Exercise

[MadRiver]

Dear Knowledgeable ones:

As I hurl towards that great abyss at breakneck speed, I have noticed as of late that my body no longer retains its rock solid character without need of some sort of daily exercise. As a result, I am being forced to drag myself kicking and screaming to a gym if I want to once again capture my Adonis like physique. That being said, I was wondering which of the following apparatuses currently residing in my gym would best transform my middle-aged body back into its fighting form?

Shoulder Press
Fly
Incline Press
Tricep Extension
Arm Curl
Row
Lateral Pull Down
Rotary Torso
Hip Adduction
Hip Abduction
Leg Press Seated Leg Curl
Leg Extension
Back Extension
Abdominal
Standing Calf


Thanks.

 

[percious]

Weird. Machines. I forgot what those are. My regimen requires me to latch my claws onto pieces of plastic precariously placed creatively upon a wall.
(indoor rock climbing)

Most of that stuff can be done with free weights, which helps to build stablizing muscle, which is much more useful. I only used machines for the leg stuff. If you have the ability, hire a trainer, and he/she will direct you as to how to use the machines to get your desired results. You may also consider a cardio regimen, to reduce body-fat, which may or may not be a problem for you.

-percious

 

[JohnL]

Any trainers I have talked to say that unless you want to work every muscle in your body, you should concentrate on exercises that work the large muscle groups; lats, pecs, quads, gleuts, hamstrings, abs. The smaller muscle groups and the stabilizing muscles will then get stronger by association. Lat pulldowns, lat rows, bench press, pec flies, squats, and Pilates are my primary weight bearing exercises. Running, stairmaster, Elliptical, bike, and rowing are what I do for cardio.

Just some ideas for you to think about. I'm sure others will have more ideas that work for them.

JohnL

 

[Puck]

I do full body circuits to hit all of the major groups. I don't use machines. The one exception is for leg extensions instead of lunges. Lunges bother my knees especially after a bunch of squats and deadlifts.

There is a lot of info out there and it can be overwhelming. You first need to define your goals. If you want to maintain your Adonis physique I can't help you. However, if you want to keep back and knee pain away and stay in shape for hiking I maybe able to give you some of the routines I have been following.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Dear Knowledgeable ones: ... As I hurl towards that great abyss at breakneck speed, ...

Stretching is very important too!

 

[Artex]

If you're going for an overall fit look, the weight training is great, but you might want to consider increasing your aerobic activity as well (running, biking, cross country skiing...), which will burn your fat stores and also tone your muscles. It'll compliment your weight training very nicely!

Not sure if you already knew the below, but here's what muscle groups each of the exercises you mentioned will help workout. I'm only mentioning it to maybe help you pick out exercises so you can target the areas you want to work on.

Shoulder Press - deltoids and lats
Fly - outside pecs
Incline Press - upper chest
Tricep Extension - triceps
Arm Curl - biceps
Row - lats and overall back
Lateral Pull Down - lats
Rotary Torso - obliques and abs
Hip Adduction - not sure what that is
Leg Press Seated Leg Curl - hamstrings
Leg Extension - quads
Back Extension - lower back
Abdominal - abs
Standing Calf - calfs

I'd recommend starting off slow and light and ease into it, and most importantly, try to have fun with it.

Also, mix up your routine every 3-4 weeks. Your muscles can get used to a routine, and shaking up your workout will help "confuse" your muscles and also help alleviate boredom.

Best of luck and have fun!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Stretching is very important too!

I agree. It is extremely important. EVery time I break/tear a tendon/ligament, my physiotherapist says, "You know, if you did the stretching like I told you the last time, and the time before that, you wouldn't have such a serious injury."

After the fourth time of this, I've found it easier to avoid injury than to avoid the wrath of my physiotherapist. One doesn'T want to mess with a woman, who places electrodes on your body, and controls the voltage pot.

 

[jfb]

I can't comment on your list of machines, but I can say that I prefer riding my bicycle on a stationary trainer for about 40 minutes. I put a fan on a table in front of me to keep cool and listen to music while riding. Naturally, you need warm up and cool down periods during the ride.

 

[CatskillsYeti]

Just as we all hike our own hike, our needs for exercise are our own, depending on age, condition, fitness goals and activity goals. That said, I hit the big six-oh last September and have been following pretty much the same gym routine for the last several years. 55 minutes of cardio (broken into 20 and 35 minutes at beginning and end of session, respectively) every visit, then, on alternate days - I try to make it four or five times a week when I'm not out in the woods - I work on upper and lower body muscles using machines. Arm curls, tricep extensions, ab crunches, pec flies, back extension, torso twist, row, leg press, leg extension, leg curl, adduction, abduction. I am now going to add some serious yoga a couple of times a week to keep the flexibility up.

For someone in middle age, just starting a serious exercise program - which is where I was years back - I would check with my doc, start out with a reputable trainer for at least two or three sessions, or at least have a gym person show you how to use the machines, after discussing needs and goals. And then have fun! Being in shape is it's own reward, but it also allows you to enjoy so much more of what life has to offer.

 

[Furry]

I agree with Artex completely. Increasing your aerobic activity (and therefore burning fat) may give you that overall "fitness" you are looking for. By burning fat through aerobic activity, you may be surprised how toned your body can begin to look. Complimenting this activity with some weight training would also help. I currently run 5 days and lift weights 2 days per week (I really only started lifting to give my legs a periodic rest from running). This has worked nicely for me and the running is a great way to get outside on those mid-week days when hiking isn't a possibility!

 

[jbrown]

In a recent issue of backpacker, the one with the reader's choice awards, there was an article about Ed Viesturs with a modified version of the workout he uses.
He does alot of cardio and core work, with a great deal of the focus on balance. He doesn't use freeweights much if at all, opting for medicine balls and other means of resistance.
Having turned 30 this past year and taken on an even more sedentary job than the last one I had, I'm working on getting more active to fight the bulge and get back in shape.
Two years ago, I was using a marathon training program to get in shape for hiking and I'll further agree with Artex and Furry, simply adding good cardio will burn fat and greatly improve your overall body tone. I started small and built up to eventually doing about 1 hour 4 weekdays then 1.5-2 hours on saturday or sunday (varying paces.) I lost weight and was in better shape than I've been in since I was in high school.

 

[giggy]

screw gyms - they are social clubs

run run run run run run run - run some hills run some trails etc.....

I find running really helps me with cardio I need on the trails. Hiking up and down hills with some weight is also great (not mauch - maybe an hour or so
I run typically 4 days a week doing anywhere from 3 to 8 miles a go. I have no routine or schedule and keep it loose and fun.

I also work on the 8th floor and rarely take the elevator - probably climbing a 1000 steps per day as well for an added bonus!!

 

[bridgeman]

Ditto that Giggy.

If I feel the need to supplement my running, biking, hiking, swimming and xc skiing, I find chopping wood, hoeing the garden, raking leaves and other domestic chores work all the major muscle groups just fine.

 

[Maddy]

Dear Knowledgeable ones:

"As I hurl towards that great abyss at breakneck speed....... "

Say no more. A wonderful description.Can't stop laughing!
I am not an expert but I felt best when using the elleptical trainer and swimming. We have an " arthritis" pool at the Y which feels really good.
Does anyone know anything about the tread-climber by Bowflex???
It suppose to be combination of treadmill, stairclimber and elleptical all rolled into one. No stress on joints.
A bit pricey but no gym fees and it looks very compact. I happen to love the elleptical so I know I would use this. Getting to the gym can be very time consuming.
All comments would be greatly appreciated. One cannot always believe the advertising.

 

[slowpoke]

My two cents

"Those who can't, teach". That's me. I'm not in good shape, but I think I have some reasonable advice here. (I did succeed in going from fat out-of-shape to reasonably in shape and I kept it up for a while (years), so I think my advice is worth something.
I think everyone who is poo-pooing health clubs is simply expressing their aesthetic outlook. If you don't mind health clubs, they can be great. There are adavantages to the general 3 set of 10 routine (and similar structures) that other activities don't provide in the same amount of time. I happened to like my gym for a while and I did not find it boring or anything. I didn't like the social scene there, I admit.
If your don't like gyms, then you should find something that you find more pleasurable.
I think that aerobics are great, but in terms of results for your time and effort, a lot of people overdo it. Most health nuts will tell you that building muscle helps burn fat. I think a decent routine would be something like (aerobics) (strength) (day off) (aerobics) (strength) (day off) assuming that you have some other "real" exercise in there that does not involve a gym.

 

[DaveSunRa]

Use to poo poo on the concept of indoor workouts and just used running as a source to maintain an athletic condition so as to hike and ski. However, as I migrated into the more mature period of life, now in the mid 50's, I had neglected my upper body conditioning. Also running in the winter is difficult for me due to a shorter day length and snow banks on the road. So broke down and joined a gym. Had a personal trainer for the first two workouts, boy was I sore the first week. Couldn't even sign my name with out muscle pain. Just after one month I notice a huge improvement in upper body. This gym also offers spinning classes which I use during the winter periods (run outside during weekends if not hiking). Other classes I take there are "balancing on a ball" (stabilizing muscle groups) and "yoga" (get for stretching). For me these coached classes during the winter period keep me interested and fit.

 

[Blue]

In a recent issue of backpacker, the one with the reader's choice awards, there was an article about Ed Viesturs with a modified version of the workout he uses.
He does alot of cardio and core work, with a great deal of the focus on.

Was that Backpacker or Outside? I thought I read a good one recently in Outside.

I would say that by mixing in a lot of different activities, I am happiest.
An ideal winter week would be xc ski 1-2 times, run on a treadmill 2-3 times, do core activity 2-3 times, weights 2-3 times and play ice hockey 1 time.

 

[jbrown]

Was that Backpacker or Outside?

Blue, it was Backpacker October '05 issue. Not the one with the reader's choice awards, my mistake. (I grabbed my copy when I went home for lunch.)
The workout emphasizes "core and trail-specific exercises."

 

[dundare]

If you are going to do weights, stick to free weights. Use dumbells.

I would suggest pilates - strength for your core is even more important as you get older.

 

[blacklab2020]

Rock Climbing (in a gym)... its fun, it works all muscle groups, it is more static than running... less jarring of the joints. Its great for my physcial therapy of my ankle and knee joints for that reason.

I started this as an outdoors sport, but often go to the gym for the social setting, and to maintain shape. You can stay near completely safe on a toprope inside or take it to whatever level of exposure you want outside...

It is also a very meditative sport, requires you to focus all your attention on what you are doing. Increases flexibility as well.

Some gyms will let you volunteer as staff in exchange for free membership.