OK. As cardio it can make sense. The link you posted is similar to how to throw one.

If you can do them off boxes, it will help get a fuller range of motion.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
If you can do them off boxes, it will help get a fuller range of motion.

Hmmm... interesting idea. Wouldn't be too much work to throw together a couple short boxes to stand on.

Some 2x4, slap some 3/4 ply on top... That's about as high as I could safely go down in the basement.

Thanks for the idea!

It could be a bit involved to set up, but pull throughs are a similar motion.

You’d need to set up the boxes, a pulley on the wall, and one on the ground to do them, though.

I think the reverse hyper and glute ham bench replaced them, for the most part.

(Well, and throws. Bit dangerous - sand bags are safer to throw, but little else builds speed like throwing/snatch.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
It could be a bit involved to set up, but pull throughs are a similar motion.

You’d need to set up the boxes, a pulley on the wall, and one on the ground to do them, though.

From what you're describing, it sounds like I'll be able to do those with a functional trainer.

What I'd really like to get is a Keiser Functional Trainer, Freemotion Dual Cable Cross, or TuffStuff Proformance Plus Functional Trainer, but those are hella spendy--even used.

So right now I'm looking at the Body-Solid PFT100 Functional Trainer. It's pretty minimal, but provides what I want.

The TuffStuff Six-Pak is a nice machine (saw one, yesterday), but even that is over $3k, street.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
I think the reverse hyper and glute ham bench replaced them, for the most part.

I used a back hyper bench at the gym.

Currently looking for a quality incline crunch and back hyper bench. There are a lot of them out there, but most of them are too short for tall guys like me.

Quite unexpectedly, this happened today



Used Model D, "2nd Gen.," billed as "like new." And it really kinda sorta almost was. Less than 86k on it.

After a good cleaning, oil the chain, and change the batteries in the PM3:



Boy, was that enjoyable. For much of it I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the rhythm.

Btw: Different strokes for different folks and all, but I don't find the fan noise annoying at all. In fact I think it's kind of pleasant. Perhaps because, as a child, I grew up falling to sleep with the noise of a big exhaust fan running up in the attic, the stairs for which were right around the corner from my brothers and my bedroom?

Updates:

Have since replaced the weight bench with an XMark bench that will allow me to do decline ab crunches:



and yesterday added a Body-Solid back hyperextension bench with which I'll also be able to perform oblique bends/crunches:



Just doing a few test reps on that back hyper bench at the sellers, and a few after I got it home and cleaned-up, has my lower back feeling better than it has in weeks. Amazing.

The home gym is now as complete as I can get it until I make enough room for a functional trainer.

Been getting one or two short strength workouts nearly every day, plus twenty minutes on the rower every one-three days. (The goal is to get both in every day, but life intrudes. Like today's water incursion problem.)

If you are interested, the Concept 2 website has various challenges (monthly, teams, etc) that you can do...and upload your info to the site to track various distances, challenges, team stats, standings etc.

It keeps me interested..

I rowed a half marathon and they sent me a tee-shirt...

I also joined a Navy Vets team for the team challenges.

Thanks for the hint, Patriot, but I think, for now, I'll just stick with my twenty minutes per day routine.

Twenty minutes gets me about 2/3 of the way to what my Apple Watch wants me to do each day for exercise. Add fifteen minutes or so of strength training and I'm there.

That's all the goal/challenge I need for now

i bought a 12' x 32' shop and turned it into a gym. If you are able, wire it both for 220 and 110, have as many outlets as you need , then add more LOL. I have a flat screen , a VCR (yes I am that old LOL) a DVD player and a good, sound system that is blue tooth capable. I also plumbed mine for LP gas, it makes warming it up much easier in the winter. I added a roll up garage door , males it easy to roll it up and get fresh air in the summer , the fresh air an open space seems to invigorate me and I like the option of being able to roll it up and do a set then sprint right out into the drivewat to run a wind sprint.

Since my last post I added a functional trainer...



Short squat stand...



A Rogue Echo Bike...



(My new most favorite cardio machine evah )

and a variety of other, smaller items.

Next up is another bench upgrade. Next year maybe a leg press or hip/leg sled.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Twenty minutes gets me about 2/3 of the way to what my Apple Watch wants me to do each day for exercise. Add fifteen minutes or so of strength training and I'm there.

How do you make use of all that equipment in 15 min/day? Is your rotation cycle several weeks?

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
How do you make use of all that equipment in 15 min/day? Is your rotation cycle several weeks?

No. Those comments were from back when I was doing just whatever.

Since about March or so I've been doing progressive overload with two different full-body sessions consisting of a couple compound movements and several isolation/accessory movements each. Each session is ±90 minutes. (A lot of that is inter-set recovery and setup/tear-down time.) I do MICT cardio (mostly on the rower) on recovery days and HIIT cardio on the Echo on a separate day.

Cycle is currently six days.

When I top-out full-body workouts I'll switch to a U/L split. Haven't decided what splits, yet.

^^^^^^

That’s an amazing level of dedication.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
^^^^^^

That’s an amazing level of dedication.

Thanks

I regard the alternative, what I see in most people my age, as unacceptable.

I see all kinds of weights and weight set related equipment for sale on a regular basis, cheap!

It took me 45 min. - 55 min. To utilize the 14 machines when I went to the tiny town gym.

I gotta believe that I should be able to achieve very similar results with some free weights and a treadmill.

What I would need is a video of how to use the weights for each of the exercises.

I miss feeling really really good.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
I see all kinds of weights and weight set related equipment for sale on a regular basis, cheap!

Only problem there is the most of the really cheap stuff is really cheap for a reason: It's not very good gear and/or it's really beat up. Not that it might not suffice for ones needs, but, better gear is usually, well, better.

There are deals to be found on quality gear--if you know what you're looking for, you're patient, your timing is right, and you're ready to leap when good finds appear. E.g.:

• My "like new" Concept2 RowErg for $800, saving me $300 on the rower + shipping + tax.
  
• My Body-Solid Back Hyperextension Bench which, other than a few dings in the paint, was in "like new" condition and I picked up for half what it would've cost new--round trip fuel costs and all.
  
• My Rogue Echo Bike. Currently on sale for $800. I picked mine up, also in "like new" condition, for $650--plus it included about $100 worth of add-ons in the form of a wind guard, water bottle holder, and cell phone holder.

But, I have to be honest: While you can get away with as little as a weight bench, a pair of adjustable dumbbells, and a cardio machine (if you don't care to do bodyweight cardio or run/walk outside), a comprehensive home gym ain't cheap. I've been tracking my expenditures on a spreadsheet. The other day I calculated break-even points with gym memberships:

• Expensive gym: 7 years
  
• My last gym: 18 years
  
• Planet Fitness: 55 years

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
It took me 45 min. - 55 min. To utilize the 14 machines when I went to the tiny town gym.

Yeah, I could do a full upper or lower split in 40 minutes when I used to work out on machines at gyms. My workouts at home take a lot more time because, as I noted, of setup and tear-down times.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
I gotta believe that I should be able to achieve very similar results with some free weights and a treadmill.

Similar or even better.

All my exercises on machines were what are called "isolation" exercises--targeting certain muscles or muscle groups. Now my routines include what are called "compound" movements, which involve multiple muscle groups throughout the body. Compound movements more accurately mimic real life demands.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
What I would need is a video of how to use the weights for each of the exercises.

There are tons of them. One need but search for them. Two of my go-to's are Athlean X on YouTube and Starting Strength/Mark Rippetoe.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
I miss feeling really really good.

Then get to it!

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
I miss feeling really really good.

Then get to it!

I think most of us lack the knowledge to accomplish anything useful, so mess around for a few weeks/months, get frustrated/hurt and quit. It sounds like you've been at this for a while and didn't just pick it up recently.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
I think most of us lack the knowledge to do accomplish anything useful, so mess around for a few weeks/months, get frustrated/hurt and quit.

That is precisely what a lot, perhaps even most, people do.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
It sounds like you've been at this for a while and didn't just pick it up recently.

I had a membership at one gym from somewhere around 1982 to somewhere around ±1990? Then a new gym in 2005. Other than a couple longer-than-planned breaks and a 2-year Covid-19 interruption I've been fairly consistently working out since 2005.

Up until early this year I did whatever came naturally, but, I did a lot of reading, I regularly talked to PTs and other gym rats, and I paid attention to what I was doing--I didn't just go in and knock out reps for the sake of knocking out reps or putting in the time.

I always did progressive overload.

Early this year I read The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40 and adopted a more rigorous approach. I'm currently employing whole-body programs that are an amalgam of the Starting Strength Novice and the Fierce 5 Novice programs. (Fierce 5 Novice doesn't include deadlifts and I wanted to do them.)

But, I don't want my rigorous approach to dissuade others who may feel that kind of thing is more commitment than what they're prepared for. In the end: Any exercise is better than no exercise at all. And who knows: Once you get going you may find you really like it and find yourself wanting to learn how to do more

I didn't get hurt,burnt out or bored.
The owners of the tiny town gym were remiss in their upkeep, maintenance and repairs.

Dealing with the part timers became frustrating and almost aggravating.


When I win the Powerball ,I will build the exact gym ,donate it to the city and membership will be $15.00 instead of $35.00 per month.

I have a Concept 2 that I use.

An old Bowflex I rarely use

a set of a few dumbbells and two adjustable kettle bells I don't use as much as I should.