Ever do a "Listening to your Body Rotation"?

[Lynn M.]

Hi all:

Have any of you guys ever just done a rotation for like 4-5 weeks where you just got up that day and decided then what you felt like working out that day?

I've always been very anal about what my workout schedule was going to be for the week. Usually I do one bodypart/day +cardio for the majority of my workouts. Also, I trained for 2 triathlons over the summer which I followed a really strict schedule with that too.

Frankly, I'm just kind of sick of always having such a "strict" plan. I'm wondering what it would be like to just get up in the morning and when it was time to workout, do whatever I felt like my body needed to have worked out that day.

Have any of you ever done this? If so, how did it workout and what were your results? Admittedly, I don't do much "listening to my body" type of workouts as that I am so intense about following my schedule. I'm thinking this just might be the ticket to help me learn something new about my fitness program and get a new perspective.

PS.. Its kind of ironic in that I am SO NOT a "follow the schedule" type person in the rest of my life, just w/ exercise.

Take care, Lynn M.

 

[endorphin_junkie]

RE: Ever do a

Hey Lynn I've been working out steadily for 9 years and have never followed any rotations. I trained for and ran a half marathon this year which was the first experience I've had with knowing the night before what I would do the next day. I have kind of a routine that I follow but it's pretty loose. I do some cardio most days. I do a full leg workout once a week, a full body weight workout once a week and an upperbody workout once a week (I do core with all of my weight workouts). When I do a kickboxing workout I like to finish with yoga/pilates or flexible strength work, gives the workout a nice 'Eastern' feel. If I have extra time after my cardio I add on weights for a body part that feels like it 'needs' it. That's pretty much it. I am not particulary results oriented, my weight fluctuates by about 10lbs at any given time. I want my legs to be strong, my arms to be nicely cut, my core strong so that back troubles don't sneak up on me and to maintain my flexiblity. I'm 44 and in very good shape, I rarely get on a scale as I find that (sorry if this is a TMI) standing in front of a mirror in the buff lets me know exactly where I am and what I need to do about it. HTH

Take Care
Laurie

 

[dcat]

RE: Ever do a

Hi Lynne -
I'm much like Laurie. I don't follow a strict rotation. Actually, I tried to a few months ago and before the first week was out I pulled my calf muscle and it took the next 3-4 weeks to heal. I teach group fitness, too, so that bummed me out and kept me sidelined from several classes! So even more so now I always listen to my body...every day. I do follow a loose schedule in that I always try to hit every body part twice, include cardio 3-4 times a week, an extra long stretch or yoga/stretch workout, and at least 1 day of rest. I enjoy the variation every week and working out is not a chore. I'm always looking to improve something at any given time (strength, cardio, more toned look, etc.) which keeps me motivated and makes me push harder, but I'm not athletically built so workouts are mainly something I do to make me feel good and maintain a healthy weight while teaching group fitness helps me spread the word of how great exercise is. At 40 with a 2-year-old I'm in the best shape I've ever been and I'm still enjoying teaching and working out.
Diana

 

[honeybunch1]

RE: Ever do a

Yeah, more and more as I get older! I used to very anal about strictly adhering to so many of this and that type of cardio every week, but now I go more toward what I feel like doing given my energy level. I also am paying more attention to taking more than one day off per week, which I would NEVER have done before! Right now I'm wrestling with taking tomorrow off along with today, and I'm promising myself I won't obsess over it. I got myself very run down earlier in the year when I went overboard and did not really give myself the proper time off, or back off on the very intense cardio.

"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]

 

[Lynn M.]

RE: Ever do a

Thanks you guys for the input!

You know, I think starting next week ( I've got to finish the schedule for THIS week..haha) I am going to try this and see how it works. It will definitely be an interesting experiment for me, but I think it'll be a good one.

Thank you again for your sage advice and support!

Lynn M.

 

[Soosan]

RE: Ever do a

I almost always follow a rotation but adapt as needed to fit into my life. These past few weeks, though, I've been kind of like you, Lynn, in that I'm listening to my body and doing what I think it needs. I'm 44 and have recently noticed my stamina declining - something I hate to admit but don't necessarily think I should fight tooth and nail, because when I do, it seems to lead to injury. It's been hard for me to find a balance between working out at an intensity I'm used to (and thus think I should be doing) and working out an intensity that's best for my body.

Interesting topic!