Category Archives: Fitness

Home Gym vs. Gym Membership – Update

Wanted to circle back to give an update on the Home Gym vs. Gym Membership I originally blogged about in August 2021.

My Situation Now

Now (as of March 2022) I have the best of both worlds. All the home equipment I talked about last time: Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, pro flat bench, chin-up bar, dip bar, various exercise bands and mats.

Blogger in 2021, Hikes are a big part of my fitness regimen.

I’d add to the home equipment the ubiquitous and usually FREE videos you can find on YouTube for exercise instruction, including Yoga classes. I’d also add my bicycle, which has always been here, which gives some cardio variety and also provides transportation, depending on the day.

In addition to all that, I now have a membership at 24 Hour Fitness (part of my Medicare plan through Silver & Fit).

So now that they’ve (at least temporarily) lifted the mask mandate indoors here in California I did go back, and it was fine, but there were also these challenges:

I had to drive there
I had to park there
Every exercise station I wanted to use (except for the treadmill) was already in use, so there were waiting periods (it’s a popular gym)
One fool did not wipe his sweat off the apparatus, so I had to do it before I could use it, which, quite frankly, disgusts me (which would be awful at any time, but doubly horrific during a pandemic)
All of the above challenges resulted in a time challenge, in that getting the workout done took a lot longer than a home workout.

Pros to the Home Workout

Basically, it’s the opposite of everything above:

It’s right here, no need to drive anywhere. Save on gas, save the environment.
Ditto, no need to park anywhere
I’m the only one using the equipment I have, so it’s always available.
I wipe up my own bodily fluids, if there are any
A workout takes less time — except, I notice I take longer between sets because I’m at home and can do other things, like read something on the Internet, prep food, mix in chores, etc.

Detail of home gym dumbbells and bench setup – small but effective

A couple of other beneficial things about working out at home:

There’s no need for gym wear that’s fashionable, clean, or even gym wear. Often I do short workouts in whatever I’m wearing because it’s usually fine for range of motion
Honestly, I’m more consistent at home. Even if I only work one body part, say chest, it’s just so simple to do it when it’s right here.
Creature comforts: My own bathroom is steps away and I know it’s clean. Chilled water is as close as the refrigerator.

Pros to the Gym Workout

There are advantages to the actual Gym which I can’t get at home:

The social aspect. I mean, I think we’ve all learned over the past two years that being a hermit is probably not good, and prolonged isolation is really awful. Plus, I do like to interact with other humans (most of the time).
Way more diversity in terms of equipment to use. There’s so much to use at the 24 Hour Fitness I’d be hard pressed to ever get bored with it. BUT – like I said above, it will probably be in use and you will have to wait for whatever it is.
Instruction and help is available – trainers and staff galore if you have a question about equipment or exercise, there’s always someone to ask. At home there’s Trainer Google.

Conclusion

So where do I stand on the home gym vs. gym membership question?

For right now, I’ll continue to do both. I mean why not? Probably with a slight edge to home workouts, unless I find a less busy time at the gym. I really like that I’m exercising more, and I credit that to the availability of doing it at home where I’m most comfortable.

Gym Membership vs. Home Gym

While it may not be exactly earth shattering, one of the lingering questions of the pandemic (for me, anyway) has been whether or not to continue a gym membership or to lean into the home gym idea.

With my memberships (I have two which overlap: 24-Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym) both expiring within a couple of months from now, I had to make some kind of decision soon.

I’m happy to report I’ve made a decision, and that in itself feels good: For now, I’ll be all in on the Home Gym.

Why Home Gym?

What factors influenced my decision?

Convenience. That’s a big one. During the pandemic, I discovered that I was apt to be more consistent with my workouts at home than I ever was with jaunts to the physical gym in the Before Times.

Having my equipment, such as it was – a chin-up bar, a dip bar, mats, and a slew of exercise bands at my side or in the next room was a tremendously easier slog than the alternative.

Not pretty but it is practical – dip bar, in the hallway. Also my exercise bands.

Also, in the categories of what you might call “accessories” are items like exercise attire and tunes for atmosphere. At home, I didn’t have to dress in anything special (or anything at all!) and I got to listen to my own iTunes playlists. Again, with the “equipment” – there was never a wait. It was all, always available.

The Alternative – going to the gym – involved this, at least for me: costuming for the gym; corralling hydration; driving (and fighting traffic) to gym (or biking, each is about a mile from my home, in different directions); parking. Once you entered and locked up your car keys and what have you, you’d find your first exercise and inevitably the apparatus would be in use by another. So you wait or do something else on your list and come back to that exercise later. Which I didn’t like, and found stressful, both the anticipation of the crowd and then trying to remember what I had done and still needed to do for my routine, which always followed a specific order. Which I didn’t/don’t like to deviate from.

Again, it’s functional, and it’s always there. I suppose I could make myself do a pull up every time I went down this hallway!

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So, correctly, you could also add Control to my influence factors alongside Convenience and Consistency. What about other c-words, like Cost, and of course, Cruising?

Let’s talk Cost – some of it seems to be merely absorbed into the overall Jim budget – when pandemic arrived, I already had the chin bar and various mats, as well as all the electronics for music and (exercise) videos. I bought the dip bar thing and the slew of primo exercise bands from Amazon (yes, I am guilty – like all of you) which maybe cost a total of around $150? Whatever it was, it wasn’t much. I’ll talk about the new investment vs. the cost of gym membership in the next section.

As far as Cruising — well to be honest, at 66 years, this is not the priority it once was, where the gym was actually one of the best places in town to meet guys. I’m sure it sill is, for some – but also back then (I’m talking about the 80s, 90s mostly) there weren’t smart phones. Today, practically everyone, it seems, connects with their smart phone between sets, either texting or finding music or Instagramming – or something else which I haven’t yet imagined. What used to happen between sets, kids, is that people used to majorly check each other out and IDK, perhaps even say “hi” to each other. I don’t see that happening much from my own observation but I have noticed the love affair with smart phones only increasing over the years.

What I Bought for the Home Gym

Which brings me to the investment I have made into more equipment.

First, I live in a one bedroom apartment and am going to put the Gym in a corner of my bedroom, so there isn’t much space. Second, I do many things for fitness, many of which are outside aerobic activities, including walking, hiking and biking – so resistance training is only a part of my exercise routine, not the major part. I’m not looking to increase muscle size as much as I am to tone and remain strong enough to avoid the injuries one can face from normal aging.

Bowflex adjustable dumbbells I’m trying.

So, I’m starting out conservatively with the new stuff. I’ve purchased a solid weight bench (needed for many dumbbell exercises) and a pair of adjustable dumbbells (which apparently go from 5 lbs. to about 50 lbs. apiece). The cost for both came to about $700, including shipping and tax. I normally spend about $400 a year on a gym membership here in the L.A. area, so to “break even” I’ll have to commit to the home gym idea for nearly two years.

Sturdy Rogue Fitness bench – it looks very solid, no?

It doesn’t seem like that would be an issue – I’ve already done 14 months out of necessity. But we’ll see – I could miss the traffic, the parking, the crowds, the unusable equipment, the shitty music on the PA system, the inconsiderate mask-averse patrons and be dying to go back to the gym. Who knows? I’ll report back and let you know how it’s going.

The Bicycle Theft

The other morning (Wednesday, actually) I went out on my second floor balcony to water the plants and — there was something missing. It was my bike. Whoever took it left my helmet as a placeholder. The perp climbed up, rolled back a bamboo fence and moved a heavy cactus to complete their dirty deed. An “A” for effort but hey, this was MY BIKE!

Lit up like a Xmas tree with the blogger

When the bike lived in Palm Springs

Scene of the crime! They left the helmet.

Just very #sad! When I was completely car free for 3.5 years here in L.A., the bicycle, along with my feet and public transport, was how I got around. I don’t know how many miles I logged on this thing, but it went all over Los Angeles and was reconstituted from the pavement up several times.
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Sigh — It wasn’t worth much in terms of dollars and cents. My insurance deductible means I won’t see a thing from that end. I guess I wished I could have said goodbye if this was inevitable – I mean “stolen bike,” right, what else is new. They practically have a “steal me” sign on them when they roll off the assembly line.

I’ve had bikes stolen before. I’ll get another very soon. The saga continues. (Hey, if you see this bike around, let me know through the blog!) (Gray Trek 7100 21 speed, 2002)

CicLAvia Culver City to Venice, California

So this happened on Sunday, August 9. The CicLAvia organization had one of its rides, this one on the west side, beginning in Culver City and ending at the Venice boardwalk. And back again! I did it, I have some pictures here:

Cyclists along Washington Boulevard in Culver City.

The Blogger taking a selfie.

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Cyclists

Cyclists at CicLAvia Sunday, August 9, 2015

Ten Quick Tips for Bicycle Commuting in L.A.

The Blogger at CicLAvia in the valley, outside of OCH's.

The Blogger at CicLAvia in the valley, outside of Oil Can Harry’s, a place to dance.

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Noticed that the number of bikes on our local streets has gone through the roof in the past couple of years? Perhaps you’ve joined the cyclists. Perhaps it’s just the weekend jaunt to the Farmers Market; perhaps you’re an everyday cyclist. Or thinking about it. Commuting, to work and all, and what that would entail.

Here’s ten quick things to keep in mind:

First, do follow traffic laws. They are the same as the ones drivers must follow. If your actions are predictable, it’s much safer for you – and cars – out on those mean roads. Don’t run red lights, as much as you want to. Just don’t.
Plot your route on Google Maps. You have the option to click on the bike icon for Google’s best guess for a good bike route (which is often not bad at all).
Think about your return trip — it might be obvious, but maybe not. Will it be dark by then? If so, you need your lights (front and back, minimum) and warmer clothing, preferably something reflective.
Rain. Not likely here, almost ever, but it does happen. Heck, nothing worse than getting soaked on a bike. Shops sell some pretty nice rain gear so it’s worth hauling it out for those special rain days in L.A.
Shortcuts! I’ve always loved this site, where cyclists contribute their own favorite routes. Bookmark it; I have.
Taking it on the train: If you take your bike on Metro, first of all, be smart and take the elevator with your bike, and leave the escalator for pedestrians. I’ve seen enough accidents to know I don’t want to be a Metro Escalator Statistic. Choose the car that has the space at the end for bikes and strollers and other large items (coffins, refrigerators, etc). If you can’t hook your bike to the railing or kickstand it securely so you know it won’t fall, stand there and hold the damn thing so it doesn’t fall on somebody. It’s a delicate dance, especially when those trains are crowded. My method is to be direct but apologetic, so far that’s worked.
When exiting the train: I have a “no rush” attitude, in that I am perfectly happy to be the last person out of the station after the subway gets there. There’s no use in fighting for space on the first elevator, or crowding an up escalator or staircase with both you and your bike. I like to wait until all the people have gone and then I can leisurely make my way out without running into someone with my two wheeler.
Drivers don’t know what Sharrows are. Or, they do know but they don’t care and don’t want to give you the space they’re supposed to. So be wary of streets with sharrows. I’m pretty sure most drivers resent them and won’t be giving you that 3-foot space they’re supposed to, anyway.
Try try try to ride on streets with painted, official, bike lanes. Even better would be to incorporate Bike Trails (like the L.A. River Bike Path, etc.) into your commute. Basically anything that can separate you from motor vehicles is a very good thing.
The most important tip is the last: Riding on bike on Los Angeles streets is dangerous, just because of the sheer volume of traffic in what is still the premier car culture city. That said, you have to ride defensively. Drivers don’t or don’t want to see you, and you can never depend that someone is going to see you unless you make eye contact with that driver. When in doubt, hesitate. I’m lucky that I’m old enough not to take those kinds of risks any more; it’s just not worth it.

ghost bike memorial to a fallen cyclist – you don’t want to end up with one of these

End of the Car Age: We Can Always Hope

“Cities around the world are coming to the same conclusion: they’d be better off with far fewer cars. So what’s behind this seismic shift in our urban lifestyles?” Stephen Moss investigates

Source: End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile | Cities | The Guardian

Why? Because cars hugely degrade the civilized environment. So read this Guardian story.

I’ve thought a lot about this – and the paradox of freedom – which is how cars have always been marketed. Tell me, looking at this photo of L.A. freeways, this is freedom?

imgres

Well, if so, save me from that method of being free. Some gems from the story:

“In many cities, the era of the suburban commuter, along with the era of the car, is drawing to a close.” – we can only hope this could become the ideal in places like Los Angeles, as well. (Which in my mind is always perfect for biking.)

On the future of the smart phone vis a vis car ownership: “Consumers will, so the theory goes, use their smartphones to check ultra-detailed travel news, locate car-club cars or bikes, check for parking spaces,call up Uber drivers, and arrange shared rides. Who needs a personally owned car?” — I’ve found this is true in my now 2 years plus of car-freedom in Los Angeles.

Truth is, I’m not very optimistic that the vision shown in this article will become a reality here in California, at least in Southern California, at any time in the remote future — but I have hope for the Millennial generation, who appear to be much more interested in changing the car culture than the Baby Boomers and older are.

The Guardian story is a long one, but worth it.

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Trump and Bernie are resonating for the same reason, IMO

Ranked: The Most Bike-Friendly States in the US

House of Pies’ East Side Cousin

Top-ranked Washington scored a 66.2. Guess which state placed last?

Source: Ranked: The Most Bike-Friendly States in the US | WIRED

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Interesting article and chart. Looks like we’re #8 (California) and getting better, we were #9 last year. Nice to see the west coast and the western states represented really well here. Certainly I notice this bicycle infrastructure development on a local basis — L.A. is doing some great things, from more lanes to public transport options that include bikes, to the plethora of events now – CicLAvias, Critical Mass, etc.

I also see more and more people taking their bikes on the subway and on the bus racks. Love to see this taking place – we have almost the perfect environment for biking as a way of life.

Five Humble Suggestions for Yoga Teachers

not me but I look just like this when doing yoga.

So just a short rant today, on things that annoy me in yoga class. Really, I love it, I just joined a local studio as a member, making a long term commitment to yoga practice. But what would I be if not a whiner? You know better. So, yoga instructors, here are five suggestions for you:

don’t make us buddy up and do partner poses. Really, nobody likes that. Well, maybe some extroverts do, but I’ve never met anyone who just couldn’t wait to do this.
Do not teach the class from the back of the room, when all your students are facing the opposite direction! Please know that not everyone can hear you and there are many students who need to have the visual of the pose.
Please use the English (or whatever the local language is) word for the pose rather than only the Sanskrit version! Since all the pose terms basically end with -asana, they all sound alike to the class (well, to most of us). Honestly when you do that (use only the Sanskrit) you’re just showing off.
We’ll agree to Om, but don’t make us sing a yoga song. Not everyone is into the chanting or signed up for this, and again, we don’t know the words.
Finally, end the yoga class on time. Really. There’s probably a room full of annoyed yogis standing outside the studio with their mats in hand, while your students are still inside blissed out on their backs.

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L.A.’s Mobility Plan Draft

Bikes Take Over – well, at least this one day.

Wanted to get this posted, even though it’s draft form and requires clicking on the Curbed LA link as well as their link to the plan itself.

It’s massive, but well worth taking a look at. I believe plans of this sort, while arguably a wish list of lots of things that won’t get done, or won’t get done right away, are still the key to livability here in the Los Angeles region.

As a cyclist, my focus is first on that part of the plan, followed by the public transportation (train and bus) plans. While I haven’t looked at the entire Mobility Plan yet, one statistic that jumped out was that bicycle commuting has increased over 50% in the ten year period from 2000 – 2010.

It’s the perfect place to bicycle – great weather, practically every day it’s an option, and the landscape is something like 85% flat. We just have to make it safe for everyone – the cyclists, the pedestrians, and the drivers in their cars.

A lot of the plan is aspirational like the Curbed piece says. Something to shoot for. I’d like to live in the city that’s described here.

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CicLAvia coming to the Valley! March 22, 2015

Pretty excited! Normally I try for original content here but I’m just so pleased that CicLAvia is coming to my neighborhood on Sunday, March 22, a mere 2 days after my birthday, so it’s like an extension of frivolity. If you’re in L.A. and have a bike, come on out. It’s flat, the weather will most likely be appropriately spring-like (or even hot) and it’s a great route with a lot to see along the way, from NoHo Arts District to Universal City to the Farmers Market I attend every Sunday. Will I see you there?

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House of Pies’ East Side Cousin