Ralph13

I want to start boxing too. I don't know anything about it (except in a very general way but there's a gym that offers classes here. Anyone have any tips? I've been shadowboxing but I look ridiculous.

I haven't posted in a long time--I have totally fallen out of routine with my lifting, have basically quit cycling, and do almost no working out these days. But I am changing that--I've started my endurance lifting again today (2 minutes per arm with 10 pounds) and I plan on getting my bicycle tuned up and ready to ride within the next few weeks. I have lately been getting very little sleep (on the order of 4-5 hours a night, then 12 hours the night before my day off) on account of work and personal responsibilities. I wonder if this, combined with my lack of exercise, is the cause of the horrible gain of fat I have accumulated. I have gone from being fit and lean to having a beer gut and (oh the horror) the beginnings of...moobs. I want to GET BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK, but Matt Foley might not be my best role model. So I am going to start posting here again to get in the right mindset for getting fit and in shape again! Edit: Could someone please move this to Introductions? I meant to post it there.

I wouldn't be ashamed of muscles or lack thereof. It's just a body shape. I am ashamed of some things, but they are personal faults and bad decisions I've made. I would not be ashamed of my body. If anything I would be proud to be strong and in good health. Although I wouldn't use strength to make other, physically weaker people feel bad or inferior. I'm not muscular myself though. I have been lax with my training lately, but have still developed a lot of strength and endurance just the same.

Thanks Mike! I notice that I actually got a dull pain in my shoulder. Is that normal, or is something wrong with my form?

I found that I really enjoy my Raleigh Mojave MTB. They're very basic, but work great for commuting, running errands, or riding in wet weather (I have added fenders to mine, which really help for slush or snow). The stock stem has a severe lean, so I got a stem riser and a higher stem and now the position is a little more relaxed. The least expensive Mojave is the 2.0, which I got for only $250; it really was a steal at that price. It's heavy, but that's the only fault I can find with it.

Well, I did my ten-pound curling yesterday! I decided to go for 4 minutes an arm to start off with. Five minutes seemed like it would be a little rough so that's for next week! I've decided to start doing triceps extesions on alternate days now instead of later, but I found that with my 5-pound dumbbell, I could barely handle them at all! I did 4 minutes with my right arm anyway, but could only muster one minute with my left. I wonder if I may be doing them wrong? I grasped the dumbbell and held it behind my shoulder, with my elbow pointing up, and then extended it as far as my elbow would go, brought it down, and continued. It became pretty painful though as time went by. I think I may start doing just 1 minute per arm with the triceps extensions and build up to 5 minutes. I think ten minutes of extensions would cause my hand or arm to eventually fall off. Any tricep extension tips to make the exercise less painful are very appreciated; does anyone know of any?

I'm not sure how long a ride across the US would take me, since speed can vary so much, and some days if I'm low on energy or the weather is too rough, I can see myself taking the day off . I read here it took these riders about two months: http://www.adventurecycling.org/ride_registry/detail.cfm?r=1CA1F8 I am not a very fast cyclist (my bike is a modified mountain bike with street tires, and weighs 40-50 pounds with all the accessories I have added, a lot of which are heavy aluminum or steel) and even with a lighter bike I think it could easily take me 3-4 times that long, or more. I've read recumbents are nice for touring though, despite the less expensive models being heavy.

I use my bicycle as local transportation, mainly, and I have to say, before I had it dialed in for a more relaxed geometry, it KILLED my back and abs. I have moderate scoliosis, so I can't handle a far forward lean for very long. I found switching to a saddle with springs helps absorb the greater shock that would otherwise hit my back with a more upright position. One day I'd like to ride coast-to-coast, and for that I think I will probably get an inexpensive recumbent. Maybe Cycle Genius's CGX Starling; it looks comfy!

Well, I am up to 10 minutes an arm since yesterday. I think I have built up a lot of endurance since I began, or even since last week; 9 minutes seemed like more of a challenge than 10. Today, it was a little hard because I'd done a lot of work and donated blood plasma about 4 and a half hours ago and that sapped a lot of my staying power, but it wasn't *too* bad. I can't wait till next Wednesday when I start with a 10-pounder

As a matter of fact, I think I would have a lot of fun with amateur boxing. I wonder if they do it in Portland, ME, where I plan on moving. There seems to be a lot of athletic events there. At least, as compared with the town I live in now.

My "guads", as they say on another forum.

Thank you! 9 minutes was a small challenge with my left arm, which is strange because that one's bicep seems more developed and doesn't get tired as easily. But, it was not too hard. The tricep extension idea sounds very intriguing. I think after the next few weeks (after working my way up to 10 minutes of bicep curls with my 10-pound dumbbell) I will start doing them on alternate days instead of my bicep curls, maybe doing the same way of building up (starting at 4 or 5 minutes an arm [is it possible to safely do tricep extensions with one arm?]). Thank you very much for the tip.

The schedule is basically something I thought up; pretty much what I put in the OP of this thread--adding a minute a week to my lifting till I hit 10 minutes of curls. I hoped to start at 5 minutes per arm, but decided to start with 4 minutes to ease into it. Today I go for 9 minutes per arm. It's really good to know that if I decide to train for size and strength I'll be more ready for it! I am not doing anything specifically for my triceps, but they seem to be developing alongside my biceps; they seem a little bigger at least. Also, I only begin to feel any kind of "burn" after about 50 or 60 curls so I think that's another sign of developing staying power.

No beers on Superbowl Sunday for me. One of my new years resolutions was no getting drunk (even once) for 2008; I wouldn't give up alcohol totally, but I've kept it to two drinks or less a day since January. Not that I really think I had a problem before, but I think it's good to keep a clear head.

I was 120 pounds on lacto-ovo (haven't eaten meat since early childhood), and slowly climbed to 160 over the course of the 7 years I've been vegan. I went vegan at age 11 and I was only just above five feet tall though, so I was a pretty pudgy kid. My weight didn't decrease, but I slimmed down quite a bit as I grew. I was 130-145 for quite a while at my adult height of 5'10". I now weigh more than I ever have; 160 is a good weight for me I think. I just need to get rid of this beer belly. I would say my body is vegan-"built" (I use the term loosely...)