Fellow fitness fans,
I hardly know where to start in giving an update since my last post.
First off - despite my best intentions- my previous workout regime was causing pain in my right knee. So, I decided to get some expert help - but this time not from an Orthopedic surgeon. This time I actually sought the advice of some folks at Stretch to Win in Tempe, AZ. They do quite a bit of work in flexibility and physical therapy with NFL players - so I figured I would be in good hands.
Indeed - I was in good hands. Chris, at Stretch to Win, quickly diagnosed the root cause of my IT Band Tendonitis. Although this sounds like a reasonable step - it was something that none of the P/T's close to my orthopedic surgeon were wiling or able to do. It turns out that my glutes do not fire properly and causes other muscles to do far more work than they should. So all of the physical therapy I was receiving before was not addressing the root cause - it was not helping my glutes to fire properly.
Now, armed with some additional knowledge, I am working with a personal trainer at the Village on Camelback. Todd is helping me to work in getting all of my muscles to fire properly in order to really address the root cause of my tendonitis and to hopefully keep it from coming back.
I am highly encouraged and will continue to let folks know what I discover along the way.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Start slow - really!
How many times have you resolved to exercise again - with vivid memories of how much you used to be able to bench press, or how fast you were able to run a mile? I certainly feel like the same person who was able to accomplish these Herculean feats, but I am resolving to take things slow this time as I work back to some semblance of a fit adult.
In my case, a little over a year ago I developed a case of tendonitis in the iliotibial (IT) band of my right leg. After multiple iterations of physical therapy and a cortisone shot I have finally accepted that I can't start an exercise regimen by picking up where I left off. Becoming aware of my body's limitations has been a humbling experience - but I'm trying to learn from it.
Keeping with the theme of starting slow - I'm keeping my workouts to 40 minutes in duration for the first three weeks to build a foundation. Here's the breakdown:
Dynamic Warn Up (Core Performance): 10 minutes
Strength Training: 20 minutes
Energy System Development (aka Cardio): 10 minutes
The most important thing for me is to stay injury free while continuing to make some gains - so I'm not going to increase the duration or intensity of the workout by more than 5% per week. This means that I won't increase the weight or overall reps by more than 5% in any seven day period - which should help keep my tendonitis under control.
The other key with my strength training is to perform multiple exercises back to back with minimal (if any) rest between exercises. For example, perform a squat, chest press, and pulling exercise one right after the other - THEN rest for a minute. Create 2-3 circuits of exercises like these and you'll be surprised how much work can be performed in 20 minutes. I definitely feel like I worked out with weights after these workouts.
But what is more important than any of the specifics at this point is the fact that I am starting slow. The fact is that even 20 minutes of exercise would produce strength gains at this point.
So - I will keep things simple and will see you again in a few days.
Train Safe!
Rob
In my case, a little over a year ago I developed a case of tendonitis in the iliotibial (IT) band of my right leg. After multiple iterations of physical therapy and a cortisone shot I have finally accepted that I can't start an exercise regimen by picking up where I left off. Becoming aware of my body's limitations has been a humbling experience - but I'm trying to learn from it.
Keeping with the theme of starting slow - I'm keeping my workouts to 40 minutes in duration for the first three weeks to build a foundation. Here's the breakdown:
Dynamic Warn Up (Core Performance): 10 minutes
Strength Training: 20 minutes
Energy System Development (aka Cardio): 10 minutes
The most important thing for me is to stay injury free while continuing to make some gains - so I'm not going to increase the duration or intensity of the workout by more than 5% per week. This means that I won't increase the weight or overall reps by more than 5% in any seven day period - which should help keep my tendonitis under control.
The other key with my strength training is to perform multiple exercises back to back with minimal (if any) rest between exercises. For example, perform a squat, chest press, and pulling exercise one right after the other - THEN rest for a minute. Create 2-3 circuits of exercises like these and you'll be surprised how much work can be performed in 20 minutes. I definitely feel like I worked out with weights after these workouts.
But what is more important than any of the specifics at this point is the fact that I am starting slow. The fact is that even 20 minutes of exercise would produce strength gains at this point.
So - I will keep things simple and will see you again in a few days.
Train Safe!
Rob
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Welcome...
Since this is my first blog entry, I thought I would take a minute for introductions. My name is Rob, and I'm a 30-something husband & dad who lives in Phoenix with his beautiful family. I work as a consultant in the financial services industry - so I can quickly fall into the "workaholic" mode many are familiar with.
The purpose of this blog is to provide a sense of accountability to myself for another important aspect of my life: my health and fitness. If you are reading this blog, then you are likely also in the "mature" phase of your life and looking achieve a similar sense of balance. I welcome your feedback and commentary.
Throughout my life, my fitness level has fluctuated considerably. I think I have explored almost every conceivable method of achieving fitness: endurance running, interval training, martial arts, weight training, yoga...you get the idea. But "life" always seems to get in the way and things get off track. The 20 pounds I lost slowly came back (more than once). Training gets derailed due to tendonitis. Work becomes overwhelming and I "fall off the wagon" when it comes to going to the gym. Sound familiar to anyone?
So, we come to the main idea of my first posting: Why do we fail to achieve our goals, especially in the arena of health and fitness? Is it lack of a punishment and reward system for motivation? Is it lack of planning? Lack of time? In the end, for myself, I suppose it just becomes a mess of excuses.
I will start with a clear goal statement: For the next three months, I will exercise at least three times per week for at least 20 minutes. This is by no means and end-state, just a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) goal. If anyone (other than me) has taken the time to read this - I encourage you to set out some goals for yourself and report your own progress.
Best of luck, and talk to you again soon.
The purpose of this blog is to provide a sense of accountability to myself for another important aspect of my life: my health and fitness. If you are reading this blog, then you are likely also in the "mature" phase of your life and looking achieve a similar sense of balance. I welcome your feedback and commentary.
Throughout my life, my fitness level has fluctuated considerably. I think I have explored almost every conceivable method of achieving fitness: endurance running, interval training, martial arts, weight training, yoga...you get the idea. But "life" always seems to get in the way and things get off track. The 20 pounds I lost slowly came back (more than once). Training gets derailed due to tendonitis. Work becomes overwhelming and I "fall off the wagon" when it comes to going to the gym. Sound familiar to anyone?
So, we come to the main idea of my first posting: Why do we fail to achieve our goals, especially in the arena of health and fitness? Is it lack of a punishment and reward system for motivation? Is it lack of planning? Lack of time? In the end, for myself, I suppose it just becomes a mess of excuses.
I will start with a clear goal statement: For the next three months, I will exercise at least three times per week for at least 20 minutes. This is by no means and end-state, just a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) goal. If anyone (other than me) has taken the time to read this - I encourage you to set out some goals for yourself and report your own progress.
Best of luck, and talk to you again soon.
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