laurashapiro (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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lifting_heavy_things2010-04-29 01:22 pm
laurashapiro) wrote in lifting_heavy_things2010-04-29 01:22 pm
Short workouts: how to maximize the benefits?
I get to the gym 2-3 times a week before work. Mornings are really the only time I have the energy to work out, and the gym tends to be pretty empty, which means I don't have to wait to use benches, machines, etc.
Typically I have about an hour for my workout. It winds up breaking down like this:
~ 5 min locker room (change, pee, fill water bottle, etc.)
~ 15-20 min strength training (assisted chin-ups, low rows, squats, shoulder raises, back extensions, ab floor work)
~ 20 min cardio (treadmill)
~ 10 min stretching
~ 5 min locker room (shower, dress, bolt)
My strength training regimen and cardio choices are limited due to my chronic sciatica -- there are a few things my physical therapist and doctor have told me not to do, but more that I don't do because they hurt, or because I worry I won't be able to keep my form stable.
Due to this problem I also tend to focus my strength training on exercises that strengthen my back and abs, since a strong core --> better posture --> less sciatic pain.
But I have been plateau'd for years now, and it's frustrating. Any suggestions on how to maximize my gym time? I'm open to changing the strength training/cardio ratio, to trying new exercises, to whatever ya got!
My goals:
~ be as sciatic-pain-free as possible (in life generally as well as during workouts)!
~ lift more!
~ more muscle definition would be nice!
Typically I have about an hour for my workout. It winds up breaking down like this:
~ 5 min locker room (change, pee, fill water bottle, etc.)
~ 15-20 min strength training (assisted chin-ups, low rows, squats, shoulder raises, back extensions, ab floor work)
~ 20 min cardio (treadmill)
~ 10 min stretching
~ 5 min locker room (shower, dress, bolt)
My strength training regimen and cardio choices are limited due to my chronic sciatica -- there are a few things my physical therapist and doctor have told me not to do, but more that I don't do because they hurt, or because I worry I won't be able to keep my form stable.
Due to this problem I also tend to focus my strength training on exercises that strengthen my back and abs, since a strong core --> better posture --> less sciatic pain.
But I have been plateau'd for years now, and it's frustrating. Any suggestions on how to maximize my gym time? I'm open to changing the strength training/cardio ratio, to trying new exercises, to whatever ya got!
My goals:
~ be as sciatic-pain-free as possible (in life generally as well as during workouts)!
~ lift more!
~ more muscle definition would be nice!
(disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Off the top of my head -- please ignore if not relevant, already considered, etc..:
What sort of numbers of reps and sets are you going for?
If you're doing steady-state cardio, have you considered swapping it for interval training? As I understand it, that's thought to give you more effective results in much less time, and doesn't appear to limit strength gains in the way that steady-state cardio sometimes can (in some situations, according to some studies, see ongoing scientific debate, etc. etc.) .
Have you checked that you're getting enough protein to build muscle mass?
How often do you change your workout? A lot of people seem to recommend shaking it up every few months (either by switching exercises, or by complex periodization schemes for varying sets and reps) as a way to avoid plateauing.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
What sort of numbers of reps and sets are you going for?
Honestly, at the moment, any movement at all would be good. (: I've been doing side-raises with 10-lb dumbbells for a year (3 sets, usually 8-10 reps). It'd be nice to get to 12. I can't even do three reps at 12 lbs, though.
For the chin-ups, my goal is to be able to do *one* unassisted chin-up. Just one. Some day. Right now I'm subtracting 80 lbs from my body weight. That hasn't moved in a year either.
Re protein -- diet is another tricky area for me due to yet another chronic issue (irritable bowel syndrome). I am basically not open to changing what/how I eat for workout-related reasons, as the combination of IBS/locavorism/convenience already makes me think way too much about food, all the time. But I am a meat-eater, and I always have protein after a workout and usually a significant serving at dinner time.
Switching things around might be a good idea.
ETA: interval training, yeah! I used to do that! And then it made my leg hurt a lot. Stupid sciatica. Since switching to the treadmill I tend to do a course that has three gentle inclines, which works out to gently increasing/decreasing intensity. It's not proper interval training, though.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Are there any cardio-type things you can do that would work better for interval training? Bicycle, swimming, etc.?
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
I'll try the 12-pounders tomorrow and see how I fare.
Swimming would be ideal if there were any public pools in San Francisco. Alas, there are very few, and they aren't conveniently located.
Bicycling is about the worst thing ever for my back, unfortunately. Even recumbents. Sitting = bad news.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
My unscientific advice on that is to try it out. I had been stuck for a year before, and still couldn't complete the sets with the weights I had. One day I lost patience and just put a few additional kilos on everything, and it got actually *easier*. Adding weight makes one more attentive to form, IMO.
Have the doctor or physiotherapists suggested any "do"s, or just "don't"s?
Also, what has been said about varying the routine.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Have the doctor or physiotherapists suggested any "do"s, or just "don't"s?
They have all encouraged core work, so I do a lot of yoga-based ab stuff, and when short of time (which is almost always) I prioritize my back muscles.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Treat it as an experiment, a chance to see how heavy a weight you can move, even if it's only for a couple of reps. You could even try and see what your one-rep max is.
If nothing else, it'll make you less bored, and bodies seem to respond to some variety. And I suspect that you may find that after a bit of this, you can bump the weight up when you go back to your normal rep range.
Another option would be to try completely different exercises -- pick a bunch that seem interesting, and play around with them a bit for a few weeks, see which ones you enjoy (brain permitting, I will be doing a 3W4DW post on unusual but awesome strength training exercises, so that might provide some inspiration).
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
I'm definitely gonna do that. And thanks for mentioning the back extensions -- it was doing them with too much weight that caused my back injury (and paranoia about re-injury) in the first place.
I think I'm also gonna book some time with a trainer and have them teach me how to do deadlifts and a few other things that look cool. (:
Thanks for all the help!
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
The back muscles do get worked to some degree in squats and deadlifts, as part of everything else, but that's why good form is so essential, to make sure that the back muscles are working to hold the spine in a safe position while the rest of you moves.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Or one. I have the impression that the 8-10 range kind of balances strength and strength endurance; fewer reps, more weights should build your strength. (Rippetoe's Starting Strength might be a good reference on this kind of stuff.)
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
I suspect my world is about to be rocked. (:
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Doesn't mean that you can't deviate from it, especially when you're doing so for particular purposes. And breaking out of a plateau would be one of those purposes.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
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-- deadlifts (using a bar and plates, or two dumbbells) are a *great* compound exercise for your back, thighs and glutes. I like sumo stance deadlifts (from Stumptuous, my bible of strength training) the best, the wide, bent-kneed stance feels more stable. It's also satisfying, because it lets you lift more weight than other exercises.
-- if the list of your strength training is in sequence, maybe vary the routine: chin-ups + rows is two pulling exercises in a row, which you could break up with a pushing exercise like the shoulder raises. You could also try bench presses instead of the shoulder raises, just for a change.
-- I'm not sure about this, but I wonder if doing 20 min of cardio right after 20 min of weight training is the best combination, since your muscles are already tired from the weight training. If it were me, and I could make it to the gym 2-3 times a week, I would give the preference to weight training there, since it's hard to do weight training without the equipment. For say, 40 mins max with 5 mins light/medium cardio beforehand for warmup and a bit of stretching after. On rest days, I would try and do some freestyle cardio -- walk outside at lunch, take the stairs, bike in the park. Of course that all depends on what the environment/workplace possibilities are.
Good luck and hooray for this new comm!
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I like the idea of varying my sequence. And I hear you on alternating cardio with strength training. I just worry that I would never manage to get to the cardio, for I am LAZY.
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*nods a lot* I have a tendency to back strains, and a family history of major back problems. So I would never have tried barbell lifts if I hadn't gone to this women's weightlifting workshop.
Getting really detailed feedback on form made a huge amount of difference (especially as I explained to the trainer that I wanted to learn how to protect my back), and now I feel much more confident that I can try heavy squats and deadlifts in a way that's good for my back.
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Stumptuous has some good-looking advice on improving chin-ups. I say good-looking because I haven't actually done an unassisted chin-up. :) YET DAMMIT. But I do feel that I am getting closer.
Overhead squats are fun and supposed to be good for balance and core strength.
For cardio, have you looked at interval training, especially Tabatas? They are brutal, but faster than 20 minutes, and there is good research behind them. (Tabatas are very short intervals -- 20s high intensity, 10s low intensity, 8 sets, 4 min total.)
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PREACH!
Anyway, yes, I have read Stumptuous on this but it was years ago. I will revisit.
As for squats, I do wimp-ass ones leaning against a yoga ball against the wall, to keep my back straight. But I'll read further.
I haven't done proper intervals since I had to give up my beloved elliptical machines. Tabatas are new to me. Will research!
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Do you have room in your house for a chinup bar? I use one with a heavy-duty resistance band as an assist and try to do one or two whenever I go to the basement. That seems to help a lot.
Are kettlebell classes available in your area? I live near one of the places that does teacher training and can sometimes get free lessons from the certification classes -- the new instructors need guinea pigs -- and I've found they're really good about squat form.
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I have been doing mostly low-impact stuff (I don't even run on the treadmill; I walk) based on my PT's recommendations. But I could try jumping jacks and see how that feels. My Zumba class has a little impact stuff and it seems to go down okay.
We actually have a chin-up bar at home already! My partner uses it. I am not so keen on buying stuff right now but it's possible I could give it a go.
And I think kettlebell classes would not be good for me -- the movement seems too varied and uncontrolled for me to be sure of being safe of my injured parts.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
Resistance bands have many many uses. But if you don't want to spend anything at all, you could just do negative chin-ups at home; I've found them very useful.
Re: (disclaimer: I am not an expert nor do I play one on the intrawebs)
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I hear you. I could just do a pull-up when I ended up in hospital for five months (for reasons unrelated to pull-ups, I hasten to add). After which time, I'd lost my pull-up ability.
BUT I WILL GET IT BACK DAMMIT.
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Medical derailment is really hard to deal with. :( Best of luck on getting it back!
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*grumbles*
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How about something in the pushup family for core stability? Planks, dynamic planks, etc, working towards full length pushups. (Pushups from the knees are good but don't do the same stability stuff that full length ones will do.)
Do you have access to swiss balls, bosu balls, or those disc-shaped wobbly things the name of which I've forgotten?
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Leg presses are sadly verboten per my PT.
Ah, pushups. I wish. I failed to mention in my original post that I also have RSIs in my wrists from all the typing and mousing I do, so I have trouble putting any weight on my extended wrists. I do dolphin pose instead of downward facing dog in yoga for this reason. I have tried doing pushups on my fists but ow, my knuckles!
We do have swiss balls, bosu balls, and disc-shaped wobbly things at my gym. (:
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Day 1:
- Squats
- Stiff-legged deadlifts
- Bench presses
- Pulldowns
- Dips
- L-flyes
- Abs
Day 2:
- Bent-legged deadlifts
- Step-ups
- Rows
- Shoulder presses
- Bicep curls
- Abs
I'd generally do two sets of each exercise, working just about to failure on each set, usually 10-12 reps for lower body and 8-10 reps for upper, but sometimes more or fewer. The whole thing would take about 25 minutes. Your sciatica might cause problems, but I think the more compound exercises you do, the better results you're likely to see.
Mostly, though, I think changing things up occasionally is a good thing. Maybe try some cable machines for variety?
And a chiropractor was able to help my sciatica a ton; I hardly ever have issues with it anymore. Your mileage will probably vary, though.
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Everyone seems to say "Just two sets!" so that will help me start out with heavier weights. I do mostly compound exercises already, for the reason you mentioned. (:
I'm glad your chiropractor helped you! I've not found the right one yet, but have had great results from PT and massage.
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I've found that the advice that you should do X * Y minutes of cardio a week, as suggested by eg. doctors, seems to mostly work on the assumption that that's *all* you're doing. I once actually asked a nutritionist, "I don't want to do cardio, it bores me. Is it OK if I do three weight training sessions instead?" She said "OMG YES THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER." A lot of the advice about moderate cardio seems to be because they think people aren't doing or won't do anything else, and it's a non-threatening suggestion for those who are not otherwise active.
In my experience, a good weights training workout will get my heartrate up higher than moderate cardio (eg. walking), anyway.
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I admit that I'd probably get a higher heartrate during weight training if I were pushing it more, but I can't adequately describe how paranoid I am about injuring myself.
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