Ayuh

[legalmoose]

Didn't want to get up. Soooo didn't want to get up. But got up, and got my stuff together, and got myself to the gym. Did weights. Arms will be sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrre later today. I think I got good measures so I can do the "one set to exhaustion" thingum for the time being.

Felt wussy on the squats, though - didn't add any weight to the bar. Not that the bar was all that light to me, mind you. Wasn't quite to exhaustion, but close e-freakin'-nough.

So, am on the way in my quest to be SuperQueer. ;)

Comments

[fj.livejournal.com]

How long since you did significant weights workouts, and how long did you stick with it that time?

[legalmoose]

Ages ago (months? years?) and not terribly long. I think the motivation for it now is a bit stronger than it was before. Before was, "Oh, I should be doing this. Ho-hum." Now is, "I need to be doing this to build core strength for this triathlon stuff that I want to do."

[fj.livejournal.com]

Ok, I am by no means an expert -- I'd look better if I was -- but this combination of statements makes me wonder.

First of all, one set till failure, while having very interesting properties for beginners, has a very high likelyhood for injury in the joints if you truly are working in a set to mid-rep failure. I wouldn't expect those injuries in your legs, since the pounding they have been getting would have strengthened them over the last couple of months. But that does not seem to be the case in your torso, so there could be issues with the tendons in your shoulders, elbows, and neck not having been adequatly prepared with the extreme condition that is 'failure'. 'Failure' is pretty hazardous a condition.

'One set till failure' is actually quite controversial, for that reason. That and it will stop creating gains after nine months to year in many, if not most, individuals. Whatever you do, never do weighted squats till failure. Never get into that place where you are trying to lift yourself up with a bar on your neck and can't, pushing to really go for that last failure burn. It is just too dangerous for your back. Take it from someone who has been immobilized for three days on end due to a damaged lower-back muscle -- twice. You'd think I would have learned after the first time.

The other is, considering you said your arms were going to hurt, if you are trying to create core strength, are you doing specific arm exercises, and if so, what is your rationale for it? I would say that in the stage you are, your arms will grow quite nicely by themsleves right now by doing the big compound-joint movements like bench press, pull down (or pull-up), deadlift, and squat. At this point you have limited physical resources before you get into an overtraining state, where you are simply asking too much of yourself.

You know what would be a really off-the-wall brainstorm from me here? Considering how you want to start doing multiple long-haul, mid-level intensity sports like swimming, biking, and running, simultaneously, my current thought would be to actually not do weights, but create core strength (abdominal, lumbar, internal muscles) by doing mat Pilates. Seriously. The triathlon stuff will take care of all visible areas already, strengthening them.

Hey, who is training you anyway, or which books are you following?

Coup'la things

[legalmoose]

Been there done that with sports injuries (both ankle and back injuries), so I know enough to listen to ye olde bodye and not overdo it. Add to that that I'd not want to sacrifice my ability to swim/bike/run, and know that I'm going to watch it very carefully.

I didn't go to true failure (that being, to my mind, "I could not possibly do another one without seriously injuring myself"), and I doubt I ever will, so I suppose "failure" was the wrong term to use there. Probably "until I know that if I do more I'm going to so seriously hurt that it won't be worth it" would be a better way of putting it. ;-) Close enough is good enough, and I'm not going to get myself into a position where I can't even stand up or otherwise put the weights back in their resting position. I'm doing squats on the cable-guided machine, not with a barbell alone, so it can be stopped or locked in place and I can get out of it if need be.

Arms will be sore simply because they're being used now, unlike when I run (which is the majority of my current training).

The problem, for me, with doing mat Pilates is one of motivation. I love Yoga, and I do that to stretch and/or work out on occasion, but Pilates bores me, and boredom = not going to do it. It's only been recently I've been able to get over my "weights = boring" mind set, so I'm not of a mind to try and switch over to something else I have to overcome. ;-)