# Exercise; What is it You Do?



## Aliena (May 1, 2007)

I thought having a thread about different exercises would be a good idea. I hope I was right. I liked the idea of having a thread about weight lifting, because I do weight lift, but it seems it's kind-of-sort-of off topic. (understandably so, by the way)

Anyways,...

My hubby and I work out 4-5 days a week. We do both cardio and weight lifting on those days. We've decided to cut back on the weight lifting, because we feel so sore afterwards, thinking we're not giving our muscles time to rest. 

So, we're going to take one day to work the bottom part of our body with the weights and the next day with the top. (something like what Vickie said)
Everyday that we do work out, we'll be doing a minimum of 20-30 minutes of cardio. 
I get my cardio by working on the bicycles. I do a level 7 on a setting of random hills, and usually end up with an average heart rate of 140-145. This is in the fat burning zone. 

I sometimes hop on the artic trainer (sort of looks like the eliptical, but not as intimidating) but have only managed to get up to 4 minutes. (I started out only being able to do just less than a minute)

On Wednesday mornings, we do a fit-ball class. I love this class, because it really works my abs and legs. 

Sometimes we do an aqua-areobics class, but those are few and far between anymore. 


I hope that you'll be willing to share what sort of exercises you do and how often. By sharing, I'm thinking we can get different ideas of what to possibly try in our own routines. 

When I read some of y'alls weight lifting-weights, I got a bit intimidated, because my upper body strength (and lower) is weak. For instance, when I do the "fly" machine, I'm only pushing 17.5lbs. This low weight is a challenge for me. 

Also, my trainer told us not to do more than 2 reps with that of 12 moves. I'm curious to those of you that weight lift, how many reps you do and moves?
How often do you *up* your weights? I'm still virtually sitting where I started, because I still feel the workout with what I do. 


What do you guys do for exercise and how much?


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## MizzRubens (May 1, 2007)

Dancing... salsa dancing mainly.

And the best way to keep in shape for me (and the most fun  ) is sex.


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## HottiMegan (May 1, 2007)

For the time being, i hike 4-5 times a week. As soon as the water gets a little deeper in the creek i swim in, i'll swim 4-5 times a week too. 

When i was body building/weight training i did 3 sets of 10 reps for each body group i was working. I always did it at the weight that was really hard to do at the end of those sets.


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## Waxwing (May 1, 2007)

I admire people who can work out regularly. I get pretty lazy, and am a girl of inertia. 

The only thing I've found that I can do consistently is Kundalini Yoga. I do it for about an hour a day, every day, and honestly it's the only thing I've ever been able to stick with, because I feel so great when I'm done.


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## ashmamma84 (May 1, 2007)

I do yoga several times a week; contrary to popular belief, it burns hella calories and leaves you feeling peaceful and centered. I also do walking - everyday of the week, even if it's only for 15 minutes or so.

This summer I want to take up an aqua-cize class, though I am still researching it.


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## Waxwing (May 1, 2007)

ashmamma84 said:


> I do yoga several times a week; contrary to popular belief, it burns hella calories and leaves you feeling peaceful and centered. I also do walking - everyday of the week, even if it's only for 15 minutes or so.
> 
> This summer I want to take up an aqua-cize class, though I am still researching it.



Isn't it awesome! I love it because it does burn calories but I end up feeling happier when I'm done.

oh aqua size is something i've always wanted to try. keep us posted!


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## ashmamma84 (May 1, 2007)

Waxwing said:


> Isn't it awesome! I love it because it does burn calories but I end up feeling happier when I'm done.
> 
> oh aqua size is something i've always wanted to try. keep us posted!



I am really into the Ayruvedic way of living, so yoga (among other things) is integral in keeping me healthy and happy. 

Oh and I will def. keep you posted on the aquacize...


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## DeniseW (May 1, 2007)

I have a dancing video that I use in my living room and I walk a lot and when I get back from my cruise, I'm joining Curves


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## tonynyc (May 1, 2007)

Aliena said:


> My hubby and I work out 4-5 days a week. We do both cardio and weight lifting on those days. We've decided to cut back on the weight lifting, because we feel so sore afterwards, thinking we're not giving our muscles time to rest.
> 
> So, we're going to take one day to work the bottom part of our body with the weights and the next day with the top. (something like what Vickie said)
> Everyday that we do work out, we'll be doing a minimum of 20-30 minutes of cardio.
> ...



Your cardio workout seems pretty intense; this could be the reason why your 'strength' gains as far as lifting could be stymied. 

I'm not sure if you are training for 'toning' vs. 'muscle building' vs. 'strength'.
The usual rep schemes are as follows** 

Type of Training | days per wk | sets per exercise| reps | rest btwn sets
========================================================
Strength | 3 to 4 | 2 to 5 | 4 to 6 | 1 to 3 min.
Bodybuilding | 3 to 6 | 6 to 12 | 8 to 16| few sec-2 min 
"Toning" | 2 to 3 | 1 to 3 | 10 to 20| less than min
Muscle Power | 3 to 4 | 2 to 5 | 4 to 6 | 2 to 3 min
Body Control | 2 to 6 | 2 to 5 | 6 to 20|few sec- 2 min 
========================================================

Additional notes : 

Muscle Power(Improve Explosive Movements Olympic Lifting)
Body Control (Used by Athletes-training on uneven surface or Exercise Ball) 

** source McKown, Mark-"Complete Body Development with Dumbbells" 
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I usually employ a combination of strength training and bodybuilding. 
You just have to change your routines every three months to prevent muscle staleness and boredom. 



MizzRubens said:


> Dancing... salsa dancing mainly.
> 
> And the best way to keep in shape for me (and the most fun  ) is sex.



Dancing, hmmm...if I only didn't have two left feet. I think I would need lessons at Aurthur Murray or Dancing with the Stars. Dancing is a fun workout and SEX is even better


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## Green Eyed Fairy (May 1, 2007)

Walking mostly  outdoors or in the mall when the weather isn't so good
and cleaning houses for a living right now is also good exercise


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## Dibaby35 (May 2, 2007)

I'm really really trying to do more. For now I can count on working out on Saturdays when my kid is doing swim class. I can just watch her in the pool while on the eleptical machine or treadmill. It's great. I also do a bit of the machines. I'm really sore for a couple of days. 

I'm really thinking about waking up a bit earlier and doing a work out video or something like it. Something that i can stick to religiously. I have to do it every day or forget it. Routine is key! I have no other time either.


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## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (May 2, 2007)

Hubby and I have started to play badminton for bout 45 min each night. It isn't strenuous and it is more laughing and winging up than actual exercise but it is loads of fun...and we are moving

I would like to do yoga...it just seems like such a committment, lol, and I suck at committment!

I would also like to be involved in aqua aerobics, but I haven't found a place near me that has regular classes.

I dance. Not regularly, and not very well, but when I am home and a song comes on that I like....I shake my thang, lol....to me exercise is more about movement than structured tredmill running...yuck, lol.


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## LoveBHMS (May 3, 2007)

> Hubby and I have started to play badminton for bout 45 min each night. It isn't strenuous and it is more laughing and winging up than actual exercise but it is loads of fun...and we are moving
> 
> I would like to do yoga...it just seems like such a committment, lol, and I suck at committment!
> 
> ...



This is a really interesting post for me to read, because I am completely the opposite of this. For me, exercise time is very much "me" time and for me it has to be structured. A couple of times I've worked out with my mom if I'm visting her, but I truly don't like it. Having somebody else around during workout time is almost annoying for me. I like having on my iPod anyway.

I try to do at least an hour of cardio each day, usually two hours. 

I'm not as good about lifting weights as I should be.


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## Miss Vickie (May 3, 2007)

LoveBHMS said:


> This is a really interesting post for me to read, because I am completely the opposite of this. For me, exercise time is very much "me" time and for me it has to be structured. A couple of times I've worked out with my mom if I'm visting her, but I truly don't like it. Having somebody else around during workout time is almost annoying for me. I like having on my iPod anyway.
> 
> I try to do at least an hour of cardio each day, usually two hours.
> 
> I'm not as good about lifting weights as I should be.



Wow, I'm impressed. That is a LOT of cardio! Color me impressed! 

I make sure and do cardio about six days a week, depending on my work schedule; I let myself have one day off for good behavior and try not to let it extend to two days or else it's hard to get back into it. When I work a long stretch of three or four 12 hour night shifts in a row, I only do 25-35 minutes, depending on how I'm feeling. Sometimes it's 45, but it's almost always at least 20 minutes, which is the minimum I tell myself I have to do. Then, every other day I do weights. We have a set up at my gym called The Expressway where you go around and do what ends up being about 30 minutes of circuit training. It works pretty well for me.

My best workouts are 45 minutes of cardio and then my weights. And, like you I like to work out alone although I do have a friend who I do cardio with sometimes, when our schedules mesh, which is rare. We end up next to each other and chat occasionally, but mostly we have our own music going and don't interact much during the workout, just before and after. She's in *way* better shape than me, cardio-wise, so she inspires me; and I'm a lot stronger than her, so I cheer her on with weights.

I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who likes to work out, but it is becoming more or less a routine for me.


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## HottiMegan (May 5, 2007)

My brother sent me this article. I found it interesting and might try it when i cant go hiking. It's about interval training where you really push yourself for like 1-4 minutes and do a few minutes of "rest" (where you are still moving but more of a relaxed pace) If it can up my health and stamina, I'm totally going to try it. Especially with biking which I'm starting up for the first time in years this weekend.

oh better post the link eh? Interval training


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## Jon Blaze (May 5, 2007)

1. My mother and I running partners as of today, and we are training for a marathon next year. I finished my first 5k today with decent timing (And no walking to my surprise  ), but 26 miles is going to hurt.  I have a lot of running due in my life. I'll start doing that 4-5 times a week.
2. I practice Tae Kwon Do 2-3 times a week, in addition to an occasional drift in other arts like Capoeira and Drunken Fist. I might increase my level of this because my brother is coming in a few weeks. We are going to spar.  
3. I've been lagging on the weightlifting, but I'm going to get back into it. I will try a 3-day weekly split.
4. After we get our pool cleaned up well, I'm going to start swimming as well. I'll try that 2-3 times a week as well. 
I have a lot on my plate. I'm considering putting out a plan with crazy shifts like running in the morning on Monday, but swimming in the evening on Wednesday.

I am so glad you guys are being active. In addition to it being one of my strong activism points ("Fat and Fit"), I like the idea of you folks getting some exertion. I'm no fitness guru, but I'm hoping like some of you to increase my ability.

Good luck folks! Enjoy the summer!


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## Miss Vickie (May 5, 2007)

HottiMegan said:


> My brother sent me this article. I found it interesting and might try it when i cant go hiking. It's about interval training where you really push yourself for like 1-4 minutes and do a few minutes of "rest" (where you are still moving but more of a relaxed pace) If it can up my health and stamina, I'm totally going to try it. Especially with biking which I'm starting up for the first time in years this weekend.
> 
> oh better post the link eh? Interval training



Megan, excellent article. That's kind of how I do it, not because of the health benefits per se (though it's good to know it has some!) but because I get bored trudging along at the same dull pace. The treadmills at my gym can be set for preset workouts with change in pace and incline. I take advantage of that, and then tweak it along the way to give myself times where I'm really pushing it, and times when I'm taking it easy a little. I'm glad to know that there's a method to my madness.


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## HottiMegan (May 7, 2007)

I tried doing some interval work yesterday on my bike ride. Mind you, it was my first time on a bike in over two years. (and that was only one time on a bike two years ago lol.. before that probably over 10 years sans bike) I liked it. It made me go fast and i was breathing hard and sweating. I'm paying for it today though. My butt kills. My legs are already starting to get hard from all this hiking and now i'm going to try to bike at least once a day. I still have baggy skin in the inner thighs.. I'll try interval work on the trail too when i'm not hiking with the family since my 4 year old would never keep up.


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## Dibaby35 (May 8, 2007)

I think my daughter is old enough now and good enough on her little trek that we can go cycling together...I've been waiting a long time for this day


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## TheSadeianLinguist (May 8, 2007)

Like WW, lazy here. My boyfriend and I walk for 30 minutes to an hour three to four nights a week. I also do yoga a night a week, and now since it's warm, going to add swimming.


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## ashmamma84 (May 8, 2007)

Babe and I were just talking about doing a summer excercise together - not only will it help us bond, but we get experience each other in a different way. I am thinking of some type of Latin jazz dance class, and she wants to bike --maybe we will do both. I'll be honest - I'm a bit nervous as I haven't been on a bike in years and I'd have to go and purchase a new one. So I guess I'll be doing some research on fat girl friendly bikes.


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## HottiMegan (May 8, 2007)

Since my butt is killing me after two days of bike rides, i highly suggest getting the widest possible seat you can get. I'm going to buy an aftermarket one probably this weekend. The one i found looks to be nearly 1 foot across and it will hopefully help with my butt pains. I can barely sit because it hurts so bad! I just have a cheapo shwinn mountain bike to ride and it does the job. I'm thinking about getting a beach cruiser type of bike so i can sit more upright because after an hour of riding my back hurts. I am soo switching to hiking the next two days to let my butt recover lol


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## ashmamma84 (May 8, 2007)

HottiMegan said:


> Since my butt is killing me after two days of bike rides, i highly suggest getting the widest possible seat you can get. I'm going to buy an aftermarket one probably this weekend. The one i found looks to be nearly 1 foot across and it will hopefully help with my butt pains. I can barely sit because it hurts so bad! I just have a cheapo shwinn mountain bike to ride and it does the job. I'm thinking about getting a beach cruiser type of bike so i can sit more upright because after an hour of riding my back hurts. I am soo switching to hiking the next two days to let my butt recover lol



Ooohh, thanks for the advice; I was sure having some concerns about the width of the seat and I also have back problems so I want a bike that's nice and comfy. We are headed to a sporting store within the next couple weeks.


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## Zandoz (May 9, 2007)

I'm into full contact sitting. And for a real workout, I combine it with practicing Extreme Boredom.

Other than that, going upstairs to go to bed...extremely high breathing and pulse rate, combined with burning muscles worked to the point of cramping at times.


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## tinkerbell (May 9, 2007)

I just do DVD's. Maybe walking once in a while. Now that its getting nice out - we should really start walking more. The dogs would love it too.


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## Damon (May 15, 2007)

HottiMegan said:


> I tried doing some interval work yesterday on my bike ride. Mind you, it was my first time on a bike in over two years. (and that was only one time on a bike two years ago lol.. before that probably over 10 years sans bike) I liked it. It made me go fast and i was breathing hard and sweating. I'm paying for it today though. My butt kills. My legs are already starting to get hard from all this hiking and now i'm going to try to bike at least once a day. I still have baggy skin in the inner thighs.. I'll try interval work on the trail too when i'm not hiking with the family since my 4 year old would never keep up.



interval training.............wow thats awesome. how's it working for you guys?


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## SamanthaNY (May 15, 2007)

Zandoz said:


> I'm into full contact sitting. And for a real workout, I combine it with practicing Extreme Boredom.
> 
> Other than that, going upstairs to go to bed...extremely high breathing and pulse rate, combined with burning muscles worked to the point of cramping at times.


Have you ever considered any of the exercise videos/programs that can be done in a chair? Might help build up some muscles and make your knees (I think you've said they're a problem?) a little less painful. The stationary pedal exercisers are excellent, and I've found that working with small weights (hand-held, or strapped to the ankle) makes a real difference when done regularly.


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## Zandoz (May 17, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Have you ever considered any of the exercise videos/programs that can be done in a chair? Might help build up some muscles and make your knees (I think you've said they're a problem?) a little less painful. The stationary pedal exercisers are excellent, and I've found that working with small weights (hand-held, or strapped to the ankle) makes a real difference when done regularly.



I've never tried the videos, but I've tried a lot of stuff on my own...to no avail. I tried the old gravel in the milk jug for weights...all I got was elbows that ached for weeks. I tried one of those pedal things at a store...between belly and thighs, logistically impossible. I do what bending exercises I can, but as far as any results from it, I've not seen any in years of doing them.

Back in the day I was very active...cross country cycling in college and after...unloading trucks...I refused to get a riding mower...during good weather I walked the perimeter of our village 4 times a week...in bad weather I did mall walking. The summer before the arthritis caught up to me I hand shoveled, wheelbarrowed, and raked out 96 ton of top soil. The arthritis and joint problems are not caused by the weight, they are a family trait...I've basically hit the same wall my dad did, only about 15 years earlier, and he was a professional athlete into his 30s. My sister had it hit even earlier than I...she had to have a deteriorated shoulder replaced in her early 30s. My cousin, both knees just past 40. 

Basically what it boils down to is that no amount of exercise is going to replace the shattered and ground away cartledge...or replace the degenerated knees and hips...or remove the arthritis deposits pinching nerves in my spine. No amount of exercise in the world is gonna beat bad genes....a big part of the reason I made the decision long ago that these genes stop here.


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## HottiMegan (May 17, 2007)

Damon said:


> interval training.............wow thats awesome. how's it working for you guys?



I have only done it twice since i was in SOOO much pain from being on the bike for the first time in years. It wasn't muscular that i could tell. it was butt/seat pain. I could hardly sit for three days after that 2 hour bike ride lol I'm going to be riding again today after spending much of this week in bed sick with a stomach bug (that'll teach me to go off diet for a few days!). I'm hoping to get a couple of rides in over the next week and hikes. No interval training with that since I'm clumsy and trip on rocks easily. Swimming will be part of my training in a couple of weeks too. (the pool that i use opens memorial day weekend)

eta: I'm going to buy a bigger/cushier bike seat this weekend to help with the pain


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## amyintx (May 17, 2007)

i walk everyday for about 1 hour or more..ot all at once but always 30 minutes in the morning.


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## Damon (May 17, 2007)

HottiMegan said:


> I have only done it twice since i was in SOOO much pain from being on the bike for the first time in years. It wasn't muscular that i could tell. it was butt/seat pain. I could hardly sit for three days after that 2 hour bike ride lol I'm going to be riding again today after spending much of this week in bed sick with a stomach bug (that'll teach me to go off diet for a few days!). I'm hoping to get a couple of rides in over the next week and hikes. No interval training with that since I'm clumsy and trip on rocks easily. Swimming will be part of my training in a couple of weeks too. (the pool that i use opens memorial day weekend)
> 
> eta: I'm going to buy a bigger/cushier bike seat this weekend to help with the pain



Good for you. There are some newfangaled bike seats that even have a hole in the crotch area, so you dont hurt your "taint". I have an article here you may wanna check out http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-046-training


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## gunther (May 17, 2007)

I walk, play tennis, and bowl. Tried riding my sister's bike last week, but the thing felt like it would collapse at any moment.


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