Romantic Robot » gym

WP track progress

Mark — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:04:04 +0000

Have ipod touch, have gym, wanted to put the 2 together. I’ve lost a card I used to track my rowing progress so I cannot look back to get any information. It also had other information on weights and some routines. All good, all gone. So I figured the Touch might work as that backs up to the mac.
Off to the App Store I go. If you have GPS, no problem. If all you want to do is throw weights around, no problem. If you want every part of your diet, metabolism and running there is an app for you. But I use the static machines and weights. Weights I can sort with an app and it is proving useful in evening out work. But cross-trainer / bike / treadmill – nothing. So I’m hunting around the app store looking at note taking apps, fitness apps and there really is nothing for the Touch. And then in a moment of clarity I figured one of these blog things might work for what I want – not what I was looking for at all. I have a blog (the backup), the WordPress app (comes with me, holds drafts, I can edit, I can view previous posts to see where I was and I can make notes.) It may take a few keypresses more – but not many. Who would write ‘Treadmill’ when they would more likely use ‘T:’ ? So that’s me sorted then.

Back to the gym

Mark — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:36:38 +0000

Today marked the start of my “Get my ass to the gym” project. Haven’t been for ages. Could make lots of excuses but it still comes down to me not walking in. So today I did.
30 mins on the x-trainer on cardio setting (while listening to 130bpm Podrunner), 30 mins on the bike doing 5 mins cardio / 2 min fitness (only because my legs hurt after 5 mins cardio) then back on the x-trainer for a 30 minute aerobic. No weights. Despite not having been for ages I didn’t get too bad and I was still able to walk after all that. I reckon it’s all the stairs use here at home. But going once isn’t really so great – if I can post in a week / month I’m still going then that will be more useful.
And my incentive? Uploading all the actual holiday pics to SmugMug and seeing that there was a little bit more of me than I would like.

Getting a gym routine

Mark — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:57:19 +0000

I really enjoy going to the gym. I like being out of the house, away from the computer for a couple of hours and I love the elliptical trainer. The bike is cool, the treadmill is not. So I’m happiest on the former and use the fantastic Podrunner podcasts. He’s topping iTunes regularly so many know how great he is. Having that steady fast tempo really does work. Recently though for various reasons – another post – my attendance had dropped. But from Monday it’s going back up.

I use the cardio setting on the trainer because I get the stable speed and I’ve not been keen on those that do the hills. The harder/easier does not appeal even though I knew it was slightly better, would give me variety, and it didn’t appeal because of the lack of a tempo. It’s like trying to keep up with music that stops/starts/faster/slower. Didn’t work for me. That applies no longer.
We now have Podrunner Intervals. I think I might start these on the bike – or do both that and the trainer on different days. Either way it looks to be an amazing trip along a new way of using the machines and if it gets my routine back into shape it will be a certain winner. If you have even the slightest interest I strongly recommend you download these and his podcasts – as wrong as I might be at times all the others on iTunes are not. So that’s the gym for me with all it’s benefits – certainly beats
going outside :)