You may have just solved a mystery for me. Cardio kickboxing class I've done past 2 months has lots of pushups. And my wrist has been really bothering me. Assumed it was from increased computer mouse use (major work project). Probably combo of both but I'll try the stands and see if it helps. Wrist support for the mouse has helped a little. Thanks!
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Off Season Conditioning
- Thread starter Madroch
- Start date
You may have just solved a mystery for me. Cardio kickboxing class I've done past 2 months has lots of pushups. And my wrist has been really bothering me. Assumed it was from increased computer mouse use (major work project). Probably combo of both but I'll try the stands and see if it helps. Wrist support for the mouse has helped a little. Thanks!
MR. evil
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You can also use dumbbells as push up stands. They just take a little more concentration to use. try them before you buy a set of push up stand. You can also do push ups on your knuckles to avoid wrist pain. Thats how I do them at Aikido & Judo when I don't have push up bars handy.
Those wrist supports are actually not very good for you. They can cause other problems. I draw on a computer about 6 plus hours a day and a mouse is my primary tool. several years ago I was starting to see the early signs of major wrist issues. I tried the wrist pad, and it seemed to help for a bit, then things got worse. I called one of the consultants we use a lot, and they sent over an ergonomics specialist to check out my work station and observe me work. We made massive changes to my desk setup. But for my wrist issues, she had me start using a adjustable keyboard / mouse tray. Its one of the pricy ones from HumanScale, but well worth it. It has a keyboard tray that tilts, and a separate mouse pad tray that tilts & swivels independent of the keyboard tray. I hated it at first, but after about two weeks I was used to it and no more wrist issues. It also helped with some nagging shoulder issues. I can’t work for any extended period of time without one now.
I was the first one in the office to get one, but now I would say 80% of the staff (about 25 people) has one.
http://humanscale.com/products/prod...essionid=f030121f7316a16dd69612151a2f38445562
Lots of great info on the HumanScale web site!
Anklebiter
New member
Make sense I'll give them a try.
Thanks for the info!
I was quite happy with it-- I struggled to do the yoga- and pretty much never did it-- I will try again to do it weekly this time. I didn't become chiseled by any stretch of the imagination, but I had very good results (you have to remember the starting product dictates the range of possible results, and I needed a lot of work). Since I did it with a daily cal deficit- I didn't build any noticeable muscle- but I got a lot stronger and lost a good bit of fat in tough spots- love handles, gut etc. Lost about 14 lbs and 3+ inches on the waist. My motivation really lagged at the end-- 90 days is a long time to commit 1 1/2 hours a day. The thing is, the real results come at the very beginning and very end-- leaving a lot of blah time in the middle when you just have to stay at it. I still have some fat to burn, but them hopefully I can build a little muscle this time around.
BTW-- am so sore I can barely move this morning after day 2 of round 2. Seems like a waited long enough to lose the muscle memory.... ouch.
In addition to lunges with weights, try wall squats- both one legged and two legged- get thighs parallel to floor with back against wall- and hold on as long as you can--- try two legged, and than alternate one leg at a time, and also star jumps-- touch ground with hands next to ankles while bending legs so thighs at least parralel, than jump up as high as you can with arms reaching up and out-- also running downhill is great. Another is chair lunges- with or w.o weights- put leg on chair with foot top on chair (top of foot on chair)- and lunge forward on leg whch is on floor-- knee should be at least even with ankle on ground before lunge (or behind the ankle)- and lunge should take knee past ankle
Anklebiter
New member
Thanks for all the exercises. I'll give them a try.
Not so sure about this one. All the instructions I've heard about lunges make sure to point out that your knee does not go beyond you ankle since it's really bad for you knees.
Pretty sure that I've read/heard the same thing.
Sky
Active member
My knee started bothering me last Spring (April) after playing hoops. I saw the doc, wnet to PT...finally...Chiro/Masage. I don't have "ITB"...but the therapy for it worked to clear up the pain. I bought "The Stick" and use it regularly.
I heard the same info about lunges and your knee not passing over your toe.
I've got a version of the exercise you may be interested in,
3 lunges per leg (6 total) with heavy dumbells (35 lb). Light enough where you can push back quickly. Lower the dumbbells to your extended leg's ankle.
ten seconds rest
6 lunges at a medium wt (25 lb).
ten seconds rest
12 at a lighter weight (10 lb)
I do this as part of my leg wo. Five other exercises with the same approach ("super sets").
I've been using a rowing machine on Tues and Thurs. Those things are killer! There are three of us and we rotate over three or four pieces of equipment on these days with the rowing machine the killer event. we're up to three minutes. Usually three rounds and the fourth is a "strong finish" where we go as hard as we can for as long as we can...usually 30 - 40 seconds (stop when you feel the drop-off).
Pretty soon we'll change up the wo to heavier core. Looking at "burpee" ? stuff. Basically a squat thrust with a push up (using 35 lb dumbells), when in the plank-position, raise one leg for 5 seconds...then swap to the other leg for five seconds. Stand up, "clean" the dumbells, then jerk-press....start over.
Also looking at goblet squats, duck-unders...shuttle runs. My wo pal is a PhD Anthropologist. He's insane.
I heard the same info about lunges and your knee not passing over your toe.
I've got a version of the exercise you may be interested in,
3 lunges per leg (6 total) with heavy dumbells (35 lb). Light enough where you can push back quickly. Lower the dumbbells to your extended leg's ankle.
ten seconds rest
6 lunges at a medium wt (25 lb).
ten seconds rest
12 at a lighter weight (10 lb)
I do this as part of my leg wo. Five other exercises with the same approach ("super sets").
I've been using a rowing machine on Tues and Thurs. Those things are killer! There are three of us and we rotate over three or four pieces of equipment on these days with the rowing machine the killer event. we're up to three minutes. Usually three rounds and the fourth is a "strong finish" where we go as hard as we can for as long as we can...usually 30 - 40 seconds (stop when you feel the drop-off).
Pretty soon we'll change up the wo to heavier core. Looking at "burpee" ? stuff. Basically a squat thrust with a push up (using 35 lb dumbells), when in the plank-position, raise one leg for 5 seconds...then swap to the other leg for five seconds. Stand up, "clean" the dumbells, then jerk-press....start over.
Also looking at goblet squats, duck-unders...shuttle runs. My wo pal is a PhD Anthropologist. He's insane.
speden
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I usually do squats, leg extensions, and calf raises rather than lunges. Do lunges offer some advantage like improving balance? I've always found it hard to get a consistent workout with lunges since I always seem to lunge slightly differently with each rep.
One thing I like about leg extensions is I can work my quads independently, since one of my legs is a lot weaker than the other. This offseason I've been trying to even up the leg strength so I've been doing extra sets of leg extensions on the weaker leg. Seems to be helping, but not as fast as I'd like.
Sky
Active member
The lunges are part of the balance thing for me...but "Wood Choppers" (stand on one leg (slightly bent), reach down with the opposite hand and touch the outside of that ankle, and then re-raise that hand to the starting position) Five per side. Try with a light dumbell (5 or 7.5 lb).
Sorry to hear about the leg issue. Coming off a recovery of some sort?
The lunges are one of six exercises I do on leg day. I use machines and dumbells to accommodate the quick (10 seconds) change of weights between lifts. 2 min rest between the different exercises. All exercises are "super set" format (six at a high wt, 12 at a med wt, 24 at a low wt).
Squats on the leg press machine, calf raises on the leg press, leg extensions on the machine. Leg curls on the machine, pull throughs, lunges. Pull throughs....ooof. Using a dumbell, lower it between your legs (slightly bent), "clean" the dumbell (thrust hips forward as you straighten your legs and raise the weight keep your arms fully extended (engage core and glutes) and lower the weight to the starting position slowly. The pull-through motion is good for the hip flexors.
You "could" do this in 30 minutes...don't plan on walking up or down stairs much afterwards. :>
I've got a spreadsheet of the various exercises we do if anyone is interested.
Monday and Friday are two separate upper body wo's. Wed is legs. Tue and Thur...circuit training with Eliptical, Rowing machine, stretches and farmer's carry. Farmer's Carry? H'ya. 50' shuttle walk carrying as much dumbell wt as you can...for two minutes. Yes...we look stupid. :>
We are about to switch this up. Probably go more core, less upper body. But I'm a victim of circumstance. I do whatever my pal says we do. EX...Farmer's Carry. Who the hang would do that on their own?! :>
speden
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Yeah, twisted a knee a couple years ago and it never quite got back to normal. Not even sure what I tore at the time, part of the quad muscle, meniscus, maybe mcl too. Never was bad enough to get it diagnosed, but over time I started favoring the uninjured leg and it got stronger while the injured one got weaker. Really noticed it at the end of last season when the weaker leg would end my day while the other one could have kept skiing, so that's why I'm trying to even them up again.
One exercise I like to do for balance is to stand on an exercise step with one foot and then stick the other foot through the handle of a paint can. Then I raise the can up and down with that leg until it gets tired without holding on to anything or letting the can touch the floor. This forces me to balance on the other leg against the shifting weight and also works the muscles that raise the foot (which none of my other exercise really touch). Then I switch feet and do the other leg.
You can also get some of those stretchy rubber exercise bands, wrap them around a post or something, stand on one foot and pull them across your body. Does a good job with balance, it was one of the exercises they had me do when I rehabbed my ACL.
Sky
Active member
Brian (my wo pal) brought that one (rubber band thing) into the routine. Stand on one leg (slightly bent) with some tension on the rubber band...rotate your upper body away from the fixed point and rotate back while maintaining balance. Awesome for strengthing the muscles around the knee and improving balance! I do both legs in both directions to get both sides of both knees.
We use the Bow Flex for that...part of the Circuit days.
As for the paint bucket thing. Sounds great!
You can use that exercise box (step box?) to work in some cardio-ski stuff. One foot on the box, other foot off to the side on the ground. Jump to the other side of the box and switch feet positions. Two schools of thought. Doing it as fast as you can for 30 seconds or so...or doing it with dumbells and holding the position momentarily as if you were making a turn. Five times (over and back = once)....three sets. I use a workout bench. I need the height to get the same leg flex as most of you normal sized people.
SKIQUATTRO
New member
got back from a 7mi run saturday morning, as i walk thru the door, mrs skiquattro is putting in Jillian Michaels 30 day shred video, i figure, why not, i'm already sweaty, i'll do it with ya......20min work out..ohhhh my, i almost puked, the burn....arms, abs, legs, shoulder...the workout she packs in in 20 min is insane..i had 10lb dumbells which were a bit too heavy...why every guy isnt watching this i dont know, 3 very attractive, very fit women in workout bra's jumping, bouncing....i was dripping rain water and sore today...will be hitting it again tonight....i'm down 20lbs from the spring (175 now) looking for 170 before we leave for mexico on oct 9
I think that's one that my wife has. I've was tempted to try it out when she was doing them a while back, but our living room doesn't have enough floor space for us both to exercise at the same time...
I really need to get back on track though. I had lost about 10 pounds, but then in the last week or two I put about 5 back on. Not good! Maybe I'll start doing my wife's exercise videos while she's in class at night...
drjeff
Well-known member
I think the main reason why more men don't watch these videos is they get too embarrassed that they CAN'T keep up with the women on the video! :lol:
The women tend to stick with it out of jealous rage over how certain body parts of the women in the video look, and ther desire to get their own body part looking hat way just to spite the women in the video! :lol:
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