<p>side leg lift variations
side lying clam (15 each side)
hip lifts (3 x 20)
side leg adduction (4 x 20 each side)
pushups (12)
stability ball deadbug (2 x 8 each side)
stability ball hamstring curl (2 x 10)
stability ball pass (12 passes)
stability ball stir the pot (2 x 20 turns – 10 to the right,10 to the left)
stability ball toe touches (2 x 8 each side)
stability ball jackknife (2 x 10)
front planks w/elastics rows (15 pulls then hold regular plank for the rest of 60 count, each side)
pallof press (six 10 count held forward and six 10 count held up, each side)
leg swings (6 each side)
reverse lunges w/rotation or arms up (6 each side)
quads stretch
goblet squats (8, 8# db)
pushup position t-rotations (6 each side)
heel raises (6 center, 3 toes pointed outward, 3 pointed inward)
bicep curls (3 x 8 each side, 8# db)
military press (3 x 8, first set both dbs, second and third sets either side, 8# dbs)
benchless bench press w/dbs (2 x 7, using both 15# dbs (30#))
tricep kickbacks (3 x 8 each side, 8# db)
rows (3 x 8 each side, 15# db)
SLDL (8 each side, 8# db)</p>
<p>As long as I’ve got the whole smoker extension on the Weber, for roasting the turkey yesterday, I’m probably going to restock my b-b-q supply and smoke a few slabs of baby backs and pork butts – supposed to be sunny after the snow today.</p>
<p>I think yesterday was probably the coldest day I’ve ever roasted a turkey in a Weber grill. Going back to helping my dad as a kid, that’s a family tradition that probably started 50 years ago next year and has been unbroken (at least once a year – either Christmas or Thanksgiving) over that span of time. Fortunately, technology has improved and wireless grill/meat thermometers let me keep tabs on the fire from the toasty indoors!</p>
<p>Today - Pilates, then my first CrossFit class (I have a groupon) and then hot yoga. Right hip flexor feeling a little twinge-y. The CF class really brought out my insecurities, as it was a bunch of 20 yo meathead-type jocks and then 49 yo me. The jocks really don’t get that we try our best, know what I mean? “Squat lower.” “If I could, I would!” Nonetheless, I did finish, I needed a modification (was too afraid to do a high box jump so I just stepped up and down).</p>
<p>Life is good. Guests are gone. Cats have come out of hiding. Every single roasting pan, aluminum foil container, and so forth is washed and put away or thrown in the dumpster. And, I’m headed to the basement (formerly occupied by D’s surprise Christmas gift tent) to work these old creaky muscles a little bit.</p>
<p>Oh, and I’m back from the grocery where I bought 13 pounds of baby back ribs, 10 pounds of boneless pork butt, and a bag of charcoal. Guess I’m committed to b-b-q this weekend after a couple more meals of turkey.</p>
<p>abasket- was it an ARC trainer? Or maybe the Precor EFX? They both have more up and down than an elliptical and I think they are a really good workout. I used them (mainly the Precor since that was what my gym has) when I had the injury for a year!</p>
<p>The young female triathlon champ arrived today (Wildchild’s girlfriend) and already went out for a run! She wore about half the amount of clothes I wear at 40 degrees! She was back a lot sooner, too! Her goal this year is to qualify for Kona, and her qualifying race is the really, really tough Eagleman Half Ironman in Maryland in June. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Wow, MoWC, good luck to your son’s girlfriend! Sounds like a tough qualifier.</p>
<p>I managed 5.3 miles on the treadmill. The roads are still ice skating rinks. I have seen a few hardy souls out there, but I’m afraid I will fall and hurt myself! I’m going to try to hit 90 miles for the month, which would make it my best one this year. I’m hoping to hit at least 90 every month next year. I have no excuses not to!</p>
<p>ML, yeah, I think I’d vote for treadmill over ice, even though Yaktrax and some of the other ice cleats do sound intriguing. So does keeping my skull intact. :)</p>
<p>I’m thinking 4 days of running per week sounds good as a start in the new year. I went from 3-4 in previous months to 4-6 this month and want to bring it back to more of a happy medium.</p>
<p>Whew. Back from the basement. I can confirm that eating a lot of turkey saps your strength. That was a tough workout with the same weights that I’ve been using:</p>
<p>CORE:
Tabata planks and side planks. ValSlide Painful Pushaways.</p>
<p>POWER:
Med ball slam. Box jumps</p>
<p>STREGTH:
Goblet squat, 3-pt DB row, DB set ups, DB bench press.</p>
<p>The box steps killed me. Ten reps per leg to a 16 inch weight bench, with two 30 lb DBs. I had to play games, pretending to do 12 rep sets, so I could quit early after 10.</p>
<p>Time for leftovers. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, and Julia Child’s creamed onions…</p>
<p>I think it was the PrecorEFX - definitely more up and down as you described. </p>
<p>If I have to run on this indoor track I have to mix it up a bit. Ive been finding its more “fun” I doors if I combine running with other stuff - and then end it with an easy mile or so.</p>
<p>If they were half as good at training as they think they are, they would realize that you can’t just tell someone to squat lower and expect it too happen. Oh sure, maybe for a 20 year old, but not for most of us. Most of us would need smart coaching (goblet squats), reasonable progressions (i.e. not trying to set weight records or do 100 reps for time), and the opportunity to let time and practice work. I’m living proof.</p>
<p>The great thing, and it’s something that CrossFit “boxes” can understand, is that most of us don’t need to be in some all-fired hurry to squat lower. If it takes six months of working on squats, who cares? I don’t think any of us are planning to compete in the Senior Squatting Olympics…</p>
<hr>
<p>On the box jumps, you are smart to have your fear antenna up. That is a very advanced athletic exercise. A good one, but not easy. Not an exercise that makes a lot of sense in a high-rep boot camp class setting. Most CrossFit box jump videos I’ve seen are horrible. Jumping way too high for the person’s capabilities. </p>
<p>I do them in small doses and have to pay a LOT of attention. Even so, I occasionally miss and stumble. Not a pretty sight…</p>
<p>I’ve learned to only do six reps at a time, so as to not start getting careless, and focus on sticking the landing…</p>
<p>Here are two great videos, one that explains the whole idea of a good box jump and a second that shows perfect form:</p>
<p>I actually am intrigued enough to go back (and at least use up my groupon), but it was amazing how it emotionally transported me back to being gym-class-dropout- chosen-just-before-the-fat-kids. The assumption that I knew what all the equipment was (similar to the assumption that I’d magically know how to spike a volleyball or kick a soccer ball) … the exhortations with clapping which paradoxically makes me want to throw in the towel … I don’t know, I just don’t find it quite as motivating as a gentler approach which encourages me where I am and doesn’t make me feel like I’ve already failed.</p>
<p>I hear ya. That was my experience on the group hike I did when a couple of lifelong hikers set a rabbit pace from the parking lot and the whole group took off in chase. As I was trying to keep that pace, I was thinking, “boy, this isn’t much fun…” </p>
<p>I think it’s much more interesting (and motivating) to take cues from my own body’s response to exercise and see how that changes over time. My pace will be different from yours which will be different from MOWC’s which will be different from Bunsen’s and so forth. Tailoring exercise based on individual response is, IMO, a much more sophisticated approach than shouting “squat lower”… </p>
<p>It’s why the really good trainers can use the same style of workouts for professional athletes and 60 year old geezers… they just use different variations on the exercises, different weights, etc. It’s all a matter of the right level of intensity for each person at a point in time.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t go near Crossfit. I know people swear by it, but I think it would be very dangerous for many of us and for me, it would be asking for an injury for the reasons iDad said.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl- I can not fathom how you can do all those classes in one day. When I was doing hot yoga (90 minute Bikram class), I could barely drive home sometimes I was so worn out! (In a good way). I could not have done 1 other exercise! My understanding of Crossfit is that it is very tiring and intense. I have run and done spin in the same day (not easy) and have run and swam, but I think it would be extremely difficult for me (and unwise, in my case) to do multiple classes in a day. Just be careful.</p>
<p>I’m tickled when I can manage to exercise once each day. I’ve never really had the opportunity (or motivation) to see if I could handle twice a day – except maybe on days when I workout and shovel a bit of snow.</p>
<p>“It’s why the really good trainers can use the same style of workouts for professional athletes and 60 year old geezers… they just use different variations on the exercises, different weights, etc. It’s all a matter of the right level of intensity for each person at a point in time.”</p>
<p>Exactly! The PT guy who worked with me after my knee injury was an excellent example. When I could not do some of the squats the way he wanted me to do, he stood back, took a look, then said, “aha! You are somewhat bowlegged, so that’s why you are doing it this way! Ok, let’s try something that will work for your body.” The “one exercise fits every body” approach indeed reeks of middle school PE… </p>
<p>Managed to drag Mr B into the gym, because I hate the concrete path by the hotel. It is very scenic, but so tough on my knees! The older I get, the pickier I am about my running turf. 4 miles, weights, some core stuff. Took the stairs to our room on the 14th floor and felt cheated - there were no 1st and 13th floors, so it was like going up to the 12th floor. Pfft! LOL.</p>
<p>Just weighing in, figuratively speaking, to admit that my lazy holiday-food-laden arse has not been drug up a single hill and that the end to the debauch likely wont come til Monday as my sisters are headed to town for birthday shenanigans that will involve copious amounts of alcohol, if past celebrations are any indication The treadmill awaits this am so that I have a fighting chance to get back on track, but the electricians are coming too early for me to get up the hill.</p>
<p>I did the pilates from 6-7 am, and while it’s a really good stretch / strength and I’m doing advanced moves (for me), it’s not really “tiring.” I did the CrossFit at noon, it was pretty intense, and I was actually going to try it again today and decided to hold off another day. Then I had a half-hour before I did the hot yoga. I do the Corepower Vinyasa flow style, but it’s just a warm room, not a Bikram-level heated one (which is too much for me). In fact, I fell completely asleep after final savasana, didn’t even <em>hear</em> the instructor guide everyone out, and woke up 20 minutes later in a dark room - which I’m sure is due to my body being zonked from the CrossFit! </p>
<p>But I’m really sedentary the rest of the time!</p>
<p>I need to get back to running, though. I feel like I’ve neglected it, and I wonder if it’s finally figuring out that I probably am more of a strength-person than a cardio-person (fast twitch and slow twitch fibers and all that). My weight isn’t really budging and I’m trying to let go of the number, but I continue to see my shape evolving.</p>
<p>I think part of it is that women of my age were also brought up with the “5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet” and that number (which for me is 120) is stuck in my head. I weighed 118 on my wedding day and 121 when I became pregnant and I keep thinking I “should” get down there again.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. That makes me feel a lot better. It’s just so much more motivating for me to focus on myself and not feel like I’m on “display” for other people to see (and watch me not do something). I read something recently about how gym classes in school are moving away from what they termed “highlight sports” - which is where <em>everyone’s</em> eyes are on you when you try to serve the ball / hit the ball / kick the ball / whatever. That is exactly what de-motivates me. I can’t even bowl and I have an intense reaction to it, because it feels like humiliation to me to go out there and throw gutter ball after gutter ball even in a friendly crowd where no one really cares. To their credit, the CrossFit guys were nice, but you could tell - they were jocks with a jock mentality. When I balked at doing the jump, they kind of laughed. They weren’t mean about it, but you could tell they were from the old school of “Just do it” versus recognizing that I wasn’t trying to be difficult, but I really was scared of jumping on a box as high as this one was - which was maybe 30 inches.</p>
Her goal this year is to qualify for Kona, and her qualifying race is the really, really tough Eagleman Half Ironman in Maryland in June. Fingers crossed.</p>
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