Mary's Fitness Effort

[Marykaa]

[Buk]

It is great to see the workout weights going up while dieting down the body weight. Good job Mary.

[Marykaa]

BUK yup! and yesterday Amélie, my (not personal) trainer said I am quite high on endurance.. (what I wanted) and it might be good I work on strenght for a while.. I think I'd like that.


****


But today was rest day.. though I did go see a doctor for something.. and asked him about my shoulder that's still troubling me. He checked me out and listened to my story and told me that it seems that my Bursitis from the fall has healed.. but that I had a tendinites at the top attachement of my biceps from the "contre-coup" (rebound effect?) of the fall. (something like that.. I'm translating from memory)

Anyways.. I have 10 days of anti-inflammatory pills (NOVONAPROX-EC 375 MG /twice a day). And since I told him that usually I react very slowly to anti-infalmatory pills.. he gave me te perscrition to repeat it 6 times.. I'll be ok with my next 2 injuries as well! OH.. and I do hope they help my hammies tendon as well..

after that.. well..

/logging ON

TUESDAY, November 22nd

7:00 PM to 8:15 PM

DANCE CLASS
Gaby still has aches from the accident but he hid it well and we had a wonderful time. We have fun learning together [img]smile.gif[/img]

Oh.. and it was a revision of some Chacha , and new stuff in Samba.. I really turned and turned alot.. luckily in both directions.. so didn't get dizzy. We never turn as much in an evening of dancing as in a class where we're practicing.

/logging OFF

[Marykaa]

note : Book (Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness) not arrived / No program from WH in sight yet.

/logging ON

WEDNESDAY, November 23rd
Workday : ok

Gym at 5:30 PM

WARM-UP cycling : 18 mins at 110 (oups.. too long, was talking with someone)

NEW PROGRAM, by Amélie for me.

WORK-OUT
2 sets per Superset

1a) 10 walking lunges DB 25s
1b) 10 backword walking lunges DB 15s
those backwords walking lunges are definately tricky


2a) 10 Leg Press on Nautilus Nitro (3-0-3) @ 260 lbs
2b) 20 Seated Leg Curls on Nautilus Nitro (3-0-3) @ 80 lbs
tried a few differnt weights, so did more reps in the first set but with à little lower lbs..


3) 3 x max Isometric hold. lying on stomach with knees bent, sm swiss ball between calves and buttocks
humm last year in Amélie's "Buns of Steel" classes.. my calves would always CRAMP when we did this exercise with someone pulling on our calves.. but with the ball it doesn't happen

4a) max Isometric hold. Lying on back, sm swiss ball between knees, calves parallel to ground.
4b) Side plank with 20 leg lifts (1-0-1)
+
4a) "once again after superset"
Side plank with leg lifts on left side was a toughy to finish, but made it.

5) Vertical Chest Press with narrow hold on Nautilus Nitro (3-0-3) @ 60 lbs

6a) 10 DB Press on Swiss ball (2-0-2)@ 20 lbs ea
6b) 20 Bent arm Lateral Lifts (2-0-2) @ 10 lbs ea
I might just do these a few weeks, didn't want to drop the DB presses right away since I had just upped after a long stall and the Bent arm lateral lifts I want to talk to my physio about.


7a) 12 Torso Rotation on Cybex, 45° (3-0-3) @ 50 lbs
7b) 12 Back Extensions on Cybex (3-0-3) @ 100 lbs
I took no chances with the torso rotation.. first time I do those and had no idea what weight to use. Figured I'd get hurt if I start too high.

8) 2 x 20 ½ sit-ups with straight leg lifts Tired.


CARDIO

20 mins stairmaster
20 mins eliptical - Cross country program

AveHR 138

STRETCHING
15 minutes

the 6 exercises Amélie gave me, plus some

/logging OFF

It will take a few times to really know if I'm at the right weights.

Please comment or question at will.

[Marykaa]

/logging ON

THURSDAY, November 24th
Workday ok

Gym at 4:50 PM

CARDIO
60 mins on elipticals
20 mins each program :
*cross training 2
*cross country
*cross training 1

STRETCHING
15 minutes PNF Stretching
from these exercises (or others the same style) : PNF Stretching drawings

note : It's the kind I do when don't mention "yoga style" or "dynamic". Amélie just gave me the stretches to do.. I added the PNF-style.

/logging OFF

[johnacc]

Hi Mary,

Just noticed that you've got your new programme !

Nice one. How are you finding it?

What are the intensity levels like ?

[gobbla]

Really hesitant to comment on your program. It has a whole lot of things that I wouldn't really do...but with your situation (injuries) I don't know what would be right or wrong.

If I were you...I'd post that in the "injuries" section and explain your situation. With any luck Bill Hartman will reply...which is about as good advice as you're going to get.

[Marykaa]

GOBBLA those comments still help me

I went to see my physiotherapist this morning, and I'll go with what he says for my injuries. As for the rest.. I did post it up for grabs in the training discussions form and am getting some feedback. I'll know what sort of questions to ask Amélie when I see here (probably on monday).

but I'd love to know which exercises you wouldn't do and why.. if for nothing else.. to get to know YOU better!

Here or by PM if you wish.

[gobbla]

lunges...in and of themselves are fantastic, but in all fairness you've been down that road for a while. it might be time to mix it up a little and do something working the same muscles that you're BAD at. (if you're really interested in lunges you might think about adding some side lunges, to complete the movent ranges)

anything on a machine (as a general statement)...it's a crutch and is likely setting you up for possible real world injuries. free weights...especially unilateral ones (one side at a time) will work more muscles, in more ways, while sticking to your natural tendancys for motion vs making you work in the machines movement planes with little to no stability needed.

leg curls\extensions (which you don't have, but we'll just toss it out there) don't really have any use in praticle purposes. You're training individual muscles to act of their own accord vs working in conjunction with a greater set of muscles (more natural...more real world aplication)

torso rotations might be better served as a "wood chopper" on a cable tree...again...standing...natu ral movement...alot of muscles involved.

Lateral lifts...if they're what I'm thinking of (standing arms at side, raise arms to parrallel) have very little application in anything.

leg lift...working an itty bitty tiny muscle in your leg...again...little actual real aplication.

as buk mentioned you have almost no back work (or think "pulling" excersises.

When I look at this program I think "this will make you very tired, and sore while you're doing it...but actually accomplish very, very little." In other words...I think it's kind of a scam. You're busting butt...but what are you really doing\accomplishing. You could get a lot more out of a lot more basic routine.

That's pretty negative...here's an upside. You have a lot of core work. Core work is great...it's important. But going with the first thought...your core is really strong as is...it's time to move on to actually apply that strength to other areas.

General rules in my world.
Dumbells are the gods of weights. You're going to maximize every availible muscle doing every lift = more stable, more strong, more usable muslcles with less injuries.

Anything that you can do non supported will be better than what you can do supported 99.9% of the time. If you can do an excersise standing...it's better than sitting. If you can it with nothing against your back...it's better than having something on your back.

I'm not trying to give you a really rough time...I know it sounds like it...but I really believe in my heart of hearts you could be better served with more "money" excersises (less isolation movements), less machines, and a general re-focusing.

Something to keep in mind...strengthening your shoulder...doesn't necissarily require (shoulder) excersises. Every single pushing and pulling movement from your upper body is going to work your shoulders...

[Marykaa]

GOBBLA I do appreciate a friend who tells it to me like it is in his mind.

I read what you wrote but before studying it really closely, could you give me an example of a strenghts workout that you think would be good for me?

[Marykaa]

ODB and ODBSGIRL !! I got the book !

Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness

I'm glad I didn't wait for it to start I new program.. that book has SO MUCH INFO in it.!!! It will take some time for me to sort things out, though even just looking at the pics I have a few ideas.

I recognize alot of things I already know.. but to have it in a book so well structured will be great. and there is 100 times more in the book that I don't know. Years of fun ahead! (If I can just get rid of my aching shoulder )


I think I'll make it my X-mas vacation projet to finish reading it.. (I'll definatly start this week-end)

This is just a pre-preview of what I think of the book. I'm not good in book reports, but I'll definately write about it on the extreme.com site and in the Training Discussion forum when I'll have read it once.

PS.. I pasted the Cute oval bumpersticker you sent me with the book, inside the book, I'll be showing that book to alot of people, so I think it's the best place for the ExtremeTrek.com to be

Oh.. there was an extra 6,50$ I had to pay for duty fees but I'm sure the book is well worth it.. and even if maybe I could find it in Montréal, the cost would be as high.

[Marykaa]

GOBBLA

Originally posted by gobbla:
lunges...in and of themselves are fantastic, but in all fairness you've been down that road for a while. it might be time to mix it up a little and do something working the same muscles that you're BAD at. (if you're really interested in lunges you might think about adding some side lunges, to complete the movent ranges)

This I can answer right away..


ROFL

You got me there.. TOUCHÉ LOL


I think I needed someone to tell me that..

but in the same order of thinking.. I must tell you that I do quite a variety of side lunges.. [img]tongue.gif[/img] I don't do them for strength.. but as a flexibility exercises. Though I know some people would work hard at keeping those postions for long, or as often

[Marykaa]

/logging ON

FRIDAY, November 25th

9:00 AM Physiotherapy
Both shoulder and hammies getting better but still not allowed to do weights with arms above shoulder.

I have 5 specifique exercises to do for my shoulders, to get back more flexibility. They are sort of "wierd" exercises, not the run of the mil shoulder stretchs. Nothing interesting or fun.

I must also NOT up the weights on my SB DB bench presses or Lateral lifts as long as I take anti-inflamatories. I guess that that also means I have to wait before asking more of my hammies tendons.

4:30 PM Jogging outside
Weather : 19°F , a littly wind.
Road : icey, packed slippery snow, packed snow.

21 minutes
aveHR 140

Felt my Chins most of the way, but no other problems. Had an urge to do more.. but don't want to get hurt

7:00 PM Push-ups & Dips

alternating exercises, rest in between.

4 x 25 knee push-ups
4 x 25 bent knee chair dips

I felt like a dip myself but I did what I had planned.

/logging OFF

[Marykaa]

JOHNACC

Originally posted by johnacc:
Hi Mary,

Just noticed that you've got your new programme !

Nice one. How are you finding it?

What are the intensity levels like ?

I've only just tried the program once and still need to talk to Amélie about it. I can probably work more intensly since I didn't feel it much (any) the next days. I'm learning alot with Buk, TrainingGirl and Gobbla giving me advice.

[gobbla]

Originally posted by Marykaa:
...could you give me an example of a strenghts workout that you think would be good for me?

how many days a week do you have to go to the gym? you're shooting for general conditioning...I have two thoughts but need to work it through.

[Marykaa]

I go 4 times a week

weights and cardio on mondays and wednesays,
long cardio only, on thurdays
group fitness on saturdays (I could drop this)

Yes, for this program general conditionning, my last program was and my next program will be for xc-country skiing.. but I could come back to this general conditionning program at times.

[gobbla]

So...we have two days of weight training to work with...that dorks with my original thoughts a bit. But that's ok...we can work with that.

Day 1.

DB Bench Press (can be on a swissball) 5 sets 3 reps
DB Bent Over Row (or single arm row) 5 sets 3 reps
Dip (3 sets 7 reps)
Lat Pulldown (3 sets 7 reps)
Step up (5 sets 3 reps)
Hyper Extension (3 sets 7 reps)

Day 2
DB Bench Press (can be on a swissball) 3 sets 7 reps
DB Bent Over Row (or single arm row) 3 sets 7 reps
Dip (5 sets 3 reps)
Lat Pulldown (5 sets 3 reps)
Step up (3 sets 7 reps)
Hyper Extension (5 sets 3 reps)