anndody

One of MY favorite exercises, the hanging leg raise, really does the job! I think I'm talking mostly men here, as women typically don't have the upper body strength for this, but some do I'm sure. Start out by just grasping the bar and then lifting your knees to your chest. (I always finish up this way after doing the straight-legged version). Then, when you've progressed for awhile, do them like John e. Peterson (aged 55 years- just like me! ) does in this video- straight up and over your head! Although I would recommend doing fewer and slower... (more intense that way). But hey, that's just me. Do these maybe once or at most twice per week. Very intense! Just like chin ups, pull-ups, and other full range, isotonic-style exercises- you need to rest and rebuild. But the beauty of isometrics is... you can do them every day. They actually rejuvenate, and energize you-I'm not kidding here- and the inroad they incur into the muscle group exercised is minimal ...

What a glorious fall day today! This is the kind of day everyone wants to be a mailman. Sunny and warm with a light breeze carrying the earthy scent of fallen leaves. A time of the season that comes and goes all too quickly. Living in the country has its definite advantages. At least for those who just let the leaves fall, like me, and don't worry too much about getting them raked up. What's the hurry? They'll be gone all too soon anyway. Might as well just let the dog enjoy rolling in them while he still can, and maybe take a roll or two myself. I've been listening to one of the best audio books I've heard in a long time: Books that Made History: Books That Can Change Lives. Put out by the Teaching Company, I request that my local library buy these books, and they usually do. The professor who delivers the lectures, in all of the Teaching Company offerings, is the best teacher they can find in that particular subject. They cover every subject imaginable,...

If you read my post yesterday, you'd think: "Jay! If aerobics are not the way to go, I guess I should lift weights. Right?" Well... kind of, but not really... I started out with weight training. You get real results all right. But you also really strain your joints and connective tissues, and you have to be really careful; especially as you age. And the stronger you get, the MORE dangerous your training becomes since you start dealing with really heavy poundage! You need to start working out less, and still less frequently, since the overload on your body is progressively more intense as you get stronger. Personally, I progressed from the standard multi- set training day after day(with injuries getting more and more frequent)- to HIT (High Intensity Training) done every 3 days at first... then 5... then once per week. When even this was too much, I went to Superslow training, once per week. Ken Hutchins is the brain behind this protocol of training: Very grueling, y...

You Too can be a Runt! This should have been the motto of the aerobics movement. The only thing SURE to occur from running "LSD", or "l ong slow distance " as was advocated way back then in the early 1970's was: A huge reduction in muscle mass Injured joints and connective tissue A mistaken penchant for refined carbohydrates as " the ideal food" for health As time has shown us , these prescriptions for health have been disastrous! Since those halcyon days of the 1970's: heart disease has increased immensely joint problems are endemic nutritional ideas of health are disastrous Before the 1970's, in America at least, and Europe, the ultimate goal of "health and fitness" would have been, in this order: strength health aesthetics, i.e. "how you look" "wind", i.e. "aerobics" After the "Aerobics mania" the order would be: "wind/Aerobics" skinniness "wind" the goal of looking lik...

I live a vintage life. From the 100 year old farm house my wife and I live in, to my 45 year old Ford F100 green pick-up truck, the past is my day to day reality. Even the dog, Charlie, at fourteen and a half years, is nearly an antique! (Please note I spared my wife a similar comparison.) Seriously though, there's a lot of work and maintenance that goes into the upkeep of our farmhouse and various vehicles, including a JeepCJ5 and an old John Deere tractor. But it's satisfying work and it recaptures an era that should never have ended in the first place! Here in our valley in Wisconsin, we manage to hang on to that time when the pace was slower and life was simpler. At 55, I'm only a week away from my official retirement date as a mailman, but I plan to keep working for a few more years. Hey, I want my daughter to get the best education she can at the best college I can afford! In a sense, I think of myself as already retired... but working! Let me explain: No long...