This month I am keeping things simple. Since the end of September, I have been struggling a little with defining my goals, which is causing me to be a little ADD with my program. I am not alone. Those of us who train on a weekly basis get so caught up in trying X and doing Y that we forget about the big picture – our goal. Neghar Fonooni wrote a great blog post about this very subject here. This is why everyone needs a coach!
That being said, my coach (also known as my husband) has strictly forbidden me from any heavy lifting and has put me on a 4 week program to help me recover. So, for the month of November and part of December, I am taking time to focus on recovering. October proved to be a very stressful month physically, mentally and emotionally and I did not realize, until it was too late, how it was affecting my body. I did not realize how badly my body needed a break until last week, when my back decided to flare up and ache for days. My shoulders ached, my elbows, my knees. This is not normal. We do not realize how much stress plays a huge part in how we are feeling on a daily basis. I was eating well and sleeping at night, yet my body seemed to be telling me that I was not 100%. My training sessions became counterproductive. I was not leaving my sessions feeling better than when I walked in the door. I could not seem to get on the right track with my program. I would have a session, then miss a session due to circumstances beyond my control. I felt good. Then I felt bad. Once I faced the problem head on, I realized what I needed to get on the right path again. I needed to step away from my previous program and recover. I needed to step away from the barbell. This didn’t mean stop exercising. Not at all. It meant fill my sessions with work that I do not always get to do or rather, work that I have been neglecting to do like get-ups or windmills. Band work for my shoulder. Mobility work for my hips and back. Work that will make my body feel good. I enjoy using the kettlebell as a tool during my training sessions. So for the next month, I am saying au revoir to my barbells and hello to my kettlebells. This month is my month to vary my sessions and take care of my body and mind because the next few months will bring their own issues. I need to be ready.
The beginning of last week was a bust for me. Monday-Wednesday, I was a bit of a mess, to be honest with you. My mind and my body would have nothing to do with anything. I just needed some downtime…and some husband time. By Thursday, I was doing much better and decided to launch into my new program for the month.
Here is what my program will entail for the next month: Turkish get ups, windmills, goblet squats–every day. Shoulder exercises with the theraband. YTWI’s. Pushups. Rows. Swings. Swings and more swings with the kettlebell. T-spine work. Hip mobility. Bridges. Clams. All dynamic warm-up exercises. Wall slides. Foam rolling. Work with the lacrosse ball. I may throw some easy front squats in, but for the most part, I am keeping it bodyweight heavy and kettlebell friendly. 🙂
Here is how I am looking so far….
Thursday, November 10, 2011
a. Foam roll, peanut (double lacrosse ball), lacrosse ball for back and glutes followed by a dynamic warm-up.
b. Glute bridges w/resistance band x 20 x 2 ; Glute marches x 20 x 2; Clams with resistance band x 20 x 2
c. Cat/Camel, t-spine mobility, hip circles, arm circles, lateral lunges, high knees, inch worms with push ups, hip flexor stretch (hug knee, lunge, reach), squat stand, heel kicks, monster walks
Program
A. Goblet squats – 16kg x 12 x 5 These always feel so good. I used a light bell so I could get the most out of the squat and just open the hips.
B. Get ups – 8kg x 5 x 1 (per side) I do not do these on regular basis so beginning again with the lightest kettlebell (18 pounds) was a good idea. I felt better with my technique.
C. Windmills – 12kg x 6 x 3 I have not done these in a long time. Great shoulder stability exercise and a great way to open the hips.
D. Band pull a parts – 10 x 3 and reverse flys with no weight x 10 x 3 combined with T and I shoulder back work x 10 x 3
E. KB swings – 20kg x 20 x 5 – 100 swings
Felt great. Finally. 🙂
Friday, November 11, 2011 (11/11/11-Yikes!)
a. Foam roll, peanut (double lacrosse ball), lacrosse ball for back and glutes followed by a dynamic warm-up.
b. Glute bridges w/resistance band x 20 x 3 ; Glute marches x 20 x 3; Clams with resistance band x 20 x 3 – I upped my sets with these. Feels soo good!
c. Cat/Camel, t-spine mobility, hip circles, arm circles, lateral lunges, high knees, inch worms with push ups, hip flexor stretch (hug knee, lunge, reach), squat stand, heel kicks, monster walks – the usual
Program
I took this first exercise selection from Dan John. He calls it the Humane Burpee. I love it. You get your swing, your squat and your push all in one.
A. Humane Burpee (a la Dan John) (I used a 20 kg bell for this. It is about 44 pounds.)
10 Swings
5 Goblet Squats (Put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the Push Up Position (walk on your hands)
5 Push Ups
Inchworm Back to the Start
10 Swings
4 Goblet Squats (Put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the Push Up Position (walk on your hands)
4 Push Ups
Inchworm Back to the Start
10 Swings
3 Goblet Squats (Put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the Push Up Position (walk on your hands)
3 Push Ups
Inchworm Back to the Start
10 Swings
2 Goblet Squats (Put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the Push Up Position (walk on your hands)
2 Push Ups
Inchworm Back to the Start
10 Swings
1 Goblet Squat (Put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the Push Up Position (walk on your hands)
1 Push Up
Inchworm Back to the Start
Following this, I moved on to this…
B. Get ups – 5 x 1 (10 total – 5 on each side)
8 kg x 2 (2 on each side) – These felt good so I moved up to the 12 kg bell.
12 kg x 3 x 1 (3 on each side.) These felt great too. I will continue with the 12 for a few more sessions.
C. Windmills – 12 kg x 8 x 3 – These felt even better than from the day before.
D. T and I’s with 3 lb weights x 8 x 3
Y and W’s w/0 weight 8 x 3
E. Shoulder work with band
F. Farmer walks with to 24 kg bells (108 pounds) – 3 walks around the gym x 2 rounds. Waiter carries with 16 kg bell (35 pounds) – 1 time around the gym each hand x 2 rounds
Sunday, November 13, 2011
a. Foam roll, peanut (double lacrosse ball), lacrosse ball for back and glutes followed by a dynamic warm-up (The usual suspects)
b. Glute bridges w/resistance band x 20 x 3 ; Clams with resistance band x 20 x 3
c. Cat/Camel, t-spine, hip circles, arm circles, lateral lunges, high knees, inch worms with push ups – up and back, spiderman lunge with hamstring stretch and reach (thank you Eric Cressey), squat stand, heel kicks, monster walks, skips, grapevines
A. Started again with the Humane Burpee again. I freaking love this as a warm up. This time, I upped the weight. 24 kg bell. I did this with my husband who, ahem, used the other 24 kg bell. Yeah, no big deal. The squats were tricky for me with the weight. The swings tuckered him out!
B. Get- ups with the 12kg bell. 5 per side, 10 get-ups total.
C. Windmills. Tried the 16kg bell. Got 5 on both sides. Form sucked a little so I dropped it back to the 12 kg bell. Really focused on packing my shoulders tight. 12kg x 6 x 2 (6 per side.)
D. Waiter carries with the 16kg bell. 3 rounds. Right and left side. 6 total walks around the gym. Again, worked on packing that shoulder, especially the left.
E. No Money Band drill. 10 x 3. Threw in a few wall slides and called it a day.
