Monday, December 17, 2012

Finally Resumed Exercise Yesterday



Some weeks ago I brought my Total Gym to where I am actually living and stashed it under a day bed in the living room. Unlike my previous home, there is no way I can leave it set up most of the time, nipping in to get in a set of 10, 15 or 50 of a given exercise in between this and that thing several days a week.

Turns out, it really is not that hard to drag it out, set it up and just blow through one of my typical days of exercises, in just a few minutes!

Now I know the ones I have planned for today, Chest, back and core exercises, will not go quite as quickly. I need something like rest or recovery time between sets of back and chest exercises…

Still I am greatly relieved to resume! I think it will work for me, even with having to set it up and put it away each time after all!

Oh, I had my doubts, but it appears to be quit doable.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Update and Outlet Priced Total Gyms with Extra 10% Off!

Here it is, a month and a day after my last post and this is what I have found: While I did get my Total Gym moved to where I am living, I have not used it, or even walked the dog, or gone ice skating since that. This Fri. AM I found that:
  • My measurements are exactly the same as the last post.
  • Except my belly button, (3.5 Inches! Yikes!), gut, (1/2 inch), and my hips, (3/4 inch), are a bit larger
  • I can see, without measuring, that my upper arms and tummy are flabby
  • If I could leave it up, I would have been using my Total Gym by now
  • That is just me, its not hard to drag out from under the day bed, but it is in a more public part of the house, and I am a tad shy… 

Still, when you consider that I have not exercised since mid-September, having my waist and bust area measurements remain the same is nice! REAL NICE!!

What else I have found is this special offer from Total Gym: Save an additional 10% off at the Total Gym® Outlet Center. Discount automatic at checkout. Now currently, (12/14/12 AM at least), they have Outlet Total Gyms starting at $400.

That is before you take off the additional 10% off you’d get by using that link above!

If you read, just some of my notes, and the posts that back them up, to your right and in this blog in general it might help you figure out if Total Gym is worth trying for you!

If so, Outlet prices with an additional discount is a nice way to try it!

Even so, you can always go with their standard Try it for a month for $1, with Free Shipping offer!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

What Happened since my last post here, in July

I have not written here since mid-July for numerous reasons. I, believe, (and will look into my records regarding this) I stopped exercising about mid-September.

At first, I simply had not had the time to post any updates. Then, around, if not on, Sept. 25th, we moved.

This took more time than I would have thought. True hurricane Sandy did not help matters much; this meant nothing much happened with regard to finishing moving for yet another week…

As it happens, I still have not moved my Total Gym to where I actually live now, yet. I have been waiting for gas rationing to end, (in NJ), and I believe that was supposed to happen today.

If so, I hope to go get it this weekend and resume using it. Prior to the hurricane, and gas rationing, I was simply too busy.

I did intend to do some kind of exercise, but week after week this failed to happen.
Seems I am spoiled rotten by my Total Gym
Rather than work something out for the time being, I am just not fitting fitness in at all
Bad Human!

Back on October 26, about a month after I stopped using my Total Gym I did take a stop one Friday am to take my measurements.

So here they are, roughly, compared to when I started last year in Oct of 2011:

10/5/11:                                              Waist 39 inches                    Gut 44 inches
10/26/12: Bust 41.5 Under-bust 31.5 Waist 33   belly button 35    Gut 38.5           Hips 37.75

After most of a year of sporadic use of Total Gym ending in 1 month of no exercise at all.

So here it is, November 13, I am still not exercising.

My loose pants are still too loose to wear without a belt.

It would seem inches lost using one’s Total Gym take their time coming back!

While that is great, I hope I have resumed exercising by this time next week!

I felt stronger, more able and springer when I was exercising regularly, and I want that back. SOON!
 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Is this what they call a Plateau


In weight loss or strength training vocabulary?

Below are the differences between the last two Friday Morning measurements.
I have been exercising mostly 4 or 5 days a week for the last 3 weeks, pretty consistent, for me anyway…

Plus I have as much as doubled my reps, and put at least one exercise, if not two, up another level…

However.. not much consistent change or reduction of inches, except perhaps my bust and underbust a bit.

7/13/12: Bust 42    Underbust 32.25   Waist 33   Belly Button 34.5     Gut 39.25     Hips 38
7/20/12: Bust 41.5  Underbust 31.5    Waist 33   Belly Button 35.5,    Gut 39         Hips 38     

Perhaps this is a “Plateau”

I am going to look around and see if I can find anyone I can trust about exercise to ask:
  • So I increase my repetition of these exercises to get continued steady loss of inches?
  • Is a steady loss of inches possible?
  • If so, must one “Diet”?
  • Should I make the move from beginner to intermediate on the exercises where these levels are possible.
Well I did find a Total Gym blog I put in my new Blog List in the right column.
They have this Prevent Fitness Plateaus with Total Gym Training DVD page.

Now all I have to do is fit in the time to read it, and apply what I read!

Monday, July 16, 2012

What I learned, so far, Using My Total Gym for Strength Training


I have been using my Total Gym, first very sporadically, and now with more consistency, to meet my, very general, health and fitness goals.

My main goals are to:
  • To Feel Stronger, more Energetic
  • Develope, or maintain, Bone Density
  • Looking better, as in losing weight, shaping up, would not hurt one bit either
 As the Total Gym is a Strength Training device that uses your own weight, and the incline of its sliding board, by lifting weights.

Here is what I have learned, so far:

1. Consistency is possible!
For me the big breakthrough for achieving consistency in my exercises was:
  • Leave it set up all day or night, whenever you aim to exercise
  • Then do the exercises you plan when ever you have to waist a bit
  • Do not give up if you only get the exercise once or twice on a given week, just do your best to do more the next week.
 2. Never do the same exercises two days in a row. Even if you feel ok when you are doing them, you might well end up like I did, feeling like you had been hit by a truck, by the third day.

Besides, there is no reason to!

I have not counted the numerous exercises this home gym comes with, but I can tell you there are plenty for various parts of your body.

So far, since my above mentioned faux pas, have tried to not only do: 
example Ab exercises, every other day, Back and Chest exercises on days I am not working my Abs.
However:
I have been doing alternating Leg exercises each day I workout
Also, 
tomorrow I will try to do a different Ab Exercise that I have not been doing on Ab Exercise day.

We’ll see how this goes…

3. For Women
If you start doing back, chest, compound as well as possibly arm and shoulder, ( I am not really sure about those two), exercises regularly with a Total Gym:

  • Check your bra band and strap adjustment almost right away, and often!
  • If you bra band starts creeping up your back, during your normal activities, not just exercise, it might be too big already. Try smaller band size bras if you notice this happening.
  • If your straps can go up a bit, try to move them past the part were the hardware of the adjustment slide is out of contact with the bony part of you shoulders as soon as you can. The skin there does not enjoy protracted contact with hardware!
I think that is it. With these simple rules and the exercises I have mentioned in my Friday Inches off Achieve and various posts I have gone from a woman with:
10/5/11 The Starting point:               Waist 39 inches                          Gut 44 inches
To my current
7/13/12 Bust 42  Underbust 32.25 Waist 33  Belly Button 34.5   Gut 39.25  Hips 38

The reason there are these additional Underbust and belly button measurements is that at the beginning, I had nearly no waist to speak of, and as it became longer, I added those. I added the hip measurement out of curiosity.

Anyway, it has taken a while to get any sort of consistency at all, and for me I can be happy with a three day a week workout because it is better than noting and worth the effort.

I think the Total Gym is great because I can just do a few exercises while I am waiting  for a pot of water to boil, a page to load, our security program to do its updates, and soon each days exercises are done!

Then you can always break it down and stow it under the bed at the end of the day, or night!

When you consider you can try the Total Gym for just a buck, it is worth it to:
  • Plan a chunk of time when things will have a steady schedule at home, like after summer vacations
  • And Give it a try!
 Currently this link takes you to discount models you can try for a buck, and yes, the shipping is free.
 Total Gym® Official Store Endorsed by Chuck Norris & Christie Brinkley. Take our 30 Day In-Home Trial for only $1 and get FREE Shipping!
The shipping is fast too, at least it was when I brought mine last spring! Try it and enjoy feeling and looking better soon!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Taking it a little easier this week, a 1.25 inch loss this week


I say that, but believe some of this could just be water weight…
I try to take  care to measure 1st thing Friday am when I awake, before I start drinking water or tea, but today, I forgot it was Friday…

Here is this Friday’s Perspective:

10/5/11 The Starting point:                Waist 39 inches                          Gut 44 inches
7/6/12: Bust 42     Under-bust 32        Waist 33    Belly Button 35.5     Gut 38.5       Hips 38.5
7/13/12 Bust 42  Under-bust 32.25 Waist 33  Belly Button 34.5   Gut 39.25    Hips 38

Just 3 days of exercise, possibly to day and tomorrow, but that remains to be seen.
I am not exercising on the weekends at all lately so…

Even so, it seemed to have lost:
  • 1 inch at the belly button
  • .5 at my hips
  • gaining .25 at the underbust.
Water Weight or not, I have Lost Enough to have to Replace Apparel

My three pairs of light cotton shorts, as they are now falling off me, unless I wear a shapewear style tank top…Which I am not apt to do when it is hot enough to wear shorts.

So far I have turned 2 pairs of jeans I have not been wearing into cutoffs!
However, I will need more…

Also, I have been wearing a 34 inch bra band size. Lately I have been steadily shorting the straps with their adjustments. The adjustment hardware is right up to the top of the cups.

Even with all the sweat, (we do not have central air), my bras are starting to creep up my back..,
Besides, the underbust measurement has been nearer to 32 than 34 for a while now.

Hopefully that will wait until fall…

It is worth it though, just because I feel so much better!

Sure I still get tired, but a feel less dragged down throughout the day, like I am standing all the way up. It also feels like, if I had a chance, I could ice skate or something I really feel like doing, for hours on end. Perhaps that is why it is called Strength Training?

It great to feel more energetic and stronger while doing mostly work and chores!  

Friday, July 6, 2012

Exercised 4+ times this week, bit of fat intake reduction

a bit better results!

This week this post is in lieu of the Friday Inches Off Report, (to your right), becuse I cannot seem to access that page to give it this update today.

7/6/12:   Bust 42      Under bust 32 Waist 33 Belly Button 35.5   Gut 38.5 Hips 38.5
6/29/12: Bust 41.75 Under bust 32 Waist 35 Belly Button 34.75 Gut 39    Hips 38.5

However, I may have dieted sort of, a bit, this week. It being too hot for me to figure out what to eat that was light and cool enough; I took to eating cereal, with skim milk, 2xs a day and chicken chunks for supper, with duck sauce, and pepper!

So perhaps, for me anyway, who was just previously eating bologna and cheese sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, perhaps that is dieting…You can read about my typical diet here if you want to.

I consider the bust fluctuation negligible Getting the waist, belly button, and especially gut measurements down are my main concerns.

I did the Ab and Leg exercises Monday, Wednesday and going through them today, Friday.

I did the other Leg, Back, Chest, Core and Compound ones Tuesday and Thursday.
I finally got the back ones up to 2Xs in one week!
For future health reasons, for me, this is another big concern, or at least could be.
I did add a few more repetitions of some of the exercises, and went up a level setting of my Total Gym on others.

I hope to have this blog more organized in the near future.
However, as it is, I am having quite a time of it fitting everything else in.
I will try!