The no "BS" exercise instruction thread!

ninerbuff

If your hamstrings are tight, then I can almost guarantee that your squat form is not good. Your hips will not travel back as far which will cause your knees to travel past your toes, which will tax your knees more and can lead to more serious knee problems. To begin to squat properly, you need to strengthen and loosen your hamstrings. Hamstring stretches will be good for this as well as some weighted exercises like good mornings and box squats (Google them).

What you should not do is ignore the problem and focus on your quads. Most people are quad dominant as it is, so targeting your quads will not help your hamstrings at all.

Agree here. Also the main cause for hamstring pulls is quad dominance. So it's also important to work them hammies too.

sonybalony

Thank you for the AWESOME thread!

Ok, I do not know the name of them for sure but the muscles that kinda look triangular on either side of your neck, slightly to the rear... Mine seem... more developed... than most other women I see... I have muscle pain issues with anything setting over them (sports bras, tops that tie behind the neck, etc) Are there any exercises I could do to counter this? (Background of this) I was in a car accident about 7 years ago and was told to slowly build back up to what I could lift before, I didn't really listen then... I tend to be a bit of a bull and if I CAN do it, I do it... and I PAID later, and didn't lift for YEARS... fast forward to about 6 months ago, I started exercising again and lifting lightly (upper body wise, heavier on the legs) but I really would like to increase because I LOVE to do it... (I am not sure I am explaining it quite right but close...)

One of the nice things about starting back up is, I have decided that although I am not a "cardio-person", I am learning to tolerate it (almost to the point of enjoy.... almost!) Never felt that way before! Starting C25K this week.

Question about running/jogging too... I have plantar fascitiis (sp?), what would be some good stretches to do before/after running/jogging to alleviate the accompanying tightness of lower leg and back of leg that seem to aggravate the plantar fascitiis?

Thanks for any advice!

:flowerforyou: ~Sonia

lorettatat

Bump

TheBraveryLover

BASIC CRUNCH- Most people I see in the gym do this wrong. The most common mistake is that they interlace their fingers then clasp them behind their head. Then while doing the crunch, they pull with their arms forcing the head forward and "tucking" the chin on the chest. This usually leads to neck pain and minimal stimulation of crunching the abs.
So instead try this: Laying on the floor with on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with fingers extended, just touch the sides of your temples. Now looking at the ceiling and keeping your chin up (think of your chin tied to a string on the ceiling) bring your shoulders off the mat WITHOUT lifting your hips or low back off the floor. Breathe out as you do this. If you can't go that high, that's okay. It means that you'll keep working at it. Breathe in as you return to the mat. 3 sets of up to 20 (if you can't do 20 don't fret) should be fine if you really contract the abs and not just "speed" through the motion. Just remember to keep your chin off your chest!

Wow that is such an awesome tip for my crunches. Thank you sooo much!

ninerbuff

Thank you for the AWESOME thread!

Ok, I do not know the name of them for sure but the muscles that kinda look triangular on either side of your neck, slightly to the rear... Mine seem... more developed... than most other women I see... I have muscle pain issues with anything setting over them (sports bras, tops that tie behind the neck, etc) Are there any exercises I could do to counter this? (Background of this) I was in a car accident about 7 years ago and was told to slowly build back up to what I could lift before, I didn't really listen then... I tend to be a bit of a bull and if I CAN do it, I do it... and I PAID later, and didn't lift for YEARS... fast forward to about 6 months ago, I started exercising again and lifting lightly (upper body wise, heavier on the legs) but I really would like to increase because I LOVE to do it... (I am not sure I am explaining it quite right but close...)

One of the nice things about starting back up is, I have decided that although I am not a "cardio-person", I am learning to tolerate it (almost to the point of enjoy.... almost!) Never felt that way before! Starting C25K this week.

That's the trapezius muscle. Dumbell shrugs are good for this.

Question about running/jogging too... I have plantar fascitiis (sp?), what would be some good stretches to do before/after running/jogging to alleviate the accompanying tightness of lower leg and back of leg that seem to aggravate the plantar fascitiis?

Thanks for any advice!

Standing on a step on your toes and stretching your heels down as far as you can helps.

:flowerforyou: ~Sonia
[/quote]

sonybalony

Thanks!!! :-)

JNick77

bump

ninerbuff

BENT OVER LATERAL RAISE: Done to target the rear deltoids (shoulders). Strengthening these muscles can help with posture, neck pain and upper back pain. If these muscles are weak, your shoulders usually will protrude forward which places strain on your neck and upper back.
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist and keep your back straight near parallel to the floor. Hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing in and elbows slightly bent. Keep your knees bent and back flat, inhale and raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your upper arms are slightly higher than your shoulders. Exhale as you lower the weights to complete the movement.

cardbucfan

I"ve got another question for you. This one is for my son. He's a 16 year old competitive swimmer and he's getting that really bad shoulder curve/roll some swimmers get from having overdeveloped back muscles. He already does pushups with his dryland workout but between swimming and backpacks that weigh more than me (!) it's getting worse. Any advice? Not sure that he needs weights (and don't know when he'd have the time to hit the gym between swimming and school) but it is making his posture look awful and I'm worried about long term damage from it. Thanks so much for all your advice (and I have been working my hamstrings!).

ninerbuff

I"ve got another question for you. This one is for my son. He's a 16 year old competitive swimmer and he's getting that really bad shoulder curve/roll some swimmers get from having overdeveloped back muscles. He already does pushups with his dryland workout but between swimming and backpacks that weigh more than me (!) it's getting worse. Any advice? Not sure that he needs weights (and don't know when he'd have the time to hit the gym between swimming and school) but it is making his posture look awful and I'm worried about long term damage from it. Thanks so much for all your advice (and I have been working my hamstrings!).

Funny you ask since I instruct the kids on the swim team here at the gym for dryland. It's more about posture than anything else. Swimmers have a bad habit of their shoulder protruding forward when they stand. Many don't "pull" their shoulders back. With shoulders forward you get the curvature in the upper back. So he has to work more with his posture and make it a habit. It's tough to change, but that's really the only option since working out can only strengthen the muscles and not force them to stay in place.

infamousmk

I thought of something to ask!! I don't recall reading much about this previously in the thread, but if I missed it, please direct me to it by way of C&P! Here goes:


I like my T&A. Genetically, I think I'll probably keep most of my breasts after losing some weight, but I want to preserve my butt too. (the main reason I've never gotten healthy is that I was afraid I would lose my figure!) ... so, I focus on medium-intensity, fast-paced strength training. I'm losing pound and building muscle, which is good. I do a lot of squats and lunges, but I love push ups too! .... so, is there any way to continue working out in a manner that can hopefully help me keep my curvy figure? I avoid high-intensity cardio because the stereotypical "runners body" is not what I'm going for. I'm not trying to get "ripped" in the traditional sense, I just want to be at a healthy weight for my height and have a reasonable amount of toned muscle. I hate to say it, but something like what Kim Kardashian has going on, you know?

Are lunges and squats, plus moderate cardio really going to work for me? In the past I have gotten close to a healthy weight range, and maintained my hip to waist ratio and bust size, so I really do think that genetically I am going to maintain a more curvy shape.


I realize this is possibly a really stupid set of questions, but I can't possibly be the only plus sized woman that wants to get fit but maintain a "womanly" figure. If you can help, you know I'll love you for it. If you can't help, I'll love you anyway.

ninerbuff

I like my T&A. Genetically, I think I'll probably keep most of my breasts after losing some weight, but I want to preserve my butt too. (the main reason I've never gotten healthy is that I was afraid I would lose my figure!) ... so, I focus on medium-intensity, fast-paced strength training. I'm losing pound and building muscle, which is good. I do a lot of squats and lunges, but I love push ups too! .... so, is there any way to continue working out in a manner that can hopefully help me keep my curvy figure? I avoid high-intensity cardio because the stereotypical "runners body" is not what I'm going for. I'm not trying to get "ripped" in the traditional sense, I just want to be at a healthy weight for my height and have a reasonable amount of toned muscle. I hate to say it, but something like what Kim Kardashian has going on, you know?

Are lunges and squats, plus moderate cardio really going to work for me? In the past I have gotten close to a healthy weight range, and maintained my hip to waist ratio and bust size, so I really do think that genetically I am going to maintain a more curvy shape.


I realize this is possibly a really stupid set of questions, but I can't possibly be the only plus sized woman that wants to get fit but maintain a "womanly" figure. If you can help, you know I'll love you for it. If you can't help, I'll love you anyway.

This is entirely gonna be on your genetics. While your shape is your own and exercise can influence some changes, your body is totally going to dictate how you look at certain body fat percentages.

infamousmk

I like my T&A. Genetically, I think I'll probably keep most of my breasts after losing some weight, but I want to preserve my butt too. (the main reason I've never gotten healthy is that I was afraid I would lose my figure!) ... so, I focus on medium-intensity, fast-paced strength training. I'm losing pound and building muscle, which is good. I do a lot of squats and lunges, but I love push ups too! .... so, is there any way to continue working out in a manner that can hopefully help me keep my curvy figure? I avoid high-intensity cardio because the stereotypical "runners body" is not what I'm going for. I'm not trying to get "ripped" in the traditional sense, I just want to be at a healthy weight for my height and have a reasonable amount of toned muscle. I hate to say it, but something like what Kim Kardashian has going on, you know?

Are lunges and squats, plus moderate cardio really going to work for me? In the past I have gotten close to a healthy weight range, and maintained my hip to waist ratio and bust size, so I really do think that genetically I am going to maintain a more curvy shape.


I realize this is possibly a really stupid set of questions, but I can't possibly be the only plus sized woman that wants to get fit but maintain a "womanly" figure. If you can help, you know I'll love you for it. If you can't help, I'll love you anyway.

This is entirely gonna be on your genetics. While your shape is your own and exercise can influence some changes, your body is totally going to dictate how you look at certain body fat percentages.

Okay, thank you!! I'm going to rely on the fact that when I'm within 20 pounds of a healthy (albeit high on the range) weight, I still have a curvy shape... and plan that even that final 20-30 pounds will maintain it as well.

cardbucfan

I"ve got another question for you. This one is for my son. He's a 16 year old competitive swimmer and he's getting that really bad shoulder curve/roll some swimmers get from having overdeveloped back muscles. He already does pushups with his dryland workout but between swimming and backpacks that weigh more than me (!) it's getting worse. Any advice? Not sure that he needs weights (and don't know when he'd have the time to hit the gym between swimming and school) but it is making his posture look awful and I'm worried about long term damage from it. Thanks so much for all your advice (and I have been working my hamstrings!).

Funny you ask since I instruct the kids on the swim team here at the gym for dryland. It's more about posture than anything else. Swimmers have a bad habit of their shoulder protruding forward when they stand. Many don't "pull" their shoulders back. With shoulders forward you get the curvature in the upper back. So he has to work more with his posture and make it a habit. It's tough to change, but that's really the only option since working out can only strengthen the muscles and not force them to stay in place.

Great, one more thing for me to nag him about! Thanks.

ninerbuff

Great, one more thing for me to nag him about! Thanks.

Kids respond better to pictures IMO. Show him what he could look like with bad posture by printing this.

http://www.holidayatthesea.com/wp-content/uploads/posture.jpg

ArroganceInStep

I have a question that came up in my workout yesterday. I used to be a powerlifter, so I think I have at least enough of an understanding on form and such to keep myself from getting hurt, but when I was doing that I would dedicate three to four hours at a clip to lifting. I simply don't have that time anymore. Add to that the fact that I'm trying to build my cardio so I can start running again the way I used to, and my available time for lifting is getting less and less.

I don't know much about supersets (in case the naming convention is different, doing a set of one exercise then jumping immediately to a set of the next exercise and so on to reduce/eliminate downtime) but what's the smallest number of exercises you can do in a superset safely? I had extra time yesterday for lifting because of the hurricane so I was working out with a buddy, we tried back to back Squat->Bench, then back to back Shoulders->reverse flys, then back to back tricep extensions->bicep curls. It was absolutely brutal, I have a feeling only having one exercise as a break before the next round is too small. Is there a magic number? I'd like to start doing that for my own regular lifting routine to hopefully get lifting time below 30 minutes. Would it be better to just do one or maybe two exercises the way I'm used to? My goal is 20 minutes of heavy lifting, 1 hour of cardio, and 20 minutes of calisthenics/stretching. Thank you in advance.

ninerbuff

I have a question that came up in my workout yesterday. I used to be a powerlifter, so I think I have at least enough of an understanding on form and such to keep myself from getting hurt, but when I was doing that I would dedicate three to four hours at a clip to lifting. I simply don't have that time anymore. Add to that the fact that I'm trying to build my cardio so I can start running again the way I used to, and my available time for lifting is getting less and less.

I don't know much about supersets (in case the naming convention is different, doing a set of one exercise then jumping immediately to a set of the next exercise and so on to reduce/eliminate downtime) but what's the smallest number of exercises you can do in a superset safely? I had extra time yesterday for lifting because of the hurricane so I was working out with a buddy, we tried back to back Squat->Bench, then back to back Shoulders->reverse flys, then back to back tricep extensions->bicep curls. It was absolutely brutal, I have a feeling only having one exercise as a break before the next round is too small. Is there a magic number? I'd like to start doing that for my own regular lifting routine to hopefully get lifting time below 30 minutes. Would it be better to just do one or maybe two exercises the way I'm used to? My goal is 20 minutes of heavy lifting, 1 hour of cardio, and 20 minutes of calisthenics/stretching. Thank you in advance.

Like any exercise program, there is no "magic" number since everyone is different. If you want to make it even harder and utilize your 20 minutes and dedicate each one to just one body part per day, then do GIANT sets. Giant sets consist of 3-4 exercises for one body part done in a row non stop. For instance if you were training legs it would be something like : Squats, leg press, leg curls, leg extension (notice I go from hardest to easiest exercise). That's ONE set. Try 3-4 sets of this and I'm sure you'll be toast. Do the same for another body part the next day. Make sure you lift before the calenstenics and cardio.

ArroganceInStep

Yup definitely going to lift first. I'll try out the giant sets starting on the 1st . Thank you!

ninerbuff

Yup definitely going to lift first. I'll try out the giant sets starting on the 1st . Thank you!

Let me know how it goes.

ArroganceInStep

Yup definitely going to lift first. I'll try out the giant sets starting on the 1st . Thank you!

Let me know how it goes.

My plan is to do Mon-Legs, Tues-Back, Wed-Shoulders, Thurs-Chest, Fri-Arms

I just finished up my workout today, and all I can say is...THANK YOU. 20 minutes and my chest is absolutely blasted. I was able to get in my lifting, a cardio session (only 30 minutes today, but that's because I'm on a challenge group this month and that took a while), AND calisthenics in under 90 minutes. I really appreciate your advice this is perfect for me.

That being said, it hurt like a @#%(*)#@%*)#@(%. I am very glad you're not my trainer, I think you'd make me cry!