Cardio Machines, Good or Bad?

Been a busy week! Sorry I've been so late in posting this week. But here's something for you all :).

Cardio machines. I’m not a big fan. I think they have their place, in a garbage heap.

Okay, that’s harsh and I don’t really mean that fully.

The one I hate least- Treamills. I think treadmills are good for only when going outside is a bad idea (like snow covered ice). Pro’s- I think it immitates our natural rhythm as closely as any machine can because our own bodymechanics are allowed to take precedence. There is no spot to place hands and feet leading to irregular patterns. Although those patterns in ellipticals, bikes, and stair climbers are probably good, our own stride is better in my opinion. Cons: people place their arms on the siderails which decrease calorie burn and also decrease our natural gait pattern. People then tend to lean forward when holding onto the machine. Also, for interval drills, this is a bad piece of equipment. The speed changes are not instant like if a person was running outside. Max speed on a machine for 20-30 seconds also takes some practice to learn what that top speed is. Otherwise it’s a guessing game getting to that top mark. And hitting top speed on a treadmill is more dangerous than hitting top speed outside. I’m definitely not going to fall off the back of the sidewalk but for someone maxing out their speed on a treadmill, hitting the button to slow it back down could be a bit tougher.

Ellipticals- pro’s: Not to hard on the joints so they’re better for people with joint pain and osteoarthritis and osteopenia. Negs: well, the calories burned readout seems pretty wack to me. I’d alternate that and the treadmill. I’m sure people lose weight with this, but there are better options waiting on the sidewalk. 

Steppers- I’ll admit, I’ve only used a stepper twice, maybe three times tops. I can’t really say what is good or bad about them, just that they’re a machine and that I don’t like machines.

Bikes- I love bikes people ride outside for fitness purposes although I do still have a bit of fear of them. Yes that was 10 years ago, yes I’m still anxious. Indoor bikes such as in spinning classes’n'stuff I’m not a huge fan of. It doesn’t challenge balance because it’s stablized on a frame. The benefits of riding outside totally beat riding an indoor bike.

Recumbent bikes- I’m totally prejudiced against these things. I think they’re the lazy person’s way out. It’s like being able to say I did something without actually doing anything. No core work at all, not even having to hold yourself up, just lean back and rest why dont ya? No pro’s at all other than at least it’s better than sitting doing nothing but I dont think these can hardly be called exercise. Cardio, okay fine, call it that, but it’s not real exercise unless you’re an extremely deconditioned person.

Cardio I like: intervals with swimming, running/walking, boxing, tennis, and many others. Not golf. And not ping-pong either ;).

And now, even though I don't like recumbent bikes, I own one. Yes I do. It makes a good place to hang clothes to dry. I do use it occasionally. Fine, more like rarely.

Liftin' those weights!

I've been doing three weight lifting workouts a week. All with dumb bells.

Each workout is exactly the same except more weight as I get stronger and more pull ups.

All are 2 sets of 10 reps. Rest between super sets is as long as I need. Anywhere from a few seconds to a couple minutes depending on the day and if Baby Muddy let me sleep the night before.

Superset One:
Clean and press from the floor.
Straight Leg Deadlift

Superset Two:
Upright Rows
Squats

Superset Three:
Chest press without incline
Lat pull-downs

Last- as many pull ups as I can do. Currently I'm doing three assisted pull-ups in a row.

I'm pretty weak right now. My pregnancy and back problems have really limited my workouts this past year and a half. It's sad to see what I'm lifting now compared to two years ago. I used to be able to squat at least my body weight, now it's only about half my body weight :(. I'll get there though.

I haven't missed one weight workout yet but I have missed a lot of my cardio workouts. I spun on my pole the other day and barely made it 15 minutes and did ride my bike one day. But I should be doing cardio 2-3 times a week too. I'm hoping the ground outside will get clear of ice soon so I can get running. I have some catching up to do. My other two team members (who run together) are already doing 10k without rest breaks. Since I don't start running for the year till the ground is clear of ice, it might be a couple more months for me before I start running. Our first run is in May. I just hope I can keep up with them!

Pole Fitness

I have a fitness pole in my house (pictured above).

Pole dancing and pole fitness are not just for mens clubs.

There's a whole world of pole fitness. There are competitions (men and womens) and fitness facilities. We have an amazing pole fitness studio near where I live.

I'm not sure how I initially got interested in trying pole fitness. Maybe it was the idea of it. It looks neat. Look up some pole videos, it's amazing the moves those people can do! Pole is awesome for overall fitness. Strength... arms, abs, legs, everything. And it also gets your heart going. It gives you a great cardio workout at the same time.

I have this pole in my formal living room. I have no other furniture in there (besides a piano and currently a Christmas tree). When people walk in my home this is one of the first things they see. People who know me well know it takes a lot for me to be embarrassed. And I am NOT embarrassed that I love to dance using this pole. When people come over I'm more than happy to show a move or two if they're curious.

And I'm glad to have people come over and use it themselves if they want, which is exactly what happened this Christmas! My brother in law... OMG!!! Who knew he had those moves? He was able to do a couple awesome inverted moves, while wearing pants!! If you've done pole, you know that skin to pole contact is extremely helpful. He wasn't able to let go with both hands because of the pants (and he did refuse to take them off). I'm certain if he would have had good skin to pole contact with the legs he would have been able to go hands free no problem.

Even the kids had a great time spinning on the pole. And even Grandpa -my 60 year old dad- got a good spin in too! He did a pretty good fireman!

One hell of a Christmas was had at my place :).