We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
The full-body fitness exercise category, combining some resistance with cardio, contains my favorite Friday tortures. They do not build strength so much as build functional fitness and endurance. Best of all, you feel great when it's done. Well, maybe an hour later.
(We forgot to include isometrics in our categories. That's more for Yogurt Yoga, but Planks are isometric)
An example of my Friday mega-set would be something like this, with no break between exercises:
3-minute Elliptical warm-up to start 1 set of high-rep bench press to failure for secondary warm-up
Burpees, 10-20 Heavy ball smashes, 10-20 Lunges with heavy hands, 2 walks Jumping Jacks or Jump Rope Squats with and without light military lifts, 20 Dips High step ups, lots Heavy Ropes Farmer's Walk, 4 walks Calf lifts, 50 with weights Mountain Climber Planks or any other type of plank, 1-2 minutes each Ball wall slams 30-second Sprints
Rinse and repeat italicized 3-4X as time permits.
Then 5 minutes stair machine to finish up, to painfully drain the last drop of energy from your body
I think I have more power, endurance, and general fitness than I have had since I was 18. A body will respond to demand, slowly. That is useful and feels alive. I do one day of mostly upper body resistance, one day of mostly back and lower resistance, one day of mostly total-body calisthenic destruction, and 2 or 3 days of intense cardio for just an efficient and exhausting 1/2 hr. I do all of it at 5 am. My trainer is a sadistic Nazi monster Ohio farm boy. A real knowledgeable pro, cheerful and demanding, precise about form and technique.
Here are some tough, fun, medicine ball calisthenics:
Sounds great BD. I envy your self-discipline. My sister is a work out freak as well and it shows. She's 61 and looks maybe 40.
If you enjoy the workouts it's great. But make no mistake, it's a lifestyle choice and if you ever stop your body will begin to regress to its previous state.
I'll just keep doing regular farm work but that doesn't keep me in nearly as good a shape as you are.
I have never known a cowboy or a farmer who went to a gym, either here in PA or in NV. My cousin, alone, farms our remote century farm two counties away. He has been in the sun for 45 years without sun block, did a gruesome tour in Nam about which he does not speak, and looks about 50. He is 70. He is one seriously handsome man, intelligent, kind, and humble, and he knows who he is. Now that's the kind of fitness a man should have.
Commuter's Farmer's Walk: slip a 5-10lb weight plate in your briefcase/computer bag. Carry by hand, not on your shoulder.
You can do a lot of these while farmer-walking around any park that has playground/parcour equipment.
You are omitting chins - which are difficult, but even partial chins are great for shoulder and spine health, and correcting poor posture from sitting at a desk.
Same for bridges.
One nifty way to make these fun is the trend of "Animal Walk" exercises.
