2020 Health & Fitness Thread

[Accumulator]

yamabob- heh heh, these threads often veer far afield all right!

I can nudge it right back on-topic by pointing out that it`s the same kind of thing with regard to staying in shape- that`s something that`s a lot better to just make part of "how we live day-to-day" compared to "gee, now that [I have health issues] I guess I should`ve..."

I sometimes think that we took Life in general far more seriously back in the day, it was just *harsher* on people who made mistakes. NO, I`m sure not saying that was a feature!

And you`re obviously a more loving parent than a whole lotta people are, hope your boys appreciate that.

Back on-topic- Putting stuff in its proper place is, to me, a lot like staying in shape; it`s easier than going back and rectifying the situation later after it`s bitten ya. I used to put on a few pounds of fat every Holiday Season...no biggie, always lost it within a few months. BUT, gee it`s all so much better now that I keep it better in check.

Learning to *NOT* learn everything the hard way is important with regard to fitness too. Why wait until you start to have issues? It`s just harder then and *NOBODY* can go through life out-of-shape without suffering consequences, humans just don`t work that way. We`re programmed to start decaying at a certain age and only exercise can stave that off. People don`t interpret that "Freshman 15" properly, they miss the, uhm... Distant Early Warning.

 

[yamabob]

Well I`m at that point that I need to do something . Health is in general great. As I stated earlier, If it came to walking I easily outdistance many of any age. My issue is upper body deteriorating quickly. I`ve had several surgeries on both shoulders and they are better but far from good( especially the right one -after the third time it`s pretty useless. That why the little I do involves swimming.
Thoughts or ideas?

 

[mc2hill]

mc2hill- Hey, great to see another Stair/Matrix user posting!

Your 30 min./3x week is very similar to what I did for a long, LONG, time. FWIW, I`ve gone from those longer workouts to brief "Sprint Intervals", and yeah..I too have to put it on Manual to get what I want. Eh, I have to do that for all such machines, the Programs are never quite what I want.

Glad you`re able to get good readings on your HR Monitor! I haven`t had a reliable one yet, and finally just gave up on `em The ones I used at least got me, uhm...informed; I know what (truly) maxing out for me feels like and I just aim for that. If I could be OK with a chest-strap that`d probably be different, but they distract me so much I can`t deal with `em.

Stationary bikes- I have an AirDyne, which is borderline torture! After warming up (first with the Stair, then a few minutes on the Air) I do Tabata-style intervals (20/10) and am utterly gassed after three, maybe four...as in, sometimes end up on the floor. I try to go as hard as I can during the Work Intervals, aiming to hit at least 100rpms, and when I can`t maintain 80rpms after that I know I`m done. I can only do those every three weeks or so (!)...incredible how demanding it is.

Treadmills- I jog/run like a spastic robot and thus only use the Tread for brisk hikes, running it up/down its incline range while progressively upping the speed to (currently) 4.2mph. Not really *demanding*, and I don`t consider it "real cardio", but very enjoyable and presumably sufficient for maintaining arterial flexibility.

I`ve always found the whole Heart Rate topic interesting! I put zero credibility in the "age minus 220" formula as it simply doesn`t apply to me (and the guy who developed it says it`s just something he came up with as a plug-in value; he doesn`t consider it legit either). IMO, different people are just *DIFFERENT* when it comes to HR, and as best I can tell from the studies it`s all about working at both near-max (briefly) and at about 2/3 that (for longer).

Your work with the plate sounds like a good way to incorporate some Resistance Training. My RT regimen has become kinda, uhm....involved, but basically revolves around only doing one set of a given movement and then doing something else. I need between 12-21 days to recover from what I`m doing (different muscle groups recover at different rates for me) even though I do so little compared to what I used to do.

HR monitor - I started with the strap (Polar) and it never bothered me, but I can see how it could. I have a co-worker with a fancy Garmin watch that tracks HR, not sure how accurate it is. I read the same thing with the guy that is credited with the HR max. My main goal is to get back to a resting rate of 60 bpm.

I need to add a few minutes (5 or so) of treadmill running a few days a week. I got back into shape 7 years ago when I was asked if I was interested starting a softball team, and realized I was too out of shape to play! Once I got in shape on the stairs, I found I was pulling hamstrings easily. I guess all my years of sitting at a desk, combined with a restricted leg movement of stair climbing was making them worse. Adding a few days of a full stride workout I think will help.

And just to throw it out there for comparison - 6` 1", currently 230, and was 58 at the last BDay. I got down to 205 lbs. 7 years ago, but will be happy to be close to 210 this time.

I have never tried the AirDyne, but I see they are adding to them at the gym. They are repurposing 2 of the 4 racquetball courts to create a `Orange Theory` type area, and there are 6 AirDynes waiting for that.

I can say that being in shape makes it much easier to spend a day detailing a car. I don`t do it often, but it is not a problem spending 8-12 hours cleaning and polishing.

 

[Stokdgs]

Accumulator --
Happy New Year, Mi Hermano` !!

Fitness - I just cut out a meal, work really hard, try to keep that big Makita in my hands for at least 8 hours a day, and I am good !

Have always thought of my body as my engine in that if I am not burning all the fuel, why do I need to keep topping of the gas tank ??

So I just cut out lunch, eat a very small breakfast, and will have a pretty good meal , lots of veggies, etc., in the evening, and it works for me..

I like to do lots of fast pace walks for a few miles and that helps also..

Dan F

 

[Stokdgs]

Well I`m at that point that I need to do something . Health is in general great. As I stated earlier, If it came to walking I easily outdistance many of any age. My issue is upper body deteriorating quickly. I`ve had several surgeries on both shoulders and they are better but far from good( especially the right one -after the third time it`s pretty useless. That why the little I do involves swimming.
Thoughts or ideas?

Yamabob !
Happy New Year to you and yours !!
I got to see Tulum once when I was awarded "Service Legend of IT Dept of the Year" and spent 7 days and nights at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun` !
Oh wow, it was an Amazing week !
We got in this really nice Mercedes Benz bus and toured the Tulum ruins for half a day and then they took us to shops along the way back..
Loved, loved, loved, the beautiful white powder Caribbean beach behind the hotel !! It is not sand (as you know), so it does not burn your feet..

And the food alone at the Ritz-Carlton - why would anyone want to leave?

My Company (AirTouch Cellular) even rented out the entire Hard Rock Cafe` in Cancun` for 24 hours for us...

Getting back on track - I believe swimming is certainly good for resistance and toning, and of course is not going to hurt things easily..

Have you thought about just `flexing" all those muscle groups for a bit every day? I believe that alone will help get them programmed to react to that and will help overall..

That is what I would try, and then, if I got better results from that alone, I might try putting 2 stable chairs on each side of me, and then putting my hands on the chair tops, evenly, see how far I could lower myself and raise myself up again.. Taking it easy at the beginning, and then progressing when I could feel I could..
This is a great total arm, shoulder, exercise that does not require machines or going somewhere to use them..
Dan F

 

[yamabob]

Gracias!!! Same for you and yours. Now take them to Tulum and Playa and stay away from Cancun It takes me at most 10 minutes to ride my bike to the ruins. There is a fantastic little beach below the cliffs of El Castillo that can only be accessed thru the ruins. Does get crowded with those pesky tourists though. When I`m there I go full out bike -walking. Such a healthy lifestyle with the fresh non GMO foods and the fact that I eat less.
I stretch them everyday day or else they freeze up. Surgeon on last op told me to stay away from activities like pull ups and even push ups. What????? I do resistance bands ( not everyday which I should probably do every other in the least). With the way they swell and feel I`m prone to do nothing which is worse as muscle mass has been greatly reduced over the years to the point where now the dog food bag is heavy. I`ll give your suggestion a try as doing nothing for the most part isn`t working

 

[Accumulator]

Well I`m at that point that I need to do something . Health is in general great. As I stated earlier, If it came to walking I easily outdistance many of any age. My issue is upper body deteriorating quickly. I`ve had several surgeries on both shoulders and they are better but far from good( especially the right one -after the third time it`s pretty useless. That why the little I do involves swimming.
Thoughts or ideas?

While it will certainly make things more challenging, I bet there`s *some* way to work around your shoulder issues.

I`ve had some myself (can`t do barbell benchpresses, for instance) and/but even when I was seriously compromised (recovering..) I was able to do decent workouts. Note that I could *NOT* have done any swimming as my shoulders were much too messed up for that.

IMO the starting point will be to find what movements don`t hurt. I`m betting that a lot of the movements that *do* hurt aren`t really all that beneficial anyhow..like those benchpresses that so many say you "have to do" (not really a good chest movement after all).

Note that the biggest muscles in the upper body are those of the back, especially lats. LOTS of ways to work those without aggravating shoulder issues.

If you take "Presses" of all kinds out of the picture, maybe you can get some good Resistance Training in without your shoulders complaining...and you`ll still do great.

 

[yamabob]

See I screwed that up. I thought it was Resist Training and I`ve avoided it like an All-Star. You guys are inspiring me to push past the mental block and give this some serious effort.

 

[Accumulator]

HR monitor - I started with the strap (Polar) and it never bothered me, but I can see how it could. I have a co-worker with a fancy Garmin watch that tracks HR, not sure how accurate it is. My main goal is to get back to a resting rate of 60 bpm.

I`m admittedly weirdly sensitive to things that bug me, if only because of how they`re *distractions*. After beating myself up about it and trying to change I`ve finally just accepted that "that`s how I am" and that`s working great. I had a HR watch too...wasn`t bad but never got consistently reliable readings at higher HRs..then it quit giving readings altogether.

I`m *NOT* saying everybody oughta just ditch them the way I did...they`re beneficial! If only to get some objective baselines...I thought I was *really* working hard at about 155bpm...kept pushing and pushing and it kept going higher...at the "oh man, I`m gonna die!" point I *still* had more left. It was a real eye-opener.

I read the same thing with the guy that is credited with the HR max. My main goal is to get back to a resting rate of 60 bpm.

Hey, maybe the truth about that "220- age" thing is getting more attention these days.

Yeah, having a good low resting HR is a good goal and getting to 60bpm oughta be doable for most people.

I need to add a few minutes (5 or so) of treadmill running a few days a week. I got back into shape 7 years ago when I was asked if I was interested starting a softball team, and realized I was too out of shape to play! Once I got in shape on the stairs, I found I was pulling hamstrings easily. I guess all my years of sitting at a desk, combined with a restricted leg movement of stair climbing was making them worse. Adding a few days of a full stride workout I think will help...

I`m gonna play Devil`s Advocate..so please don`t misinterpret this as some kind of criticism or argument, OK?

Why (specifically) do you think 5 minutes of running would be beneficial for your Hamstrings?

Why would stair climbing involve a "restricted leg movement"? Maybe the unit you`re using is very different from mine (StairMaster PT4000), but I get a good range of motion and credit decades of regular use with my complete lack of Hamstring/knee issues. (I was told, back in the `90s, to expect knee replacements by now, especially on the right, and the x rays were scary..but nope, building up my Hams and not driving a stick coincided with all my issues going away.)

What else are you doing for your Hamstrings? Besides the Squats/etc. that work them indirectly, I do one set of Leg Curls and one set of Good Mornings (with what some would call light little baby weights), and mine are *SORE* for days. It takes me about three weeks to recover enough to do that again. Those two movements cover the two things the Hams do and IMO you need to cover both.

And just to throw it out there for comparison - 6` 1", currently 230, and was 58 at the last BDay. I got down to 205 lbs. 7 years ago, but will be happy to be close to 210 this time.

I wish I had a better idea about what`s "the appropriate weight" for a given height. I go by Bodyfat % pretty much exclusively..."am I as lean and muscular as I want to be?" Which is an admittedly vague standard compared to when I was having my BF% tested all the time. Close enough for *ME* because I set the bar awfully high, but I dunno whether it`d be a smart approach for others.

I have never tried the AirDyne, but I see they are adding to them at the gym. They are repurposing 2 of the 4 racquetball courts to create a `Orange Theory` type area, and there are 6 AirDynes waiting for that.

Absolute torture if done in the Sprint Interval Training ("SIT") manner and still [darn] unpleasant for steady-state work. So much so that I never do the latter on it even though I acknowledge how beneficial it would be.

I can say that being in shape makes it much easier to spend a day detailing a car. I don`t do it often, but it is not a problem spending 8-12 hours cleaning and polishing.

ABSOLUTELY! I have never found Detailing to be physically demanding. Period. If I can do something for a while, it`s not that hard; what`s "hard" in my book leaves me trashed in a matter of minutes and anything else is just "activity" that I can do for hours.

 

[Accumulator]

See I screwed that up. I thought it was Resist Training and I`ve avoided it like an All-Star. You guys are inspiring me to push past the mental block and give this some serious effort.

Resistance Training ("RT") is utterly crucial as we age. The whole "cardio vs. RT" thing has been thoroughly upended by recent developments in microbiology/etc. that help researchers see what`s really going on. And remember that your body doesn`t know whether a cardiovascular demand is coming from running or from doing pullups, it just knows whether it`s being challenged or not.

As we age, we don`t lose the Slow-twitch Muscle Fibers that we use for "endurance" work like aerobics, we lose the Fast-twitch ones which are used for RT. That`s what makes "old people feeble" and what causes a metabolic slowdown that lets fat build up. And obviously it`s what causes untrained older people to get weak. It`s *NOT* mere aging, it`s *aging in the absence of proper exercise*. Heh heh, there are octogenarians who can easily outperform anybody I know, myself included!

The trick is to do the right exercises, the right way, in the right amount, with the right frequency (all of those being "what`s right for *you*" ).

 

[Accumulator]

IMO everybody oughta study Anatomy books and learn what muscles do what and how and why. That was the single best thing I`ve ever done with regard to RT.

Guys do [stuff] because everybody else says to do it. Not a good reason in my book.

If something hurts, I don`t do it. If something doesn`t confer a discernible benefit, I don`t do it. If I don`t know *precisely* why I`m doing something, I don`t do it.

 

[Accumulator]

Fitness - I just cut out a meal, work really hard, try to keep that big Makita in my hands for at least 8 hours a day, and I am good !

Heh heh, if I cut out a meal I`d be undernourished. My metabolism drops like a stone if I go too long without eating.

Heh heh#2, for progressive resistance you could go back to a Milwaukee Now running that thing all week *was* a workout for my then-18YO self...but I was a weakling then.

If what you`re doing works for you, then that`s that in my book! It`s completely different from what I do, but different people are different.

Have always thought of my body as my engine in that if I am not burning all the fuel, why do I need to keep topping of the gas tank ??..So I just cut out lunch, eat a very small breakfast..

I`m always surprised when people can skip meals with no downside! Eh, I gather I eat a lot more than most people need to.

But then I`m also always surprised when people eat more than they need to...the whole "pig out" thing is simply lost on me.

Have you thought about just `flexing" all those muscle groups for a bit every day? I believe that alone will help get them programmed to react to that and will help overall..

That`s great advice!! It`ll help develop the mind-muscle-connection ("MMC").

One of my favorite bits of advice (although nobody ever wants to take it ) is to drop the resistance down to baby-weight and do enough reps that there`s a definite "burn" in..well...something.

Often it won`t be what people expect... Well, that`s a clue

try putting 2 stable chairs on each side of me, and then putting my hands on the chair tops, evenly, see how far I could lower myself and raise myself up again.. Taking it easy at the beginning, and then progressing when I could feel I could..
This is a great total arm, shoulder, exercise that does not require machines or going somewhere to use them.

Dips are something that`e been around for ever, and I finish my Chest work with a set of them (NO, I don`t use them for Triceps or Shoulders).

By keeping your elbows in and leaning *forward* you put the stress on your chest.

By staying upright and flaring your elbows out you put stress on your Triceps.

By adding weight as you get stronger you can keep progressing.

Some people develop wrist issues from them. In that case, switching to a Dip Stand where the handles get wider (like a "V" where you grab the end points) often helps. Be a bit careful if you have shoulder issues, I couldn`t do them then.

 

[Accumulator]

Oh, and getting back to how this thread might`ve appeared to veer off-topic yesterday...

MENTAL health is something it pays to work on too....and that`s more than just "not being crazy"

There are so many stressed, angry people these days!

We discussed spending time searching for misplaced things..If I have to search for some misplaced something it not only wastes my most precious resource, it causes stress.

That`s simply not healthy...thanks to those recent advances in microbiology, they can actually watch measurable, physical changes that`re caused by stress and other forms of unhappiness. It`s not just new-agey feel-good hoo-ha after all.

 

[Bill D]

I had a background in mental health earning a Master’s in Psychology almost twenty years ago.

I can tell everyone having good mental health is crucial to having a truly healthy and happy life.

And counseling isn’t only for tackling mental health issues It can be highly beneficial to “go in for a check up” much you would with your doctor or dentist.

I practice what I preach and still do myself. I also occasionally research mental health topics even though my profession isn’t directly related to it.

 

[Accumulator]

I had a background in mental health earning a Master’s in Psychology almost twenty years ago. .

I bet that`s paid lots of dividends over the years! The comparatively few Psych courses I took sure did.

And I bet it gives you considerable insight into the, uhm...motivations...of others.

I can tell everyone having good mental health is crucial to having a truly healthy and happy life.

IMO people in the US tend to undervalue happiness the same way they do Time Affluence (which I consider closely related)...some folks even treat such stiff like frivolous indulgences that`re worthy of criticism.

A guy I know went through years of surgeries and potent meds over what was diagnosed as a spinal nerve issue..it was ruining every aspect of his life. Figuring his chance for a normal life was about over, he sold his business and...like a literal miracle his problems disappeared. It`s been ages now, and he`s still absolutely fine. He and I figure he`d disregarded the potency of Cortisol and of how stress results in it. He`s like a whole different person now, his priorities, his outlook on life, it`s like some secular version of a religious rebirth. Being "happier" (by his definition) has made his life worth living again.

I see Mental Health and Happiness as going hand-in-hand.

 

[Bill D]

There’s a whole industry dedicated to the pursuit of a “happy” life. Some is fluff and some is legit.

Psych got me into what I do now: trying to gain insight into the minds of consumers. But in terms of trying to peg people and their motivations, I got out of that aspect a while ago

I’m a big advocate of maintaining a relationship with a psych professional though. All kinds of benefits, much like your friend experienced, can come from it. But just like working out in a gym, psychotherapy and counseling is real work, mental work, that has to be done to see results.

 

[Accumulator]

There’s a whole industry dedicated to the pursuit of a “happy” life. Some is fluff and some is legit..

I`m a big fan of the Self-help stuff that`s *NOT* mere fluff IME most people who say they "already know" or "don`t need to read/hear" such stuff are the folks who could really use it. Hey, at worst it`s just positive reinforcement and that has some value too.

The Happiness course at Yale really got my attention, especially as I`ve known *so many* highly successful people who simply were not happy.

But in terms of trying to peg people and their motivations, I got out of that aspect a while ago..

I guess I was thinking of another recent thread where we were discussing what`s usually behind expressing ridicule of others. "You`re a [whatever]!" says more about the person saying it than the person being criticized.

When it comes to marketing/recommending, like...say, Detailing stuff...the motivations can, uhm...influence my perception of credibility.

Oh, and I suspect that the way you take Mental Health seriously factors in with regard to all the walking you do. I believe that walking is very beneficial in that regard, as well as being good for one`s physical well-being.

 

[Accumulator]

IMO everybody oughta study Anatomy books and learn what muscles do what and how and why. That was the single best thing I`ve ever done with regard to RT.//

I fear that`s the kid of advice that nobody really makes use of.

Cutting to chase (regulars on these threads have seen this before..)...check out:

The Strength Training Anatomy Workout series by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill

While their advice regarding volume and frequency of exercise isn`t even *close* to what works for me, the explanations of how the muscles work and what they actually do is simply invaluable.

So much that "everybody knows" is simply wrong.

 

[Accumulator]

Once I got in shape on the stairs, I found I was pulling hamstrings easily. I guess all my years of sitting at a desk, combined witha restricted leg movement of stair climbing was making them worse...[I`m].. - 6` 1"

I`ve been wondering whether your being taller than I am factors in on this.

Is the Matrix unit in question their "Climbmill"? If so, yeah...*NOW* I can see how it really could be a limited ROM kind of thing as it`s totally different from the StairMaster (which allows me a full ROM).

I have never tried the AirDyne, but I see they are adding to them at the gym..

Noting that nobody I know IRL has ever stuck with the Air other than Yours Truly...my wife simply can`t use it or it messes with her knees, which otherwise don`t give her any trouble. I guess it`s another of those YMMV things. And I must`ve gone through a half-dozen different seats before I found one that`s acceptable...which is something since I`m only on it for a few minutes at a time. BUT, if it works for somebody, I just can`t imagine any more efficient, or effective, way to do Intervals. It fits right in with that study showing how just a very short time at it is sufficient *if you work hard enough*, and the Air can certainly deliver that if you do your part.

 

[Accumulator]

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness ("DOMS")...I actively seek it. Unless I get at least a little sore from a RT workout I consider it a "fail" even if that`s not really a valid judgement. Fortunately, that hardly *ever* happens even though I do so little lifting, so I`m usually a happy camper.

I gather that`s not all that common in people who`ve been doing this stuff for decades and I`m wondering how it goes for others.

NO, like going to absolute failure (which I do) it`s not *necessary* to stress the muscles that much. The researchers call that level of stress "sufficient but not necessary". But it`s an easy way for me to know that I worked hard enough and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. The trick is to not let it be so severe that it`s a downside.

On Tues. after an AM cardio session on the Stair, in the afternoon I did Legs; after warming up I did three Work Sets (i.e., three completely different exercises) for Quads, two for Hamstrings, one for calves, and one for the Tibialis Anterior (front of lower leg, runs along the shins), followed by some core work (yeah, I`m now saying "core" instead of "abs"/etc.). Good workout, even got a few more reps than I was expecting on some movements. Only seven sets total and my legs will still be far too sore to do (intense) cardio for a few more days. It`s not "impact daily life"-severe, but I sure do feel it, and that`s basically how it goes with every workout.

So how does DOMS go for others on this thread?