Taiwan is on my list thanks to a show I watched a year or so ago, that was sponsored by the Taiwan board of tourism. The only thing they'd requested was that certain locations and special Taiwanese elements (like the Night Market, and certain well-known cuisines) be featured. The show managed to very cleverly work in places like the Taiwanese museum, and Sun-Moon Lake, as well as the old Portuguese cathedral in Taichung. BUT. Nearly every episode, the characters ate somewhere, and always something that's a regional specialty (of wherever they were). Every time food would show up, the translators kindly put in an explanation, that sometimes took up most of the screen above the subtitles. I was pausing more than watching. And drooling. Lots. Wish to See You Again is the usual rom-com with the usual 3/4 stage lag o' angst, but if you skip past that, the tourism stuff slipped in there is awesome. I figure when we finally visit Taiwan, I'll just rewatch the show and this time, take notes!
Machines are frequently scary because they're often hogged by big muscle-bound guys who look at any woman (in shape or not, younger or older) as though the woman is trespassing. (It's a lot better now than it used to be, trust me.) But machines have one particular really good feature: any given machine locks you into doing an exercise one way, isolating certain muscles. Unlike free weights, or calisthenics, you can't wobble, or over-use your dominant arm, etc. Just starting out, then machines are one of the best ways (at least in my experience/knowledge) to get started, without the worry about 'doing it wrong'.
Much of the reason I fussed about where/when it hurts is because the exercises the first trainer gave me were cable-based, so I was basically pulling on a counter-weighted cord. That meant my body could flex and move around, which opens the question of whether my back is straight or too-straight or bent, whether my shoulders are curved when I should hold them back, etc. When I've got more stamina/muscle (inside a month, probably), I'll be better able to handle that kind of exercise and be able to control my body so I can hold a proper position.
Getting into shape... there are three parts, from what I can tell. (Mongrelheart might be more knowledgeable, and I bet plenty of other folks are, too, so grain of salt b/c this is just as it's been explained to me.) First is calisthenics, like treadmill or bike or aerobics. This is aerobic activity, when your heart rate should be elevated but not too high, just a little higher, like moving fast down the hallway or up a flight of stairs. Not enough to get you winded, just enough to feel like you've been moving around. Next is calisthenics but at a higher intensity, which is anaerobic activity; that's when your heart rate is way-elevated, you're probably out of breath or getting there. Aerobic activity will burn the highest amount of fat; anaerobic and you're into burning less of fat and more other stuff (and when you'll get lactic acid in the muscles). But! Anaerobic is very important, because that's where you build up major cardiac strength. So on the treadmill, say, you'd do enough to be aerobic (mid-intensity) and then for a minute or two, push yourself harder (go anaerobic), then take it down again and go easy until your heart settles, then push again.
All that does, however, is burn fat and make your heart strong. (Which are good, just not good enough!) Neither really builds muscle per se. For that, you need to include weights and resistance, which is where the machines come in. Just doing stairs or bike or aerobics will burn fat, but you're not replacing it with anything beneficial. You want endurance/stamina, strength, you need muscle for that. Plus, no matter how much you jump up and down in aerobics class, it's out-of-shape muscles that can't handle strain and will get hurt easily. In-shape muscles prevent general injuries and aches from things like getting groceries out of your trunk, shoving open a heavy door, etc.
If you don't have a background as an athlete in a competitive sport that required major team-shared exercises like running, lifting weights, and cals... then in that case, I would definitely recommend getting a trainer. If nothing else, knowing you have a twice-weekly appointment will get you there. And if you're not used to things, the trainer is there to encourage you -- and if you're intimidated by the machines (or the big lugs standing around looking muscle-bound) the trainer's presence acts like a kind of silent hall pass to be there, or a kind of psychological backup that affirms you should be taken seriously. (Plus no one will glare or snarl at you with a trainer around, if that ever worries you.)
Whatever you do, don't take my complaints to heart. They're very much the complaints of someone who spent way too long in a sport that's brutal, requires a high level of masochism -- and (to my detriment now) was less regulated when I was in school. We didn't get info about how to eat right, and we didn't get tracked for whether we were pushing ourselves too much or in the wrong ways. Which means every time I go back to the gym, I unlearn and relearn a little more. That frustrates me almost as much as not being as strong as I once was, and I'm well aware I'm not the norm! Don't be thinking I am. I'm kinda out-there, in this case. xD
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Date: 27 Jun 2012 06:26 am (UTC)Machines are frequently scary because they're often hogged by big muscle-bound guys who look at any woman (in shape or not, younger or older) as though the woman is trespassing. (It's a lot better now than it used to be, trust me.) But machines have one particular really good feature: any given machine locks you into doing an exercise one way, isolating certain muscles. Unlike free weights, or calisthenics, you can't wobble, or over-use your dominant arm, etc. Just starting out, then machines are one of the best ways (at least in my experience/knowledge) to get started, without the worry about 'doing it wrong'.
Much of the reason I fussed about where/when it hurts is because the exercises the first trainer gave me were cable-based, so I was basically pulling on a counter-weighted cord. That meant my body could flex and move around, which opens the question of whether my back is straight or too-straight or bent, whether my shoulders are curved when I should hold them back, etc. When I've got more stamina/muscle (inside a month, probably), I'll be better able to handle that kind of exercise and be able to control my body so I can hold a proper position.
Getting into shape... there are three parts, from what I can tell. (Mongrelheart might be more knowledgeable, and I bet plenty of other folks are, too, so grain of salt b/c this is just as it's been explained to me.) First is calisthenics, like treadmill or bike or aerobics. This is aerobic activity, when your heart rate should be elevated but not too high, just a little higher, like moving fast down the hallway or up a flight of stairs. Not enough to get you winded, just enough to feel like you've been moving around. Next is calisthenics but at a higher intensity, which is anaerobic activity; that's when your heart rate is way-elevated, you're probably out of breath or getting there. Aerobic activity will burn the highest amount of fat; anaerobic and you're into burning less of fat and more other stuff (and when you'll get lactic acid in the muscles). But! Anaerobic is very important, because that's where you build up major cardiac strength. So on the treadmill, say, you'd do enough to be aerobic (mid-intensity) and then for a minute or two, push yourself harder (go anaerobic), then take it down again and go easy until your heart settles, then push again.
All that does, however, is burn fat and make your heart strong. (Which are good, just not good enough!) Neither really builds muscle per se. For that, you need to include weights and resistance, which is where the machines come in. Just doing stairs or bike or aerobics will burn fat, but you're not replacing it with anything beneficial. You want endurance/stamina, strength, you need muscle for that. Plus, no matter how much you jump up and down in aerobics class, it's out-of-shape muscles that can't handle strain and will get hurt easily. In-shape muscles prevent general injuries and aches from things like getting groceries out of your trunk, shoving open a heavy door, etc.
If you don't have a background as an athlete in a competitive sport that required major team-shared exercises like running, lifting weights, and cals... then in that case, I would definitely recommend getting a trainer. If nothing else, knowing you have a twice-weekly appointment will get you there. And if you're not used to things, the trainer is there to encourage you -- and if you're intimidated by the machines (or the big lugs standing around looking muscle-bound) the trainer's presence acts like a kind of silent hall pass to be there, or a kind of psychological backup that affirms you should be taken seriously. (Plus no one will glare or snarl at you with a trainer around, if that ever worries you.)
Whatever you do, don't take my complaints to heart. They're very much the complaints of someone who spent way too long in a sport that's brutal, requires a high level of masochism -- and (to my detriment now) was less regulated when I was in school. We didn't get info about how to eat right, and we didn't get tracked for whether we were pushing ourselves too much or in the wrong ways. Which means every time I go back to the gym, I unlearn and relearn a little more. That frustrates me almost as much as not being as strong as I once was, and I'm well aware I'm not the norm! Don't be thinking I am. I'm kinda out-there, in this case. xD