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The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter, Issue #172 Road trip workouts. October 15, 2015 |
Hi
October 15, 2015
In this newsletter . . . Road Trip WorkoutsChallenging: Horizontal Pull-Ups
Road Trip WorkoutsWife Patty retired from teaching this year, making it easy for off-season travel. If you happen to be retired too, you know the advantages. Kids are back in school, there are fewer crowds at popular travel spots, and prices are usually lower.Recently, we made a road trip into the Pacific Northwest to see a football game and then visit an old friend on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle. The University of California played University of Washington and we follow Cal. Their quarterback, Jared Goff, was one of Patty’s students in middle school and his family became friends. So we took a few days to drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Seattle for the game, enjoying the scenery and towns along the way. We love road trips. However, they are never an excuse to miss workouts. In years past, we’d often find local gyms along the way; pay a drop-in fee and workout. As we’ve gotten older, Olympic sets and other heavy weights in commercial gyms are no longer needed and we use other means. Parks and open space areas are always there for brisk walks. And most motels today have exercise rooms. Usually, these spaces have treadmills or stationery bikes for cardio and some sort of universal type weights machine for resistance work. Only a couple of times in our travels anywhere have we had to share an exercise room. They seem to be the least used spaces in motels. It’s a sad commentary, generally, but a plus for the few who want to use them. Setting up a 30-minute circuit workout in a motel exercise room is simple. Combine treadmill or bike work with lat pull-downs, overhead presses, sit-ups, body-weight squats and push-ups. Keep moving from one movement to the next, and then repeat the sequence until time is up. Breakneck speed is not required but don’t linger either. Half an hour of a full-body routine and you’ve done your duty. Have a nice shower, breakfast, and enjoy guilt-free driving to your next stopover. But what if your motel doesn’t have an exercise room? It happens. So I carry a set of resistance bands. The bands are really convenient and a great value, even as stand alone workout equipment at home. But on a road trip they are invaluable. 
Mine are from the Bodylastics company. They fit into a 12” x 12” satchel (see photo). It's compact and, trust me, even the strongest trainee can get in a workout with these bands. Learn more here.
But what if there's no motel exercise room and you've forgotten to bring resistance bands? You can still get a workout using body-weight only calisthenics. There really aren't any good reasons to lose your overall fitness while traveling. Keeping up the exercise habit while on the road only adds to the enjoyment of a vacation getaway. Be strong. Stay fit. And Happy Trails. If you like the newsletter, we're making it easy to share it . . . 
Challenging: Horizontal Pull-UpsHorizontal pull-ups, in the true horizontal position, can be a real challenge and something to work up to. Younger seniors can usually master them, with practice and perseverance. And even older seniors can do this great exercise by simply changing the angle from 90 degrees to something more accommodating, like 45 degrees or less. See the demo video and adjust the angle to fit your own ability.
Newsletter Policy The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter is a free publication sent twice monthly to subscribers. The purpose is to provide honest and realistic fitness information for people age 50 and above. I have never been paid or received compensation of any kind to write a positive review or endorse a product. If I say that I personally use a product or service, it is because I find value in it and have paid for it with my own money. Like newspapers, magazines and television, this newsletter and my web site contain advertising and marketing links. Naturally, I am compensated for these. The newsletter and web site provide information to help users establish and maintain a fitness lifestyle. But fitness information is not the same as fitness advice, which is the application of exercise and dietary practices to an individual's specific circumstances. Therefore, always consult with your physician for assurance that fitness information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate for you. Your comments and questions are always appreciated. Simply click on the "Reply" bottom. |
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