Frodocious's Fabulous Female Fitness Frenzy

I'm contemplating dropping the scorpions (and some other twisting stuff) from my routine. I've read recent stuff by Eric Cressey where he states he uses these with caution particularly with athletes who have a history of back pain - which is me - and on the dvds they really stress the importance of bracing the core with these sorts of moves so you get the stretch in the thoracic spine not the lumbar spine.

 

I should also say that the dvds emphasise hip mobility over lumbar spine mobility.

I wonder whether for some of the ab work a lot of the problems people have are due to muscular imbalances - loads of people do ab work (crunches etc) but far fewer do posterior chain/back work (deadlifts, reverse leg lifts, superman work etc), so you get the same sort of imbalances that happens in shoulders with lots of benching work but very little rowing. I know my lower back has felt much better since I started add weighted reverse leg lifts to my routine.

You wouldn't be able to see me because of all the foot fur!

19/9/11

~2.8 km walk/run
Walk 1 min, run 40secs

followed by

50m sprints, 1 min rest x 5
25m sprints, 25m walk, 1 min rest x 5

 

20/9/11

Mobility drill 2:
Yoga twist x8 es
Bird dog x10 es
Calf stretch x10es
Fire hydrant x10es
Side to side leg swing x 10es
Windmills x8es
Single leg supine bridge x8es
Prone scorpion x8es
Cradle walks x5es
Miniband side step x10es
Deep wideout drops x 10
Foam roller perpendicular
Quadruped thoracic extension rotation x10es
Scapular pushups x10
Dynamic blackburns x10
Reach roll and lift x10 es
Posterior lunge with posterolateral reach x10 es
Wrist rotations x10 each direction

Strength session
A1: Glute bridges on gym ball 3x10
A2: Alternating dumbell floor press 3x5 each side 20lbx2

B: Sumo Deadlift
1x5 20kg
1x5 30kg
1x5 40kg
1x3 50kg
1x2 60kg
2x4 70kg
4x1 80kg

C1: Dumbbell chest supported row 2x20lb 3x8
C2: Dumbbell lunges 2x20lb 3x10

D: Suitcase deadlifts 20lb 3x5 es

E: Straight arm plank 5x25secs

1 powerclean, 37.2kg seemed ok to pull and didn't really bother my shoulder.

 

The sumo deadlift uses the legs, glutes and hips more and puts less pressure on the back, which is why I alternate between the 2. I find it gives my lower back time extra time to recover from conventional deads whilst still allowing me to pull heavy weights. Also because of the stance width, the bar doesn't travel as far which often means people can lift more weight using it - although I believe most the deadlift records have been set using conventional deads.

 

21/9/11

~2.8 km walk/run
Walk 1 min, run 40secs

followed by

Complex:
10kg barbell, 2x 10lb dumbbells

Barbell Deadlift
Hang clean
Front squat
Bent over row
Romanian deadlift
Dumbbell reverse lunge
x 5
1 min rest
Repeat x 6

Followed by:

3 mins shadow boxing/kicking and bagwork 1 min rest x 5
Round breakdown:
2 rounds shadow boxing/kicking,
1 round bagwork - relatively light punches, elbows and knees
1 round shadow boxing/kicking
1 round ground and pound/armbar spinouts on a floor bag

 

22/9/11

Mobility Drill 3:

Side twist x10 (es)
Bird dog x10 each side (es)
Side lying trunk twist x8 es
Calf stretch x10 es
Fire hydrant x 10 es
Supine bridge x12
Side to side leg swing x10 es
Hip corrections x10 es
Supine scorpion x8 es
Squat to stand x8 es
Walking spiderman x5 es
Reverse warrior lunge with twist x10 es
Foam roller segmental x10
Side lying rotation extension x10 es
Closed cain extention/rotation x10 es
PNF diagonal x10 es
Side lying rotation with clenohumeral internal rotation x10es
Split stance rotation x10 es
Closed chain kinetic mobilization x10


A1: Zercher/weighted vest box squats
1x5 20kg
1x5 30kg
1x5 40kg
1x3 45kg
1x2 50kg
3x5 53.2kg
A2: Frogstand 2x30secs

B1: Wrist rollers 2x5, 2x4 5lb
B2: Reverse leg lifts 3x5 15lb

C1: Glute bridges on stability ball 3x10
C2: Wrist/knuckle pushups 2x10

D1: Powercleans 3x15kg
D2: Standing ring rows 3x5

E: Straight arm plank 5x25 seconds

Took it easy with the powercleans. Used light weights and shoulder felt OK, but a little achy afterwards. The most uncomfortable bit was lowering the weight from my shoulders back down to the floor.

 

23/9/11

Rest Day

Mobility drill 4:
Bent knee twist x8 es
Bird dog x10 es
Calf stretch x10es
Fire hydrant x10es
Anterior posterior leg swing x 10es
Windmills x8es
Single leg supine bridge x8es
Miniband side step x10es
Deep wideout drops x 10
Alternating lateral lunges x10es
Crossover overhead reverse lunges x10es
High knee walks x5 es
Foam roller perpendicular
Quadruped thoracic extension rotation x10es
T-pushups with external rotation x10
Shoulder circles big/little x10
Scapular wall slides x10
High step with rotation x10 es
Closed chain extention mobilisation x10

Followed by lower body and back SMR

Real ouchy bits are IT band, calves and lower back! :cry:

 

The last thing I felt like doing whilst working on the ouchy bits was lol-ing!

 

24/9/11

Turbo trainer cycling:
1 min easy 30 secs harder x 10

Complex:
12.2kg barbell, 2x11lb dumbbells

Barbell Deadlift
Hang clean
Front squat
Bent over row
Dumbbell reverse lunge
x 6
1 min rest
Repeat x 5

Followed by:

3 mins shadow boxing/kicking and bagwork 1 min rest x 5

Round breakdown:
2 rounds shadow boxing/kicking,
1 round bagwork - relatively light punches, elbows and knees
1 round shadow boxing/kicking
1 round ground and pound/armbar spinouts on a floor bag

And, as it's Saturday night, it will soon be time for post workout cake! :happy:

 

Well, I cheated a bit today, as I had a fresh cream chocolate cake with my lunch, so tonight's cake is a fresh cream meringue (and it's got strawberries and kiwi with it - so obviously it's healthy! )

 

25/9/11

Deload week

Mobility Drill 1

Followed by:

A1: Front squats
1x5 20kg
1x5 20kg
1x3 25kg
1x2 25kg
2x5 30kg
A2: Ring row - 3x5

B1: Glute bridges on gym ball 2x5
B2: Pushups 2x5 (1 x normal, 1 x tricep)

C1: Single leg deadlifts 3x5 each leg unweighted
C2: Wrist pushups 2x5

D1:Wrist roller 2x4 5lb
D2:Arm supported straight leg lifts 2x5 unweighted - tried the first set in the full l-sit position and my shoulder really didn't like that!

E: Reverse leg lifts 2x5 10lbs

F: Frogstand 2x30secs

 

26/9/11

~2.8 km walk/run
Walk 1 min, run 40secs

followed by

50m sprints, 1 min rest x 5
25m sprints, 25m walk, 1 min rest x 5

I hate running! I also suck at running and, did I mention, I hate running?! :woo:

 

The Force is strong with you, young Padawan!

 

27/9/11

Mobility drill 2

followed by

Strength session
A1: Glute bridges on gym ball 3x5
A2: Alternating dumbell floor press 3x5 each side 11lb x2

B: Deadlift
1x5 20kg
1x5 20kg Sumo
1x3 30kg
1x3 30kg Sumo
1x4 40kg
1x4 40kg Sumo


C1: Dumbbell chest supported row 2x11lb 3x5
C2: Suitcase deadlifts 20lb 3x5 es

D: Straight arm plank 5x30secs

I think I tweaked my right knee running yesterday - grrrrr!