Grant told me I need to go to the gym. He said I was way out of shape. He said he would go too. So we did some research and signed up for Gold’s Gym in downtown Oakland, right across from Lake Merritt. It’s beautiful down there, looks European.
It’s been decades since I worked out in a gym so I want to share some things with you.
I ride the stationary bike. Grant works out upstairs with weights. Lots of people ride the bike and they often read or watch TV while doing it. I just ride. I used to be a runner and I liked the feeling of running, loved it. Moving my legs. Breathing hard. Sweating. Sweating feels good.
So I ride and I ride hard — according to my ability — and I lose myself in time. I ride for about 40 minutes but it doesn’t feel like 40 minutes. I don’t know what it feels like. This may sound weird, but experienced a certain way — writing, exercising, etc. — time is flexible, changeable, gooey. I like that kind of time.
I like the gym. I know no one there, but people are polite and they are serious and they work hard at a good thing. One custom I noticed right away. When people are done riding the bike, they get a piece of paper towel and spray it with a liquid disinfectant. Then they wipe down the handlebars and seat as a courtesy to the next rider. I observed this and now I do it too. I enjoy the subtle courtesies of life. I learned this one at the gym.
Scott Cohn
the soon to be mrs and myself hit the gym 5-6x a week. sometimes more if you count mornings. the body was meant to move! glad to hear you’re exercising. now if we could just get your brother to more.
riding the bike and running are great. i just started running on the treadmill a lot more. keeps you honest about how hard you’re working out. my pal dave does intervals. learned it from watching the philadelphia eagles talk about shedding weight. i do them all the time. 1 min run, 1 min walk. 30 sec walk, 30 sec run. 1 min walk, 30 sec sprint. take your pic. or switch them up. raise and lower the heart rate. it helps keep it less monotonous.
also, download the “my fitness pal” app on your phone. it’s a calorie counter. we use it. measures what you put in and what you take out when you exercise that you need to replenish. i can explain more in a little over a month!
July 11th, 2012 12:02 pm
B-Rad
Basic civilities are nice.
Our local Lucky supermarket has a dispenser of disinfectant hand wipes inside the
entrance which you can use to wipe off the handle of the cart you just wheeled in,
your hands, and then throw out in the adjacent waste container.
I like it when restrooms have an additional waste container right next to the door
(which always opens inward) so you don’t have to wash and dry your hands and
then touch the door handle which the 15 Neanderthals before you grabbed with their
filthy, grubby and unwashed hands. You simply grab another towel before opening.
Why spread these viruses needlessly?
July 11th, 2012 12:25 pm
KauaiRobert
Cool.
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*ALOHA*
July 11th, 2012 12:48 pm
Stan
I dont like gyms..all those mirrors and vanity. Go for a walk in the park,If I want so sweat,pick up the pace will do it.
And the irony is that so many young gym members are wanting to be the best they can be..but under 30,that’s easy. How many of those “addicted” to running..will be doing that at 60?..50?..almost none.
July 11th, 2012 12:57 pm
NeverWrong
It was good to hear you say Oakland is a beautiful city. Indeed it is. It has an atmosphere of its own, really more progressive in a democratic, all-inclusive way than most cities, which seem due to economic factors stratified, even segregated. Lake Merritt is a jewel, and downtown has some wonderful architecture. Oakland has a sophistication all its own, and in that way outdoes even its more glamorous Bay counterpart, San Francisco.
July 11th, 2012 1:46 pm
Mark M
Good job Lowell. It helps me think. Faster, faster, faster!
July 11th, 2012 2:07 pm
MJ
Mirrors in gyms aren’t designed for vanity, theyre to ensure proper form. When you squat 400 lbs or are deadlifting 500, or even at 100lbs, you should be using those mirrors to make sure your legs are lined properly, your spine is aligned right, bar is in the right position, etc. Cant do that with your imagination.
I prefer my old, hole in the wall gyms where all you hear are the weights clanking and the smell of sweat in the air. These are not social gyms.
July 11th, 2012 2:21 pm
Brady
gyms kind of frighten me. It’s so evident that so many people there are trying desperately to look good, or listening to BS Men’s Health articles, or using treadmills that count the miles instead of taking a walk.
I understand the point of them and am glad you enjoy your time there. I end up running on the beach, doing core workouts at home, and splitting firewood. Oh, and going on walks and generally living a healthy lifestyle.
July 11th, 2012 2:26 pm
lameduck
I don’t know what out of shape means. If you have weight to lose, I’d set some goals and realize the formula is exercising more and eating less. Its tough because when you exercise more you get hungrier, especially if you over due it – that’s my issue. I find that drinking lots of water really helps balance me out and helps prevent injury / muscle pulls.
If there is weight to lose, set some realistic goals.
You’ll struggle on vacation, but just admit it and move on. Try and exercise while you are on vacation but just realize that you’ll have to hit the gym again when you get back.
That’s my .02. I’ve dropped 30 pounds since January but I’m in funk right now since the July 4th parties were really good and I’ve had to be a kid taxi for a couple of weeks which means I’ve lost a lot of personal time for exercise. Yet, by monitoring my intake, I’m not expanding like a balloon.
I think white wine has less calories than red as well.
July 11th, 2012 2:57 pm
Dennis
I cannot stand exercise just for the sake of exercising. Don’t get me wrong I like to get in some exercise, but it needs to be doing something. I have put in solar panels at my house; I do all the gardening, landscaping, and irrigation work. I just re did my garage with 7 cabinets I bought at home depot. And I pretty much do all the home maintenance. When I sweat I need to see that I added something to the planet at the end of it. Walking on a tread mill (running is out of the question unless I am chasing something) or riding a stationary bike just bores me to tears.
The only time I do the tread mill is one month before my annual stress echo test. I find that I can do better on the test if I train for it.
July 11th, 2012 4:00 pm
Pablo
I ride my bike an hour, to an hour and a half, a day. Once a week I have a long ride where I go over 40 miles. I’ve lost 30 lbs since March. It’s steadily coming off. Am I glad.
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I would find using a stationary bike boring. I live on an island and enjoy cycling along the SF Bay. Since I’ve taken up biking several friends have started riding along with me.
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I have a cyclometer. So, I can see have fast I’m riding, the distance, elapsed time and cumulative miles. This is important for me: I like seeing progress.
I find I sleeping better after exercising.
I eating pretty much whatever I want—I just don’t overdo it. I stay away from sugar and salt.
Life is good! I”m losing a lb or two a week.
Good luck with your riding. I’ll be off for a ride with a friend in 30 minutes.
July 11th, 2012 4:21 pm
Tiburon Dave
You have a very good son…you and Mrs. Cohn Zohn have a great deal to be proud of…
July 11th, 2012 4:52 pm
Stan
Who’s Scott to you? Which family twig?
July 11th, 2012 5:08 pm
KauaiRobert
NeverWrong wrote:
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‘Oakland has a sophistication all its own, and in that way outdoes even its more glamorous Bay counterpart, San Francisco.’
.
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Never wrong???
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First time for everything, I guess.
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*ALOHA*
July 11th, 2012 5:18 pm
CohnZohn
Stan, Scott is my nephew, my older brother’s son. Scott is getting married in August in NY, and Mrs. Cohn Zohn and I are, of course, attending.
July 11th, 2012 9:09 pm
Johnc
Lowell..it is not good to be sitting on a stationery bike. To get a good cardio vascular workout you have to get your big muscles involved…in particular the gluteus Maximus…. Walking would be better than sitting on a stationary bike. Sure ,you can get your heart rate up and sweat but you won’t be burning a lot of calories and fat.
July 12th, 2012 5:41 am
Streetglide
I basically lived in gyms for many years. Wrestling in a powerful high school program and then off to a Big 10 university will do that. Sophomore year, I bought a guitar, put away the rubber suit I used to sweat off that last pound and didn’t hit the gym again until I moved to Tokyo 30 years later.
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Japan has some great gyms. Tipness was the best chain. Great hot tubs, swimming pools and saunas. The Japanese know how to use water. I haven’t been to a gym since I got back to California. My knees are shot and I cannot run any longer. The middle is getting lumpy and I’ve developed “old man’s arms.” You know, the skinny ones with elbows that look like pine knots.
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Lowell, maybe I’ll go back as well. Come out of retirement, get another rubber suit and put the guitar away; sounds good…
July 12th, 2012 2:49 pm
speedee
i go to the best gym in santa rosa, not going to give the name…
old school, only guys, big warehouse, awesome
nothing beats running 2-3 miles a day though, nothing
July 13th, 2012 9:59 am