Advice about changing my exercise routine

[SRP]

Okay y'all -

I can't believe what incredibly good timing Cathe had with her GMA appearance. I didn't see it, but from what I've read, it was very pertinent to an issue I've been thinking about for a while.

I'm not a baby boomer, but I think my legs from the knee on down are at least that "old." I did't treat them well when I was younger, and I'm getting payback now. I have repeat problems with my left knee (mostly bursitis-like symptoms), Achilles tendonitis, and lately something that is most likely shin splints.

It sounds like I need to be doing exactly what they're telling the baby boomers to do: modify.

Below is a typical week for me. I really like it, and it works well for me. I've gotten great results at this level of exercise, and I'd hate to lose them. But I'm also tired of being sidelined for a couple of weeks at a time while I wait for one of these pesky little injuries to heal yet again.

Monday: one of the Imaxes
Tuesday: a 1-hr full body weight routine plus abs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: 1 hr leg workout, usually GS Legs
Friday: kickboxing or steady state cardio on alternate weeks (average 1 hr)
Saturday: 1 hr steady state cardio, 1 hr upper body weights, abs
Sunday: alternate weeks: A) 1 hr steady state cardio, 1 hr lower body weights, abs
B) a long power walk, approx 7 miles, 30 min. legs (such as LL with light weights), abs

So what would you do to change things up? It seems most of my problems arise with connecting tissue. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your help!

 

[hippahips]

Shannon, if I may say so, you seem to be doing so much leg work. You get to work legs three times, plus you have kickboxing and an Imax workout, both of which I consider other ways of working the legs without weights. I'd definitely lessen the leg work.

I've been plagued by knee problems for the longest time, and what really helps me is lessening the reps (those endless segments of squats and lunges in PH are out) and taking out MOST of the impact. There are days when I'm feeling good, and I can do about half the jumps in the first two Imaxes, and there are days when I do LowMax-inspired moves during the blasts. I do step workouts on a 4-inch step, or I take the step altogether and use workouts like PowerMax or RS, which have moves that I can really modify. Even those triples around the step are sometimes out. So are the peg leg-pivots and ponies. The jump kicks in KPC are out. I feel that I use my leg muscles more anyway when I do a regular kick and focus more on chambering my kick and pushing harder while kicking, Powerstrike-workouts style. I know I can't get my legs to where I really want them to be, but compared to what they were like three years ago, they're (almost) acceptable. ;-) You get what you can and run with it -- but not at the expense of your joints.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Pinky

 

[SRP]

Hi Pinky -
Thanks for your extensive response. I know you've certainly got the experience and know-how!

Yes, I was thinking I should lower the # of leg workouts, but oh it's going to be hard! It's only since I've started this amount that I've noticed major results. But you're right - it's not worth risking my joints.