The Sports/Excercise Tab

on the subject of skiing...i started skiing (downhill) at age five....i grew up next to a local ski hill/club with a few runs a tow ropes. there are also two ski jumps- like the 60 and 90 meter jumps in Lace Placid- . i was on the ski jumping team for one season as a young girl, but i quit because i couldn't take all the teasing for being the only girl.

i ski very well...but i haven't gone in ages because of the expense- and the crowds. i'd like to start cross country skiing.....i'd have to hoist my daughter into a backpack.....carry the extra 35 pounds....should make for a killer workout.

any cross country'ers recommend a particular brand ski? i'll buy second-hand but that shouldn't make a difference?

Toose and T- how's the lifting going? i did some strength training today but i only do it maybe once a week because i much prefer intense cardio like running and stairclimbing. will once weekly make any difference?

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on dance seul, on dance seul.....

I haven't lifted in awhile now. The family quit the gym...I'm bummed. It was this big family membership thing. It was good for the most part, but expensive, and we weren't going often enough to justify it. I'm trying to make up for it in other ways, though...because I was seeing (I still do see, in fact) a real difference from it.

I had to run to catch a bus yesterday morning.

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Everything is destined to reappear as simulation.
Jean Baudrillard
America, 1988

Ha ha ha!!

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www.esotericrabbit.com

I almost went to play soccer with my housemates this morning. Close call.

I hate cardio... will once yearly make a difference?

Mine is going well. I quit the gym and set up in the garage. It looks good in there! I laid down some indoor/outdoor carpet, I have a squat rack, a bench, a chinning bar, a dip station, and about 500#'s of weight. I'm trying to do my sets faster cause I hate cardio...

Strength training. If your sole purpose is strength training the rule is less is better. No more than twice a week. No less than twice a week (gotta add one in there). Lift as heavy as you can (with a spotter please) until failure. This tears down the cells to such a great degree that you wouldn't want to do it more than twice a week... gotta give them time to rebuild. Strength training requires the mass rebuilding of muscle cells... EAT YOUR PROTIEN! Veggies ain't gonna get it.

I dunno about only twice a week, but I think I agree with the general idea. It's ridiculous how some guys will camp out at a machine for like 40 minutes. They'll, over the course of half an hour, with little breaks in-between, do like 100 reps or something. What a waste.

It's equivalent to sitting on your couch, stuffed full of food, and suddenly deciding to "get in shape." So, you join the gym, eat tofu all day, and work out for 4 hours. Next week, you're back to your old habits. It's waiting until you see yourself as really out of shape to try and make up for it all at once. Consistency and patience is what gets you there.

Unfortunately, my family canceled the gym membership...so all I've got access to now is a BowFlex. Shame...I was seeing a lot of change there. Hopefully the machine will do a half-decent job of things.

Well, mind you, T she inquired about strength training specifically. If you were wanting to build mass, you'd go about it differently. Same as if you were only looking for greater muscle definition or fat burning... all totally different strategies and different sets of exercises. Strength training involves starting at your maximum weight with low reps to failure. Then you decrease the weight and again lift to failure for a total of about 5 sets with decreasing weight. If you do this more than twice a week your body can't regenerate the cells and you end up with the opposite effect. Sorry for the lecture ... I've been lifting for over 20 years, I get passionate about it.

No apology needed -- I'm glad to have been able to rant, too. I love watching guys come in and work on their "ego muscles." Man, forget that mess. My stepbrother Rory looks really, really built (though a bit lean...but made of mostly muscle)...but he's a pushover in a good old-fashioned arm-wrestling match. He's the ego-muscle type.

Maaaan, I wish we were still going to that gym. I was really going there for awhile. Pain to get motivated all over again.

thankyou Toose! i only want to strength train.....to increase my core strength, and to make sure i hit all muscle groups so i don't end up injuring myself. i want to improve my running, not bulk up.

cardio is my passion as lifting is yours.

i knew you were an expert and i appreciate your help. i haven't been choosing heavy enough weights......i shall re-approach it now. thanks.

i'm unsure about the time my muscles need to rest from running....they don't hurt, but i know i "should" take a day off every week or so....yet i have a hard time doing that.
i've read that my performance and muscle mass will decline if i don't let the muscles repair (48 hours). i just don't know when they are being damaged if i do the same mileage all the time, basically, only push it harder some days, hit more hills, push into the wind...etc.

i should do a little research specifically on running instead of taking a chance on injury that would lay me up and in turn be responsible for me becoming a heinous monster.

T - does your gym offer free memberships to employees? you could work a single shift a week (or whatever the requirement might be) and get your membership back.
i work at my club...in the childcare- so i'm with my daughter and i can workout before my shifts which are very short (3 or 4 hours).
i know a couple of peole who only work 4 hours a week and they get their freebie membership (eventhough they are supposed to be available to sub - but never seem to be free when anyone calls).

They might offer it, but it's highly unlikely. The place is pretty small...a neighborhood place really. I might just buy my own dang membership.

I'd be careful about too much running while strength training. You are probably well conditioned enough that you don't experience soreness from running (?) If you are strength training correctly you will be very sore from it for a while. Running on sore muscles would inhibit the fiber from re-growing. If it were me, I would lighten up the running schedule while strength training... short easy runs. So you are focusing on calfs and quadriceps?

well no........my calves and quads are already too big, heh heh.
i'm talking about the "parts" i don't work as much like back and arms, maybe shoulders......upper body.

it doesn't take much by the way of lifting for me to feel it.......i actually love the feeling of sore muscles. i especially love the feeling of someone else's muscles.

okay spud, i'll sanction me FOR YOU!!!.............

KNOCK IT OFF WITH ANY FLIRTATIOUS COMMENTS WHATSOEVER!!!
NOW, GO TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!, .......and hop into a cold shower while you're at it!!


just teasing you spud. i miss you're presence.......how's work?


oh yes, i almost forgot my reason for DOUBLE POSTING!!
i started doing some excercises and stretching using one of those big ol' exercise balls at my gym.....i bought one today
for at home.....and i'm using it as my desk chair.....good for your spine and abs....they have to work to stay upright and balance you. that's all. it's something new and fun.

I'm proud! I'm still benching 350 even though I haven't worked hard in a year or more. I vill crush you!!

Got 20 chin ups too!

Woohoo!

I can't do a chin up to save my life. My arms are so weak...but I bet I could beat all of you in a leg wrestling match!

You wouldn't have a chance stick girl. My thigh is bigger than your waist. I'd roll you over like tumbleweed...

Ha! Let me tell you something: I could probably kick down a few doors with my legs. I've got disgustingly powerful legs. I really do. It runs in my family...my dad's the same way. I do leg curls and leg extensions on the same weight of guys in their prime (like 27-30).

As for chin-ups: nope, can't do it. Arms aren't weak, but I've got a lot of me to lift. I'm not obese...but I'm a big enough that my arms have to bear an unfair amount of weight in a chin-up. I can do a couple, basically. And not with the best of form.

That's so untrue. Men think they are so tough. Just because you're a guy, doesn't mean you could roll me like a tumbleweed! I could get your neck between my legs and squeeze the life out of you, faster than you could shout for help!

But that wouldn't be leg wrasslin no more! That'd be just plain fun!