Bringing up the Rear Check-In

A

ASand

Cathlete
I'm going to do workout 3 today; I'm doing 2 of the Get Glutes strength workouts per week in addition to 4-5 Cathe workout. Right now I'm doing Gym Styles and HIIT/Tabata for cardio.

I really liked the first two workouts they go by fast (about 40 minutes). You really feel your glutes in the American Deadlift!
 
This morning I started Bret's 30 day hip thrust challenge plus Cathe's August rotation which I am modifying by switching around some of the days and doing shorter premixes. Today it was 3 sets of 20 barbell glute bridges and then the bootcamp premix of Bodymax 2.
 
I just finished workout 3; this one was a little tougher to do at home. I couldn't figure out how to do the hanging/gliding leg curl without the suspension training equipment since I don't have it. I ended up doing a hamstring curl with the Swiss ball which is what a commenter on Get Glutes did but it doesn't seem like the same exercise to me.

Also I tried the inverted row set up with the chairs and broom it worked fine but I was a little worried about my broom holding up!:D

As for as the hip thrust- I read a post on Bret's site about anterior pelvic tilt yesterday (which I can be guilty of if I'm not paying attention) he stated that the thrust should have a posterior tilt so I made sure to pay more attention to this and felt it much more in my glutes then quads today.
 
Hi guys !
I've only done the first strength w/o but decided to start from the beginning on Monday so I can fit it into my Xtrain week . I figure I'll match the workouts together as best I can once I know the GG program a little better . So , it will be Cathe 6 days plus the 3 GG's that I'll add on the appropriate days .
ASand -
It sounds like the at home modifications are going to be challenging ! I'm already thinking of putting in a pull up bar because it's something I really need to work on and it's doable . I'll going to preview ahead and think it through ...
Julie -
What weight are you using for the glute bridges ? I've got a body bar [ 18lbs.] that I hang weights off of until I hit 50 lbs. It's really sort of hilarious to look at but until I get the barbell ....
Today was Super Cuts Extreme [ 60 mins ] and those 100 Hip thrusts , although today I did 130 . I was having one of those ,' why don't I feel these as much ', days . My form had to be off ...
 
Kate-Yes two of the exercises today were a little tricky to figure out at home but it went fine. I have one of those pull up bars you can just hang on your door you could try one of those they're pretty cheap. 130 thrusts wow that's awesome!

Gratefuldog- I only know because I just read about it; here's a link to one of the articles Why do I Anterior Pelvic Tilt? | Bret Contreras The anterior tilt is when your hips tilt forward-so yep your butt ends up sticking out a little bit and posterior is tucking your pelvis in. I was feeling more glutes with the bridges too but today when I did the thrust and really tucked my pelvis in it made a huge difference and I didn't feel it in my quads as much.

I've heard a lot of people rave about Leaner Legs- I don't have Cross train. Is it a lot of step, I'm not that great at step? What is the Leaner Legs workout like?
 
Leaner Legs does sound like a good one! I like Butts and Guts too; Legs and Glutes is another one I really like.
 
ASand -
I think the 130 is only because my form was lacking . Thanks for posting that link !
What kind of weight are you using on the bridges and thrusts ? Last week , I only used a weighted vest [ 10lbs. ] because they said to go light when doing them for the first time , but I'm going to load back up this week . Not that I lift very heavy yet - my max has been 50 lbs. for the lower body moves .
 
This morning I did day 2 of the 30 day Hip Thrust Challenge which was 3 sets of max reps single leg hip thrust with a 2 second iso-hold at top. I like hip thrusts but the one legged ones are not as fun for me. I also have a harder time really maxing myself out. If I am told to do 20 reps, I do 20, if I am told to do the max, I think I slack off a little instead of pushing myself. After the thrusts, I added on Step, Jump, Pump Step & Weights Circuit.

ASand Thanks for setting up this checkin! I am loving the idea of learning from each other on how to get the glutes up. I think doing the hamstring curl with the SB is a good substitute. It probably would be a little different on the TRX but doing it with the ball is pretty hard on its own. I’ve been thinking about getting a cheapie TRX but I am not sure where I would anchor it.

Kate A I have one of those pull up bars that installs in the doorway like ASand and I love it. I can’t do a pull up on my own. I have those big resistance bands to help me do them. I did the 3 sets of 20 glute bridges with an 85 lb. barbell. I totally recommend that if you want to progress to heavy hip thrusts and bridges to get an Olympic barbell. I have a standard one and it is hard to roll the bar over your legs when you go heavy. I ended up buying two 45 lb. Olympic plates and the Olympic converter sleeves for my standard bar so I can roll the bar over my legs. If I had it to do all over again, I would have just started with buying an Olympic bar in the first place.

Gratefuldog I love Leaner Legs. I am deadlift junkie and it seems that one is almost like deadlift heaven to me.
 
Hi Guys!
Sure I'm glad you are as excited about this check-in as I am! You're welcome about the link it helped me out a lot.

Kate A- I'm using 50-60lbs for both I just got a bar pad so I was going to up the weight since it's more comfortable with that but I think I'm going to stick to this weight for right now and get used to doing the thrusts correctly and then up my weight. I have an Ez curl bar which does make it kind of hard to get in my lap I sit down with it by me and then pick up it up to and move it to my lap. An Olympic bar like Julie mentioned would be much easier to just roll it over your legs. I went with the Ez Curl when I got one awhile back because it was smaller and cheaper but I think it's going to have some limitations when I want to really up the weight.

Julie- The TRX does look pretty cool- I don't know where I would put it either; I have to go to a whole other room to do pull-ups because that's the closest doorway I have.

Okay you two are totally making me want to get Cross Train I love deadlifts and step ups!
 
Hi guys !
The barbell is my next purchase . Not having a decent set up is the reason I'm not starting STS right after I finish Xtrain - I'd just feel like I wasn't getting all I could from the series . And rigging my body bar like that is such a drag .
ASand -
I tried the hip thrust again and focused on tilting my pelvis - it makes a huge difference to me , my only challenge is keeping that tilt at the bottom of the move . My back wants to arch as I get towards the floor , but with some practice , I'll get it !
Also , I just wanted to say what a great idea this was to have this checkin . I'd said it elsewhere , but I always feel like a dork doing a cold intro in a new forum . I did introduce myself over at GG , but I'm not great at the ,' tell us about yourself in a paragraph ', stuff . So it's nice to have a little home here !
I'm off to do BS Chest , Shlds. Back and then the daily glute activation routine . Tuesday I have legs , so I'll add the GG strength after that . My legs are shaking just thinking about this !
 
Hi Carolyn ,
I thought about the bands myself , but I'm going with a pull up bar . I know I can't do a single one yet , but I remember how to spot myself from doing them at the gym in the past - and it's so easy to put up . Funny you mentioned Dick's because I'm looking to order from them this week . I'll look at the barbell options and prices and come back here and ask the crew what they think . Now , if I could build another room for all this ...
I think I'll go to Dick's in person to look at their adjustable dumbells - I hear the Select Techs are good but it's hard to gauge based on reviews on Amazon - plus they're a fortune !

Tomorrow is my big leg day ! first , Xtrain legs and then GG strength workout 1 . Are you doing Xtrain too ?
 
Today I did Intensity HIIT and Bootcamp premix, Max. Intensity Abs and Stretch Max. Do you ladies do a lot of stretching besides pre and post workout? I'm trying to get in the habit of doing more.

Kate A- I feel like I loose the proper tilt too at the bottom; with practice we'll get it. :)

I would definitely recommend STS I just finished about a month ago and loved it!
 
This morning was Day 3 of the HT challenge which was a pyramid set of heavy hip thrusts: 10 @ 175 lbs., 6 @ 195 lbs., 4 @ 210 lbs., and 20 @ 110 lbs. Then I added on the Overall Legs premix from Butts & Guts. My favorite way to do B&G! Sorry if I can't post as often during the week. My job is crazy right now and probably will be for the next month or two. Times like these are when I am thankful for my stress relieving workouts!

ASand I really do need to do a lot more stretching than I do. In fact, when I was doing the Strong Curves program, I found myself completely skipping my stretches on those days because Cathe wasn’t there. It’s not that I don’t enjoy stretching because man I do, they are just so easy to skip and then of course I pay for it later.

Kate A The only downside to the Olympic weight set is that the bar itself usually weighs 35 to 45 pounds (depending on length). So it can be kind of heavy for starting out bench presses and military presses. Just something to keep in mind. I had the Select Techs but sold them. The handles were just too bulky for my small hands. Definitely see if you can find a pair to test out at Dick’s. I also found that they were longer than normal dumbbells so they were sometimes awkard. However, keep in mind I am very short (not quite 5 foot) with child size hands so that can make a difference. I am excited for your purchases. I love buying new fitness toys!

Carolyn I bought these bands to go with my pullup bar: a large (starter band), a medium band, and a small band. I have seen the one that you mentioned but it was after I bought these. My plan is to use the biggest one for a while, then go to the medium one which I think I am almost there, and then the smallest.
 
Hi ASand -
I've been adding yoga at least once a week because with all the weight training and high impact workouts , my hips and back really take a beating . It's made a huge difference ! I was finishing workouts like Tabatacise and getting nothing from the cool downs even when I kept stretching on my own . Eoin Finn's Power Yoga for Happiness is my go to DVD now . The section ," Magically Hips" , has relieved me of all kinds of hip pain !
 
Julie- Wow you did awesome with the thrust challenge today! You must have a really good set up at home; I'm envious I have all my weights, barbell and step in my living room unless I have company :p I'll need to get more plates for mine I think I only have up to about 80 right now.

I'm like you I don't mind stretching just never seem to do it.

Kate A- Maybe I'll have to try Magically Hips; my hips are always so tight I need to get better at stretching.

This morning I did GS Legs and will try to get in some glute activation and stretching later.

Have a good day!
Amanda
 
Thanks Julie !
I've been looking at the Olympic Weight set this AM . Dicks has the set for 189.99 and that includes plates totaling 225 lbs.. I read that the bar is 45 lbs. and that's right up against what I can lift with my upper body . Of course they're offering free shipping today !

I was worried about the grip with the Select Techs too . I'm about 5 7" but I also have child size hands . I think I'd do better just buying a few more free weights .
So many decisions !
 
Julie ,

I just wanted to add , you rocked this morning ! I can only dream about lifting like that !

Have a great day everyone !
 
Thanks for the encouragement on the heavy hip thrusts. Once you get comfortable with the form and doing them regularly, you can really start upping the weight. I am not lifting nearly as much as some of Bret's girls but I am quite happy with the progress I have made so far. I will say there was a moment this morning when I wasn't sure I could get that 4th one with 210in. Up until today, I have been doing a max of 185 so I was a little nervous about hitting those weights.

Amanda DH and I don't have kids so we converted one of the spare bedrooms into a workout room. It was expensive getting everything I wanted but we did spread out the purchases a little at a time over the last 4-5 years. Before that, I was working out of my living room too so I feel your pain.

Kate That is a really good deal on that Olympic weight set. I say if you can, go for it and get it. Free shipping nearly always pushes me over the edge on a purchase.

Carolyn That is a great weight for those hip thrusts especially with having GS Legs (love it but wowza) and a 5 mile walk. I think if I did all that my legs might feel like jello.
 
Julie- I just reread what you HT today and you're a machine!!! :) I hope I can get there someday. Did you find that you increased a lot of strength with the 12 week GG; what weight did you start with for HT and GB?

Carolyn-Never heard of Lastics; I'll have to look that up. Yes, the floor work in GS Legs really gets a good burn going. Then you did a 5 mile walk and HT; can you move?? I wouldn't be able to!

I can't wait to see what Cathe put together for the new legs and glutes workouts!
 
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