Strength and flexibility
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mygrl4meee
Posts: 943 Member
I need some advice what to do to work on strength and flexibility. I am not really comfortable in the weight room and the few times I hit it after body combat its hard to lift much. I do body combat on Monday and Friday.. Tuesday I have a good variety of classes available like body pump, attack, zumba, zumba strong to name a few.. Also piyo but I didn't like how slow the class was and crowded. So I thought I would do body pump on Tuesday. It leaves me Saturday and Sunday. I rather workout at home since most classes are too early for me.
At home that I think might help that I own is piyo and body pump. I also have a couple jillian Michael DVD. . I have her kick boxing DVD and her killer thighs and buns. . I am torn what is the best to do out of the three. I have two days I rest cause I work 12 hour shifts both those days. I do walk on a break for 1 to 1.5 miles.
I am extremely weak. I struggle to lift 50 pound dog food and cat litter plus not flexible at all. Thanks for any suggestions.
At home that I think might help that I own is piyo and body pump. I also have a couple jillian Michael DVD. . I have her kick boxing DVD and her killer thighs and buns. . I am torn what is the best to do out of the three. I have two days I rest cause I work 12 hour shifts both those days. I do walk on a break for 1 to 1.5 miles.
I am extremely weak. I struggle to lift 50 pound dog food and cat litter plus not flexible at all. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Replies
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i don't know much (anything) about the programmes you mentioned, and it's also not very clear what your main goals are. but as far as strength goes: my best results have come from having a single programme and pursuing that, rather than trying to mix and match them too much. there's this thing called 'majoring in the minors' that people mention, which is when you do the beginning stages of so many things you never really make too much progress on any of them.
so based on that i guess i'd say if you're doing body pump on one class day per week, it would make more sense (for me) to keep going with that on your weekend time.
flexibility can be learned from lots of places, so you're not stuck with just what you have on a dvd. i guess, again, i'd be wondering whether there's a specific type of flexibility you'd like to focus on, or a specific functional reason you'd like to pursue that . . . or a specific area of your body you have the most trouble with.2 -
For legit flexibility, for a while I took a once a week beginner "contortion" class at a circus school. It was 90 minutes of pretty strenuous stretching and it worked wonderfully.0
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Yoga is good for flexibility.
People are genetically different in regards to flexibility, however. If you google "sit and reach test" you'll see an explanation.
Body pump is le milles best class imo. I did it for a year before I ventured into the weight room. Two times a week is a good schedule if you want to progress.
I think body combat is dangerous, personally.0 -
Thanks everyone. It makes sense with not progressing due to not sticking with one thing long enough. I really just need to be stronger in general. I need to be able to assist my client in moving from bed to wheelchair and I don't wanna get hurt.. Plus just for daily living like buying dog food. I really have a hard time lifting a 50 pound bag.
I primary ran last summer and feel like I really need to use this winter to get stronger and better shape if I am going to continue to run.
So I will do body pump twice a week and look into yoga. I just got a free month of beach body on demand.0 -
Lifting will get you stronger. Grab an extra 50lb bag of dog food. Bear hug it and do squats with it. Lift it up off the ground like strongmen do with atlas balls, and walk around with it. I take it you don't have heavy dumbbells, so fill a backpack or some other bag with books and heavy stuff and lift it. Do curls, military presses, stuff like that. You can find all kinds of lifting exercises online. Don't go too heavy, sacrificing form. Stretch before and after your workouts to help with flexibility. Try to maintain good posture and do controlled, stead movements to avoid injury. You don't want to throw your back out, so don't round it out. Also, eat more.0
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Consistently lift heavier every week. That can be the best way to get stronger.0
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For flexibility I've started doing yoga at home and using a youtube channel.
This is the link to the channel that I use. She has a few beginner yoga videos that are very helpful. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA0 -
To add, strengthen your core first with exercises like crunches, leg scissors and hip thrusts to prevent those power lifting exercises from throwing your back out, or causing a hernia.0
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mgalovic01 wrote: »To add, strengthen your core first with exercises like crunches, leg scissors and hip thrusts to prevent those power lifting exercises from throwing your back out, or causing a hernia.
Sorry, but What!?! How are these likely to give you a hernia?!
The 3 lifts in Powerlifting are nothing more than 3 compunds. Done to different requirements than standard gym goers, and to a much heavier percentage than most gym goers.
Shouldn't be mentioned to the OP as powerlifts, just compunds.
Squat, Bench, Deadlift.
All 3 of those are perfectly safe to do, even as a beginner - Just leave ego at the door, and start from the empty bar, Progress slowly, counting form\technique over weight lifted. Bodywieght squats if you have to, and build up slowly.
None are "Likely" to throw your back out, or cause a hernia, unless you try to go to heavy too soon!
FYI, the main core work that'll pay off for the above is probably simpler - planks, leg raises. Not to mention the core work that all 3 compounds will give you.. (the worst ab doms i've ever had have come from deadlifting!)
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My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.0
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mgalovic01 wrote: »My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.
So, as a former powerlifter who competed for 3 years, Multiple times, watching close to 500+ Lifters in person, and Thousands via other means (Online streams etc), and seeing just 1 single injury in real life, 2 online, can you please explain how that is "Very easy to reult in a hernia\back injury?"
I agree it causes a lot of pressure, hence why i mentioned the same progress for the average gym goer, as well as the powerlifters - Slow steady progress, and form\technique before weight.
But you seem to be missing one point - that's at the TOP end of the scale, and done correctly, progressing slowly, the "Pressure" is no-where near a level to cause that type of injury. The average gym goer is lifting percentages that are no-where near the 90%+ range of those who train powerlifting.
It's as easy as it is to twist your ankle running TBH.. But how do you prevent that? ^^^ Slow, steady progress, focus on tech\form first, increase slowly!
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mygrl4meee wrote: »I need some advice what to do to work on strength and flexibility. I am not really comfortable in the weight room and the few times I hit it after body combat its hard to lift much. I do body combat on Monday and Friday.. Tuesday I have a good variety of classes available like body pump, attack, zumba, zumba strong to name a few.. Also piyo but I didn't like how slow the class was and crowded. So I thought I would do body pump on Tuesday. It leaves me Saturday and Sunday. I rather workout at home since most classes are too early for me.
At home that I think might help that I own is piyo and body pump. I also have a couple jillian Michael DVD. . I have her kick boxing DVD and her killer thighs and buns. . I am torn what is the best to do out of the three. I have two days I rest cause I work 12 hour shifts both those days. I do walk on a break for 1 to 1.5 miles.
I am extremely weak. I struggle to lift 50 pound dog food and cat litter plus not flexible at all. Thanks for any suggestions.
For strength you need to find a progressive resistance program that works for you. Stronglifts 5x5 is a great program, but there are several out there. The only thing that matters is that you focus on form and lift heavier each week.
Leave your ego at the door. After years of lifting and injuries I attended a workshop taught by a female bodybuilder who focused completely on form and had us working with broomsticks. This highlighted all the problems with our form and how we tend to muscle through the motions working with heavier weights than we should. Since I started with this I am lifting much heavier than I ever though possible and injury free for the last two years.0 -
CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.
So, as a former powerlifter who competed for 3 years, Multiple times, watching close to 500+ Lifters in person, and Thousands via other means (Online streams etc), and seeing just 1 single injury in real life, 2 online, can you please explain how that is "Very easy to reult in a hernia\back injury?"
I agree it causes a lot of pressure, hence why i mentioned the same progress for the average gym goer, as well as the powerlifters - Slow steady progress, and form\technique before weight.
But you seem to be missing one point - that's at the TOP end of the scale, and done correctly, progressing slowly, the "Pressure" is no-where near a level to cause that type of injury. The average gym goer is lifting percentages that are no-where near the 90%+ range of those who train powerlifting.
It's as easy as it is to twist your ankle running TBH.. But how do you prevent that? ^^^ Slow, steady progress, focus on tech\form first, increase slowly!
You make a lot of sense. The only thing I don't buy is that, having been into powerlifting for so long, you haven't experienced and heard of more injuries. Powerlifting puts a lot of strain on the joints. A lot of these competitors are going to wind up with disc degeneration and worn away cartilage later in life.0 -
mgalovic01 wrote: »You make a lot of sense. The only thing I don't buy is that, having been into powerlifting for so long, you haven't experienced and heard of more injuries.
there does seem to be a certain amount of anecdotal bragging about war wounds among the people on youtube. 'oh yeah, i needed my whole spine replaced back in '97 *spits in the dirt*". could be that the youtube crowd aren't the real thing anyway.Powerlifting puts a lot of strain on the joints. A lot of these competitors are going to wind up with disc degeneration and worn away cartilage later in life.
thing is, i'm not sure how far you'd even get as a powerlifter without a strong core. there's actual injury stuff that would happen to you long before you got to the levels where you would call yourself one. not sure that 'weak core' can really be blamed for plain wear and tear.
#ishouldjuststayoutofthisone.
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mgalovic01 wrote: »CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.
So, as a former powerlifter who competed for 3 years, Multiple times, watching close to 500+ Lifters in person, and Thousands via other means (Online streams etc), and seeing just 1 single injury in real life, 2 online, can you please explain how that is "Very easy to reult in a hernia\back injury?"
I agree it causes a lot of pressure, hence why i mentioned the same progress for the average gym goer, as well as the powerlifters - Slow steady progress, and form\technique before weight.
But you seem to be missing one point - that's at the TOP end of the scale, and done correctly, progressing slowly, the "Pressure" is no-where near a level to cause that type of injury. The average gym goer is lifting percentages that are no-where near the 90%+ range of those who train powerlifting.
It's as easy as it is to twist your ankle running TBH.. But how do you prevent that? ^^^ Slow, steady progress, focus on tech\form first, increase slowly!
You make a lot of sense. The only thing I don't buy is that, having been into powerlifting for so long, you haven't experienced and heard of more injuries. Powerlifting puts a lot of strain on the joints. A lot of these competitors are going to wind up with disc degeneration and worn away cartilage later in life.
So, my experience is in the thousands of lifters. What's yours? to be making these claims? Let me be clear, in terms of Injures, only 1 was a major (Quad Blow out) Not one had a hernia, or a bad back!
Just exactly what qualifies you to say they are going to suffer herniated discs? Or worn away cartilage?
What exactly have you got against these movements? It's not the first thread your spouting this junk out on. When was the last time you lifted heavy?
Yes, it puts pressure on joints, but not anywhere near what your thinking. I think you've just seen too many shoddy, quater squatters complaining. Too many newbies trying Strongman hitching deadlifts... THOSE will cause issues, proper form reduces that risk significantly.
BTW - times have moved on, people take more care over themselves now. More people\lifters are coached. Coaches are now trained to look at fatigue and injury risk, Form\technique is prioritised more than ever
Not to mention, the core is strengthened by those lifts.1 -
Sorry to hijack the thread, OP, but I'm going to share the story of the one time I've gotten a hernia. What was I doing? Curls. That's right - curls gave me a hernia years and years ago. The past 5ish years that I've been powerlifting? Nope.0
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CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.
So, as a former powerlifter who competed for 3 years, Multiple times, watching close to 500+ Lifters in person, and Thousands via other means (Online streams etc), and seeing just 1 single injury in real life, 2 online, can you please explain how that is "Very easy to reult in a hernia\back injury?"
I agree it causes a lot of pressure, hence why i mentioned the same progress for the average gym goer, as well as the powerlifters - Slow steady progress, and form\technique before weight.
But you seem to be missing one point - that's at the TOP end of the scale, and done correctly, progressing slowly, the "Pressure" is no-where near a level to cause that type of injury. The average gym goer is lifting percentages that are no-where near the 90%+ range of those who train powerlifting.
It's as easy as it is to twist your ankle running TBH.. But how do you prevent that? ^^^ Slow, steady progress, focus on tech\form first, increase slowly!
You make a lot of sense. The only thing I don't buy is that, having been into powerlifting for so long, you haven't experienced and heard of more injuries. Powerlifting puts a lot of strain on the joints. A lot of these competitors are going to wind up with disc degeneration and worn away cartilage later in life.
So, my experience is in the thousands of lifters. What's yours? to be making these claims? Let me be clear, in terms of Injures, only 1 was a major (Quad Blow out) Not one had a hernia, or a bad back!
Just exactly what qualifies you to say they are going to suffer herniated discs? Or worn away cartilage?
What exactly have you got against these movements? It's not the first thread your spouting this junk out on. When was the last time you lifted heavy?
Yes, it puts pressure on joints, but not anywhere near what your thinking. I think you've just seen too many shoddy, quater squatters complaining. Too many newbies trying Strongman hitching deadlifts... THOSE will cause issues, proper form reduces that risk significantly.
BTW - times have moved on, people take more care over themselves now. More people\lifters are coached. Coaches are now trained to look at fatigue and injury risk, Form\technique is prioritised more than ever
Not to mention, the core is strengthened by those lifts.
Well, of course no one is going to enter a weight lifting competition with a hernia or a bad back. Fitness is my pass time. I practice it and research it for fun. I've been doing that for many years across the board, not just weight lifting. If you don't recognize the inherent dangers of lifting heavy, you're in denial. I got nothing against these movements. I just feel people should be informed of the risks involved, and proceed with caution. When's the last time I lifted heavy? Depends on what you consider heavy. Yesterday, I Romanian dead lifted about 110lbs for 10 reps, three sets. The back was already a little sore from soccer. I'm also a runner. I know its not much, but I used to lift a lot more, not so long ago. I was benching two 110lb dumbbells for sets of ten before coming down with costochondritis recently.
I know the core is strengthened by those lifts. Now, are you saying you can't get a hernia or throw out you back squatting and dead lifting?0 -
mgalovic01 wrote: »CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »CarlKRobbo wrote: »mgalovic01 wrote: »My mistake, I meant the strongman exercises I mentioned previously, not powerlifting exercises. Even so, powerlifting exercises could easily cause a hernia or you to throw out your back. They put a lot of pressure on your entire body. Though they do strengthen your core, they may also result in a hernia or back injury very easily.
So, as a former powerlifter who competed for 3 years, Multiple times, watching close to 500+ Lifters in person, and Thousands via other means (Online streams etc), and seeing just 1 single injury in real life, 2 online, can you please explain how that is "Very easy to reult in a hernia\back injury?"
I agree it causes a lot of pressure, hence why i mentioned the same progress for the average gym goer, as well as the powerlifters - Slow steady progress, and form\technique before weight.
But you seem to be missing one point - that's at the TOP end of the scale, and done correctly, progressing slowly, the "Pressure" is no-where near a level to cause that type of injury. The average gym goer is lifting percentages that are no-where near the 90%+ range of those who train powerlifting.
It's as easy as it is to twist your ankle running TBH.. But how do you prevent that? ^^^ Slow, steady progress, focus on tech\form first, increase slowly!
You make a lot of sense. The only thing I don't buy is that, having been into powerlifting for so long, you haven't experienced and heard of more injuries. Powerlifting puts a lot of strain on the joints. A lot of these competitors are going to wind up with disc degeneration and worn away cartilage later in life.
So, my experience is in the thousands of lifters. What's yours? to be making these claims? Let me be clear, in terms of Injures, only 1 was a major (Quad Blow out) Not one had a hernia, or a bad back!
Just exactly what qualifies you to say they are going to suffer herniated discs? Or worn away cartilage?
What exactly have you got against these movements? It's not the first thread your spouting this junk out on. When was the last time you lifted heavy?
Yes, it puts pressure on joints, but not anywhere near what your thinking. I think you've just seen too many shoddy, quater squatters complaining. Too many newbies trying Strongman hitching deadlifts... THOSE will cause issues, proper form reduces that risk significantly.
BTW - times have moved on, people take more care over themselves now. More people\lifters are coached. Coaches are now trained to look at fatigue and injury risk, Form\technique is prioritised more than ever
Not to mention, the core is strengthened by those lifts.
Well, of course no one is going to enter a weight lifting competition with a hernia or a bad back. Fitness is my pass time. I practice it and research it for fun. I've been doing that for many years across the board, not just weight lifting. If you don't recognize the inherent dangers of lifting heavy, you're in denial. I got nothing against these movements. I just feel people should be informed of the risks involved, and proceed with caution. When's the last time I lifted heavy? Depends on what you consider heavy. Yesterday, I Romanian dead lifted about 110lbs for 10 reps, three sets. The back was already a little sore from soccer. I'm also a runner. I know its not much, but I used to lift a lot more, not so long ago. I was benching two 110lb dumbbells for sets of ten before coming down with costochondritis recently.
I know the core is strengthened by those lifts. Now, are you saying you can't get a hernia or throw out you back squatting and dead lifting?
Where did i mention that people were going into comps injured? No-where! Yet again you missed the point - I have seen thousands of powerlifters lift without getting injured. I've only seen the 3 that i mentioned.
In denial? I'm not - My Issue with your coment is that you claim that heavy lifting makes it VERY EASY to get a hernia\bad back... That's just false. There IS a risk, yes. Just as there is on Runing. just as there is from Soccer. To say Heavy lifting is VERY EASY to get such injuries is just being overlly cautious.
I'm NOT saying you can't get those injuries, it's purely the fact that you believe it's SO EASY to get them. This is where i'd say your over the top. YES there is a risk. But it's there in Heavy lifting. There in Running. There is any sport\fitness thing you do. I'll even admit the risk might be higher in Heavy lifting. It's certainly not easy to happen.
I've failed squatting 220KG\484Lbs Horrifically... BUT no hernia, no Bad back. A few bruises, and pride\ego hurt YES. I failed SOP and tweaked my shoulder (6 weeks). I've deadlifted and never been injured. Even over the last 2 years which are now beltless
I've also had a bad back from running. I've also twised my Knee, and Ankle.
Does that mean i'd say running is higher risk of injury? NO! Runniing is hard for ME as my technique is wrong. I'd certainly not say runing makes XYZ injury very easy to get.
I consider heavy lifting as heavy relative to the individual. It's that heavy for you. Then fair play, well done.
My previous post was about powerlifters training smarter. Personally If i had a sore back from soccer, I'd have not trained back at all, and done light chest (Bench, etc...) now training RDL's with a sore back could also a way to get a bad back (It depends on the indivuals defenition of Sore). Training smarter avoids issues like that. Flexible traning, and don't be afraid to move days around. But be smart around it...
I'm NOT saying you can't get those from Squats\Deadlifts. It's just not as EASY to suffer those, and other injuries as you think!
Look, Enough hijacking. Were never going to agree are we? Lets put this to bed. Lets just agree to disagree on this one.0 -
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