Midwife! Happy anniversary of your re-birthing day!

I am finally seeing the light at the end of this cold. Yeah, it's only been a week. March is within view and soon the bulbs will be pushing up soon and we'll be complaining about the heat and the bugs!

Congrats on your year, Midwife! Pulling your daughter on the sled does sound cool.

I'm really ready for spring... this month has been just terrible... MIL is back in the hospital - her incision started bleeding and leaking some clear pinkish fluid, so took her to the hospital and they admitted her at about 2:30 this morning. They think the wound is infected - took out the staples, have a wound control specialist coming to look at it this morning. If everything goes spectacularly well she might go home tomorrow, otherwise sometime next week. To add to that, DSS has been sick this week, running a fever, his mom has kept him home from daycare most of the week. He was fever free the last two days, today spiked a temp of 102.4 - she brought it down with meds and is taking him to daycare. So might have to go get him early today, too... blah...

Fran - glad you are nearing the end of your cold!

Mel - high five for the plank on the balls! That is another one that results in my falling on my face when I try it..

Shannon: This has really been a rough period for you and you MIL. Hoping for the best and that she will be comfortable at home soon.

Fran: Glad you are feeling better. Thanks so much for the reminder that spring is coming soon. The idea of flowers pushing up from the ground made me happy. (thanks)

Mel: Hang in there with that back.

Decent workout today. Clean eats. Really tired though. There is a cub scout banquet tonight so it'sgoing to be a busy night too. All good though.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Thanks Lydia! It has been rough on everyone... We still don't have any updates on her condition, so I'm thinking it will be next week before she gets home...

And, I have a question for you - I read something you posted in another thread about reps of 8-12 for hypertrophy & strength, 15 or more for endurance. I tend to do two sets of 15 on most exercises, would I be better off to do 3 sets of 8-10?

Shannon: That's a great question Shannon. Essentially the volume is the same right?

If you are doing 15 reps in your set I would suggest increasing the weight you are using. UNLESS! (see you are a special case Ms Post-op) you are talking about a movement that engages your chest muscles.

If it is your pecs, then you may want to stay at the same weight and add another set. Not necessarily a full set but gradually add and see how you are feeling. Generally, I would still stay within the range that does not create too much trauma in the chest mucles just yet. Heal, sister heal first. If you don't I'm going to have to send you the link to my favorite rehab song..."I'm in repair." Okay, you get it anyway. I probably should have sent it to you sooner.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...um=4&ct=title#

Lydia (and Shannon), that's way too nice to be a punishment. Here. If Shannon doesn't take it easy, we'll make her watch this one until she cries uncle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHTb8wLCoDA

Okay, I'm gonna be good now.

Lydia, Rainier Crossfit is the one I'll be going to. I'm doing the "On Ramp" class. It's their first time offering a beginner's group (think they've dealt with all beginners individually before), so it will be interesting. They seem like a fun group of folks, and I'm looking forward to what sounds like a little more social atmosphere, as opposed to the "ipods and don't talk to me" routine that is the norm at my Y. Not like I want to chat when you're in the middle of a set, but I like the idea of just everybody being supportive of each other and working out together, and maybe just being in a smaller gym where I might learn a few names to say hello to, KWIM? Your new gym, and your workout, sounds like torture, but I mean that in a good way, of course! Sweet! I promise to report everything for you from the Crossfit class and workouts.

Midwife, WTG with the sled pull, and to your daughter, too! I've only done the sled pull in my yard, using the drag sled I use for the dogs. I pulled it walking forward, and walking backward. Walking backward was killer for me, compared to walking forward. I tried sprinting with it, but the momentum seemed to make it too easy...maybe with more weight the sprints would feel more like work. Congrats on your weight lifting anniversary! I love it, too, and I'm also getting addicted to all the box jumps, olympic lifts, and such. I even tried jumping rope the other day, which I would never have tried a year ago, and I could still do it, though not very well, lol.

Mel, wish I knew what could help you feel better. All I know is that for crampy, twitchy muscles that are pulling things out of whack, rubbing alcohol helps to make them relax and quit tweaking. I buy that stuff by the jug since I use it for myself as needed for muscle soreness, and for my dogs after a long run or heavy weight pulling day. It's also good for taking the fluid out of swollen feet/legs/joints, which I used to get a lot when I was obese and/or spent too much time at the computer.

Nelie, I know what you mean about the box jumps. I was afraid to try it, so I started jumping up on the step up from my laundry room into my kitchen, which is only about 3 inches. Now I'm using an aerobic stepper with 2 risers, all I have at home, which is about 9 inches high. I feel more confident now that I could go a little higher than that, but don't have a box or anything the right height at home. The jumping is surprisingly fun, though! You should try it, if you get the urge, just start low, and build up as you get more confident. I didn't think I'd like it, but now I love jumping!

Fran, I'm going to make some more tea, then when I come back I'm going to check the BFL thread so I can see this progress Lydia is talking about! Hope you're over the cold soon!

How high would you guess that box on TBL to be? I was thinking it was the same as a step with 2 risers Cheryl; I wonder how close we'd be??

Thanks guys!!!

We have a set of boxes at my gym and some of the high school athletes can leap onto a box that is higher than my waist (and I'm 5'8"). I hate jumping on the boxes---even the smallest one. I have to do it next to the wall so I can reach out to steady myself. I'm scared I'm going to injure myself.

Fran, I haven't seen the box on TBL. Do you have a link to a video online?

Hi all,

Mel - I hope your back goes better. That plank on 2 balls sounds like impossible to me!

Cheryl, lydia, WTG with your workouts!

Shannon: take it easy on your new assets!

I am very happy today because I yesterday bought myself some presents for my 50th birthday, due in 3 - 4 weeks: I bought a light lifting bar and some additional weights, and 2 risers for the stepup & e;evated foot exercises. I am extraordinarily happy with my new stuff. I already have about 50 kg of weight plates and a long BB, but the long BB alone is 10 kgs (22 pds) so I felt I needed a lighter one for the triceps & biceps stuff.

I can't wait to try my new toys,m but I'm into a major cleaning and picking up mode now, so I'll take advantage of that first.

Have a great weekend all,
Rabbit

They used various sized boxes on the biggest loser. If I remember correctly, I think Joelle actually was using a step with just one or two risers all the way up to Bob (the first time they showed them) and Seone (unbelievable athleticism that weight!) the second time, that was using the large plyo box.

That large plyobox is probably the equivalent of a step with about 10-12 risers (on each side if you are using a two column step).

You can definitely start with a step with 2 risers if you'd like. Just continue to add risers as you progress. Like all other training it is about progression.

The disadvantage of using the step is that it is harder to train the landing as you get less audible feedback. It's not only about jumping onto the box, you must land softly. With a plyo step which usually has a cork-like covering, you won't really hear a good landing but you will still be able to hear a bad landing from across the gym. With the plastic, hollowed out nature of the club step, it is much harder to distinguish from sound as all the landings will be louder.

One advantage of using the club step is that if you undershoot your jump, they are much more forgiving than the metal base and front of the plyo step.

And of course, you aren't limited to one plyo step

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZEto8WMcSE&NR=1

Although he takes a running start.

I believe (and it's hard to tell for sure on TV) that the one that Bob and Seone jumped to was similar to the 42" in the video or perhaps slightly smaller, maybe 38" and they did a "pure" jump without a running start.

That last video....made of CRAZY!

If I tried jumping anywhere, which I won't because I'm a klutz, I'd use the 8 inch drop from the main room in our house to the sunken living room. Except I'd be jumping onto the tile, which is slick. That's an ER visit waiting to happen.

My God. These people can jump almost as high as I am tall.

~Lydia now discovers a new fear...people who literally could jump over her if she is in their path~

Lydia - I love that video! Cheryl, yours scared me a little!

I realized the folly of my Wednesday morning Weider extravaganza when my arms still hurt last night at the hospital, so I'm going to most definitely be careful and back off a bit. Interestingly, my chest muscles haven't hurt at all, except for one small spot that has been hurting off and on all along (right next to the nerve cluster under my right arm, according to the PS). So, my 15 v. 10 rep question was more for future planning than for use this week, I promise!

Oh my gosh - that jump was described as 'an easy 60 inch' jump... Wow... some people are crazier than me!

Oh man, jumping that high is SCARY! I cannot jump at all due to my knees. My DH has taught himself to jump rope over the last year or so (boys didn't jump rope when we were growing up) and I wanted to try his fancy high-tech jumprope - couldn't even do that without a lot of pain Might be time to get some PT for them again.