What are you practicing to be better at?
Replies
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Current gym practices: climbing and dancing
Out of the gym: needlepoint
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Cycling faster over long distances.1
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I purchased a bike about two weeks ago. I had not ridden bike in previous three decades. I'm really struggling on it. My first mini goal of riding to and from pool almost completed today - but I had to walk the last two uphill blocks to my house.
I want to go for 5 to 10 mile rides with ease - Hoping to be able to do that by November when the weather and fall beauty will really make the rides so worthwhile.
Just keep working at it.
My first ride, when I got back into it 27 years ago, was 2 miles, and I had to stop and take a break after the first mile. That was April 29, 1990. By the end of that summer, I had ridden a 50-mile ride.
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Just keep working at it.
My first ride, when I got back into it 27 years ago, was 2 miles, and I had to stop and take a break after the first mile. That was April 29, 1990. By the end of that summer, I had ridden a 50-mile ride.
Thanks! It is 1.6 miles to the gym where I swim, so that ride (to and from is 3.2 miles) I'm almost completing. I'm dead on my feet (well it is 90+ degrees outside so that isn't helping) and can't wait till that is a nice easy ride. But yea, I'm just gonna keep at it!
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Rowing: It's always something. Getting cleaner releases is one current thing; I tend to feather out instead of tapping down like I should, so it looks like I've got freakin' Niagara Falls dropping off my blade. Getting full extension from arms away/body over, smoothly, right out of the finish, before the slide. Always, always, letting the boat come to me on the slide! I could go on and on (sigh) . . . but that's part of what makes it perennially fun.
Also, learning to play bluegrass banjo. (But not in the boat.
) 6 -
Using my time efficiently.0
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I'd like to get better at everything too. Taking golf lessons right now, and have been taking tennis lessons for years. I'm doing C25K for the umpteenth time, having been stopped by injury/strains each of the previous times. Trying to get faster on my bike too, want to be able to keep up with a group of friends who cycle regularly. I could go on.
Actually let me sneak in one more. I'm trying to get better at cramming in more vegetables.0 -
I am doing a hand balancing challenge this month so hopefully I am great at them by the end of the month.
Long term i want to get better on the aerial hoop so I can get to the point where I can perform in front of people. This a many hours of intentional practice exercise and realistically i might be too old, too inflexible and too shy to ever reach this goal but it is fun to try.0 -
Remainder of the Summer and into Autumn - cycling is my focus, faster in general and improve my woeful performance on big hills in particular.
Autumn into Winter - bench press BW x 1.50 -
Bench - want to hit reps with 4 plates total (225lbs), currently at 165lbs
Squat - want to hit reps with 6 plates total (315lbs), currently at 270lbs
Deadlift - want to hit reps with 8 plates total (405lbs), currently at 340lbs
This may take me months but they are all achievable.
Google working with chains on the bar. The idea behind it is you can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom.
Surely bands, not chains?0 -
Improve my strict pull ups: i can link 4 at the moment and want to link 10. Improve my running so i get a sub 1:45 half marathon in October.2
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StealthHealth wrote: »Bench - want to hit reps with 4 plates total (225lbs), currently at 165lbs
Squat - want to hit reps with 6 plates total (315lbs), currently at 270lbs
Deadlift - want to hit reps with 8 plates total (405lbs), currently at 340lbs
This may take me months but they are all achievable.
Google working with chains on the bar. The idea behind it is you can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom.
Surely bands, not chains?
Either, really, but there will be some added resistance regardless. Unless using reverse bands, but then the weight on the bar needs to go up, not the same. But WS programming often isn't appropriate for raw lifters. It's fine for specific cases and occasional use, but usually not as an everyday programming mode.1 -
Cycling - I want to get faster and build endurance. I just hired a coach.0
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StealthHealth wrote: »Bench - want to hit reps with 4 plates total (225lbs), currently at 165lbs
Squat - want to hit reps with 6 plates total (315lbs), currently at 270lbs
Deadlift - want to hit reps with 8 plates total (405lbs), currently at 340lbs
This may take me months but they are all achievable.
Google working with chains on the bar. The idea behind it is you can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom.
Surely bands, not chains?
Either, really, but there will be some added resistance regardless. Unless using reverse bands, but then the weight on the bar needs to go up, not the same. But WS programming often isn't appropriate for raw lifters. It's fine for specific cases and occasional use, but usually not as an everyday programming mode.
I was questioning the concept that chains "can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom." - I don't think that that is the case, but it is the case with bands.0 -
StealthHealth wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Bench - want to hit reps with 4 plates total (225lbs), currently at 165lbs
Squat - want to hit reps with 6 plates total (315lbs), currently at 270lbs
Deadlift - want to hit reps with 8 plates total (405lbs), currently at 340lbs
This may take me months but they are all achievable.
Google working with chains on the bar. The idea behind it is you can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom.
Surely bands, not chains?
Either, really, but there will be some added resistance regardless. Unless using reverse bands, but then the weight on the bar needs to go up, not the same. But WS programming often isn't appropriate for raw lifters. It's fine for specific cases and occasional use, but usually not as an everyday programming mode.
I was questioning the concept that chains "can increase resistance at the top of the lift and keep it the same at the bottom." - I don't think that that is the case, but it is the case with bands.
No - not even with bands. There will still be added resistance at the bottom. How much depends on the bands' properties and how you set them up. But it'll still be there.
I suppose you could set them up in a power cage, with the bands around the safety rails, but that wouldn't really be a good idea to have no tension at the bottom, as the bands could easily move and force the bar to twist.
eta: But, yeah - the part about chains is incorrect - more weight at the top (provided the chains reach the floor at the bottom), but definitely not zero at the bottom.2 -
Right now its improving my hill climbing on the bike. This fall I plan to get some more swim coaching, since I'm a mediocre swimmer. I'm thinking of signing up for next year's Ironman Lake Placid race, so I want to make the swim segment less of a chore by improving my stroke over the winter.2
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Swimming - I've got a 5.25mile swim in September that I really need to be trained up for. I had a swim coaching session a few weeks back which gave me some great pointers on improving my stroke for distance swimming, I just need to build up my distance/time in the water now.1
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I am practicing to get off the toilet all by myself when i am 90 and to not die before that. does that count?4
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Loving myself and embracing 30!1
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Gloriam_Sanguinis wrote: »Everything! I wanna be better at everything
This!
The thing I'm really excited about is doing gymnastics again. I've nailed left side cartwheels, round offs and can hold a handstand for a few seconds. Currently I am trying to do a back walkover. I did manage to get the backbend part, but kicking over is not happening yet.4 -
Penthesilea514 wrote: »Deadlifts- I can do them correctly with an empty bar essentially forever but add a little weight and I lose form.
that's me with squats, except 'add the bar' . . . and it isn't a matter of weight.
mine is equalizing the strength and i guess 'dexterity' between my two feet, as well as the ankles attached to them. i'm taking this seriously after 3 years of lifting, because something happened about a month back that made it clear i can't progress any further until i fix this, with deadlifts particularly.
well, i could. i suppose. but the amount of difference it makes to my left-right abilities, i'm not stupid enough to want to. i have the foot and toes themselves up to at least 70%ish right now, but the moment i did start to get that whole foot on the ground and bring it into my lifts, it became obvious that i'm going to have to work on every single muscle, tendon and ligament upstream from it.
i'm fine with that. at least for right now, anyway. i see no point in fixing my feet just to rip a hamstring loose at the opposite end, so yeah. at least i like the feeling of having a specific project and a finite length of leg to work on until it's all gone. and really really curious to find out what will happen when/as i do start to get this whole thing sorted out.1 -
- Vertical leaps
- Rope climbs without using one's legs
- Similarly, climbing a vertical cargo net without using one's legs
- Pull-ups. (I can do a good number, but I need to do more -- and do them faster.)
- Sprinting. Also, tackling a warped wall.
- Grip-related challenges in an obstacle course race
- Climbing pegboards
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canadianlbs wrote: »Penthesilea514 wrote: »Deadlifts- I can do them correctly with an empty bar essentially forever but add a little weight and I lose form.
that's me with squats, except 'add the bar' . . . and it isn't a matter of weight.
mine is equalizing the strength and i guess 'dexterity' between my two feet, as well as the ankles attached to them. i'm taking this seriously after 3 years of lifting, because something happened about a month back that made it clear i can't progress any further until i fix this, with deadlifts particularly.
well, i could. i suppose. but the amount of difference it makes to my left-right abilities, i'm not stupid enough to want to. i have the foot and toes themselves up to at least 70%ish right now, but the moment i did start to get that whole foot on the ground and bring it into my lifts, it became obvious that i'm going to have to work on every single muscle, tendon and ligament upstream from it.
i'm fine with that. at least for right now, anyway. i see no point in fixing my feet just to rip a hamstring loose at the opposite end, so yeah. at least i like the feeling of having a specific project and a finite length of leg to work on until it's all gone. and really really curious to find out what will happen when/as i do start to get this whole thing sorted out.
I am glad you have a specific plan to work on it- I feel the same way about avoiding injury at this stage, which is why I am keeping things light and seeking some additional help. Good luck to you, I hope your plan helps.1 -
My balance, which means working on my core muscles. Also push-ups.0
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Picking things up and putting them down.1
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I'm practicing to be more disciplined and mentally tough. I've done a lot of great conditioning for the exercise I do and events I like (half and full marathons
), and it's my mind telling me that I'm tired, I should stop, I need a break, etc. etc. that keeps me from making the most of my training on race day. 3 -
Pushing through hunger so I can lose these last 21 lbs.0
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This month I'm working on my plank and C25K. Right now I can do a solid 10 seconds 2 times.1
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