How Do We Measure Fitness?

Here in the past, I used my measurements in addition to my occasional comments about how well I was feeling.

The fact that I used measurements, to make it realer to others and knowing that some people consider fat vs muscle mass, seemed one way to measure fitness.

I think Amber Rogers taking issue with this whole BMI issue, which you can read in Yahoo Shine’s Fitness Blogger Takes BMI Standards to Task post, is quite valid.

So How Should We Measure Fitness? 

In my case, I wonder in terms of how I am communicating it here.
I hold with how I Feel, but what does that mean to us when we read about other people’s experiences?

What do You think?

7/10/14
Anne

Reebok On Sale with a 24% Discount TODAY

And A Weight Lifting Question…

Today only, or until 11:59 PM, EST today, 4/28/14, we can enjoy the Reebok Outlet 24 Hour Sale: 24% Off Already Discounted Items event!

Women’s Active Wear in Reebok’s Outlet

I am finding, Mens, Boys, Girls and Women’s Clothing, Shoes and Accessories in their just freshly stocked, (from an email from Reebok), Outlet. Here is a look at the starting prices there on Women's:

• Tank tops starting at $9.97
• Shorts $12.97
• Tees $14.97
• Sports Bras $18.97
• Seamless Capris $26.97
• Sneakers $41.97

A Weight Lifting Curls Question

During a very hectic spring so far, I have tried to find, on line, a simple quick look at what exactly: “Curls in Four Directions” 
are, exercise wise.
While I have, for the most part, being doing, now up to 8 different types of curls;

• 4 with 11 pound hand weights 
• 4 with 5 pound hand weights 
• And of course those hand grips things, (see previous recent posts) 

I am still not entirely sure this is what the surgeon meant by
Curls in Four Directions…

Anyone out there who knows, or could direct me to a site, and / or URL, that shows this Please send it to me in comments here!

Thanks!

4/28/14
Anne

Answer to the Hand Grips Q and Others

At least regarding my own “fitness goals” for a spell.

The Surgeon who did my heart surgery last summer wants me to work up to:
3 sets of 15 reps each, every other day

• Hand grips, mentioned in the last post here 
• And Weight lifting Curls in four directions 

 Always pushing to do a bit more reps, and increasing weight as possible.

Why this Resistance and Weight Lifting Regime

This is in an effort to force the body, particularly my right arm, to create new arteries, blood vessels, around its main artery.

That artery seems to have healed, mostly closed, (My layman’s view of the pictures from tests, Sonogram types).

What I have done so far

I have tried using my Total Gym’s Arm exercises, which is going well so far.
However:

• I would rather do my best to duplicate exactly what the surgeon told me to do
• Even so, my weight lifting, ( who has studied and used free weights, and I have never done this), friend says the ones I am doing on the Total Gym are working the same muscles! 
• Also, as the only place I can keep this set up is our attic room
• I can use, (borrowing her), free weights to use down stairs and / or outside come summer
• I am aiming to return to using my Total Gym for Ab, Leg and add in Core, Back and Chest exercises, until it is too hot in the attic
• Using my friends free weights to do the curls the surgeon wants me to do 

Seems like a great way to avoid surgery so this is what I will be working on in months to come!

I am just thrilled one can do this to, even perhaps, avoid surgery to correct a complication of a previous heart surgery.

I think this is fantastic and will post the results of returning to the Total Gym workouts for all but that, and the results of the curls and hand grips exercises here.

Best wishes!

3/30/14
Anne

A Hand Grip Exercise Question for You

By way of hoping to avoid another surgery to correct complications of a previously mentioned here surgery, I am using this style, and the stress ball style, hand grips.

Does anyone know how often one uses these Daily, or Every Other Day?

 

I would appreciate the input.

My own tendency is to overdo exercising.
Naturally, I have already done that.

What is ideal usage for such things?

Thanks!

3/19/14
Anne

When You Cannot Exercise, Put it in Perspective

Having just resumed exercise lately, I am a bit peeved that I, and many others at home, have a cold or flu. Try as I might, by Friday I could not exercise after work. My other, main problem involves a, going on 4 months, solve of a complication of a heart surgery I had last summer.

One of My Favorite Perspective songs

Combine minor present time problems with long term major problems, (such as above-mentioned medical problem), and I like, especially the last line of this fun song to help me observe the big picture, so to speak…

Then again, I am a big fan of the Animaniacs anyway.

Back to the Kneeling Plank Press Question

Having gotten no answers from my question of last month,
I tried to better duplicate what I see in the pictures of the Kneeling Plank Press card.

Numerous cards, with an exercise each, came with my Total Gym.

What that turned out to be was,
moving my knees to the end of the print,
rather than the inner edge of the end cushion,
where I had originally positioned myself.

Then I did 2 sets of squat type leg exercises.

Two sets of 25 each,
which may be too much to start with.

So the tops of my thighs were still kind of sore,
and I did not know if it was too may squat style exercises,
or still not doing the Kneeling Plank Press exercise right…
or maybe just the flu at this point, could be that too…

The Plan, for When I Resume Workouts

So I am going to leave off the squat exercises for a bit when I resume exercising
Do the Kneeling Plank Press exercises with my knees in the above mentioned, more like the picture on its card, place.

This should show me if I’m getting it right yet.

If so, I will carry on with the Kneeling Plank Presses,
and resume the squat exercises,
but start off with 3 sets of 10,
as I had been doing all other exercises.
Rather than the 2 sets of 25 each I had originally started those leg squat exercises with.

Well it is A plan anyway…

Stay Healthy!
Or if like me;
Get then Stay Healthy!

3/1/14
Anne

A Total Gym Workouts Question

Any Users of Total Gyms! I have a Kneeling Plank Press Question:

I just started doing these again
and noticed The muscles on the outer sides of my knees and up a bit, (like 4 inches up)
Seem to be getting the brunt of this workout.

Am I doing it right if this is going on?

Please let me know if you can!

Thanks!

2/6/14
Anne

5 Workouts 1 inch Off My Waist

Possibly more like 4 total gym workouts, as I did the 1st measurement on 1/20/14 and the 2nd on 1/29/14, having done only 4 total gym ab crunch workouts in between! I was only doing the workout you can see Christie Brinkely do with Total Gym’s Ab Crunch attachment at the end of this video, except I have it set at the top level.

I have been doing 3 sets of 10 each during each workout and have only gotten in 4 workouts between the above-mentioned dates!

Measurements for Comparison

Granted I am not doing any leg exercises, and a few arm exercises, with a resistance band thing, and the Total Gym ab crunch attachment exercises above…

1/20/14: Bust: 42       Waist: 34.5    Hips 39
1/31/14: Bust: 41.25  Waist: 33.5    Hips 39

Brief Update about My Health

Back in November, having seemingly, but not quite totally, recovered from the heart surgery I had in late July of 2013, I learned that I had a blood vessel compromised.

This is in the area which I was told was perhaps nerve damage, among other possibilities in the months prior to being told it is actually a compromised blood vessel…

Just recently I went about, and am still in the process of finding out the way to fix this.
I am essentially one more CAT scan and a meeting with a vascular surgeon away, (or two weeks in this case), from finding out how to handle this.

In the meantime, I am OK, but fitness is not a big priority.

Still I am enjoying working out lately! I am especially enjoying feeling of being firmer and stronger in my core, abs and right upper chest where this compromised blood vessel apparently is.

Hope to be off to a better year soon, and actually believe I already am!

Hope you all are having a better 2014 too!

2/1/14
Anne