Workout: What did you do today?

[DJChameleon]

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 

If you don't feel comfortable jumping straight into lifting weights. I would suggest resistance bands starting out.

[grindy]

If you don't feel comfortable jumping straight into lifting weights. I would suggest resistance bands starting out.

Why do you think bands are better for beginners than weights?

[DJChameleon]

Why do you think bands are better for beginners than weights?

I have no science to back it up but I just feel like bands are easier to get into as an alternative to weights. I have no idea if it actually better or not.

[jimmy jazz]

You can use bands with a lot of resistance or weights that weigh very little so they can be as challenging as you want them to be.

The advantages bands have for beginners are cost and storage.

[grindy]

I have no science to back it up but I just feel like bands are easier to get into as an alternative to weights. I have no idea if it actually better or not.

From a scientific perspective bands are definitely worse due to the irregular force curve. At one end of the movement you have a huge amount of tension, at the other almost none. Depending on the exercise, this can severely limit the benefits from the eccentric portion of the lift as well as the weighted stretch, both of which are especially important for strength and h-word. Apart from that, many band exercises just feel awkward due to this weird force curve.
Not saying they don't give you any results, they certainly do and they are a good option for people who have very little room or money or are travelling. But I wouldn't recommend them in general.

[jimmy jazz]

both of which are especially important for strength and h-word

Thanks mate 

[Guybrush]

I get not wanting to spend a lot of money on equipment, but I'd recommend acquiring some very basic equip.

I regularly use these things:

• Adjustable bench, can be set to incline/decline
• A couple of dumbbells
• A barbell
• Three resistance bands of varying resistance
• Pullup bar
• Gymnastics / suspended rings
• Pushup bars

Not saying you need all this, of course. Maybe start with dumbbells?

I especially appreciate my bench and dumbbells. Dumbbells is the most essential, I think. A lot of the exercises you might do with a barbell, you can also do with dumbbells. And they can probably double as pushup bars too.

Stuff I have, but don't use much:

• Ab-wheel
• EZ bar
• Jump rope
• Hand gripper

The hand gripper seems stupid, but otherwise these are also good things to have, I think.. yes, also the ab-wheel.

Some of this I bought second hand, so I don't feel like it was too huge of an investment.

[grindy]

I'd say a set of adjustable dumbbells is all it takes at the beginning. If you want to get jacked, you might need more. If you just want to stay in reasonably good shape, it's enough.

[DJChameleon]

Jump rope is good for cardio but I was keeping Lisnaholic's age in mind and jumping would be rough on the knees. He would need something lower impact.

[jimmy jazz]

BSS this evening.

I hate them.

RIP Dog.

[Dianne W]

^ Thanks, grindy. Your post is 100% good news for me
It's occured to me that you're right; I'm dissatisfied because I do too much stretching and not enough demanding strength work. It's like I'm warming up on the sidelines, but never going out on the field to play. I'm going to look on YouTube, but may take you up on your offer of guidance later. Thanks.
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Sorry to hear that you have back problems, Dianne, as I know they can recur throughout a person's life. It's a sad paradox that it's often the people who want to exercise that suffer the most. At least that's the case, apparently for you, and also with 2 friends of mine, who in their mid-twenties sustained back injuries (one during football, one during rugby).
Yes! The Atkinson Morely Hospital! Luckily, I never had to go there myself, but I remember going past it on the bus various times as a kid. I always thought it looked sinister, like an asylum in a Hitchcock movie.
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@ grindy and Dianne: yeah, I am most definitely not going down the road of buying some fancy personal workout bench contraption that I'd only use once, like D's husband ! 

I have had little back issues since the disk 'bits' got taken out and a full scrape of the spine to widen some proper space that we need to be pain free. I was lucky to get micro surgery at a time when nearby hospitals were not doing that procedure. My late Dad took me there and I saw that look on his face when he saw this ancient building and said later he just wanted to take me back home again, he was such a kind man unlike the other parent...

I was into sports a lot but obviously at less than 14 years old I then had my first back issue, I just dealt with it for many a year with Osteopaths being my main rescue venue. Reluctant for the dreaded op I just took other routes until I was told you have little choices left. Was really ok as it turned out.

Exercise is important but unless you warm up first your easily gonna hurt yourself..Older wiser and all that..So Stretching is good, very good, just do it first whatever exercise you go for. Yoga works for me and I dance a lot and not going to talk about the belly dancing haha.

[Guybrush]

Did squats today for the first time in many weeks. I wasn't actually planning on doing it.. was kinda saving myself for the CrossFit onboarding I was supposed to have today, but the guy's wife slipped and got a head injury and he was with her in the hospital 😐 It sounds terrible, so just hope she's doing okay all things considered.

So I haven't been at the wastewater treatment plant in a while, but was there today. Since I wasn't gonna CrossFit, I thought I'd just try the squats a bit.. so ended up doing a full set in work shirt and jeans 😅 kinda embarrassing, but what the heck.

Later at home, did dips followed by push-ups. I love that combination now. My mammary glands are gonna blow up like Dolly Parton.

Overhead push feels weird, but not in the painful way they used to. Something goes clunk, but I'm real weak with them, so thinking I should get some of that in.

Then ring rows.

There's only one dumbbell exercise in here, so I feel like I save a bit of time on not having to change the weights around, like when I did dumbbell Chest Press, curls and rows.

[jimmy jazz]

I do dips followed by pushups but they are triceps pushups, just to finish off my tris after my chest workout if it's a dips week.

Maybe you could try dips followed by flies also.

[DJChameleon]

yesterday I did arms with squats in between sets. It felt really good but I don't think I could keep up with BSS. Those are insanse.

[jimmy jazz]

yesterday I did arms with squats in between sets. It felt really good but I don't think I could keep up with BSS. Those are insanse.

The video shows the drop set of death. You don't have to do that many or in that structure.

You could try bodyweight and three sets of 10 then work your way up.