Hardcore (April) Rotation Checkin Sunday April 3

L

lorajc

Cathlete
Morning Everyone,
I did Gym Style Back, biceps and shoulders and 30 minutes of high intensity cardio (did blast segments from the Gauntlet) modified on the rebounder (higher intensity moves). My shoulders and biceps felt like they got a decent workout and I lifted as heavy as I could. I have a few questions for the more experienced heavy weight lifters. When I did lats, I hardly felt it with a 15 pound dumbbell, so I stopped the tape and repeated my lat rows with a 20 pound dumbbell, but I still didn't feel like the lats worked hard enough, however, my lower back felt strained. Is this normal and will it go away? Any pointers would be appreciated. This also happens when doing bent over rows. I can go heavier, but when I do I strain my low back. Also, when doing concentrated bicep curls, I noticed my left arm is considerably weaker so I cheated by helping my arm up and down a bit with my other arm. Is this okay or should I use lighter weight until my left side starts to strengthen?

Thanks everyone. Have a great Sunday and great workouts. I'll be glad when I've done a week or two of this so I know what weights to grab. I'm at that stage where I either go too light or too heavy. It will take some playing around.
 
Hey Lorajc ~
I'm encouraged to know you did GSBBS today AND 30 mins. high intensity cardio, too! That's great. The only advise I can give for the lower back strain (and I'm sure you've heard it hundreds of times) is to stabilize your core while you're bent over doing lat rows and bentover rows. If you have access to a weighted cable/pulley machine you could do lat pulldowns and seated rows instead. Working the muscles with these exercises eliminates bending over (which appears to be the source of your discomfort). With regard to doing the concentrated bicep curls with your weaker left arm, use the same poundage you use on the right and "cheat" the reps (usually the lifting/curling portion of the move). Work on lowering the weight without cheating. You can keep your right palm under your left wrist/forearm for safety as you lower the weight. This should accelerate your strenghth gains on the left bicep. I would avoid using drastically different poundages on either side because you wouldn't want your right bicep to be noticeably bigger than the left. There is a real possibility of that happening if you have significant weakness from one side of your body to the other.

I'm in a funk....don't know if I'll train today. I need an attitude adjustment....working out usually does that for me but ironically, I feel I need the AA just to put my sneakers on!

Take care...

~ Kim

"Welcome the challenge...Embrace it...Don't fear it." -Cathe Friedrich
 
Good Morning Ladies,

It was Circuit Max and the power drills from Cardio Kicks. Circuit Max is easy to follow. I found it to be one of the easiest workouts but fun to do.

Have a good day!
 
Ditto what Kim said. To help ease lower back strain, try stretching your back between sets. To help get more bang for your buck with lat rows, try coming down into a flat back position such that your back is as close to parallel to the floor as you can get. The lower your back, the more your back has to work to get those weights up. The weight you pick should have you close to muscle failure by the last rep or two. If not, its time to up your weights. You can always drop your weight in the middle of a set. The key is to steadily increase your weight while using good form on the exercises.
 
Hi everyone,
Today I am taking a rest day.

Lora, I know what you mean starting out and learning the weights that work for you. On lat rows if you want to heavy up, try not to bend over as far and you should feel it less in the low back. I always have to really concentrate on feeling the muscles in my lats. It seems like if I am not careful other muscles come into play more than I want them to. Otherwise I would lower the weight and really concentrate on feeling the lats. I do like my Bowflex for lat rows and pulldowns. I can feel it where I want to feel it. On concentration curls I sometimes have to cheat the left side a the last rep. I would stick with the same weight though. You don't want a muscle imbalance.

Kim, sometimes a workout especially an intense cardio will help with an attitude that I wake up with. Put on those sneakers and get busy I am sure you will feel better when you are done:D
Diane Sue
 
Hello Everyone,
Today is my rest day!!!, but I would hardly call it a rest day:-(
My parents are coming tomorrow so going to get the house really really clean.(Why is it I get so anal about this when my mom or sister come?)Wish me luck!!

Take care,
~Nicole
 
You know Nicole,
We have family coming from Washington and I am sure the house will be cleaned and no clutter, the yard will be weed free and leaf free, door steps wil be swept & storm doors will be missing the fingerprints. I guess it is something we do. I am not sure how much it is noticed. Impressions at first sight may stick. I look at it as ok, I did a lot of stuff in a short amount of time that I was saving for later;-) Actually I am a little anal about the inside. I can put it off a little longer when it is outside as long as I don't look at it to closely.
Diane Sue
 
Hi Ladies,

I did IMAX 3 and Muscle Max. It was a good workout.

DH will be home today. I am waiting on him to call to pick him up on base. Then we are going out to eat.. YUM Macaroni Grill.

I have been doing Muscle Max and HSC for the past few weeks and I am now having a tad bit of shoulder and neck discomfort. I guess I better watch my form. I am also having headaches on and off. I will up my liquid intake and see if that helps.

WD, where is your picture? We need it for motivation and inspiration!!

Have a great day!

Beverly
 
Hi everyone!

I've been super busy with an unexpected death in the family and have not been checking in, but I have been working out:p.

Monday (last)-lowmax
Tuesday-HSC
Wednesday-IMAX 3
Thursday-off
Friday-Lowmax step only premix+KPC kick/punch drills
Saturday-HSC
Today--another rest day because we have the memorial service. I'm trying not to feel anal about missing a workout. It's an extra rest for the knees I say.

My weight loss has stalled. I only want to lose 7 pounds, which will translate to about one inch more off my hips--one dress size!!!
that's all. Grrrr...I'm so frusterated.

take care all
Maggie:)
 
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