Exercise in first trimester. (weight lifting?)

[lulupopsted]

I am 4 weeks pregnant. For the last 6 months, I have been training with a PT doing pretty intense crossfit style training, weight lifting etc.

Did anyone else train while pregnant? Can I still lift weights, scaled down?

Any advice would be super welcome!

xxxx

As long as you feel good doing it, crack on. However, your form becomes critical as your muscles loosen due to the hormones and your back is more vulnerable. I've never done proper weight lifting but I worked out with a prenatal personal trainer all the way through my previous pregnancy and was hucking around 10-15kg weights 4 days before I gave birth.

Try to find a trainer who understands prenatal fitness, but staying fit through pregnancy is a bloody good idea.

I continued with my regular exercise routine (semi-contact sport at a pretty high level, so intense, full sprinting etc.) until the end of the first trimester when the danger of blunt force trauma to the abdomen became more of a concern.

After that I hired a personal trainer who specialised in antenatal training and trained with her (weights, kettlebells, resistance exercises etc.) until I was 28 weeks.

After that it was exercise enough just getting up the stairs! But I was huge :D

I second talking to your PT about it.

Oh and you can absolutely still train your abs, in fact it's essential to do so so they can support your back and the weight of your belly. You won't be able to do crunches after a while but a prenatal trainer will know what exercises you can do instead.

I worked out up to 37 weeks, including weights and cardio. My friend also did crossfit up to 38 weeks.

A lot of people will recommend that you don't do anything in the first trimester but think this is a 'just in case' scenario. IME, if you could train before you were pregnant, it's fine to carry on. Use the 'before' time as a benchmark and be sensible - no pushing it to the point of passing out or being sick.

I did some intense spin classes during the first trimester. After 12 weeks, I did lots of weights and cardio. Worth chatting with your PT as there are things that are worth avoiding, e.g. hip opening exercises in case of pelvic girdle pain, exercises on your back once bump gets too big. My PT was great at pushing me and improving performance without endangering me or baby.

I'm glad I kept doing it as I do think it helped with labour. Good luck and congratulations

I've spoken to my dr and PT and both have said it's important to keep up with weights and ab workouts as you will need it later.

Also my pt said that it's important to keengoing - if you had more than a 3 week break then you will need to do gentle exercises as the risk of injury will be bigger due to loose ligaments etc.

I'm trying to keep up as much as exercise I can but I'm so exhausted it's hard. I'm 7 +4

You can definitely still lift weights, it's actually really good for you. So many benefits. I'm a personal trainer & pre/post natal exercise specialist, and have been continuing to weight train throughout my pregnancy. Currently 28 weeks & still going strong. You have to listen to your body a lot more and not push too much, focus more on maintainence. You need to be careful as people mentioned of the relaxin & loose ligaments, and also nothing lying on your back from around 16 weeks at the latest.

Your PT should be able to work with you to keep you going safely, but ideally you'd need someone qualified in pre natal exercise.

Hope that helps, any questions let me know xxx

Hey OP, I have trained right throughout but have made changes to my workouts as needed. I haven't run for a long time, but substituted with hiking and hill walks. I am still doing weights currently 38 weeks, but I am starting to feel very tired now. This may be my last week of it all. I've also gone to a more split days type training schedule, so lower body one day, upper another day and maybe 1 day of full body with other days either swimming or walking. I will say though, I've really had to drop the weights I use for my legs these past few weeks as my pelvis has been very sore. I think it's softening up for labour. Good on you, keep up the hard work :)

AnUtterIdiot your PT is right on the no crunches but that doesn't mean no ab work. You should avoid anything that puts outward pressure on the abdominals such as crunches, russian twists, double leg lowers etc. But you should keep up work on the transverse abdominals which will happen anyway if you continue to do things like deadlifts and squats (with proper form)

I've been doing CrossFit for over a year and still continuing with it whilst pg (16 weeks today). Massively scale the weight compared to what my body is capable of, not going anywhere near max effort or 1 rep max sessions. Coaches have been fab at scaling and changing the workouts for me, just listening to my body and not overdoing it. I do lots of hill walking as well which has helped but have the appetite of starving giant so trying to curb the weight gain as well! Congrats on your pregnancy OP

thank you so much everyone ☺️ It's great hearing all of this!! I really hope I can work out for as long as I can! I think it will help loads, just the fear of the unknown at the mo. Loveing hearing about what you are all doing!!