Hip Redux
I have strength, but I do not have true core strength.
What I found is it's about getting your core muscles to engage effectively as a unit. A lot of what I've done in PT over the years is getting the set muscles to engage properly - it is incredibly difficult when you've been overcompensating for some imbalance for a while.
I used to do sit ups like crazy. It never helped me at all in gaining core strength, however.
I found that it is .1 miles around the perimeter, so I decided to treat it as a mini track.
Did someone say track?!
Two and a half trips around that bad boy is a quarter mile, a couple few steps less is 400 meters. You could walk right out your front door and do speed work!
That is exactly right, and the reason I am starting at a very basic level. I must say though, the crap is drudgery. Where the hell is Shaun T to liven things up!
Uffda
Afternoon dailies.
I ran a small 5k this morning. It seems like I still haven't fully recovered from my FM. I did run a non-PR 23:18 this morning. Not too shabby but not the time I was looking for. I did pace better but I couldn't hold the 7mm the entire time. Since it was a smaller race I was able to win 2nd place in my AG!
I did receive some bad news today. Just before I left for my race my mom called and told me that my grandpa passed away. I've been posting his status on here for the last week, so you know that he's been in a declining state. They moved him out of my town to one an hour or so away so there really wasn't anything for me to do; just call my mom and send her and my grandma our condolences. I have to admit that it did feel a bit inappropriate to race today.
- Andrew
I have to admit that it did feel a bit inappropriate to race today.
The reality (sometimes cold) is that life goes on, you have the rest of your life to reflect. You did nothing wrong or inappropriate. We all handle these things differently and no one's way is the only way, or right way.
Brrr, congrats on the race BUT I"m sorry about your Gramps. I am in the same camp as LRB. Life goes on
and I would want those left behind me to celebrate me by being active and having fun. DH already knows I
want to be cremated and donate my organs.
Don't want anyone wasting their time going to a depressing cemetery to "visit" me, would rather have
them hang out, have a drink or run a race, then talk about what a lovable dork I was.
Shari, also terribly sorry about your friend. I had another friend diagnosed with breast cancer recently. Lost
2 good friends to cancer in 2011 and another this past June (his daughter is only 10). It sucks.
Hanging out being lazy today. Just doing housework, some crochet, playing on the interwebs and hydrating.
Gotta run 26.2 tomorrow in butt freezing cold. Getting my headspace prepared.
Jess runs for bacon
<3 Shaun T. You are reminding me I need to do Focus T25. His core workouts are the best.
Step - I'm so sorry about your neighbor. Cancer sucks.
Brr - I'm so sorry about your grandfather. Even when you know it's coming, it hits you. I'm sure he'd be proud of your performance today.
LRB - Keep it up. You'll have a great spring season after all this winter strength work.
Pink - Migraines suck. I hope all goes well with your procedure.
rather be sprinting
Brrr, I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. I can sort of sympathize, because mine has been in and out of the hospital for the past two years. It gets quite hard to live with the constant fear of what will happen next, so I hope that you have at least a little peace. Best to you and your family and I'm truly sorry.
LRB and others on core work--bear in mind the difference between absolute strength and strength endurance also does pertain to the core muscles! You may indeed be able to brace your core for one movement at a high percentage of your max effort, but that doesn't translate into continuous stability. Does that make sense? That's why I'm in favor of varied rep ranges and hitting the core with different weights from different angles, including isometric holds. I do a LOT A LOT of core work since my stomach surgery so if you ever want a list of, like, 50 exercises, I'll give 'em to you. or you could scroll through the terrifyingly long ostrich-themed core thread on the main page.
But I will say I usually just do 2-3 exercises @ 3 sets each of core at the end of my lifting sessions, I don't dedicate a whole session just to core. It's not a major muscle group after all, and it is easier to be warmed up overall first. Just my 2 cents.
PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56
Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb
That is true, and I am basically learning how to properly engage them at this time, something I did not know how to do. Apparently.
I am only doing an entire core/stretching workout because I was inept at both, and cannot do anything else at the moment. And yes, I will take your list!
List of core exercises that I actually do (there are likely more I've forgotten, bear in mind I'll do only 3 per workout). Most of these I do in sets of 6-12 reps per set):
kettbell/hex dumbbell Renegade Rows
resisted crunches: standing w/ cables, decline on a bench w/ weight overhead, or lying down with a band stretched from a bench
cable woodchoppers
pushup to plank to pushup sets
bird-dogs (opposite arm/leg extension) but in pushup position
kettlebell/dumbbell Russian twists
hanging leg raises w/ arms in cuffs, optional med ball b/t knees, optional twisting knees side to side for some sets
v-ups with or without weight
v-ups passing a large med ball or a very large inflatable ball from feet to hands back to feet
hypers/reverse hypers
plank, side plank, superman sets
ab roller from knees or, more advanced, from standing
TRX feet in the handles, hands on floor, pull knees in to chest
crunch w/ kettlebell held overhead, knees out, drawn KB and knees in to chest simultaneously, then out again
bicycle crunches
mountain climbers
med ball slams against the wall: bend your knees, feet against wall, you're in crunch position. Ball overhead. Come up explosively and powerfully launch the ball at the wall; repeat.
Oh, and straight up pullups or chinups work core like nuts, too!
kettbell/hex dumbbell Renegade Rows resisted crunches: standing w/ cables, decline on a bench w/ weight overhead, or lying down with a band stretched from a bench cable woodchoppers pushup to plank to pushup sets bird-dogs (opposite arm/leg extension) but in pushup position kettlebell/dumbbell Russian twists hanging leg raises w/ arms in cuffs, optional med ball b/t knees, optional twisting knees side to side for some sets v-ups with or without weight v-ups passing a large med ball or a very large inflatable ball from feet to hands back to feet hypers/reverse hypers plank, side plank, superman sets ab roller from knees or, more advanced, from standing TRX feet in the handles, hands on floor, pull knees in to chest crunch w/ kettlebell held overhead, knees out, drawn KB and knees in to chest simultaneously, then out again bicycle crunches mountain climbers med ball slams against the wall: bend your knees, feet against wall, you're in crunch position. Ball overhead. Come up explosively and powerfully launch the ball at the wall; repeat.
I actually know what most of those are. If I can do one v-up, I'll be shocked! lol
elevenses
10 for me today. I'm with DH at our favorite watering hole watching some football. Not a bad day!
delicate flower
Brrr, really sorry to hear about your grandfather.
<3
My 5K was a short course. I only got 2.95 miles, confirmed with other runners. So no true PR today. Still, I finished in 19:23 at 6:35 pace, which is 15 sec/mile faster than PR pace. I finished 3rd overall out of 564. I'll take it!!