December 2011 Strength Challenge

**Killashandra** · November 26th, 2011, 11:21 AM

Thought it would be good to have one of these, as there hasn't been one in the time I've been posting here. It will run from 1st to 31st December 2011. No special equipment is required. You can use what you have like water bottles, cans or just gravity - it all works well. You do not need any experience either. Just take the plunge. It is easier than you think. Start small if you are a beginner. You can always build up later. Shout if you need suggestions of exercises to do.

Rules of the challenge

Pledge the amount of minutes you will strength train
You will have to work to strengthen all parts of the body (lower, upper, core).
To be eligible for the challenge you have to share with others what your typical weekly workout schedule will look like. Exercises can be lifting weights, using gym machines, exercise balls, push ups, squats or doing yoga/pilates exercise for strength and flexibility. No equipment requirement though.
You have to schedule recovery/rest days.
Log in at least twice a week to report your minutes. Copy the whole list and add your minutes.

**Killashandra** · November 26th, 2011, 11:27 AM

I'm pledging to strength train the whole of my body three times a week, primarily with dumbbells, starting Thursday 1st December. I guesstimate that will take 30-40 minutes per session, depending on how many sets I do, plus I will do 30 crunches 5 times a week. I'll post my routine later when I've figured out exactly what I'm going to do, and I'll post if I tweak it going along.

**chinadoll** · November 27th, 2011, 06:15 AM

I am in!

I pledge a minimum of 80 mins core work a week (one hour pilates and 20 mins of whatever-crunches, ball work, or more pilates)

35 mins of upper body a week -chest and back dumbbell work (presses, bentover row, incline press, pullovers ) Day One

35 minutes Shoulders, arms (Arnold press, Military press, shoulder press, lat raises, upright row, various curls, kickbacks, french press) Day Two

30 mins leg and back work (squats, lunges, calf raises and deadlift) Day Three

Chances are at least one day will get repeated in the rotation but I will count on this much as my schedule gets nuts.

That's 190 minutes (3+ hours) minimum per week.

**Killashandra** · November 27th, 2011, 06:34 AM

My routine initially will be a Kathy Smith DVD with bench and dumbbells - 20 minutes upper, 20 minutes lower, 15 minutes core.

Once I can access the gym and figure out their new equipment, my routine will be a selection of:

Lower body - weighted squats, lunges, straight-leg deadlifts
Upper body - flyes, rows, bench presses, pushups, dumbbell pullovers, shrugs, raises, curls, kickbacks
Core - crunches, cobra, Swiss ball rollouts, back extensions, dumbbell sidebends, plank

Generally I'm using 4kg dumbbells and doing 3 sets of 12 reps of each. I'm also planning on using their Kinesis equipment, which is cable-based, and trying Pilates for the first time. Really excited about this challenge! We'll do a partial week from Thursday 1st December, and the second week will then start on Monday 5th December.

**chinadoll** · November 29th, 2011, 05:34 AM

I love pilates! I use free weights- 20 lb dumbbells for chest presses, 20 for bent over row, 17.5 for incline presses, 25 for pullovers

this is for chest and back only but I work on upping my weights every couple of weeks. Kil, do you want me to post the weights used too?

**Killashandra** · November 29th, 2011, 02:08 PM

Entirely up to you, my dear - I'll probably post mine because I'll be trying out the Kinesis equipment as well as dumbbells, but based on the exercises from the Kathy Smith DVD. Will be doing the routine for the first time on Thursday so will be tweaking it as I go.

**liv** · November 29th, 2011, 02:16 PM

Are we (I am using we since I am joining) pledging weekly minutes?

It is probably time to change my routines around and I will have access to a gym till the 20th and may try to work some of their machines for strength for a bit since I can. They have so many strength training machines it is overwhelming but I can work some leg presses and chest presses and tricep pull downs and then I'll see what I can figure out of what the rest are and if it is remotely useful. I have dumbells and barbells and a bench at home for the rest of the month.

I will have to add details as I figure them out.

**Killashandra** · November 29th, 2011, 02:17 PM

Yes I went with the rules you used before.

**liv** · November 29th, 2011, 02:33 PM

Are any you familiar with any typical gym strengtening machines? Any special machine you would recommend I try?

Weekly I will do few the first week - because it is short and I think I have no time for gym this weekend. So only one day. Normally I will try for 3 the other weeks -

**Killashandra** · November 29th, 2011, 02:37 PM

I particularly like the leg press; I can't carry heavy enough dumbbells to do a decent weighted squat. I'm wary of the lat pulldown as that's how I knackered my disc, but I've found I can do the same movement on the Kinesis; never found a comparable free weight exercise for that. The cable triceps pushdown kicks more than a tricep kickback using a dumbbell, I find. I go for dumbbells if I'm going for a compound move eg. an overhead press at the same time as a squat, or a one-arm Romanian deadlift straight into an overhead press. Hate barbells with a passion.