George's Fitness Journal

I am three days from the date my doctor prescribed for me to return to the basketball court after pulling a groin muscle in mid-February. I actually plays five games of half-court yesterday with no discomfort to my upper and inner leg muscles, but I did re-injure my left pinky, which seems to get jammed almost every time I play now. I continue to play, but I try to protect it with athletic tape. I don’t have any strenuous cardio planned before Tuesday, so my muscle will have a chance to continue repairing and getting ready for full-court on Tuesday. I am attending the Indigo Girls concert in Baltimore Monday night, so I may choose to wait until Wednesday and sleep in the night of the show, giving extra time to fully recuperate.

The challenge over the last month has been to prevent significant weight gain in the absence of a daily cardio workout. I have not changed my diet in any real way, but I did slack off from lifting, going twice per week instead of three times, so I think I have lost muscle mass, which reduced metabolism and leads to the addition of fat. I know my waist size has expanded because the belt buckle I was on is now tight and I have to go to the next loose notch on the belt to stay comfortable. I am confident my return to cardio will increase calorie output to offset my current food intake.

I won a three month free gym membership at a local gym near my school, so I hope to add a new element to my regimen, where I can do some cardio on treadmill or on a spin machine. If I like the gym and the way it fits into my schedule, I may take the plunge and join, or I can go from late March to late May and get ready for the beach and summer and then end my membership with no financial commitment. The trick will be to work it into the schedule, since I’d like to stay with basketball in the morning. I have my kids to care for on Mondays and Wednesdays and every other weekend, but I can always hit the gym after they go back to their mom’s in the evening. So I hope it will have a beneficial effect.

Stay healthy,

George

geocas@aol.com or georgecassutto@hotmail.com

The Military Press Machine

Exercise #9:The Military Press Machine

Weight lifting machines have their place in anyone's workout regimen. In my case, I was giving free weights a break to change up the challenges for my muscles, and to give my injured fingers a break from having to curl around a dumbbell.

The image shows the military press machine, which I like to do standing, but which can also be done seated. The muscles at work here are predominantly the deltoids, residing in the shoulders. Biceps, triceps, and latissimus muscles are also at work and benefit from the military press.