Well, I have started my Gym Log. the plan is to post here if any modifications to the workout routine are made. I also plan to post what was done on what days according to my claendar/chart. But I will do this in groups of days to minimize how much time I waste in front of the puter!!! LOL!!

Right now I am Basically following the Advanced Training Program on the Total Gym. It is in the manual that came with the El Cheapie Total Gym 1000 I got from my sister, basically unused!!!

I want a better machine, but eh, free is free! I have tweaked the routine a bit based on areas I need to target and due to the glideboard having thin, relatively useless padding on it. (I did mention this is their cheap retail model, right?) But anything is better than nothing.

Two of the exercises, where you have to lay on your chest, hurt the very bottom of my rib cage so I do not do em....

I am trying to kill this machine so I can get a beter one!! Like the XL or one of their premium models like the 1400. But as long as the free one is suitable, why invest more?? (So I am cheap, sue me! LOL!!)

I have considered taking the glideboard to the local upholsterers to have more padding added, but that will depend on the cost factor too.

Days 1&3 are-
Butterfly
Seated Press
Front Deltoid Raises
Side Deltoid Raises
Rear Deltoid Raises
Seated Curls
Laying Curls
Pully Ab Crunch
Twister

Days 2&4 are-
Seated Row
Arm Pullover
Seated High Pull
Leg Pull
One Legged Squat
Tricep Extension
Laying High Pull
Side Squat
Cardio Pull

All the exercises here are currently with the glideboard set at the 5th level, except the Deltoids in days 1&3 and the twister, these are on level 3.

I also do at least 20 minutes a day on the Gazelle for my Cardio work, most days it is more like 30 minutes. The goal with the cardio on the Gazelle is every day at least 30 minutes, sometimes I will go downstairs and do more if I am bored, restless etc...

Weight training is almost always in the morning, and I prefer the cardio in the morning as well. If I do not have time to weight train in the am, it goes to night time. If I miss a day, that just slides to the next day. There is no Monday, Tuesday thing, just day 1,2,3 etc.. I have a chart done up with all the exercises on it and a calendar so I can track which day of the schedule I am on.

I intend to add an ab lounge to my home gym, and would love to add a Bowflex, or that awesome looking machine that Weider makes, but alas, the money is not in the budget. The Ab Lounge is a reality though, a treat to myself for losing 85 pounds! That will come in March or April. I just have to work out at least 4 times a week, and not cheat on the WOE, and that baby is mine!!

That's about it for now...

Okay, now that I let my Alligator mouth overshoot my jaybird brain.....

This week so far has been interesting, dismal might be closer to it!!

I posted on Sunday last when I started this log. Monday I did 25 minutes on the Gazelle and the day 1&3 workout, great start in keeping true to plan!

But that is where it ends....well, sort of.

Tuesday was 20 minutes on the Gazelle.

Wednesday, I walked 3 miles at the mall, and did 2 reps of 12 bicep curls and 2 reps of 12 laying curls on the total gym.

Today, as of right now? Nada!

So, I go now to put in 30m minutes on the Gazelle!

Tomorrow I have the day off, and there is some major duty shoveling to dig out from this snowstorm, but guaranteed, I will be in the gym doing the day 1&3 workout as planned!

I do have my exercise charts all blown up and laminated and the calendar to mark my progress all set up, so that in itself is some progress!

I will see about getting some pics up this weekend of the workout dungeon, er, gym. Which in reality is two machines on some carpet in the basement of my 102 year old house.

Just dropping by to say you can fix the padding problem yourself easily and cheaply.
for about $10 if you have a staple gun
or $20 if you need a staple gun

Obviously you need a staple gun, they sell em at wally mart for a pretty good price, then go to no MANS lands.. you know the arts/crafts/fabric dept of walmart. Get some padding, they have all kinds just ASK for help. Then find a fabric you like.. the lady there will cut it.

Get the stuff home. take the board off... lay the padding down, lay the fabric on top, flip it and go crazy with the staple gun. The more you do this the better you get, but since you are looking for comfort and not beauty .. i thought this idea might be for you?

Bren

Thanks Bren!

What a great Idea!

And at the same time......

Boy do I feel like an idiot!!

I have a staple gun, and plenty of staples!

I know how to do that! I have always known how to do that and I have re padded many a kitchen chair seat,etc., that very way!

I am gonna go to Uncle Wally's tomorrow!

Though I may want a heavy vinyl to cover the seat due to the whole sweatin on it thing.....much easier to keep clean!

Wally's carries Vinyl!!!!!!!!
heheh glad to hear it will look pretty! LOL

Today I did my Day 1&3 on the total Gym and 25 min on the gazelle...

And I didn't make it to Wally World...maybe next week? I did find a way to do the two exercises painlessly though. A small piece of padding under my ribs does the trick nicely!

I am also posting pics in the Exercise Gallery....

As a Steve Martin, SNL character used to say, "What the hell's that?"

The wheels came off.

I have only worked out a few times this month. But that is about to change again. I just had a very busy, hectic span of time where exercising was not a sensible option with my time.

But I have the SB working well enough, though the hand grips for the upper body are a little too far away to be used as comforatbly as some better made machines...

Sorry BP, this older stuff was low end, bargain machinery, and I wouldn't have bought it. But since it was free......

I still haven't signed the family up for a YMCA membership as time has been so short, and with year end, so has cash. And knowing full well the boys would not be going unless I took them.....

A Y membership is in the plans for mid spring....

I may also join a local place that has 24/7 access. It would bea membership for me, and I could go whenever I had the time...but then if I get the new total gym....I won't be needing that one.

I am strongly considering a new total gym. The one I have is a retail model and while a good machine, and being a machine that is holding up faily well to the frequent use I give it, Itis starting to get to the point where some parts will need replacing.

Don't get me wrong, the machine performs well, but it is several years old now and there are some issues that will require replacement parts in the next year or so...

Plus, and this is probably a real big part of the decision to replace the current one, the newer models are a wee bit better. And the higher end models blow this one away! A friend has one of the new XL's and it is sweeeet!

So, now I look at old faithful, and am getting the bug to upgrade. And a better padded glyde board would be nice.... (I know I can re pad the old one myself, but then it would not be a new one, would it?)

Recently when I went to Lansing for the weekend (see a post above) I used my dumbbells to work out. It was the first time I used free weights in years.

Man I miss that! There is just something muy macho about sweating it out and grunting under the weight of a bar and some steel plates....

I am probably going to add a free weight routine to my schedule just to keep things lively.

But then, I dunno....that may go the way of the local gym membership too...a good idea in theory...

Did I say I liked working out on my total gym? I am sure I have, but there I said it again. So, I will probably only drag out the dumbbells for when I travel as taking along the total gym is not always possible. I do take it when I go back home to Milwaukee for extended visits, but for overnighters...

Jeez...

The schedule this month has really....well...let's just say I am embarrased to say how many times I have worked out.

I am sure it is just me, andmany people are happy with a schedule that I have kept...but it is no where near my target goal.

So, Plan, check, adjust...right?

I am starting induction tomorrow for 2 weeks and also getting right back on plan with my exercise routine.

I have to work tomorrow..ug...but I will have plenty of time to do my Total Gym workout and an easy hour riding the bike around town or a good half hour on the SB in case of foul weather.

It is kind of funny too, I have proved by example that it is extremely easy to slowly slip out of your routine. You miss one here, then one there, then a trip gets in the way. You oversleep once or twice and before you know it...

I tell you, as soon as I can afford it, I'm hiring a personal trainer or someone to come round and kick me square in the tush to keep me on track.

Well December is pretty much in the crapper!

It is amazing how easy it is to slide out of a routine and then in no time at all there never seems to be enough time to fit a workout in.....

I am removing a lot of obstacles to my workout this month and going back into it full bore as soon as we retun from the Christmas visits...

Back from a joyus Christmas trip, and a disasterous Christmas trip, WOE wise...

So, tomorrow morning, 1st thing, I hit the gym...

Back into the fray....

Wow,

I keep forgetting I have this gym log and then I post when I do remember....


So, no exercise routines/results to post.

But that is mostly due to my hurting my back (again) about 2 weeks ago. No work out time for me when that happens. It happens fairly often too ( I have Spina Bifida) and when it is a good one like this I am generally down for 2 weeks or more.

So, as soon as this back of mine gets better, I will have something to post....

Me? Doin Dandy!

Monday was Day 1 on my workout chart along with about 20 minutes on the bike....my youngest son had a personal tragedy that took me off the bike early. he's 7 and he tripped and stubbed his toe.......

Wednesday was the day 2 on my workout chart....and 1/2 hour on the stationary bike.

The hotel this weekend has a pool and an exercise room...so swimming and whatever else I can work in! WOO HOO!

Hi, remember me?

I don't know why, but I just stopped working out all of a sudden like. Can't keep doing that. You know how it goes, you miss one day then 2 and so on....

Anyway, today sees 1/2 hour or so on the stationary bike along with a good couple of hours of raking leaves, pulling dead plants and sheet composting my garden. So I got plenty of exercise today. Tomorrow will be tough with an early meeting and a late workday...but I will get in at least my half hour on the bike.

More later.....

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!



Been doin well. I have started working certain body groups once or twice a week only. Time is hectic and I have still managed to work time in. I am also doing 1/2 hour almost daily on the stationary bike.

The real test will be if I can maintain this level or even step it up some, through the Thanksgiving holiday and on through Christmas.

Just a quick blurb, off to update my journal....

Till next time, gooombye!

On New Years Day, I signed up for Family membership at the Local YMCA. No, it was/is not a New Years Resolution! I don't make those...never really have. Anyway I went for my initial consultation and was shown around the weight equipment. I went through a whole circuit to see where the machines are set up, what my settings are and get my initial starting weights etc from the trainer.

I told him I'd be around in a few weeks and was going to do two workouts a week and more cardio if I had the time. But that I wasn't going to start right away due to the high volume of New Years Resolutioners that were milling about...I did the same thing when I was a Bally's member, I almost never went during the month of January unless I could go during the week day.

Well, I ran into the guy that gave me the orientation/initial consultation at the YMCA on New Years Day. He asked how my workouts have been going as he had not seen me there at all.

I told him, the New Years Resolution crowd should be about done, and now that there would be fewer people wasting time/cluttering up the machines, I would be in at least 2 times a week....

In the absence of working out at the Y I have been doing cardio and the Total Gym. Cardio 3 - 4 times a week and the total gym 2 times a week.

Lot's of time to work in around the hectic life schedule, but I am adamant about losing 10 pounds by my St Louis trip.....Just a little while to go, something like 11 days, 22 hours, 43minutes and 32...31....30....29 seconds, but who's counting.........