December 2011 Strength Challenge

[Killashandra]

How's everyone doing? I'm trying Pilates for the first time tomorrow. Then for a change I'm going to test out the various machines - the gym has 15 or so from the Matrix G7 series. It's been a while since I felt I had a really good weights workout. I've scoped out what I'll try (if I'm not too knackered from the Pilates; if I am, I'll do this Monday morning instead):

Leg press, leg extension, possibly leg curl, hip adductor, hip abductor, calf raises
Lat pulldown (Kinesis machine), chest press, seated row, pec deck, shoulder press, lateral raise (dumbbell)
Tricep pushdowns, bicep curls (dumbbells)
Core: Swiss ball rollouts, back extension, plank, pelvic tilt - if this works, I'll do it instead of crunches because I'm really wary of my neck/back problems

Then a friend is arriving at the gym, and we're going to swim and jacuzzi for the afternoon after lunch. My final routine after that testing for the month of December will probably be a combination of free weights and machines. I figured out the 4th Kinesis machine with the cable near the floor - it's for hooking round the ankle for thigh abduction/adduction. You can apparently have it going across your stomach for lunges as well.

[Killashandra]

Can anyone recommend a stretching programme or some individual stretches? I'm notoriously bad at doing them - very undisciplined, and I don't really know what I'm doing with them, apart from the lower back stretch (child pose from yoga but with the arms forward).

[chinadoll]

K pilates strengthens and stretches you and ask your pilates instructor for stretches to do--the pilates folks have some good ones if they know their stuff.

I am going to do my postings by minutes. I figured out I need about 820 minutes for the month, but I am going to put down 900mins so on the weeks that I am traveling I will know I had better fit in an extra workout before or after.

I did a double workout today - all upper body. Even added db flyes and military press back in. Definitely felt them and will feel them tomorrow. Changed the hand angle on my inclined chest presses (db) and really felt the pecs. I also found a bent armed barbell pullover to work the lats without a machine! yay! Haven't tried that one yet but it will go into the routine for sure.

So far this month...

35 upper body
60 core
90 upper body
20 core
_____

205/ 900 mins and lovin it!

[chinadoll]

Marge, I would say that starting with free weights is something you should do with instruction. If you can find a knowledgeable friend or even do several sessions with a personal trainer to show you proper form that is best. Otherwise it is easy to injure yourself if you do not know how to properly stabilize and isolate the movements. This is especially important for knees, back and shoulders.

However DO start lifting. It totally changes my body shape! I never liked any exercise and it was lifting that got the ball rolling ans I love what it does for me.



Kil - the other fav book of mine is the Muscle and Fitness Training Notebook. It gives great details on form, anatomical diagrams on which muscles are targeted and even gives alternate exercises for the same muscle groups. It is just a great general reference book to have.

Marge, this book is also good for beginners to learn how to do things but it is MUCH faster and easier to have someone correcting you while you are working out.

[Killashandra]

Pledging a total of 900 minutes for December to include all weights sessions, Pilates classes and core work - 20 done so far last Thursday. If this challenge works well for people, I'm happy to host one every month.

[fitandhappy]

OK I have a question
If I am putting together a full body routine to do three times a week - focussing on strength - what order should I work the body parts?
legs (leg presses, what else would your recommend?)
chest
shoulders
arms (biceps then triceps - anything else)
abs
???

I am not new to lifting but I am coming out of a period of more toning exercises than strength exercises and I am shifting focus in December.
I will work out in a gym for the next 3 weeks so all kinds of equipment
Trow something at me LOL

This is my full body routine that I do currently. I love this workout! Mainly because I love supersets.. Any of the moves that you would fee foreign to, you can look them up on youtube for demonstrations. With the incline chest presses, you work your triceps secondarily. I am getting ready to go to work, and I do have some fullbody circuits that you can do as well. I'll shoot you them tomorrow when I have more time
Do the A group 1&2 back to back, 4 sets of 4 reps. resting 120 sec before repeating. Then move on to the B group

a1 DB low incline chest press
a2 Cable Pull Throughs
b1 One arm rows
b2 reverse lunges
c1 heavy DB lateral throws
c2 face pulls
d1 Lat Pull downs (over hand med grip)
d2 DB Bulgarian squat
60 secPlanks

[Killashandra]

60 minutes Pilates + 20 minutes weights - tried a few of the machines but had to cut it short as my friend arrived early, but that's 100/900 minutes done for December. Was underwhelmed by Pilates so probably won't do that again; too complicated, with visualising notch 5 out of 10 notches on a belt and tightening the middle of 3 bands of muscle but not the outer and inner. There were only 2 of us in the class so I got lots of personal attention but she just didn't explain it well despite teaching it for 7 years; if she'd just said do a slow rolling pelvic tilt, that would've been fine, but she was thoroughly confusing. The same woman teaches yoga which I had been considering, so I won't do that either - can't stand the New Age waffle. Just going to do my routine 3 times a week with the odd session of swimming or cycling; their standard bikes are comfortable to use, unlike the ones in the spin classes. Will try Zumba on Thursday.

I tried the following machines:

Leg press - thought I was doing 60kg but it was 60lbs. Duh! No wonder it was too easy. Will increase that next time, as I was doing 50kg before. Not used to machines in lbs and dumbbells are in kgs but I need to decide on one or the other set of measurements.
Leg extension - 40lbs
Adductor + abductor - 50lbs
Chest press - 20lbs
Pec deck - my arms aren't long enough to fit the pads properly so will skip that and do something else
Bicep curls - 6kg dumbbells

All of those I will increase appropriately and do 3 full sets - tomorrow morning I'm going to do a proper leisurely session as I barely feel I did anything today. Just reading Jill's recommendation 'Lift like a man, look like a goddess' - very good so far.

[liv]

Thanks for the routine Jami - gives me something to think about
I have to admit - I have had several days of soreness after my workout. My shoulders and arms could not even be touched.
I kind of expected it. Working with the machines always makes me use some muscles in new weird ways. Which is one reason I like to go back and forth a bit.

So I have done some running -had a day off - and tomorrow I will hit the circuit again. Although if the gym is not too crowded today I may work abs for a bit. I try to work abs tons. Abs work in bootcamp too this week so that will be good.

Nice work killishandra. I would try to yoga just in case. I must say I kind of avoid the more spiritual teachers as well. Although one managed to teach me about chakras and matras and I was found it interesting.
A good think about yoga is that you learn some really good stretches. And you learn about muscles on your body you do not really think about that you have. I love yoga for the breathing alone. The centering with breathing is so calming for me because my mind is always overly busy and sometimes I just have to calm down. Try it and if you don't like it well that is that.
I have a book on stretching that I have used a lot. As I am becoming older stretching is pretty important for me. I like strength but I want to hang on to some flexibility too if I can. Downward dog is one of my favourite stretching moves (or the whole sun salutation)

[Killashandra]

Every time I've tried yoga in the past, I've had a weird reaction and thrown up (same with reiki) - not sure if that's a physical reaction to my insides being moved in a strange way or what, but it does make me barf. I want flexibility as well, especially in my neck and shoulders, so I'm going to research stretching on my own including the specific physio exercises given to me over the summer, and incorporate it properly into my routine and not blow it off because it's boring. I'm energised by gung-ho git-em exercise but I recognize I do need to balance that with more relaxing stuff or I'll turn into a red-eyed cortisol freak. Looking forward to the abs stuff in Bootcamp. Got a weird thing going on with my neck incision since this morning - looks like a big zit swelling up underneath the 8-month scar and it's stinging to touch, although my neck from chin to collarbone in general is numb and I doubt I'll ever get feeling back there; I think some nerves got cut during the surgery. Will keep an eye on that.

[liv]

I think throwing up is a possible reaction. Make sure not to eat before. The twists you do in yoga should stimulate your stomach. That is part of the fun with them.
Stretching is well wroth looking into I think
Hope that issue is not a sign of something. We do have to listen to our bodies for sure. There are limits.