Shannon, yes, I feel like they are good workouts. I am so much stronger than I was 6 months ago when I started, and I have some muscle definition, which I think is just really cool I absolutely love it. Yesterday when I was doing the leg presses some man about 1/2 my age was watching. When I finished, he applauded. I'm such a ham~

[QUOTE=Tejas;3434777Yesterday when I was doing the leg presses some man about 1/2 my age was watching. When I finished, he applauded. I'm such a ham~[/QUOTE]

Oh I just THIS! Rock on Rhonda!

Shannon: I'm so far away from my mat right now it isn't funny. It's in a box somewhere. Probably marked Master Bed because I kept my mat in my bedroom. The only yoga I'm doing right is reading the India section of Eat Love Pray.

Accomplishments yesterday...found docs for the kids, library cards and completed the school registration papers. Now I need to get teacher references for DS1 so he can be enrolled in the gifted program. I feel panic rising up to the top of my chest. This whole business of meeting all these needs has to be playing havoc with my cortisol levels.

Breathe, Breathe, Breathe...that's my yogic suggestion for the day.

K. Off to get papers faxed signed and dated, meet the new doc, and rush out some pleading emails to DS's former teachers.

Enjoy the day everyone!

I forgot to ask earlier, I need a sub exercise for bench presses. I'm often alone and can't really do them safely, plus I keep tweaking my shoulder with them. Anyone have any ideas?

Pushups?

I don't do bench presses anymore myself.

Did a 40 min walk with the dog today in the 30C heat, not sure if I'm going to do weights today (should be a lower body day). Last night I did not sleep -at all- so I'm pretty tired (did catch a few hours between 6-8am!)

Weighted dips

Shannon- The mighty push up. There are a zillion modifications: Spidey push ups (in the up position, bend alternating legs to elbows), close hand (works triceps like close grip bench presses), incline, decline, one leg, toes on stability ball, clapping, one arm (good luck on those two!)...The variations are endless. You can graduate to animal or kid on back push ups, too

OK, I've got my new pose challenge: going into a headstand from a wide stance with no kick up and Side Crow. I can get about half way on the handstand, but can't even figure out how to get into the Side Crow position. Crow I can do...but I just don't get the transition.

I missed Crossfit today because everything went haywire at work at 4:40 and I missed the 5 pm train It was a birthday WOD that I really wanted to do: power cleans and front squats. Which means that tomorrow will be some awful metcon! Luckily, I'm going to an Olympic lifting clinic at noon so that is my consolation

Mel

Olympic lifting clinic? I need one of those

Hi all,

Still recovering from jetlag & hot flashes. Bleh.
But I did go to the doctor & got some prescription hormone stuff so hopefully that will help. And I biked to the next village to actually pick up the meds, and jumped in my pool afterwards to cool down. It is truly amazing that in 2 or 3 short months I've gained a LOT of fat & have hot flashes, broken nights etc like 24/7.

For all the CF-ers: did anyone check out the book "You are your own gym?" it is amazing & full of what looks like CF-like bodyforce workout idea's. Inspirational, altough I do not see myself actually going for the workout routines in my present detoriated condition.

Have a great weekend all,
Rabbit

I posted (and lost) last week that the osteopath I'd seen suggested (a) that squats & deadlifts were not helping my lower back and (b) that I should lose some of the muscle I've got. That I've got a lot of muscle in my legs (perfectly true). 'Kill' was the word he used & he mentioned that hot baths can do this to muscle.

Er. I don't really go along with this. It doesn't fit with received wisdom here. Any comments, wise travellers?

Still haven't been near a proper computer to see your house, Lydia. Good luck w all the paperwork.

Rabbit - jet lag is horrible.

to everyone. I'm still on tour. The sooner I get back to the gymn, the better.

Working out in 30C weather sucks, ick!
Today's workout: Bench, row, press, curl (bicep/hammer), didn't do tricep extension, my triceps don't matter that much lol. 4-6 reps. Disappointed in my strength

Silverbirch: I am not medically qualified, but what on earth? I don't see how could sitting in hot water seriously affect muscle size? And surely stronger legs help in standing and relieving pressure on the lower back.

My own experience is simply this: the stronger I get, and that includes doing deadlifts and squats, the less my lower back hurts and related sciatic problems have disappeared. I've certainly noticed if my form is less than optimal, my lower back will feel strain during a deadlift, but that is the cue to use better form.

For what it's worth, that's what I think.

Rhonda

Birch, sounds like some sort of radical nutjob to me.

Ladies, just a flyby. Taking the rowing cert this weekend. Survived day 1 in the gym yesterday...the wods were a bit long for my liking, but the instruction was great, learned a lot more about the rowing stroke and using the erg (the indoor rower). Today we get to go on the real racing shells on the water! I'm hoping I don't spend the whole time upside down or swimming. Gotta scoot! Carpooling since it's on Lake Union in Seattle, and I hate driving in Seattle. :P

Birch, I don't have any formal qualification but what the osteo said does not match with what I've read sofar. Could it be that is a question of muscles that have to balance? For instance I have read that if your stomach muscles are not in balance with your back muscles, this can give you pain in the back. Likewise there should be a balance between the hamstrings and the quads. I do not get the link with hot baths at all.

Unrelated to the osteo but re: lower back pain. I get this from normal chairs since my feet tend to not touch the grouns so I "hang" on my lower back. My solution was to get a chair for the office and the same one at home where I sit on my knees and this solved my back pain issues. http://www.profita.nl/varier/wing_stokke.html shows the chair.


have a great weekend,
Rabbit

Thanks, everyone. My tummy muscles are pretty good as I've been working on a "corset" for my back for months. Likewise hamstrings & quads. So ??? Let's let Cheryl sum up:

Pitch in, anyone else. Please feel free. I expect it will give you CFers a laugh.

(ETA that I got the impression he was not that familiar with women in their 50s with a few muscles.)