Question About Frequency

[Ginny V]

I have a question that's been nagging at the back of my mind for quite some time ~ it's come to the fore now that I'm hot on kettlebells and want to play with them every day.

It's recommended that we allow a day of rest before working a body part again to allow for healing and growth; with the common belief that if we work a body part daily, we may see gains in strength and endurance but not growth (e.g. freestyle training).

So then why when you look at the bodies of gymnasts, dancers (I'm thinking of last season's So You Think You Can Dance contestants), construction workers, etc, these folks are built? They work their entire bodies daily doing their thing and don't seem to suffer any muscle atrophy for it...and in fact are nicely sculpted, strong and muscular.

I'm a hard gainer and have worked for years to achieve musculature that is far from that of a fitness athlete but is still pretty satisfactory for me and my ordinary life...but now that I've discovered kettlebells, I feel like a kid again (remember how you would jump rope and keep on going because it was fun, even though you were tired or hungry?) I want to "play" with my KBs every day, but I don't want to undo any of my hard work.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[icumom]

Gymnasts and dancers fill the orothopods office with overuse injuries...longterm, both experience orthopedic problems (talking in gross generalization)....to work every body part daily, strenuously, is -over a long period of time (years-which few but a few of us maniacs do)leads to wear and tear, destabilization, arthritis and on the aches and pains!

 

[Fit_mommy]

There was a thread just recently on how often to use kettle bells. It was explained in that thread that kb's are a different type of training then traditional weights and therefore it is okay to use them on a daily basis with less frequent rest periods. It is said that you are not supposed to train to muscle failure with KB's (like you do with traditional weight training) which is why you can use them every day.

Hopefully someone who has more knowledge of this can chime in with more info.

 

[Ginny V]

Yes, icumom...that's what I suspected as far as overuse injuries. For instance, I've heard that if a circque de soleil acrobat manages to continue their career to the age of 28 they're considered quite old.

I started using the kettlebells because, although I loooove weight training (and Cathe), I'm finding that Im having more aches and pains and slower recovery than I used to. In fact, my right shoulder started hurting and I've always been very conscientious about training them carefully - I know too many people with rotator cuff issues and don't want to go there.

Thus the change of direction into the KBs. Based on some of the research I've done on KB training, if done properly is appears many of the "normal" aches and pains associated with aging can be improved or even eradicated. I'm 41 years old and want to head into the second half of my life fit and comfortable in my skin...not fit but with everything hurting. I'm good with a change of training philosophy (and won't be givining up traditional training entirely), but I just don't want to "undo" what I've managed to accomplish so far. ~ by the way, after taking some rest time and then starting with KBs my shoulder is doing great!

I too have read that it's okay to do KBs daily...I've got the rest period mindset so firmly established though that I'm kind of afraid to experiment.

(By the way...my apologies in that I didn't intend this to be another KB thread, it's just what applies to my frequency concerns right now)

 

[tneah]

Put me in the category of the fit but everything hurts. I am 42 and have had a hip replaced already due to arthritis from over use, and wake up with my back hurting and sciatica every morning despite my best efforts to stretch and all of that. Good grief.