A Couple of Dumbbells

And no, I'm not talking about my kittens. This past week my wife and I purchased a new set of Bowflex SelectTech 1090 dumbbells. Despite working out for the past twenty years and spending the past three in the fitness industry, they're the first expensive piece of fitness equipment I've ever purchased. The closest, in terms of cost, would be my two year old running shoes (which were about 500$ cheaper). Generally, I warn my clients away from expensive equipment. The tendency in fitness, as in other things (like religion), is to consume, consume, consume. And a healthy life is less about consumption and more about expenditure. In this case however, as I don't have a gym membership and prefer to work out at home, the dumbbells are a blessing in that they allow me to push the heavy weight (they adjust up to 90lbs… they're huge) and produce the deep fatigue that can't be replaced (for those who love to lift) by any form of cardio.

The weights are sturdy, and take up very little space in our apartment. We did our reading before we purchased them, and the only caveat was that you had to be careful setting them down. Unlike the set, octagonal weights, which are almost indestructible, the 1090's can be broken if they're thrown around. And if you've spent any time in the gym, you've seen the heavy lifters throw the weights around before arching the super sexy eyebrow to warn you how tough they are. Fortunately, I can't seem to raise one eyebrow, though I've certainly tried, so I've always settled for rolling my neck and grimacing after setting the weights down carefully. In that sense, the 1090's suit me perfectly. Bowflex also has a smaller set of dumbbells, the 552's, which adjust up to 52.5lbs. I've used the smaller ones with a number of my clients, and absolutely recommend them for home use, though the same caveat about throwing them around applies here.

As I've said before on this site, the importance of resistance work can not be understated. And yes, for women too. Especially when it comes to doing back work, which is, along with core work, the most important and neglected area for most women. Ultimately, it leads to bad posture and back pain as they get older. Learning to do a proper back workout is VERY important.

For those of you who don't know, I do a lot of work as an unpaid writer, and supplement it with my training. We are not rich. Paying for those dumbbells wasn't easy, but moderated by my simplicity in other areas. For example, I've pretty much worn two pairs of shorts all summer. My 24$ sandals are my number one chose of footwear, and my idea of a good time (aside from the wild parties in Manhattan)is sitting on our balcony and reading a good book from the library. In that sense, it pays to be a geek, if a two hundred pound slab of geekiness.

***

LAST DAY for Harriston Boot Camp

It's the last day for my Harriston Boot Camp. What a blast it has been! They've been an unbelievable, hardworking bunch and I feel as though I've made ten new friends. (Although, that's a bit mitigated by the cheers I hear every time I tell them we're done.) Honestly, it's been a terrific experience, and I'm looking forward to the last workout in a few hours. Thank you all for your hard work, for your questions, and for your desire to change your lifestyle. You guys were awesome!

-Steve