Balance and protection

 

Think hard before taking the next step.  Upping weights or stepping off of a ladder.  :)

Yesterday morning was a good example of why lifting is so very important.   I was about to get into my Xterra and stepped up onto the running bar.  It's not the perfect height to get in flawlessly and I often find myself over or under stepping.  My Xterra isn't quite high enough to need to use the bar, which is the problem.  Yesterday I didn't quite make it again and started to lose my balance; my hands were completely full which made me step without any hands to grab.  Fortunately, I was able to quickly regain my balance and hovered on one foot precariously for quite a while.  In that moment  I realized just how important muscle strength is.  If I didn't lift, I probably would have lost it and tumbled to the driveway.  Feeling strong is great; being strong is even better.

The afternoon brought another possible injury.  I was on a ladder and when I stepped off the third rung (dumb); thinking that I was stepping onto the ground, I hit the edge of a wine crate and had to do the funky chicken so as not to splat onto the ground.  I could feel all my muscles working to help me maintain as well as protect my ankle.  My ankle twisted badly and I thought that maybe I might get a sprain out of my not so graceful misstep.  But I didn't.  My muscles had done their job; they not only stopped me from landing flat on my face but they protected my ankle from turning past the point of no return.  Thank you weights. 

Lifting weights will change the way you look, no doubt.  But, the important part is that you will get strong; being strong is important.  How strong you get from lifting is entirely up to you.  I challenge myself, I always have; but along with the drive to push comes many years of experience, so I know when to stop.  Injuries from lifting too heavy before you are ready, suck.   Before upping a weight I will think long and hard; often standing staring at the weight while I contemplate.   Yesterday was one of those do it or not moments.  I had done several sets of lat pull downs going all the way up to my limit which was 110lbs.  I had set a goal for myself at 120lb; I want to do pull ups so need to prepare for it by being able to pull at least 120lbs. 

I'm short, 5' 1" short; so while I pondered on the next plate up I was standing on the seat of the lat pull down.  I can just barely reach the bar from the group but when I add the big weights I need a good grip which requires more height.  I grabbed the bar and thought some more; I didn't want to pull anything by upping my weight too soon.  It was just a couple of months earlier that I was at 90lbs and here I was already thinking 120lbs.  I got a good grip and dropped down to the seat; where I locked my legs under the padded holders.  I powered out three pull downs and then pushed myself for one more.  I flew into the air as I unlocked my legs; I've never needed the leg bar as much as yesterday.  I was stoked, 4 pull downs with my goal weight had come much quicker than I had anticipated.  I stopped there and moved over to some very light cool down weights. 

Pull ups here we come.  I have more weight to lose before the pull up goal is reached but I'll get there.  I have a fierce coach pushing me, me.      

Leg Day

Photo taken from bodybuilding.com

If you lift, you know about leg day.  If you are thinking about lifting, then you will soon learn about leg day.  For many, leg day means being cripple the day after leg day.  Today was leg day for me but I won't be cripple tomorrow; my legs are probably the strongest muscle that I have so it takes a great deal to actually feel anything.  Although over the months I have noticed a huge difference in my legs; but that wobbly cripple feeling of the after leg day workout isn't one.  What I have noticed as I've gotten older is my knees; gotta watch those joints.  So as much as I can lift a crazy amount with my legs; I do not want to blow out my knees.  

This morning as I waited my turn to use the orignal old style leg press I watched a man who was quite elderly nearly wreck his knees.  He was clearly not in shape but with four 45lbs on each side; he was risking a blowout.  Legs are strong, much stronger than most people think.  Just think about the fact that they haul us around all the time.  So to press only 100lb isn't really a struggle; BUT, if you don't lift anything now; then start with two 25lb weights and go up.  Most people weigh at least 100lb so your body can haul that around pretty easily.  I use three 45lb plates on each side.  It is becoming easier all the time but I'm not adding anymore.  Why?  Because I don't want to destroy my knees.  

Even though our legs are extremely strong; we must build the muscle around the joint to stabilize it.  The stronger your legs get the more protection your joints have from damage.  So when other people are having knee problems due to age and lack of activity, you won't be.   I see more people lifting ridiculously small amounts with their legs more than too much.  But too much can be very scary.  If I see someone on the leg press with 6 or more 45lb plates on each side, I can barely watch.  I imagine their knee blowing out and I don't want to witness that.  There is a good weight to lift and then there is a ridiculously stupid weight.    

My leg workout

-Treadmill warm up, 5 incline, 3.5 speed for 5 min. 
-Leg press machine (pictured below), 8 sets of 12, starting at 70lbs and going up to 250 lbs.
- Leg press (photo above) 4 sets of 12, 3 x 45lbs each side.  
- Quad leg curl machine 6 sets of 10, 8 and 6, starting at 50 lbs up to 110 lbs
- Hamstring leg curl machine 4 sets of 10, starting at 30 lbs up to 70lbs.
- Bent row pull, lower only 4 sets of 15, starting at 70lbs up to 110lbs. 
- Lunges with cable pull set on #10, 3 sets of 10.  

This is my basic leg day, I switch it up often.   



Huffington Post  image.

That age old saying "use it or lose it" is very fitting for our legs; well for our whole body actually.  As we age we lose muscle mass; if you don't work to keep it then you are going to become feeble, who wants to be feeble?  You don't want to be that person who says "I can't."  You might not be able to right now but start pressing and those legs are going to get really strong, fast.  Then you will never have to say "I can't," because "you can!!!!"  

Shoes

I have been very lucky in the shoe department; both pairs that I currently wear to the gym were purchased from discount stores.  Well, pretty much most of my stuff comes from discount shops like TJ MAXX or Marshalls; I cannot stand paying full price when I can get it for 1/2 the price.  Athletic shoes have changed a great deal; from the big bottom, flared and elevated ones to coming back down to a less is more built shoe.  For a long time we thought that the more you had around your foot, the better.  Then after all the huge foot gear, came Vibrams.    I have yet to try a pair for myself but my son who lifts, runs and does cross fit swears by them; as does my daughter who is an avid runner and general athlete.  So why the change?  Since the introduction of these five toe flat shoes, the idea of what is good for our feet changed and it makes sense.

First, imagine your arm is in a cast.  You can move your arm at the shoulder; but not the area that is in the cast.  After several weeks the cast is removed; what you have underneath is now atrophied.  The idea of less shoe is like removing a cast; allowing our foot to move as it was intended to.  How many of you women have foot issues?  Probably a great number of you.  Heck, high heels are about as bad as it gets for our feet.  Now I love them as much as the next gal but they can do a number on your feet.   I use to have horrible foot problems; bad enough that I went to a foot Dr.  She told me because of my achilles issues that I should elevate my foot; wearing at least an 1 1/2 wedge always.  I did what she said and not only did my feet NOT get better, they got worse.  I was in fact ruining my feet. So I did some research and listened to my son's many lectures on feet.

I now wear flat shoes all the time; and my exercise shoes have very little lift on them as well.  What they do have is light and stretchy material and a light and very bendable sole.  They are extremely light with a nice cushion under my foot.  Foot expansion is important; you should be able to move your feet around and wiggle your toes freely so that they can help you to move.  Let your feet work as they were intended and they will get stronger.  Think about that arm in a cast when you encase your feet in thick shoes that doesn't bend.  Of course they are going to atrophy.

I am notorious for going barefoot which is not always the smartest; although it is smart if you are at the beach.  There is nothing like a glorious walk on the beach in bare feet to workout those little pinkies.  Think about each part of your foot and how it is suppose to move when choosing your shoes.  I have an extremely high arch so I need arch support; I also like a nice sponge under my foot.  But the rest of the shoe has got to have give and bend-ability.  There are so many shoes out there now that it can be a bit mind boggling.  Comfort is number one, what is comfortable for you may not be for me or the next guy.

Shoes are a very personal thing, just like your feet.

Gym attire

Getting my MARVEL on.  

Oh boy, this one could go all sorts of places; but I'll try to keep it somewhat on track.  Like anything in life, lifting can get old after a while.  You hit the same gym at the same time, see the same faces and wear the same close day in and day out.  Geesh.  So that I don't get overly bored of it all I switch gym locations now and again and add some new gym clothes to my pile.  After all when you work out 5 times a week, they also get worn out.  I actually had to throw out some of my pants last week due to peep holes.  I like gym clothes that give me freedom of movement whilst covering up!!!!  Hear that?  Covering up.  No I don't wear a sports bra and bootie shorts to the gym and frankly I don't think that anyone should; and I don't care if you look amazing in them.  The gym is not a fashion runway; it is a place to workout, get sweaty and in shape. 

Ladies, if you want to strut your stuff then hit the beach where it is completely appropriate to wear nearly nothing.  There will lots of people there to look at you as well, you can be assured of that.  But when you do go to the gym, at least make it look like you are there to work out.  You don't have to go skimpy to look cute; have you seen the work out clothes available now?  So cute and great colors.  You don't have to wear a big boxy grey t-shirt and bagging sweats.  You can look like quite the little hottie, COVERED UP. 

But it's not just the woman who cross the acceptable/not acceptable non-existent attire rule.  Nope, you guys in the shorty shorts; ya I don't want to see what I'm seeing.  Or you guys in the t-shirts with giant monster holes cut out for arms, ya, not so much.  Keep it in the t-shirt please.  Appropriate attire as far as I'm concerned covers up anything that we shouldn't be seeing at the gym.  That means pants that come further down than mid butt cheek and a shirt that covers more than just barely the boobs, man or woman. 

The other day at the gym I stood in astonishment as a woman sporting insanely short bootie shorts proceeded to do her ab wheel workout at the dumb bell mirror.  With her butt in the air she was doing her best "look at me" routine that she could muster.  Ladies, this is not a good look; not the clothing or the behavior.  It is degrading for the woman who are there to actually workout.  Like I said, hit the beach for that "show the world what ya got" stuff. 

Women, a sports bra with some sort of shirt over it; shorts or pants that cover up if you should need to bend over.  Guys, a t-shirt intact or proper tank with shorts long enough so that I don't see what I don't want to see when you are doing your crunches.  Oh and running shoes please; honestly who works out in work boots or flip flops?  There are so  many places to strut your stuff that the gym should be a place where you can work out without having it in your face. 

Clean eating

On my way through the regular grocery store I look around realizing that everything up and down the isles is processed, so much crap.  I'm on my way to the meat isle for my dogs who eat a real food diet.  I haven't shopped in a regular grocery store forever; I can't even remember when I was in there for something other than meat for Luke and Elsa.  Big grocers have little organic food selection but isle after isle of stuff that we shouldn't eat. 

Yep, I'm one of those health food folks; I like to eat clean when I can.  Sure I have days when I eat things that I shouldn't eat but the better part of my diet is made up of good organic clean food. 
Clean eating is one of the "in" phrases these days.  But what does clean eating really mean?  It means eating real food that is not processed; lots of organic fruits and vegetables along with meat and whole grains.  Processing not only diminishes foods nutritional value but typically adds preservatives and other nasty things that we shouldn't be eating. 

I eat a lot of salads; at least one a day.  My salad is not filled with the empty crunch of iceberg lettuce; no, it has to be dark green with lots of other colors added for more nutrients.  I usually start with Arugula, a daily staple for me and if I can't find organic arugula, I'm pretty cranky.  Add a few organic figs, some organic pearl tomatoes (a favorite of mine), some avocado, cabbage, sunflower seeds, maybe some cashews, fresh picked orange segments from our tree with a side of barbequed wild scallops.  A meal fit for a king, or anyone who is wanting to eat clean. 

Your body needs fuel to run; the more usable nutrients that you put into it, the better.  Here is an article on nutrient density; another "in" term these days.  People who don't eat a healthy diet tend to look at "clean eaters" as those health food types; the people who eat all the green stuff.  But the old ideas of simply not eating to obtain a goal of "skinniness" is very outdated and frankly scary.  Strong, healthy and active is the new skinny; and the way to get there is to fuel your body with clean food and move.

Eating clean is more of a lifestyle choice; it's not a diet.  Choosing to eat clean is a wise decision; when you eat clean you give your body optimal nutrition.  The better you eat the better you feel; it's a win, win really.  Diet is not a word meaning to lose weight; it is simple the food that you fuel your body with.  You can be on many types of diet; and your diet is all about what you are fueling your body with. 

I recently watch part of an episode of extreme couponing.  They may get most of their food free but there was nothing in that cart that was worth eating.  I guess the old saying "you get what you pay for" applies.  Think before you eat, choose the premium blend of fuel; after all you only have this one body.  Be good to it. 

Just one step

I opened my eyes for a split second; as the woman prepared herself for lift.  Not a weight lift but a lift to get herself up on the first step of the sauna.  I was in my after workout Zen moment in the sauna; the five minutes I give myself to sweat a bit more and think about my life in general as I listened to Beyoncé.  The whole wooden structure shakes when someone hops up or down.  But this woman was only in preparation mode.  She was older but if she'd been lifting for all these years that I'd seen her at the gym, she could have hopped right up there.  It is after all just one step, but one step can seem like a mountain when you don't have great muscle tone.

Being strong is a wonderful thing.  What?  You don't want to look like a man?  Maybe turn into one of those women who look like a guy but are apparently still a woman?  Then don't take steroids.  Being physically strong enables you to do so much more in life.  It helps with your posture, your metabolism and so much more.  As we age we lose muscle tone, fact.  The only way to combat that loss is to gain.  How much you gain is all up to you.  If you are afraid of the idea of becoming a man because you are strong; and lift the 2 lb dumb bells on the rack, well not much is going to happen.   Many bags of groceries weight more than 2 lbs. 

To build strength you must call on your body to stand ready for a challenge.  Come on, you can do it.   When I am required to lift a 45lb dog up and down the stairs; I'm freaking happy that I lift weights and am strong.  Are you up for the challenge?  Of course, the only person you should be competing with in the gym is yourself.  I do it on a regular basis; as I stand looking at the wrack of iron I consider the next notch.  From 100lbs. to 110lbs for lat (latissimus dorsi ) pull downs is a huge step; but I've challenged  myself to pull 125 so I'm on my way.  With regular working out; building up your strength, it is amazing how you can get there. 

Challenge your muscles.  Legs are really strong; don't wimp out on them.  I'm at my max on the leg press now with 3/45lb plates on each side.  Challenge wisely, know your limits, but push.  To get stronger you must ask your muscles to lift heavier than what they are accustom to.  So when I see women lifting the 2 lb weights I want to take it out of their hand and replace it with a 5lb.  2 lbs.. is nothing for anyone, except maybe a baby.  Think about the things that you regularly pick up and move around and go heavier than those.  But don't go too heavy or lift what you see other people lifting until you are ready.  Lifting too heavy can result in injury or incredible muscle pain which may require more time to recover than you want. 

It doesn't take long to feel the difference.  Once you start to lift and get strong; you can get stronger.  Where you stop is entirely up to you.   But don't under estimate yourself; don't go for the 2 lb dumb bells.  Think about what you can lift already, before the challenge of getting stronger when you reach for a weight.  Test the weights and if you have and doubts, go lighter.  You can always add more. 

A week off

I just took nearly a week off of training; it felt great but was hard to do "in my head." Once you begin to see and feel results it can be very difficult to make the conscious decision to stop for a few days.  I was going on a long weekend getaway; I'd been working out hard, so I thought about it.  As I packed my bag I looked over at my gym shoes sitting on the floor.  To work out or not to; that was the question.  I'd been hitting it hard and I was feeling like I could use a break.  In one moment I made the decision, no working out.  I took Thursday - Tuesday off; completely off, no gym workouts at all.  But, I did do planks and I did run stairs.
Slipping in a little "get your blood rushing and heart pumping" can be all you need during a break.  

Taking a 5 day break is great for your body to rejuvenate is smart; especially when you've been hitting it hard.  It not only lets your body rest; but it lets your mind rest as well.  It is a good time to think about your workout routine and maybe switching it up a bit.  It most definitely gives you time to ponder on your diet.  With a lack of working out; your focus naturally goes to what you are putting into your body.  You don't want to not work out and pig out at the same time.  I watched what I ate; tried to keep it real as far as eating clean and kept my small portions in check.

I did a lot of wine tasting; being that my break was in wine country.  So I am sure that a few extra pounds accompanied me on the way home but I am not looking back with regret.  Nope, I'm looking back at the fabulous weekend that I had.  I am a firm believer in doing what makes you happy; and if that means eating great food and drinking amazing wine, then do it.  But do it in moderation.  I believe that if you deprive yourself from the things you love then you will tend to go down the "poor me" ramp.  Instead of up the "ya, I feel great for hitting the gym and eating great" one.  

I was back at the gym yesterday and my body most definitely thanked me for the rest.  I not only had more power but more motivation.   You can burn out on anything in life if you over do it.  That means working out as well.  I know a couple of people who over did it and now they don't do it at all anymore.  You have to be careful not to let that happen.  Working out and lifting is not a quick fix deal; it is a way of life, forever.  If you want to feel great always then you must exercise and keep the body you were given, strong and active.  If not you will turn to mush;  "use it or lose it" as they say.

Take a break, have some fun and forget the lifting for a couple of days.  It's good for you.  :)