Glad to hear you didn't like the leg atch either Mel. I just figured it was me, cuz certainly they would have tested it and engineered it right! I'm not short and have most of my height in my legs with a short upper body, and I STILL couldn't get it to work! So uncomfortable. I guess I'm back to the floor looking at leg curls there, but those make me nervous as there's no real protection from a heavy weight landing on your spine. And if I can't go heavy enough to feel it, I'm like what's the point.

I think I'm going to try step-ups with dumbbells next. Barbell sets with plates that go high enough for me start at $300, with shipping at $125. No one really sells a nice set in store, they're pretty much those concrete vinyl covered weights. btdt So I have my FIRM fanny lifters (quit laughing!) that would be great for doing step-ups.

Mel - Its a prospot. It has an olympic sized bar on cables and uses electronics to stop/release the bar from a certain position. It also does have a non electrical stop you can set too for safety but the default is to be stopped.
http://prospotfitness.net/hg1.html

Fran- have you tried "ball pulls" for hamstrings? They are very effective, especially if you work up to doing them one leg at a time.

I'm off for a leg workout at the new Gold's Gym.

Mel

I second the ball pulls or hamstring ball exercises. I do deadlifts, cable exercises, lunges but the ball targets those hamstrings as well as my calves in a very surprising (exhausting) way.

So Mel, how was Gold's? Gold's opened a gym last spring on the other direction of my current gym. When I researched new places last month I found that they are no longer there. It may have been replaced with something else I'm not sure. I read about this while I was down with the flu so it's a little hazy.

Speaking of flu, I'm finally well again. This morning was my first real workout in two weeks. Wow that felt sooo good. But, the rest did too. I'm glad I didn't push myself and try to go back before I was really ready. (a first I know..) I had more stamina and a little more strength this morning than a couple of weeks ago so it was worth the rest. I also got to see a few other members who I haven't seen in months. Since I have begun my new 5:30am workouts there is a whole group of people I've missed. It was nice to see a few familiar faces today.

Of course with a two week rest I found myself rushing from all the endorphins by the time I got home. Poor DH. He just listened to me natter on about the benefits of 85% cocoa and why it's stored inside the vitamin cabinet of our kitchen and that anything less than that is considered candy and is in the deep recesses of the pantry...then I went off blathering about anything else that popped into my head just so that I could be annoying. There was a conversation about making "clean" chili for the neighborhood gathering instead of the Boilermaker Tailgating Chili...Kind of like I'm doing now.

Oooo, YES!, I have tried ball pulls. They are REALLY humbling aren't they? I didn't realize they were so good for the legs, I thought it was mainly a glute exercise. I will put them in the rotation! Thanks! Should I start with 10 and try to progress to 30? This is great because I felt like with "just" squats and ball on the wall sits, that only 2 lower body exercises was short changing myself (I don't wanna work calves). Never mind that I'm doing 70 lb squats and 60 reps total b/w the 2 exercises. I certainly FEEL worked out, but it just seemed proportionally short compared to my 10 upper body exercises.

I had a really great nsv today - out at 9 am for a freezing soccer game and I decided to visit the ladies at half time. I took off on a jog bc of the distance and the cold, and lo and behold found that I jogged all the way to the building. We were playing on a brand new turf field that was just finished and it had some awesome spring to it, so I think that helped me out a ton. I'm bad at measuring distance, so can't tell you how far I ran, but I was impressed with myself. That's new for me. Functional fitness - love it love it love it! This is why we do what we do - so we can sprint to the ladies', grab toddlers from the brink of death, or various other sprints on an as-needed basis!

And now for the crash & burn post, I guess.

I ended up doing 2 cardio sessions yesterday, both 30 min sessions on the treadmill, my usual program of inclines and speed, about 3 hrs apart. DD wanted me to watch a dvd w/her, so I figured if I was watching tv, I could get on the t'mill again. Felt fine, everything ok.

This morning was time for my fbwo. I was just kind of not into it. Not strong, either, was really really challenged to finish my last sets, low energy, blah. I doubt it's overtraining, as my last session was Wednesday. No new exercises, my std fare, altho I did go up in wt for 2 exercises. I ate b'fast before lifting - 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese, 2 slices w/w bread with one small pat of butter. After finishing up, I had my glass of nf milk.

It was interesting, bc at the store shopping later, I did feel light headed, kind of dizzy like I should sit down. It passed without incident.

So what is this - is this just as common as the days when you have GREAT sessions? I don't think I'm getting sick. It probably comes down to nutrition and finally making sure I'm getting enough calories and eating often enough during the day rather than winging it. Anything else you can think of? What normally causes days like this when you have them?

Hey Fran,

By the way, congratulations on the NSV. Functional fitness is why I do this too. What a great feeling that must have been yesterday.

So for the crash part. First, what were your post workout snacks? And, how was your overall nutrition for that day? You don't have to reveal in the post but just think about what you may have eaten and how your body may have found the sources it needed to regenerate for the next day. Also, did you get that snack in within the hour or two of the end of your workout? The sooner the better.

Second, you added a second cardio session to your day. This is a change to your routine and your body is perhaps telling you it has noticed. I've noticed that my energy will dip the next day on occasion if I add the cycling in the late afternoon/evening on the days that I did my morning cardio/lifting routine. Just don't have the same endurance or strength the next day. I think that if I were consistent my body would make the adaptations and I would be okay but schedules in the afternoon are hectic and so I can't commit to three or four days a week of cycling so I haven't been able to test this out.

Could also be that you are getting sick. I've learned that when I'm feeling a little out of sorts during my workout it means that something just below the surface is developing and will rear it's ugly head within the next three days or so. Not always, but often enough that when it does happen it makes me realize how much smarter my body is without my head than with it.

Anyway, not to worry. Just make sure your are fueling up and giving yourself rest and recovery when you really really need it. If you add the extra sessions in the future it may be fun to make a personal log of the details of how you feel the next day and how you ate to see if there is any change over time.

Hi Lydia, it probably was from not refueling properly in the evening yesterday. While I had 2 chicken quesadillas for dinner, maybe I was lacking something more carby or had a blood sugar issue. DH took the girls to Boston Mkt today and brought me home a side of mashed potatoes, no gravy, and I felt about 20 times better after I ate that. Hmmm......

On recovery food - you know, I don't have a recovery snack unless it's a weight workout. Should we be doing that for cardio too? I've just been relying on water for that. However, I have my chocolate milk ready to go now, so if you say yes, I'm ready! The solo milk again today killed my stomach, yet it doesn't in cereal, so i'm thinking the chocolate milk might actually be kinder to my stomach that the straight stuff, by giving it more to work with and help coat those milk proteins. We shall see!

Hey Fran,

You know, since I rarely do cardio sessions only I never really thought of post workout foods specifically for cardio and how the needs could or may be different than those where we lift as well. Even with my cycling I would eat something when I got home that was similar to my post cardio/lifting routines because it felt like a lot of quad work was going on and I just never considered it different.

Bottom line.

I would have the chocolate milk after the cardio session if you are bumping up your routine in something like intensity or duration. You are calling upon your body to do more than before and it is going to feel a little sluggish until it acclimates.

If you have been okay with your current cardio session without a post workout snack then you may not need to add it. I think that the intensity here is what needs to be considered. How hard you are working your body during those sessions. In both cases you are still depleting the energy stores in your muscles. However yesterday you asked it to do something more and it required a little more to rebuild it's energy stores. Usually the fuel is something that can be broken down quickly. Hence, many runners claim the virtues of chocolate milk. I knew a marathon runner who claimed Pringles chips (any flavor) got the glycogen stores back into her muscles quite efficiently.

When lifting we take in a protein and carb ratio that helps to repair the muscle we break down as well as replace the energy stores within our muscles for future activity.

If you are going to routinely add more to your cardio sessions then add the chocolate milk post cardio. Track how you feel with it as well as without it. If you find that you have difficulty maintaining or losing after adding this to your diet then make adjustments with other foods to make it fit if you wish to continue to use it.

Oh. and mashed potatoes. MMMM. Lucky girl.

Post cardio- hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I do cardio first thing in the am, ore-breakfast, so it's not an issue. When I used to do it in the middle of the day, I just made sure I was getting adequate water intake, then ate on my normal schedule. Unless you are dong endurance work of 2 hours plus, you don't need a recovery meal. If you are doing that kind of exercise, you need to eat completely differently and refuel DURING your sessions.

It's cold out there! Happy Monday

Mel

Water! What a great idea. Fran Did you have enough (water) to drink that night? If not, have a glass, with lemon, if you like. (I recall these are good for you too right)

Man, I am still sick. I thought I was over this thing but no! I woke up this morning and now I have the stiff neck on the OTHER SIDE! AAAAGGGGGHHHHH! Low grade fever...at least my energy level has returned. I went in for some cardio today but no lifting. I think I'll just have to be a slacker this week.

Speaking of ball pulls - we did them today at a Pilates class. I went to check out another gym; closer to where I work - I have the option to upgrade my regular gym membership and for extra $15 a month have access to the other gym. Unfortunately, it turns out it is a bit too far for my liking and it looks like they don;t have any weight machines (? Is it even possible?) I have to take a better look the next time. Right now, I have a card for 5 free sessions, so I think I will just use them up and that will be it. It takes me over 10 minutes to drive there, over 10 to get back, let's say 5 to change (2x) and almost half an hour is gone, which does not leave much time for the actual work out.

But I did enjoy the ball pulls, this was the first time I did them and I have to add them to my routine. So when you do it with one leg only - what do you with the other one? Hold it straight out above the ball?

Lydia, you are TOO funny. But yes, I guess I will need to reconsider my consumption since obviously my 132 oz a day isn't doing it for me anymore!

I'm going to do the ball pulls just flat on the floor to start and not as a bridge. I didn't do any of them on Sunday bc I was so worn out by the end, but will hit it on Weds.

Did another 2 cardio sessions today. Will see how I feel in the morning.

Tomato- Yes, when you do the pulls one-legged, hold the other leg at about a 45 degree angle straight over the ball, and DIG the heel of your working leg into the ball. This really targets the hamstrings. If you feel a muscle cramp start, immediate stretch. The cramping goes away as you get better at it.

Lydia- hope you feel better soon- this sure has been a long siege.

I woke up stuffed up and run down feeling, and skipped am cardio. We all got to bed way too late. Excuses, excuses...but if I get too run down on TUESDAY, I won't make it through the week. Legs at lunch, and I'll do a catch-up cardio tonight.

Mel

I went to bed exhausted and I woke up exhausted. Doing physical therapy and running on the same day wipes me out. I stopped doing NRLW because of my physical therapy. The doc says I need to concentrate on the leg exercises he gives me. For upper body, I've been doing the 100 pushup challenge. The other day, my lats were sore from it which amazed me. I've been struggling with food (yet again). I did resist muffins this morning though. I wish I didn't love bread so much.