I do not know if this belongs in this forum page, or in the "Ask Cathe..." page, but here goes.
I was on a 12-day vacation, with the first five days in a Holiday Inn in Toronto. This hotel had good service, etc., with no complaints. It also had a free exercize room, but no pool.
I used the exercise room for the first four days, rather intensively, for one-hour workouts. Here is the point of my post. I am used to home exercizing only, with my own weights and (mostly Cathe) videos. So I am used to these, but up to now I have not ventured into any other exercise room. I used, for the first time, an automated treadmill. I found these confusing, but I could use what is known as a default "quickstart" option. These were good for a decent aerobic workout, but are not as fun as aerobic videos.
My problem was with the weights. I am not very strong, and use mostly lighter weights at home. But this exercize room had only dumbells that started with 10-lb dumbells (each), and went to 15-lbs, 20-lbs, 25-lbs, and 35-lbs (each). This limited me as to what lifts I could do, mostly various curls, deadlifts, rows and bench presses with the 10-lb dumbells. However, I foolishly did squats with the 15-lb dumbells, usually for a maximum of 4-5 reps to failure.
But on the fifth day, in the morning ,I noticed that my lower back was sore, and bacame more sore as the days wore on. I have never had any back problems in my life at all. I take it this was from using 15-lb dumbells, since I am used to using a 16-18lb barbell, for high reps, in my home exercizing. To make a long story short, for the rest of the vacation (with no more hotel exercize rooms), I simply did long stretches, did lunges and other exercizes that didn't involve the lower back, etc. I also did lots of light jogging and brisk walking. And I would have used a hotel pool, if I had use of one(!). Only now, after 11 or so days, is the back pain starting to go away.
My point is this. Watch those hotel exercize rooms, and their weights, if entering them for the first time. Has anybody else have had problems, switching from the safety of one's home exercize equipment, to those in a hotel exercize room?
I was on a 12-day vacation, with the first five days in a Holiday Inn in Toronto. This hotel had good service, etc., with no complaints. It also had a free exercize room, but no pool.
I used the exercise room for the first four days, rather intensively, for one-hour workouts. Here is the point of my post. I am used to home exercizing only, with my own weights and (mostly Cathe) videos. So I am used to these, but up to now I have not ventured into any other exercise room. I used, for the first time, an automated treadmill. I found these confusing, but I could use what is known as a default "quickstart" option. These were good for a decent aerobic workout, but are not as fun as aerobic videos.
My problem was with the weights. I am not very strong, and use mostly lighter weights at home. But this exercize room had only dumbells that started with 10-lb dumbells (each), and went to 15-lbs, 20-lbs, 25-lbs, and 35-lbs (each). This limited me as to what lifts I could do, mostly various curls, deadlifts, rows and bench presses with the 10-lb dumbells. However, I foolishly did squats with the 15-lb dumbells, usually for a maximum of 4-5 reps to failure.
But on the fifth day, in the morning ,I noticed that my lower back was sore, and bacame more sore as the days wore on. I have never had any back problems in my life at all. I take it this was from using 15-lb dumbells, since I am used to using a 16-18lb barbell, for high reps, in my home exercizing. To make a long story short, for the rest of the vacation (with no more hotel exercize rooms), I simply did long stretches, did lunges and other exercizes that didn't involve the lower back, etc. I also did lots of light jogging and brisk walking. And I would have used a hotel pool, if I had use of one(!). Only now, after 11 or so days, is the back pain starting to go away.
My point is this. Watch those hotel exercize rooms, and their weights, if entering them for the first time. Has anybody else have had problems, switching from the safety of one's home exercize equipment, to those in a hotel exercize room?
