But reading what Bill and you were discussing about doing exercise too close for too long? Again, it really depends on what your goals are. If you are training for endurance than really long workouts are pretty much a necessity. On the other hand, if you're just trying to lose fat while preserving (or even gaining...especially if you want to gain) muscle than you don't want to go beyond one hour per session.

Wow, you did that hike, Lani? That is great! And that you aren't sore, wow again!Only 2 out of eight of us went to the very top (and they brought back digital pics for proof!). I'm not sore, but I definitely feel some stiffness today (two days later is usually when the worst of the muscle soreness would hit). I went to the gym this morning and did a very light elliptical workout, just to get my heart rate going, and to sweat a bit. I also stretch a looooot. Then I met with the gym manager; I am meeting with her next week Friday for a personal training session (I won it for free at a raffle at the gym!) to come up with a good workout that will get me in better hiking shape. I'm already aerobically fit, but I want to get used to doing stairs. I might either use the Stairmaster or run up and down our stairs at work, but it's the best thing to train for a hike.

But reading what Bill and you were discussing about doing exercise too close for too long?At least for me, I always give myself two days' rest in between weight lifting sessions. You could, however, do upper body one day, lower body the next, so you don't overdo it. You can also work on your abs everyday.

Well that's odd. I went to log yesterday and today's activities, but I noticed that the "Progress to date" meter is short-changing me 6910 points. :eek: My log entries are correct but the meter is wrong. What's up with that? A couple days ago those points were there.

I joined- maybe now I won't feel so lonely in my quest to get in better shape.

Yay Nephythys! Welcome to the TM President's Challenge! :)

So the team now consists of:

Bill Catherall
cirquelover
cryan71
DisneyFan25863
Leap for Joy
Mark Goldhaber
millionairegirl
MonorailMan
MouseWife
mrs_toad
Nephythys
SacTown Chronic
hersheythecat
simzac
spookrepitus
timl33
and me

Looks like some folks haven't had a chance to update their logs since Sunday... don't forget to enter your log activity before you forget what you did!!

Has anybody else noticed their progress meters not showing the correct points? If so, they do know about it and are working on it. Here's an email I received after inquiring about it:
Dear Participant,

Thank you for your participation in the President’s Challenge. It has
been brought to our attention that many people’s point total and progress
meter have been disturbed. In attempts to launch a solution to a prior
problem, this one has resulted. We are aware of the problem and are looking
into the solution.

Please continue logging activity as normal and you can expect a
solution in the near future. Thank you for you patience and we appreciate your support.

The President’s Challenge

Lani ~ I'm back on track this week with working out and posting my activity. Definitely much easier to post on a daily basis, however my gym activities are a routine so it is easy to catch up on those. I posted in another thread that I was feeling pretty crummy (allergies and a touch of food poisoning) for most of last week so I didn't get much exercise in.

I'll be at DLR tomorrow through Monday. I plan on wearing a pedometer. We'll be walking a lot and as quickly as possible, dodging in and out of the crowds. The really slow walkers (it's more like they are strolling or moseying) that block the walkways drive me nuts.

I also wanted to know where I can find information about the Stinson Beach hike you went on. I live in the Bay Area also, the east bay. My family used to to go to Stinson Beach when I was a kid. That hike sounds awesome, I believe you said it was 14 miles round trip, yes?

Also, on the Half Dome Hike, what is the difficulty factor of that hike on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most difficult)? Does it involve vertical climbing?

How is everyone else doing?

Okay, I have a few questions...

On my non-gym days, I do pushups and squats (for the gluteus maximus) at home. I would also like to throw in a couple more arm exercises with weights.

On the pushups: I can do the ladies (body straight from bended knee) pushup in sets of 30 with no problem. I was planning on maybe 3 or 4 sets of 30 a day. Now, I can do the regular (men's style) pushup also, straight body from feet on the floor. But these are a little more difficult and I can't do as many. So my questions are, should I push myself to do the more difficult pushup? And how many sets should I be doing a day of either type pushup? My ultimate goal is to have "Linda Hamilton Terminator" arms.

Squats: I do sets of 40. Usually 2 sets a day, try for 3. What do you think?

Arm exercises: I have a set of handheld weights. They are pairs of 3 lb., 5 lb. and 8 lb. weights. Any suggestions for arm lifts? I usually do the classic curl.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance...I'll be back!

Push-ups: If you can manage even 3 of the "men's style" push-ups, then start doing those. You'll slowly work up your strength to be able to do more and more. Try to add at least one more rep to each set every time you do them. Be sure to go as low as you can, an inch or two from the floor. You want to almost kiss the floor.

Squats: Are you doing these without weight? How low are you going? If you really want to work the gluteus maximus then (in addition to squats) start doing stiff-legged deadlifts (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Stiff-Legged+Barbell+Deadlift+-+Hamstrings). This link shows using a barbell, but it can be done with dumbbells as well. Just be sure to keep your back straight, don't hunch over, you could damage your vertebrae if you hunch and are using heavy weights. So practice good form even with light weights to get in the habit.

Arm exercises with dumbbells: Triceps (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Triceps&Equip=Dumbbell&Isolation=), biceps (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Biceps&Equip=Dumbbell&Isolation=), shoulders (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Shoulders&Equip=Dumbbell&Isolation=). Take your pick. (Be sure to click on the "View the next 10 exercises" button at the bottom of each page to see even more exercises.) Oh, and just because you see a picture of a guy doing them doesn't mean a girl can't do them (and vise versa for the guys).

Do what you feel is comfortable and vary your routine every few weeks. If you want "Linda Hamilton Terminator" arms then you should consider getting even heavier weights once you outgrow those 8 pounders (or join a gym --- ETA: I guess you already go to the gym. Are you not using the freeweights or machines at the gym? I don't understand, what do you do on your "gym days"?).

If you're doing sets of 40 reps then you need to add weight. 20 reps per set is high but is the max you should be shooting for. 3-4 sets of 12 reps is better.

On the pushups: I can do the ladies (body straight from bended knee) pushup in sets of 30 with no problem. I was planning on maybe 3 or 4 sets of 30 a day. Now, I can do the regular (men's style) pushup also, straight body from feet on the floor. But these are a little more difficult and I can't do as many. So my questions are, should I push myself to do the more difficult pushup? And how many sets should I be doing a day of either type pushup? My ultimate goal is to have "Linda Hamilton Terminator" arms.Wow, you can do regular men's style push-ups? That's awesome! I can do a set of 8 or so that way, but then I can't maintain my straight back. But you know, that's an amazing improvement for me; up until recently, I couldn't even do ONE regular push-up! In our Power Sculpt class, our instructor gives us about five levels of modifications on those, starting with the knees crossed and bent real close to the hips (least amount of resistance), knees crossed but bent at a 90 degree angle (second least), knees uncrossed and almost straight, and doing straight push-ups but holding onto dumbbells or handles on the floor (gives you an additional 3 inches or so, and a grip) with your knees on a physioball (so you start level and go down, versus starting up and going level, which is harder), and finally, going without the physioball but using handles/dumbbells. Most of the men can do the unmodified version, but a few use the various modifications. I think there are only a couple of women who can do all sets unmodified (I ain't one of them! When I'm feeling strong I'll do one set of regulars, but then I usually use the physioball)

Squats: I do sets of 40. Usually 2 sets a day, try for 3. What do you think?It's hard to say. We do squats to music, and probably spend 10 minutes altogether doing variations. We do straight squats, but we also stay low and hold (we do that a lot -- those get real hard, let me tell ya), the stay-low-twist-and-bump-your-hip thing, as well as squats with leg lifts when we get up. I don't ski, but I'm told from those in class that do, that the squat segment of our class has helped them with their skiing tremendously.

Arm exercises: I have a set of handheld weights. They are pairs of 3 lb., 5 lb. and 8 lb. weights. Any suggestions for arm lifts? I usually do the classic curl.Yup! The bicep curl for us is just one small segment of the entire arm workout, but I also recommend you work on your shoulders, triceps, and your back, which you can do with your 8-pounders.

TRICEPS:

DUMBBELL LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBLyingTriExt.html): We usually do 3 sets of 12 of these.

TRICEP KICKBACKS (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBKickback.html): We usually do two sets of 15 of these (total of four; 2 for each arm).

TRICEP BENCH DIPS (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html): In place of one of the above, we occasionally do these. Except unlike the example at the link, our heels are on the floor, and we put a dumbbell between our thighs for added resistance. We might do 3 sets of 15 of these.

SHOULDERS:

SHOULDER PRESSES (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBShoulderPress.html): If you do these correctly, your neck and shoulders will start to feel like they are on fire on the last few reps that you do. We usually do 2 sets of 12 of these.

FRONT RAISES (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBFrontRaise.html): You can either do these one at a time, or simultaneously with both arms. We usually do 2 sets of 12.

LATERAL RAISES (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise.html): Same exercise, but you raise the dumbbells from the side rather than the front. That works different shoulder muscles.

BACK:

BENT OVER ROWS (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html): We usually do 2 sets of 15 of these per arm.

REAR LATERAL RAISES (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBRearLateralRaise.html): These are tough to get the position right, but they work the delts real well.

Do you belong to a gym? Even if you don't, many of them offer free introductory visits. You might want to talk to a trainer to come up with a resistance training workout for you. You can do the work at home or in the gym. And don't worry about feeling intimidated by the buff people. One thing I've learned is that they only LOOK intimidating. Nobody was born buff, and they all got there through hard work. They will appreciate that you are there, working on improving yourself. And if you start going regularly, you will be saying hello to them in no time, and as you get more fit, you will get compliments from those very buff people who will be very happy for your progress. [For example, I couldn't compliment Bill enough on his great progress the last time I saw him at the Mousepad pot luck!]

Oh, I forgot to mention one important thing: Linda Hamilton's arms don't come from bicep curls so much as from working on her triceps and shoulders (not to discount biceps, of course!). Only when you get well-defined triceps can you see the "cut" line on your arm. Be warned, however, that it's very difficult for women to get well-defined triceps.

Longevity Magazine actually has an article outlining a workout that, given the right frequency and intensity, can give you "Linda Hamilton arms" (http://www.lhow.com/longevity93.html).

Since Bill provided links to BodyBuilding.com, you might want to read this article (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/babyboom25.htm) while you're there; it discusses Linda Hamilton's arms and shoulders specifically.

So I joined, and I thought I'd also report that I decided to run the Maine Marathon in Portland this October.
Okay, you're my new running buddy! I'm also running a marathon in October, but mine is the Nike Marathon in San Francisco. I figure the more people I tell, the better. Training starts next week.

I used to run, but haven't in awhile. I have been sitting on my butt in jury duty for the last 3 weeks (and 2 more to go), so it's going to feel great to be out running around. That's what I keep telling myself, at least!:eek:

I am trying to not be such a couch potato and get in better shape. I thought this would be a good way to start.

I have started mowing our yard, it was a birthday present from my husband :confused: I haven't mowed a lawn in 20 years!! Boy, is it a work out! I think I need a flatter lawn!

My 7 year old has been walking at the track with me a couple days a week, maybe I should sign him up too!

I'll probably be the straggler of the group, but I'm giving it a try.

Hi mrs_toad!! A pedometer would be *awesome*! I'm eyeballing one of those new McDonald's adult Happy Meals since I'm told they come with a stepometer. :oldgrin:

The hike to Stinson Beach is the same route as the one used for the Dipsea Race (http://www.dipsea.org/). You'll want to Mapquest yourself to the start of the route, which is in Mill Valley off of Throckmorton and Old Mill Park, on Cascade Drive.

You immediately go up 3 sets of stairs that total 676 steps ("the dreaded Dipsea Steps"). That's a real killer, esp. since it's at the very start of the hike, but it's the worst of it. There are other ascents (in fact, the elevation gain from the steps isn't as high as the top of the smaller of the two hills on the route) but none using 676 steps. You go through residential areas periodically (you have to cross streets) and we got a bit lost after the steps. Go to this site (http://www.durt.org/runs/dipsea.html) -- it has better directions than the official Dipsea Race site, esp. for the city areas.

If you guys don't want to do 14.2 miles, you can coordinate with two cars, so one car can park at Stinson Beach. That way you can finish it up in 7.1 miles (still a workout!), and then have a leisurely lunch at one of the cafes at Stinson Beach, or hang out at the beach! :)

Compared to the Half Dome hike, I'd say it was about a 7, but KEEP IN MIND I didn't go up the back of Half Dome and I also didn't do the final switchbacks -- I'm told those are the most difficult portions of Half Dome.

I've GOT to stop doing two rigorous hikes over two weekends. It's too disruptive on my regular exercise routine. I hiked on Saturday, and today's the first day I could run my normal distance in the gym at my regular speed. And it's already Thursday. Previous days this week have consisted of lighter workouts because my legs haven't been up to a regular workout. Bleaugh.

I AM meeting with a trainer this afternoon to discuss what to do with my non-cardio workouts, though! You're inspiring me -- I think I'll start putting more resistance training and stairmaster time at the gym! :)

I am trying to not be such a couch potato and get in better shape. I thought this would be a good way to start.
[...]
My 7 year old has been walking at the track with me a couple days a week, maybe I should sign him up too!

I'll probably be the straggler of the group, but I'm giving it a try.cirquelover, what counts is that you're up off the couch and doing something!! That is AWESOME!! :) It's great that your son has been walking with you! It gives you guys time together, and you're instilling in him the value of fitness.

Definitely sign him up! The Web site lets kids sign up, too!

Yay DisneyDyke! Welcome to the TM President's Challenge! :)

So the team now consists of:

Bill Catherall
cirquelover
cryan71
DisneyDyke
DisneyFan25863
Leap for Joy
Mark Goldhaber
millionairegirl
MonorailMan
MouseWife
mrs_toad
Nephythys
SacTown Chronic
hersheythecat
simzac
spookrepitus
timl33 -- currently tapering to get ready for a big race this weekend!! Wish him luck!
and me

And me too! I just signed up today. I guess I should log off the computer now and go for a walk or something instead of just sitting here, eh?

Yay SusanP.! Welcome to the TM President's Challenge! :)

So the team now consists of:

Bill Catherall
cirquelover
cryan71
DisneyDyke
DisneyFan25863
Leap for Joy
Mark Goldhaber
millionairegirl
MonorailMan
MouseWife
mrs_toad
Nephythys
SacTown Chronic
hersheythecat
simzac
spookrepitus
SusanP.
timl33
and me

So, what activities are you logging? Does logging housework-type stuff make a big difference with the point totals?

I recently started working out with a couple of teachers at my school. We are fortunate to have an amazing weight room with modern equipment. We meet at 6 a.m. (eek -- this means I leave my house by 5:20). Weights on M-W-F with cardio on T-R. We shower and get ready in the locker room. We leave our make-up there to force ourselves to come in!

During the summer I plan to swim laps with the same teachers and then do weights with my husband.

I don't weigh myself so it's hard to quantify results, but my clothes fit better, I'm increasing the amount of weight I lift every week or two, and I'm starting to get muscle tone. Woohoo!

Total points: 2666

So, what activities are you logging? Does logging housework-type stuff make a big difference with the point totals?Hi LfJ!

Everything counts! An hour of housework is worth 200 points! If during the course of the day, you clean up around the house for one or two hours' worth (running around vacuuming, doing laundry, etc.), that can really add up!

As the team admin I can see the activities people have logged, but I haven't been posting anything specific because I assume not everybody is comfortable with that.

BUT... people are keeping real busy! Bill has posted on MousePad before about home renovations, I think, and he's been logging those because that's definitely a workout. And right now, Bill and MouseWife are running neck and neck, and I believe they are very good about keeping up their logs (and including workouts that are on the list but not what we'd consider "traditional" exercise -- like home repair).

Yep, I've been logging my home repair hours. I usually get about 8 hours each Saturday (in the process of a major bathroom remodel). Sometimes more (but the President's Challenge system has a max of 8 hours 50 minutes). Sometimes I get a few hours here and there throughout the week as well.

I sweat more doing home repair than I do at the gym. Of course, the temperature in the attic kind of helps there. ;) I figure the constant walking back and forth between bathroom and garage, up and down the ladder, lifting, etc. it all counts. Of course, the point of the President's Challenge is to remain active. Technically, anything that doesn't involve sitting around on your butt counts.

So, tied up with MouseWife eh? I've got to kick it into high gear! :D

timl33 -- currently tapering to get ready for a big race this weekend!! Wish him luck!


Uh, just to update you on the race I had this weekend... It was hard. It was a relay race from Borrego Springs to Oceanside. (details here: http://www.overlandrelay.com )

Our team started at 6PM on Saturday from Borrego Springs, and it was fairly warm and VERY windy for our first 2 runners. I was running leg 6, but was supposed to be on a mountain bike for the leg 5 runner. When leg 6 started, we were supposed to switch. She would use the mountain bike to support me. Anyways, our leg was through the Anza Borrego State park. We started at 10:45 PM, and it was pretty cold, due to the altitude and it being nighttime.

We waited for an hour or so for our previous runners to come in, and when they did, my partner Joan took off into the night with me still struggling to get on a mountain bike (it was my first time on a real mountain bike). I finally caught up to her about a mile into it. The terrain was really rocky and sandy, so much so that other runners got miles ahead of the mountain bike that was supposed to be escorting them. After the first 1.5 miles, it started to go downhill, which was nice for me so I could rest my legs. Joan is a really fast runner, and we wound up passing probably 10 or more teams in the night. We were very fortunate to have the bike light handy. It was a bright halogen light, which was much, much better than the one runner's light the Joan had on. Ultimately, we finished the 6.75 mile leg in just under 1 hour. When we got to the switching point, the race organizers informed us that they'd be taking our mountain bike and driving it down because of what I just explained (that the runners were getting miles ahead of the bikers because of the terrain). At this point, I should have taken the light off the bike, but completely forgot. Joan wound up having to run ANOTHER 6.75 miles with me with only the fading runner's light. By the way, it looked like a new moon last night. Really sucked since we could hardly see anything out there.

Anyways, I stumbled badly twice, nearly falling down before saving myself. We both almost twisted our ankles a few times, but we wound up making it to the next checkpoint. At this point, it's close to 1AM, and we head on over to the next checkpoint to wait for our runners. I'm trying to nap along the way, but I'm not getting a whole lot of sleep. I'm basically sleeping through legs 9-11 as our runners are off running up and around Palomar Mountain. By this time, it's starting to get light again, and will be hot soon.

At about 11AM, I get started off on my second leg, leg 16 out of 20. It's now getting warmer, and though I did put on some sunscreen 2 hours earlier, I'm starting to wonder if I should have put on more. My second run is mostly in Bonsall, from Norman Sullivan Middle School, to this one condemned bridge near Gopher Canyon Road. It's a 6.25 mile run, mostly downhill. I have a passing ratio of -2. I passed one person, while 3 people passed me. They were moving pretty fast too. I manage to finish in just under an hour again.

Ultimately, we finish just before 3PM at the Oceanside Pier, making this a 21 hour relay race for us. I've gotten very little sleep, I'm sure I'm not making sense here or at work. Anyways, it was fun. I'll rest up for a week and start marathon training eventually.

Wow Tim, thanks for your race report. Sounds really adventuresome! Running in the dark sounded kind of scary, though. I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt when you stumbled!

By the way, I've discovered a really great headlamp (the Petzl Zipka LED Headlamp (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47667894&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1) that you can wear on your head or arm... it's like a regular lightweight LED headlamp, but it doesn't have straps, and uses retractable thin cables instead. It is the coolest thing, and I bought one after one of my campmates showed up with one on our recent Yosemite trip.

By the way, I've discovered a really great headlamp (the Petzl Zipka LED Headlamp (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47667894&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1) that you can wear on your head or arm... it's like a regular lightweight LED headlamp, but it doesn't have straps, and uses retractable thin cables instead. It is the coolest thing, and I bought one after one of my campmates showed up with one on our recent Yosemite trip.

This was the one that we used. Unforunately, tt didn't provide us enough light for what we were doing at the time. Also, we only had 1 light for the 2 of us. We just figured that we didn't need it because the mountain bike light would be used. :(

Team MousePlanet President's Challenge: Paging "Tinker Bell from MousePla"

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We just got a new registration at the President's Challenge from a "Tinker Bell from MousePla." If you are that person, please PM me. We have a glitch with your registration, and I'd like to get it straightened out so you can log your activity!