Workout: What did you do today?

[DJChameleon]

Just for clarity, you are supposed to include the weight of the bar. Usually its 20kg but they vary. 

Yep I know but I wanna try putting on 50 on each side of the bar plus the bar itself which is 45 and see if I can lift it.

[Guybrush]

Got some gymnastics rings in the mail today, this kind:



Fucking brilliant! Just hung them from our pullup bar and did dips and rows with them. The swollen titties from the dips is real nice and possibly doing the ring rows felt like more of a back exercise than the chest supported dumbbell rows I've been doing. At least they're very easy to get into - no fiddling with weights.

Seems like a really good piece of kit considering cost.

Also did leg extensions and hammer curls today and watched more Seinfeld.

[grindy]

Got some gymnastics rings in the mail today, this kind:



Fucking brilliant! Just hung them from our pullup bar and did dips and rows with them. The swollen titties from the dips is real nice and possibly doing the ring rows felt like more of a back exercise than the chest supported dumbbell rows I've been doing. At least they're very easy to get into - no fiddling with weights.

Seems like a really good piece of kit considering cost.

Also did leg extensions and hammer curls today and watched more Seinfeld.

Awesome! I'm sometimes thinking about getting rings but not sure yet. You might also try pelican curls and ring push ups, heard those are great exercises.

[jimmy jazz]

I like this.

Showing initiative.

Before I got a dip station I used two plastering floats on a kitchen surface where the two sides met and there was an angle to fit in.



 

[grindy]

Been doing a bit more arm work lately and imo they're coming along nicely. And yes, I have tiny, girlish wrists.
(Disclaimer: This is pumped, flexing, probably some smartphone lens distortion)

[jimmy jazz]

I've got skinny wrists as well mate. I don't mind it. Makes my arms look bigger.

Its looking nice and juicy mate. I'd like to squeeze them. What sort of weights are you doing for arm exercises now?

[grindy]

I've got skinny wrists as well mate. I don't mind it. Makes my arms look bigger.

Its looking nice and juicy mate. I'd like to squeeze them. What sort of weights are you doing for arm exercises now?

I'm doing baby weights with high reps. After my compound push/pull exercises I do a 50 rep rest pause set of normal/hammer dumbbell curls (8.5kg) or cable push downs (10kg). And I have a seventh bro day where I do incline dumbbell curls and overhead dumbbell tricep extensions again with 8.5 kg for three sets of around 20 reps. All very controlled, slow and with maximum ROM.

[Guybrush]

Looking nice and swole, @grindy 😊

I three have the skinny wrists btw.

I've been doing the ~10 rep range with curls, but might try what you're doing instead. Might be time to change things up a bit anyways.

[Lisnaholic]

With age as my excuse, I don't work out in the sense that you guys do, but I am trying a few more exercises, like touching my toes, where "maintaining mobility" is more often the goal than building strength. I have two real beginner-type questions:-
i) I get bugged by having to constantly count to ten every time I do a "set". I find it boring, and distracting when I'm trying to listen to music at the same time. Has anyone found a good solution to that issue ?
ii) I've tried doing a "dead hang" for the last couple of days. That's quite a healthy thing to do, right?
My best so far has been 8 seconds before it feels like my upper arms are on fire - so unless anyone can top that, it will remain as the definitive Forum's Longest Dead-Hang 

[jimmy jazz]

With age as my excuse, I don't work out in the sense that you guys do, but I am trying a few more exercises, like touching my toes, where "maintaining mobility" is more often the goal than building strength. I have two real beginner-type questions:-
i) I get bugged by having to constantly count to ten every time I do a "set". I find it boring, and distracting when I'm trying to listen to music at the same time. Has anyone found a good solution to that issue ?
ii) I've tried doing a "dead hang" for the last couple of days. That's quite a healthy thing to do, right?
My best so far has been 8 seconds before it feels like my upper arms are on fire - so unless anyone can top that, it will remain as the definitive Forum's Longest Dead-Hang 

Buzzing that you're here mate honestly.

Counting reps isn't an issue for me, maybe it isn't the reps that are boring and it's the training and exercise you're doing. Otherwise I'd just say keep at it and it should become something you get used to.

Training with a partner would solve it but I don't know if that's possible.

Yes dead hanging is good. Perhaps you could become a regular poster and we could encourage you and motivate you? In one year you will look like a Michelangelo sculpture*

*possibly

Looking nice and swole, @grindy 😊

I three have the skinny wrists btw.

I've been doing the ~10 rep range with curls, but might try what you're doing instead. Might be time to change things up a bit anyways.

Give one of those Scooby supersets a go. You've been lifting long enough now. You're not an idiot either so injury risk I'd say is minimal now.

Obviously use light weights cos you'll be on fire by the end. I do this once every two months or so.

[Guybrush]

With age as my excuse, I don't work out in the sense that you guys do, but I am trying a few more exercises, like touching my toes, where "maintaining mobility" is more often the goal than building strength. I have two real beginner-type questions:-
i) I get bugged by having to constantly count to ten every time I do a "set". I find it boring, and distracting when I'm trying to listen to music at the same time. Has anyone found a good solution to that issue ?
ii) I've tried doing a "dead hang" for the last couple of days. That's quite a healthy thing to do, right?
My best so far has been 8 seconds before it feels like my upper arms are on fire - so unless anyone can top that, it will remain as the definitive Forum's Longest Dead-Hang 

I might be able to beat your dead hang record (and recognise your jest) 🙂 but in all seriousness we're all at different levels so I think it's less about how much or how long and more about just doing it and pushing yourself.. wherever you're at.

The dead hang is a good exercise, though I do get the impression that its benefits are part mythical. Unless you're doing it for back pain related reasons, I think of it as a forearm exercise and perhaps something that could eventually prepare you for bar-related exercises like assisted pullups or dead lifts.

For mobility, have you considered yoga? It is great. And if you prefer just doing stretches, there are some mobility YouTubers that seem to have good content.

[Guybrush]

Thanks @jimmy jazz 🙂 I might try that one day, perhaps Wednesday.

On Tuesday, I have onboarding for the closest CrossFit gym. I'm not planning on doing a lot there, but maybe once a week tops.

[grindy]

With age as my excuse, I don't work out in the sense that you guys do, but I am trying a few more exercises, like touching my toes, where "maintaining mobility" is more often the goal than building strength. I have two real beginner-type questions:-
i) I get bugged by having to constantly count to ten every time I do a "set". I find it boring, and distracting when I'm trying to listen to music at the same time. Has anyone found a good solution to that issue ?
ii) I've tried doing a "dead hang" for the last couple of days. That's quite a healthy thing to do, right?
My best so far has been 8 seconds before it feels like my upper arms are on fire - so unless anyone can top that, it will remain as the definitive Forum's Longest Dead-Hang 

The older you get, the more important strength and hypertrophy training becomes. Muscle loss is a big issue and proper training prevents not just that but also strengthens your connective tissues and joints.
Meanwhile stretching has very limited benefits and training with weights while utilizing a full range of motion is far more useful than any stretch can be.
You don't just learn to move in different positions but also learn to be strong in them, which is very useful for real life applications and injury prevention.
Of course doing some stretches is better than not moving at all, but you could use your time better. We're here for you if you need any help with working out.
i) What do your sets look like? Do you count reps or time?
ii) Dead hangs may have some benefits due to spinal decompression but they are most likely quite small and unless it really makes your back feel good, I don't think they are particularly necessary, unless you want to build your grip strength, for which they are indeed a great exercise.

[Lisnaholic]

I might be able to beat your dead hang record (and recognise your jest) 🙂 but in all seriousness we're all at different levels so I think it's less about how much or how long and more about just doing it and pushing yourself.. wherever you're at.

The dead hang is a good exercise, though I do get the impression that its benefits are part mythical. Unless you're doing it for back pain related reasons, I think of it as a forearm exercise and perhaps something that could eventually prepare you for bar-related exercises like assisted pullups or dead lifts.

For mobility, have you considered yoga? It is great. And if you prefer just doing stretches, there are some mobility YouTubers that seem to have good content.

Thanks for the advice, Guybrush, and you are absolutely right, the point of any exercising isn't, "I can do more than you" at all - and anyway, it sounds like I already have to pass on the trophy for longest dead-hang - but, yeah, it's a stepping stone towards a day I dream of: being able to do a pull up again, which I probably haven't done since age 12.

As you recommend, I am mainly using YouTube clips to get ideas about age-appropriate exercises, though for some reason Yoga doesn't appeal very much.

Buzzing that you're here mate honestly.

Counting reps isn't an issue for me, maybe it isn't the reps that are boring and it's the training and exercise you're doing. Otherwise I'd just say keep at it and it should become something you get used to.

Training with a partner would solve it but I don't know if that's possible.

Yes dead hanging is good. Perhaps you could become a regular poster and we could encourage you and motivate you? In one year you will look like a Michelangelo sculpture*

*possibly

LOL at

*possibly

Thank you very much for your warm welcome, jimmy jazz. I really appreciate it.
It sounds like counting is just something to get used to and I will take your advice about finding exercise that are more enjoyable.
I might also do as you suggest and report occasionally on my meagre progress: thanks for the invitation. In the meantime, I'm off to do the kind of exercise I genuinely enjoy: go for a bike ride in the sunshine, which has these advantages: open air and things to see.

[Lisnaholic]

Many thanks for your full and considered answer, grindy.
What you say about muscle loss is absolutely true and I'm sure you're right about strength-building too. As I'm such a beginner, I'm going to stay with stretching for another week or so, and will then perhaps look at strength building - although I'm hoping to do that without buying lots of equipment and stuff.

Of course doing some stretches is better than not moving at all, but you could use your time better. We're here for you if you need any help with working out.
i) What do your sets look like? Do you count reps or time?
ii) Dead hangs may have some benefits due to spinal decompression but they are most likely quite small and unless it really makes your back feel good, I don't think they are particularly necessary, unless you want to build your grip strength, for which they are indeed a great exercise.

Thanks for your interest, grindy.
"What do my sets look like?" I'm not even sure how to answer that tbh. Number 1 is choose some music, then I do ten touching-of-the-toes, ten extending an elastic strap for the muscles between the shoulder blades. Both exercises repeated in 3 sets. Then on the floor for some sit-up type exercises, culminating in a hands-and-feet crawl around the dining table, which feels kind of ridiculous tbh, but is recommended on a YouTube clip.
It's only about 20 mins altogether, by which time I find I'm losing interest a little.