TRICEP AND SHOULDER EXERCISES

[Vickie]

Well Des, you have recieved excellent feedback. Matt is right on . . . split things up to give the muscles plenty of time to rest and seven days a week is a recipe for disaster, let's give your military advisor credit also. Remember that I suggested that you should never work the same muscles two days in a row. While I really think push ups are a great routine blaster, adding endurance and iso-genetic training within your isotonic (weight resistence) training, every day is just too much. Also your body just needs days to rest and recover on and off the golf course. Bagger is right also, even though I don't put as much credence to aging as most people rest is critical to your success both in terms of increased strength and physical endurance.

I must have missed a previous reference to an 'abductor'. Typically, in the gym, this is a machine that you sit in and open your legs to work the outer (lateral) aspects of your legs. Typically there are two machines side by side and one you squeeze your legs in (adductor) and the other you open your legs against the resistence(abductor). I personally would suggest you do compound leg exercises and leave these to, well the girls. Unless you are recovering from a very specific injury or you have all the time in the world, these muscles are incorporated in compound use of the hips and legs and only use up your time. I have other opinions about these machines but will save them for a more casual conversation. Your Abs can be worked with machines in the gym or just effectively at home with traditional exercises and with medicine balls that have been mentioned on other threads.

I absolutely do believe you need to find time for two isolation leg exercises primarily because they are so important to the knee joint, leg extension and leg curl. You should just jump from one to another, three sets each, without rest keeping the weight light enough to get 15 repetitions but with perfect form and with a challenge. I also notice that you are missing bicep work, critical to the function of the lats and ability to move your arms through the full range of motion with healthy elbows.
Forward raises and rear deltoids are more of the shoulder joint muscles and are necessary to keep the rotator cuff muscles from over working to stabilize the funtions of your swing. These could and maybe should be performed with dumbgbells. There is a rear deltoid exercise that can best be accomplished on a pec dec if the machine is set up to allow it.

Again, if you have a trainer that could just walk thru some of these suggestions it will help you immensely. Sounds like you are doing very well on your own but as you might have seen in Matts response, balance is everything. If you work the muscles of the front of your joint, you want to work the muscles on the other side (an over simplification to the extreme) equally.

I am so glad you have found a rythm in your training. We are all (after 25 years, by the way) always looking to create the balance. Congrats for staying in the challenge. I am so glad you posted your progress. Let's keep it going.

Viokie

[DES]

Vickie -

Perhaps I have the wrong name on the machine, but I thought it was the Abductor. You sit on a seat with your chest agaist the padded surface - it has 2 hand grips behind and you simply bend forward from the waist. I'll check on the name tomorrow.

I'm not sure what you mean by "compound leg exercieses." Concering the other exercises, we have the machine you are describing, I believe, but usually avoid - opening and closing legs.

RE: Leg Extension and Leg Curl. I was avoiding them because I was concerned they might aggravate the arthritis in my knees. Right now knees are doing well, minimum pain, walking is OK. Are these approriate with arthritis?

Thanx again.

Dave

[Vickie]

I know the machine you are talking about and there's no telling what they call it. This is an abdominal crunch apparatus. When you are bending forward from the waist make sure you are engaging your abdominal muscles and letting them lead the motion. Don't get into the habit of pulling the handles or you will create some pain at the top of your shoulder blades.

Compound leg exercises are simply movements that use all of the muscles instead of seperating out their functions. Squats (all of the many kinds) leg presses hack squats, hamstring deadlifts, lunges (my personal favorite for my people) are all compound motions.

Leg extensions and curls are critical to the function of the knee joint relative to the hip action. You are right that arthritis requires that you manage a level of resistence that doesn't over tax the cartlidge. So keep the movements slow and the weight light. By moving slowly you stay in the muscle for a longer period of time which increases the overload. Extend your for a cound of four and lower for a cound of six. Reverse the order on the leg curl, lifting for a coundt of four and lower for a cound of six. Make sure your movements are complete, fully extend your knee but no slamming or bouncing into the top and control your stop at the bottom before you resume. Also make sure you are not over flexing your ankle. It should be comfortably flexed only. ( To save time it's ok to do your legs together but expecially on leg extensions I like to do each leg individually atleast every other workout just to make sure they are progressing equally and not being led by a dominant, right, leg)

There are many theories for arthritis and many causes for every individual. Make sure you are supporting your immune system, and get ting plenty of fish oil (omega 3) in your diet. You could consider some supplements for arthritis to reduce your symptom and slow down the progress of the condition. You should talk to a qualified person at a real health food store, avoid chains and department or drug store products.


Let's see where this takes us. Keep asking questions! Vik

[DES]

Thanx, Vickie -

Yes, it's the ABDOMINALS!

I take a pretty heavy dose of vitamins, minerals, herbs every morning! Somewhere around 50, plus or minus. Some of these are for hypertension. It includes 3000 omega-3. I'm also taking a liquid formula designed by a chiropractor in Iowa. It includes MSM, Chondroitan, etc as well as some herbs for pain. It's called FLEX-EASY. It would appear that it seems to be helping. A year or so ago I was visibily limping and knees were "popping" constantly. On the negative side I do take 3 Motrin every morning as well.

At bedtime I do an oral chelation with EDTA (3000mg), L-Cystine and NAC (I think about 500mg each). I strongly disagree with the medical profession that heart disease is from cholestrol - hence the oral chelation).

Again, thanx for the help and input.

Dave

[Vickie]

Des, Fabulous supplement orchestration. I'm running out for a couple of days with my son but would love to banter about you brilliant conclusion that heart disease is about so much more than cholesterol. In fact the medical research industry has proven it conclusively. I'll post Sunday. Thanks for the great feedback! Vik

PS I'd love to know more about the Flex-Easy product also. Always looking for good products and certainly a chance to take one less pill.

[DES]

I'll look forward to your post on Sunday!

In the meantime, here's the website for the oral formula I take. And I understand there is always some sujectivity to these things. But I do know I was limping, walking with pain, and knees sounded like shotguns! Whether it's the FlexEasy or some of the other ingredient I'm taking, I can't conclusively say. My only complaint to him was the carbs - about 9 per dosage. You can check the ingredients on the website as obviously I didn't remember them all.

I'm on the auto plan which runs about $26 per month which includes Prioity Mail shipping.

www.flexeasy.com

Dave