Working up to full assery

[avram]

Gymmed again today. In the normal scheme of things, I’d have started with 20 minutes on the treadmill, done a bunch of stuff with weights, then stretched. Today I tried out some advice from Hot Point Fitness — not the actual plan, which I mean to start Sunday, but incorporating a few of the ideas into what I’m already doing.

Instead of treadmilling, I tried out the elliptical trainer, which scares the hell out of me. I’ll have to try it again tomorrow. I wound up warming up on a recumbent bike machine, but stopped after ten minutes because of a combination of my foot slipping off a pedal botching up my rhythm and a muscle in my left groin starting to ache. I was unable to find my pulse points (I swear I used to have a pulse), so I was unable to determine whether I was getting my heartbeat up to useful levels. Still, when I stopped my legs felt like lead, something I haven’t felt since my first days at the gym, so either I did something right or I was working at the forward edge of my abilities anyway and couldn’t have done better.

On to weights. In stead of doing two reps of ten (or twelve), I did three reps of ten, with stretching between. This seemed to work pretty well — I could feel it was a serious workout (I’ll probably ache tomorrow), but it wasn’t beyond my abilities. Well, actually, the third rep on the military press was more than I could do, so I finished up early instead of doing some leg stuff. I’ll try to do more on Friday.

I also spoke to someone about getting my body fat percentage measured. This is part of the Hot Point Fitness plan, as is measuring one’s various circumferences. I need to get a tape measure.

In purchasing news, I got a kitchen scale today. Hot Point Fitness comes with a nutrition plan. Oh, and I weighed in at 283.5. Even the old, half-assed method works if I actually do it, but I mean to go forward fully assed.

Comments

[avram]

Thanks, I think I'll do that. I'm planning to be in the Union Square area tomorrow anyway, so I can stop off at, er, whatever the name of that sporting goods store is that's on 18th and Broadway. Paragon? Whatever, i can stop off there and price the things.

I do worry about the pickup being able to detect my heartbeat through my chest hair. It'd suck to have to shave a patch every day.

[(Anonymous)]

Don't worry, it'll work. It takes a little time to get used to having a band around your chest, but pretty soon you won't even notice it. The amazing thing for me was discovering that I didn't have to work out nearly as hard as I thought to get my heart rate up into the target zone. Made going to the gym a *far* more pleasurable experience...

As for price, it's like every other electronic device: if you feel like it, you can spend a ridiculous amount of money, but the base models are just as good at the basic functionality. Nashbar (www.nashbar.com) has 'em in prices from $25 all the way up to $260.

-Josh