boredom sets in when you're doing the same-old same-old of something you don't like much to begin with. Mixing up your workouts or activities is a must to keep yourself motivated.

I know I've said a lot of this before, but I'll reiterate if it may help.

We have fast-twitch muscles and slow-twitch muscles. They're often right alongside each other, like 2 parts of the same larger muscle.

Fast-twitch helps us do an activity rapidly (like a sprinter) and slow-twitch helps in endurance. The difference in weight training is the same -- slow repetitions give us endurance and less muscle bulk (not that most women will bulk up much, regardless) and fast-twitch enables us to do a stronger amount but of less duration.

both are good to have, and we're often genetically pre-disposed to have more of one or the other. (I'm a slow-twitch kind of gal *ahem*) It's also a good idea to switch-your-twitch every other week or so in weight training.

fast: lift weights quickly, 12 repetitions. do 3 sets.
slow: 8 slow reps, with as much weight as you can handle for the duration. 2 sets.

Your weight for slow reps will be 25-35% lighter than the fast ones. If it feels too light or easy, then you're wasting your time. If you never get sore, you're wasting your time. If you can do it while gabbing away, you're wasting your time.

Got to put up dinner. More soon...

I was an exercise teacher & weight trainer for 7 years. I can tell you all the technical stuff here. However for beginners, it's absolutely imperative to have someone watch you and make sure your form is right.

You don't get injured by using too much weight. If your form is perfect, it's almost impossible to use too much weight, because your body won't lift it. Injuries are caused by bad form and overuse (more on that later.) So when the weight feels too heavy, people strain and throw assorted body parts out of whack. Pushing is good. Straining is bad.

Overuse -- a mature adult (that would be us, ladies!) takes 3 days for a properly-used muscle to heal correctly. If you're still sore, it's not healed yet and you need to wait another day. Repetitive injuries in any sports are caused by over-using a muscle that isn't completely healed. I had a torn left front deltoid that took 18 months to heal because I do that lifting every week for my craft display, once in the morning and again to pack up.

back to dinner prep...

for people who want to go to the gym less times -- do a full body workout twice a week. If you can get in more often but want shorter workouts, here's a suggested schedule:
Monday -- lower body (legs, back)
Tuesday -- upper body
Wednesday -- something aerobic, abdominals & more stretching
Thursday -- repeat

Heavy gardening counts as a workout. Ditto dancing, or taking brisk walks with your dog.

Bad signs: dizziness, trouble breathing, pain, cramps. If you get any of these, STOP. Immediately. You can resume if you feel OK in a few minutes. If the problem continues, your workout is done.

Any questions?

wow... meredith, thanks!

Okay, here's a link to Gims' Exercise document - it's in .pdf format:

http://www.steril-aire.com/steril-zone/bws/spark.pdf

It's 10 pages long, but I printed it out and will read it in the evening during commercials. Looks very interesting - thanks Gims!

And, thank you, DD... this info is important, as well as interesting... because, as we age, our brains shrink and die off, cell after cell - I guess, that is, if we don't take precautions, learn to deal with stress (the chapter I'm reading now), eat right, and exercise (exercise and its effect on the brain - the whole point of the book - the book explains it so well).
thanks again, DD

Well before anymore brain cells die off, I am going to run errands today and I do mean run, lots to do! Yet here I sit in my favorite place on earth, BWS Forum...

Bad me, I had better get my butt in gear or nothing will get done...

Meredith, you'll be happy to know that I had the trainer at the gym teach me how to use the machines. Now I'm all signed up with the computer (no more carrying a card around and recording, the computer keeps track of everything) and ready to get started. Meredith, he went through the perfect form for every machine. He's in his 70s and works five days a week. What made you stop body building?

Can you give us a run-down of the machines you will be using, and in what order and time allotment, dots? I'm excited for you.

I finally received a call back from the owner of the facility I spoke of up a post or two. He wants me to make an appointment to come in to check out the set-up and have a free session. No one will be around the equipment but me and him, as this type of 'gym' is a one at a time. He told me of a cardiac patient who is on his 5th week of the program, and from what he claims, the patient/client feels better than he did before he started having noticeable heart trouble. He also said the program may not be good for my aunt, who had a stroke - the main reason I contacted him - and another reason he wants me to come by and evaluate the set-up.

Meredith that is the main reason why I haven't bothered to do strength training with weights/machines: injury because of wrong form.

I was hoping a sister who visited me recently would show me, but she herself was recovering from a upper back muscle pull ...I think it was from one of her stretches. Not sure.

Anyway, today I went for a shorter bike ride due to rain that started up. Hadn't been on bike in last 5 days..and I could feel it already. Whereas he took off from me 5 kms. later and went on a longer route. Shrug.

However I made sure I included 1 long hill (about 10 street blocks in distance) in my shortened ride, to give myself true fitness riding. It's a 9-10% grade hill, going up. Normally that's a sign of a real fitness ride for me...to include at least 1 hill or so for real cardio pumping.