Staying Motivated--New Exercises

[PaloAltoCougar]

For the first time in my life, I’ve worked out at the gym at least twice weekly for the past year. In the past, I’d start various strength/resistance training programs but would quickly ose motivation. One thing that’s helped this time around (other than a growing sense of my own mortality) is instead of doing the same set of exercises over and over, I choose from dozens, probably well over a hundred, different exercises involving free weights, fifty or more different machines, resistance bands, Bosu and medicine balls, TRX, etc. I see a trainer at least twice a month and each time he introduces me to one or more new exercises. It keeps things interesting and has produced much better results.

Here are the two latest that Vinnie has gotten me into:

Slosh pipe
This consists of a 6” diameter PVC pipe, approx. 5 ft long (although the length can vary significantly), capped at both ends and filled 2/3ds full with water. It’s not all that heavy, but because it’s only partially filled, maintaining balance is surprisingly hard and gets pretty much every muscle in your body firing away. Here’s a sample workout:

[YOUTUBE]C0sGMGby7Nw[/YOUTUBE]

Battle Ropes
This consists of two very thick ropes, each about 30 feet long. Rather than explain it, here’s a video:

[YOUTUBE]wrd0o6EZM_4&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Both exercises provide a great full body workout. It helps that at my age, I no longer care about looking like a total dork, which is a good thing as each workout tends to draw some curious onlookers.

I’m always looking to add to the repertoire, and would welcome any new routines or exercises people have found effective, interesting or simply amusing.

[TripletDaddy]

Battle Ropes looks like a legit workout. I burned several calories laughing after watching for 30 seconds!

[jay santos]

After about 15 years of absolutely no exercise outside of some pick up basketball here and there, I've been working out very faithfully now for about two years. I use the same lifts for the most part with a little change up in terms of reps or barbell vs dumbbell. My motivation is coming in trying to set new personal records.

[RC Vikings]

This is the future of getting in shape. I think the days of walking from machine to machine will soon be replaced with exercises like this. They provide strength, core fitness, improve your aerobics capabilities and they actually carry over into the things we do everyday. I'm convinced that a person could buy a kettle bell and get in better shape than using every weight machine in your local gym. I'm glad you're having fun PAC.

[Parrot Head]

Battle Ropes
This consists of two very thick ropes, each about 30 feet long. Rather than explain it, here’s a video:

[YOUTUBE]wrd0o6EZM_4&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Lest anyone be left wondering, that's PAC in the battle ropes video and that's his personal workout mix in the background. The song playing precedes 3 straight from Taylor Swift as a cool down.

[PaloAltoCougar]

After about 15 years of absolutely no exercise outside of some pick up basketball here and there, I've been working out very faithfully now for about two years. I use the same lifts for the most part with a little change up in terms of reps or barbell vs dumbbell. My motivation is coming in trying to set new personal records.

By PRs, I assume you're referring to increased weights or reps? Although I'm convinced I can maintain my current level of fitness (or something reasonably close to it) for at least another decade or two, I think I'm past the point where I can make great improvements in speed or strength. I'm mainly trying to slow the decline.

Lest anyone be left wondering, that's PAC in the battle ropes video and that's his personal workout mix in the background. The song playing precedes 3 straight from Taylor Swift as a cool down.

Sadly, there's more than a little truth to this. I'm convinced I'm the only 59 year-old man on the planet with Eminem, Joe Satriani and Taylor Swift in his running mix. However, I remain ink-free.

[jay santos]

By PRs, I assume you're referring to increased weights or reps? Although I'm convinced I can maintain my current level of fitness (or something reasonably close to it) for at least another decade or two, I think I'm past the point where I can make great improvements in speed or strength. I'm mainly trying to slow the decline.

Yes, good point. I'm making up for years of inactivity at a time in my life where I can still build muscle.

[Flystripper]

Lest anyone be left wondering, that's PAC in the battle ropes video and that's his personal workout mix in the background. The song playing precedes 3 straight from Taylor Swift as a cool down.

I didn't know PAC had so much angst toward the po-po.

[LA Ute]

I’m always looking to add to the repertoire, and would welcome any new routines or exercises people have found effective, interesting or simply amusing.

I know Pilates seems very "L.A." these days, but it has been around since just after WWII. I love it. If you have access to a reformer (a Pilates machine) you can stretch, do any number of cardio exercises, work your core, and do an infinite number of strength and flexibility exercises. You need an instructor in the beginning while you're learning and occasionally thereafter. The exercises can be adapted for any age or fitness level. I've been doing it for three years now and it's made a big difference for me.

[jay santos]

I know Pilates seems very "L.A." these days, but it has been around since just after WWII. I love it. If you have access to a reformer (a Pilates machine) you can stretch, do any number of cardio exercises, work your core, and do an infinite number of strength and flexibility exercises. You need an instructor in the beginning while you're learning and occasionally thereafter. The exercises can be adapted for any age or fitness level. I've been doing it for three years now and it's made a big difference for me.

I think George Clooney's character had one of those in Burn After Reading.

[venkman]

I can vouch for slosh pipe. Three summers of moving irrigation pipe in the Gem State, yo.

[PaloAltoCougar]

So the Marquis de Vinnie keeps coming up with new methods of torture. Yesterday, he had me doing multiple sets moving quickly from (i) wearing a harness and pulling a weighted sled around the gym's b-ball court, (ii) taking off the harness and then slamming a big medicine ball on the floor about 15 times, then (iii) rolling on a mat, back and forth about five yards each way, but keeping arms and legs up so they don't touch the floor while rolling (this kills the core).

One thing that helps is that at my age, I no longer care about looking like a total dork.

[Viking]

For the first time in my life, I’ve worked out at the gym at least twice weekly for the past year. In the past, I’d start various strength/resistance training programs but would quickly ose motivation. One thing that’s helped this time around (other than a growing sense of my own mortality) is instead of doing the same set of exercises over and over, I choose from dozens, probably well over a hundred, different exercises involving free weights, fifty or more different machines, resistance bands, Bosu and medicine balls, TRX, etc. I see a trainer at least twice a month and each time he introduces me to one or more new exercises. It keeps things interesting and has produced much better results.

Here are the two latest that Vinnie has gotten me into:

Slosh pipe
This consists of a 6” diameter PVC pipe, approx. 5 ft long (although the length can vary significantly), capped at both ends and filled 2/3ds full with water. It’s not all that heavy, but because it’s only partially filled, maintaining balance is surprisingly hard and gets pretty much every muscle in your body firing away. Here’s a sample workout:

[YOUTUBE]C0sGMGby7Nw[/YOUTUBE]

Battle Ropes
This consists of two very thick ropes, each about 30 feet long. Rather than explain it, here’s a video:

[YOUTUBE]wrd0o6EZM_4&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Both exercises provide a great full body workout. It helps that at my age, I no longer care about looking like a total dork, which is a good thing as each workout tends to draw some curious onlookers.

I’m always looking to add to the repertoire, and would welcome any new routines or exercises people have found effective, interesting or simply amusing.

When did you get a tattoo?

[ByuMba90]

My motivation is no problem.... (MSFW)




I've worked out (nearly) three to four times weekly (except for vacation time) for the past two years and watched portions and cut down on the nightly bowl of ice cream and lost about 40-45 lbs over that period.

I don't want to end up an old man like PAC! Would 'twer that the view of PAC in spandex was as motiviating as my avatar!

[hostile]

One thing that helps is that at my age, I no longer care about looking like a total dork.

Saw a guy at the gym last night doing the battle ropes and jumping rope. Looked pretty normal except for the fact that he was wearing a full-coverage face mask/respirator. I wonder if he is training as a fireman.