All set today to be the hottest day in our heatwave (inland areas will see 37C or about 100F). And, Sugar Cube, the north of Scotland will be hot too today, though perhaps not Shetland.

It's a 'rest' day today as I get ready for travel tomorrow. See you in three or four weeks! I'll be thinking of you all.

Managed to get myself a heat headache riding a mile to the petrol station! I didn't fancy being in the heat on the bike for a whole hour! I mightta died! So I left the hardcore kickboxers to it last night! Plus DF had a "cold" and wanted me to look after him. However, since I'd said I was going kickboxing he worked late anyway, so he didn't come home for ages. BAH!

Have a good trip silverbirch

Nelie - WTG with those measurements

hrbabe, glad you're healing a bit!

Everyone else - stay away from the M&Ms I will if you will

For all you LWL, I am just starting out a weight routine, but looking ahead I know you should change it up about every 4-6 weeks to keep your body surprised. Does this mean changing the reps/intensity or does it mean changing the actual routine totally? I tend to like to find a niche that's working and not change it, so this will be one of those things that I will need to work at.

Any suggestions or advice as I get started with this will be greatly appreciated!

LOL! I just asked this question last week, so let me spare our mod's and others and jump in here They told me you should actually change it up anytime it gets easy for you. Thus, if your last set is not taking you to full exhaustion anymore, time to crank it up. They even said that once you are able, you should consider changing the actual exercises each time, changing out a tricep kickback for bench dips or overhead tri presses for example.

I'm with you - I'm not there yet. I have a little folder of all my exercises and my weights on sticky notes. But already this week, I can speak more sophisticated about it than I could 2 weeks ago, so maybe there's hope.

Bottom line, switch it up as much as you are able. Definitely each month or so, or when they weights don't burn out your muscles anymore.

According to what I've been reading in my training manual, you can change intensity, reps, order, or routine itself. Any of these should work. Just so your body doesn't get too efficient.

Nelie, great going on the inches gone. You seem so calm about it...I would be jumping to the skies.

Mel, I vote for staying away from the gym and going to the store, for reasons already given here.

Well, think I am finally back on track with my exercise and my eating. Dropped down to my pre-stroke weight, had a full lower body workout this morning plus 20 minutes each on the elliptical and cross ramp, and feel great. Even my vertigo seems to have lessened. Hallulullah (sp?)!

Have a great day everyone.

Susan

Hi and thanks for the responses. I have another question to toss out to you more advanced weight trainers: I now run every other day, will I be able to weight train on the alternate days without fatiguing my body too much? I know the guidelines for the weights are resting about 48 hours between, so I thought that this might work for me. But am I giving my lower body enough rest? I just don't want to be sidelined for injuries. I'm just starting out so I can feasibly do a full body training without having to split due to time constraints.

Susan - I am very excited about my progress. My major goal is to get my waist in the 30s and I'm heading that way.

I went to the gym last night and did 23 minutes on the elliptical. I could tell that the heat and humidity was weighing me down. I pushed myself but couldn't push myself as much as I have in the past. I need this heat to go away.

Boy, the gym has been packed the last few nights. Nobody wants to be out in the heat. Yesterday's workout was great, today's was nonexistent. Woke during the night, did some housecleaning, then went back to sleep and woke too late to workout. Tonight I will try to fit in UB.

Softballmom, I believe it should be fine to weight lift on the alternative days. Focus on your upper body predominately, and work those lowerbody muscles such as hamstrings that aren't worked as well by running. Runners tend to overdevelop their quads and need to balance with hamstring work. You may want to work on lower back, inner thighs, and glutes, as well as doing flexibility work.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Susan/AM - this is a help for me too. I've been riding my bike for cardio and up until now I've not considered it as a LBWO as well, mostly because I don't do long distances. However, I'm going further these days, and my legs are feeling it. I had been just doing a LBWO as though I hadn't ridden my bike, but I know from my DH being a long distance rider in his youth that bikers also get overdeveloped quads. I'm noting your advice to softballmom about which things to work on.

It's not hot here - at least compared to what all of you in the "lower 48" are suffering, but neither is my gym equipped with A/C, and the cardio equipment is all on the 2nd floor. Can you say stifling? Outdoor cardio is very attractive these days. Plenty of time to indoors when its snowy/icy/cold/dark by say, October.

Hi
I did go shopping as well as doing my workouts, packed the fridge and freezer to overflowing, then we had a HUGE storm Tuesday night and the power was out for 12 1/2 hours I'm only laughing because I didn't have to throw out all my food. There are still thousands of homes and businesses around here with no power, and not expecting it for another few days. What a freak storm! It only lasted about 2 hours, but winds hit 75 miles per hour and 5,400 lightening strikes were counted in 2 adjoining counties, according to the newspaper. I know where at least 20 of them where! I was driving home from the gym during the height of the mess and it took me an hour to make what is usually a 12 minute drive. Every way I turned, there was a tree and power lines across the road. I spent yesterday helping a friend move all her food into my freezer- she was told to not expect power until Sunday! There are still a lot of roads closed- unfortunately you don't find that out until you are commited to a particicular route for 5 miles or so.

Softballmom- Alternating lifting days and running days should work fine. As Susan mentioned, don't forget your hamstrings. Runners tend to ignore them and it can cause all sorts of knee and hip problems.

Fru- I can't believe the heat stories from the UK! My dd is at Oxford this summer and was afraid of freezing. When we were there 5 years ago in July, we wore parkas Stay cool!

Pat- Got that guestroom ready? I think you may have an invasion arriving!

Off to do cardio with the fan pointed right at me

Mel

Oh yes - come on up!! We love having company and showing off our beautiful state. Webcam on the roof over the library front door www.cityofpalmer.org Currently, noon, it's 61, partly sunny. A lovely day. We are at a higher latitude so it feels warmer than 61 where you are.

Wow, Mel, that's some storm! I remember some doozies from living in Massachusetts and later Michigan, but yours sounds a bit more! My SIL had what the weather people called a "microburst" at her house 2 years ago, took down trees and damaged her roof and siding. Very local, very strong.

Okay, all this talk of weather - I'm going to go take a walk for the rest of my lunch hour.

Whew yeah it's so hot, it makes me want to work out - in the A/C gym!

Loving getting back to my weights. I'm aiming for 5.5 miles running tonight though and thanks for the tip SusahAM too - I think I need to do some hammy work too! Although maybe kickboxing balances it all out

Hi ladies! I’m just now been catching up. I was back east for a wedding last weekend and we have a major party event going on for work tomorrow night so it’s been madness coming back to the office and trying to help keep things running smoothly this week. Seems like the heat is just about killing y’all! It’s been plenty hot here in Cali, but it doesn’t really faze me, it just makes me wish I was spending any time at all at the beach to be taking advantage! I haven’t been to the beach in about two weeks, I think I’m going through withdrawal. Maybe I’ll have time on Sunday before class.

No working out for me as of yet this week unless you count the walking. I’m thinking I’ll either do UB weights and elliptical cardio or water aerobics/laps tonight, haven’t decided yet. I still need to do laundry, properly unpack, and clean my apartment. It’s been such a crazy week I feel like I’m just living in chaos.

softballmom – Welcome! Looks like you’re getting good advice here already so I’ll just say “hi”

nelie – Congrats on the inches lost! I should really get the tape measure out one of these days, it’s been a couple months since I did measurements.

Here’s a picture of me and my boyfriend, the best man, at the reception. First time I’ve ever seen him in a tux, he cleans up real good!

You both clean up real good Great picture!

My gym just got bought! It's staying a gym I have no idea if I'll be working there, but I'm happy for all the members. Maybe I'll join

Mel

Wow, Shannon, you both look terrific!

And yay for your members Mel! When our gym closed here it was nearly 2 years before it was sold and reopened - as a gym thank goodness.