[Variable]

Originally Posted by sally

i dont follow the maximum heart rate chart at all, it's warped for me..and i think it's the case for most people. after all, it is an approximation...

just do whatever feels a bit beyond your comfort level. just sweating is not enough. the talk test is a better indicator of where you're at. you wanna be the GOOD uncomfortable.

Yeh, no, I know... I always operate at a level where I can't talk. Even when I'm not trying to work out, just biking to work I keep a pace where I can't. I actually can't understand how people read magazines, or yap to each other while they're doing this stuff.

if you feel like the stair climber isnt doing anything for you then increase resistance, speed, whatever it takes

I think I'm just gonna ditch the stair climber altogether, and try an elliptical, or just go do more bikes. It's because whenever I increase the difficulty, if I get off rhythm for some reason, I can't readjust my feet and they fall off the pedals. I need like, foot straps or something.

dont increase running mileage too fast, i did and im suffering for it in terms of being patient now cuz i hurt myself. not worth it

Sorry to hear about that...how long before you think you're back on track? Injuries are definitely on my mind, which is why I'm giving my self plenty of rest days, and I'm taking it pretty slow. I figure spending a good amount of time in the proper 'zone' is what I need to worry about for now rather than lofty distance/time goals.

But is fifteen minutes a day in the 'can't talk' zone enough for improvement?

google exercises on the ball for your abs..there's lots of stuff you can add.

anyways you just have to be patient with building your cardiac fitness..and consistent. most important thing is consistency. its esp challenging with running

Okay

[Variable]

Originally Posted by PhDGirl

Variable, I agree with this. What you're doing sounds fine, but you need to make it a habit first before you start going all crazy. If your low-impact days aren't doing much for you, try doing intervals where you go super-fast for a minute and recover for a minute (or do them with resistance). That will help keep you from getting bored too.

The only low impact thing that isn't doing anything is the stair climber. I climbed 102 floors, and my butt definitely felt it... but it wasn't really a cardio effort. I pumped up the difficulty, but I just fell off.

I'm definitely in the habit of it... the challenge right now is that I'm moving around a lot, between cities and regions. I have to keep finding new gyms. In between I still get plenty of cardio in, but it's not something that's as controlled or easy to track the progress of.

[infamousbrown]

I haven't trained in a few months and I'm truly a fat sack of crap. Oy!

[thejellymill]

Originally Posted by infamousbrown

I haven't trained in a few months and I'm truly a fat sack of crap. Oy!

hahahahaha that made me laugh out loud ferreal ...."I'm truly a fat sack of crap..."

--

haha anywaaayyy so I'm giving up on the 'couch to 5k' thing because i remembered after one day how much i HATE running. It hurts my knees and it's so boring. If I'm doing to do something that boring I'd prefer something that's easier on my legs/feet. Ellipticals are the best alhamdulillah and once I'm back on campus tomorrow I'm reverting back to elliptical-ing my fat off inshallah. I *heart* ellipticals

[Variable]

Sweet, my trainer friend just sent me this in-depth fitness regimen. And he gave me a really good alternative to the stair climber - the rowing machine! We just happen to have two at my little gym. So I'm gonna do that as my other low-impact.

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by thejellymill

haha anywaaayyy so I'm giving up on the 'couch to 5k' thing because i remembered after one day how much i HATE running. It hurts my knees and it's so boring. If I'm doing to do something that boring I'd prefer something that's easier on my legs/feet. Ellipticals are the best alhamdulillah and once I'm back on campus tomorrow I'm reverting back to elliptical-ing my fat off inshallah. I *heart* ellipticals

It's not boring if you have music to listen to. My friend got me an iPod just for that.

[thejellymill]

Originally Posted by Timbit

It's not boring if you have music to listen to. My friend got me an iPod just for that.

hmmm how much can you get one of those for anyway? I used my sister's nano one time on the elliptical and 30 minutes just flew by....all that justin timberlake and elliptical-ing gave me this nice high too I should invest in one for sure.

edit: refurbished nanos on apple.com aren't lower than $100.. *sigh* maybe one day when i have a job inshallah.

[sally]

Originally Posted by Variable

But is fifteen minutes a day in the 'can't talk' zone enough for improvement?

yup, should be ok..try switching it up with a couple mins fast pace, couple slow, etc..and then other days just go at it really fast for like 10-15 mins.

on a lot of fitness websites, you can plug in info about your age, sex, fitness level etc and goals and get a customized work out plan

check this out, and explore the site for other stuff...should be informative inshaAllah

Men's Health - Splash

***

in other news, i am sooooo annoyed with the stupid minimal tear i have. it's taking forever to get back into running long distance but im trying to do other stuff to keep up the conditioning ive worked on for my heart for so long..it's really frustrating though but patience inshaAllah

i want to make a sports medicine appt, i did it last yr for a minor issue i was paranoid was going to be major but alh it wasnt anything terrible at all..though the doc still prescribed me to see a physical therapist so i could learn some beneficial stretches etc..i never went tho cuz i didnt need it.

now im thinking i could use some of that help but a friend of mine also had a minor tear issue recently and saw a sports med doc/physical therapist who gave her a bunch of cool advice and daily plan to nurse it back to health..and so shes just gonna share it with me. if it doesnt work ill see a doc but i dont hopefully anticipate it to be that bad

im sure recovery wouldve been faster if i'd just laid off exercise for 2 whole weeks but i cant really bring myself to do something like that...the thought is depressing

IN OTHER OTHER news, i AM SOOOOO ANNOYED WITH hanging out with health food fanatic/personal trainers all the time..cuz ive been cooking a bunch of really unhealthy stuff for my family lately (like non desi stuff) and ill take a few bites here and there or have a small serving, but moslty i do it for the cooking and omg TALKING ABOUT IT TO people who are supposedly my friends makes me feel like im getting looked down upon..im like DUDE you guys chill out..yeah its unhealthy but I LOVE to cook. i figure im just not gonna talk abt it..theyre great people but they are SO sos o so so sossoso constantly forever strict with their diets that it annoys me..yeah someone like me who supposedly is all into health food. i mean its great, but i like my indulgences from t ime to time. it's only a human thing. i dont know how these people survive. eating is like a fun thing to do sometimes, god.



umm what else. im finally gonna finish all the weight workouts in a row inthe awesome book called 28 day body shapeover..like to the dot...previously i tried to follow it to the dot but i'd mix and match and incorporate my own stuff etc...so im glad to finally have enouggh discipline to stick with that kind of plan. it's nice. just 3 more routines to go...like every other day all of next week. then im gonna follow the other book i have/love to the dot inshaAllah

anyways on a positive note, strenght is noticably increasing. yoga is going amaaaazinggggggggggggggggggggggg mashaAllah. i can hold the half moon pose for a whiile...and good things are happening but still im mad at my knee.. im pretty sure even if it takes a while to get back into the swing of things, i will NOT have a problem rnning a half marathon because im totally up for it..but now its more of like, i want to see how fast i can possible be capable of finishing..then again maybe that doesnt really matter cuz i am semi injured and i should just be happy with whatever i can do


and i need new work out music

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by sally

in other news, i am sooooo annoyed with the stupid minimal tear i have. it's taking forever to get back into running long distance but im trying to do other stuff to keep up the conditioning ive worked on for my heart for so long..it's really frustrating though but patience inshaAllah

Try cycling till you get better. Much less strenuous donchaknow.

In other news, I didn't bike to work today...Now I feel like something the cat threw up...of course the popsicles I'm consuming right now might have something to do with it

[sally]

the only thing that i can worry about nowadays is how ramadan is right around the corner and it's going to be hot, long days of fasting, and i just...ahhhh this year is gonna be tough...the more active u are the hungrier you get thru the day

Allah give me strenght ameen. its gonna def be a challenge for me..its never ever really been hard for me to fast but last yr was a struggle and this year doesnt look too promising but inshaAllah ill do it.

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by sally

the only thing that i can worry about nowadays is how ramadan is right around the corner and it's going to be hot, long days of fasting, and i just...ahhhh this year is gonna be tough...the more active u are the hungrier you get thru the day

Allah give me strenght ameen. its gonna def be a challenge for me..its never ever really been hard for me to fast but last yr was a struggle and this year doesnt look too promising but inshaAllah ill do it.

I biked all during ramadan. It wasn't that hard...

[Revert]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

I biked all during ramadan. It wasn't that hard...

Biking and running are 2 different beasts. They work different parts of the body and running takes a LOT more energy per mile then cycling does.

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by Revert

Biking and running are 2 different beasts. They work different parts of the body and running takes a LOT more energy per mile then cycling does.

Per mile. I biked 15 miles every day to work and back during ramadan. How much would a fasting person run?

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by thejellymill

hmmm how much can you get one of those for anyway? I used my sister's nano one time on the elliptical and 30 minutes just flew by....all that justin timberlake and elliptical-ing gave me this nice high too I should invest in one for sure.

edit: ref