[Jason]

I would document the event by calling the police to ensure that you will win any pending case or future insurance claim. Also, I would take pictures (at the scene is best but that has past) of yourself, your bike, and your outfit that you were wearing. Document, document, document. Also, get written statements from the security guards and any other witnesses that were there.

[Jason]

That dude made a totally ELITE move bro.

[Jason]

Caveate: My quads are nowhere near that size.

However, from squats I have problems with certain pants, especially the ones cut skinny. I am stuck wearing more baggy styles so I fit in them properly. I used to have the same issue with shirts made for the typical american man, buying to fit my neck size (16.5″) made them look like big tents with a 31″ waist. Now you can buy more fitted shirts, but even some of those are too baggy. Soooo, I understand the problems.

[Jason]

@Terpfan 27436 wrote:

Some rain, good. Pouring rain, bad.

Somehow I missed all of the rain. I’m never early on Mondays, but I was out way early this morning. I guess the short ride up WO&D yesterday had me in the biking mood.

Damnit, I missed the rain today too. Bummed.

[Jason]

I noticed anytime it says rain out, the bike room at work is empty. I love riding in the rain, keeps the tourists away, the cars can see my lights better, and it keeps me cool. Plus there is some sort of wierd satisfaction that goes with biking in the rain. I was pissed on friday that it stopped raining before I left.

[Jason]

Potomaccyclist: Check my last posts, if you go with a trap/shrug bar, pull up bar/dip station, and a weight belt (to add weights kind, not the bs kind for your “lower back”) and you trained hard and progressively, you would be better than 90% of all gym goers. I essentially do this workout for one of my workouts (one of two per week) at the free gym I get at work. If I had space at home, I would do it there instead.

The problem with increasing resistance by going with one limb instead of another is that it is a BIG leap in resistance AND the one limb moves arent as stable and therefore more risky. As a risk adverse trainee who wants to do this for another 30-40 years, I go with what I know is safe. Also, when you get up near your personal bests (for reps of course, 1RM is silly) you will need to add weight in very small incraments. I am down to using .5lb plates on many exercises toward the end of my cycles.

I also like back extension. No replacement for a deadlift, but they actually work slightly different muscles than the DL, so for some purposes, they are actually better. I do them with a 25lb plate, trying to keep the reps high in the 8-10 range over 2 sets. I could do more, but not at that point yet.

For abs, I also work that progressively. I see no need for sets of 50 or 60 like some people seem to want to work them. Abs are mucles like everywhere else, why train them differently. I like sets of 8-10. Currently doing them with excellent form nice and slow with a 55lb dumbell on my chest. If at home and starting out, you can even use jugs of water or soup cans. Nothing fancy needed.
For beginners on the dip or pull up, they sell very strong bands now that can be used to reduce resistance from bodyweight, very effective. I think Rogue fitness sells them.

[Jason]

If its progressive, why not! Maybe some lead books?

[Jason]

I am not suggesting he did want to increase his 1RM. I am not either. I havent 1RM in 25 years. I am suggesting that if the goal is muscle building then there are more efficient means to do so. Bodyweight is fine up to a point. When you reach that point, surpassing it is impossible unless you add resistance in a progressive fashion. IE, if you dont stimulate your body to increase strength, it wont. The most efficient way to do so is to add weight. I use three “bodyweight” exercises as my favorite core exercises. Squat, Dips, and pullups.

Case in point: if I didnt add weight tose bodyweight exercises, I wouldnt be as strong as I am now. I would only be strong enought to do the weight I was doing with my bodyweight. As of now, I am able to do the same motions with my bodyweight + x weight that I add. So as a result, I am x weight stronger over the same number of reps (say 8-10) than I would be had I never added x weight to my body as I did the same motions.

As far as cost, I think weight plates are pretty cheap, as is a weight belt. If doing just upper body, you probably already have a dips station and pullup bar. Actually, if you added to that a barbell for deadlifts or (my preference) a trap/shrug bar for parallel bar deadlifts (really a squat without a rack) then you would be far better off than a p90x’er in the strength department. Add in some biking for cardio endurance, and you have a pretty good picture. No need for both P90x AND biking, since both are cardio/endurance after you get over the inital strenght building from using only your own bodyweight.

[Jason]

The problem with P90x is that you are only using bodyweight. In order to create muscle building you need to steadily increase weight, or reps or both. With p90x, your bodyweight is relatively fixed, so you cant increase that. You can only therefore increase reps. You will never be able to handle greater weight than say your bodyweight. But there is a limit where you will hit your endurance threshold far before you hit muscle building when you use body weight alone. P90x is great for burning calories, but not for muscle building and strength, you will only get a little bigger at first, and not much stronger. You will be limited by the weight you are moving, namely your bodyweight. You may feel stronger, but instead you will be only increasing your max endurance, after you gain a certain threshold of basic strength by moving your own bodyweight around. You will build endurance for sure, but there are probably even more effective ways (given that time finite) than p90x. After you have gone through a true muscle and strenght building routine, you will know the difference for sure.

[Jason]

@rsewell19 27287 wrote:

Gonna check that book out ASAP. Massages are pretty magical. When I was young I played competitive tennis and taught at a pretty posh club. My knees ache to this day because of it but we did get free massages once a week, it was bliss!

Yeah when you get it you will think “wow not much to this book” but then as you read and hear him talk you through the stretches, you will be shocked at how wrong we were all doing it. Plus, he gives good reasons for the way he has you do things, which helps people like me who are always questioning things.

[Jason]

I volunteer to help anybody develop a routine if they want. I like to keep things simple.

[Jason]

@KelOnWheels 27241 wrote:

I like turtles.

“I like the wizard of oz”

[Jason]

I totally agree. I see this guy James off of the Couthouse Metro. He is an expert at finding the pain spot and working it. I went to him for my hip. Not only did he work on it hard (PAIN!!!!) but he gave me stretches to work on it on my own. I highly recommend it if you bike regularly and get overuse issues. Also works good if you lift weights. Even if you do it properly with good form, you will get tightness in areas you can’t quite stretch out.

Also, I really like this book “The Stark Reality of Stretching” He goes into immense details about how to properly stretch while still somehow keeping it simple. He talks you through the most important stretches. Super valuable.

[Jason]

Back to the Cross Check. Whats with the Bar End Shifters?!?!?! I know tourers like them because they need less adjustment, but seriously, I would love that bike if it wasnt for those.

[Jason]

@baiskeli 27065 wrote:

My Neighbor Down the Street
Recumbent Trike Lady Who Gets Off the Custis at Veitch
Guy On Hand Bike on the Bluemont Junction Trail
Ann, the Lady with a Disability Who Rides a Trike and Stops at Starbucks in Clarendon Sometimes, Who Rocks for Not Letting Her Disability Keep Her from Riding

I didnt know her name was Ann. She is also one of my motivators. She lives across the street from me, I see her getting around on the trike all the time. I was sitting on my balcony with my wife (Pilates and cycling instructor for 15 years), and two of our friends from Finland who are international Karate champions, AND own their own crossfit Gym AND he is a physical therapist. I am certainly the least athletic of them all. We were all motivated by seeing her go in and out over two weeks while they were visiting. She must have more heart than 99.9% of all the other people I see out there.

My other Bobs are a big bearded dude who works for the park service who walks along the park nearly every morning. Not really a motivator, but he is out there. Occasionally I also see him biking in the other direction at the end of the day on a red rental bike. I give him a little nod.

Another Bob is a guy who seems to walk all the way from arlington into DC for his commute. Not sure why he isnt on a bike, guess he likes walking. He has all sorts of reflective stuff on his backpack. Must have been hit by an ELITE biker. I give him tons of space and a bell and a call so he knows we arent all *ouchebags.

[Author]

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