Weekly Feature: What did you do?

[cereta]

Hey, I remembered this time! You know the drill.

Comments

[laurashapiro]

Maintained everything at previous weights, reps, and it's actually getting too easy! I'd planned to up weights today, but Wednesday I pulled a shoulder muscle and I'm still all spangy. Ow.

[rydra_wong]

it's actually getting too easy!

\o/ I hope your shoulder recovers soon.

[laurashapiro]

Thanks! It's annoyingly spangy still, but I have hopes it'll be better by Monday.

[rydra_wong]

FWIW, I've found that rubbing in comfrey oil can sometimes help speed up recovery from muscle strains.

[laurashapiro]

Thanks for the tip! I wonder where I can get some...

[thalia]

I didn't do much of anything last week, because let me tell you about the fitness center at the Crowne Plaza Silver Spring. No free weights--and, really, how hard is it to set up a rack with some dumbbells? Three strength machines: One for leg extensions and curls, one for biceps and triceps, one for abs. That's it.

So I gave up on that and did some squats, lunges, pushups and crunches in my room. Should have brought resistance bands. And since getting home I've been lazy and need to get back on track.

[alexseanchai]

It is TOO FUCKING HOT for anything that involves sweating. (First typed 'swearing'. That, not so much.) That said, I have actually done a few sets this week. I'm not making any progress, but I'm not losing any ground either.

[rydra_wong]

I don't know if it counts as bodyweight exercise or not, but I kicked up into a handstand against the wall on my own for the first time in my life.

And I am continuing to work on pull-ups.

[siljamus]

It totally counts! Also, go you :D

[sophinisba]

I lifted on Monday and Thursday of this week, full-body workouts (with a video) and I'm happy that I can use 10lb dumbbells for most of the stuff now without too much difficulty.

Shoulder stuff (like lateral raises, I think) seems to be so much harder than everything else though. Is that normal? Also, anyone have ideas for things I can do for shoulder strength next month when I'll be traveling and probably won't have dumbbells handy?

[rydra_wong]

Shoulder stuff (like lateral raises, I think) seems to be so much harder than everything else though. Is that normal?

Yup! The individual shoulder muscles are pretty small, and especially when you're doing something with a straight arm (like front raises, lateral raises), the lever effect magnifies the effect of the weight.

So it's completely normal to use much lighter weights for those exercises than for others.

Also, anyone have ideas for things I can do for shoulder strength next month when I'll be traveling and probably won't have dumbbells handy?

Got a resistance band? They're easy to fit in luggage and let you do a lot of fun things.

Or you could spend some time on rotator cuff exercises.. They're great "pre-hab" to prevent injury, and you'll want to use even lighter weights with them -- a plastic bottle of water will probably be plenty. Some examples:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/BackWt.html#anchor511734

[sophinisba]

Excellent, thank you! I do have a latex resistance band that came with my swiss ball. I don't use it much because it smells bad and hurts my hands and doesn't give me the kind of satisfaction lifting dumbbells does...but at least it will be very light in my suitcase! And thanks for the water bottle idea as well.

[siljamus]

Finally got the back-injury under control and was able to do some work again. I managed two pilates sessions during the week and some resistance band work without the injury getting in the way and I'm very relieved that it hasn't messed things up too badly.

[lyorn]

I was on vacation and pulled a muscle in my hip when trying to get on a surf board, so currently I'm doing only the upper body strength exercises from my home workout.

I'm up to two sets of 8 chair dips, 6 dinner-table chin-ups, and 6 push ups on the chest in the hallway.

[madripoor_rose]

I'm just getting started up again after slacking off for a couple of weeks.

1 hour on the exercise bike, 30 minutes playing ball with the dog, and 8 Turkish Get-Ups with a 2-pound weight.

[rydra_wong]

Turkish get-ups w00t! (I love them so.)

[madripoor_rose]

Heh, I learned about them from one of your posts, reading Cereta's lj friendslist. Trying to wing-it an exercise program based on equipment I've inherited and dvds from the library....

[sophiap]

Two of my regular New Rules workouts (included push press, deadlift, multiform lunges, pulldowns, etc.) plus a Pilates session that left me sore, sore, sore--but in a good way.

I also started more stretching routines at home with a yoga strap to get at my hamstrings (very tight) and hip muscles (even tighter). I did discover when one is stretching the inner thigh muscles by having the leg out to the side at a steep angle, having a 10lb cat decide to walk up said leg increases the stretch to the point of excruciating pain.

[rydra_wong]

Yoga Teacher Cat Iz Making Adjustment.

(I am very fond of this video).

[sophiap]

Oh, that is hilarious! I could see my kitty doing exactly that.

[zennish]

Somehow got talked into trying Crossfit. Tabata squats are kind of really painful.

[rydra_wong]

Ahhh. Oww. Oww. Oww. That burns just thinking about it.

*has just been trying Tabata sprints in the park*