Exercise routines, tips and chatter?

OMG!! :lol: :lol: preggiebellies were established in Melborne, Australia!!!!

Come on guys - give me some feedback if any of you did some of that classes - how was it!!!!!

Nadine i never went to anything like preggiebellies (just walked and swam, will be running through my next PG!) but it's great to hear you sounding so stoked! :)

I don't think it makes any difference about you having had labour or not because you'd be teaching people a range of techniques and not all of them work for everyone - i only found slow deep breathing in labour to be helpful, even when i was trying to not push panting just didn't work for me, so even if you'd had a labour it doesn't mean you'd necessarily be able to relate better to anyone. Also my favourite midwife, Sandra, who was amazing and gave me so much confidence re: my blood pressure (i.e. that it was labile and not really scary-high as it seemed) and was an aromatherapist and gave me brilliant advice for post-birth and a great aroma-oil gel for my poor burised perineum had NEVER had a kid. And some of the worst advice i got was from people with loads of kids.

Here they have a few classes, aquanatal, preggy-yoga, that sort of thing, and there's a post-baby buggy-pushers group (in the park, fast walking/slow jogging, some resistance work using bubs as you say and general stretching) some people like. I never went as when she was small i didn't have a good enough pram to run and now i do i'm WAY past where they train - i guess i could run the 7k to the park, train with them and then run the 7k home again?

Kaz i hope you feel 100% better really soon. I'm SO jealous of your 100 steps - it looks amazing! Nothing like that here, unless i climb ben nevis, bit of a hike just to GET there though...

Bx

Nadine I think that sounds fantastic! And you sound so passionate and excited and that is what this industry is all about! I bet you'll be brilliant at it :)

Thanks for the boost Bec & Rachel. Different strokes for different okes :lol:

Bec, you are one crazy lady, do you know that?? I bet it's that buggy that brainwashed you :p

I have not heard back from the preggiebellies head office yet, but I know that I would need some training - diploma/certificate or something. Have not told DH yet, either. I was thinking about maybe getting a partner in the business, one who are qualified. *scratching head* Thinking my input can be finance, managing and marketing and hers could be the more hands on ... for time being, kwim?? Because I myself would hesitate to go to a class that are not given by a person with proper qualifications, especially when I am pregant. I am so scared that if I wait to long or till I have the qualifications that the gap might have been spotted by someone else.

Ok, have another problem.

Like I said before - I love ab work. I love the way I can tighten my abs and feel those mucles inbetween my ribs. BUT we did this exercise this morning and I could not get control over my abs. I was sitting there huffing and puffing and sweating and making small farting sounds :p , but NO CONTROL. I am going to explain the exercise and then where I have the problem.

Sit flat on the floor, legs pulled up towards your butt, hands on knees. Lift feet off the floor by slowly leaning backwards. TIGHTEN ABS, lift hands off knees and keep the position for twenty dreaded long counts!!!!! then REPEAT!!!! :wall:

My tummy keeps popping out :( And that must not happen. My instructor told me to breath in, pull my navel to my spine, tighten everything in the ab-areas (feel it pull on that hip-bones that stick out just above your you-know-what - don't know what that is called in english), and breath out while keeping the abs tight, feeling them flatten. WTF!!!!

I am trying, but that is not happening. Any suggestions on how to get my tummy NOT popping???? Or how to strengthen those parts of the tummy?? I can do kazillion crunches, but I can't do that for more than 2 seconde :redface:

Do you mean a V-sit?

I just tried to do what you said, and only felt a slight pull under my bellybutton, nothing near my pelvis, and having all my weight on my tailbone KILLED!

Bx

*dragging my sorry-for-myself-butt in here*

Yeah, Bec, I would call that a V-sit. That is exactly what is not suppose to happen, your abs is suppose to support you so that your spine/tailbone does not carry all the weight. :dunno: Going to ask her again next time she tells us to do that.

I have been a bit lazy this week. Monday dd was sick, so I could not go to gym and this morning I went into the city with DH instead. I am stiff as a board from Wednesday's fitball session, but that is what you get for skipping on 'n Monday :rolleyes:

I am dropping some weight though :clap: I have not had ANY bread so far this week and I am down one kilo!!! I am SO naughty with pudding and chocolate and custard and jellydrops, but NO BREAD!!!! So I really do think that is where my biggest problem lay.
We are going to ttc as of the begining of April, so I have less than a month to get to AT LEAST 66kg and convince my Darling Husband to let me exercise again during this pregnancy. He is hell bend that that is what caused my prem-birth, which of course could not be further from the truth.

I may be coming in here a bit less. I have a lot of work, one of the girls left. There are word that the boss is not going to get someone in her position, so the work have to be shared between the rest of us.

I might not have felt it at the time but i was in a WORLD of pain from those V-sits the next day! I felt it ALL OVER my abs, especially my obliques.

I can't see, if i weigh 77kg and my tailbone is the only part of me touching the floor, how strong abs can possibly reduce my weight! I tried tensing my glutes which helped a tiny bit but i doubt is the "proper" way to do it. I had DP (personal trainer) check my technique and he said it looked fine, so i also have no idea about the whole lower abs theory. He said that the normal way to tighten the lower abs is laid-flat-leglifts (hard and can hurt your back) or pelvic tilts, but you can't do a pelvic tilt and keep your back straight. Let us know what your trainer says.

I put my squats and lunges up to 15kg last night at pump!!! YAY me!!!

I've had a minor hip injury (from long runs and a biomechanical foible of mine) so i've been nursing it all week with shorter runs and lots and lots of stretches. So annoying as i was getting into my groove but i guess avoiding serious injury will do more for my training than forcing the issue...

Bx

Na-hu, was not beamed up by aliens, although I thought I was a bit "out-of-it" for a while. I was sick again :( Lost my voice for the WHOLE easter weekend!!! I think my body is mad at me :dunno: I have been more sick since dd was born than in the previous 15 years!!!!!! It's driving me nuts.

Anyway, I WANTED to go to gym this morning. It's been almost 14 days since my last "confession", but I overslept! LOL I usually set my alarm for DH to and then reset it when he gets up, but this morning, I just turned around and slept in. DD woke me just in time to see the clock say: "7:05 you are LATE!!"

But tomorrow I am going for a nice and relaxing fitball class and Monday it's back on the wagon. The hell with my sodding sinusses, I'll gym the snot right out.

How is your hip, hun? That irks me into my marrow ... just when you are getting in a nice routine and getting your grove on SOMETHING HAPPENS!!!

Hello everyone!
Hope everyone is great and feeling better now :)

Well on Friday I officially became a student! I'm studying my Certificate 3 and ten 4 via correspondence with a couple of weekend workshops thrown in there. I'm very very excited but finding it really hard to get my head used to retaining information again! I have a huge text book that I am working my way through which is confusing me with lots of big words!

On the gym front I am having to give up Body Attack :( About 3 months ago I was having lots of injuries (shoulder, hip and knee) so i stopped going. I started up again about a month ago to try and get my endurance level higher but on Friday I almost couldn't finish because my shoulder was so sore :( So I have decided it's not worth messing up my gym routine so i'll have to do something else instead (please not cycle - noooooooooo). I can do Step instead on a Fri and have to think of something else to do on Sat.

So that's me...nothing else to report...erm, went about 3 days not eating junk till I ate half a pack of choc chip cookies - oh well they were yummy!

Take care all xxxxxx

Hey, Goodluck with the studies :)

I am so glad to see that I am not the only one who totally hates cycling! What about a hicking trail near you for Saturday. Or a botanical garden - take the kids.

You will never guess what I saw in the store the other day ... Tim-Tams LOL I did not buy it, because its about three time more expensive than the other "luxury" chocolate cookies on the shelf, but I was thinking Mother's day is around the corner ... maybe I could put in my special request. ;)

On the gym front - I am a bit stiff in the arms from Monday, but it's all good.

I did the new bodypump last night. Here is my class report:

Warm-up: pretty standard
Squats: OUCH! All that bottom half work KILLS!
Chest: pretty standard but no break!? WTF!?
Back: not bad at all
Triceps: i really like the slow bridge move down to ribs, extend to head then push to top, it hurt but it felt sort of graceful, if that makes sense.
Biceps: was really really hard but i just went up to 9kg last week so i was expecting it to be tough, and it didn't disappoint!
Lunges: see squats! LOL. Really tough but sort of good doing one side all through then the other as even though it's really hard, it provides a good break in the track knowing you'll be swapping sides in a second.
Shoulders: agony. Seriously by then i was sweating buckets and found the overheads with the bar SO hard.
Abs - i cannot do side-planks. There were several depressing moments when she said "5 more seconds, tighten it up" and others around me visibly pulled it in and my ab and side muscles had NOTHING in the tank. They were so exhausted they were numb and i couldn't physically tighten them anymore, which is especially annoying today when they don't even hurt particularly. They're just weak.
Cooldown - same moves, MUCH less depressing music!

Overall i really enjoyed it. I'm gonna work the planks and side planks into my post-run abs routines to try to build some strength. I think my main problem is that by then my shoulders and arms are quaking with exhaustion and even if my abs were stronger the rest of me just cannot maintain the posture. Any tips?

My hip is a little better but i continue to stretch carefully and increase my distances conservatively. It's annoying. Even more annoying is that the combination of running with the jogger buggy and doubling my squat and lunge weights in pump mean my thighs have gone up a size in jeans even though the rest of me hasn't! I am now wearing jeans which cling a little over the quad and fall down without a belt...

Bec

Sounds like a fun class. I tend to agree with you on the bottom half work! I hate doing lunges and squats and buttclenches, but that is where I need it most.

As for getting stronger. Bad news ... practise makes perfect :) The more you do it, the better you will get. But then, you knew that ;) I just don't get why planks and side-planks has to be done AFTER working your arms, back and chest!! Why not get that nasty planks out of the way and then start to test the arms.

My instrutcor said that the secret is breathing (WTF) she said that if you breath in and out regulary and deeply, your muscles gets enough oxygen (something like that) and that evertime you breath out you need to tighten ... I was thinking ... HOW THE HECK, I am so bend on consentrating on keeping my abs in, my arms from buckling and hitting my teeth and nose to a bloody pulp on the floor, my back from snapping, my feet from slipping and not to pass wind in the process that BREATHING is LAST on the list. LOL But, hey, she did make some sense.

I'm glad to hear your hip is doing better. I totally get what you mean about the jeans!! I have that exact problem too. I have a tiny, tiny waist, but nice, big hips and thighs that makes wearing a belt a must.

OOhh exciting that you got the new Pump! I have to agree with evreything you said! Esp the shoulder track and I am a wusser and don't use the bar, just the plates! And how mean, doing planks after THAT shoulder work out!

Good news though. When I read that it was going to have planks/hovers (whatever!) I was worried because I never used to think they did anything for me but after about 3 classes I could really feel it. Even ended up taking the higher option where you lift your leg up in the side plank. So stick with it and I guarentee you will improve.

One thing the instructor said though was if you go up to the next level (ie on your ankles or lifting a leg) when you're not ready, not only will you damage your back but you won't get anything out of it. She said that people doing it on their knees were getting exactly the same out of it as it was testing THEIR body at THEIR level IYKWIM.

And 9K Biceps!!! Wow, thats awesome! I still really struggle with 7.5 :(

Well the DOMS has set in with my abs and quads so i must have been doing more than i thought with the abs afterall. I am on my ankle (can do the knee) and elbow but it is SO FRANCE-ING HARD after the shoulder track! I just did some abs after my run, 20 leg extension, 20 leg extension/cross-over crunches, 40sec plank x2 and side planks both sides - could only scrape 20seconds/side! Dreadful. Though i did feel my left oblique when i was doing the plank that side and it was like IRON.

Thinking about my breathing helped - thanks for that Nadine!

I'm going to do it every other day no matter what until i can do it. What are the timings on the track? It felt like about 50secs plank, 40secs side plank, 50 secs plank, 40 secs other side plank, then more plank(?) then (IMO boring) crunches. And ideas? I time myself with a stopwatch when i'm doing it after a run. My shoulders were STILL tired (did pump on Thursday night, ran on Saturday morning) when i did the plank this morning!

Had a pretty good run. 55mins at 11min/mile (with the buggy). I used one of those carb gels as i ran before breakfast (got up, took meds, fed DD, dressed us both, ran - was leaving the house about an hour after i woke up) which was REVOLTING but worked. It was a lucozade sport gel, which was *nearly* solid enough to chew and SO hard to swallow! DD got really cold hands and started crying 15mins before the end but i didn't get why until i'd gotten her in. I think it began as cold hands/irritation about not being able to get out and run herself and then she got more and more upset until she couldn't remember why she was crying. It was pretty windy but full sun so i didn't want to put the weather cover (rain cover basically) on. She over heats if it's sunny, but freezes if it's windy, maybe i can put it on and leave the back open or something...

Bx

Hi All, I think I need to get in here to keep me motivated :D I work a 7 day fortnight so it is tough to try and keep things going, especially with winter looming

This week my schedule looked like:
Sunday: Triathlon, 750m ocean swim, 20km cycle, 5km run
Monday: sit ups, push ups and squats at home
Tuesday: Bike to work - 30min each way + situps and pushups
Wednesday: Walk from work to train station 30min + sit ups & pushups
Thursday: 5km run + weights
Friday: 5km run + weights
Saturday: 5.25km run + situps & pushups

Now to keep it going..... the goal is 20km running per week + a couple of days riding to work plus whatever else I can fit in. I have a 100km bike ride coming up in May plus the Mothers Day Classic which is 8km run so I have that as motivation.

Racheal - On hurting yourself with the plank (we call it a GI Jane :) ) My instructor said that if you feel like your back is buckling, just flip your butt higher in the air. That way your abs has a little rest, you have a little breather and you can just drop back when you are ready. Also her husband told me that by relaxing your shoulders you can keep the position for longer. So instead of trying to "carry" your upper body's weight in your shoulders, you should make yourself "light" by relaxing your shoulders and taking the weight on your hands. That is also why it's importent to place your hands directly under your shoulders. But I do agree that even if you do the plank on your knees (we do that sometimes in fitball-class) it really gives a great workout.

Bec - my dad's diabetic and I remember that he used to have that gel-stuff with his diving gear, just for in case and it's truely dreadfull. I'll take chocolate cake anytime :cryinglaugh:
How about some sheepskin gloves for dd?? Keeps the cold at bay.

Welcome Nai :) Hope you get the support and motivation that you need here.

Well, I had the most grueling Botton Half Work-out this morning. Just my luck :p. Did two classes this morning, and both focused on the butt-hip-area. So I am thinking another day or two sanding to pee, because I can't sit down :lol:

Hey Nai! WOW a triathlete! I can't imagine having time/discipline to do all three, i HATE the bike! LOL. It is purely transport for me :)

Well, we do the plank on our elbows but i'll try to relax my shoulders more next time. I do consciously relax my hands and let my head hang down as it helps keeping at least part of me relaxed and means i waste less oxygen. I'm going to do my abs after my runs more often too. Actually was supposed to run today but haven't so far. Only a 5k recovery run so no rush, i'm full of food right now so won't be going just yet. Maybe in an hour. I'm trying to up my distance but slowly or i'll get hurt again. At the moment i'm running 22-35k/week, depending on how i go and what i've got on. My first race is 6.5weeks away...#

Bx

Hoobley - I'm reall more of the "Try" and less of the "athlete" :lol: But I do find them enjoyable (once I've finished). I LOVE ocean swimming, like cycling and HATE running so I would generally prefer them in the reverse order to what we have to do ;)

I'm trying to run 20km a week at the moment which is torture for me :lol: Give me a bike any day!!