Fun of a different kind!

[Catrin]

I skipped yesterday to go x country skiing, necessitating me to go to the evil one's class today. I swear, even with 3 and 5 lb. weights, I could hardly lift my arms in class today. She does so many reps (one minute or more), I can barely stand it! Some of it is because I didn't go for 2.5 weeks when I was sick, but still. I can do her classes when it's interval focused with cardio intervals, but this kills me. There were a couple of new people in class today; one a woman who usually goes at night, who was struggling by the end, and the other, a guy who was barely making it through. I focused on trying to do more than them!

Ugh Crankin, this doesn't sound like fun. As intense and hard as my group trainer is, our group membership is stable so he knows who is coming and plans accordingly. The evil one's approach doesn't sound like it is set up for success Nothing wrong with hard/intense, but the students have to be ready for it and helped to reach that point!

Our trainer is taking a different approach, while our workouts are becoming more intense - he is going back to the basics to make certain we all get a chance to nail them. We are also tracking our strength/power combination portions of the training in a different way to become more intentional about what we are doing.

I had a little plus this morning - and proof that my shoulder/lats are improving. While my front squat still su*ks (I want to bend my knees first rather than hinge at the hips like I should), I am no longer bending backwards to compensate!!!! Yayyyyyy! I was even able to get a 55 pound barbell in a proper front-squat position and THAT has been impossible. In the past I've only been able to get an unweighted 35-pound bar into position and THAT was leaning backwards to compensate for shoulder/t-spine/lat problems. I've NEVER been able to get a heavier barbell into that position so I am very happy. Now I just need to practice with some lower weight and beat that little hinge problem I have - it is a head problem I think. Kettlebell front squats are fine so I know it isn't a physical issue - just too accustomed to compensating.

I am really starting to want to ride my bike now - which is a good sign

[Crankin]

Me, too! I seem more excited about riding this year, maybe because I have actually taken 2 full months off from outdoor riding.
Class this morning was very hard, but good. Two cardio intervals, about 6 minutes each, burpees, box steps, running, jumping on the step, etc. Lots of walking with a wide rubber band, too. Next week, I'll have the good instructor both days, so it gives me a positive attitude.
Now I just have to figure out what's going on with my diet/weight. I think I'm going back to semi-vegetarian, still low carb, but not as strict, as what I am doing is not working. Well Fed is making me too well fed.

[Catrin]

Me, too! I seem more excited about riding this year, maybe because I have actually taken 2 full months off from outdoor riding.
Class this morning was very hard, but good. Two cardio intervals, about 6 minutes each, burpees, box steps, running, jumping on the step, etc. Lots of walking with a wide rubber band, too. Next week, I'll have the good instructor both days, so it gives me a positive attitude.
Now I just have to figure out what's going on with my diet/weight. I think I'm going back to semi-vegetarian, still low carb, but not as strict, as what I am doing is not working. Well Fed is making me too well fed.

I just make one of her recipes a week - the rest of the time I eat more simply - but it is far from boring, I love spices For me it is working, I've now lost 10 pounds since going Paleo/Primal last July In July my weight was trending 135-138, for the past three weeks it's been swinging between 125.1 and 126. I also enjoy recipes from other Paleo cookbooks - such as Practical Paleo and Caveman Feasts.

I would LIKE to lose more, but right now I am focusing on body composition. What seems really odd to me, however, is for the stores I normally shop (such as Dressbarn), I am now wearing their smallest sizes. This doesn't make sense to me since I am far from thin - my body-fat composition is still too high (just outside of the 'normal' range). This feels rather odd for someone who spent several decades swinging between 180-210!

[Crankin]

Don't get me started on sizing. I am small, but I have a good amount of padding in some places. Pretty much limited to Banana Republic, J Crew, the Gap, and Athleta. Occasionally, I wander into a real store, but it's just easier to order what I know will fit.
Not sure what I am doing wrong with the eating. But, going back to 2 meatless meals a week, and a small amount of good quality whole wheat grains is what seemed to work before. Looking forward to riding, and the last few days of x country skiing.

[Catrin]

Don't get me started on sizing. I am small, but I have a good amount of padding in some places. Pretty much limited to Banana Republic, J Crew, the Gap, and Athleta. Occasionally, I wander into a real store, but it's just easier to order what I know will fit.
Not sure what I am doing wrong with the eating. But, going back to 2 meatless meals a week, and a small amount of good quality whole wheat grains is what seemed to work before. Looking forward to riding, and the last few days of x country skiing.

Our bodies like what they like The important thing is figuring out what works with our individual bodies. Enjoy your skiing while you can! It seems soooo long since I last rode, but as that was in late December then I guess it has been.

[Sky King]

I graduated to a new level today in one of our exercises. Was pretty stoked as when we did them two months ago I couldn't do it with finesse. I don't know the name but you are in a push up position in the arms extended position and take your leg, tuck it toward you tummy then push it out under your stomach to the other side. so if using left leg you shoot it out to the right while rolling your hips and shoulder so the right side is perpendicular to the floor and you tuck your right elbow back to your side. You keep your left leg parallel to the floor and no more than 4 or 5 inches from the floor. then back into the push up position and repeat on the right side. Of course I still can't do a pull up but I may never be able to do one of those.

[Irulan]

We call those kick outs but think they are also called Plank Rotations. At least, I think we are talking about the same thing. I couldn't for the life of me bring up a YouTube video on them.
I won't do them because the shoulder rotation aggravates a mostly dormant old injury.

[indysteel]

I graduated to a new level today in one of our exercises. Was pretty stoked as when we did them two months ago I couldn't do it with finesse. I don't know the name but you are in a push up position in the arms extended position and take your leg, tuck it toward you tummy then push it out under your stomach to the other side. so if using left leg you shoot it out to the right while rolling your hips and shoulder so the right side is perpendicular to the floor and you tuck your right elbow back to your side. You keep your left leg parallel to the floor and no more than 4 or 5 inches from the floor. then back into the push up position and repeat on the right side. Of course I still can't do a pull up but I may never be able to do one of those.

Those are really hard! Congrats!

[Catrin]

Our trainer calls them a three point pushup, and they aren't easy! We do them pretty often and I keep trying to get faster at them...

[OakLeaf]

You got a video? I googled all three of those names and none of the videos I saw looks remotely like what you're describing!

Is it like T-push-ups, only you have your bottom leg extended off the floor in the side plank position???

[Irulan]

I tried to find a video, too. Usually you can find one of almost any exercise on the planet!

[Catrin]

I see what you mean. Too many exercises have the same name.

Start with one leg, draw one foot up on the inside, then kick the leg to the other side bringing the side of the hip to the ground. Rinse and repeat on the other side, one can get very fast at this and it really helps hip flexibility. If I can find a video this weekend will post it.

Tomorrow I've a lifting event to participate in Just doing it for the fun of it. We already know our targets for the chest presses, leg presses and single deadlifts.

[Irulan]

video yourself doing it! It will be better than many of the videos people post of themselves...

[Catrin]

video yourself doing it! It will be better than many of the videos people post of themselves...

I am not very good at it, but this is a good idea if I can't find something better out there. My new phone takes very good video...

[Catrin]

I broke two personal records at the gym this morning

PR 1 = plank (on elbows) for 5:10 - I've been trying to break 5 minutes for months! It seems that I was stuck at 4:37-42.

PR 2 = single deadlifts - 25 bodyweight reps (125 pounds) That isn't heavy compared to some of the heavy lifting some friends of mine do (both female and male), but they've been doing it for years. This is the heaviest yet for me and I did it 25 times. These were singles which means that the barbell is dropped as soon as we stand all the way up with the weight - much easier on the back this way. This was part of a power-lifting challenge for my group training peeps - I just did it for fun as I know there is no way I can win the competition.

I forgot to ask my trainer if there is another name for that exercise, but I'll try to remember to ask him the next time I see him.