The Hobbit Hole VI - And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...

[ecurbh]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)
• Fourth Thread: The Hobbit Hole IV - The Road Goes Ever On...
• Fifth Thread: The Hobbit Hole V - Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

[JenB]

Hmmm... I haven't really lost much weight lately but I do feel like my body's getting a little more... shapely, since I started running. Plus - this is a huge improvement over where I was four weeks ago! By early summer, I should be able to do what I want, right?

[Fedora]

Mostly I just want to get stronger, especially my upper arms and shoulders. I actually get something of a wrist and lower arm workout from playing music, believe it or not!Mostly I just want to get stronger, especially my upper arms and shoulders. I actually get something of a wrist and lower arm workout from playing music, believe it or not! I can feel it if I don't play for a bit and come back to it.

Oh, definitely, playing music can get muscles in the forearms and wrists! What do you play?

On the push-ups, to adjust the intensity or to target different muscle groups you can vary things like:

--Angle of hands

--Distance of hands from body

--Height (either by raising your hips higher off the floor or using handles that elevate you off the floor, like gymnasts use)

--Angle of body (using an incline)

--Number of hands (1 instead of 2)

You can experiment with that and notice how playing with those affects the way it feels. To give one application;

The pushup position stresses the pecs as the elbows move out to the sides, away from the body; it stresses the triceps when the elbows stay in close to the body. So if you want to work your triceps, instead of holding your hands in the regular pushup position, bring your hands in to within less than shoulder-length apart and lower your body to the floor, keeping your arms in against your body. In the "up" position, your arms should angle back towards your waist. As you lower yourself, pull your arms in against your sides. This will increase the tension in the triceps.

For a variation of that, point your fingers out instead of forward to shift the emphasis from your outer to your inner triceps.

That's one example; will send some more stuff on that after I get a chance to write it up. But meanwhile play around with that principle and see what you come up with.

[Fedora]

Hmmm... I haven't really lost much weight lately but I do feel like my body's getting a little more... shapely, since I started running. Plus - this is a huge improvement over where I was four weeks ago! By early summer, I should be able to do what I want, right?

If you've stuck with it four weeks, you're doing good! :) The effects aren't always visible at first, but they're there. Have you noticed if you can go longer without getting out of breath than when you started?

[RosieCotton]

Hmmm... I haven't really lost much weight lately but I do feel like my body's getting a little more... shapely, since I started running.

Me too! Though not necessarily the parts that I'd like to change most...heh. And seems like stuff like running upstairs is easier.

Plus - this is a huge improvement over where I was four weeks ago! By early summer, I should be able to do what I want, right?

Hopefully! I'm hoping to be at my first goal weight and fitness level by late summer. And for sure, I couldn't have done today's workout four weeks ago, so there's that!

[RosieCotton]

Oh, definitely, playing music can get muscles in the forearms and wrists! What do you play?

Mostly mandolin; also some guitar, fiddle, and tenor banjo. Not that I'm all THAT great at any, mind you.

Thanks for the tips on push-ups. That helps a lot! I'm probably going to start with these tomorrow, most likely starting with just the basics and working in some variations over the next few weeks.

[RosieCotton]

Have you noticed if you can go longer without getting out of breath than when you started?

I've noticed this...also I seem to recover more quickly than I did at first. I still get out of breath running up several flights of stairs, but I catch my breath much quicker.

[Fedora]

Hopefully! I'm hoping to be at my first goal weight and fitness level by late summer. And for sure, I couldn't have done today's workout four weeks ago, so there's that!

Excellent :) It's important to remind yourself of stuff like that so you know you're making progress. Otherwise you can feel like Bilbo in the middle of Mirkwood when he thought they were no closer to the end of the forest than they were at the beginning, because he didn't realize the tree he was on was in the middle of a bowl in the forest floor :)

[JenB]

Yes, I think I am in better shape. I still have 20 pounds of "penalty weight" to take off, or I'd probably be doing even better, but... it's a huge improvement. I expect that when I start biking again I'll be able to go a lot further and faster.

[Fedora]

Mostly mandolin; also some guitar, fiddle, and tenor banjo. Not that I'm all THAT great at any, mind you.

Well, you're better than me, so I'm impressed :) I'm just learning the very basics of guitar. I'm a bit better at piano but have a lot to learn yet.

Thanks for the tips on push-ups. That helps a lot! I'm probably going to start with these tomorrow, most likely starting with just the basics and working in some variations over the next few weeks.

Yeah, that's a good approach. Work in new exercises as you get used to the ones you're already doing. If you do regular and tricep pushups it will help considerably with the shoulders and upper arms. One important thing that it won't get is the biceps, which you will need either weights, a strap, or pull-ups for. Do you have something you can do pull-ups on? You can vary pull-ups in the same way you vary push-ups, and pull-ups unlike push-ups can be used to target the biceps as well, if you use a reverse grip (palms facing towards you). If you're not strong enough to pull your whole body up that way, an easier variation is to find a stick that can support your weight, hang it between two chairs, sit on the floor under it, and pull yourself up from that position. Between pull-ups and push-ups you can get most of the muscle groups in the shoulders and upper arms.

[Fedora]

Yes, I think I am in better shape. I still have 20 pounds of "penalty weight" to take off, or I'd probably be doing even better, but... it's a huge improvement. I expect that when I start biking again I'll be able to go a lot further and faster.

Definitely--especially if you move to Colorado and you bike up the mountains! :)

[300winmag]

(300winmag, what do you know about Lorenzoni quick-loading pistols, circa late 1700s?)

Basically, any blackpowder repeater prior to the Colt revolver was a "suicide special" for the wealthy. Somewhere inside the gun was a hugh reservoir of black powder, just waiting to blow up when the flimsy sealing system failed.

Revolver designs had been around for ages, but Colt came along at the right time. The industrial revolution was able to make precision, high-strength revolvers. It took another 25-30 years to learn to make the brass cases that provided the quantum leap in weaponry.

[JenB]

Heh, I think I'll stick to my feet in the mountains. I love hiking, though, and I'd very much like to learn to ski...

[RosieCotton]

Well, you're better than me, so I'm impressed :) I'm just learning the very basics of guitar. I'm a bit better at piano but have a lot to learn yet.

Hey, everyone has to start somewhere! I don't know much about playing piano...that's something I should probably learn someday. It'd help with music theory, if nothing else.

Guitar is a lot of fun, though! Any particular style you're concentrating on?

[RosieCotton]

I'll also put in a nod to snowshoeing. It's fun. Tiring, but fun.

I miss hiking. On the one hand, if the snow melts, I can't go snowshoeing on the weekends at Dad's. On the other hand, it'll mean we can hike! Woo-hoo! LOTS of hiking trails in these parts. Last year I did a few, but I was woefully out of shape. Should be a lot more fun this time around.

Gotta run in a few minutes. Church for an hour.

[JenB]

Seeya.... I'm about to pack up and go home and work out...

Yet again, I will remind you that if you move to Colorado with me, we can go hiking and snowshoeing together...

Have fun at church!

[Fedora]

I've only done a little hiking and skiing, but they look fun! There are some bluffs in the western part of the state we hiked up when I was a kid. As for skiing, the biggest hill I've ever gone down was the itty bitty hill on my Grandparents' farm, which was probably no bigger than an oliphaunt :) More often we'd sled or tobaggon down it.

[JenB]

Which state is this?

BTW - forgot to mention - you've got mail.

[Fedora]

Learning piano is a lot like learning typing to me, and I'm used to typing so I find that easier to pick up than guitar. As for guitar style, I'm starting with acoustical first. Later if I ever master the basics of that I might try electric, but that'll be a while yet.

[Fedora]

Gotta run in a few minutes. Church for an hour.

Have a good time at church!

[Fedora]

Which state is this?

Wisconsin.

Read your mail--will answer in a few.