Archive for category Training
Getting Ripped Abs
Posted by sheila in Strength, Tips and Advice, Training on November 27, 2011
Six-pack abs. Or at least ripped abs. How to get them? Well, it’s really a combination of exercises–both cardio and strength training–plus diet. Eat lean. Burn calories. Build muscle. Peel the fat away. See the results. Here’s a very nice 2-part article on the topic, which not only discusses the above in more detail, but also suggests a number of good core exercises to target all 4 of your abdominal muscle areas, as you need to develop all four to see the results you want and crunches alone will NOT do it.
How to get a flat stomach like an Ironman Champ (part 1) – EverymanTri.com
How to get a flat stomach like an Ironman Champ (part 2) – EverymanTri.com
Training for Cold Water Swims
Posted by sheila in Tips and Advice, Training on November 12, 2011
Not that I am training for any cold, open water swims at the moment. But saw this article on the FINIS Blog, with a number of tips on how to train for such an event, plus comments from other readers, and want to save this link. I suspect that I will do the La Jolla Rough Water Swim again next year. I did it this year. Water temps were in the low 60s and no wet suits permitted. Definitely bears some thinking on how to get prepared for it next year. Thankfully I was only in the water for 38 minutes this year, and hopefully next year even less, but the cold did take a toll on my body.
Training for Cold Water Swims – 9 Tips You Need to Know | The FINIS Blog
Follow the link above to see the article on the FINIS Blog.
Good Core Videos from Rocky’s Gym
So Rocky’s Gym in Santa Cruz has some nice Yelp reviews. Looks like a good place to check out if you’re from that area.
My friend posted one of his YouTube videos on Facebook. Looks like an excellent core exercise that I am going to have to try.
Guerilla Cardio – When You’re Short On Workout Time
So here’s a nice article on Active.com about fitting in some intense cardio in a short window of time when you don’t have time for a longer cardio workout. Looks like a good alternative to just skipping the cardio. I want to keep this in mind for days when I need to fit something in but don’t have much time.
Sufferfest Bike Trainer Videos
So my friend @TriBeccaTO reviewed these Sufferfest bike trainer videos. They sound like quite a workout! Something to keep in mind for this winter’s training for sure.
Warmup Exercises for Running
It’s a good idea to warmup and cool down before and after your runs. Can’t say I always do this…probably should. Also good to incorporate some stretching into your routine. I like yoga, actually. But even stretching immediately after the run is good. Sometimes I have periods where I’m really consistent and do this after all my runs for a while. Then I get away from it. I’m away from it right now, partly because my schedule is just so packed. I’m starting to notice IT band issues on the left again. I’m going to have to get the foam roller out and use it more. Ugg.
Anyhow, here’s a very nice warmup video from the StrengthRunning.com blog. You might want to view the whole blog post that goes with the video, as it has extra information and details.
Goal Failure on Pullups
Posted by sheila in Goals, Motivation, Strength, Training on March 22, 2011
Well, so I had decided I wanted to be able to do pullups. Well, at least one to start. I made this decision in November. I knew it would take me a while to work up to it. But with all the swimming I had been doing, especially the Masters swimming that I started in June, my upper body was stronger than I ever remember it being. And I was also doing some upper body strength training. It really seemed like a good time to go for the pullup.
I got some ideas from the Fifty Pullups site and also from the article on Mistressing the Pullup. I couldn’t do even the Week 1 program on the Fifty Pullups site, but I decided to pick some exercises and just keep doing them and at least make some progress. And I picked a date. First day of spring 2011. March 20th 2011. By that day I wanted to be able to do at least 1 pullup unassisted.
So the exercises I picked to work on were: Assisted pullup machine. Pullup position max hang with slow negative pullup. Lat pull downs. Modified (Australian) pullups. Also I have the stretch resistance chords for practicing swim stroke, which uses lats (latissimus dorsi … the muscles used for good, hard swimming and in pullups), so I do that sometimes, too. When I’m at home I do dumbbell pullovers on my weight bench and dumbbell rows. Read the rest of this entry »
The Five Phases of Swim Training
So here is a good article from Competitor magazine, regarding swim training. It’s specifically for triathlon, but in general the 5 phases are:
Endurance, strength, speed, taper, recovery.
The link below takes you to the full article:
The Five Phases Of Swim Training – Triathlete.com
They have example workouts and detailed descriptions.
I swam 100 yards in 1:14!
Yes, it’s true. I really did swim 100 yards that fast. Last week on Thursday, September 30th. It was so unbelievable that neither the coach nor I actually believed at first that I did it. And I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it again, but I sure want to so much.
Normally I swim my 100s on about the order of 1:50 plus or minus a bit. Depends on how fatigued I am and how hard I’m trying. The week before my Malibu Triathlon during my taper week, I did swim some 100s on September 7th in 1:38, 1:37, 1:40 and 1:47. That 1:37 was my fastest ever until last week. I have gotten around 1:40-1:41 a number of times in the past month.
Spiderman Pushups!!!
Wow, these look tough! I will have to try these sometime. The link goes to a video on usaswimming.org with a demonstration of the exercise. Basically it’s a standard pushup but when you go down you also take one of your feet off the ground and move the knee of that leg towards the elbow of the arm on the same side while bending the leg.
Just watch the video at this link:
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Sheila Runs- Getting Ripped Abs November 27, 2011
- Training for Cold Water Swims November 12, 2011
- Inspirational Moments for Autistic Boy November 4, 2011
- Good Core Videos from Rocky’s Gym November 1, 2011
- Guerilla Cardio – When You’re Short On Workout Time October 25, 2011
- Sufferfest Bike Trainer Videos October 1, 2011