Category: Daily Living
Hey all,
Just putting up a topic for anyone to write to about all things working out. Sure there are other very specific topics regarding the weight loss or specific things, but it seems now we have a growing number of workout enthusiasts on here. Just thinking we could have a board for general workout discussion where people can post things about it, whether or not it is specific to blind or some things that maybe help us. And for those who don't work out or are on the fence: just remember, everyone started out sometime, nobody was born doing push-ups. Don't let the wannabe punks that call you lazy shame you into silence: there's no shame in speaking up. And maybe one of us who just does it will answer, or perhaps one of the more professional trainer types on here will give you something more specific.
Leo
I actually just started swimming at the fitness center where my hubby is doing his PT. I've discovered that high school swim team was about 20 years ago and 50 pounds ago. lol
Ok, I'm not a complete porker or anything but I am what you might call stocky. My goal is to get back into shape so I can rediscover the muscles under my fluff.
Due to having had many surgeries during my adult life, I've gotten way out of shape.
Here's my question. How do I know how much to push myself. I don't want my heart to explode or something. What I've done is start by setting distance goals for myself. The pool is a 25 meter pool so I started by doing 3 laps. When I go on Wednesday, I will do 4, then 5, so on and so forth until I can swim without feeling like someone is squeezing all the air out of my lungs and my heart isn't going to pound out of my chest.
I love the sore muscles the next day. That's such a great feeling! I only hope I don't get discouraged because I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. lol
I know I'm not where I want to be but like you said, I've got to start somewhere.
I'd say no guts, no glory. Go for it if you want to. I'm sure the more professional trainer types would say something different, that is just how I have always done things.
I spent most of my 20s and 30s in offices and not really working out, so when the late 30s got here and I wanted to change things that is what I did. I went Paleo about 6 months ago though I am not hardcre about the food. You just need to make sure you get the carbs before your workouts or you will run outa gas.
Swimming is one of the top ways to get in shape when it comes to working out. It builds stamina and endurance, and tones muscles in the upper part of the body. It's a one of a kind work out. I still love running more, but swimming is great.
It tones the whole body actually.
Yes, no pain, no glory, but here is what you should do.
Start with the 3 or 4 laps. Do them and rest for about 5 minutes, and sim 2 more.
Each week add some more on. You shouldn't add them by day, but by week.
Do not forget to stretch after aand during a little, but again a small amount at first.
My reasoning behind this is you will be sore, and you'll not want to over stress yourself, because if you strain a muscle you'll defeat the purpose, because you'll have to stop until that muscle heals.
You'll know when you can push more, because you'll feel good about it.
Give a body adjustment time.
I'm so glad you started this! I've actually just started trying to get into shape about 2 weeks ago. I'm following a excersize plan and I've been able to follow most everything accept for one thing: I'm supposed to be doing terry pulls with a cable cross station and the gym that I go to doesn't have a cable cross station (and I've never even seen one) so my question is, does anybody have any suggestions on what I can substitute for terry pulls?
and distance runner: I admire you ha, I love everything accept running :d!
dumb bell flies or the fly machine.
Ask the bym to show it to you.
You can also sit on the floor and use the cable on the bottom of the leg press, but that will only do one arm at a time. Most gyms will have the fly machine or dumb bells.
ah, thanks, I know for a fact that we do. good to know.
That's another thing. I absolutely love doing pull ups, but it's either hard to find a pull up bar when I'm not on campus, and that sort of exercise is hard to substitute.
Buy a pair or work gloves. These will cost you about 4 dollars. The reason I'm suggesting work gloves, because of my next suggestion. You'll need your hands completely covered.
Next, you live on a campus, and that campus probably has some trees with low branches. Find one that has a sturdy branch low enough and you can pull up with it.
If your dorm has open stair wells use the upper bar under them and there's your bar. Or the lip on the stair. You grab the stair and you pull up.
You might explain your reasoning about that.
Last you are again on a college campus. You've got a gym. You don't need to be signed up for a class to use it, so find it and you'll find a pull up bar or something you can use for the purpose.
Working out doesn't always require equipment, just a little imagination.
Yeah I use the bar in the gym. But I like the other creative suggestions, too. Thanks.
I'd love a pullup bar, and don't ask if I can do as many as I did 20 years ago haha I will say, though, I am actually now in better physical conditioning than I was in my 20s.
I have one and don't like them all that much. I find I can build the same part with other exercises. I do them some, but it isn't my favorite thing.
I think it's good to have one. However, realize that when you go to set up one in your house, you have to drill in to the frame of a doorway which some landlords may not be very happy about because it defaces the door frame, and after you take it out there are holes left. However, for those who own their own house it may not matter as much, but it's something to keep in mind.
How I miss being able to do lots of chin-ups. Does any one here have ideas on how to be able to run by your self without that sight to help you?
To run without sight, you're going to need to use your own space. What I do is run on a cardio mat, and do like your gym teacher in elementary school taught you when it was raining out: run in place really good and hard and get those knees up. Now I do that and even do sprints and stuff doing it. Using a mat will help you as a blind person stay where you want to be staying and not, well, crash into something. And you can have your headphones on and your music up.
Now Ryan, about that pull-up bar, you are absolutely right. One reason I don't have one right now. But when you install one, make sure you deep-nail it into the studs. Door frames are not always the best spots for it, you just have to make sure you have really solid architecture under the frame.
Man I'm glad to see such activity on this board. Gonna have to go run now, speaking of.
Oh and I have switched up some, and some of the cardio I now do on the daughter's bike: run a few minutes on the mat, jump up on the bike, run some more, drop do push-ups or some other floor or ball exercise, run and bike some more, just keep going round and round like that for the duration.
My bar is attached to a free standing rack I guess you could call it. I'll get the proper name for it.
It is actually a standing knee raise bench. You step up on the pegs and place your elbows on the pads and raise your knees for lower crunches.
Next on the ends of it it has handles for doing dips. You step to the back of it and reach up, and my bar is at about 7 feet I'd guess and you can pull up.
It is the straight bar and it also has the curved downward handles on either side. It is also coated with rubber, but I use lifting gloves.
The whole of it sits on a frame with long post at the bottom that support the unit.
When I do dips I place 2 50 pound dumbells at the pack to make sure it stays level, but other wise it is rock solid.
You can also get a rack with a bar on it.
You need a rack that is made of quality construction, so you'll pay around 300 for one if you shop or a bit more. You want a full rack.
My knee raise bench was a gift, but cost about 100 150, but you can get used items as well.
My room is just a bedroom about 10 by 10 and my gym is complete except I don't have a treadmill.
I have nothing attached to walls at all, and my rack can handle around a thousand pounds for squats, or whatever, so plenty more then I'll ever need.
I like your running thing Leo.
I have some vision but I've ran while wearing sleepshades. If running in place isn't enough for you, I'd suggest trying to find a long straight away path to run back and forth on. What was funny was I didn't realize there were picnic benches along side the sidewalk I ran on until I ran with sleepshades on and bashed my knees on them, so a little investigating beforehand is highly recommended. Lol.
In my case i need to tone my weight a bit more, shifting towards mustle in my upper body. Once i can get closer to a good gym i'v ethought of workout sessions combined with a bit of weight lifting as that's waht i'm really focused on more than anything. Still have a lot of my ability from wrstling but I know i couldn't exactly run a lot righ tnow, not that was a strong point for me anyways.
The device I was talking about is called a vertical knee raise bench with chin up bar.
Many places have them, but here is one I like built by Body Solid.
Body Solid is a company that makes good home gym equipment that is quality, but won’t break the bank.
http://bodybuildingequipment.ericsgym.com/verticalkneeraise/index.htm
I like this site because you can call them and ask questions about anything the carry.
Here is Body Solid’s website as well.
http://www.bodysolid.com/
The web is full of stuff however.
This device makes it easy to do many upper body exercises and doesn’t have to be attached to anything at all.
hey guys!!!! I remembered this post and thought it'd be cool to try and revive it... it's such a good idea...
My first question is:
Does anyone know where I can get a heart-rate monitor? I've moved on into cardio work and I'd like to see where my Heart-rate is since I'm supposed to be keeping it in a general area while I'm working out...
I am SO happy! My basement flooded last year, and that was going to be my workout room. It has now been COMPLETELY re-done (floor, walls, insulation, everything!) We'll be moving stuff in there on Friday. Woot woot!
I have a bike/elliptical, a mat, a weight bench, squat rack, Boflex, free weights, resistance bars.
Kate
On the heart rate.
The iPhone has some now.
I don't really agree with them, because I fill they give a person false hope.
What I mean is, you have your rate at A or B, so you think you've really done well. You notice however, you are not losing.
To me the best monitor is yourself, and how much you've sweated. If you've broken a sweat, you are doing something.
To the person concerned about running without sighted assistance, why not try jump roping or a treadmill. I had a friend who kept in shape all during college by jump roping rather than running.
Hey Kate, can I come over and we can chat after I use your stuff?
Haha! That's so awesome setup you have cool!
My apartment is really small not enough room for cool stuff like that.
I actually have some, "work out," issues I'd love suggestions on! I almost made a topic about them but glad I didn't now that this is here!
Issues:
1. My most important issue is this: I kind of have bad lungs where it can be difficult to breathe whenever my heart rate increases. My chest gets really tight and painful. It's almost like wheezing. I know my Dr. says I have slight assma and bad allergies. He did give me an inhealer but it makes me nervous b/c when I use it my heart rate goes up fast. I realize it's the oxygen getting to my lungs better but still makes me nervous. Maybe it's psychological?
2. Transportation. Or rather the cost of it. To go back and forth to the gym 3 times a week would cost about 96 dollars a month. It's a shame b/c of my health insurance my gym membership is free and they have a swimming pool and man it's a nice place!
I really want to get in to better shape. Especially with walking and cardio.
Any advice would be appreciated taking in to consideration what I've written above!
Thanks so much!! If anyone has questions please feel free to ask and I'll answer them as best as I can.
Yes. The best substitutions for running are either jump rope or swimming. Jump rope is pretty convenient for the most part, you just have to make sure you have enough room in the area you want to jump rope in.
I wonder if the gym you wish to use would post a ride want for you?
Maybe someone lives in your area that goes?
I can't say about the tight chest, you should ask a doctor about the problem there.
If you can't get around it, you could use weights. Running isn't the only way to break sweat.
Use the machines at the gym if you can get there to start, and make it difficult, the workout.
If not fill up some milk jugs, and do exercises with them in your hands and just with them as well.
Thanks reel.. I'm actually going to see about if someone goes to the gym and perhaps see if they could take me.
I guess I really wanted to build up strength and cardio b/c of the walking and such i'll be doing at the seeing eye in a few months. I don't want to get up there and be totally whipped out.
If you can't deal with running, use high reps on the machines.
Find a weight where you can pump say 15 to 20 times on the first go. Do it as quickly as you can, and rest for 1 minute, or until your breathing slows to normally.
Go at it again.
The second time you might only get 16 or 18 reps. Do 4 sets of each exercise and if at the gym have someone put you on the circle traing roll.
What that means is you'll be in a set of machines that each time you move to the next one you'll be doing a different exercise. Complete 3 or 4 circles.
When you find you are doing 20 reps on the second or third set move the weight up 5 or 10 pounds until the second is harder.
who! I got to check that out since I have no clue what you're talking about lol!
When you go to the gym, ask for a trainer.
Tell them to show you what I mean by a circle or circit.
Here is an example.
The machines are lined up.
The first one will be an arm device or machine, and might work your chest. The one next to it will work your calfs. The next one will work your bicepts. The next one will be a squat machine. The next might be a crunk machine, and that works your abs.
You go down the line using all the machines until you get to the end, than you go back to the start and do it again.
Sometimes this is in a square, so that when you finish you are back at the start.
You go around, or down the line 3 times using each machine once, or for 20 reps.
A rep is when you push a weight up and let it down, that is one. You do it 20 times, and you move to the next machine.
I know, greek. Smile. It is easy once you understand the concept.
NICE thanks so much for explaining!!!