Comments on: WASTING TIME at the GYM.

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 02:03:00 +0000

Hi Vanessa.

If your body is still changing and you're still making gains... keep doing what you're doing.

Cheers.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 01:47:00 +0000

Ok I understand what you're saying and it makes sense. Now to translate that into my work outs...I have a question.

I go to the gym 3-5times a week. On days I don't go to the gym I do one of 3 activities...

Walking 10kms (I do this most)
Running 6kms
riding 20kms

On days I go to the gym I do a body pump class that I always try to challenge myself with weight on the bar and I do 1hr cardio. This normally involves 20mins running and 40-60mins on the bike.

I have been doing this routine for about 6 months and find it still challenges me. I up the intensity on the bike and the speed at which I run.

Is this too much of the same thing week in and out or is there enough variety to keep my body challenged and working hard?

By: klm

klm — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:36:00 +0000

Hey Craig,

The beauty of yoga is it's not about flexibility... but about being present with the body, the breath and the mind.

When I started I couldn't touch my knees, let alone my toes. Fused spine at L4/5.

Now I can touch my toes and my back no longer bothers me.

Gotta love that.

By: Tami

Tami — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:50:00 +0000

Just what the Dr. ordered. Since my accident, I haven’t been able to do anything that adds pressure to the spine. It’s been awlful, I really like weights (not heavy, just moderate), I absolutely have to do squats or lunges because all the cardio I did for the last two years really emphasized how small my legs can get so I really try to push them to keep them cut instead of skinny.
Well, got tired of being limited and pushed myself on the Smith machine… foolish girl…needless to say, big girls don’t cry in the gym, but I promise I wanted to. Yoga and pilates is my next step… I have been killing myself on the Precor and cycling but am BORED! I did pilates last Friday night and felt like it was ok, but not as fun. Saturday, I played soccer with my son’s soccer team, by sunday I was sore… thought it was the soccer but could be the pilates…. my core is not as strong as it should ben or as tone but that is a tragedy for another day. Think I’ll incorporate it in 3 times a week and see where it takes me. Gotta do something, diet and exercise go together like peas and carrots…. if I am out of the gym, I don’t eat as clean. Mental thing I am sure, but exercise keeps my head in the game. Maybe the pilates will help lean this 7 lbs I have accumulated over the last couple of months…..KLM- you inspired me to give Yoga a chance too…. why not, it can’t hurt can it.
Timely piece Craig, thank you for your intuition!
() Tami

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:25:00 +0000

Hi Debstar.

Give her a copy of this post!!

And a hug.

( )

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:23:00 +0000

Hey Skater.

Nice plan Stan.
Lemme know how it goes.

Cheers.

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:22:00 +0000

Go Pip!

Thanks for sharing.

Peace.

By: Debstar

Debstar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:42:00 +0000

I wonder if you’ve seen the lady from my gym. Everytime I go she’s there, so one day I asked her if she ever goes home. She told me she had been there for 5 hours. She had done 3 different aerobic classes, an hour on the tready and 1 hr weights.

In the past year I think she may actually have gained weight. I’d like to tell her how to exercise smart but I know she won’t listen.

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:36:00 +0000

Oooo….. you in a blue beret Craig...I've gotta see that!!!

Yep.....variety is the spice of life!!

My coach has always advocated variety!! And as a speed skater I skate twice a week most weeks (sometimes 3 times), but ride the bike a couple of times, run (well stagger mostly - make mental note....gotta run more!!) throw the weights around and do some plyo stuff and some off skate.

Although my stamina is up and down at times, I am always varying what I do, and gain the benefits when I start to specialise the training to improve certain aspects. And see changes in the ol' bod too.

Starting next week, I will be concentrating more on weights and plyo stuff in an effort to improve my sprinting. I anticipate a bit of a decline in my skating initially due to the change in activities, but feel it will turn around in about 6 weeks where I start to see the rewards.

Cheers…..SB

By: Pip

Pip — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:46:00 +0000

Hey Craig.

Regarding the gym/training and my experiences over the last 10 years I say this:
* Whenever I am COMMITTED to pushing myself to my max (focussing on bettering my PERFORMANCE) I get results to my liking. I prefer challenging cardio workouts to resistance, - but do want a conditioned body to my satisfaction so do both.

As a guide I like at least 4 intense cardio workouts of at least 30 mins each, each week. Often 1 interval training thing, one long, (9-10km) run, one body attack class and one RPM class aiming to work as hard as poss. But I'm not fussed on the exact cardio I do each day, as long as I push to max! Ideal resistance training for me is often 1 Body Pump class a week, one resistance workout of my own where I must challenge self with looking to improve performance.

When doing this and keeping my nutrition controlled and healthy but not following any perfect strict plan I seem to get great quick results in PERFOMANCE IMPROVEMENTS and miraculously FAT LOSS, - as much as losing 16cm off stomach and 12kg in 12 weeks and looking more defined in shoulders and improving my 5km run time by 10 mins and moving up a level or two in Pump!

As I've yo yoed many years results have slowed down a bit and weight piles on faster but am DETERMINED to keep to my commitments for once and all!