Well Trained Bodies - 3/5/17

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I went and did 45 hard minutes on the elliptical today, and an upper body workout.  Nothing terribly exciting, but it got done.

 

I am getting frustrated with the lat pull-down at my gym, because it doesn't have 5lb increments, and I could really use that in-between right now!

Ask if they have the 5 pound pieces. I use the lat pull-down and was happy to find the 5# pieces that slip over the bar piece thingamabob. I am so not ready to jump up 10#.

[Laurie4b]

Ask if they have the 5 pound pieces. I use the lat pull-down and was happy to find the 5# pieces that slip over the bar piece thingamabob. I am so not ready to jump up 10#.

 

My gym also has that. It is a separate hunk of metal that weighs 5 lbs that you lay on top of the stack. Ask your gym to get one if they don't have one. 

[Laurie4b]

I have this frustration with several of the machines at my gym.  My method of dealing with it so far has been to do as many reps as I can at the slightly-too-high weight, and then finish out the set at the slightly-too-low weight.  If anyone has a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

 

I have done this when I am building up to something. I follow one of the New Rules for Lifting books and it specifies a number of reps. So if I can do 10 reps at 40 lbs, but it said 12 reps, I do my last two at 35 pounds or whatever. I have found that that is a reasonable way to build up to the higher weight. 

[Laurie4b]

I did my Wall Sit challenge yesterday and that was about it. I am looking forward to Spring Break next week.

 

Today - I made it the Y a bit early. I did my 40 mins incline on the treadmill. Then I did about 30 mins of strength training. I still have to do my 2 min wall sit at some point. I was hoping to play tennis tonight but we have 9 players so I'll probably have to sit out. Maybe I'll go and do some running drills and serve practice.

 

Today was weigh in day and I did lose this week! I'm thrilled. It's only .5 # but it's in the right direction.

 

I'm sitting at a crossroads and need some advice. I'm out of chai. Do I do a no chai challenge and see if my weight loss accelerates or do I go buy some?

 

If by "go buy some" you mean have the in gredients at home to make a healthy chai, then I would do that. If there is no way to make a healthy chai, I would try cutting it out altogether and substitute another kind of tea so you still get the hot drink. 

[Laurie4b]

Today, I worked my tail off. 

 

I met a student for tutoring at a park and afterwards, since it was a beautiful day, I walked/jogged. Usually I walk and do 1 min jogs alternating with 30 sec of walking, but after reading something last night about how HIIT is most helpful for undoing the damage that aging does to your telemeres, I decided to try 10 sec. sprints followed by walking after kind of warming up with walking/jogging. 

 

I also had Zumba tonight, which is structured as HIIT, too. 

 

I am whooped. 

[Laurie4b]

Today, I worked my tail off. 

 

I met a student for tutoring at a park and afterwards, since it was a beautiful day, I walked/jogged. Usually I walk and do 1 min jogs alternating with 30 sec of walking, but after reading something last night about how HIIT is most helpful for undoing the damage that aging does to your telemeres, I decided to try 10 sec. sprints followed by walking after kind of warming up with walking/jogging. it was 45 min total.

 

I also had Zumba tonight, which is structured as HIIT, too. 

 

I am whooped. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by Laurie4b

[wintermom]

Today, I worked my tail off. 

 

I met a student for tutoring at a park and afterwards, since it was a beautiful day, I walked/jogged. Usually I walk and do 1 min jogs alternating with 30 sec of walking, but after reading something last night about how HIIT is most helpful for undoing the damage that aging does to your telemeres, I decided to try 10 sec. sprints followed by walking after kind of warming up with walking/jogging. 

 

I also had Zumba tonight, which is structured as HIIT, too. 

 

I am whooped. 

 

What are telemeres?  I don't recall studying about these in any of my anatomy or physiology courses. What were you reading?  Was it science based or marketing/business based?  Be careful with high intensity interval training at our "delicate" ages, because you can easily injure tendons, muscles, joints, etc. that aren't used to it or properly warmed-up. Sprinting is very high impact on ankles and knees especially and can be a wonderful work-out, but it can also be the cause of injury. I wouldn't want you to miss out on all the benefits of telmeres because you snapped your achilles tendon. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by wintermom

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Can I suggest something about the evening hunger. OMG... when I stopped snacking at night, I was ravenous to the point that my stomach hurt. It does get better eventually as your body adjusts to the new norm. What also helped was having a cup of fruity herbal tea at night. I lOVE having a glass (or 2) of wine at night so I really love the Sangria Zinger tea by Celestial Seasonings. It really helps a lot at night now when I would love a taste of something but I really can't snack. The night time snacking after the kids go to bed is a killer. I never counted the calories, but I probably consumed over 600 calories at night!

Yes! Eating that night was a definite mistake. I had struggled through 2 weeks of not snacking at night and finally made it to the point where I wasn't hungry at night anymore. I wasn't terribly hungry when I ate the first slice of cheese but, Oh My!, those couple of bites triggered a feeling of near starvation. Does that happen to anyone else? You feel a just a little hungry until you eat a few bites and then you're ravenous? Well, tonight I'm a little hungry again. I won't be eating though. I'm not really a tea drinker but maybe I should start.

 

Yesterday and today were much more successful than Monday. Vitamins, vegetables, water, exercise, all done as planned. I'm really tired though. It's been a busy week already and AF is due this weekend so I'm going to be dragging through the next few even busier days.

 

Today's workout was Insanity Pure Cardio. It seems I had suppressed memories of this one. Most of the Insanity workouts follow a pattern of 10 minute warm up, 5 minute stretch, 6 rounds of 3 minute HIIT intervals ( 5-6 different exercises done for 30 seconds each)/30 second rest, cool down/stretch. Today's workout started the same but then it got to the "real" workout. Just 15 minutes straight of Insanity cardio. 15 exercises, 1 minute each, sprinting, jumping, burpees...it was something. I haven't been that sweaty in a long time.

 

I have karate class tomorrow morning and I'm going to try to squeeze in my RevAbs workout too.

 

The next few days are going to be tough. I'll be tired and craving junk and have several parties to navigate. Gotta stay strong and try to get a little extra sleep if possible.

[GoodGrief]

Hungry! Fruit, vegetables, and a sweet potato today on the plan. It does seem like otherwise though the body is functioning exceptionally well right now, so we will power through the last few days of this "cleanse" protocol. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill, did the P90X stretch, and walked with the dog for an hour. Anniversary is tomorrow, but no celebration planned. I know my husband will want to eat out over the weekend though. The cleanse may end prematurely, which would be fine.Will pick up with the new plan whenever that happens.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

What are telemeres?  I don't recall studying about these in any of my anatomy or physiology courses. <snip>

Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes. They play a part in protection and replication. Each time a chromosome replicates, a bit of the telomere is consumed and it becomes shorter; once the telomere is consumed the chromosome can no longer replicate.  One theory is that this is a main feature of the aging process. Recent research (very recent) indicates that exercise may actually lengthen the telomeres, thereby increasing the chromosome's ability to replicate and giving the chromosome a longer 'shelf-life'.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Yes! Eating that night was a definite mistake. I had struggled through 2 weeks of not snacking at night and finally made it to the point where I wasn't hungry at night anymore. I wasn't terribly hungry when I ate the first slice of cheese but, Oh My!, those couple of bites triggered a feeling of near starvation. Does that happen to anyone else? You feel a just a little hungry until you eat a few bites and then you're ravenous? Well, tonight I'm a little hungry again. I won't be eating though. I'm not really a tea drinker but maybe I should start.

<snip>

It happens to me. It's why I have to stay away from trigger foods like chips and chocolate. I'm fine if I resolve to not have any. If I have one bite, it's all over. My body and brain react as if I've been starved and deprived and it's a feeding frenzy. At times, it seems like it's all-or-none. 

 

Re: tea - Other than chai, which is really half warm milk, half spice tea, with a bit of sugar thrown in, I can't stand tea. Are there any good teas out there that don't taste like black or green tea? Is there a tea that doesn't have to be doctored with sweetener to get rid of the tea taste? 

[Soror]

I've been feeling blah this week, emotionally and physically. Partly I think due to all the pollen and such in the air, it is like spring outside and I'm having to take allergy pills. 

 

We went on walks Mon and Wed, 2 yesterday. 

 

I'm eating good food, although a bit more. I'm obsessed with baked potatoes lately. 

 

Supposed to have Aerial Yoga today, although she has canceled it for a month, so far I've not heard anything today so perhaps it is on. 

Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes. They play a part in protection and replication. Each time a chromosome replicates, a bit of the telomere is consumed and it becomes shorter; once the telomere is consumed the chromosome can no longer replicate.  One theory is that this is a main feature of the aging process. Recent research (very recent) indicates that exercise may actually lengthen the telomeres, thereby increasing the chromosome's ability to replicate and giving the chromosome a longer 'shelf-life'.

Yes, I've read about this as well. It is discussed pretty heavily in anti-aging research. Google says they were discovered in 2009 and their discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.

[Greta]

Yes, all of this research about telomeres is really interesting.  I know this is anecdotal, but I think my husband is living proof of that.  He has been an avid exerciser his entire adult life.  If you met him, you would think he's in his late 40's.  He's 62.  He honestly looks decades younger than other people his age.  People are genuinely shocked when they find out how old he is.  Makes me really wish that I had been doing this for my entire adult life, instead of just now trying to get into shape in middle age!!!

 

 

What are telemeres?  I don't recall studying about these in any of my anatomy or physiology courses. What were you reading?  Was it science based or marketing/business based?  Be careful with high intensity interval training at our "delicate" ages, because you can easily injure tendons, muscles, joints, etc. that aren't used to it or properly warmed-up. Sprinting is very high impact on ankles and knees especially and can be a wonderful work-out, but it can also be the cause of injury. I wouldn't want you to miss out on all the benefits of telmeres because you snapped your achilles tendon. 

 

 

Just wanted to mention that with my weak, injury-prone ankles, I do not do interval training with running.  I run slow (pathetically slow, in my case!).  But you can do intervals with virtually any form of cardio:  swimming, biking, elliptical, whatever.  I like doing it on the AMT machine because that's such a natural feeling motion to me, but very low-impact.  You can turn up the resistance on the machine and/or go faster.  Also, cycling classes are really fun in part because the instructor is varying the speed and resistance to keep you from getting bored, but it makes for a better workout to mix it up like that.  

[Greta]

 

Re: tea - Other than chai, which is really half warm milk, half spice tea, with a bit of sugar thrown in, I can't stand tea. Are there any good teas out there that don't taste like black or green tea? Is there a tea that doesn't have to be doctored with sweetener to get rid of the tea taste? 

 

You could try white teas, but be aware that they are very delicate and must be brewed at a lower temperature than standard tea (if you get the water too hot, it's very bitter.  And I've had very mixed results ordering white tea at Starbucks - some locations/people know how to brew it, and some do not!).  And of course there are herbal teas that don't include any actual (black or green) tea:  chamomile and mint and fruit teas and various blends.  We have a lovely little tea shop here where you can sniff the gazillion different kinds of tea they have, and purchase it brewed by the cup or dry in bulk amounts.  If you have something like that where you live, it's a fun way to try new teas without committing to a whole box.  (And if you do have a shop where you live devoted to teas, they will know the proper way to brew the various forms!)

 

But since you love chai so much, maybe stick with that but cut back a bit on the sweetener?  Or use something like stevia or monk fruit to sweeten it?  I drink unsweetened chai from time to time, but I know I'm weird.  Most people don't like it that way.  And it's not as good, I won't lie!

[wintermom]

I did do some reading on telemeres, but I didn't see where HIIT was particularly involved. If anyone has references for this, I'd be curious to read it.  

 

I'm all about exercise of all kinds. Totally supportive, but I've also sustained enough sprains, strains, and hosts of other injuries over my lifetime, and especially between the ages of 35 and 50 to know that our bodies do not react the same way they did at ages 15 - 25. We have to be more gentle, but we can certainly do a whole lot once we've prepared our bodies for it.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Went to the gym last night after not being there for a week.  I thought for sure it would suck.  It wasn't bad!  It was like I had not taken any time off.  So yay!

 

I read a little about interval training and how effective it is.  I've been doing that without even knowing that I'm doing that so yay.

 

Doesn't take much to excite me in this department.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

I'm all about exercise of all kinds. Totally supportive, but I've also sustained enough sprains, strains, and hosts of other injuries over my lifetime, and especially between the ages of 35 and 50 to know that our bodies do not react the same way they did at ages 15 - 25. We have to be more gentle, but we can certainly do a whole lot once we've prepared our bodies for it.

 

Aint that the truth!  My mind is 20.  My body is 42.  So in my mind I think I can push things like I used to and just be a little sore for a day or so.  OH NO.  No no no....

[wintermom]

Yes, all of this research about telomeres is really interesting.  I know this is anecdotal, but I think my husband is living proof of that.  He has been an avid exerciser his entire adult life.  If you met him, you would think he's in his late 40's.  He's 62.  He honestly looks decades younger than other people his age.  People are genuinely shocked when they find out how old he is.  Makes me really wish that I had been doing this for my entire adult life, instead of just now trying to get into shape in middle age!!!

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to mention that with my weak, injury-prone ankles, I do not do interval training with running.  I run slow (pathetically slow, in my case!).  But you can do intervals with virtually any form of cardio:  swimming, biking, elliptical, whatever.  I like doing it on the AMT machine because that's such a natural feeling motion to me, but very low-impact.  You can turn up the resistance on the machine and/or go faster.  Also, cycling classes are really fun in part because the instructor is varying the speed and resistance to keep you from getting bored, but it makes for a better workout to mix it up like that.  

 

That's great about your dh! Hope he's able to stay active for another couple decades. I find this so inspiring, and it's one of the reasons why I've been investing more time on physical activities I can do safely and well in the upcoming decades. Some things, like martial arts, are just too much strain on my body, whereas tennis and cross-country skiing are wonderful.

 

As far as interval training in other activities, again it depends on one's individual bodies. My shoulders are "shot" from competitive swimming in my youth, so I'd not do well with any swimming sprints unless is was just kick. 

 

I guess the best advice is to listen to your own body, and don't make too many sudden demands on it without preparation.

Edited March 9, 2017 by wintermom

[Greta]

That's great about your dh! Hope he's able to stay active for another couple decades. I find this so inspiring, and it's one of the reasons why I've been investing more time on physical activities I can do safely and well in the upcoming decades. Some things, like martial arts, are just too much strain on my body, whereas tennis and cross-country skiing are wonderful.

 

As far as interval training in other activities, again it depends on one's individual bodies. My shoulders are "shot" from competitive swimming in my youth, so I'd not do well with any swimming sprints unless is was just kick. 

 

I guess the best advice is to listen to your own body, and don't make too many sudden demands on it without preparation.

 

 

I wonder if perhaps it is best not to do your interval training in the same sport/activity that you have done the most, or do the most, or wish to do the most.  My husband's favorite activity has always been running.  He used to run marathons.  He doesn't run those kinds of distances any more, but he still runs about 100 miles in the course of a month.  When we first started hearing a lot about HIIT a few years ago, he thought maybe he could improve his running by throwing in some sprints.  He tried it a few times, and basically said that if he kept doing that, he wouldn't be able to run at all.  

 

Another way to keep it safe is to remember that while high intensity interval training gets all the attention, there is nothing at all wrong with doing medium intensity intervals.  You're still going to get a lot of the same benefits, with less risk of hurting yourself.

 

My personal goal is not about competition or performance or anything "high demand" like that.  It is to be as fit and mobile and active as possible, for as many years as possible.  So like you, I tend to shy away from the things that I know are more likely to cause me pain (and those things are going to be different from person to person, so it takes some experimenting to find out).  So far, I've been able to do intervals on the stationary bike and the AMT machine without any signs of trouble.  I absolutely could not do them running, and I am not even going to try!  And I've learned from trial and error to do things like leg press instead of back squats, and overhead press instead of lateral shoulder raises, things like that, even though other people might have no problems at all with back squats and lateral shoulder lifts.  It's definitely a learning process, and our needs may very well change over time, too.

[Greta]

Aint that the truth!  My mind is 20.  My body is 42.  So in my mind I think I can push things like I used to and just be a little sore for a day or so.  OH NO.  No no no....

 

This is so true!  I still feel like a kid on the inside, but my 43 year old body is not cooperating with my youthful wishes!

[wintermom]

 

Another way to keep it safe is to remember that while high intensity interval training gets all the attention, there is nothing at all wrong with doing medium intensity intervals.  You're still going to get a lot of the same benefits, with less risk of hurting yourself.

 

 

:iagree:   It really should be MIIT, IMO, unless you are a trained athlete (and young, but that might be considered ageism). ;)  Hey, if the older pro hockey, tennis, and football players, who get paid the big bucks, choose to do HIIT and face the injuries, let them.

 

How about we agree to do MIIT and we can call it HIIT for fun?  :laugh:

Edited March 9, 2017 by wintermom

[Greta]

How about we agree to do MIIT and we can call it HIIT for fun? :laugh:

I'm in! :D

[trulycrabby]

Surgery two weeks ago today; today was my first pure barre class since then, so of course I took the very hardest instructor's class. No pushups, planks, or arm work for another month, but my legs and abs got a great workout.

[Laurie4b]

I grabbed some time on my lunch break (I can come home) to get my deadlifts in so that I can check those off my strength-training for today. They are the hardest part and it's a gorgeous day and I want to hike. But if I hike first, sometimes I don't have the energy to do my strength training. So this was my effort at defeating that dynamic!

[wintermom]

I got in a nice little run before lunch. My body was more prepared for constant moving, which was nice. I contemplated some fartlek (speed variation) but decided to take it nice and easy. I'll try it on my bike instead.

[solascriptura]

It happens to me. It's why I have to stay away from trigger foods like chips and chocolate. I'm fine if I resolve to not have any. If I have one bite, it's all over. My body and brain react as if I've been starved and deprived and it's a feeding frenzy. At times, it seems like it's all-or-none.

 

Re: tea - Other than chai, which is really half warm milk, half spice tea, with a bit of sugar thrown in, I can't stand tea. Are there any good teas out there that don't taste like black or green tea? Is there a tea that doesn't have to be doctored with sweetener to get rid of the tea taste?

The one I mentioned before doesn't taste like black or green tea at all. I think that there is hibiscus and citrus fruit peels. Please try the Sangria Zinger! The box only costs 2.50 so there is little risk. I'm planning to have it iced in the warmer months. Maybe they'll taste like those fruity tea cooler drinks at Starbucks.

[solascriptura]

I grabbed some time on my lunch break (I can come home) to get my deadlifts in so that I can check those off my strength-training for today. They are the hardest part and it's a gorgeous day and I want to hike. But if I hike first, sometimes I don't have the energy to do my strength training. So this was my effort at defeating that dynamic!

May I ask what weight you lift for the deadlifts? I'm wondering if I should incorporate more of these. I keep hearing how great they are for you but I find them pretty easy. What benefits have you seen with this exercise?

[solascriptura]

Cardio kickboxing today. What a crazy class! I thought some of the older ladies were going to pass out but they kept going!

[Greta]

May I ask what weight you lift for the deadlifts? I'm wondering if I should incorporate more of these. I keep hearing how great they are for you but I find them pretty easy. What benefits have you seen with this exercise?

 

 

Though I'm not the person you asked, I'd love to hear her answer, and to chat more about this.

 

I do hex-bar deadlifts, because I find that hurts my neck/shoulders less than traditional barbell deadlifts.  With the barbell, the weight is out in front of you more and your hands are positioned with palms facing you.  With the hex bar, the weight is neither in front of nor behind you, and your palms are facing each other.  That makes it a lot more comfortable for me personally.  

 

Even so, it is my upper body which limits the amount of weight I can lift.  The most I've ever lifted was 95 pounds and I did hurt somewhat afterward (in that part of the trapezius muscle where neck meets shoulder - not in my legs!).  I feel like deadlifts are such a great exercise for your legs, and also for your trunk (it's doing a lot of work!).  I just wish my trapezius wasn't so sensitive.

[Laurie4b]

What are telemeres?  I don't recall studying about these in any of my anatomy or physiology courses. What were you reading?  Was it science based or marketing/business based?  Be careful with high intensity interval training at our "delicate" ages, because you can easily injure tendons, muscles, joints, etc. that aren't used to it or properly warmed-up. Sprinting is very high impact on ankles and knees especially and can be a wonderful work-out, but it can also be the cause of injury. I wouldn't want you to miss out on all the benefits of telmeres because you snapped your achilles tendon. 

 

I misspelled the word; it is telOmeres. Scoutermom gave a good summary. If you look up research articles on telomeres and exercise, there are quite a few articles in peer-reviewed journals. I believe all exercise has been shown to have a positive effect. The article I read yesterday was from a study that showed HIIT had the most effect. (There doesn't seem to be any debate in the scholarly research that exercise has hugely positive effects on our body systems.  However, which kind of exercise is best seems to be continually debated no matter what the field: cardio (long, steady state cardio, HIIT, moderate cardio, etc.) neurology (what is best for preventing Alzheimer's? ) and anti-aging. 

 

But yes, you have a good point about joints and caution. I had thought about the potential for injury because at my age, my first rule is "First of all do no harm."   I have been walking/jogging (IOW movement in the same category) for quite a while now, and had warmed up with 7 minutes of walking and another 10 min of alternating walking and jogging before my first 10 second sprint. I was running on  grass with the flat ground soft but not spongy, so it was a forgiving surface as well. 

 

I will go look for the study and post it. 

 

I had given some thought to the wear and tear on the joints and thought maybe stationary bicycling (though I find it very boring compared to running outside in the spring!) or swimming "sprints" might be better.

 

ETA: You would think I could find a study I read a couple days ago. Not yet, but here is the press re

lease from when the Nobel prize was given for the discovery: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2009/press.html

 

 

Edited March 9, 2017 by Laurie4b

[Laurie4b]

May I ask what weight you lift for the deadlifts? I'm wondering if I should incorporate more of these. I keep hearing how great they are for you but I find them pretty easy. What benefits have you seen with this exercise?

 

Teenaged son had a cheapo weight bench, bar, and plates that Mom has co-opted! (He has moved out and doesn't mind--but if he wanted them back, I would definitely buy another set.)  (You can readily find these types of sets on Craigslist.)  Of course, my gym also has them but if I have the ability to lift at home, it's more likely to get done on any given day, KWIM? 

 

So I use a barbell and weight plates. 

 

I started because I was having knee pain that was caused by my quads being uber strong and my hamstrings were only at 1/2 the proportional strength that they should have been. The result was that the quads were pulling the knee cap out of its normal range of motion because of not enough counter-pulling from the hamstrings. I go to a gym associated with a university so all the trainers have at least bachelor's and most master's degrees in exercise physiology or some related field. The trainer decided that with my goals to build muscle mass (I am storing it up for old age!) and to strengthen the hamstrings, that deadlifts were the way to go. My PT ok'd them as long as I use good form, which the trainer taught me. I started off only with 45 pounds. I am up to 105 pounds, which is not a lot for lifters, but obviously more than double where I was at the beginning. Lifting one's bodyweight is often a goal people go for. But I've seen a video of an 80 something year old woman DL'ing 237 pounds, so I may shoot for that! ;) 

 

So if they are easy and you know your form is good, you add weight. I would shoot first for a weight you can lift no more than 15 times. But as you are lifting weights that are challenging for you, you'll want to make sure your form is totally on target so you don't injure anything. The most common thing to do is to let your lower back do what I call "helicopter parenting" for muscles--- swooping int to help out where it shouldn't! If your back is not in a totally neutral position (no rounding or arching) and you are not hinging at the hip, you can hurt your back. 

[blondeviolin]

I'm curious about barre work exercise. Is there a good DVD for it? How might I find classes in my area? It sounds like it might be fun!

 

I've been doing 5min strength work every morning. Today was butt. My abs are sore from yesterday so that's good.

 

I also finished my last virtual race so I'm waiting on my medal. I need to find a rack to hold them all as this will make medal 12. :-o

 

I did Bodycombat at the Y. A lot of fun!! I figured out that I need to energy of a class to keep me going. It's too easy to stop when doing a DVD at home. I guess I need the peer pressure! The mirror helps me with my form too

Body Combat is so fun! And crazy cardio! Body Pump is also fun if you haven't tried it.

[Greta]

I started because I was having knee pain that was caused by my quads being uber strong and my hamstrings were only at 1/2 the proportional strength that they should have been. The result was that the quads were pulling the knee cap out of its normal range of motion because of not enough counter-pulling from the hamstrings.

I've read that this is a very common problem for women, and that most women have disproportionately strong quadriceps even if they don't (yet?) have knee problems. So I have tried to be aware of this as I've gotten into lifting weights. I tend to avoid things like leg extensions which isolate the quadriceps. And I do my squats with a wide-legged stance, and I go down very deep, because I've read that those two things recruit the glutes and hamstrings more. If you have any other advice, I would love to hear it!

Edited March 9, 2017 by Greta

[Greta]

I'm curious about barre work exercise. Is there a good DVD for it? How might I find classes in my area? It sounds like it might be fun!

You might check out this: http://www.leahsaragofitness.com/ballet-body/

[Laurie4b]

I've read that this is a very common problem for women, and that most women have disproportionately strong quadriceps even if they don't (yet?) have knee problems. So I have tried to be aware of this as I've gotten into lifting weights. I tend to avoid things like leg extensions which isolate the quadriceps. And I do my squats with a wide-legged stance, and I go down very deep, because I've read that those two things recruit the glutes and hamstrings more. If you have any other advice, I would love to hear it!

 

Not really any advice. I wasn't doing any quad specific exercises when I developed the knee pain. Squats are more quad dominant, but at the time of my knee pain, I think I was still doing a few sets of bodyweight squats. 

 

Your hamstring strength is supposed to be 2/3 of your quad strength. Mine was 1/3! Yikes! No knee pain anymore though!

[trulycrabby]

I'm curious about barre work exercise. Is there a good DVD for it? How might I find classes in my area? It sounds like it might be fun!

 

I've been doing 5min strength work every morning. Today was butt. My abs are sore from yesterday so that's good.

 

I also finished my last virtual race so I'm waiting on my medal. I need to find a rack to hold them all as this will make medal 12. :-o

 

 

Body Combat is so fun! And crazy cardio! Body Pump is also fun if you haven't tried it.

Do a google search for barre classes in your area. Pure Barre and Xtend Barre are popular studios that you might look for. Seems like I have heard of Barre3 studios too. Pure Barre sells dvds, Susan Bowen Fitness has barre-like classes on streaming video. I'd bet you could find some barre classes on youtube as well. Edited March 9, 2017 by trulycrabby

[Greta]

Your hamstring strength is supposed to be 2/3 of your quad strength. Mine was 1/3! Yikes! No knee pain anymore though!

Interesting! How did they measure that?

[Laurie4b]

Interesting! How did they measure that?

On machines in the gym that isolate muscles using the max you could lift for one rep. (There is a formula they use if you get close, but I hit it one the one rep on the quads.) 

 

The doctor knew the hamstrings were weaker based on his exam, but not that they were only 50% of what they should be! Yikes.

 

I've been thinking I would like to go back and retest to see how I'm doing now. 

[lynn]

Monday - Wednesday keeping up with fifth graders and walking along the beach. Does that count as exercise.

Thursday - 5 mile walk run and play house chores catch up from being on dd 3 day field trip.

[Greta]

On machines in the gym that isolate muscles using the max you could lift for one rep. (There is a formula they use if you get close, but I hit it one the one rep on the quads.)

 

The doctor knew the hamstrings were weaker based on his exam, but not that they were only 50% of what they should be! Yikes.

 

I've been thinking I would like to go back and retest to see how I'm doing now.

Thanks - I think I might attempt my own test. I could use the leg extension and hamstring curl machines at the gym. I don't know how accurate I could be doing it myself, but it might give me some idea.

[Greta]

I didn't workout yesterday because of a migraine. But I made up for it today. Did an hour of weights at the gym this morning with my husband, and went back for an hour of cardio this afternoon. Yay!

[Laurie4b]

Thanks - I think I might attempt my own test. I could use the leg extension and hamstring curl machines at the gym. I don't know how accurate I could be doing it myself, but it might give me some idea.

 

There are protocols for how to get there so you don't harm yourself. Google one rep max and see what you find. I remember that she gave me a lot of warm up and a lot of rest in between (like IDK, 50 lbs on the leg press or something. then 1-2 min rest. It felt too long, but it was the protocol.) Then because my quads were much stronger than anticipated, it took us a long time to get there. It would have been quicker if I'd had some idea to start with. 

[Greta]

There are protocols for how to get there so you don't harm yourself. Google one rep max and see what you find. I remember that she gave me a lot of warm up and a lot of rest in between (like IDK, 50 lbs on the leg press or something. then 1-2 min rest. It felt too long, but it was the protocol.) Then because my quads were much stronger than anticipated, it took us a long time to get there. It would have been quicker if I'd had some idea to start with.

Thank you! I have some idea how much weight I can lift ten times, but no clue about my one rep max.

[Laurie4b]

Thank you! I have some idea how much weight I can lift ten times, but no clue about my one rep max.

 

There are a couple formulas you can use to predict it if you know how much you can lift 10 times. I don't recall the name but try googling formula 1 rep max. 

[Carrie12345]

I spent a LOT of time watching The Fitness Marshall on Youtube today.  Does that count for anything?

[alisoncooks]

I'm curious about barre work exercise. Is there a good DVD for it? How might I find classes in my area? It sounds like it might be fun!

I've been doing 5min strength work every morning. Today was butt. My abs are sore from yesterday so that's good.

I also finished my last virtual race so I'm waiting on my medal. I need to find a rack to hold them all as this will make medal 12. :-o

 

Body Combat is so fun! And crazy cardio! Body Pump is also fun if you haven't tried it.

You might check out this: http://www.leahsaragofitness.com/ballet-body/

Leah Sarago is great, but her workouts are on the more advanced-side of barre.

I would suggest checking out some of the free Barre3 workouts on YouTube with Sadie Lincoln. Barre3 is more fusion, mixing in yoga elements, but they're a good intro.

 

I started barre with The Bar Method and Pure Barre. Both have several DVDs available.

ETA: here's a sample of a Bar Method workout:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=acjowYU1tR4

Edited March 10, 2017 by alisoncooks

[Laurie4b]

Strength training and hike with dh. Tomorrow just some kind of aerobics.

[rainbowmama]

The week is going okay: not as much yoga as I'd like, but I got 5-6 miles in every day except one this week when baby was really, really low and I just had too much pressure to walk very far. 

[Janie Grace]

I have never posted on this thread but I am on Week 3 of C25K and pretty proud of myself! I am not an exerciser by nature (have never been sporty, don't intrinsically enjoy it) but I am actually starting to look forward to my walk/runs (and oddly, I have lost 4 lbs already). I am thinking of hiring a personal trainer for one session to show me how to do some strength training on my off days. I need to go slowly so I don't hurt myself and quit (as has happened in the past), but I'm really excited to finally be moving.

 

[Soror]

Yesterday in Aerial we worked on the Yoga Wall(wall with holes to hook up harnesses at various heights). It was nearly all core work in some way or another, as you needed it to keep stabilized. It was interesting as with some positions I didn't expect to need the stabilization as much until I tried it and started to fall over, using the harness in various ways changed the movements. We did one position with the harness right below your butt standing horizontally against the wall, it takes a lot of strength to keep in a straight line in that position, it was a good challenge, talk about core work! We also worked handstands and forearm stands, starting with just our feet in the harness you pike up from plank, LOVED THAT, a great way to practice the movement with support so you won't fall but you get to have your muscles going through the full range of motion. 

 

After I got home it was time to cook breakfast and school the kids. I finished my part with the kids and took maybe a 30 min break for lunch and then I started painting furniture for dd1's new room. I did that for 4 hrs pretty much non-stop. I quickly threw some supper in the oven and started on the walk I had promised ds but we didn't even make it out of the driveway until the girls came running out that there was a tornado warning!!! So, we had to stay in the basement for an hour and a half waiting it out, evidently, one was spotted not 10 mi from me. 

 

I am not sleeping well at all tonight, up at 1:20 and still awake at 4:30, who knows why. I had planned on a walk with the kids tomorrow and some yoga, we'll see how spunky I am feeling, I'm hoping to go back to sleep for a bit. This weekend we will be working on the basement and I doubt there will be much outside time, we are supposed to have some icky weather roll through, I'm glad we got so much time outside today even if it was painting.

That's great about your dh! Hope he's able to stay active for another couple decades. I find this so inspiring, and it's one of the reasons why I've been investing more time on physical activities I can do safely and well in the upcoming decades. Some things, like martial arts, are just too much strain on my body, whereas tennis and cross-country skiing are wonderful.

 

 

isn't that the truth, I'm *only* nearing 38 and have already found that to be true. I can do hard things but not super intense cardio wise (that I think is more specific to my own self with thyroid disease and impaired adrenal function), I feel great doing it actually but I end up crashing hard, I've tried working up slowly, I just can't get to the level I *think* I *should* without paying for it later. I have to watch my shoulder now after an injury a couple of years ago and I was doing some jumping a couple of months ago and my knees started to hurt! Geez. I like to push myself however but I've had to figure out different ways to challenge myself, learning new skills is great for that, when you are learning new things it is always hard!

Surgery two weeks ago today; today was my first pure barre class since then, so of course I took the very hardest instructor's class. No pushups, planks, or arm work for another month, but my legs and abs got a great workout.

I missed that you had your surgery, it sounds like recovery is going fairly well.

 

I spent a LOT of time watching The Fitness Marshall on Youtube today.  Does that count for anything?

Ha! I haven't heard of that I'll have to check it out.

 

I have never posted on this thread but I am on Week 3 of C25K and pretty proud of myself! I am not an exerciser by nature (have never been sporty, don't intrinsically enjoy it) but I am actually starting to look forward to my walk/runs (and oddly, I have lost 4 lbs already). I am thinking of hiring a personal trainer for one session to show me how to do some strength training on my off days. I need to go slowly so I don't hurt myself and quit (as has happened in the past), but I'm really excited to finally be moving.

Welcome! Congrats on your success so far.

Edited March 10, 2017 by soror