Ok, Let’s talk rest and recovery FIRST!....I cratered this week…yes, somebody hid kryptonite in my office.
I am not formally in a training cycle…thus….I have no training schedule. For 17 straight days I hammered…hard…including running a ½ marathon hard following a one hour spin class (multiple times)…and pushed the lactic acid threshold harder than I should have. Throw in the hour long boot camps, sessions with a personal trainer…2 hour trail runs…I did not realize that I had not taken a day off to recover…17 straight…17 WHAT THE…Never in my right mind would I have set up a training schedule to do such a thing. So on Tuesday this week, the house of cards came down…all the signs of over training…high heart rate, high blood pressure, fatigue and on Wednesday, the “depression like” mood set in…if you know me…I am hardly ever down…but on Wednesday, questioned everything…You have got to rest…God rested on the 7th day…You have to rest…so for 2 straight days, I slept in and did nothing workout wise…two whole days in a row…and my peeps know that is asking a lot…it was a good thing.
So on to a core workout…and mainly on the abs…
I like to combine about 4 exercises…performed back to back…in sets…and I like to do 4 to 5 sets…
For example: I would start out with 25 normal crunches, followed by 15 leg lifts, then 30 “bicycles” and then a minute plank…no rest between each exercise and only about 15 seconds between sets…then do 4 to 5 sets…do you follow? Your abs should be screaming my the end of the 4th set and the 5 set takes you to “Superman” realm. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!
So I have posted either pics or very brief videos of the exercises demonstrated…except for the crunches…everybody knows how to do crunches.
The leg lifts:
The bicycle (actual exercise starts 44 seconds into vid:
The plank: side note – I like to be in the push up position rather than on the elbows as this engages the shoulders. I also like to lift one leg off the floor for 30 seconds then switch legs for the next 30 seconds as this engages the obliques…If you point your toes in, this engages the quads too…all good stuff…as you improve, these variations will make it more challenging.
Have Fun…and RUN ON…and REST OCCASSIONALLY TOO!
4 comments:
You know one of the best things about biking, join a bike club and just ride, have fun in a group, only "training" can make the bike boring, make sure you have some fun on it.
How far are you from San Antonio? I will be there in November for a race, I am thinking of bringing the roadie and having a Blogger ride for the heck of it. I think it would be fun.
ok now I feel like a total wimp. NEVER lifted my leg during one plank yet. Too busy CRYING :))
Hammer and have fun on the bike this weekend. You are going to LOVE IT!!
Good job on recognizing the signs and backing off right away Dave. Catching it early and putting in some good rest can stave off a longer recovery or injury. A month and a half ago, after a big week of training, I showed signs of over training and took 3 days off. Came back strong at the end of that week and the next two weeks, putting up some good miles and a lot of hill training.
The rest of the post about core training is convicting. I ain't gonna lie to you I haven't been doing my core workouts! I haven't been to the gym the last two months and that's where I do my core work. Does it count when I suck in my stomach when pretty girls run by or when I'm stiffening up the core while bombing down hills? Maybe not. Extra workout time has been going to build more miles. Before the San Diego 100 however, I do plan to go back in the gym and shore up the muscles a bit.
Try not to kill yourself Crazy man!
I made my client cry out at muscle failure with your core work today! 3 sets. Don't think Superman realm was anywhere near what I would describe what I saw in her... perhaps roadkill on yoga mat. She did linger in childs pose for a while after the workout...Good Stuff! :)
Huge fan of plank.. I have won bets with this exercise! :) I was liking the elevated foot for variety.
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