We finally bought ourselves a Bo-Flex (fancy homegym that uses pulleys and resistance bars), something we've talked about doing for some time. We decided on second-hand because new, those puppies are the price of a compact car! Gotta love Kijiji!But because it was second hand it came with a VHS tape and we've never plugged in our old VHS recorder (although we should because I have some favorite movies on VHS that I haven't seen in a while). That meant we were stuck with all the cables, and bars, and stuff. Now The Husband has no issues with advanced machinery - I, on the other hand, am a dweeb! I need pictures. I need instructions. I need help.
Next purchase - a Bo-Flex book from Amazon. Shows me different routines and how to hook up the cables, bars, and stuff quickly and efficiently. I was ready to go! A quick check to see how much weight I could move for each exercise I planned to do (and it's not much, I am such a whimp), and photocopy of the tracking page!
Gung-ho, with two exceptions:
I forgot to purchase the Aching Muscle Cream. Or the Muscle Relaxant Pill.
OUCH! I had to take 4 days off of everything because I was having a hard time swinging my legs out of bed first thing in the morning. It was difficult raising my arm to use the remote control. And let's not talk about squatting down to sit on the toilet (thank goodness we opted for the taller toilets when we renovated).
Bo-Flex, why you hurt so hard?
Did you ever exercise so hard, all gung-ho, only to regret it the next day (or the next 4 days)? Do you own a home gym? What's your favorite strength training exercise? Can you do a push-up - I don't understand why I can't do a push-up, I must be built wrong for that type of exercise - I have weak arms - push-ups are over-rated - I would so fail at The Biggest Loser Camp (but I would make for good TV as I sat in a corner whimpering and crying while Bob yelled at me to move).
Oh girlfriend, you were reading my mind this morning. Daughter and I exercised yesterday for the first time in a long time. I haven't seen her yet this morning, but I am feeling the pain. You know what I want to know? Why they never show the exercise after-effects on Biggest Loser. The day after their first workout has got to be a whole ranch full of aching and whimpering.
ReplyDeleteAre you trying to do guy pushups or girl pushups? I can't do a guy pushup to save myself, but I can manage a few girl pushups. (And did... oh ouch.)
If you can get Aspercreme up there, I highly recommend it. In fact, I need to go slather myself with it right now. :groan:
Great fun! Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have hurt myself exercising. I once tried a tough Ashtanga yoga class and couldn't use my arms for three days afterwards. I'm not kidding. It was gruesome. :-)
The one good thing that came of it is that it motivated me to work on strengthening my uppper body. I', proud to say that I can do pushups - just not too many in a row. And I still can't manage a pull-up.
BTW, I have a VHS player you can borrow if you want.
Too funny, B.E. that you and your daughter are in exercise pain mode today!! I've seen on The Biggest Loser where they are sitting in ice baths - I know there's a lot of runners out there who swear by ice baths after a really hard and long run - but you're right, there must be some very sore individuals on the ranch on that first week.
ReplyDeleteI find that an Epsom Salt bath really helps with the soreness, unless I've gone overboard like I did last week.
Girl push-ups - not sure if I just don't position myself correctly or what, but I really am not very good at them!
Hope you're feeling better soon!
Thanks, Janice - we have a player packed away some where. I don't want to dig it out and plug it in - just one more thing I'd need to dust on a regular basis!
ReplyDeleteYikes, don't even talk about pull-ups! I think my 'focus' this year will be in trying to increase my upper body strength - everything I read suggests strength-training is very good for runners (but that runners forget to do it). Hopefully, I'll get stronger.
Yes, yoga can be very demanding!!!
I remember the days when I used to hit the gym. Hard. I even had a pull-up bar in the doorway of my bedroom. (It was there when I bought the house but I used it!) Now? I go 20 minutes on the gazelle and I can't move for two days. Sucks to be old, out of shape, and have bad knees. I keep telling myself it'll get easier as I drop more weight. We'll see. FYI, I tried a girly pushup. I actually managed five. But it took me five minutes to get off the floor. LOLOL No, no, bad knees!
ReplyDeleteAnd my spmaword? FLUMF That's just the way I feel! *gigglesnort*
Janet, my darling. You'd better sit down for this news. Okay, you sitting?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't have to do with working HARD; it has to do with AGE.
Yes, my love; just the fact that you exercised something different means that you will ache. And if you stop for a week or 2 (like over Xmas), you will once again feel like you're 90 years old when you begin exercising again.
I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you. But good news -- it will get easier. Just don't stop ... ever!
Good luck!
Janet et al
ReplyDeleteI was at Walmart the other day and was looking at something on a bottom shelf. Usually, when I am dumb enough to crouch somewhere, I do it where there is something to use to pull myself up. The shelves were too flimsy for the occasion.
Finally, I asked a passing man if he would help me up. He was a darling but I didn't like the inflections when he said, "Are you all right?" as opposed to "Are you alright?"
Have a sort of gym, but I have been using the treadmill and weight bench for a place to sort books. The ones on the treadmill are to go. The ones on the weight bench stay. I am getting my exercise moving books from treadmill to weight bench...The bike works and that's where I read the books I changed my mind about.
Flumf - exactly how I feel after a hard work out, Silver. And I hear you about not being able to get up from that push-up position. I have been known to lay on the floor for some time after attempting push-ups. That is until the dog comes and licks my face - that gets me up!!! She's so helpful :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm impressed you used to do pull-ups. That takes a whole lot of strength (and not just the arms).
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Sandy - first, age? I'm already dealing with the impending 49th birthday this year (my dad stopped at that age, always told us he was 49 every birthday - I equate it to the age you don't want to move away from). Now you tell me that my aching body is due to age (somehow, in my head, I am still 26 - I keep forgetting).
ReplyDeleteSecond - do this? Forever? I had that thought one day last week - as I was running - I will have to do this forever if I want to keep in shape (well, OK, maybe not running, but working out at some level). Let me tell you, it wasn't a happy thought. At least with work, there's light at the end of the tunnel - but forever? Ugh!!
LOL, Sandy - thanks for stopping by even if it was with bad news ;)
Connie - you crack me up.
ReplyDeleteAs for the exercise/storage issue - I was really worried that the Bo-Flex would become a glorified closet. I think the first day it was set up, The Husband put his shirt on it and I yelled at him. I figure if we start out that way, it will be too easy to keep going that way!
Hey, at least you're using the bike :)
Ouch, just looking at that demonic machine makes me ache.
ReplyDeleteI remember one time at the gym, our size zero instructor led us through a series of squats, lunges and such for six hours. Not really, it just felt like 12 hours. I was unable to sit comfortably on the toilet for days. Walking up the stairs brought tears to my eyes. But then the pain eased and I'd become Wonder Woman. Not really, but that instructor had me in the best shape in my life.
Ooh, squats, lunges are painful, Lu! I empathize. But you went back? Good for you - I try to tell myself that, that it will get better and I'll be in much better 'shape' if I just keep at it. Hard when you can't sit down, eh?
ReplyDelete