Mixing up the gym routine
By Jess
Yesterday at the gym I decided to try a new workout. I’d been thinking that it would be good for my body to get some variety, and also that if I ever want to actually do that triathlon, I should probably train in ways other than just swimming. Also, I just wasn’t really in the mood to hop in the pool.
So, instead of my usual hour of swimming laps, I did half an hour on the adaptive motion trainer, followed by half an hour on the weight machines. (And as a side note, adaptive motion trainers are awesome. My husband has been using them since our gym first added them a few months ago, and has been raving about them–and last night I discovered that he is totally right. They let you do anything, at any pace, without putting pressure on your joints. WIN.)
And you know, I’d been feeling pretty good about my swimming workout routine. It was definitely making me stronger and fitter. My stamina and strength have increased, and those are good things. I also no longer deal with PMS and am generally happier and more energetic. Plus it helps with weight loss. All absolutely fantastic benefits.
Part of why I like swimming is that it’s cardio and strength training in one. And that is true. But my half-hour on the adaptive motion trainer was a lot harder than a half-hour of swimming, and not just because I’m used to swimming. No, it was just more of a cardio workout (plus, there were no opportunities to take breaks between laps). I was panting and sweaty in a way that I am not after swimming (and not just because the pool keeps me cool). Swimming does raise my heart rate, for sure. But the adaptive motion trainer did a much better job of that.
And my half hour on the weight machines last night showed me that the whole strength training aspect of swimming? Yeah, it helps somewhat, but hoo boy, does it ever not cover everything.
For example, last night I did leg presses (45 pounds) and leg curls (75 pounds), five sets of 10 reps each. And today, OMG are my legs sore. So at first I thought, OK, great, it must be a different muscle group. But then I remembered–leg presses and leg curls work your quadriceps and your hamstrings. Otherwise known as pretty much the main muscles in your upper legs. So… I can only hope that I was working those muscles while swimming as well. Right? Just maybe not as intensely?
So… I guess I’ll take from this that while swimming is great, other workouts are also quite useful. I will keep going to water aerobics class, and keep swimming maybe once or twice a week in addition–but I’d like to add last night’s workout into the rotation as well, at least once or twice a week.
I also want to explore more of those weight machines. There are so many different options in our gym’s weight section–it will take me forever to try them all out and figure out which ones I like best. And this leads me to a question–what amount of weight should I be aiming for with these things? How much weight do you push when you’re using machines like these?
And also, more generally, what’s your gym routine? Do you have a staple workout that you always use, or do you try to mix it up? What workouts feel the most effective for you?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I try not to repeat a workout more then 2x a week. Maybe a video one day, walking+free weights the next, a new video the next day… I mix up yoga, 30DS & Power90 videos, long, moderate paced walks and shorter, fast walks/jogs, etc.
And just as an aside – I was on swim teams from age 5-18+ and we never, ever had a week without some cross training. Lots of running and weights were thrown in with the actual laps pool time. On of my coaches favorite things to do pool-side was intervals – 200 meters freestyle, get out & do 30 push ups, 200 meters fly get out & do 50 full sit-ups, 200 meters free get out & do 30 leg raises…etc until you got to 2000 meters. No stopping, racing the clock the whole time…it’s a killer workout and you don’t have to choose pool vs. gym.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
hello jess,
in my experience, it’s really hard to compare weights across different machines (i.e the weight one person would use on a leg extension machine weights by company xyz and company abc), because they’re all a wee bit different.
i train on a different kind of machine altogether (the milon circle, which trains both ways – including the eccentric), and a couple of machines. the first step, i’d reckon, is to get instructions on the machines at your gym, simply because they’re all a bit different and setting them right for your bod is crucial.
i have three different programs that i do on my three weekly gym visits, and i make an effort to switch them up every six weeks. i actually get a date with my trainer then, tell her how i’ve been doing and what i’d like to work at now, and she helps me in adapting my routine.
really – instructions are super important when starting up a weight routine. if you want to make the most of the machines at your gym, make sure you use them right.
and: enjoy it! weight training is awesome and makes me feel totally badass and strong and fabulous!
October 28th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I hiiiiighly recommend The New Rules of Lifting for Women. It gives you all you need to know in terms of weight training (including detailed programs–what to do at the gym and when), along with useful information about why using normal weight machines may not give you the best results.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256763112&sr=8-1
October 29th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I love swimming as an upper-body workout, but unless you’re actively trying to work for resistance on your lower body (which, sadly, means doing water aerobics, rather than swimming), it’s not much of a strength workout for your legs. And unless you’re switching up and doing breast, crawl/freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke in your workouts, you’re probably missing out on some upper-body strength, too.
(Do I sound like I’m totally down on swimming? I’m not, seriously! I love swimming!)
I’m currently piggybacking an off-season tri-training schedule and a Body-for-Life challenge (which is a great resource for strength workouts). So my schedule is:
M: am/swim
M: lunch/strength
T: pm/spinning and running (intervals)
W: am/swim
W: lunch/strengh
T: pm/spinning and running (tempo)
F: lunch/strength
S: long run or long bike
S: rest
http://www.stumptuous.com is an AMAZING resource for women’s strength workouts.
And can I just say that I’m in awe of your ability to step up and hamstring curl 75 pounds? I do that much now, after two months of lifting consistently, and I’m hobbling for days afterward!