Exercise Buddies - anyone want to join?

[Lorns]

Hi this a new thread linked to "We want to lose 10lbs NEW THREAD"

I'm a Group exercise instructor/Personal Trainer and have been offering advice to mumsnetters!

Following suggestions that it would be good to start an exercise/nutrition advice/motivation thread - well here it is!!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all well Just had an idea re purchasing DVD's. You could take a chance and pick up (hopefully a bargin)some on ebay?? The certainly have lots of the Davina ones on offer!

Happy exercising (and limiting/staying off the alcohol this weekend)!

Hello ladies

Finally got my Davina box set.Have just done the power of three warm up and legs and bums.I am ashamed to say i only managed to do/keep up with 80/90% of the routine.I am sooo unfit.

But i will do it every day.Would it be benificial to do it morning and night or not?Was wondering if doing the dvd in the morning and maybe walking at night would be better for me?

Lost 3lbs on Thursday at my class,another 4.5lbs and i will have lost 3st.

Will need to invest in a proper bra tho,did the dvd wearing my horrible feeding bra.Hmmm not attractive.They nearly escaped 2 or 3 times.Must get one today.Any reccommendations?

Agalch, dont feel unfit! I'd say doing 80-90% of the leg section of power of 3 is bloody good going!!

Went to the gym yesterday and had a quick workout whilst DH and DS were swimming.

I did 10 mins interval training on the bike then 15 minutes on the cross trainer.

Then a good 20 minute intensive weights session - really pushed myself.

I dont know if its because Im on my period or have a slight cold but I SWEATED buckets last night, my hair was dripping from less work than I normally do!!

I am a bit sore this morning but not too bad.

(Lorns, you know the muscle soreness? Well sometimes now Im used to it I dont get sore, does that mean my workout has been a waste of time? Do you have to ache to have any effect?)

I have just received the Tae Bo box set!! It has one it Abs & Glutes, Get ripped, Active and Energise! Which one shall I do first?

Going to do one today then have a rest day tomorrow. So this week I have worked out Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat. Im happy with that.

Well my legs are killing me,imagine how i will feel tomorrow lol.

Dd1 was watching me huffing and puffing this morning and giggling at my efforts.Didn't let it put me off tho,i feel energised after it too.

Would love to go out for a run but not sure i could run to the end of the road tbh.Suppose if my fitness levels improve i might be able to later on.

Anyone on here had experience of Curves gym?
I have a 2 week free pass,they are only open 8am till 8 pm mon to fri,then 8 till 12 sat and closed on a sunday.It's 29 quid a month so not sure if it's good value for money or not.

Hi everyone!

Agalch - I always use Shockabsorber bras. I've tried others, but I just don't find them as comfortable or as hard-wearing.

You can purchase these from Debenhams lingerie department or most sports shops. Debs sometimes have some special offers on...

I would suggest that you only exercise once a day. 30 minutes +. 80/90% of the workout is good - if it was easy then there would be no challenge!!. Please remember that your body needs rest days and remember to do really good stretches at the end of your workout.

PeckaRolloverAgain - good to hear from you. If at the end of the workout you feel as if you could have done lots more then you probably need to challenge yourself more as your body has got used to the workout. You don't have to feel muscle soreness each time you work out. Infact this could be because you've not stretched a muscle enough!

On the weights front, do you do free weights? Sometimes with weights you may not physically be able to lift more with good technique, and so performing an exercise (free weights) in a different way can "fire" up the muscles again. An example of this could be performing an exercise for the triceps in a different way. If you need any suggestions just ask, or if you go to a gym, they should be able to give you alternatives....!

agalch - on the curves gym. Funilly enough I saw a voucher for a trial week in our local paper just now!. I didn't even know we had one in the next town to us!

After looking on the website I was still a bit confused as to what it offered. It seemed to be womens only fixed resistance machine group workouts. On the website you could see a group of women sitting on "machines" in a circle. I think they said there was no resistance on them and I don't know if they were height adjustable. Being small I find the machines in the gym won't go down enough to enable me to use them properly...

What about giving your local curves a ring and finding out what they do. I'll do the same as I'm curious!! The website is www.curves.com

On last thing... I noticed that curves gyms are franchised throughout the world. I don;t know how they "vet" the instructors. Are they just interested in getting the franchise money. However, I guess if this was just the case they wouldn't get the results they claim to get???

Just done tae bo energised work out

PHEW it was hard but GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!

Hi all
Glad to read everyone is getting on well with their regimes.

After a break, I went to the gym on Friday with my boyfriend who was supposed to be 'training' me, well he hopped onto the treadmill and kind of forgot about me, so I just went off and did my routine. After it, he told me he noticed I was doing too much musclebuilding work, and if I kept it up I would end up looking like Fatima Whitbread. This could also explains the lack of weight loss.

So, the next day we went back to the gym, this time he started me off on the treadmill before he ran his marathon. Anyway it was amazing because I ran for at least 15 minutes at a time, with no difficulty, I never ever imagined I could run this far and be so comfortable with it too. In the end I was on the treadmill for 65 minutes, of which 3/4 of it was spent running. I was as red as a beetroot and today I am really feeling it. For the first time in months, I can really tell I did a workout.

Afterwards he showed me a couple of machines that tone your stomach. One of them you hang upside down and have to lift yourself up. The other one you lie face down and lift your body up, basically doing the opposite of the upside down, so it stretches your stomach muscles. If I keep this up, hopefully I can lose the 5 kilos I have been wanting to lose since last year!!!

So although the last 7 months have been kind of wasted, I think I have trained myself to have the stamina to be able to just run now when I go to the gym, and swim on the days in between, so I am toning up.

Sorry this is long winded, but I'm kind of proud of myself in a way. I was always put of running, because I thought I looked like an idiot puffing away, but now I understand this is the only way I am going to lose the weight, so I am going to try and keep it up every week.

Help???

I did my Davina dvd yesterday (legs and bums bit) and today i am really sore.To be expected really as it's the 1st exercise i have done for years.So what should i do?

Leave it for today or try to work through the dvd again today?Would only be able to do it really gently if i do it again today.

TIA

OOh so cross just had to post my message again!

Hi agalch - I suggest you don't exercise today as your body needs recovery. You might feel sore tomorrow as well...

Hi MuckyAnthea - fantastic running! Have you tried the Bupa running guide. You might want to do a combo of shorter and more intense runs and slower longer runs.

Please do not think me rude, but is your boyfriend a fitness instructor?

On the weights issue. Unless you have a lot of testosterone in you or are lifting very heavy weights for a max of 5 reps you will not look like a bodybuilder. The using weights will make you big is a myth. Muscles builds on top of fat and so until fat is lost will give a person a bigger appearance.

If using a machine doing up to 10-15 reps for a max of 3 sets will tone and sculpt your body. This together with a healthy nutritious diet and other types of exercise will allow you to lose some body fat and result in a more defined look.

Ab machines. Sorry I HATE them as they cause back injury. They put the back into hyperextension.

If you do use them can you PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use core stability before doing 1 rep.

To work the rectus abdominus (culr ups)effectively - from a level platform you only need to raise/curl the head/shoulders a degree to bring the ribs towards the hips. If you raise any higher you are using your hip flexors and not your abs at all. If you need any advice on effective ab exercises please let me know.

I'll scream if this posing doesn't work!!!

Mucky - sounds great!!
Was also confused as to why your bf would say you'd bulk, as Lorns explained ... my DH is all about weight lifting in women; when complained that I "looked like a guy" in the mirror during a recent workout & he explained my muscles will look bigger during a workout b/c all the blood is rushing to them at that time. That is why he'd see cheesy guys come into the gym at 11pm dressed to go out to the clubs & they'd do just enough arms and chest to temporarily inflate the muscles, then hurry out to pose before they deflated.

Lorns - What about that upside down abs machine? How is it? I have never done it.

Are there any specific exercises that work only the lower stomach - right under the belly button? One isometric exercise - in seated position straightening my arms and pushing to lift my body off the floor with legs straight & holding as long as possible - does make me sore in low stomach but it also really works the legs & I can only do it for 5 secs anyway. Is there something that just focuses on that part of the stomach?

Thanks!!

Also realized recently that as I've been trying to do anything to train my stomach back to pre-baby position & was trying to hold stomach in when I remembered ... what felt to me like holding stomach in was actually flexing the stomach muscles & I was holding them poked out!!!

Don't know what to do about that area of my body. I think the fat must be in part subcutaneous. Not sure whether to continue strenghtening the core or even doing stomach work, or just concentrating on losing weight through dieting ... this is a very problem area & it's frustrating because everything else is starting to look pretty good. Even the stomach has a lot of muscle but it's sticking out in front!!! I feel pretty down & frustrated about it.

Marls100 talk to you about core stabilisation tomorrow...

Lorns - thank you!!! Looking forward to it ...

Speedymama - You're from Jamaica originally?? It's gorgeous! Assuming you're in the UK, do you miss the weather and the ocean?

What did your DH think when you took him there? That'd be a great place to "have" to travel at Christmas!

This is our third time to go; anywhere in Caribbean is easy access from Houston, where my parents live (& we lived, until a year ago). Have been to Superclubs' Hedo III, & Breezes, & now we're headed for Grand Lido Braco. I am SO looking forward to the trip b/c with a 3-year old and a new baby and no relatives nearby to watch them DH & I need some couple time!!

Marls, my parents and older brothers are from Jamaica but I was born in the UK. It is a beautiful island which sometimes gets overlooked by the negative media. DH had a wonderful time and we hope to the take our DTS in a few years (can't face doing long haul flights with toddlers - good luck with your DC). Hope you have a great holiday.

Pecka, glad you enjoyed your Taebo workout.

I did the advance section of the Everybody Get Ripped Taebo DVD this morning but I felt lethargic. Afterwards I realised I had just started my period so no wonder I lacked energy. I need to listen to my body more.

LOL Speedy; neither can we. Grand Lido doesn't allow children under 16.

Lorns - Should say I've been doing planks, V-ups, etc. for stomach but wondering whether I should continue as it's getting ripped but - yuk - sticking out.

Just taken the kids swimming and did 6 length, hey!! Every little helps hahah

Am about to do Tae Bo - not sure which workout to do - bit lost with them all

Hi marls100

I've an idea why your tummy sticks out...

As a way of life it is crucial to learn to pull your belly button 30% towards your spine , set your shoulders correctly

When doing back/ab exercising it is good to learn to contract the pelvic floor as well. If you just do plank, ab curls etc. without engaging the deep abdominals then you just strengthen your abs outwards - hence the pot belly appearance!

How do you do this?... (gonna be long sorry... - copied some of this from the old thread!!)

Then 30% belly button thingy!!! Transversus Abdominis Activiation (TVA)

This is 1 of 4 ab muscles that make up the ab wall. It's the deepest. It creates a muscular corsette and is 1 of 3 muslces that assist in stabilising the spine. Together with YES the pelvic floor they create a strong core/centre.

Science over - now engaging the TVA.

Standing or lying - imagine you have a wide belt around your middle. Tighten to the 10th notch by pulling the belly button tight towards the spine. It should feel uncomfortable and hard to breathe. This is engagement at 100%. Let this go. Pull in again 100% and let out to 50% (the 5th notch). Now let it off 2 more notches and maintain this feeling. This is 30%. In time you can just pull in 2 the 3rd notch without the rest!!

Ideally you should engage the pelvic floor before the TVA. To do this imagine a lift. Pull up from the back, middle and front to 10th floor (100%). Let out to 5th and then 3rd for 30% on the Pelvic floor. NB The pelvic floor muscle will ease, but the TVA shouldn't.

REMEMBER DOING PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES REGULARLY IS ALSO GOOD FOR YOUR SEX LIFE (but children arn't)!!!

Before doing any exercise it's also important to think about the shoulders. This is also part of the core and helps with postural alignment. Inhale and shrug shoulders towards the ears. Exhale and slide shoulder blades down the back and in towards the spine in a "V" shape. Imainge you have stones on top of your shoulders pulling your shoulders aways from your ears.

Setting up your shoulders and abs is a daily/lifestyle thing. Use when your seated, standing,carrying your child(ren) anyway to help protect your back and aid great posture.

A good site to find more ab exercises on is netfit.com. Hope the following link works!!

\link{http://www.netfit.co.uk/abdominals-web-site.htm}

I wouldn't come up as far on the "normal" curl and the superman one is quite advanced as you have to be very careful not to lean to the r/l or tilt you hips. You also have to be careful not to arch you back, but keep your pelvic area in neutral alignment. (If you don't know what that means - let me know...) I would do a version of superman to start with. On all fours - Leading with the big toe, let one leg extend back until straight and then draw the back again leading with the toe. Remember hands under shoulders and knees under hips and legs hip width apart!!

Hope you got all that.

Good luck

Laloop where are you????

PHEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Did Tae Bo Abs and Glutes and my GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD it hurt!!

I was grunting and whooping along with the rest of the class.

After abs and glutes I did the 8 minute work out on the energise disc, that was great - sweated more in 8 minutes than I do all the way through Davina!

Abs and Glutes was SO hard I challenged my DH (who is very fit, has a six pack etc) to do it - he did it, agreed it was ROCK and thoroughly enjoyed it!

He then brought me back down to earth with a bump and said hes not sure why I bother with abs work as because of mine being in such bad way I wont achieve much.

Pecka

Lorns - I think I've got it ... thank you very much May have questions later & will post ...

BTW, what is the "superman"?

Hello, not been ale to do much really as peple staying, kids poorly, blah blah. Just did 30 mins on X-trainer here at home followed by my own little 10 min routine of squates, lunges, sit-ups etc.

if I do that every day in the early am, will it have much of an effect on toning body/ losing blubber round tummy?
everyone is doing fab - well done!

Never mind Lorns - found it on the site! That's a very good site, BTW - thanks for linking it!!

Pecka, and at comments of DH. You keep doing the ab work out because you are building and strengthening your muscles. The cardio workouts coupled with healthy diet that keeps saturated fats to a minimum will ensure that you will lose the layer of fat around your midriff and when you do, your six pack will be waiting for you!

The 8 minute workout is really intense isn't it (on my DVD it is more like 20 minutes when you factor in the warm up). Billy Blank is such a motivator and like you, I whoop and holler along with his class.

DH is working away tonight so I will do the TaeBo Basic workout followed by Abs & Glutes (1 hour in total) after putting DTS to bed.

Dinny, your workout will definitely improve the tone of your body. It will also help you reduce your body's overall fat composition providing you are not ingesting too much saturated fat as well as too many calories in general. As long as you follow a healthy diet with lots of fruit, veg and keep fatty stuff to a minimum, you will see changes in your physique very quickly.

HTH

Pecka. Please keep dpomg the ab work - but put into practice the principals given to marls100. Big slap for your DH. Why do they always think they know best? I'm too!!!

That's doing by the way !