Today I played several rounds of basket ball till I was pouring sweat and breathing hard so I really got my heart rate up everytimd.Then palying with my dogs for a long time,we played pitch and fetch with balls and a frizby plus did some aglity traioning to keep them thinking...more tomorrow.

Today I did an hour on the Arc Trainer, Interval Program, Level 7. Then I did 30 minutes of floor exercises and weight lifting.

Jill was on the stairmaster in her usual black tight running shorts, six-pack abs, Underarmour brand bra, and baseball cap. Her female trainer friend was standing beside her talking to her. Jill is generally alone so it's always exciting to listen to her with a friend. It was hard to hear them, but here's what I caught from Jill of any substance: "He's an Italian stallion lover....never has time for me...." Poor Jill and her rotating lovers.

Life has been stressful lately. Not even necessarily bad stress, just stress. Unfortunately, instead of going to the gym to work off the tension, I come home and remain in a somewhat grumpy mood.

So lately....mainly just walking the dog has been the exercise of the Dapper.

I think that I need to figure out how to change to being a morning worker outer. It is just hard to do it after work unless I have made a commitment to a work out friend. My two friends have also struggled to keep focused and either skip working out or when they do work out, want to go to those stupid cardio classes (I'm not into the class thing). Too, we have all been taking vacations (or just time off from work), so that has messed up the routine, as well.

Grrr..excuses, excuses...

Today I did 1 hr 15 min on the Arc Trainer, Level 7, Interval program. I watched "I'm having their baby." It sounds cheesy but I'm finding the show pretty gripping. I mean, think about it! Someone else is potentially having someone else's baby and they can decide to back out at the last minute. It's worth enduring extra cardio agony to make it through that crucial "Will you sign the papers?" hospital scene.

Then I did 45 minutes of weights, core, and yoga.

Gym interaction during the non-TV part of my work-out:

Older fit white man, not a regular, lays beside the "balance pad," a blue foam square used for certain exercises.

I walk up to him and say, "Are you using that?"

He says, "Yes."

I say, "Can I have it when you're done? I'll be right over here." I point to a mat nearby.

He says, "How much are you going to pay me?"

I force a laugh and walk away.

Out of the corner of my eye I watch to see if he is really using that foam blue square. Hmmm... not that I can see.

About ten minutes later, he shouts to me, "I'm done!" and zings it at me like a Frisbee. I catch it.

There are, perhaps, undercurrents of passive aggressive feelings on both sides in this interaction, but there's nothing like having an awkward, adrenaline inducing gym interaction to process while doing some end-of-work-out stretching.

I took some days off but got back on track a few days ago.

So...

I have five workout DVD's -- some which have never been unwrapped :blink:

I decided to, for the next five days, exercise to a different one each day.

OMG!

SO much harder than my usual treadmill/elliptical/bike routines. Panting! Sweating! Hurting! Blast that Jillian and Jackie! And...AND...they are only 30 minutes long! Wow--what a workout crammed into those minutes!

Anyway, onward to DVD #3 tomorrow...Jillian's gonna bust my abs somewhere I think. :|

Good job! Keep it up!

Yes, videos/aerobic classes can really kick some ass...

I have been sweating hard,working out like a maniack,eating enough salads to choke a horse then finaly got down to 5258,damn I got on thes cale and have gained 2 pounds.I also have eaten a bit more than useal being I have been comeing home pretty late from the pool hall starveing then ate something late at night,now I also know me getting up twice in the early a.m. to let the pups out and drinking hot chockolate while waiting caould have done it but I couldnt have been that bad...I will stop the early am eating.The only prob I have with dieting is I have to be in some state of hungry all the time for it to work,it just won't work other wise.I'm back on tow waggons to go back to square one.

Smart friend!
 

So, one of my two work-out coworkers was going to the gym. It was planned again of time, but I really wasn't into it by the end of the day. But, her encouragement got me going. So, here we are, on the elipticals next to each other for all of 5 minutes and she says...."Ummmm, I am going to head over to the yoga class". I was like whaaaaa???? She said, "well, I thought maybe you wouldn't come if I told you I was going to the class and you needed to get in here! " ha! Smart friend! I must admit I was only on the machine for a few minutes before being glad that I was there.

Locker room update
 

I thought I would come back and give a quick update on what I have found to be the "locker room situation" now that I have had time to try it out.

As it turns out, when I decided to go to a place that was exclusively a pool instead of a gym + pool combo, it made a huge difference. I don't know for sure, but I think it is because in this locker room everybody who is in there either currently is, just was, or soon will be, nekkid. Nobody is there just to drop off their gear or make a quick shirt change. The only reason to be there is to swim.

I have had no negative looks or reactions, no comments, and am generally just not even noticed.

Another piece of this maybe the fact that it is a college, a women's college. It is summer and therefore mostly alumni and their families using the place, and a few other folks that have discovered the public can get in.

The upshot is, the only person who is bothered by me being there, or even gives it a second thought, is me. I just have to get over myself. Frankly, even that part is not as bad as I thought it would be. I just take care of business, get in and out quick.

When school is back in session it will be mostly college students. Normally this would give me pause, but again it is a women's college. I suspect that most of the people in there will be young, nubile… :blink:


Wait a minute… :thinking:


:thinking:


Hey! There might be an upside to this after all… :cheesy:




*I'm kidding!!!*

Eyes front at all times.

My exercise for the past 24 hours has been giving multiple baths to my 100 lb lab after he went and got sprayed by a skunk.
Not cool.

Walked 2 miles with a bit of weight training for the upper body.

Today part 2
 

Today was a really great day.

This morning I did a light 3 miles on the beach and pulled off in order to save some for the pool.

Something I have been seeing at the pool and looking into on my own is something called the pool swimmers snorkel. It goes right at the center between your eyes and allows you to lap swim without having to turn your head for air. After reading tons of reviews and opinions, that there seems to be three reasons for this. One, as a sort of "training wheels" device for beginners :cheesy:. Two, a training aid for exercise swimmers and people who want to concentrate on stroke form. Three, a rehab device for people rehabbing from neck or spinal surgery, or those with problems in those areas, (me). My coach mentioned to this to me in the past as something that she had used with other students, and I have seen my friend from the beach using it periodically during her lap swims.

Today I showed up at the pool and was just starting to get a little bit warm when I saw my friend show up. I flagged her down to ask her opinion and see how she liked hers and what brand it was. She said she loved it and couldn't say enough good about it, then she said that she had a brand-new extra one in her car and ran off to get it for me so that I could try it. It was exactly the brand and model that I was thinking about getting, how fun that I could try it out right then and there! Of course wearing this thing with goggles and all makes you look like an alien. :|

I tried it and I am hooked. Right off the bat, I swam all the way across the pool freestyle with no flotation device assisting me, completely comfortably and without panic. I had also been watching some swimming stroke videos on YouTube that my coach recommended, and was able to start working on technique by feel. About 45 minutes later, my coach showed up to instruct somebody else and saw me. She was very encouraging and spent the 10 minutes she was waiting for the other student watching what I was doing, critiquing me, and giving me tips. Almost like a free lesson!

I'll tell you what, when you can actually go for it and try hard without flailing around and being panicked half the time this is really a good workout. I thought I was getting worn out before! At an hour and 10 minutes I was completely dog tired. Today was the most outright fun I've had so far, and I can't wait for the next time.

I finished up with a nice soak in the hot tub and the sunshine.

:theisland:

Tired. Took a break today. :seeingstars:

Yesterday was very buisy so I didnt get to work out,but I did the day before really hard 50% cardio & 50% abbs,I am now up to 166 crunchies as fas as I can do them.I also did a lot of basket ball wich is a good cardio with the joging/running /bending to get the ball then running in for the shot.Funny thing is if I think about runing I fell heavy footed as well as uncordanated but if I just don't think about it and just do it I can get around pretty well...go figure.It has gotten very hot and humid lately so I am working out as late as I can or really early in the morning depending on whats going on.

45 minutes this AM for triceps & biceps plus warmup and cool down. This afternoon is yardwork, and the weekend days are my rest days.

It's time for me to do some special things for myself, so I'm picking up just a couple of races this year.

I am booked for the Turning Stone Half Marathon (Verona, NY) in August, the Gulf Beach Half (Milford, CT) in Sept, the Hartford Half (CT) and Newport Half (RI) in October on an awesome double race weekend, and the Fall River Half (MA) in October. This year has been a financial whack in the face so I'm keeping myself limited to local, well-run, affordable events.

I had a racing goal for next year but that's been pretty much shot to heck now.

Did a 30 minute Jillian Michaels' Ab DVD <--wtf. planks? burpies? really?! my core and upper body strength is crap. I had to majorly modify some moves as well as sit and catch my breath at various points as these physical fitness maniacs carried on!

After that torture, went on the treadmill for 25 at a brisk pace but nothing crazy (3.3 was highest I think).

I spent two hours on the Arc Trainer, Level 5, Interval Program. TV show choices were not so great. Home improvement shows are very popular these days, and I just can't get into them. Then I did an hour of weight lifting, floor exercises, and yoga. It was a wonderful work-out.

I'm very excited that I am now off work for the month of August, in between summer school and the new school year starting. It makes exercise so much more relaxing, and I will also have time to do arts and crafts and to clean the apartment. I am an introvert, and nothing delights me more than having no work and no plans on the calendar.

After my dinner setles i'm going out to give a workout a good go..more later.

I did an hour of sprints up the stairs at the gym. For the first 30 minutes I lifted weights while doing them, and for the second 30 minutes, I relished not lifting weights while doing them :D

My sister says that Arc trainer is a beas't! what's it like? Ive not see one.

25 on elliptical. 35 on rolling hills mode, tread mill. It was arms day today. then i came home to clean house (moving boxes and sorts). Its been a very productive day

It's like an elliptical but maybe more of a gliding motion. What I like about it is that on the elliptical my heels lift up (which isn't ideal for working out), but on the Arc Trainer I am able to keep my feet flat the whole time. But really it's very much like an elliptical, moving the legs and arms simultaneously. I like to do an interval program, where I have periods of intense resistance (which works on strength) interspersed with less resistance where I am able to go super fast and get a good cardio experience.

I've been out (sick) for a little over 4 weeks now, started off with a sore throat and moved into an upper respiratory infection. So I really haven't been to the gym lately, but have been doing about 20 minutes of cardio on my Wii board. Its about 2000 steps each time and its a decent pace. I usually use weights in my hands and on my ankles.

Hoping that soon, my wife, and I will be free to gym soon-- its hard to always have a break and then start up again.

Things are moving along. Saturday I actually did 70 minutes of cardio. After 40 minutes on the eliptical with the wrong shoes, I had to get off because my feet were hurting so bad. I changed to a recumbent bike and did another 30 minutes. It felt good.

About to hit eliptical now for my usual 45 minutes. I always do random or strength building mode. I do random when I am at the gym and strength building when on home machine.

I walked 3 miles (2 laps) around the Central Park reservoir. It was a gorgeous day out. I loved watching the ducks and the sun reflecting on the water. It was so quiet and breezy out.

I'm just popping in and reading this thread to get some motivation to work off some fish and onion rings I had for lunch. It was an outdoor patio on the lake--I couldn't resist! Sometimes I feel like if I eat badly, I just wanna throw in the towel for the day and veg right out...but I refuse this time!

Off to fire up the DVD player or treadmill. I'll report back. Sigh. :vigil:

Ok. I tried the Jillian Michaels'[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-Ripped-30/dp/B004CRR9IS"] Ripped in 30[/ame] DVD, and I think it is my favourite workout video so far. It is structured in four levels of workouts--week 1, level 1 and on to level 2 in the second week and so on. Each of the 4 sections of the main workout has 3 mins of strength/2 mins of cardio/one minute abs. I didn't get bored, and she was good about instructions on positioning. I really feel I'm getting a better workout with a personal trainer on the tube. After finishing that, I watched Seinfeld while I walked on the treadmill for 30.

Thanks for the inspiration, exercise folks!

No workout today. It was a sleep-in morning because of my late arrival home from the family visit last night, and I had an appt. after work this evening. Tomorrow is back to my regularly scheduled date with the gym.

This is exactly the reason I came in here and wrote. I knew if I said I was going to work out, I would do it.

Who else thinks Gemme's a weirdo for keeping track of this stuff just to tell random strangers on the internet about it?

<raises hand>

.....I know, I know she says she wrote it down for herself, but....<eyeroll>

I'm disappointed in your retort. You are usually much funnier than this. Try again.

<---- believes in encouraging strangers to meet their full potential

:thumbsup: That's better!

<--- loves him some Gemme humor