I'm currently in the middle of a Beachbody program called Focus T25, which calls for 25 minute workouts 4 days a week, plus a double workout (50 minutes) on Fridays. Sunday is reserved for stretching, but Saturday is reserved for rest.
I'm really glad to have a rest day today. We've had a long week of moving furniture and boxes, and my shoulders are sore! I've kept up with my fitness schedule this week and haven't missed a workout, but I'm going to embrace this day.
Rest days are an essential part of a fitness program. Even elite athletes schedule easy days into their overall training plan. During the week, you work your muscles hard, causing microscopic damage to your muscle fibers. This is a good thing, because as the muscle recovers, it rebuilds itself stronger than it was before. This is how we gain strength and tone.
If you don't give the muscles a chance to rest, this can lead to fatigue and overtraining, which can compromise your overall fitness program. If you're new to working out, take the day off on your scheduled rest days (except for walking or other low impact activity). If you've been regularly working out for a while, it's fine to do an easy run or another activity that you enjoy, but be sure to give those muscles a rest. You've earned it!
So no T25 for me today - I'm planning a nice easy kayak trip with the kids! Tomorrow I'll enjoy a stretching/yoga session (which will hopefully get rid of any remaining soreness). Then Monday morning, back to the program...
Showing posts with label stretching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stretching. Show all posts
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Yoga 1.0
I don't have much experience with yoga. Even though I've often been involved in sports, in the past I've typically avoided stretching as much as possible. I'd stretch when my coaches told me to, or for a couple of minutes before a run, but that was it.
Predictably, in recent years I noticed that my muscles were becoming less flexible. For a while I managed to ignore this unfortunate fact, but recently I acknowledged that this is an issue to be dealt with sooner rather than later. As we age, flexibility decreases, which has a negative impact on mobility in the later years. If I intend to be active in my 80s and beyond, I'd better start doing something about my flexibility now, before its too late.
My current workout program is Focus T25, which includes a full 25 minute stretching sequence that should be done at least once a week. It incorporates active stretching as well as yoga positions. I've been enjoying the yoga aspects of the workout, especially a section that incorporates the "pigeon" pose. The stretch through the hip is fantastic, but I feel like I haven't quite gotten it right. I'm now hoping to take a yoga class at least once a week in the fall, but in the meantime I found a website which offers some good tips on correct position. Please check it out - the link below is about the "pigeon", but once you're in the website there's a lot of good information for beginning yoga practitioners. Enjoy!
http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/1808
Predictably, in recent years I noticed that my muscles were becoming less flexible. For a while I managed to ignore this unfortunate fact, but recently I acknowledged that this is an issue to be dealt with sooner rather than later. As we age, flexibility decreases, which has a negative impact on mobility in the later years. If I intend to be active in my 80s and beyond, I'd better start doing something about my flexibility now, before its too late.
My current workout program is Focus T25, which includes a full 25 minute stretching sequence that should be done at least once a week. It incorporates active stretching as well as yoga positions. I've been enjoying the yoga aspects of the workout, especially a section that incorporates the "pigeon" pose. The stretch through the hip is fantastic, but I feel like I haven't quite gotten it right. I'm now hoping to take a yoga class at least once a week in the fall, but in the meantime I found a website which offers some good tips on correct position. Please check it out - the link below is about the "pigeon", but once you're in the website there's a lot of good information for beginning yoga practitioners. Enjoy!
http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/1808
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Focus T25 - Speed 1.0
Like I mentioned yesterday, I really need to improve my agility. I used to fence for the University of Michigan, so once upon a time I could handle the quick footwork. More than 20 years later, I'm not quite where I need to be.
I'm in week 3 of T25, so I've completed this workout several times before. It addresses one of the issues I mentioned yesterday, by mixing active and static stretches with speed/agility cardio moves throughout the video.
I do understand why T25 can't include stretching segments in every video. The program is designed to be completed by people with limited time, so if you spend too much time on the stretch you can't do the hard work needed to improve cardio fitness and strengthen the core. That said, I'm still concerned about the possibility of injuries, particularly with people who are new to exercise. Think about adding some extra stretching at the end of the workout (in addition to the cool down section) if you want to improve flexibility and reduce the chance of injury.
I'm in week 3 of T25, so I've completed this workout several times before. It addresses one of the issues I mentioned yesterday, by mixing active and static stretches with speed/agility cardio moves throughout the video.
I do understand why T25 can't include stretching segments in every video. The program is designed to be completed by people with limited time, so if you spend too much time on the stretch you can't do the hard work needed to improve cardio fitness and strengthen the core. That said, I'm still concerned about the possibility of injuries, particularly with people who are new to exercise. Think about adding some extra stretching at the end of the workout (in addition to the cool down section) if you want to improve flexibility and reduce the chance of injury.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Today's work-out: T25 - Total Body Circuit
I hate oblique push-ups. Honestly, I hate push-ups of all kinds, even though I know they're good for me. Trying to lift my knee to my elbow while (attempting) to push my chest to the floor is not something my body does without a fight.
The Total Body Circuit is a solid workout, and it really does work you from top to bottom. It's packed with lunges and squats, frog jumps, push-ups - all kinds of things that create a good burn. Like all T25 Alpha workouts, Tanya Baron, who is head of operations for Shaun T Fitness, demonstrates modifiers for most of the moves. Even if you're a fitness novice, T25 can work for you.
SUMMARY
Total Body Circuit starts like most of the Alpha workouts do, with a run progression (standing knee lifts, then knee lifts on your toes, progressing to a slow high knee jog, then a high knee sprint.
Shaun T then moves to hop squats with hooks, followed by shoulder taps in plank position combined with push ups. During the next cycle, front lunges progress to a lunge squat progression (lunge left, center squat, lunge right). At this point in the video, my quads are were on fire.
Next come a series of jab moves, culminating in moving jabs. I'm definitely not a boxer, so at times I felt like I had two left feet.
After the jabs, Shaun T turns back to plank work. Starting with a plank hold, you incorporate plank walks that combine in-out abs.
Plank work is followed by a series of power squat moves. Because you're using the large muscles in the lower body, you build up a great sweat throughout this section.
Towards the end of the workout, Shaun T incorporates spider lunges, which are combined with push-ups. The end of this section includes the dreaded oblique push-ups, at which point I question whether I'll ever be able to do them like the people in the video.
Most of the last five minutes are known as the "Burnout", which goes back through the most challenging sections of each progression. At this point Shaun T is pushing everyone to give it their all, since there's less than 5 minutes left in the video.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
I like the progressions in this video. That said, I'm having a hard time maintaining the same pace as the people the video, and sometimes my coordination is not what it could be. I'm surprised, because through two rounds of Insanity, as tough as it was, I never had any real problems with the footwork. I appreciate the fact that T25 has revealed a real weakness (agility) and will hopefully help me improve.
I'd like to see more stretching incorporated into the workout. After the 25 minutes are done, there's a 3 minute stretch section built in. While this works for me as a cool-down, it seems a little thin (though you can only accomplish so much in 25 minutes). I think the answer could involve incorporating the Stretch video or a couple of yoga class into the week. Particularly for people who are new to working out, its important not to shortchange yourself on stretching. This can lead to injury, which will knock you right out of your workout program.
Tomorrow morning's workout is Speed 1.0, which I love...
The Total Body Circuit is a solid workout, and it really does work you from top to bottom. It's packed with lunges and squats, frog jumps, push-ups - all kinds of things that create a good burn. Like all T25 Alpha workouts, Tanya Baron, who is head of operations for Shaun T Fitness, demonstrates modifiers for most of the moves. Even if you're a fitness novice, T25 can work for you.
SUMMARY
Total Body Circuit starts like most of the Alpha workouts do, with a run progression (standing knee lifts, then knee lifts on your toes, progressing to a slow high knee jog, then a high knee sprint.
Shaun T then moves to hop squats with hooks, followed by shoulder taps in plank position combined with push ups. During the next cycle, front lunges progress to a lunge squat progression (lunge left, center squat, lunge right). At this point in the video, my quads are were on fire.
Next come a series of jab moves, culminating in moving jabs. I'm definitely not a boxer, so at times I felt like I had two left feet.
After the jabs, Shaun T turns back to plank work. Starting with a plank hold, you incorporate plank walks that combine in-out abs.
Plank work is followed by a series of power squat moves. Because you're using the large muscles in the lower body, you build up a great sweat throughout this section.
Towards the end of the workout, Shaun T incorporates spider lunges, which are combined with push-ups. The end of this section includes the dreaded oblique push-ups, at which point I question whether I'll ever be able to do them like the people in the video.
Most of the last five minutes are known as the "Burnout", which goes back through the most challenging sections of each progression. At this point Shaun T is pushing everyone to give it their all, since there's less than 5 minutes left in the video.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
I like the progressions in this video. That said, I'm having a hard time maintaining the same pace as the people the video, and sometimes my coordination is not what it could be. I'm surprised, because through two rounds of Insanity, as tough as it was, I never had any real problems with the footwork. I appreciate the fact that T25 has revealed a real weakness (agility) and will hopefully help me improve.
I'd like to see more stretching incorporated into the workout. After the 25 minutes are done, there's a 3 minute stretch section built in. While this works for me as a cool-down, it seems a little thin (though you can only accomplish so much in 25 minutes). I think the answer could involve incorporating the Stretch video or a couple of yoga class into the week. Particularly for people who are new to working out, its important not to shortchange yourself on stretching. This can lead to injury, which will knock you right out of your workout program.
Tomorrow morning's workout is Speed 1.0, which I love...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)