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Exercise and Fitness: Keep On Keepin' On


Xray the Enforcer

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Thanks for your comments. I think I can start modestly with 3 x 4 pull-ups with 30-60 sec. rest.  (I used to do them quite wrong with only the arms pulling and no way enough work from the back/latissimus etc. But I am still too weak in the back to have these muscles do most of the work.)

I am also trying to work on flexibility and mobility and I certainly should do more for core stability and the like. I have absolutely no chance to manage even a single "toes to bar" (aka hanging leg raise) which is more a problem of mobility than of strength. (On a certain German youtube channel the trainers quoted some "Guru" that "toes to bar" and the "backward bridge" (? not sure what the English name of it is) should be the minimum!?!? a fit and flexible person should be able to do.  I can do the bridge, but absolutely no chance to get the feet up to the bar (in a controlled non-swinging way).

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Hard to tell. I will try again and try to pin down where the problems in strength and mobility lie. I can raise the knees to the chest while hanging although not many repeats and I easily get into a swinging motion I want to avoid.

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2 hours ago, Jo498 said:

I am also trying to work on flexibility and mobility and I certainly should do more for core stability and the like. I have absolutely no chance to manage even a single "toes to bar" (aka hanging leg raise) which is more a problem of mobility than of strength. (On a certain German youtube channel the trainers quoted some "Guru" that "toes to bar" and the "backward bridge" (? not sure what the English name of it is) should be the minimum!?!? a fit and flexible person should be able to do.  I can do the bridge, but absolutely no chance to get the feet up to the bar (in a controlled non-swinging way).

I'm pretty sure you're doing something wrong with toes to bar.

Based on your description, I'd say you're trying to do them with your torso at a 90º angle to the floor and not moving at all. You need to move your hips a bit forward and your shoulders and head a bit back in order to reach the bar.

If that's still a problem, try swinging when doing them. Despite popular opinion, swinging does not mean lack of control.

If that's still a problem, try knees to elbows and lead up to toes to bar.

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July is always a tough month for me to stay on a consistent workout schedule.  It's my busiest month for gigs and softball tournaments, plus this year it's been especially hard as I recover from my ankle sprain and have started teaching barre.  So because of that I can definitely feel the 5-10 pounds I've put on due to inactivity, beer drinking during softball, and my wife stuffing our cupboards with terrible snacks and sugar due to pregnancy cravings.  Plan now is to finish out the season for the next two weeks, do another Whole30 stint, and get back into a regular workout routine.

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5 hours ago, baxus said:

I'm pretty sure you're doing something wrong with toes to bar.

Based on your description, I'd say you're trying to do them with your torso at a 90º angle to the floor and not moving at all. You need to move your hips a bit forward and your shoulders and head a bit back in order to reach the bar.

I believe you are right. This is roughly what I tried to do and it didn't work.

I now managed to get the feet to the bar with your advice, thanks! Still, it does not feel very comfortable, certainly not enough to start with repeats. (One reason might also be the way I have the bar in the doorframe, I don't have a proper freestanding gymnastics bar.) But at least I know that they are not impossible for me which is a relief.

I did some elementary gymnastics as a boy from ca. 10-13 and track&field (somewhat more competitively, but mostly middle/distance running) from about 12-16. So I am familiar with quite a few body weight and similar exercise. But this was >30 years ago, I weighed almost nothing then and even then I was not the best with mobility and complex movement patterns. (E.g. I sucked at hurdling and all throwing events)

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@Jo498 

Don't mention it, that's what this thread is for. ;) Glad to hear it worked. :thumbsup:

If you're not comfortable doing toes to bar, I'd suggest trying knees to elbows first and work on hip and shoulder mobility aside from that. Every once in a while, try toes to bar and see how they feel.

Also, keep an eye on activating your shoulders and lats while hanging instead of just hanging limp. I'm sure there are quite a few videos to be found online of proper posturing and technique.

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1 hour ago, aceluby said:

July is always a tough month for me to stay on a consistent workout schedule.  It's my busiest month for gigs and softball tournaments, plus this year it's been especially hard as I recover from my ankle sprain and have started teaching barre.  So because of that I can definitely feel the 5-10 pounds I've put on due to inactivity, beer drinking during softball, and my wife stuffing our cupboards with terrible snacks and sugar due to pregnancy cravings.  Plan now is to finish out the season for the next two weeks, do another Whole30 stint, and get back into a regular workout routine.

Congratulations Ace, I don't think I noticed you say that before.  Best of luck you to both.

Empathetic weight gain during your wife's pregnancy gets you additional husband points. 

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23 hours ago, aceluby said:

July is always a tough month for me to stay on a consistent workout schedule.  It's my busiest month for gigs and softball tournaments, plus this year it's been especially hard as I recover from my ankle sprain and have started teaching barre.  So because of that I can definitely feel the 5-10 pounds I've put on due to inactivity, beer drinking during softball, and my wife stuffing our cupboards with terrible snacks and sugar due to pregnancy cravings.  Plan now is to finish out the season for the next two weeks, do another Whole30 stint, and get back into a regular workout routine.

Hell, I would've missed this one as well if it weren't for Isk pointing it out. Congratulations, man!

My wife has no cravings other than popcorn every now and then so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Hopefully, I haven't jinxed it and she remains cravings-free in the last week day or two of pregnancy.

EDIT:

In the meantime, C-section has been scheduled for Thursday.

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Ran a 30k race on the weekend down the riverside through the city to the beach. Bit of a downhill course and I went out way too hard. Closer to 10k pace than the half marathon pace I was planning. Ran the first 21.1 in 1:34 (big pb, but downhill), then really paid and suffered in the last 5km.

Still came in at 2:17:33 (~4:35min/k pace) 18th of the 200 odd finishers, and 2.5mins faster than my target time. And learnt a big lesson about pacing as I look towards the full marathon in October.

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7 hours ago, baxus said:

Hell, I would've missed this one as well if it weren't for Isk pointing it out. Congratulations, man!

My wife has no cravings other than popcorn every now and then so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Hopefully, I haven't jinxed it and she remains cravings-free in the last week or two of pregnancy.

 

Congrats to you too!  We have a cupboard full of Sun Chips, various crackers, oreos, and a freezer full of ice cream.  It takes all my willpower to not snack all night.

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@Impmk2

30k is quite a distance, congrats on even finishing, let alone coming in 18th out of 200! Don't know what your target time and pace were, but the ones you managed to do still seem pretty great. My top distance is 26km, but it was moderately hilly and I was beat after doing it.

@aceluby

The struggle is real :lol:

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22 hours ago, Impmk2 said:

Ran a 30k race on the weekend down the riverside through the city to the beach. Bit of a downhill course and I went out way too hard. Closer to 10k pace than the half marathon pace I was planning. Ran the first 21.1 in 1:34 (big pb, but downhill), then really paid and suffered in the last 5km.

Still came in at 2:17:33 (~4:35min/k pace) 18th of the 200 odd finishers, and 2.5mins faster than my target time. And learnt a big lesson about pacing as I look towards the full marathon in October.

I can't even fathom running 30k. Good work!

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45 minutes ago, lessthanluke said:

I can't even fathom running 30k. Good work!

It's pretty safe to assume that you running 30k would end up pretty much as unpleasant as most of us trying to lift weights you lift in training would. :lol:

And it would be a laughing matter to spectators only.

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1 hour ago, baxus said:

It's pretty safe to assume that you running 30k would end up pretty much as unpleasant as most of us trying to lift weights you lift in training would. :lol:

And it would be a laughing matter to spectators only.

Pretty much! My running days are very much in my past. 

I'm competing in Czech Republic in 3 weeks. Finally going to have a crack at the 400kg deadlift.

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We had a couple of mma fighters come down and give us a sort of introduction to grappling session for rugby training last night. It was pretty fun but it's surprisingly tiring doing what appear to be fairly simple things.

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Taught two barre classes last night, now my quads and biceps are more sore than they've been in about a year.  WAY more work than I was expecting :) Classes went great though and I'm getting good feedback.  Still only subbing, but everyone keeps asking when I'll be on the permanent schedule.  I'm having a lot more fun doing this than I expected.

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Congrats!!! 

I can't believe it, but they cancelled my tonight's Berlin City Night race, just before the start, due to... rain! Fuckin rain!!! Ok, it was quite a rain at first, and we've even seen some lightnings, but after half an hour it was all over. And they simply cancelled a race for more than 10 thousand participants from all over Europe. Of course, like hundreds of other disappointed runners, I did run these 10 k anyway, and even mostly along the planned route, but pushing through the crowds on Saturday evening Berlin pavements was definitely not the same as running a race. Oh well. What can I say. 

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