strong curve program

Options
wishfullthinking79
wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been reading the book as suggested. I made it up to the beginner program yesterday. So today I did the exercises for the first day. These exercises did not present any challenges. Should they? I briefly glanced at the other exercises for the 12 week program. If I am remembering it correctly the program has you working out on days 1,3, and 5 (I am not at home right now to verify this). I plan on going to the gym tomorrow. What do I do? I cannot do any cardio right now because of my foot. I go to the gym a minimum of 5 days a week. Sunday is the day that I almost always take off because of scheduling. If I do not go to the gym I feel like crap all day long. What can I do to ensure that I am following the program as closely as I can and continue to feel good on a daily basis?

Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Options
    I'm not particularly familiar with the Strong Curves progression, but most beginner progressive resistance programs start you off really easy so you can get your form down pat during the first few weeks. If you're currently not feeling it much yet, you could probably get by running the program 5-6 days a week...if recovery starts to be an issue, obviously you'd have to back off.

    As for cardio, your foot must be capable of some weight bearing, otherwise you wouldn't be able to do a lot of the SC work. Are you saying you can't do spin, row machine or swimming? Or high-rep bodyweight work?
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    @hill8570 My foot is weight bearing. I wear a boot on it at all times except when I am in the gym. I was doing low impact cardio before I went back to the doc last week. Once he told me I had to wear it for another month I thought it is best to eliminate it all together. Planet fitness does not have a row machine and none of the pools are open so swimming it not an option right now. Is spin the bicyles?

    @amyrebeccah I have only briefly flipped through the remainder of the book. I read it all the way up to the beginners program. So I will definitely check those out. I did the clams but it seems pointless. I didnt feel like I was doing anything. As far as the weights are concerned I used 10 for the bench press and 15 pound weights for the deadlift. That was the first time I have done that type of deadlift so I could probably increase that.

    The one exercise that I really felt the muscles engaging was the glute bridge. My booty was burning.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    Options
    OP I think you may be performing the moves like you perform cardio. Weightlifting is a more focused type of training.

    Most weightlifting programs require deliberate movements. And, as @amyrebeccah mentioned, the activation exercises (as well as the Booty-ful Beginnings program) are for "establishing movement patterns" (page 86). The more focus you put on the muscles you are training the more benefit you will get from the training. Ask yourself why you are performing each movement. Don't just get it done.

    Think quality. Not quantity.
  • sk1982
    sk1982 Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    another point to consider is that the reason you didnt feel anything in the clams is you have yet to learn "how" to activate your glutes..and that only comes with time and plenty of glute activation work!!!
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    wishfullthinking79 wrote: »
    My foot is weight bearing. I wear a boot on it at all times except when I am in the gym. I was doing low impact cardio before I went back to the doc last week. Once he told me I had to wear it for another month I thought it is best to eliminate it all together. Planet fitness does not have a row machine and none of the pools are open so swimming it not an option right now. Is spin the bicyles?

    Yeah, spin is the bicycles. Depending on the nature of the injury, you can often spin with an injured foot, although you may have to stay down on the saddle and keep to the lower gears (i.e., no standing up / leaning with the gears in grunt mode).

    Based on why I'm seeing from @amyrebeccah and @rileyes, it sounds like SC is doing what most progressive programs do -- asking you to get form down pat at first. Form tends to go all to hell when you start pushing your limits, so you want to spend the up-front time ingraining the correct movements in your muscles and CNS.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    Options
    @sk1982 You could definitely be right about that. I was really trying to focus on them. DOing the single leg glute bridge is where I feel my glutes the most. While performing other exercises I try to focus on what I am doing and take my time while I am doing every move. I have 1.5 hours to spend at the gym in the morning so I have plenty of time since I am not doing any cardio right now.

    I do plan on spending a lot more time really reviewing parts of the book that have been mentioned. I wanted to at least start the program. Every morning Before going to the gym I do spend a little time reviewing the exercises on the page numbers suggested. I have three more weeks left of this semester and then I can actually breathe a sigh of relief. After this I will be able to focus more in studying this book the way it needs to be done.

Categories