon US as Amazon UK didn't stock it - so did that and am waiting for it to be delivered. But then I went onto the BFL website for the first time. Oh. My. Word. Seriously? 12 weeks and people look like that??? I was completely blown away. But also incredibly excited by it.
Location: Lyin' in a puddle of sweat on the floor.
Posts: 2,296
S/C/G: 235/201/175
Height: 5'7"
Thanks, all, for the encouragement!
Depalma, I was only pulling with the bar and some 5 kg bumpers yesterday, for trying out the floor pull. At home, I've only got DBs, but was doing a sort of rack pull with those set up on boxes. I just wanted to try it out with the barbell and Oly plates yesterday, to see if I could get down there yet without losing it in my lower back (not, obviously!). I'll take your advice and stick to rack pulls for weighted stuff and come back to it later. I'll check out those exercises you recommended, too, when I've got more time. Thanks for the link to the video. I saved that one so I can take a closer look. Right now, I've got to get out the door...going to my sisters to have some fitness bonding, walking or jogging, whichever she wants to do.
Height: tall enough to know what's on top of your refrigerator
Hey all!
Another question for the wise ones....
I have been doing leg presses on the machine, but I'd like to start doing squats with a bar. I have done wall ball squats with weight before without any problems. On the leg press machine, I press 250#. Calf press machine I do 190#. I weigh 245 pounds.
I know that I can squat more than 5 pounds! Is there a formula for converting? The bar I had before with the wall ball stuff was 24 pounds. It would be nice to know some kind of starting point to avoid running the rack up and hogging the squat cage.
Denver - They are totally different exercises so there is no conversion. Honestly, I'd just start with a bar. When I first started doing regular squats, I needed to practice with a bar although I could leg press quite a bit of weight.
Lydia - I did not know all this when I started my projects. But labor is so expensive here, and so hard to get, and I am so sick and tired of having workers perform a job that is NOT as I ordered, that I have decided that if I want a good job, I had better do it myself.
Worst case what happens would be that I end up with a bad job. No big deal, because IMO the alternative would have been to end with a bad job AND face the aggravation of handling the workman AND paying a lot of money for the privilege. I typically have to work 2 or 3 hours in order to afford 1 hour of hired help. it is a tax thing.
The secret is just to start. What tool with a power cord do you covet? When XH went out someone asked me "what is it that you cannot do yourself and have to solve?" And the answer for me was read maps and drill holes in the wall. Within 2 weeks I had bought a tomtom gps for my car, and a deluxe electric drill with drill bits. issue solved. If you drill a wrong hole, you can always fill it in with quick drying cement.
So...for your next birthday, christmas, mothersday, or just because it is a wednesday, or full moon, or not full moon...go out to the hardwarestore anf buy your tool of choice with power cord. The next step is just to do it.
Just like exercise in fact. And another thing...like exercise, the more you do DIY and see results, the more you like doing it!
Long answer to a short question...
In fact, I have just bought a self levelling laser spirit level for my tiling project, and treated myself to a router table because next sunday is fathers day.
Oh Rabbit! I have no idea what that even is? A leveling what? Very wise advice too. Fortunately, I only need to go no further than the garage to get the hook up. The problem with the garage is, well... DH set that area up when we moved in ten years ago and most of the stuff was just jammed in the cabinets and not seen again. Everytime I go rooting through there I think about how I could better organize this if I took the time and then my head starts to spin out of control.
Hmmm. Maybe I should just pick a project. How long do you think it would take to build my own kitchen cabinets. Or maybe that it too ambitious of a project for a first time DYI. Ahhh, but the tile floors I could get up and lay hardwood.... Okay, see, Now I'm thinking about what color to paint the garage walls and floor. Grrrr.
Whew, spent all of the morning and early afternoon weeding the flowerbeds and discovering my vegetable garden all over again. Watered the flowers, stained the patio furniture, and will powerwash the concrete on Saturday. This evening I go for my introductory two hour ride with some new friends. Maybe I should have a tall glass of water and a nap before I head out there again.
Kitchen cabinets ??? I have on word for you...IKEA!!! All their stuff comes with good instructions on how to assemble. They also have a nice selection of laminate flooring, not as nice as hardwood but it looks quite like it, is very easy to install, and extremely easy to care for as well! And you might be able to put it over your old tiles with a thin foam liner below.
In re power tools: A lot of them are not easy to use because they are to big and too heavvy. (skip that, for you it would not be to heavvy of course). For me size is an issue, I am 5 foot 2 inches, and I have size 3.5 in shoes and gloves.
Go look at home depot and at ikea ...there is probabely loads of inspiration to be found!
I hope you had a great bike ride,
Rabbit (happily planning home renovation on my day off )
Got our first CSA box of the season last night, so I'm sitting here this morning with the season's first local strawberries in my cottage cheese. Dinner last night included a mixed green salad with fresh radishes and mild white turnips. Nummers!
Hope to make it to the gym today, but it's The Boy's end-of-the-year field trip and an early dinner date. Between that, the gym is closed. (Boo hiss for summer hours!) Maybe I'll attack some weeds instead. Plenty of those to keep my hamstrings occupied.
Lydia -- I like the "be.strong" shirt, but baggy white t-shirts always remind me of sleepwear (and for $32?). I think you should go for "supergirl", though. (The "no maintenance" one works for me, but it would just set me up for jokes when I show up at the store, sleep-bedraggled, hair mussed, no makeup, etc etc.)
Rabbit: way to go! I've done quite a few home repairs and minor remodeling projects, but I haven't tackled tiles yet. I need to, though -- some of our bathroom tiles are loosening, and I don't much care for the 1980s color scheme we inherited from three owners ago.
Morning! I've tackled tiles; the hardest part is laying cement board and fixing it with screws no more than 2" apart onto the sub-flooring. You don't want ANY flex or the tile and grout will crack. Wall tiles are a lot easier because theoretically no one will be walking on them
Lydia- Go cordless! Surprise dh with a new set of Dewalt or Makita cordless tools. Much easier!
Today is my last day of work for 10 days!!!! Next week I'm going to a conference at Bucknell University to learn about Trust Administration (snooze) then to Columbus for 3 days to help my daughter move. Not a lot of fun a games either place, but a change of scenery will be nice. I'm not at all sure of the gym or food situation...that may be a bit dicey.
Core and balance work today at lunch- I'm trying a new exercise I saw on a video with 2 stability balls called a Chinese dumpling! I may be dumpling myself on the floor.
Today is my last day of work for 10 days!!!! Next week I'm going to a conference at Bucknell University to learn about Trust Administration (snooze) then to Columbus for 3 days to help my daughter move. Not a lot of fun a games either place, but a change of scenery will be nice. I'm not at all sure of the gym or food situation...that may be a bit dicey.
I hear there's a gym and clean food in Pittsburgh.
Back from the gym ... got my hour of cardio in and 18 sets of arms, so may I have breakfast now? The weight room was 10 degrees cooler than the cardio room, which only seems right since it's a much cooler place to be.
Morning all! Rabbit and Lydia, love all this DIY talk.
Kim, we stopped our CSA box for the summer, and well, because on or the other of us is gone enough so that the other can't possibly eat all that produce before it spoils. I will rub it in though that DH is leaving Sunday to go dipnetting at Chitna! Fresh salmon here we come.....
Yesterday was a disaster workwise (3 meetings that added up to all day, plus another in the evening), and foodwise. But I'm moving on. Today will be good. The library is closed, so my office is quiet. None of my PT employees are working, and one of the FT people is off too. The reason we're closed is that it's the weekend of the City's Colony Days festival, and there's a carnival, complete with all kinds of rides, in my parking lot! The weather today is perfect, so that it stays that way for the weekend. It's a realllly big deal here.
Oh WOW! Look at those mountains and trees. Pat whenever I wonder how you or anyone for that matter could possibly stand living in such a cold climate I'll just remember this snapshot of your parking lot. You must have a beautiful drive to work everyday. I'm glad the weather was perfect for your community's celebration.
Mel: Cordless sounds like a great idea. I also think that Rabbit has a point about weight and size of the equipment. Good things to think about. Mel, there is a gym here too so no worries about your trip. Although, I got to think that moving DD into a new place will give you plenty of opportunity for heavy lifting.
Kaw: I came so close to ordering the be.strong shirt. But after shipping and tax it was over $40. I really don't have a need for another t-shirt that badly either.
Unfortunately I did not get to ride last night. Just as I was packing up to go the sky tore open and it poured rain for the rest of the evening. It's okay though, she called and said we would start next week instead. Our goal is to get a group of us going every week. Should be fun.
No gym today. DS2 woke up at 3:00am this morning not feeling well. I did catch up on some more things at home but looking forward to tomorrow. I know I've said this before but it is so hard for me to keep my eating in check when I'm here all day with the kids. Head games maybe Anyway, no real damage done. I'll take some time for myself this evening and plan great for next week.
Hello to everyone else. Have a great Friday everyone.
You go girl. 
(Or am I dating my self by saying that. 
) 
...not that I think he would mind...
...one less thing for him to do.
I'm very impressed with how well she's doing. Her doctor had her walking as soon as she was alert enough (i.e. after all the anesthesia was out of her system) and she's been having physical therapy for about 10 days. 
Though he did get a cardio workout at the same time. 
Now, if one of you could just give me a hand lifting them into the car everything would be sorted 
Fortunately, I only need to go no further than the garage to get the hook up. The problem with the garage is, well... DH set that area up when we moved in ten years ago and most of the stuff was just jammed in the cabinets and not seen again. Everytime I go rooting through there I think about how I could better organize this if I took the time and then my head starts to spin out of control. 
)
that it stays that way for the weekend. It's a realllly big deal here.
I really don't have a need for another t-shirt that badly either.
Anyway, no real damage done. I'll take some time for myself this evening and plan great for next week.
Have a great Friday everyone.
