Jen's Journal

[ArtzyJen]

Did a nice easy jog tonight to get back into the game. First run since surgery. 2.6 miles in 32 minutes. 12:24 pace. Boot camp again in the morning. Hit another low weight again today. Within 9 lbs of my first real goal! My wedding weight! We went to the mall after dinner tonight and I saw a cute dress in a store and my hubby told me to try it on. This is major because I've always had a hard time fitting anything in this particular store (Charlotte Russe) so I did try it on... and low and behold... not only can I fit into the clothes now... I'm in a LARGE... not an XL!!!! Everything I tried on fit and I ended up buying 3 new dresses, 2 tops, and a skirt! I feel fantastic!!!! I'm so proud of myself!

[Bonnie]

Awesome reward for all your hard work

[Fygle]

Hey congrats!

[musculargirl]

Nice!! That bootcamp sounds like fun!

[ArtzyJen]

Alright... Let's see if I can remember this. We did circuits again today. These were waaaaaaaaaaaay harder. I'm gonna die of soreness tomorrow. First day for me to use 8 lb weights during boot camp. My instructor told me she'd give me a week of classes to transition to using them all the time. I switched between 8 and 5 weights today.

Warm- up: knee-ups, high knees, straight leg soldier marches, walking lunges, reverse lunges, butt kickers.

Sets included... 10 dumbbell pushups, 10 curls, 10 tricep extensions, 30 mountain climbers, 10 burpees, 20 weighted jumping jacks, 10 weighted squats (all with 8 lb weights- and did 3-4 sets of each of these), running 2 laps with 5 lb weights above our heads, then 2 laps with just holding them at our sides (did this combo 6 times), 20 jumping jacks with 5lb weights (8 times), 20 switch lunges with 8 lb weights (4 times). I think there's more I'm forgetting...

1 minute timed: V-ups, bicycles, weighted sit-ups.

[Bonnie]

How long are the laps ? What are dumbell pushups, a chest press ? Good thing no one has hypertension in that class all that gripping of weights would cause them to drop dead, probably why they made velcro limb weights.

[fitoverforty]

What are dumbell pushups, a chest press ?

You can do them with a row also:

a little harder than a regular pushup - works the core stabilization muscles.

[ArtzyJen]

hahahaha Yes... they are close! I've done man-makers before too. I'm still going to die tomorrow from soreness.

I have done the dumbbell push-ups both with and without rows. I have to say that Crossfit Burpees are the worst of all boot-camp exercises though. See example below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyjZ8r7_ke4&feature=related

My boot camp instructor is starting Crossfit classes in March and wants me to try. After doing those Burpees a few times I'm going to have to think about that!

[Boss Man]

The bottom picture is like some cross between a Dumbell Row and a Side Plank. I'm not getting good vibes off that exercise, as you're essentially doing a DB row coupled with a twist action; the two things not naturally going together in my mind .

[Boss Man]

Weighted Press-ups, Dumbell rows and Shoulder Presses in the same movement. Not keen on that. I can see that potentially causing injuries to people, who just get one or two apsects of that technique a little bit off.

[Bonnie]

I wouldn't recommend these for anyone without proper previous connective tissue, strength conditioning, they are a skeletal muscle, tendon, ligament injury waiting to happen, for advanced training only.

[ArtzyJen]

I will say that there are only 6 people in boot camp classes at any given time and there are 2 instructors, so we are very closely watched for proper form. They don't make us do them. If we feel we can't do the exercise or if we aren't able to use proper form, we are given an alternative exercise to do.

[Bonnie]

Yes as I watched some clips on you tube last night, I did see there are slow motion versions of these type of workouts, for less advanced persons, its only when you add the speed, that it becomes an issue.Sounds like your class is covered well though. Have fun with it

[Boss Man]

Agreed. Sometimes on some exercises, a faster cadence can increase injury risk, especially if you're inadvertantly promoting a more jerky or slightly more erratic technique, because moving faster, may make you less likely to concentrate on technique properly.

In the case of that exercise, you have 3 different things combined, so plenty to go wrong in relation to technique and transitioning and also you might find you're not so strong on the Shoulder Press portion, compared to the rowing portion, meaning you might choose a weight too heavy for the Shoulder Press part and come a cropper.

[ArtzyJen]

Grr.. was not feeling good enough to go to boot camp this morning. I think my hubby gave me his junky head stuff he's been fighting for a few days now. I'm feeling better with meds and will probably do a Biggest Loser DVD workout or go running at some point today. We've got company coming in for the weekend to stay with us today, so I really didn't want to go kill myself in Boot Camp and cause myself to get even more run down.