Exercise routines, tips and chatter?

[paradise lost]

I managed 20kg squats. I don't even have DOMS, after all that! So i don't know what my new target will be... I found my lower back suffered if anything. It didn't hurt as in an injury, but i feel like i need to get stronger there to be able to maintain good form while lifting more...

Bx

[Chalalan]

Hello Hoobley, Nadine, Rachel and anyone else who frequents this thread.

I have been reading through it and am totally impressed at the efforts of you super-fit ladies.

I started my fitness routine last month and am totally loving it. I am getting fitter and I am really enjoying being active.

I aim for a minimum of 4 hours of huffy-puffy activity a week and most weeks are a combination from the list below.

Mon: BodyStep (which I hate) or a run (which I hate too but not as much as Step!)
Tue: BodyJam --which I LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Wed: BodyPump
Thu: BodyAttack
Fri: BodyCombat
Sat: BodyJam
Sun: Bike ride or a long walk.

Can you go through what weights you are using in each of the sets for Pump Hoobley? I'm starting to learn the routine so it would be good to have some weights as guidelines / goals. At the moment I grab 2.5. 1.25 & 0.5 kg weights and mix and match, but means that greatest weight is only 8.5kg on the bar. I think I need more for the squats...not sure.

This thread is really inspirational so I hope to hear from you all about what you are up to.

[Nadine216]

Hi Chalalan Glad our mumbo-jumbo has you fired up and excited Sounds like a lovely routine. Goodluck with it and congratulations on keeping it up for a month already.

I hang my head in shame This pg is getting to me more than what I thought it would

I have tried going back to gym (was there for about two weeks) and I KNOW I will SUFFER when I get back after this little puddle is born, but I have no motivation or energy!! And it being winter and me getting every flu going around, is not helping.

I have picked up a wopping 5 kg's already and are so out of breath it's disgracefull. I am already planning my BIG COME-BACK in March next year ... so be on the look-out!!!

[paradise lost]

Nadine i can't wait for your comeback!

Be gentle with yourself hun, i fully intend to exercise through my next PG, but you know what, if my body tells me it's not up for it, i'm going to LISTEN to that and relax! There is the rest of your non-PG life to get the kg's off and get that buff body again, there's no reason to spend your PG feeling disappointed in yourself JUST for being PG! Exercise will always be here, grow your baby, do what you feel like doing, don't stress!

Hey Chalalan! WELCOME! I'm glad you're encouraged by our ramblings too! My god, your week looks hectic, i couldn't cope with doing 4 of those options! LOL. ATM my weeks looks like this:

Monday: buggy run (though not been today yet... might go later) 5k-ish
Tuesday: swim (sometimes, only about 500m), Bodypump 60min
Thursday: run 5k-ish
Saturday: buggy run 7k-ish

But we are soon (at the next release, so in 2 weeks ) going to pick up a step on Tuesday and shift pump to thursday...don't know when i'll fit a run in then...

My weights at bodypump are not really how they advise (your instructor will usually be able to say "take a third off for this" or "double your xx weight for the yy track" so talk to them) but here goes. All these are total weight on the bar:
warm-up: 7kg
squats: 20kg
chest: 10kg
back: 15kg
triceps: 9kg bar, 5kg disc for overhead presses at the end
biceps: 9kg
lunges: 15kg
shoulders: 2.5kg in each hand for side/front raises, 9kg/bar
abs: 5kg plate on the opposite shoulder for diagonal crunches.

I've been going to Pump for 9 months and only just raised the chest from 9kg, so this didn't happen overnight!

While i'm here i think i'll post my new goals for pump...by the end of the year i want to be doing....

warm-up: 9kg
squats: 25kg
chest: 15kg
back: 20kg
triceps: 12kg
biceps: 12kg
lunges: 20kg
shoulders: 12kg/bar

I have found that the big gains were made early on and each new increase now takes me A LOT of work! LOL.


Bx

[Nadine216]

Thanks for the pep-talk, Bec I needed that.

I know I'll bounce right back after this ... it just feels so long to wait.

And to be honest .. I get some exercise having to dress dd while she has found that I can't really get to her when she is crawling through my legs every time!! Having to rock her little 10kg body to sleep now that she is teething her molars. And just ordinary running and playing ... just hate getting out of breath that quickly
And totally off topic, but I noticed last night that it would not be long before I can't bend over into her cot anymore ... I'll have a bump in the way!

Goodluck with your weight goals, they sound ... yummy

[Chalalan]

Oh my goodness Hoobley - I have some yards to put in to get to your weights! But I'll get there. I've got my husband coming to Pump on Wednesdays so we're motivating each other and I've managed to get one of my workmates starting tomorrow too.

I went for a run today at lunch time with one of my collegues (no, not the one I was flisting with - who I have given up flirting with because he's not as interesting as my husband!) and it was really good. I hit my vomit peak right at the end and then it was over! M runs heaps and was good at telling me how to lengthen my stride and breathe.
Will try and do it once a week with him and maybe once a week with DH too.

Nadine - how exciting about your pg! Hoobley is right about having the rest of your life to get your fitness back but I understand how you would be feeling about losing your fitness in the short-term. We have started TTC again for the month that DH is home and I'm in two minds about what I want to happen - I'll be happy to get pg but sad about not meeting my fitness goals. Which is weird, I know, especially as I started this fitness regime to help with PCOS and increase chances of conception.

Talk later and looking forward to staying inspired by you both!

[Chalalan]

Ok, here's how my week shaped up. I'm glad to be having the day off today!

Monday: Run / walk 1 hr
Tuesday: Lunch time run & Body Jam
Wednesday: Pump where I did my lunges with 10kg which I was really pleased about
Thursday: Body Attack - legs were tired and I didn't give it my best to be honest
Friday: OFF - YAY!! Time to recover!

Tomorrow morning DH & I are join another of my workmates at her group training session down at one of the local parks. Its supposed to be torturous, and its going to be raining so I dont know how we're going to go. I'm looking forward to it though and I'll let you know how it goes.

How was everyone else's week? Nadine, I'm thinking about you heaps and hoping that you're feeling better. I wish I could come and look after your little one while pushing you out the door to go and do something good for yourself. Take care of you.
How were your workouts this week Hoobley?
Are you back home in Aus Rachael? How is the Combat certification coming along?

[paradise lost]

Well so far i've only done Pump! I know, TERRIBLE! On Monday it was too windy to run with the stroller, Tuesday i did pump, Thursday i was a t a freind's graduation and out and about all day, so no time and today i've just sat here and not gone! I'll go tomorrow for sure, there's a Radiohead concert in my park (i live right at the edge of it) tonight for which a stage etc. had to be put up so for the last week there's been a metal POW camp-style fence around much of it. It really angers me actually - sure i can see you need to fence it to ticket it properly for the concert, but for a WEEK beforehand!? DOn't think so...

So i'm still looking for my mojo it seems...

We're going to take up Step at the next launch so then i'll be doing 2 classes/week, will probably help, as will, when it happens, being able to see the park out of my window again, rather than a 12foot dark green metal wall....

Bx

[Nadine216]

Well, I got some exercise in this morning ... between 3am and 5am!! Had to rock dd to sleep ... lovely :P

Thanks for the better wishes, Chalalan and for offering a helping hand, but to be honest, I might just fight you to stay in bed rather than you pushing me out the door

Bec, if you find your mojo, just tell it to send mine home as well ... please!!!

Enjoy your weekend!!!

[C~Q]

I'm back! Had a fabulous time in England , did nothing but eat so I have a lot of work to do!!! On my best week I went to the gym 4 times and my worst, well...none! But I really don't care, I had the best time and I went when I could.

I am booked in to go to the gym today but sleeping is so up the creek with myself and the little ones so i'll probably wait till tomorrow, couldn't even get myslef to sleep last night till about 2am - agghhhh.

Anyhoo, will probably stick to my old routine just drop my waits a bit at first in Pump.

Great to see everyone is so motivated still, keep up the good work!!!

[C~Q]

HELLOOOO PEOPLE!!!

I hope you're all out running or something! How is everyone? Whats everyone up to???

I have been back at the gym for 2 weeks now and OUCH! Everything is going really well except for Pump Still not up to my pre holiday weights with Squats and Biceps but everything else is fine. Squats I know I can do if I push it but with Biceps it's just not happening! I'm only doing 5K (total) which is too light but the next step up is 7.5 and too heavy. I can't even have a second bar to switch to as the class is too busy. Ahh well, i'll just have to man up!

Swapped my routine around again so it now looks like this...
Mon - Pump and Step
Tues - Cycle and Combat
Weds - Combat and Pump
Thurs - Step and Pump
Fri - Attack and Balance
Sat - Combat and maybe Pump if i'm feeling up for it!

I decided to drop a Pump on Fri and do Balance instead. For those that don't know it's a combination of Yoga, Pilates and Thai Chi. I did it when I was pregnant and then brushed it off for more intense classes but I really feel like i'm pushing myself at the moment so it's really important to take at least an hour a week to really stretch and focus myself.

This weekend I have the workshop for my Cert 3. I'm really nervous as i've forgotten most of what I learnt 3 months ago! So it's head down for me at the moment. After the workshop I have to do some assessments and 20 hours work experience and that is it...i'm a qualified Fitness Instructor!!! Then i'll start my Cert 4 which will make me a Personal Trainer. As soon as I do my Cert 3 it means I can go for my Combat certification...eeeck! I have been thinking lately that I might do Pump first which I think will be easier to teach and when I feel confident teaching then i'll think about Combat. I'll have to get my weights up a bit first.

The Pump weekend workshop is apparently, unbelievably hectic! My friend has done it and said that 3 people threw up it was that hard!!

Fun, fun - what we put ourselves through!

Oh and I read a couple of inspiring running quotes at the gym today for all you runners out there...

"It doesn't matter how fast you run when chasing a dream"
"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
"Ask yourself: "Can I give more?". The answer is usually: "Yes"
"Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working"
"Good things come slow - especially in distance running."
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go"

I love them!

Hope someone pops in soon xxxx

[Nadine216]

Hi Racheal!!

I'm so happy for you getting your Cert 3. All that hard work paying off.

Your routine sounds hectic, but of course if this is what you want to to for a living, well then it has to be hectic And that Balance class sounds awsome. I sometimes hate living in the rural areas If I were in the city, there would be so much more different classes I would be able to do *sigh*

I have not been in gym for the last two months *crying my heart out* Tbh, I am just not up to getting up in the morning and are sqeezeing in every last second of sleep out of the day. I told my DH last night that with my first pg I felt great and was so active and relaxed and just enjoyed the whole experiance. But this one is getting me under. I still feel m/s'ish during the day, I get terrible tummy aches, atrousious heartburn and just feel BLAH 23 hours of the day .... little tanty over

I am already planning my "come-back" for next year. I'll definatly be wringing some tips out of my own personal BB PT

Goodluck with the workshop this weekend and the Pump workshop (sounds scary!!)

[paradise lost]

OMG Rachel i WAS running when you posted that

My weeks are all over the place because XP took a new job which is in another town 4 days on, 4 days off, which means i can't go to ANY regular classes!

So my pump looks like this:
2 weeks @ lunctime on a Monday
2 weeks @ evening on a Tuesday
2 weeks @ evening on a Thursday

Keeping pump up is hard enough so adding Step is on hold but i DID just buy myself a step to use in the house during naptime if i want. Most weeks i am doing pump x1, step (about 40-60mins of various moves i got online, with abs and freeweights work in there too) x2 and one or two runs a week. I totally lost my running mojo and am only just beginning to get it back now, and i STILL have a sore foot but i'm pretty sure at this stage it's soft-tissue strain from wearing DD, (she's 15kg now) which i'm not willing to give, so i'm just running slower and longer and not thinking too much ahead or "training".

Today i did about 50mins running of mainly 11-12min/miles with 2 sets of 3x100m hill sprints in there too. Then i stretched, did 2 1min planks, one 30sec half-plank and a few leg extensions. Then DD, still stuck in the jogger, threw my water bottle over me and i saw her point so we went in. It's scorching here today, so i was glad to be running before 10am!

Rachel my pump instructors won't let you do them more than 3 times a week or without a day off in between - maybe if you're training for certs they do though? Re: the biceps, can you not switch to using donuts and stick 3 each side for that track? That'd be 6kg...? Depends though, if you have a lot of folk in the classes there might not be enough for you to hog 6

I went to Monday's class and there were only 12 of us, only one guy. There was only ONE woman lifting the same as/more than me (she has superstrong triceps it would seem...)! Can't believe it!

Talking of triceps...i am really struggling this release! It's the dips at the end. I took my bar down to 7 (from 9) and i STILL can't complete the dips, even with my feet flat!

Bx

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

Hello everyone!

I don't know where we are so I'm just gonna jump in.

I've just started running (Whoopeee!) in the last 5 days and in that time, i've gone from running 50m non-stop to 400m non-stop! I am so proud! I'm going to do that for the next 3 days (i run in stops and starts as that's the best I can do right now), have a rest day (either walk instead of a complete rest) then try for 600m (1 1/2 laps). I've lost 7kgs in just over a month (About 5 weeks) and I'm hoping to lose another 8 by DDs birthday in 6 weeks. I won't be too upset if it doesn't happen but it's good to have a goal to focus on. Once I reach that weight, I won't feel fat anymore! ^_^ I already fit into the dress i'm going to wear at her birthday party, but it'll fit better soon

[paradise lost]

Wow socks! That's amazing!

Check out the couch to 5k thread for links to a great interval (stop start) running programme

Bx

[C~Q]

There you all are!

Nadine - I totally understand where you're coming from. When I was pregnant with DD1 I was soo tired all the time. It's completely different being pregnant with a small one running around and getting under your feet! I used to look back at my first pregnancy and think wow, what luxuary! The important thing IS to get lots of rest and take of yourself and your little one

Bec - Haha I thought you would be running hope you like the quotes! Very cool that you got a Step, if you go to Les MIlls.com there is a "learn the moves" page. If you click on Body Step it will show you all the different moves that they do and you can put them all together to some music! It's a real shame you can't get to any Body Step classes, they're really great fun. I wish I could come over and babysit for you!

You are supposed to leave 24 hours between Pumps but I figure instructors do it way more than that and i'm going to have to get my body ready for it otherwise i'm going to crumble in a heap when I start teaching every day!

The smallest weights we have in the gym are 1.25's so I can only go from 5 to 7.5 like I said i'm just going to deal with it - it's all in my head. IKWYM about the Triceps - ouch! I hate dips at the best of times but after a full tricep track...nasty. What ever you do DON'T STOP! Try leaning back on the bench into your triceps instead, it's a lower option and heaps better than stopping. I only did the new Pump a couple of times and now we're back to mixing it up again.

Socks - 7kg's in a month is great! Well done. Make sure you don't go any faster than that though. It's best to lose around 1k a week through a negative balance of between 2000 and 4000KJ per day. They say at least 1250KJ of that loss should be through physical activity and the most effective form of KJ expenditure is aerobic activity so running is great! You never know, you might even have to go out and buy a new dress to show off your new body!

[paradise lost]

Rachel i did look at the step moves but the vid wouldn't load except for basic and downward tap (which is like the 2 opposite ends of the spectrum!), might try and watch the movie again...

It's weird your donuts are 1.25kgs! I thought they were all standardised. THANK YOU for the triceps tip - i'll try it on Monday, i DO stop and it's like stopping to walk at mile 12 of a half marathon - you will NOT be running home after that!

I did like your quotes. I'm on running forums sometimes and their sigs are full of them. My favourite ever was "Running from Obesity, one step at a time"

Bx

[Nadine216]

i DID just buy myself a step to use in the house during naptime

How does that work?? You just place it under the bed and take a nap and PRESTO ?!?!?

Amazing Baby Socks!!! Congratulations. I''m planning on starting to jog next year, by then you'll be a pro and I can hog some tips from you