I'm definitely getting stronger, and that makes me super psyched. I love lifting - I have from the moment that I was first introduced to it my freshman year of college when I started rowing. I love how it feels when you are doing it. I love how your muscles feel used and tired afterwards. I love the results I see in my performance of physical activity and in my daily life.
I'll never forget the first time I did squats. It was in our university varsity gym. I couldn't squat the 45 pound bar. I don't think that the guy who was training us actually believed that I couldn't do it. He was trying to teach us proper technique with the standard bar, which was fine for the girls who had been athletes previously, but I had been a bump on a log. I had swam two years in high school, but even that was a year removed. I could barely do it - I can hardly imagine what I looked like. But I still vividly remember the aftermath. I could NOT move. I hurt to stand, to lay, to walk, to climb stairs. To this day, after four years of competitive rowing and multiple sports-related injuries, I have never hurt that bad again. I remember having to pee so bad, but I didn't know if I could actually sit down on the toilet to pee. It seemed so far away. And getting back up was just as bad. It was miserable. Perhaps the reason that I remember it so clearly is that I have never returned to that point, even though I haven't really lifted since college. I am proud of myself for that.
I did good things for my body and I firmly believe that lifting is an important element to any exercise program. If properly and intelligently use, I believe that it can be the best tool for preventing injury. That's why I continue to emphasize it now, even though I really should be spending more time building up my cardio ability. Back in my glory days of college, I had several injuries - one per years - fractured ribs, torn cartilage in my ribs, and then a significant lower back / SI joint injury. I still have to deal with my back injury to this day. I believe that all of these injuries likely resulted from poor core strength and limited flexibility. I still lack good core strength and struggle to incorporate it into my workouts because it is hard and it hurts and is one of my least favorite things to do.
About a month ago when I really started lifting again, I tried to do some push-ups. After one, I said "screw this." I couldn't do them anymore. Today I tried again and I did sets of 12, 12, 8. I am so proud of myself! Definitely a big gain in strength and coordination in a month - and it makes me feel like I have some hope of regaining my previous strength. BUT, in the mean time, my poor arms are quivering and are not going to be happy tomorrow! All in all - today's workout gets a 8 out of 10. I made some nice improvements on weights and a broke a sweat. It was a little on the short side though, and I would rather have a bit higher heart rate. Though, part of me wonders if I just sweated more in college because the weight room we used was hotter than heck!
5 min warm-up at 3.5 speed and 2.0 incline on treadmill. (I need to remember to do the incline, it helps on the short warm-ups).
Hamstring and back stretches - preventative measures for my lower back
3 x 10 leg press - 150, 160, 160 - definitely can do 160 for all three sets next time
3 x 10 single leg calf raises - these are so much harder than the double leg!
3 x 10 leg curls - 60, 70, 70 - all three at 70 next time, maybe even 80 for the last set. Hubs says that I need to leg extensions to balance these, so I suppose next week I'll do that. I'll admit that I omit the leg extensions b/c I can never figure out how to properly adjust the machine to make it fit me. I guess I might have to swallow my pride and ask someone - though I'm not really sure anyone would know. (Sometime, I'll take you on a "field trip" to my gym so that you can see what I mean).
modified push-ups - 12, 12, 8 - it was supposed to be three sets of 12, but I can't do it yet
super-set
3 x 10 DB military press - 10
3 x 10 DB bicep curls - 10
2 x 12 over-head triceps (both arms) - 15
2 x 20 crunches on stability ball
1 comment:
I have never been good at pushups.... even at the "height" of my rowing career. Mike says its because my arms are too long... wing span is 6 feet. I like that excuse: I don't do pushups anymore. When in real life do I need to do that? Maybe if I'm sleeping on my belly and there is spider on the bed, but then I would only have to do one, and I can do one.
Keep up the good work. You motivate me.
Post a Comment