Dont Over Think It
6 05 2008
I would like to start a basic exercise routine including strength training but it’s kinda overwhelming. I have been reading alot of sites and they mention things such as rotator cuff exercises and upright rows being bad. Are rotator cuff exercises really necessary? And are over head presses with dumbbells a safe alternative to upright rows? I find it so overwhelming because I am sure there are other things such as rotator cuff exercises I should be doing but exercising is not my favorite activity and I don’t want to spend an hour a day just to make sure I get every muscle in.
Also, I find it confusing knowing that I am going to have to change exercises to progress. All these articles I read make it sound simple, like just weight train 3 days a week, but really there is a lot to change and to be sure you are getting all your muscles without overloading certain group-ahh! Thanks in advance
Leah
I know it can seem overwhelming, but take a step back. any strength training is good, so dont worry so much about being perfect. As long as you hit the major muscle groups, you will be fine. You dont need rotator cuff, or anything like that, unless you are training specifically for something you need it strengthened for (like softball or swimming). If you are just training to get the health benefits and tone up, you just have to hit the major muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, abs and back (core), shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps. That might seem like a lot, but you can work most of those together: squats work the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes, pushups work the chest and triceps, etc. You can combine things even more to cut down on the time: walking lunges with a bicep curl to shoulder press, or you can even add cardio components to full body exercises, like burpees (squats thrusts). Im all for quick workouts, so I combine as much as possible to cut down o nthe time.
You are going to read a lot about what is “good” and what is “bad.” The truth is, if you do it with proper form, you arent going to hurt yourself. Upright rows are fine if you do them properly. I suggest reading up as much as you can on proper form for strength training, or possibly working out with a friend that knows what they are doing if you cant afford a trainer.
Dont over think it. walking lunges, push ups and crunches are sufficient to hit every body part. Since you are just starting out, take it slow. Later on you will learn how to progress by realizing something isnt challenging anymore and figuring out how to make it so. Or maybe you’ll see someone else doing something and think, “I want to try that.” You can add weights, or do different exercises completely to change up your routine. Just do whats fun and find new moves you want to try. It should be enjoyable, not a headache.
Hey Kelly,
I was thinking about getting a few new exercise tools, like a stability ball. My birthday is next week and I basically just asked for gift certificates to fitness stores…so what would you reccomend?
you nailed it in the title.
100%
M.
Hannah- um whoever got you gift certificates to fitness stores is the greatest gift giver ever.
I would 100% recommend a bosu. You can do everything that you can do with a stability ball, except you can stand on it, jump on it, or flip it upside down and use it as a balance board for push ups, or squats, the possibilities are endless. Oh man, cant sing the bosu’s praises enough. They are about $100 bucks, but worth every penny. You can just google it and check out all the exercises you can do.
So I want to ask you about lunges… I have bad knees, they have been bad since I was a kid, plus I played soccer for years and years and that can play hell on your knees. Anyways, whenever I do lunges, it makes my knees ache afterwards. What can I do that works similar muscles, but doesn’t strain my knees so much? Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestions! I love doing bicep curls with calf raises.
Not over thinking things is a specialty of mine. Some people call this Not Thinking At All, but they’re wrong.
I don’t know what’s going on. I have been eating really well. But for past three days, ravenous hunger, overloading (about 2500 cals yesterday/not on junk food, but I do admit to drinking my share of iced flavored coffee, one most days!) just binge eating. I work out/do something over an hour every day. I don’t know what could be causing this. I feel sick to my stomach a fair amount, bloated, Not sure what to do. Any ideas.
Aren’t I burning more calories withe over thinking?
Thinking burns calories, right? RIGHT?
sassy- you can do squats and lunges with a stability ball behind your hips up against a wall. it takes a lot of the pressure of your joints, but still gets the results. The intensity isnt as high, but you can do more of them.
have you tried leg press machines? sometimes laying supine helps. You also might need tyo build up your lateral support (the sides of your knees). the stronger that is the stabilized the joint will become. You can start by standing on an uneven surface and progress to little squats and eventually move deeper and deeper in them. also, heel tucks will work. search you tube for stability ball hamstring curls. you can also do wall sits, it will keep the joint stationary but still engage the same muscles.
sagan- me too. im all about combining stuff to get maximum results. if you do 1 leg calf raises, you get your core and inner and outter thigh working, too.
chris- i think any thinking is over thinking so….where was i going with this?
flipflops- are you actually hungry? or do you start eating and cant stop, cause this makes a HUGE difference. If you can answer that, i think i can help you further.
kiala- so does taking cold showers. and chewing gum: 11 calories an hour. i should develope a fitness routine where its all about doing nothing at all. chew gum and think and take a cold shower and breath really fast. and digest. thats the recipe for weightloss.
flipflops- i also cant post on your site, it blocks individual websites
Sorry Kelly, I just started the blog so I guess I’d better figure out how to fix that pronto! I think it’s a combo of being really genuinely hungry. I do not skip meals at all. For like 3 months, I was doing great at between 1450 and 1750, depending on day. Once I start eating, then it’s the mindless/stress bingy pattern that I was famous for for a LONG LONG time.
I get that bosus and exercise balls recruit your core in addition to what you are working, but how does it help your other muscles. For example, why are lunges using a bosu more effective than increasing the weight your are holding while doing lunges?
flipflops- if its mindless, then you are going to be the only person that can answer why you are over eating. Ther only thing i can really offer you is to make sure you get alot of complex carbs to level your appetite, and stay away form simple carbs for a while which will spike your blood sugar and make you crave more sugar soon after.
i have days where i eat 2500 calories, too. but those are calories that i let myself have and dont feel guilty about. how you feel about the food is the most important part, and if you feel guilty afterwards, or like you “failed” or something, you have to figure out why you are eating extra. i cant really figure that out for you.
Marcy- it works your other muscles just like it works your core. when you stand on something unstable, you either wobble or you dont. either way your muscles are engaged: tensed and constantly fighting against gravity to keep you from falling over. If you do anything on one leg, not only are the front and the back working, but both sides as well, to keep your leg from buckling. this is lateral support- lateral means on either side.
Marcy- (i didnt finish my thought) if your legs dont wobble, your stability is better-your muscles are stronger. Then, you need to find another way to stimulate them.
regular lunges with more weight work the same muscles, but harder. on an unstable service you are recruiting different motor units to help you balance- it works MORE muscles.
Thank you SO MUCH for this. I’m in the exact same situation, and this helped me a lot.
hey kelly,
what are the best exercises for the lower back (i hesitate to say it, because it sounds ugly…but specifically lower back fat). this seems to be a problem area for many women, like myself.
are there any exercises i can do at home? so far, i have just tried pilates moves (like the “swimming move”).
thanks for your advice!
MNAG- no worries, i say back fat, too. back extensions are great for the lower back. If you prop yourself up against a wall with your feet, leabning face down over a stability ball, you can lift your chest and hold it for a few counts and then release. do that a few times, and youll feel it burn. thereare a lot of variations of that exercise you can do, but beyond that, cardio is the way to go. its excess fat around your middle, so youll have to burn it off.
Kelly: The posting issue is fixed. Feel free to post if you want to.
)