Here we go - day one...

Bench press 1st. set: 115 x 7
Curl 1st set: 65 x 9

next time it's military presses and squats?

Good luck! Just watch out for the killer guacamole on the rowing machine next to you

Ha, ha!

Okay, I got my lat attachment Tuesday.....

Pulldowns: 120 X 5

Squat: 95 X 8

Bench 115x7
military press 70x6
tricep pushdown 50x8
shrugs 165x10

Yeah... I've had this really nice weight set since 1996, and now that I know how this diet stuff works, I'm starting to use it. It's a Body Solid Pro-Power Rack with the lat attchment (yay!). It's really great.

After wasting two or three year's dues to a gym and not going, I promised myself that I would invest it in a home gym instead.

What do you think about rowing machines? I've been trying to talk my SO into one for a number of years now - seems like a nice compromise for both upper and lower body, plus aerobics if you work at it?

I work-out in my home gym too. I love it now, but after years of working out in public gyms, it took some getting use to.

I bet you miss all the attention!

SidC - you asked about a rowing machine? That is such a complex question!

Let me state my goals, and then try to break down some possible answers to your question:

My goal is to look muscular and lower my bodyfat%, and then move into some high-intensity training for my cardiovascular system, so that my heart will be buff as well. For the time and effort, I (me, myself, yours truly) am not going to do aerobic exercise, because I don't think that it is a good investment of my time, and the results that aerobic exercise gives you - I do not want (lean, efficient muscles). I believe aerobics burns calories while you are doing it, and resistance training builds muscle, which burns calories all the time. Now there is no question that aerobics is superior for your cardiovascular system, and burns fat off your body - I would never try to dispute that.

Now, rowing is an aerobic exercise - unless you are puposely trying to do high-intensity (like sprinting) - it will work the legs, arms, and back, and make those muscles (and your cardiovascular system) leaner and more efficient. This will mostly burn energy while you are doing it, and afterwards for a short time.

Similar in motion, rowing with weights will work the back and arms, and make those muscles larger (much larger for men), and less efficient. This will cause the muscles to grow, the exercise will burn energy while you are doing it, and larger, more inneficient muscles will burn energy around the clock. Unfortunately, this does not do much for your cardiovascular system.

To sum it up:
Resistance exercise will help you shape your body and burn lots of energy all the time, but will not help your cardiovascular system.
Aerobic exercise will burn energy while you do it and greatly benefit your cardiovascular system, but it's not that great at shaping.

Having said all that, what are your goals? Do you think you might need one, both?

The best answer I've seen with the aerobic michine questions is: "Get whatever you'll enjoy and use all the time." If you will hate it, don't waste your money!

Manaburrn, thanks very much for the detailed and informative reply. I didn't even realize it was a complex question! My main goal is to be able to continue pursuing a life long passion: aggressive and interesting downhill skiing. In the trees, in the moguls, wherever the skiis take me. Muscle memory, isometrics, stairs, and having done this since the age of 4 have served me pretty well so far, but when you hit 50, you realize there aren't quite so many things you can take for granted.

I did some work on a rowing machine a few years back and really enjoyed the workout. I've also liked treadmills, but loathed the fake bicycles - hard on the back. I joined a health club with all of the right machines, but haven't been there for a year - just not enough time. So I'm looking for the one "miracle machine" that I can put in the basement and actually use. And for this, I must say I don't care about aerobics or weight loss - all I care about is being able to ski, ski well, and ski all day! Everything else will look after itself -

Lat pulldown: 120x10
Lat rows: 90x9
Supine cable curls: 50x7 (dang these are hard! )

Squats: 115x7
Hamstring curls: 35x8

From my post in this thread: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...496#post5964496

I know this may seem overly simplistic but......

A slide board?

Ha, never saw anything like that before. Looks like its got the right stuff going on for calves and thighs; not sure about whether there's much happening with the upper body. Thanks, would have gotten back earlier, but! I spent the last week skiing in BC - and no internet access - mixed blessing

Had more stamina than I thought I would, though the really long, steep, heavily mogulled runs were definitely a go for it once or twice a day thing. Just didn't have the leg strength to do more. I want to change that - the slide board looked like it might be good for aerobics, too, which wouldn't be all bad - I finished more than one run breathing hard!

Hope the sick boys are getting better rapidly-