Getting back at it.

[Echo5Charlie]

Awesome! Keep us updated! I tried the exercise ball last night. Horrible pain, had to go back to old fashioned situps. I don’t know why those don’t hurt, I will be adding some plank exercises to try to work the abs another way though.

[Brandon]

Darn, sorry to hear that the exercise ball didn’t workout for you, Echo5.

Don’t forget that you can’t target fat loss, so situps won’t necessarily get rid of fat around your waste first. But they will make your pants tighter, because they’ll build up the muscles under any padding around your waist that you might have.

I have a 70 pound kettlbell that I got a while back for the amazing price of $22. It’s too much for me to do one handed exercises with, but I did some two handed exercises with it, right after I finished posting here. I also did some pushups. I figure I’ll start slowly. I just need to get back on track.

[Echo5Charlie]

You can do a lot with kettle balls. I’m not working on losing fat so much as trying to strengthen muscles to relieve my back pain. I kind of did the weight loss thing last year, and it’s stayed off pretty well. My strength training slowed drastically due to the pain, but maybe it’s getting worse from not training. So I’ll try this and see what happens.

[Brandon]

Gotcha, Echo5.

When I said “you can’t target fat loss,” I meant that you can’t target areas to lose fat in. Some people do sit-ups thinking it will help them lose fat in their midsection, but it doesn’t. I just wanted to mention that, in case someone didn’t know that.

You might be right, your back pain could be getting worse from not training. It’s definitely worth working out, to see. There have been a couple of times over the years, where I’ve slept wrong, or turned wrong (not even doing anything strenuous), and my back or neck has really killed for a few days. That is NOT fun at all. So I really hope it helps you.

You mentioned plank exercises, and those might be good, if they don’t hurt to do too much.

I was going to ask if you’ve ever tried an inversion table, but I just Googled it, and it looks like it only helps temporarily, at best.

[Echo5Charlie]

I tried one at my friends house last year. Someone gave it to him for sciatic pain, he swears by it. I didn’t really notice a difference, just a huuuuuge headrush.

I’m doing the work, to soon to know if it’s helping. Just have to stay the course and see what happens. If nothing else, I feel better while I workout. Except for the ball, that was excruciating.

[Echo5Charlie]

So, a week later and I’m sticking with the exercises. I think the core workouts are helping the back pain. I just finished the roof and there is no grinding and slipping in and out of place.

I have tight hamstrings and have found that for me old fashioned windmills really helps out. I highly recommend trying those every morning to loosen up, if you have back pain and tight hamstrings that is.

[Brandon]

Awesome, Echo5! Glad to hear it! Hopefully they’ll help even more, as you continue to do them.

I’m still sticking with the exercises, too. I’m not spending too much time working out, but I’m just trying to get back in the habit of working out every day. Then I’ll start adding more and more exercises again.

I do need to start stretching, too. It’s not worth taking a chance on injuring yourself just from being too lazy to stretch.

J, how have you been doing with the workouts? Are you still hanging in there?

[J]

quick update here, I am feelling the benefits of regular workouts; not so much weight loss yet, although, clothes are fitting a bit less tight in primary areas :). Mainly I am seeing inprovement in the strength building excersises I am doing; more reps coming easier, things like that. Also sleeping a lot better, mostly due to simple physical fatigue, I think. I have been doing a lot of spring clean ing yard work, as well as getting garden area prepped for planting this next week. Have been taking the opportunity to do things more low tech ie. more manual labor. When I stared hauling bricks and flagstones by hand, as opposed to loading them in the truck, I definitely got an unconventional workout!

I did become reaquainted today with a well known but little used workout/ torture device; a jump rope. Before you laugh, get one and go for 3 minutes on it and see how you feel, it got my attention!

I am not focused so much on how much weight I will or will not lose, am using the belt notch method; I want to gain a minimum of 2 notches back on the unused side of the belt buckle. Slowly but surely…making progress.

Echo5, glad to hear you are making some headway, hope your back gets sorted out.

[Brandon]

Nice, J!

Ahhh, the dreaded jump rope… I’ve got one, and the fact that I hate using it so much probably means that I really need to use it.

Glad to hear you’re making progress!

[Echo5Charlie]

I wouldn’t laugh at the rope, I have never been able to go that long. I have no rhythm, can’t keep a beat to save my life, the only thing worse than watching me try to jump rope is watching me trying to dance.

I have definitely been encouraged by the relief in back pain. Am I 100%, not even close, but I am moving a lot more freely. I hope its not a fluke. It’s so nice to be able to move.

It’s good to hear everyone is still with it. Let’s go another week and see who is worse off for it.

[Echo5Charlie]

Well, I haven’t done to we’ll the last week. Out of town over the weekend and craziness before and after the trip are my excuses. Tried to keep stretches going and did a few walks but that’s about it.

I’m going to make more of an effort this week. How did you guys do?

[Brandon]

I dropped the ball a bit. A couple of times I’ve gone for two days without working out. Unfortunately, I have no excuse. I just haven’t had a lot of energy, though I’m not sure why. I might start taking creatine again.

I have a hard time staying motivated, because working out is so boring for me.

[twp]

Brandon, bicycle… everywhere, everyday.
You don’t get bored and your stamina will be much greater.

[Echo5Charlie]

So I need to work on time management and sounds like you need to find something not boring or a work out you enjoy.

Early in the morning is the only quiet time around here with young kids and two working parents. My plan is to set the alarm 45 minutes earlier and workout then. I can always do something later in the day to supplement if the time frees up, or involve the family in it.

What types of physical activity do you enjoy or do you think you might try this week?

[Brandon]

twp:

That’s a good idea, but my bicycle needs a fair bit of work, unfortunately. 🙁 I would like to go riding again, though.

Echo5:

I don’t think there are really any kind of physical activity that I enjoy. Well, I’d love to go hiking, but there’s no hiking around here. And I’m in a terrible area for walking. I’m in a little subdivision that’s on a road that’s like a highway, and no place interesting to go.

I’ve been doing some two-handed kettlebell exercises with a 70 pound kettlebell, and then I pulled some 10 pound and 25 pound weights off my curling bar (just don’t feel like doing curls) and I do some one-handed kettlebell exercises with those (since the only actual kettlebell I have is the 70 pound one). And then I do some pushups.

The good thing about doing the kettlebell exercises is that I can watch something while I’m doing them, which helps.

I’m eating as cheaply as possible, though, and that’s probably why I have such little energy lately. Honestly, if I can’t eat properly, it’s probably pointless to workout.

It sounds like having a bit of quiet time to yourself while you’re working out in the morning could be enjoyable. What kind of things are you going to do this week?

[Author]

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