Gym Update

[chrisvenus]

I realised that I've not really mentioned the whole gym thing recently. You'll be pleased to know its going well. I've been a bit behind on the amount I'd hoped to do (which is average 3 times a week) but its still going pretty well. I've actually been three times a week many weeks but with having time off due to being ill or injured I have missed some weeks and just been twice on others.

However, its all good. I'm quite enjoying it when I go but it does take up a lot of time. I'm getting up early to try to go to the gym in the morning which is weird and probably part of the reason I am very tired.

I'm intending to try to draw up a little chart to record how much I go to keep proper track. I've also now got a little training program so I can keep track of what I've managed to do and I'm trying to make notes on how much the hard work is so I can try to notice if its getting easier, etc.

For those interested my training goes something like this:

10 minutes on bike (I think I managed about 4km in that time last time)
a bit of time on three weight machines (for shoulders in two cases and legs for the third)
5 minutes on the rowing machine (I managed 1111m last time)
Mat work including "Plank", some thing I forget the name of with a big exercise ball thing, some other random one and crunches.
5/10 minutes on the running machine.

Since I'm mostly doing this in mornings it tends to get trimmed down sometimes depending on time. The run usually suffers first and then the bike going to 5 minutes. And yes, I know the distances and stuff on the machine are probably meaningless without knowing the difficulty the machines are set at but I am assuming there isn't really a standardisation so saying bike at level 6 and rowing machine at level 8 probably isn't useful. I must check at some point what sort of speed beginners do on rowing machines though...

Anyway, my phone is reminding me... I should go to bed now so I can actually be up early tomorrow for the gym... Getting up at 7:30 on a monday morning is just evil...

P.S. I'm still a couple of posts behind my target for the month but on looking back this is looking to be at least a third of my year's postings. :) I'm considering this a success anyway even if I don't hit 30 posts. :)

Comments

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I aim for 250m a minute, but I couldn't manage it for 5.

Rowing machines in every gym I've been to have been very similar on the 1-10 scale. Bikes less so.

[cultureofdoubt.livejournal.com]

1111 m in 5 minutes is 9 minutes for 2000m (2000 being pretty much the standard). You might want to knock a minute or two off that for a reasonably fit person's starting point - I'd probably want to check your technique on it to make sure you're getting that nailed.
Effort is standardised so you'd expect the same person to get the same results regardless of difficulty setting, but that's only to first order. Other stuff like going at the most ideal rhythm and so on change that.

[chrisvenus]

Can you clarify on the difficulty setting stuff? Does that mean if I put it on a "harder" setting it would be harder work on each pull but each pull would also get me further kind of thing?

And so you reckon I should be aiming at about 8 minutes for 2000m (so 2mins/500 which is a reading that the machine tells me as I go along). I have managed to break that 2/500 mark but only in bursts and its definitely not sustainable currently.

On the other hand I am improving slightly each time (I forget this mornings distance but it was nearer 1200 than 1100) so maybe I'll get there eventually. :)

And I suspect my technique is pretty shitty given I've had brief instruction on how to use the machine and never had anybody to tell me what to do. Next time I go I should probably make sure I concentrate on technique and using my arms and stuff properly...

[cultureofdoubt.livejournal.com]

"Does that mean if I put it on a "harder" setting it would be harder work on each pull but each pull would also get me further kind of thing?"
Basically yes, you end up with a lower stroke rate but go the same speed.

http://www.concept2.com/us/training/gettingstarted.asp
http://www.concept2.com/us/training/technique.asp
http://www.concept2.com/us/training/basics/damper_intensity.asp

The bicycle gearing analogy is good - you do the same work but at a different frequency of strokes.

[chrisvenus]

Interesting. Those links recommend 3-5 whereas I was told to go for 8 on the difficulty thingy... I might have to have a go sometime on a lower level to see if I manage any better with that.

Good links though. Thanks for that.

Out of interest what sort of training would a college rower put in on a rowing machine? I assume its nearer an hour of rowing or so...

And also as a reference point how long is the row they do for summer eights and torpids and whatever? I might have to go for a distance challenge at some point and see how badly I do... ;-) (Yeah, I'm sure i could look it up but it strikes me as the sort of thing you might know off the top of your head).

[cultureofdoubt.livejournal.com]

A college rower would run a variety of routines. 2k as I said is the standard distance - the Olympic length. It's also close to an Eights or Torpids run - the total length is something like 1.5-1.8k for that. A college rower might also do 500m dashes in some kind of rotation, but for cardiovascular routines and improving general fitness you want to be doing a minimum of 20 minutes. 30 is more typical, and some will do 40 minutes to an hour. That's purely rowing though - mixed in with a routine on the bike and so on you don't need to do as long - the general principle being you want about 30 minutes or more of your heart working fairly hard.

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

Looks like a good effort. That's a lot of cardio with gaps between it though. I'd suggest joining most of it up into a 20 minute run/bike/row of mixed intensity (start slow, build up, slow down).

I'd also suggest forgetting about your shoulders if you're just getting into this. They're teeny tiny muscles (in general, not yours particularly) and you're much better off going for chest, back, glutes and abs.

As for 'what speed beginners do' it's really a function of what speed for how long, and what they've already done. The real thing to watch is heart rate. Over 80% of your maximum for a decent length of time (10 mins plus) is a good workout.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I'm considering this a success anyway even if I don't hit 30 posts. :)

It's been good to read it all - I like people who post lots.

I try and do posts all the way through Advent, but I usually miss sooner or later.