Just my opinion, but 60 minutes on a stairmaster is too much.
I think I'd agree with Jay. Especially from a standing start.
I can be so witty.
I build up slowly to about 15 minutes on the stairmaster when I haven't been on it for a while. And I also use a range of cardio machines, none for more than 15 minutes at a time. I've just found that the bike, rejected by me for months, is actually rather good.
Last edited by silverbirch; 09-21-2011 at 09:47 AM.
One of my problems with this gym, and one of the reasons I've resorted to the Stairmaster stepper, is that many pieces of cardio equipment are aging, worn out or broken.
The two rowing machines have stretched-out drive chains that offer no resistance at all. I could probably get a better workout leaning back & forward rhythmically in my Aeron at my desk during the day.
The bikes are all missing the footstraps or have broken footstraps, which hinders peddling, and the gears slip on them periodically.
The ellipticals were a cheaper brand to begin with, but they're also creaky and again, the resistance is way off on many of them. I found one better quality one, which, once fixed, seemed to work well.
I dislike treadmills. Since I'm in the country and the roads are quiet, I may as well be outside, rather than on a treadmill. I'll change my mind about that once the bitter winter sets in.
During the winter here, peoples' habits change or if they insist on doing what they always do, they have to learn patience & the skills of winter driving.
This area averages almost 115 inches of snow each winter.
During the winter just before I left town for grad school, the area experienced 170.9 inches of snow.
I hear your frustration, saef. Sorry to say, many gyms are like this. It seems a lot of people don't like the straps on the exercise bike pedals. At my current gym, about half have them and half don't, so at least a person has some choice. And I hear you about the heavily used equipment, etc. One is sometimes lucky to find rowing machines at all, let alone ones with good resistance. The one at my current gym is pretty good--water resistance--but as long as I can achieve my rate of 500 m in under 3 minutes, I'm OK with that.
However, regardless, I think 60 minutes straight on the stairmaster is too much...
You've mentioned the snow fall in that part of the world before, saef, when we had 'heavy' snow here. That really is a lot but it hasn't fallen yet. Does cross-country skiing take over from running? That's a very good workout.
Feeling like crap still
Walked with dh and Dewey. Dewey was hot and tired so I had to carry him much of the way. I worked up a good sweat so I'll count it as a workout!
60 minutes plus walking
Totals:
18 days
1246 minutes
September 19: none. Sick...
September 20: still sick....
September 21: feeling somewhat better. Went to Bikram Yoga-- went okay though I was somewhat dizzy and nauseous!
95 minutes Bikram Yoga
Birchie, I think that lately, I'm feeling vulnerable to any form of excess precipitation and to freakish storms in general, which is probably why I'm dreading the winter many weeks before it actually arrives. Of course it doesn't snow continuously & hourly for the whole season. It's one of those things I can put off worrying about.
Jay, I've been spoiled by my very nice and not cheap gym, with its towel service, free classes in all kinds of exercise and equipment that rarely goes down for more than a day. I'm beginning to wonder if gyms are one of those "you get what you pay for" things.
So, anyway:
Sept. 21: One hour class, beginner, Kripalu yoga
Sept. 22: 15 minutes cardio warmup
60 minutes arm & shoulders routine
45 minutes on the Stairmaster stepper, playing around with resistance, varying from 2 to 4
I'm beginning to wonder if gyms are one of those "you get what you pay for" things.
Yes and no, in my experience. The last gym I went to, I paid close to $40 a month. They had free classes, trainers for hire, and really crappy equipment--so bad it was rusting. The gym I go to now has no classes, but nicer equipment. Not sure about the trainers, but I have given up on both classes and trainers. This gym costs me $12 a month.
Saef, there are definitely different levels of gyms, and the features tend to go along with the prices. DH and I belonged to one for a while around here which was mostly focused on group sports (they had an indoor soccer/football field, like 10 basketball courts, etc.). I think they spent most of their money there. They had group classes but they were never reliably scheduled (sometimes the instructor wouldn't show up, or there was only one person attending). The machines were often broken. It was in a sketchy neighborhood. But it was cheap!
Can't remember where I left off.
9/21: 15 min easy bike ride on the stationary bike at work, 5 mins or so back work on the mat (feeling extra lazy yesterday apparently)
9/22:
27:13 1.8mi powerwalk with Carter
possibly another walk this evening
Of course it doesn't snow continuously & hourly for the whole season. It's one of those things I can put off worrying about.
Good idea. Look forward and plan a bit, of course, but live in the here and now.
Gymn. Increased time on the TM and bike. Did physio exercises including 10 x 10 second bridge reps. It's from here that I work up to single-legged bridges. I plan to go into the bridge and then, simply, extend a leg into the air towards one of the blethering tellys. Elegantly. I'll let you know.
An effort at the downward dog.
Last edited by silverbirch; 09-22-2011 at 01:42 PM.
35 minutes on stationary bike, resistance at six
25 minutes on recumbent bike, resistance at eight
This morning I was trying hard to get used to the stationary bike, with its slipped gears & lack of foot straps. How does one sprint fast on such bikes? I'm used to either foot straps or clipping my bike shoes to the peddles. Finally I gave up, frustrated, near tears. How I missed my spin class, and my friends in that class, the conversations we had during warmup, and the various teachers, each with her own distinctive play list. My iPod stopped cold dead, further demoralizing me. I moved to one of the three stationary bikes, which in this gym, only seem to be used by the Silver Sneakers members. I was between two older ladies & I think I was taking up the bike that one of their friends is used to using, only she showed up really late & didn't get it. So the trio of ladies did not get to chit-chat side by side over their morning newspaper as I have seen them doing in the past. I felt badly, but not too badly. That particular recumbent bike was the only one with foot straps & the only one I felt safe doing sprints on.
I hate the bikes at this gym. They're not an option. I'm calling one of the new fitness clubs a half-hour drive away from here that sent a flyer to the house offering five days of working out for free. I will have to deal with the hard sell to get those days, but I want a break from the village gym. And newer equipment, at least for a couple days. On which I can dream of what I took for granted & lost.
Saef, have you considered buying an actual bike secondhand? I have never been to upstate NY but I am imagining miles of gorgeous wooded roads with little traffic that would be perfect for biking. At least, until December.
Jessica, you mean I'm supposed to, um, actually ride a bike someplace? Instead of just peddling and going nowhere? ;-)
Saturday, Sept. 24:
Ran the usual route, the more difficult uphill side, walked afterward, 4 miles
One hour of Beginner Kripalu yoga
I've got a twinge tonight along the bottom of my left foot, which is my plantar fasciitis reminding me of how much pain it can give me. So for the next few days, my goal is to stay off my feet & use exercise machines like bikes (on which I peddle & peddle & go nowhere) and rowing machines. We'll see what that trial membership at the nice gym a half-hour away gives me access to.
Seriously, I will pay for a second gym membership if this place is decent & if it seems the traffic flow is favorable for me getting there promptly.
20 minutes waiting for staff member of fitness club to meet me for the appointment I'd made two days before to view the facility with a eye toward possibly becoming a member & work out for free. He never showed. I should have known that a twentysomething buff young guy would blow off an appointment at 9 AM on Sunday, the morning after Syracuse University won a football game in a close match.
Walked out of that gym in annoyance, but saw enough to know it was a really nice place & that I would have actually joined it, not just used the free five-day membership.
At my own gym
20 minutes recumbent bike, resistance at eight, hill intervals
60 minutes shoulders, chest & triceps workout. This one defeated me utterly last Sunday. I did better this time, partly because I picked up a better place to set up my mat & pushup handles. But it still killed me. I simply cannot do some of the pushup variations, so I just do plain old girly pushups to failure. (Which came sooner & sooner, as the workout progressed.)
45 minutes recumbent bike, Alpine peak, resistance at eight
I can be so witty. 
Does cross-country skiing take over from running? That's a very good workout.
