Hamsters - Week 29 Ending 3/27/05

[AccidentalVeg]

Hey? Can I be a hamster too? I am struggling. None of my pudding-like friends or my exhausted significant other will work out with me :(

I work out every other day. I do 40 minutes cardio on the eliptical using a cross-training program and then lift weights using machines for 30 minutes afterward followed by crunches till failure.

I alternate upper and lower body weight training each time I go to the gym. So upper body one day. Lower the next but the same amount of cardio each time.

I am really still in a pudding-like state myself as I was very sick over the last two months with bronchitis twice :( I am coming back from pretty much zero. I was last in reasonable shape just before the Christmas holiday.

That said, I think I need to increase my cardio or do something to intensify it as it is not really winding me now. I am not trying to lose weight. Just retain my general tone. I eat a carb-heavy diet and need to work out simply to not gain weight on it. I enjoy working out. Wish anyone else I know did.

Can someone advise me re: the cardio?

d

[ott]

I was wondering why I was missing this lately!

Get back on the wheel you lazy cheek stuffers!

Starting 3/11/05:

30 minutes weight lifting every other day
.5 mile daily (walking)
10 minutes (at least) of stretching daily

Today:

Half mile walk
10 minutes of stretching

Advice requested: I'm thinking of getting into Tai Chi. Friend of mine suggested I find someone to teach 'Push' Tai Chi. Also, said I would fit aikido but really any martial art provided I find a "soft" teacher, would work well.

I open my ears to my fellow herbivorous mammals.

[Emiloid]

Hey? Can I be a hamster too? I am struggling. None of my pudding-like friends or my exhausted significant other will work out with me :(

Hi AV, you can definitely be a Hamster! Anyway, it sounds like you already are a Hamster in spirit & action. Let's see... your Official VRF Hamster Membership has been processed and approved, so looks like you're good to go!


Mod note:
Sorry about being a slug, everyone! Anyway, I cleaned up the Hamster threads, but it looks like we missed one week altogether. I also moved AccidentalVeg's comment from an old Hamster thread to this new one. Just an FYI.... :)

[Tracy G]

Thanks, Emiloid! I've been so busy organizing business stuff lately :happy: that my hamster wheel has begun to rust. :umm: I've taught two hours of yoga this week, but that's about it.

AccidentalVeg, I'm not sure I have much advice for you; it sounds like you're doing great—you're certainly a lot more active than I've been lately. You might try mixing cardio activities, if you haven't done so already. Sample a new class or a new piece of equipment. This is the same principle as "surprising the muscle" in weightlifting. If you do the same lifts all the time, the body adapts and starts to act like it's bored. But if you do something different, you'll probably feel the burn again.

Ott, I've taught tai ji (mostly qi gong), but I'm not familiar with "push." I'll have to look it up (a bit later—I'm typing in a mad rush before my evening client and have to log off in a sec). If it's the same thing as "push hands," though, I always thought that looked cool, and I'd jump at a class if one was available around here. As I understand it, "push hands" is very gentle sparring in very slow motion, no chopping or kicking, just trying to nudge the partner off-balance.

[trichaos]

Great advice on mixing it up, TracyG. My sole cardio used to be just running. Now that I swim and bike as well, I've stayed injury-free and my running has actually improved. Doing one thing allows me to still to cardio, but recover from the sport I did the workout before. There are quite a bit of options for getting your heart pumping. I once tried inline skating but I spent more time on my ass than on the trail. :D

[ott]

Half mile walk
Half hour weight lifting
10 minutes stretching
Full day of manual labor.

I'm going to be lazy this weekend and drink a lot of beer. Try to make up for all this healthy living. :cool:

[mountainvegan]

I've been crazy-busy at work and caught a cold from my wife last week who caught it on a whale watching trip off of Baja, so I haven't been doing much Hamstering or message-boarding lately.

Although I'm slowly getting back to skiing and running and lifting, my sabbatcial from posting will likely continue for a while (like another couple of months) until work is under control.

Happy Hamstering, y'all. :)

[Dave Noisy]

I'm still posting my log here, for those who are bike-based and curious. =)

http://cycling.thenoisies.com/

[Emiloid]

...for those who are bike-based and curious. =)
...Or base and bike-curious?

[Tracy G]

Sunday, March 28

• 30 minutes yoga...

...and five hours of painting. :p

[stegan]

I'm still posting my log here, for those who are bike-based and curious. =)

http://cycling.thenoisies.com/

hehe- wouldya believe that the coolest part of reading all that was finding out that you run frankblack.net ? You're my new hero :) Oh, and the sprout thing was pretty darn interesting too :)

[mamaquilla]

Hey all you hampsters, Ive become a lazy poster, but still being a very active hampster.

30 min recumbant bike
10 min yoga

:happy: