Lift, Train, Fitness

Marsia said:
Could you put some bird netting on part of your sunflower crop
Click to expand...

The problem isn't birds, Kangaroos like to nibble off the new seedlings as they sprout. We tried netting last time we planted a crop but found large holes in the netting very quickly, Roos have sharp teeth lol. Hubby has marked out about 1/2 an acre to plant the crop. The hope is that it won't be as bad as last time we grew a crop of sunflower, because there is more feed around at the moment for them compared to the drought conditions last time. I also do not have a gun license so shooting them is not an option, (Despite being a good shot, I will not have guns at home, ever since my father threatened to shoot me and the kids a few years ago)

The Sunflowers in the garden beds near the house will be ok because I can cover them with greenhouse plastic secured to the edges of the garden boxes until the seedling have a chance to grow large enough. Yes the Roos do come right up to the house, just like the big 2 metre Goanna earlier in the year. With the temps rising it won't be long before the snakes are out and about again.

1562970323759.png

Today’s target is 105 push-ups. It’s possible that getting 15 minutes of bright sunlight each morning could reduce levels of distress. Fifteen minutes, seven days … that’s 105 minutes of sunshine per week! There are a lot of factors that could be at work here to make sunlight a mood booster, including effects on your circadian rhythm, vitamin D, or just being outside. Getting into nature for a few hours per week can also help out your mental health. Whatever the reason - just be sensible! Sunburn doesn’t improve anything.

I have also adapted to the physio exercises, I am not even stiff after last night and the discomfort in my triceps as subsiding from the push-ups.
 
Marsia said:
I didn't know lavender staves off pests
Click to expand...

Lavender is great for repelling mosquito's and other flying biting bugs and the wormwood is good for internal parasites in poultry (peacocks and chickens eat small amounts of it) and is also good for keeping away mites, chickens like to dust bathe under wormwood bushes.
 
Trusylver said:
There are a lot of factors that could be at work here to make sunlight a mood booster, including effects on your circadian rhythm, vitamin D, or just being outside. Getting into nature for a few hours per week can also help out your mental health.
Click to expand...
Certainly true for me. I get stressed-out when I don´t at least go for a long walk in a park once or twice a week. Better yet: a whole day in the woods. And from mid-October through mid-December when high fog (is that a thing in the English language?) can obscure the sun for weeks or months at a time everyone around here struggles.
 
Trusylver said:
Lavender is great for repelling mosquito's and other flying biting bugs and the wormwood is good for internal parasites in poultry (peacocks and chickens eat small amounts of it) and is also good for keeping away mites, chickens like to dust bathe under wormwood bushes.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Tru! I looked up wormwood and we have wild mugwort growing in the woods here that is similar. I chew on a leaf when I hike because it is refreshing staves off thirst - just looked up how many medicinal properties it has - wow!

Your father sounds scary. I hope you have a good way to keep him off your property. Wow.

I didn't realize 'roos were kangaroos! You have amazing wildlife there!!

I also get the blues a little in the fall when the light gets less. I always have to remember that and go out longer. We don't have a term for high fog in the US, but there is ground fog, and there is a local ground fog called Tule Fog - a dense low-flying mobile fog occurring especially in the San Francisco area.
 
Wow! a two-metre goanna! That would be something to see!

Thanks very much for your tip-off about mental health and counselling availability. I didn't know this, and I expect that means that many other Australians also don't - I must spread the word.
 
We have a lot of sunflowers, and they are just coming into full bloom. Most of ours are volunteers from last year's seeds. They just come up, but we do water and take care of them after they do. I try to mow around them when they come up in the lawn. The birds really seem to like them, particularly quail. We let them stand in the garden after freezing through the winter as a kind of natural bird feeder stand. No roos here to nibble at them.

You gun story is awful, I hope you never have to deal with anything like that again. As a good red-blooded American I have a pretty substantial arsenal, all legal. I used to hunt and we've inherited guns over the years. I keep them under lock and key, and a few years ago decided to get rid of all ammunition so I think we are pretty safe. I know saying so out loud would get me kicked out of a lot of bars, but I think Australia has taken a much more sane approach to guns than we have here.
 
alligatorob said:
I think Australia has taken a much more sane approach to guns than we have here.
Click to expand...

I agree, It is not like guns are totally banned, If i wanted a gun I could legally get one. My brother has a substantial arsenal (all legal) from black powder weapons up but the licencing means you must not only be trained in safe use, not have a criminal record or have serious mental health problems and have a good reason to have a gun, that reason can be as simple as recreational shooting where you need to attend club meets periodically. My father can no longer have guns despite having once been ranked 7th in Aus for small bore target, he lives in a different state now. 2 of my boys have no interest in shooting, my youngest is quite good at pistol but a little embarrassed that mum can out shoot him with rifle.
 
1563139932903.png

Today’s target is 160 push-ups. Rise and shine, coffee lovers, because today’s fact is for you. There is some evidence of a small protective effect from caffeine against developing depression. One study estimated that the optimal amount of coffee to drink to capitalise on this effect is 400mL, which contains approximately 160mg of caffeine (depending on how you like your coffee…). However, everyone is different, and there is absolutely no need to be forcing down espressos to try and hit this level daily. Find a level of caffeine that works for you.
 
Home from Uni for the day, still have push-ups to do, Just spent some time preparing bottles for my youngest son to do his bottle cap challenge, he is going to attempt 3 then I will chroma key the video to change background and possibly add music, the gym is putting up $100 prize money for the best by a club member.
 
I hadn't noticed the bottle cap challenge yet but I just did and three caps looks hard. And also like it'll impress people quite a bit, especially with some slick editing.
 
We have an interesting selection of failed attempts for the challenge, son lost the plot rolling around the room laughing his head :willy_nilly: off and could no longer concentrate making the misses more spectacular. Will try again tomorrow lol. I do have some usable footage but I think the misses will be more popular if I post them :rofl:
 
1563227120178.png

Today’s target is 235 push-ups. This number represents almost 2,350 males who lost their lives to suicide in 2017, which is approximately 75% of deaths due to suicide in Australia. Females experience mental health issues at higher rates than males, but males are less likely to seek help for them. Some spaces within our communities exist especially to support the mental health of the males in our lives, like the Men’s Shed. Men’s Shed provides open workspaces where males can socialise, work, or help out their communities. Check out their website here: Men's Sheds | Australian Men's Shed Association
 
Halfway through today's push-ups, into the gym shortly for rehab exercises and to have another attempt at filming sons bottle cap challenge, I will post it here when we finally have a good photo shoot lol
 
1563314972032.png

Today’s target is 150 push-ups. Low vitamin D levels have been consistently associated with a higher risk of depression and increased severity of depression symptoms. There’s even an illness similar to depression, called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which shows up in winter when vitamin D is harder to come by. However, supplementing vitamin D doesn’t necessarily improve someone’s mood. While we aren’t quite sure how the relationship between vitamin D and depression works yet, research is ongoing. Target levels for vitamin D are approximately 50-150nmol/L. People at risk include the elderly, those with dark skin tones, and people who wear clothing covering most of their body. If you think you might be at risk, you can ask your doctor about checking your vitamin D.
 
Had my course specific orientation at uni yesterday, met the course coordinators, some of the lecturers I have already met as I have been to assorted small seminars they have run, and one in particular gave me specific information regarding training and strength levels during the menstrual cycle.
 
100% support here for the shout-out to the Men's Sheds movement - I think they are a really brilliant contributor to mental health, especially rural and semi-rural. The figures you quoted show such a sad and damaging story.

Cheers for the kick-off of the uni course, for you being brilliant and having fun doing it! :hurray:
 
I should also note, completed rehab exercises last night, seated row up to 70 kg (154 lb) bent over DB row up to 30 kg (66 lb) No pain at top of ROM for lat pull-downs and can now start rebuilding strength. Also managed to rotate shoulders into correct position for high-bar squat without pain, pumped out 3 light ATG sets at 70 kg after not being able to squat for months.

I may have made the sets look too easy, a couple of young blokes were trying to show off to their girlfriends by squatting with the smith machine with only 20 kg it, after my first squat set one of them upped the weight to 40 kg (20 a side, bar doesn't count on smith) done 2 half squats, looked at me and then the whole group left the gym rather downcast.

but on the up side, I did help out a young fella (age 14/15 at a guess) fixed up his bench grip (safety is important and he certainly noticed how much easier it was with the correct grip on the bar), he and his mum were very happy.

Still need to improve shoulder ROM further to achieve correct shoulder position for low bar squat.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top