Crazy Exercises and Weight-Loss Products

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DianeA2Z
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Crazy Exercises and Weight-Loss Products

Post by DianeA2Z » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:35 am

Ok, Rebels: so what is the craziest exercise (piece of equipment or class) or weight-loss product you've ever used?

I so wish I had all the money I spent on that crap! Besides the stationary bike that became a clothes hanger, I've bought ab rollers, free weights, the pulley contraption you hooked to a door knob to use (who knew that the resistance cords/bands could really be good things?), I've used that hip shaker machine at a woman's gym (lord help me, I cannot believe I did that). If there was a "quick fix" tool or product, I've bought it.

The one good thing I bought was a versa-climber, but now I don't have anywhere to put it. I even had one of those rebounders. Never had the hiney hickey pants, although that story really cracked me up.

I've decided now that those 2 things on the ends of my legs were probably the reason why I had no weight problem in high school. Not only did I eat properly (the No S way, basically), but I walked to high school every day and it was at least 1 mile each way. (Yes, sometimes we got rides, and no I didn't slog thru 14 feet of snow. I'm not that old, and we had snow days, so there!

OK, your turn!

Diane
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Nichole
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Post by Nichole » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:54 am

Now I love to exercise. I exercise about 5 or sometimes 6 days a week and b/c of it I don't have to take antidepressents. I love my stationary bike and free weights. Now that weather is warm, I'm out walking.

What I really wasted precious money on was food for diets I could not do & maintain. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits just for ME and I could not finish them and they ended up spoiled. A stupid special container to take salads into work. I don't know, I have wasted a lot of money on food I didn't even want to eat.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

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Tulsa
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Post by Tulsa » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:12 am

Exercise and a good diet both play in weight loss and good health. As far as exercise goes, the important thing is to just do something. My wife bought a Schwinn Aerodyne at a garage sale. We both use it some. I had one of those cheapy cross country ski machines that was all over TV 15 years ago or so. Big waste of money. I do something every day. I have some free weights and kettlebells and I use them. Mostly I do body weight exercises. For instance yesterday I did 6 circuits of 25 each pushups, jumping jacks, situps and hindu squats with no rest. It doesn't take all that long, you can do it anywhere, and it really kicks your rear.

There are a lot of gimic gadgetry out there and probably a lot of it has some merit but none of it does you any good if you don't use it. Again, the important thing is to find something you like and do it--no excuses.

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Noturningback
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Post by Noturningback » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:12 am

A manual treadmill. There was/is no way I would use that thing for more than a week - at most. I admit it was too much work for me to keep up with. I think I walked at a snails pace on that thing. I do use my electric run treadmill.

I also laugh at my thigh master. If anyone took a brief look at me, you would know I never mastered it. I'm sure it worked for someone out there but, I had the vision that I would sit and watch TV for a few hours thigh mastering. When Christmas came around I would crack nuts with my bionic thighs. Good thing I never tried Buns of Steel! :shock:

~Danielle

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JillyBean
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Post by JillyBean » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:01 am

I also laugh at my thigh master. If anyone took a brief look at me, you would know I never mastered it.
Oh, my! I'd forgotten I had one of those years ago! I never mastered mine, either!! I've had a nordic trac and used to use if quite faithfully for about 40 minute sessions. It worked when I used it, but I never enjoyed it. Sold it a few years ago when the dust got pretty thick on it.

I have a nice treadmill now and I do like that when I can't get out in the weather. This week I've begun walking outside with some friends and that is awesome! We finally have some nice walking weather here in Maine. A bit of mud to wade through on occasion, but that's leaving too. I

I have the stretch bands, but don't use them. Maybe some day...

I also have the big ball (don't even remember what you call it and I never learned what to do with it), a stair stepper that I couldn't keep up with the moves on the DVD so that lasted about a week.
Jill

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DianeA2Z
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Post by DianeA2Z » Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:59 am

Tulsa wrote:Mostly I do body weight exercises. For instance yesterday I did 6 circuits of 25 each pushups, jumping jacks, situps and hindu squats with no rest. It doesn't take all that long, you can do it anywhere, and it really kicks your rear.

There are a lot of gimic gadgetry out there and probably a lot of it has some merit but none of it does you any good if you don't use it. Again, the important thing is to find something you like and do it--no excuses.
Way to go! My husband is real good about doing weight resistance training. I used to do more of it but got out of the habit. I'm going to get some light weights to use with the Ball routine. Since I bore easily I'm going to change things up w/yoga and pilates, and resistance bands as well (have the DVDs, might as well get some use out of them). I really like the elliptical but there's only one down in the clubhouse and it seems to always be in use when I go in. There is a great paved path along the river, and I love to take the dog there for walks (when I can get her to walk...she's kind of a slug).

Oh, and loved the thigh master stories...yep, I had one too. You know, I think Suzanne Somers still uses it :lol:

Diane
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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:05 pm

/rant

The stupidest piece of exercise equipment wasn't my personal property. It was the rope in PE class in elementary school.

I never much cared for PE as a child. I'm not competitive by nature so the races and games were often as not just another affirmation of how slow and uncoordinated I was. But the worst was having to climb a rope in PE class.

I found out a few years ago that the philosophy behind PE from the 50's through the 70's was military readiness. This was the cold war after all and we had to be sure that we could muster large numbers of fit recruits and get them into fighting shape very quickly. (Critser, Fatland)

Thank God our national security didn't actually require me as a chubby 8 year old to climb a rope to defend The American Way of Life. We would have been overrun by Communism for sure.

Fortunately the emphasis in PE is now on lifetime fitness skills. As part of PE class, my kids kids lift weights and run, flyfish, kayak, geocache, rock wall climb and do a bunch of other stuff that I would love to do.

Even the military has eased up on its requirements. The Marines let you do pulls ups with your hands facing toward you or away from you. You still have to do a bunch o' crunches, push ups and run your keester off, though.
Last edited by Blithe Morning on Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Tulsa
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Post by Tulsa » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:19 pm

Actually rope climbing is a great exercise. Maybe the rationale back then was military readiness but rope climbing stands alone as a great exercise.

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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:13 pm

Tulsa wrote:Actually rope climbing is a great exercise. Maybe the rationale back then was military readiness but rope climbing stands alone as a great exercise.
Agreed. But as a once a year activity it didn't work. Rope climbing requires a baseline fitness to do. Plus, there is a skill to it. If you had one, you could get the other fairly easily. If you didn't, then you failed. Publicly and miserably.

Maybe if more instruction had been included or a harness where we could have varied the actual weight we had to support until we were strong enough would have given me a more positive outlook.

I still think it was insane to line elementary kids up and ask them to climb to the top of a 12 foot high (at least) gymnasium ceiling, unharnessed. Even the kids who made it more often than not slid down giving them rope burns that were actually a badge of honor in the elementary world view of things. Of course, this was the generation that had 6 foot slides and jungle gyms on asphalt. I don't consider myself part of the bubble wrap generation but honestly, somethings I just cringe at looking back.

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Tulsa
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Post by Tulsa » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:36 pm

I'm 47 now but I still remember the first time we did the rope climb in school. The reason I remember is because I was the only kid who made it all the way to the top. I had quite the big head for awhile. You're right. It would have been better with more instruction and safety but we survived. I think they go to the opposite extreme and don't challenge kids at all now. They have even banned dodge ball in a lot of schools. When I was in school, no one stayed home sick on dodge ball day. That was something we all looked forward to--the jocks, the nerds, the chubby kids--we all loved dodge ball. I'm sure there were kids that didn't like it but none of them went to my school.

I would love to have a climbing rope as part of my workouts. I could rig one up in my garage but they are very expensive. Some day, maybe.

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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:39 pm

Tulsa wrote:I'm 47 now but I still remember the first time we did the rope climb in school. The reason I remember is because I was the only kid who made it all the way to the top. I had quite the big head for awhile.
The elementary school me is in awe! :D You rock, Tulsa.

silver
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Post by silver » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:04 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:/rant

The stupidest piece of exercise equipment wasn't my personal property. It was the rope in PE class in elementary school.

.
couldn't agree more. up till now i can't do it. only after college was i told that i have hypermobile joints and if i want to gain some strength i have to work much harder that others. at that time nobody knew it though. and at the elementary school i had a teacher who thought PE was the most important subject. so she made me stay after school training a few times. i was quite glad, mind you. at least i didn't have to go to my music lessons that i hates even more. but then my mum found out. she went to the school and had an argument with the teacher. so i started attending those stupid music lessons again. and i never learned to do it. but i seriously doubt i would have ever learned anyway

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fkwan
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Post by fkwan » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:28 pm

OMG, the ropes. Talk about a nightmare. I was a 3 month premature baby and have no balance, hyperflexion, basic muscle weakness and now at the age of 53, rheumatoid arthritis! I was obese until my 50s and I HATED, HATED, HATED gym. Rope climbing? Might as well wish to morph into Cameron Diaz. :lol: Oh the horror. Thanks for bringing back all those memories!!! :) Now I spend 5 days in the gym, but it's doing weights or treadmill or the elliptical or something made for human beings. I never learned to swim and never could ride a bike, so walking is it for my aerobic exercise. And it really works if you do it 7 days a week every day no matter what.

f

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Noturningback
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Post by Noturningback » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:46 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:/rant

The stupidest piece of exercise equipment wasn't my personal property. It was the rope in PE class in elementary school.

I never much cared for PE as a child. I'm not competitive by nature so the races and games were often as not just another affirmation of how slow and uncoordinated I was. But the worst was having to climb a rope in PE class.

I found out a few years ago that the philosophy behind PE from the 50's through the 70's was military readiness. This was the cold war after all and we had to be sure that we could muster large numbers of fit recruits and get them into fighting shape very quickly. (Critser, Fatland)

Thank God our national security didn't actually require me as a chubby 8 year old to climb a rope to defend The American Way of Life. We would have been overrun by Communism for sure.

Fortunately the emphasis in PE is now on lifetime fitness skills. As part of PE class, my kids kids lift weights and run, flyfish, kayak, geocache, rock wall climb and do a bunch of other stuff that I would love to do.

Even the military has eased up on its requirements. The Marines let you do pulls ups with your hands facing toward you or away from you. You still have to do a bunch o' crunches, push ups and run your keester off, though.
OMG

My husband needs to read this. One of his saddest childhood memories is of that darn rope and gymnastics during PE. He was raised in Sweden in the 70's/80's. He is and was quite tall and he claims he was a bit chunky, although the perception of chunky back then, in his world, wreaks of food disorder in the making. He just isn't built to be the best at rope climbing and gymnastics. He said he would be ridiculed for it. He even had a teacher who used official rule books/points to judge them. Keep in mind this is grammar school children being judge as adults. One may agree with that but, I have to disagree about making the child feel horrible in the process. He was able to jump the poll vault but, the teacher didn't believe him and made him do it again before he would give him an award for his triumph - which of course he cherished.

I'll have to mention the military concept. It was mandatory to serve in the military, in Sweden, and I know he took a written type exam to place him. He ended up ranking rather high in the military but, never served because he came to the States that year for abroad schooling.

I've never had to climb those ropes.

~Danielle
Last edited by Noturningback on Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DianeA2Z
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Post by DianeA2Z » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:12 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:/rant

The stupidest piece of exercise equipment wasn't my personal property. It was the rope in PE class in elementary school. /quote]

Oh dear God, you have just brought back horrible memories I thought were buried forever. And Tulsa, man you do rock, but I just wanted to smack kids like you. Right to the top the first time...whyIoughta.... nevermind. I'm a better person now :lol: And helloooo, rope burns!!

Actually, we didn't get PE until junior high. Elementary school was great, we had recess and we ran around the playground like crazy people. Oh, you know I just remembered, we did have PE classes, cause that's where I learned to play dodge ball. And then we'd walk home from school, rush to change clothes and run back outside again to play until dinner time. I rode my bike, played hopscotch and king-of-the-hill, Simon says, I rollerskated for so long that when I'd take my skates off I had trouble walking. In the winter time we'd build snow forts after blizzards and walk to the outdoor ice skating rink (ok, it was a frozen shallow pond). Now those memories bring back lots of smiles and good thoughts. :D

I sure am glad I grew up during the 50's and 60's! Old is only a state of mind. I don't fight living longer because the alternative of a dirt nap is not one of my goals just now. However, I refuse to be "old" :!: :!:

Lookout everyone, Rebel on the loose!
Diane
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Tulsa
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Post by Tulsa » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:20 pm

DianeA2Z wrote:
Blithe Morning wrote:/rant
I refuse to be "old" :!: :!:
There's the right attitude! :D

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