so i have nothing better to do on this cold -15 degree day...i have discovered a way to get your thigh muscles in good shape for hiking. thought i would share: equipment-electric toothbrush that has an automatic shutoff after 2 min.(don't laugh, you will soon see my wisdom). using a clock with a sweep hand, start timing using 30 sec. increments per quadrant,do one legged squats squeezing as you go up and down. example:upper right 30sec.then using same leg upper left. do same with other leg and lower teeth. i manage to get in 40 per quadrant. 160 per workout. 3 times a day=240 per leg...cool eh??i have firmed up my thighs and buttocks in 6 months. i am now ready for my hike on the john muir trail....P.S.my husband makes fun of me, but i now have thighs like a hockey player..just kidding

Edited by clt1953 on 12/07/2008 10:26:55 MST.

>i am now ready for my hike on the john muir trail.

Well, almost. The *funniest* trip I ever went on was a trip organised through my gym. There were all these very fit gym instructers with us, and they were very confident that their trim and toned thighs were up to the challenge. Hehehe, by the end of the second day, they were all hobbling in agony and afraid to even try and squat on the toilet!!! Turns out that it's one thing to train your legs for uphill strength (sqautting is good for this), but it's a completely different set of muscles needed for downhill work, and squatting just doesn't cut it!!!

How do you isolate each quadrant?

How's this for a coincidence. I'm reading these posts and hearing on the radio...

Didn't take too long 'fore I found out, what people mean by down and out. Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she wants to be a star.

I don't know but I been told, a big-legged woman ain't got no soul.

All I ask for when I pray, steady rollin' woman gonna come my way. Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won't tell me no lies, make me a happy man.

I never knew that the song was really about hiking : )

allison, i do walk every day and strength train twice a week. i realize that hiking on the john muir is going to be totally different than any hiking that i have done in minnesota or isle royal. high allitude and such. hopefully i will be up to the challenge. jed, as far as isolating each quadrant, i meant in your mouth. upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left. i most likely worded that weird. so each set of leg squats(60 seconds per brushing time) correlates with either uppers or lowers. so you would be brushing the upper right and squating with one of your legs and then with the same leg, brush your left upper. vice versa with the other leg on the lower teeth. does that make any sense? p.s. i do other leg work. this is just an easy way to get alttle extra in.

Edited by clt1953 on 12/07/2008 16:30:51 MST.