What's Your Workout Today VSGers? - Tuesday! Is anyone still interested in this thread?

Remember that all workouts are designed to challenge you and the idea is to not be able to do everything as well as or as long as the people demonstrating it on the first time. If you can do that, you picked the wrong workout. The moves you can't do are your challenge. Work up to being able to do everything for as long as they call for after a couple of days/weeks of doing the exercises. 

Remember if it were easy everyone would be doing it. Don't get discouraged by what you can't do. A year ago I couldn't run a 5k or do a burpee or 10 pushups or plank for 2 minutes or run a sprint or a do apull-up or run 15% incline at 7mph like I did today. Every day of your exercise you should try to be better than you were the day before. So stick to it, focus on the things you struggle with and make it your mission to get to where you can do it.

Ok, so when you do the lunges and squats use a heavier hand weight (up to 10lbs if you have them). Just don't go too light you want to challenge your muscles, you want them to strengthen. More lean muscle is more calories burned. Thighs killing you is the point of doing them, when they stop hurting its time to step it up.

Thank you for the encouraging words and advice! I don't have 10 lb weights but if it goes well with the 5 lb weights, I will get some.

I both love and hate being challenged with exercise. While I'm being challenged, I hate it. But when I finish up the workout, I get determined to make that exercise/routine/whatever my ***** And just generally since I've started regular exercise, I feel like I have so much energy I am going to jump out of my skin sometimes. I am trying to proceed slowly -- I have arthritis in my knees and need to protect them to a certain extent, but they are getting better and better every week. Right now I can say that while they occasionally feel stiff, they don't actually hurt me anymore. And my regular resting heart rate has gone from usually in the 80's to usually in the low 60's, which I am thrilled about.

I am even thinking about joining the Y and hiring a personal trainer when I lose a little more(and figure out where to find the money for it).

Keep posting Keith. My routine is not as challenging in comparison but you give me something to shoot for. One day I will have it as fine tuned as you!

That's just it, I am not fine tuned. I read and research all the time to see how I can make it better and challenge myself. The idea is to flounder through your exercises, its actually better for you. Once you get it fine tuned, its time to change it up. Just keep moving that is the most important part.

I am moving!

I enjoy this thread, even though it can feel a little intimidating, as a PP said, since some of you are so advanced in your workouts. But please keep posting. Maybe we can get some more beginners posting here.

I have a personal training session this evening. My back is hurting from the rowing machine last night, so that kind of sucks (at least I think it was the rowing machine - I also did the elliptical and some water aerobics). Lots of back issues here, though this is the first time they've been aggravated since I started working with the trainer a couple weeks ago.

Keith, I either need to send you a PM or start a thread, but I need to ask you some "what the heck do I eat when I am strength training?" questions. As expected, my trainer's nutrition ideas differ from mine, and my attempts at research are not turning much info up for someone who is trying to lose fat and maintain muscle...

Start a thread because I think others will have other opinions on the what to eat. Of course I will be right and they will be wrong (kidding) but worth seeing everyone's position.

As for your back, it was probably the rowing machine, the key to rowing properly is to keep your back straight and your shoulders back and to use your legs to start the row and end with your arms, but your back and shoulders should be back. You want to reach your arms forward and pull the oar (the handle) to between your belly button and your breasts. You don't want to pull high like you see some people do because that can cause your back to hurt too and your neck. So you will bend forward only to reach your arms out, you don't want to pull with your back, you want to lean back and keep your back rigid, push with your legs and finish by puling the oar with your arms.

Same thing on the ellipticla make sure to keep your back straight and your shoulders back so all the movement is in your legs and arms, not your back moving around.

If you have a personal trainer, you are more advanced than I am. Workouts only become advanced by doing them.

I will have to start a thread about nutrition tomorrow. Work got in the way of OH today. It will give me a chance to chat with my trainer about it more tonight.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the rowing machine. It feels awkward leaning back too far, like I will fall off the machine. And it hurts my butt sitting on that little seat (must do more squats to cushion my flat ass). I have a lot of weak muscles, and when they get tired, my back seems to take over the work. Even when I am lifting weights, once my muscles get tired, my form goes to hell and my back/neck take over. I know this is bad and I don't do it on purpose. Working on fixing it.

Like many others, I read, but don't reply to your posts. Your posts remind me that I need to get up and get moving each day.  As a friend of mine once said - If you eat, you need to exercise.  I'm nowhere near where you are and I hope to have the time and energy to get there.  Right now, I"m doing the Couch to 5K every day.  I need to add  more to my workouts.  That is where your posts are beneficial!  

As far as pictures are concerned - one of the quotes you posted is now the background on the lock screen of my computer.

I think these threads are very valuable and always have great advice. Like others, I read but don't post because my workouts aren't up to the standards set here but hopefully someday they will be. My workout today was 30 minutes strength training with a resistance band.