Star..One set on the ultra track only takes 7-8 minutes instead of 10-15. I guess it just felt longer.. There are 5 different exercises and 4 of them you have to do it for each leg and then I do the one for the stomach twice.
Julie...I don't eat anything before I do my little workout but I do it so early in the morning that I couldn't possibly eat before.

Julie: I normally go to the gym between 4:30pm and 5:00pm (after work). I go home and change, and have a fruit and/or starch. Save my 2 veggies and protein for dinner after exercising. My second LA Lite bar for the 7:00pm timeframe - sometimes with decafe tea. Then I'm good for the night.

Julie - I get up at 5 a.m. and so no I don't eat first. I do however drink water as I work out...
Athena - I would say since you are getting use to your routine and walking quite abit, no need for legs and buns (IMHO). But do remember to skip a day between any strength training, you muscles need to recover.
Rusty - So are you gonna add in another set on that Ultra Track? Your doing good - keep it up....
Sy - Did you get those new daisey dukes yet?

Question Star - I have no exercise equipment nor a gym to work out in around here other than my treadmill. WHen I do the WATP they use weights for about 15 minutes of the program. Other than that what other lifting weights or strength training could I do? What are pilates??? What tapes could you suggest? I need more variety - walked on the treadmill 45 min tonight. Thats getting easier to do so I know I need to do something different with that.

I would love to go sleeveless this summer - arms are good but I want that muscle to show. Thanks

GO GO GO

Beverley - go to www.self.com/challenge - there is a GREAT whole-body strength training routine that takes about 25 minutes. You need whatever size hand weights you are comfortable with, a towel and preferably an exercise ball ($15-20 at Target). (Okay, I'm realizing you need to sign up for the challenge to access the specific workout I'm talking about, but it's FREE to sign up and there's lots of good information in the "challenge" part of the site, so I'd go for it!) Also, if you just click on "Fitness" on the Self.com home page, it takes you to a whole page of links to different suggested workouts.

Fiona

Star, no daisy-dukes, or at least not this year. LOL! You and Julie would have been proud of me last night. I did an hour on the elliptical, every 5 minutes I would turn the tension up to 9 (the highest) and then down for the entire hour. Man, does make a difference and I was sweating (which always proves to me a good workout as I don't sweat that much in general). Then, I did the weights for the arms and that general area (where I needs lots of help), and a few floor exercises for the butt and legs. Slept like a baby last night and woke up so refreshed.

Bev - I'm so glad you found us! Sounds like you are working out and if I remember correctly, you have always done cardio (walking, treadmill).
The perfect refrence regarding light weight, toning and strength training for you is the 6WBMO. I know you have it, just look thru the exercise cards for the body parts you want to work on (amrs, back, etc). The cards show you what to do with the toning bands, remember? Plus, if you got light hand weights you can use those instead of the toning band.
About getting you arms in shape, with muscles showing. That actually takes awhile to accomplish, so start right now....lol That's exactly what I have been focused on for the last year, since I viewed my high school reunion tape of me in a sleeveless pantsuit!
I'm very-very proud to say, that I have made tremendous imrovement. But remember you need to do about 3 arm exercises, 3 sets with 12 reps each,like I said this takes effort and desire.....You go girl!!!

Sy - Aboutthe daisy-dukes, that's an inside joke of Rusty and mine...lol We talked about designing some that were capri daisy-dukes, just for us.......cute huh? Sounds like you are taking it up a notch and sometimes that is just what it takes. Did you mean squats and not swats, right? Squats are great for you thighs and buns, I do those also....But in my basement with no horny little jocks around....(in my case, they would be laughing)..lol
When I get alittle time I plan on posting some information here about your target heart rate. It is info that we learned from 6 week body makeover and Michael Thurman, very helpful info to make your cardio really work. He just says the you need to do cardio at 60 to 65%, which is your target heart rate for fat buring. I have the formula to find what your rate should be for your age. What I found is that I was working out too hard and burning blood sugars and not stored body fat. So I had to slow it down, which to me was alittle hard to do, but once there I loved it! Bev, Rusty you already know all this. But if anyone else wants to know the numbers for your age, you can PM me......
Fiona - Doesn't that gym have floor employees that can help clients with using the equipment and proper form? It has been my experience that most gyms do? Since you don't work out that much or on a regular basis, once you start with the basics on a schedule, your body will respond.
Later fit chicks.....

Hi Star: When you can Karen get done with the DD capri's I'll be the first to order. I have to admit, my ankles don't look bad at all! LOL! My legs wouldn't either if my knees were not sagging. And, yes - I meant squats! LOL! The owner at my gym did tell us about the heart rate being very important and has a portable heart rate monitor we can use to checkout things while we are working out. The treadmill can be setup for heart-rate which makes it easy to know where your at. I never knew this before joining the gym.

Sy - My recumbent bike shows where your heart rate is, I love that. My treadmill computer is out of order so I have to time it myself, I do the 10 second version. I think Rusty has her own monitor.
Recently I had stopped checking that out and remembered how important it is. I would much rather burn stored body fat than blood sugars! So now even though I might think I can guess-ta-mate I will do it the right way. Why waste even one workout, right?

I decided to continue with the bike for 10 minutes, Monday-Saturday with one set on the ultra track Tues, Thurs, Sat. Next Monday I'm going to do what Star suggested. MWF 15 minutes on the bike and TTS I might up the ultra track to two sets. I'll see when that day gets here.

Karen, you are doing great..keep up the good work. You are gonna look hot on that boat this summer....

Oh Dear God, talk about practice what you preach. I just started timiming my heart rate when I do cardio again. I had to slow down quite abit and for me that's almost harder than speeding up......lol So now that I know I'm going at the wrong pace I have to keep a really close eye on that - which might mess up my tv viewing....lol

I love my easy days, those are the ab tape, bun and thigh roller, recumbent bike and treadmill days. I guess becuz that's all stuff I don't have to think about too hard. The weight days are alittle different, have to think about sets, reps, form (can't watch tv).......lol. I think I was really cut out to be a certified couch potato...

later chicks.....

Star...You could never be a "couch potato" you'd get too bored. You love working out way too much for that...

So, I went to my yoga class last night and my arms and legs still have their wet-noodle-ish qualities this afternoon. Wow! It made me think of the guy who gave us the tour of the gym last week - he commented that the club's "yoga" class is really a combo yoga-pilates class, "so that it's a little more active rather than just relaxing." I thought about saying something to him, but if I took the time to re-educate everyone I meet who thinks that yoga is just lying on the floor going "om," I'd never get anything else done.

Fiona

Fiona - Don't you just love it when you workout and your body says "ouch"....lol
About the Lifetime employee that made the "comment," I'm surprised a trainer would in a round-about way diss any form of exercise. Shame on him! He's lucky you were in a reserved mood that particular day....lol

Sy - lol! Yeah, he was one of those giant no-neck guys that probably can't touch his toes to save his life, and has obviously never attended a REAL yoga class. I pretty much just mentally shake my head and forgive them their ignorance.

Fiona