In need of a little motivation

[Ber Rabbit]

it's easier if you can find a workout buddy. that works for me. i hate lifting weights, so i found a friend who loves that. he hates cardio, but i push him. in essence, we're training each other.

I keep wishing I could find someone to "race" on the elliptical, hubby isn't interested in competing. I like to feel like I'm competing even when I don't have a snowball's chance of winning.

The weight machines I prefer to do alone so I can zone out and concentrate on the movement. I guess that's why I like the machines better than free weights.

i also find it easier when you find a hottie and concentrate on her/him. me and my buddy have a top 10 ranking at the gym we go to.

LOL! Most of the "hotties" are high school girls at the YMCA when I'm there (about 4pm). It's fun to look at them and wish I could look like that but even more fun to wonder how good they will look in 20 years when they get to be my age. I actually enjoy watching myself in the mirror on the elliptical as well. I guess I just like to spend my gym time paying attention to me

Make sure you don't overdo it. The days off in between are as important as the days you work out. The body needs recovery time for all the effort to be the most beneficial. And if you come up with the worlds best motivator, let me know. Tonight is my first gym session in about 2 1/2 years..........

I do skip a day between weight workouts and sometimes I have to skip two due to my schedule but I do make sure to work out 3 days a week. The cardio is where I occasionally do extra sessions and even when I do two of those in a day it's only an hour of cardio.

Good luck with your session!

Catherine,
I'm working through a "Personal Fitness Program" at the Y so I stick to the weight machines that are part of the program. I can do anything for cardio, I wish some of the classes were held a little earlier because that would be a nice change. Once I complete this 4 week program (already completed the 6 week one) I may try to squeeze the Pilates class in on Mondays and Saturdays. I took a 6 week Pilates/Yoga class several years ago and really increased my range of motion.

Thanks to everyone for all the well-wishes!
Ber :lilbunny:
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[merxlin]

LOL! Most of the "hotties" are high school girls at the YMCA when I'm there (about 4pm). It's fun to look at them and wish I could look like that but even more fun to wonder how good they will look in 20 years when they get to be my age. I actually enjoy watching myself in the mirror on the elliptical as well. I guess I just like to spend my gym time paying attention to me

I do skip a day between weight workouts and sometimes I have to skip two due to my schedule but I do make sure to work out 3 days a week. The cardio is where I occasionally do extra sessions and even when I do two of those in a day it's only an hour of cardio.

Good luck with your session!

So after the first session last night I'm trying to remember how I went from 175#'s and 9% body fat to 226# and out of breath walking to the fridge, why its hard to raise my arms up to the keyboard, and why I paid someone to do this to me.

I lost 40# going to weight watchers with my wife (gained 7# back over the holidays), but didn't realize how out of shape I had gotten. It felt good to be back lifting weights and getting a real workout. Keep it up, I am sure you'll be back enjoying it in no time.

BTW- which YMCA is that????????

 

[Ber Rabbit]

So after the first session last night I'm trying to remember how I went from 175#'s and 9% body fat to 226# and out of breath walking to the fridge, why its hard to raise my arms up to the keyboard, and why I paid someone to do this to me.

I'm definitely glad I don't get sore any more, a little stiff but not sore. I was knockin' it out on the chest presses last night, pretty happy with that AND I can still move this morning.

I think the bull riding class (yes, real bulls) I took at the end of September showed me the difference between sore and stiff. Trust me, no trainer in the world can make you as sore as getting on and thrown off of three bulls in one day LOL! I got on 7 bulls that weekend and it was almost a week before I could walk right

BTW- which YMCA is that????????

Englewood, Ohio so it's a little far for you to commute . I'm guessing the high school down the street uses the Y's facility to train their sports teams
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[DawgDiver]

Try to vary your workout on different days. Doing the same routine every day will get to be a bore, and you'll lose interest quickly.

Also, if you can speed up your workout it will help. Less rest in between sets. Keeps your heart rate up while your lifting and cuts down on the time it takes you to finish. A good workout (including cardio and weights) can be done in an hour.

Try an Mp3 player, helps keep you focused.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Try to vary your workout on different days. Doing the same routine every day will get to be a bore, and you'll lose interest quickly.

I do change programs on the Elliptical and pick a different type of machine when I just can't face getting on that one so that helps some. Yesterday I challenged and beat my nemesis program! I'd had a lot of trouble getting through this particular program which involves a lot of variation in resistance and incline when I was doing 20 minutes. I had been skipping that program since I bumped to 30 min workouts but yesterday I gave it a go. I managed to keep my overall pace at 6.1 mph beating my previous pace by almost 1mph and I was on the thing 10 minutes longer I was a happy camper!

Also, if you can speed up your workout it will help. Less rest in between sets. Keeps your heart rate up while your lifting and cuts down on the time it takes you to finish. A good workout (including cardio and weights) can be done in an hour.

Some of the time consuming part is having to wait for some of the weight machines because this time of year a lot of people are in the "Personal Fitness Program" and using the same 10 machines. Here's last night's workout:

Leg Press:
3 sets of 10 with 228 pounds

Lat Pulldown:
10 reps 84 lbs
8 reps 84 lbs
10 reps 72 lbs

Leg Curls:
10 reps 84 lbs
3 sets of 10 with 72 lbs

Chest Press:
2 sets 10 reps with 84 lbs
1 set 5 reps with 84 lbs
1 set 7 reps with 72 lbs

Leg Extentions:
3 sets 10 reps with 108 lbs

Shoulder Press:
1 set 10 reps 48 lbs
1 set 5 reps 48 lbs
1 set 10 reps 36 lbs

Bicep Curl:
1 set 10 reps 36 lbs
1 set 5 reps 36 lbs
1 set 10 reps 24 lbs

Tricep Extension:
3 sets 10 reps 48 lbs

Abdominals:
3 sets 10 reps 120 lbs

Back Extension:
3 sets 10 reps 252 lbs

I do the machines in whatever order I can get on them so I usually only have to wait on 2 or 3 near the end of the workout.

Try an Mp3 player, helps keep you focused.

I have an iPod now, hubby got it for me for Christmas and I like it a lot better than carting my CD player around
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[erparamedic]

Oh, my, Ber! That's a great workout on the weights!!! You're a walking muscle!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Oh, my, Ber! That's a great workout on the weights!!! You're a walking muscle!

Thank you

I try to get 3 sets of 10 reps with as much weight as I can. When my muscles quit on me I drop down one plate on the machine and go for 10 reps or even 2 sets of 10 if I'm annoyed with how quickly my muscles quit on the heavier weight.

Right now my biceps are ticking me off since they really haven't made much progress. I think I've been struggling to get 3 sets of 10 with 36 pounds since I started working them.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Hank49]

I've been a good girl and have been hitting the gym 3 days a week for almost 8 weeks now. How do I stop the burnout while it's still just a teeny flame?
Ber :lilbunny:

Get a bowflex. For the money they're pretty good (they even replaced a few parts that I wore out for free) and you can do any exercise you can do in the gym with it. Then, put in the living room right next to the couch, between the couch and the kitchen. Then as you're watching some show with all these lean young ladies, out of the corner of your eye.....it's sitting there....beckoning. That's what I did. I've been at it for 5 years now with only injury breaks. You'll go through highs and lows as far as ambition but it's a lot easier to put something in the oven and go do a chest workout than it is to get in the car and do the gym routine. I hate gyms. (well, hate is pretty strong but I'd rather stay home)

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Get a bowflex. For the money they're pretty good (they even replaced a few parts that I wore out for free) and you can do any exercise you can do in the gym with it. Then, put in the living room right next to the couch, between the couch and the kitchen. Then as you're watching some show with all these lean young ladies, out of the corner of your eye.....it's sitting there....beckoning.

That would put it right in front of the front door, I don't think hubby or the dogs would be too happy about that LOL! With 2 large couches, a love-seat, a rocking chair and a coffee table in my living room plus other assorted furniture anything like that would have to go upstairs somewhere.

That's what I did. I've been at it for 5 years now with only injury breaks. You'll go through highs and lows as far as ambition but it's a lot easier to put something in the oven and go do a chest workout than it is to get in the car and do the gym routine. I hate gyms. (well, hate is pretty strong but I'd rather stay home)

The thing I like about the Nautilus machines at the gym is they are connected to a computer that tracks my sets and reps and beeps when I reach my range of motion on each rep so I can't cheat. I like not having to write down my information; I'm a very notes-oriented person and the computer even produces graphs to show my progress!

The Y is on my way home from work so I don't have to actually get in the car and head out to the gym except on weekends or the days when hubby decides he wants to go so I tag along for a second cardio workout.

I really have a hard time resisting the couch when I'm at home.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Hank49]

That would put it right in front of the front door, I don't think hubby or the dogs would be too happy about that LOL! With 2 large couches, a love-seat, a rocking chair and a coffee table in my living room plus other assorted furniture anything like that would have to go upstairs somewhere.


The thing I like about the Nautilus machines at the gym is they are connected to a computer that tracks my sets and reps and beeps when I reach my range of motion on each rep so I can't cheat. I like not having to write down my information; I'm a very notes-oriented person and the computer even produces graphs to show my progress!

Ber :lilbunny:

Actually you get used to having it in the living room. My kids use it as a dining table, or a chair for watching TV, you can hang your wetsuit over the lat bar to dry...even cover it with a nice cloth and impress people by telling them it's an oil painting you've been working on.
As for computers and cheating...I've never used them so you're more high tech than I am. I do focus on full extension locks of any motion though....legs, arms during presses or curls...lock them tight for a second or so. then you get the burn and pump which tells me I've done it right. I've read that it's real important.
Actually I'm not into hardcore muscle building. I'm just trying to slow down the inevitable breakdown of this old carcass.