Exercise routines, tips and chatter?

[C~Q]

Ok I'm back!

Right i'm going to assume that you can work out 5 times a week. If you can do more or it has to be less then let me know. You need to be doing resistance training at least 2-3 times a week (so we're going to make you do it 3 times ) and cardio at least 200 - 300 minutes a week. Lets aim for 250. It's up to you how you break that down, if you want to do 4 x 1 hour runs then cool. If you want to do less runs and a few step sessions - cool. As long as when you are doing your own step sessions you are working hard enough. By hard enough I mean 50-85% of your Predicted Maximal Heart Rate (PMHR) how old are you and do you know your resting heart rate? If not just let me know how old you are and i'll work out your PMHR. Till then use the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale. Think of how you feel on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being nothing at all, 5 being strong and 10 being very strong - maximal. You want to be working between 5-8.5.

It sounds like a lot of cardio but remember the initial loss is known as the "conditioning phase" and once ideal weight is achieved then maintenance is a lot easier. You can break up the cardio however you want to as long as you're using your major muscle groups (more KJ's burned). When you're doing your runs try and introduce some interval training elements to it (heart rate peaks and drops down ((slightly)) at regular intervale) some good ways to do this outside is by picking power poles and sprinting between one or two and then joggin between the next two. Or by using stairs or hills.

K so thats the cardio. Now for the resistance training. I'm assuming that you will be by yourself so here we go...

Start with a warm up, maybe on the step - just 5 mins to get your hr up a little and your muscles warm - don't forget to include your arms. Then start with the larger muscle groups and end with back and abs. I'm going to to program you somewhere between Hypertrophy (bigger muscle) and muscular endurance (help with Pump). This means that for all exercises you should be lifting a weight that is about 75% of your 1RM (one repition maximum - the heaviest weight you could possible lift, only once for that particular muscle). I can't work that out for you without seeing you but your DP prob can even if you can only make use of the weights that you have.

I'm also going to "super set" you. That means instead of doing a set then waiting and doing the next set we are going to put 2 exercises together and smash them! No, you do a set of one exercises then straight on to a set of the next ones, then rest. This saves time and makes you feel like you're working harder So for example one set of squats followed by one set of lunges. Then 2nd set of squats/2nd set of lunges...make sense?

You should rest for 30 secs inbetween each superset. And the tempo you do the exercises should be 2/2.


Please get your DP to look over this first as I really shouldn't be giving you a program without seeing you!

Legs
1. Weighted squats - 3 sets of 15 reps
1. Lunges - 3 sets of 15 reps (up to you to use weights or the bench if you want )
(So for this you do 1st set squats-1st set lunge right leg-1st set lunge left leg. Then 2nd set squat-2nd set lunge right leg-2nd set lunge left leg)

Chest
2. Barbell pullovers - 3 sets of 15 reps
(lie on somewhere that has space behind you, maybe accross the bed with your head at the end. With arms extended hold barbell in overhand grip, hands shoulder width apart. Inhale lowering the barbell behind the head bending slightly at the elbows ((not bent like a tricep ext)). Exhale and return to initial position.)
2. Pushups - 3 sets of 15 reps - I WANT TOES!!!

Shoulders
3. Seated front press - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Sit with back straight and hold bar with an overhand grip resting on chest. Inhale and extend the bar vertically, exhale an return to starting position)
3. Barbell front raises - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Stand with legs slightly apart and back straight inhale and raise the barbell with arms extended to eye level, exhale and return)

Back
4. Bent rows - 3 sets of 15 reps
(you know these from Pump. They're just 15's not triples or singles!)
4.Upright row - 3 sets of 15
(you know these from Pump too - let me know if you're not sure)

Arms
5. Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 15
5. Tricep dips - 3 sets of 15
(Do them off your sofa or something else that feels like the right level. Knees bent or straight legs for harder. Hardest - put one foot on top of the other in straight leg position?

Abs - If you've been bracing your abs properly the who session you shouldn't need to do abs but if you are so inclined

6. Crunches 3 sets fo 15
(make sure your knees are up at 45 * angle, this dissengages (sp?) your hip flexors)
6. Side plank - each side for 45 secs, only once per side cause i'm pretty sure you're now knackered! (longer if you can or less if you have to).

Ok, reading back this is quite a lot so if you want to only do one exercise per body part! If you can then go smash it!!!! And don't forget to stretch - stretch is so important and often gets overlooked. Stretch each body part for 30-45 secs at a level of slight discomfort but not pain.


Some things to remember - 1. Never lock your joints out in the middle of a movement. You can straighten your limb but don't lock out the joints. 2. Shoulders back and down (you know this from Pump). 3. Neutral spine. 4. Chin in. 5. Brace the abs and back (by doing this you turn on your TA ((transverse abdominals)) which do not get worked enough and cause that fat band under your belly!).


Ok, now i'm knackered! It's so much harder to program for home using only a barbell then it is in the gym with all the equipment!

Let me know how you go...Good luck!

PS Just thought I should add that 6 portions of fruit is waaaay too much! I know that the sugar found in fruit is natural but it's still sugar and a lot of it! My dietician told me about a lady who developed diabetes and the only treats she had were fruit You shouldn't really have more than 2-3 servings of fruit per day.

Also on nutrition, you said you eat lots of cakes, biscuits and stuff. You'll definatly see the best results if you combine the exercise plan with healthy eating

[paradise lost]

Oh dear. Hopefully you found the writing of that to be a useful exercise, because i'm afraid i am NOT going to be a good subject!

You need to be doing resistance training at least 2-3 times a week (so we're going to make you do it 3 times ) and cardio at least 200 - 300 minutes a week. Lets aim for 250.

That's not 5 times a week hun, it's SEVEN! I can work out 4 times a week (total, not cardio-only), maybe 5 if i push for it, but there's no way my legs/feet will take that much high-impact cardio, or my lifestyle medium-impact, and the pool (no impact of course) is only an option for 1 session/week, and only during 3 weeks of every 8 week period (don't ask, crazy childcare issues). Currently that takes the form of 1 bodypump class and 3 50ish-minute runs. This week i also had a small (1100m) swim, because i could, but i cannot again until late November.

I'm afraid DP is not your greatest ally - he pinched the chub of my love-handle and murmured "You're *perfect* into my ear and then, well i'd need to hop over to AO to share the "and then"

Right this second i'm nursing plantar faciitis of my left sole, and i've no idea where it came from, because it came on on my 3rd day off running. I'm a bit scared it's systemic (shonky immune system, eats bits of ME as if they were diseases) as i was once pretty much disabled by achilles tendonitis for 2 months in Uni due to this, and i had an episode of PF in my right foot basically all summer, but i have it at the ball not the heel on that side - the heel is definitely worse! Will have to wait and see. It does feel better after a day of rest, but if i have to stay in the house tomorrow i'm going to murder DD so it will need to heal on the run or not at all...

As soon as i'm back up to strength i'm going to try adding 2 of your muscle group workouts onto the end of each run and see how i go. I kind of wish i had time to do all you're suggesting, but equally i think i'd be sick of the sight of my running shoes and weights within 3 days if i did (it really looks like A. LOT. to me! Lol, maybe i'm naiive!).

Some bits i didn't put in which DP tells me are very relevant (and the reason he always declines to suggest more activity for me when i ask him to): I don't have a car, i walk about 38-40km (wow, never added it up like that before!) a week, about 24 of those with (15kg) DD in the meitai on my back, about 8 of THOSE with an additional 5-9kg of shopping as well. Of the other 16km i probably push DD in the stroller about 10km and the other 6km i'm (blissfully!) alone My running distances (about 20-25km/week) are additional. He also told me to tell you about my (embarrassing) games with DD, like when i sit on the kitchen worktop and she sits on my feet and i do leg-extensions...or when i lie on my back and lift her straight up and down and count "ONE baby girl" (kiss nose) "TWO baby girls" (kiss nose again) "THREE...." and so on. He basically thinks i do plenty and am healthy and this is how i look, and reading back my messed up mess above i'm wondering if he's right.

Re: diet... The cakes and biscuits are generally contained to 1-2 days a week, but recently things have been sliding out of control - hence the fruit and veg kick. I actually KNOW i feel better without the processed and fake sugars of that stuff, but the weather turns chilly, or i have a period of stress (DD has been quite difficult the last 2 weeks or so) and i reach for the sugar/carbs. I think i'm back on track with that - i just had a weekend with chocolate, cake and biscuits around (it WAS my birthday!) and i didn't care either way - there's a box of biscuits sitting in my kitchen right now and i have not the slightest temptation to touch it, i've already promised it to XP. The fruit is generally low GI (i have 2-3 medium-high GI fruits/week), and that woman was either addicted to drinking overripe banana, grape and mango smoothies 8 times a day, or a LIAR! There are 3 diabetics in my immediate family, we have the genes for it. Two type 2 and one type 1 and BELIEVE ME the type 2's didn't get that way from fruit. My dad was long-term debilitating stress and over-eating and my sister was diet and pre-existing insulin-resistance factors (PCOS) and over-eating. ALL of the fruit-induced diabetics are anecdotal, they have never been able to reproduce the effect in a study except using high amounts of high GI fruit in incredibly unrealistic amounts (like, do you know anyone that eats 11 over-ripe bananas, 4 mangos and 2 whole pineapples every DAY?). Don't get me wrong, i know a WeightWatchers leader who often has to say "Maybe cut out the bananas" but as she says, she can only advise on what they write down, and often they just don't write it all down... Maybe you can remember me when your first denial-ly client says "But i only snack on fruit!"

Anyway, thanks for your giant post, and i hope my lukewarmness isn't a big kick in the guts! Your resistance stuff is really helpful (if a bit overwhelming ) and i'll definitely look at adding it in somehow.

Bx

[C~Q]

No worries Hoobs thats fine! I should have put that I meant for you to spend no more than about 20 mins on the resistance training TOPS so I thought you could do it on the end of a run or before or maybe in the afternoon or something, I didn't mean do it all on seperate days . To be honest I know i'm getting a bit carried away, I tend to assume everyone is like me and if they mention they want to change something I assume they will go flat out till it's done. The thing is I have to get past that or i'm not going to be a very good trainer

Ok, just use the exercises as something to look at when/if you have the time and you're in the mood. That way it's there if you need it. Maybe if you dropped the legs and did back and chest one day and chest and shoulders the other a couple of times a week after your runs.

And don't worry, it was beneficial to me, even just to program someone not using gym equipment (a lot harder).

Re the plantar faciitis, have you had it looked at? That can get really bad (as you know) without rest...hope it gets better soon X

[paradise lost]

I haven't had it looked at this time, but i've got flattish feet so i've had it on and off before... I'm actually wondering if that's what it is, because at the moment all i have is a burning bruised feeling in my heel, no arch stabbing at all, seem to have skipped that bit... Either that or it's just a plain old bruised heel instead. If i'm lucky i'll heal up in a week. I'm laying off running, step and will *sigh* have to use the buggy this week, i'll give it a good go, but i CANNOT stay in all week! I need more ibuprofen actually, so i'd need to go out for that anyway. Should i do pump? Normally pump is the last thing i skip, but it hurts to stand, so i can't see how standing with weights is going to do me much good... Advice?

No worries on the workout, it's not that it wasn't fabulous, it is, it's just i KNOW me - any changes i make need to be incremental and they need to fit into my lifestyle. Otherwise i just do it for 3 weeks and then give up and am back to square one. I used to go on mad whirlwinds of change in my teens/early twenties, and all that happened is that i'd end up with a completely alien-looking life for a week or two and then either jump or slide back into old ways, losing any progress i'd made in the process. Maybe when you're PTing people you can work on the assumption they want to change as little as possible about their life and as much as possible about their body? Keeping it sustainable is the most important bit for me. Like rather than eating 1500calories a day to lose weight and then increasing to a maintenance level when i have, i'd rather eat at the maintenance level of the weight i want to be - the excess weight comes off MUCH more slowly, but i'm never hungry and there's no giant adjustment to make, you know?

Bx

[paradise lost]

Time for a feedback session already! YEP, i just did you WHOLE workout! It took me 0:49:10 including stretching (at the end, i just did the current pump stretch/cooldown routine). So, here goes:

Legs
1. Weighted squats - 3 sets of 15 reps
1. Lunges - 3 sets of 15 reps (up to you to use weights or the bench if you want )
(So for this you do 1st set squats-1st set lunge right leg-1st set lunge left leg. Then 2nd set squat-2nd set lunge right leg-2nd set lunge left leg)

Wow. I did these unweighted, i missed pump tonight due to my sore foot so i decided to do the move without the weight but went quite deep in the squat (deeper than i would with weights) and use the step for the lunges. Hun i was SHAKING by the end, despite the lack of weights. My quads especially REALLY feel like they've done a workout!

Chest
2. Barbell pullovers - 3 sets of 15 reps
(lie on somewhere that has space behind you, maybe accross the bed with your head at the end. With arms extended hold barbell in overhand grip, hands shoulder width apart. Inhale lowering the barbell behind the head bending slightly at the elbows ((not bent like a tricep ext)). Exhale and return to initial position.)
2. Pushups - 3 sets of 15 reps - I WANT TOES!!!

I've never done the first move before. It was actually really great! Do they ever do it in pump? I'm sick of chest presses and my chest is weak enough i always feel (despite having my technique checked 50 times) that my shoulders and triceps do most of the work. This move really engaged my boobs (sorry, but that IS how it felt!) AND it made me keep my abs super-tight to guard my back - a winner for sure! I'm afraid you didn't get toes, i wasn't kidding when i said i couldn't do ONE full press up! Instead you got knees, with legs extended, toes raised and ankles crossed and even with that, by the 8th press of the 2nd set (i was mixing the moves as you suggested) i was watching sweat drip steadily onto my floor from my head with every press!

Shoulders
3. Seated front press - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Sit with back straight and hold bar with an overhand grip resting on chest. Inhale and extend the bar vertically, exhale an return to starting position)
3. Barbell front raises - 3 sets of 15 reps
(Stand with legs slightly apart and back straight inhale and raise the barbell with arms extended to eye level, exhale and return)

I kind of messed this one up because i didn't read thoroughly and the first set of move 1 i raised the bar out horizontally instead of vertically! I don't know if that's a real move or even if it's safe but it didn't hurt (except in my shoulders of course!) and i stopped as soon as i realised. I will admit i had to switch down weights for the raises. I lifted 8kg for the overheads but i was shaking too hard to get the bar up without using momentum so i used 4kg for the 2nd move (still mixing it up though). It sounds a cop-out - i know to get maximum benefit i need to be lifting 75% my max, but to be honest i have the bars loaded into "heavy" and "lighter" and since i'd have needed pliers to change them up i left them that way... 8kg is the maximum one can fit on either bar and still hold it safely. I might change the lighter one to hold 6 instead of 4 though...

Back
4. Bent rows - 3 sets of 15 reps
(you know these from Pump. They're just 15's not triples or singles!)
4.Upright row - 3 sets of 15
(you know these from Pump too - let me know if you're not sure)

These are hader because of the way i have to use the short bars. Think of a dumbell with the weights either end and a grip in the centre. In order to get 8kg on the bar i have to put it in the centre and hold the ends (handily this is a shoulder-distance grip ), so when i do bent rows the bar isn't able to get to my belly because the plates are in the way... I don't know how much difference this makes? I felt it mosetly in my shoulderblades and trapezium (? - the coathanger muscles above/behind the collar bones). Also these work my upper back, but i find that my lower back, me being tall, is the weaker place. I know i need to work on my abs to improve my overall core stability, but are there weights i could do which target my lower back? I did do 15 deadlifts before starting your sets, but TBH i'm used to lifting 17kg in Pump, so the 8kg i can fit on the bar didn't do much at all. I also work out in the pool - are butterfly kicks any good for lower back strength?

Arms
5. Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 15
5. Tricep dips - 3 sets of 15
(Do them off your sofa or something else that feels like the right level. Knees bent or straight legs for harder. Hardest - put one foot on top of the other in straight leg position?

OW! The biceps were fine (i lift 10kg for both groups in pump) but the tri's O.M.G. so hard. I was always crappy at dips anyway. My sofa is uselessly soft so i did these off a dining chair - legs BENT thankyou! And even with that, i did the last 3 of the final set at quadruple speed because i felt like my arms were gonna fall off! Definitely cheated!

Abs - If you've been bracing your abs properly the who session you shouldn't need to do abs but if you are so inclined

6. Crunches 3 sets fo 15
(make sure your knees are up at 45 * angle, this dissengages (sp?) your hip flexors)
6. Side plank - each side for 45 secs, only once per side cause i'm pretty sure you're now knackered! (longer if you can or less if you have to).

Yes, i have now seen your abs and i know you don't suffer from what i do....weak abs making you rely too much on your back! My abs get tired and i forget to engage them, or lose them part way through, or generally just find it hard to keep them engaged. Also i just CAN'T get that much weight on the bar at home, so some of the moves are more challenging to my cv system (heartrate was WELL up and was sweating madly) than my actual muscles iykwim, so i wasn't "forced" to keep them engaged like i am if i hit it really hard at pump. So i did the abs too I really enjoed them, but i think i'll mix them up myself too - i could have done a minute of planks but was too lazy by then to make myself do it, and the crunches i might switch out for leg extension crunches next time.

Yes, CQ, NEXT TIME! My foot is still sore, i'm clearly NOT going to be running this week, maybe not next either. I have eaten really well today, i did have chocolate to celebrate a friend's getting of her PhD, but i had about 100cals worth and i've had 4 portions of (all low GI) fruit and 7 of (really yummy) veg. I was feeling so flat though, so unable to exercise and generally crappy. And then i did this and i really felt like i'd worked out! I might do a repeat if i can't get to pump this week, but even if i get to pump i can see me doing this once a week or so as a whole-body routine, and maybe taggin individual groups onto runs when i can run again. I enjoyed it that much. It made me feel so much better - more in control of myself (i HATE not being able to run, especially when i've got PMT and feel fat and am in FACT wanting to lose some weight anyway) and of my fitness. Thanks hun, it made a big difference. I imagined you (with a neighbours accent - sorry, it was that or Kath and Kim! lol) yelling at me to keep going and it made me laugh!

I'm hitting to pool for 45-60mins tomorrow (would like to do 60 but am not realistically fit for that and do NOT want to injure myself out of the pool too!) and i'll bet i have DOMS so bad i just need to float up and down on the current

Bx

ETA - you definitely earned a look at me! I've uploaded some pics. Sadly in 3 i'm in a bunny girl outfit, but to be honest i don't ever have much call to photograph my body unless there's something exciting about what's on it - this was a sneak preview for DP before we went out to a costume club-night - he wore a tux *swooning* The last one at least has me in running tights - slightly more relevant to this thread! I'm bit heavier now, but to be honest i tried on the bunny costume 3 days ago and it still fits. It's skin tight, but it was when i made it (that''s right MADE out of an old pair of wirk trousers! lol).

If i could change anything about my body it would be to have leaner thighs, especially at the tops, but when i told DP this he said just to "reduce fat" and i said well i want to keep my bum and boobs and he said "Well write to God about it, because right now i don't know of a way to spot reduce.... LOL, i know this but still i look at the part of my thigh towards my knee and ask the wobble-tops "why can't you be more like those bits down there!?" xxx

[C~Q]

Oh yay i'm so excited you did it and liked it!!! You are officially my first client

I've never done the first move before. It was actually really great! Do they ever do it in pump?

No, I wish they did shake it up a bit but as far as I know they just do chest presses

OW! The biceps were fine (i lift 10kg for both groups in pump) but the tri's O.M.G. so hard. I was always crappy at dips anyway. My sofa is uselessly soft so i did these off a dining chair - legs BENT thankyou! And even with that, i did the last 3 of the final set at quadruple speed because i felt like my arms were gonna fall off! Definitely cheated!

Haha, you'll be doing them single armed on a medicine ball with feet on a bosu in no time

Yes, i have now seen your abs and i know you don't suffer from what i do....weak abs making you rely too much on your back!

I used to - really badly but I think that doing planks has really strengthened them. That and forcing myself to engage my abs during the classes. I actually did a Combat track the other day and after it my abs were killing me. The trainer at my course the other day said that the tranverse abdominals are the ones that people (women esp) need to work on. She said they are the really deep ones, the ones you engage when doing your PF exercises and they are really important for posture. A good way to isolate them is lying on your back with your legs in the air and lowering one leg at a time to just above the floor and then bringing it back up. Higher option is straighten the leg - next option is bring both legs down at the smae time keeping them straight. The most important thing though is that your back is GLUED to the floor. If it ocmes up you have to drop back a level.

Yes, CQ, NEXT TIME! My foot is still sore, i'm clearly NOT going to be running this week, maybe not next either. I have eaten really well today, i did have chocolate to celebrate a friend's getting of her PhD, but i had about 100cals worth and i've had 4 portions of (all low GI) fruit and 7 of (really yummy) veg. I was feeling so flat though, so unable to exercise and generally crappy. And then i did this and i really felt like i'd worked out! I might do a repeat if i can't get to pump this week, but even if i get to pump i can see me doing this once a week or so as a whole-body routine, and maybe taggin individual groups onto runs when i can run again. I enjoyed it that much. It made me feel so much better - more in control of myself (i HATE not being able to run, especially when i've got PMT and feel fat and am in FACT wanting to lose some weight anyway) and of my fitness. Thanks hun, it made a big difference. I imagined you (with a neighbours accent - sorry, it was that or Kath and Kim! lol) yelling at me to keep going and it made me laugh!

I'm so glad you're going to do it again, I feel like a success!!! I'm from Sussex but I have been here for nearly 8 years so try and imagine my accent as a cross between Bridget Jones and...Kylie!

Thanks for posting the pictures - I wondered what you look like. You must have better control of your abs then you think because your stomach is FLAT!!!

If i could change anything about my body it would be to have leaner thighs, especially at the tops, but when i told DP this he said just to "reduce fat" and i said well i want to keep my bum and boobs and he said "Well write to God about it, because right now i don't know of a way to spot reduce.... LOL, i know this but still i look at the part of my thigh towards my knee and ask the wobble-tops "why can't you be more like those bits down there!?" xxx

God I wish you could spot reduce - it's not fair! I lose weight from my face, arms and chest first (hence all the comments i've had as thats the first thing people see). My boobs have gone from a C to an A When I wear my sports bra its flat - nothing there lol! I don't mind though, not really. I'd like to get rid of my saddle bags but hey ho.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and it worked for you! Hope you're not too sore (a bit of DOMS is good)

YAY HOOBS

[C~Q]

And everyone this is not the rachel and hoobley show - where are you all???