Project Shapety Shape

[thalbergmad]

4 hours in the saddle today battling the hills of Kent.

Certain parts of me are hurting.

Thal

[m1469]

Wow, 4 hours is serious stuff!  I myself am inches away from "bringin' it."  I've got my bring it clothes on (I made myself do that), I've got the DVDs out, I've got the computer on, and enough time to bring it.  My options are Kempo, Crazy Yoga, or Plyometrics.  Whatever I don't do now I will do tomorrow and the next day, but I'm not at home and can't use my weights and pull up bar ... so I'm limited to these three (they are all butt kickers).  

I begin to think that I will actually get into great shape, and my ideal for this point in my life will be to do this everyday during the week, and then on the weekends be able to do something bigger, like a bicycle ride or so.  That's always been my desire, but I've never found something so convenient, and which actually will smartly get the job done.  This really will get the job done!  

This program specifically states that it uses body mass (and some other things) to determine success, which I didn't take yet  :-, vs. weightloss (though you do lose weight if you've got it to lose).  So, I don't know what numbers read.  What I can say is that my body is starting to look different, but do I think it looks a lot better yet?  Not so much.  Just different (because some things are shrinking and/or just changing form, and that makes other things (the things I don't like) more obvious).  I did measure my jump reach (9.5 inches ... it was about 24 or 26 in highschool  :-), how many pullups I could do (1 ... assisted), and how long I could wall squat for (I think there were other things, too).  There are many athletic things that are supposed to dramatically improve, and I can see after a week of workouts, that it really truly will, maybe even be as good as I can be, if I just keep doing the workouts, bringin' it to each one, and getting better every time.

Anyway, maybe by the time that us forum bicycle types ever meet in person, I will be in good enough shape to keep up if we went on a real ride.  Ok, I would actually wish to win  .

[thalbergmad]

Anyway, maybe by the time that us forum bicycle types ever meet in person, I will be in good enough shape to keep up if we went on a real ride.  Ok, I would actually wish to win  .

I would love to go cycling with Wolfi, but I guess he would get bored waiting for me all the time.

Thal

[m1469]

Genes or family culture.  Hard to battle against.

There is obviously something to that.  However, I think that generally everybody is capable of getting into great shape and I think that most people's bodies balance out when they are in great shape.  That's when you see what somebody's real shape, proportions, and "genes" are.  I am suddenly coming to terms with my body, not in its overweight and out-of-shapeness, but in terms of its actual makeup.  I think my body will always be all business, no matter what!  I mean, my legs and thighs especially will always be all business, my arms will be pretty business-like, and my back and buttocks are probably pretty much all business, too!  I also have a natural shape to my hips and such, and that's just never going to go away ... (but I'm nowhere near being in actual shape yet ... so don't confused about what I mean, I just mean all business so I can bring it!  Blam!) and what's more, I finally think I don't want it to!  So, Littletune, many women have bigger thighs, some don't.  That's what I call "all business"    .  One of my new fitness heros on these DVDs is a gal named Pam, nicknamed Blam ... hee hee ... because she brings it.  She's got an all business body, her thighs are not small, but they look awesome!  She just looks so strong (this is not body building stuff, just getting strong and fit), I think I would actually choose that over little thin legs, at this point ... but, maybe that's because that's what I've got and I'm accepting it with a like!  Let me find a photo of what I'm talking about...

Oh, I found Blam on google!



Those are not stringy thighs, those are naturally bigger but in shape and mega strong looking.  I'd like those (well, my version ... and if I seriously work it, I might be a bit more all business than her ... and many woman ... but, I'll work that, too  ).

[m1469]

Wow, plyos brought it to me today ... I actually, kind of truly feel like I'm in basketball practices again.  It's so great!

*blam!  runs to the shower*

[thalbergmad]

Pam looks very nice.

The kind of girl you want nearby when you cannot find your walnut crackers.

Thal

[m1469]

Pam looks very nice.

The kind of girl you want nearby when you cannot find your walnut crackers.

Thal

Ah gawd, psychology!

[pianoplayjl]

I just did 20 pushups and 20x20 metres running, which is about 400 metres running. I'm asthmatic, so it is pretty good for me.

JL

[m1469]

  Kenpo ...

[pianowolfi]

I would love to go cycling with Wolfi, but I guess he would get bored waiting for me all the time.

Thal

I have just applied for this thing. I have done it once before.

https://www.alpenbrevet.ch/index.cfm?pageID=86

Really hard stuff O.o.

[m1469]

I have just applied for this thing. I have done it once before.

https://www.alpenbrevet.ch/index.cfm?pageID=86

Really hard stuff O.o.

*likes*  Looks super cool  


I just had a fantastico workout!  I have a special feeling about learning fight moves ...    - this was my second kempo workout so far and I now have a sense on how to back, side, and front kick somebody, how to block in different ways, and how to hook, jab, cross, and uppercut punch somebody (and in various combinations).  And when we needed to do higher front kicks, mine were getting higher this time - woot!  I know it's not the same as a live class with a live instructor and sparring partner, but it's certainly a lot better than what I knew before (which was essentially nothing).  It kind of makes me feel a lot (not a little) like a bada**.  I know, it seems aggressive ... I guess it is  :-.  Deal.


OH, btw, I have a particularly mean hook ... another btw, I had a pretty good hook shot in BBall, too .

*hits the showers*
*towel snaps the wall just for fun*

[m1469]

I'm just gonna go ahead and start filtering in some of the images I'd choose (at least moreso, anyway) to aspire to:



Deal  

[m1469]

[m1469]

Deal.

[m1469]

[ted]

I cannot recall ever aspiring to emulate anybody else's body, but if it gives you something to aim for and makes you feel better then it can't be bad I guess. I have always been rather indifferent to my appearance and how others view it as far as body shape goes, but I am very particular indeed about feeling happy, fit and healthy. Over the years I have found that this state is most easily achieved for me when I am reasonably lean - not without muscles, but a bit on the stringy side. I do not find those women in the photos particularly appealing aesthetically, although I don't doubt thousands would.

[m1469]

First of all, aspiring to something doesn't necessarily mean emulating and it's more about a certain mindset than body type.  My body will be my body no matter what, and I want it that way.  Second of all, part of why people don't necessarily find those woman "attractive" is because that's not what is promoted as such, we are bombarded with much different messaging than strong and truly fit (not just skinny) women, and there are not a bunch of strong and fit women surrounding you so that kind of body seems abnormal.  Thirdly, those women would look fantastic in dresses.  Fourthly, what I aim to do is embrace my body and my individualty, and that most certainly does not mean that I'll do everything possible to make sure there is no muscle definition showing, that I don't accidentally appear as though I could literally beat people up, and that I settle for letting what I naturally am turn to mush just to "ensure" I better fit most people's concept of what is feminine.   The point is, I'm athletic, and I have muscles.  I can choose to live in my body exactly the way that I wish for exactly whatever reasons I wish.   If you or any of my friends value me any less on any level because of that, that is literally not my problem but rather somebody else's (or perhaps a bunch of layers of peoples and media), and then those people are not actually my friends.  I choose to call people my friends who value me for who I am and for the many things I am willing to give - and who trust that they can be exactly themselves with me, that I will value them exactly for who they are, and we have real friendships, not just a bunch of phantomy, made up garbage.  Lastly, after being bombarded by images of what is commonly thought of as attractive, I feel I have every right to decide for myself what I feel is attractive or not, and not to feel like I have to be something I'm not, just because of childish pressure.  For me, the appearance of actually doing something with one's life, giving what is a very honest effort, is far more attractive than simply staying under the activity radar just to fit somebody else's ideal.  THAT is unattractive!  Not to mention the physical and emotional benefits of living an active life.

Then again, for all I know you're just saying something that you believe will get a reaction.  In any event, you're still free to live your life the way you want, be attracted to whatever you want, etc..  But, at least I'm considerate enough to not post thousands of photos of some particular image of men (because, btw, I personally am attracted to brains and individuality above all and not just some body type), just to try to make somebody feel uncomfortable about themselves, or just to see what happens if I do.  

Anyway, Women are athletes and have muscles, too, Deal with it.  Yes, some people unnaturally achieve certain aesthetics just for appearance, but being athletic and having form follow function in a natural way is something entirely different.

[ted]

Ha ha ! I stand corrected and am well rebuked.  You should know by now that my notions of beauty in music, and probably anything, are peculiar at best and perverted at worst. In any case, good on you for asserting yourself and good luck with your training.

[thalbergmad]

I personally am attracted to brains and individuality above all and not just some body type

Come on now, are you sure about that

Thal

[ted]

I have always rather fancied the women on the Benny Hill Shows actually - Hill's Angels I think they were called.

[ahinton]

Notions of physical beauty (which, like most other notions of beauty, are in the eye of the beholder) and exercise régimes such as those written about here (especially by m1469) do not have to be seen as synonymous; those that do see them that way have decided that this is how they want to perceive them. If people want to do those kinds of things and if they feel better for doing them, that's fine, but as it's a matter of personal choice it would seem to follow that such régimes are followed for the benefit of those following them rather than for anyone else's benefit. It takes us all in different ways, I imagine - and I could not for the life of me imagine doing most if indeed any of the kinds of things that m1469 writes about here - it would wear me out just trying to develop the motivation in the first place, I suspect! Maintaining what is largely a sensible diet's as close as I could get to that kind of thing - and I do at least manage to do that most of the time.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

I have always rather fancied the women on the Benny Hill Shows actually - Hill's Angels I think they were called.

There was a documentary on Benny Hill the other week old chap, that included some of the Hills Angels.

They are still rather lovely.

Thal

[ahinton]

There was a documentary on Benny Hill the other week old chap, that included some of the Hills Angels.

They are still rather lovely.

Whatever floats your boat, I suppose...

Best,

Alistair

[goldentone]

Then again, for all I know you're just saying something that you believe will get a reaction.    

Since when would Ted do that?

[ted]

No, I certainly wouldn't do that. However, I probably made the mistake of expressing my own peculiar ideas of what constitutes female beauty. As Alistair rightly points out, whether or not this is connected with fitness is an individual choice.

[starstruck5]

We haven't touched on mental fitness in this thread?  I think physical and mental fitness are very much related -How do you improve mental fitness, besides physical exercise?  Especially when you have nothing going for you?

[Bob]

Practice music?

Haha... *Bob laughs, eats garbonzo beans, and is glad he's a guy.*

[birba]

I guess this would be better answered by mr. muscle man, enrique.  So I've decided to start up again at the gym after a hiatus of almost 3 years.  This is what I was thinking of doing the first week - 3 or 4 times - working all the muscle groups lightly everyday.  Then the second week start doing 2 groups each session plus abs.  3 excercises for each muscle group, 3 reps each with increased weights and less reps.  How would you divide the groups?  shoulders-biceps, triceps-back, and legs-chest?  But I think with the back you use the triceps, don't you?  anyway, could you suggest a programme for an "older" man who wants to age gracefully?

[costicina]

That's a wonderful idea!!!!!

Enrique is the Birba of fitness, he will sure give you useful advices...A little suggestion: a way to group  the muscles is front part (anteriore)  and back (part posteriore), i.e: back, legs, triceps  in one session, chest biceps abs shoulder the other. You can divide further the  shoulders in anteriori and posteriori...
Another suggestion: an integration of BCAA helps the muscles. The days of training, I  take 3 pills  before and 3 after the session.  I train four times a week... and I'm ageing very gracefully

[49410enrique]

I guess this would be better answered by mr. muscle man, enrique.  So I've decided to start up again at the gym after a hiatus of almost 3 years.  This is what I was thinking of doing the first week - 3 or 4 times - working all the muscle groups lightly everyday.  Then the second week start doing 2 groups each session plus abs.  3 excercises for each muscle group, 3 reps each with increased weights and less reps.  How would you divide the groups?  shoulders-biceps, triceps-back, and legs-chest?  But I think with the back you use the triceps, don't you?  anyway, could you suggest a programme for an "older" man who wants to age gracefully?

birba! gotcha man, let me play around with this in my head for a quick while longer and i'll respond to this reply/post asap/soon. i want to organize some ideas that immediately stick out in my mind after both reading your post and question/goal and from  previous experience with both what is likely to work, and what you are likely to follow through on.

stay strong!
-49410e.

[thalbergmad]

The first thing that jumps out at me as unwise is the 3 reps. When I was powerlifting, I would use 3 reps, but I would generally use 8-12 reps for bodybuilding depending on the muscle group and more reps just for fitness.

I would reverse the increased weight and less reps to superset less weight and more reps. They give an excellent burn and shock the muscle into action.

Mind you, ideas might have changed in the 20 years since I was "serious".

Thal

[49410enrique]

birba! gotcha man, let me play around with this in my head for a quick while longer and i'll respond to this reply/post asap/soon. i want to organize some ideas that immediately stick out in my mind after both reading your post and question/goal and from  previous experience with both what is likely to work, and what you are likely to follow through on.

stay strong!
-49410e.

caution, informal and sometmes krass post. if you're easily offended try not to be. if you're the grammar or spell check police, bit me, it's quick response not a fomral thesis so i tried to get some complicated ideas out quickly with minimal editing, i got extra early for this since it took awhile, let's try to appreicate how much work i gave for free in trying to respond ina  productive manner, trying to help. if it doesn't make sense try to see what i was trying to say, i'll fix as many big mistakes as i can with a quick re read or two but won't get them all.

so this is a great question on sooo many level. honestly i could probably start a stand alone blog on this alone, constantly update with lengthy and substantial posts and still have plenty of yummy left overs to talk about , as such i won't make this a treatise on all things health and wellness for aging without getting older, but i'll summarize and i a way come in pretty damn close.

a couple of things, first, this will be somewhat (and purposely) general since the only real and honest answer to questions like this without being able to have face to face time and importantly without my being able to actually see you move and evaluate the quality of your motion and ability to generate force in multiple planes (X,Y,Z coordinates and 'inbetween') limits by ability to really dial in on specifics, so mostly 'it depends' is probably how i'd really answer this, but let's try to be practical here.

2ndly, these are not set in stone guidelines/suggestions honestly many approaches will probably work, more important that this stuff is the boring $hite no one wants to pay attention to (are you eating well, i mean really well, are you sleeping enough, are you managing stress in a healthy way, are you forming and nurturing connections to others you care about and care about you, i know it sounds off track but this krap is way way more important to living a long healthy and happy life that picking up something heavy and setting it down again a few times every so often...which leads to what you actually asked about).

basically what we want to do as we 'age' is 1-add and preserve as much lean body tissue as possible relative to fat mass, WHY? is is the most important thing that keep you young and alive, notice what most of we associate as frailty with old age is really remedied and a direct cause of a loss of muscle in the later years of life.  also, we want to increase and preserve range of motion as much as possible, that is establish healthy and vital movement patterns over a wide range so as to keep natural function around, once it's gone, it is really gone and basically for good later in life, again look at what we typically define as 'old', they don't move very well do they?

so for you? oout three years? i'll assume you were not bedridden and can still basically move well (again i'm "blind here" since i haven't assessed you myself), but for the most part we need to assume you start clean/fresh and only basically retain prior knowledge memory of how to execute movments, muscle memory and thus is probably all but wiped out at this point but the nervous system seems to remember thins a bit better.

VIP- goals- in the first few months (notice you mentioned transitioning back in in weeks), i believe is allotting a longer time to re-establish a fitness base  and build up work capacity before really stressing systems to cause big changes,-->
TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY AND HEALTHY FULL RANGE OF MOTION AROUND CRITICAL JOINTS-that is around those key connections that helap transfer force from one region of the body to the next, AND TO GET STRONG, ultimately being stronger and being stronger over greater distance makes eveything work better. period.

so you should every day be doing some basic movement prep (or what i'll call -prehabilitation i.e. better this than 'rehabilitation' later on).  make sure you are doing basic things like stretching (not to the point of soreness but a healthy adult should be able to touch their toes without bending their knees), arm swings and trunk and hip rotations to keep 'ball and socket' joints free and so you can easily and painlessly move them in 360 degree patterns of varying size.

this should be done before and after training sessions (save stretching for after the workout) and on days you don't train. we can addresss smaller more critical areas of movement later on.

get strong. this is pretty simple, also you're a dude, so without tits and ovaries the hormone card deck is stacked in your favor, age be dammed, we're old when we decide we are, sure it might be a bit harder slower as we increase in  years, but like i said early you decide this, not some imaginary timex in you endocrine control centers.

i believe you should train as often as your body allows you too and your schedule will coop with. make this stuff non optional, best approach? treat our strength training and movement practice (this is what i call it, 'workouts' are little more than physical recreation, we train with a purpose and practice moving with a specfic set of goals in mine, much more productive in the long run). treat this like basic hygiene, that is you don't say 'oh i didn't have time to wipe my fanny today i was too tired too busy....' NO! you pooped so you did you you needed to you didn't walk around with a dirty butt the rest of the day did you?, or you brushed your teeth because the alternative won't be pretty down the line. same thing with exercise, we NEED this stuff of the wheels start falling of the wagon so to speak, this is called 'eustress' or good stress and on a cellular levels you thrive on it or essentially start a slow biochemical death. i'll leave it at that.

how do you get stronger?  get better at moving your body weight faster,over more reps with increasing frequency, pick up heavy stuff off the ground , set it back, 'rinse lather repeat...'
begin making a habit of warming up and of 'resting days' getting some kind of body weight work, things like push ups, pull ups, body squats, etc. should be your bread and butter we build on this stuff with external loading on dedicated strength days. so really unless you're sick or beat up to hell, you should be learning what volume you can hande and say doing some push ups, buy a pull up bar and mount it in your house so it's convenient,  everytime you walk buy it get few done, really this stuff works, maybe 10 push ups at a time multiple times per day or 50 in a single session  whatever works honestly variety here is better so play with it, squats as in bending your knees and lowering you butt all the way down and standing back up, basic stuff like this is key, 'ass to the grass' like a coach of mine use to say.

weights-notice i'm not talking about 'muscles', guess what muscles are stupid they do what you tell them to and our bodies know which ones need to be used in what ration to get the job done without our messing it all up so 99% percent of time speak in terms of movement planes, we organize our strength training with external loadinng like
this:
day I-vertical plane pressing, i.e. we are moving a load away from the body in a y -axis line relative to the midline of the body, for example, a standing military press with a barbell, you are stind up with the bar at shoulder level and you proceed to extend your arms over your head to full lock out position and lower back and repeat.

we focus on big basic compound movements,these are the most metabolically demanding, allow you to handle the most wieght, and generally keep you away from over use issues later.
so day one pick an exercise or two you do this type of pressing, i like to use total load paramters so rather than say you should do sets of 3 reps or 15 reps, let's talk about how much work you actually do , that what you body cares about , total force generated and how much energy you consumed in not fractioanlly/isolated in time. so say you'll prescribe yourself 24 total repititions with a weight as heavy as you can safely handle for at least 2-3 reps, i believe we should be goingvery heavy, like the weight almost scares you heavy, if it takes you 200 reps to get too pooped to poop, you need to go heavier, remember 'strength training' how do we get better, we practice, how do we get stronger? we practice moving something we feel is very heavy.
so day 1 week 1 you could do 2 sets of twelve and be very brierf and unpleasant (if youwent heavy) that 's it you're done. week 2 day 1? maybe 6 sets of two with a heavier load , week three day 1? heck go nuts super heavy and ado 24 single rep s with several minutes recover between, trust me it's hard. but it works.

day II-lets work the other side of the movment (this type of organization takes care of opposing muscles pretty well) so we do vertical pulling movemets, my favorite for this type of work are things like weighted pull ups (you'll get there eventually) but for know at the gym the latttisum muscle pull down machine works, i.e just mimick what you did the day before but move the load/weight in vertical y axis plane towards the body 'pulling' the stuff towards you. simlar to above pick a load and just play with different parametere until you hit a total session work goal.

day iii-lets let the upper body rest a bit and focus on the bottom half.  like i like say, the top half is for 'show' the bottom half is for 'go' so these large and powerful muscles are are designed to generate the most force.  the best for this? believe it or not quick full effort sprinting. i.e. short distance maximum effort running with a duration lasting anywhere from 10-45 seconds or so. trust me , if you do it correctly, it is on eof the most unpleasant  things you will do.  the more it sucks,/you hate it? better it works.  long cardio /running is over rated and is a WONDERFUL way to get skinny and weak/not strong:



i believe becuase the intense nature of this doing every other lower body session as a sprint day is enough. honestly 5-10 full effort sprints and your done. thats it. trust me you'll be in a world of hurt the few days after, your recover and soreness will improve in time, remember we building a base like i mentioned at the top of this free ramble.

inbetween your war against the ground/distance, do basic exercise for the lower body that work two movement patters, knee dominant, that in you flex at the knee, and hip dominant, that is you flex and hyper extend the hips. teh two main thingsyou'll do for this are full squats with wieght and dead lifts , go heavy, the legs are different animals and need this kind of loading or they tend to knot respond. they're sorta dumb  so you need to yell at them or they won't listen.  try to shoot for working to at least body weight, so if you weight 160 lbs, eventually try to be able to easily squat and deadlift that amount for safe heavy singles. high er volume is okay so 50-100 total reps is fine.

day 4-we still have don't a horizontal plane, so horizontal pushing , i. bench press or push ups with a heavy back pack are great here. nothing more to say, see above for paramterers.

day 5-horizontal pulling, you need to get creative but things ike weghted body row (thing upside down push up with a plate on your chest or previous heavy back pack wher eyou pull the load towards the body in an x place relative to your mideline ).  or barbell rows  or the cable seated row (whatever yourgym equipment allows) is fine.

you're basically done. WAIT! no abs? , generally don't go into this till later, if your training these big movements with sufficient loading (i.e heavy weights) trust me your abs are getting trained just fine. remember i said the body knows what to engage when and how much, i find articially super loading 'assistance' muscles can lead to issues later. once you establisha fitness base we address that later.

so SUMMARY-
train heavy, train often, stick to basic movements and balance work loads, rest as needed, repeat.  HAVE FUN!
i-
ii-
iii-
and


iv-
v-

final thought, cardio tends to take care of itself if you are working out intensely and quickly, that is you don't need dedicated long time steady 'cardio work' per say for now, if you finish training and are sweating, your heart is beating fast and you are breathing deep and fast, you did cardio. that simple. i would only suggest you find time to do plenty of long walks up to 5 -6 times per week to a minimum of 45 -80 minutes. this stuff works wonders for wittlng away at fat if you're doing the above consistently.

i know this was way more than you asked for i hop you got something out of it, i can't give you a definte concrete program since i am not your trainer and thus it would be irresponsible to give specific prescritptinos but this is part of my thought process if i was going to evaluate you for sucha program with your goals.  if you send me a PM or if you give Costicina/marg a ring a ring she has some links to some books on the subest i think you should give a read (they are links to my online file account with downloadable links for PDF files of very good books).

disclaimer-legal speak for non birba types: this information is made the understanding that neither 49410e...or this site is gaurateeing safety and efficacy of said suggestions. since the situations of anyone reading this are fact dependent you should seek the confidence of a competient professional.  basically don't (not to offend if you haven't fallen asleep or are already offended) don't be a dumb dumb use common sense, ask for help if/when you need it and think about why are are doing what your doing

[birba]

Enrique, you are really a special person to go to all the time and effort to explain this all to me.  It also gives me more incentive.  And it's very clear to a non-specialist like me.  Thank you so much!  I'll keep you posted.

[m1469]

As a formal activity (aside from informal boulder climbing, etc..) this has never been an activity with a huge draw for me (though I have tried it and have even taken a class), but it's a pretty cool feat for those who are drawn to it and get into the necessary shape to do it!

[thalbergmad]

That would not do your piano playing fingers much good Foxy.

Thal

[ahinton]

That would not do your piano playing fingers much good Foxy.

Too right it wouldn't!

Best,

Alistair

[49410enrique]

Enrique, you are really a special person to go to all the time and effort to explain this all to me.  It also gives me more incentive.  And it's very clear to a non-specialist like me.  Thank you so much!  I'll keep you posted.

no worries man u r super welcome!! didn't really say anything special or earth shattering but for the most part i find that's what works, basic no nonsense/unfancy approach with a purpose and intent, consistently. you'll do fine just remember if you're executing the basic 80% or more of the time and you're not completely acting the fool the rest of the time you'll totally get there eventaully. slow and steady, last i checked the tortise beat the hare every single time

[49410enrique]

As a formal activity (aside from informal boulder climbing, etc..) this has never been an activity with a huge draw for me (though I have tried it and have even taken a class), but it's a pretty cool feat for those who are drawn to it and get into the necessary shape to do it!

monkey bars are fun too (i never outgrew them and play on them as much as possible in the warmer months), and there's less risk of that falling thousands of feet to your death part that might make it a wee bit more apealing...


in all seriousness as long as you're consistently pursuing some athletic activity with a performance oriented mentality and a motivation to constanty improve you capability, you'll be fine
hint, crossfit (done the right way not  main site 'dot com' style) does wonders for women wanting to build an athletic base and has the nice side effect of leaving you with very similar if not even better bod (www.crossfitfootball.com has very very good programing all of it is free and the planning is done for you)...just sayin'...
'

[costicina]

The link is very interesting, Enrique , thanks!!!

[thalbergmad]

The longbow season is almost upon us so me arms back and shoulders will be getting a good workout. I missed out the last few years due to laziness.

Might go for a new bow to reignite my interest and perhaps change the target to a batch of Schumann scores.

Thal

[49410enrique]

The longbow season is almost upon us so me arms back and shoulders will be getting a good
Might go for a new bow to reignite my interest and perhaps change the target to a batch of Schumann scores.

Thal

bobby or clara? does it matter?

at least you'll be prepared to take out some zombies should the zombie apocolypse hit. i tend to do some conditioning now and then with a sledge hammer and an old tire so i think that might be my weapon of choice.  that or a machete, yeah a sledge and a machete (cliche as it may be i mean a 'latino' and a machete? who woulda guessed).

we could all team up and have a zombie (re-) killing squad, that would be rad.

[thalbergmad]

bobby or clara? does it matter?

Not really, but I think it would of interest to see if the Schumann Concerto could withstand a direct hit at 80 yards using a 100lb bow.

Thal

[ahinton]

Not really, but I think it would of interest to see if the Schumann Concerto could withstand a direct hit at 80 yards using a 100lb bow.

A minor achievement if so - but still not one of fundamental importance, I submit...

Maybe you should be thinking instead about organ concertos and then selecting your most favoured bowyer...

Anyway, to return to the topic, all this stuff is enough to wear some of us out just by reading it! The thought of bending oneself into some of the positions that some of these people do just ain't for me, thanks!

Best,

Alisair

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Try skateboarding!!!  It's fun and contrary to popular belief, you don't hurt yourself and it's a good cardio workout!

[Bob]

A minor achievement

Yuck, yuck, yuck.   *Bob smirks at the Schumann concerto comment.*

[m1469]

That would not do your piano playing fingers much good Foxy.

Thal

True!

[Bob]

*Bob laughs, along with everyone else who goes down to the bottom of the page and slowly scrolls up.*

She's too muscly.  And her hands are veiny.  Ew.



I've been noticing lifting weights erases some fat.  I've lost a few pounds.  A level of ab fat overall and two levels in one spot on each side.  That's without really doing much but lift a few weights.  And that's doing more from a little weight lifting effort than running and jogging and lots of huffing and puffing did, although I don't think that's bad to do at all.

[flyinfingers]

Where does she shop for abs?  I need to go to that store!  She looks great!  And I'll bet she can bake cookies too!
I'm thinking about getting the insanity DVD.  I need some abs like that! 

[birba]

Well, yesterday I went to enroll in this "health center" at Juan-les-Pins, nearby.  I should have sensed something strange when I read "health center".  I felt like I had stumbled across the back-stage for try-outs for "Cocoon".  I think I was the youngest one there.  So depressing.  They have a minimal weights corner and several cardio-machines.  Oh well, I'll just have to make the best of it.  Most of the other "members" don't use them - they do "fitness" classes and acqua-gym.
So I went through all the muscle groups very lightly, plus crunches, and the cardio-machines.

[thalbergmad]

Where does she shop for abs?  I need to go to that store!  She looks great!  And I'll bet she can bake cookies too!
I'm thinking about getting the insanity DVD.  I need some abs like that! 

I don't know where she goes for abs and i bet she can cook cookies, although I doubt if she eats them.

Personally, I don't think she looks great, far too much muscle for me. Making love to her would be like going to bed with a cheese grater. Women should be smooth and have curves.

Thal