quote:

Originally posted by Sheltieguy:
I quit doing those [superman], because I managed to hurt my back doing them.

Last year, I got a professional back physical therapy book from the library. If memory serves, it said that both the superman and the traditional crunch were very stressful on the back.

Since you can do these exercises without injury, they obviously must be fine for you.

When it comes to exercise, I'm just a walking Injury Waiting To Happen.

Shoot, Sheltie. I though Superman was supposed to be a good back exercise.

Side plank (lie on your side and raise your upper body)
I do this. I could do these when I hurt my shoulder and couldn't do a push up.

“bird dog” (in which, from all fours, you raise an alternate arm and leg) exercise the important muscles embedded along the back and sides of the core.
I do these, too.


As for the abdominals, no sit-ups, McGill said; they place devastating loads on the disks.
I do crunches recommended in Mayo Clinic videos.


Thanks Sheltie... bummer about your walking wounded status.

I've had two injuries. Both on skis. The kneecap dislocation.

And I fell and hurt my shoulder for about a year. I had on skis... but to say that I was "skiing" is sort of an exaggeration. It was REALLY icy... and I was inching along on a TOTALLY flat piece of ground and just slipped and fell. I was literally moving about one foot a second. I avoid ice like the plague, now.

Honestly, I haven't done the workout in a while. But when I was doing it regularly, I didn't lose any weight. I did notice that some of the moves, like the walking push-ups in #3, got easier. I also tried doing things to mix it up a little -- I would do 2 and 3 back to back or substitute an all-out two-minute piece on the rowing machine for the cardio. It may be time to try it again.

quote:

Doing a Superman for a min doesn't exactly kill me.

I quit doing those, because I managed to hurt my back doing them.

Last year, I got a professional back physical therapy book from the library. If memory serves, it said that both the superman and the traditional crunch were very stressful on the back.

Since you can do these exercises without injury, they obviously must be fine for you.

When it comes to exercise, I'm just a walking Injury Waiting To Happen.

UPDATE:

I think this is about the Dr. that wrote the previously mentioned book:

Instead, he suggests, a core exercise program should emphasize all of the major muscles that girdle the spine, including but not concentrating on the abs. Side plank (lie on your side and raise your upper body) and the “bird dog” (in which, from all fours, you raise an alternate arm and leg) exercise the important muscles embedded along the back and sides of the core. As for the abdominals, no sit-ups, McGill said; they place devastating loads on the disks. An approved crunch begins with you lying down, one knee bent, and hands positioned beneath your lower back for support. “Do not hollow your stomach or press your back against the floor,” McGill says. Gently lift your head and shoulders, hold briefly and relax back down. These three exercises, done regularly, McGill said, can provide well-rounded, thorough core stability. And they avoid the pitfalls of the all-abs core routine. “I see too many people,” McGill told me with a sigh, “who have six-pack abs and a ruined back.”

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/...ack%20pain%22&st=cse

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

I didn't feel like it was an over-the-top challenge. In fact, I'm more challenged from a coordination standpoint than strength or cardio.I thought that the cardio and jumping jacks and such were challenging for about a week.

The first day, I was, "OMG! Who would think that 2 mins of jumping jacks and invisible jump rope would be KILLING me?!?!?!?" But I think that it was a case of jump rope requires very different muscles from the elliptical machine (my usual cardio of choice). My muscles adapted pretty quickly, though.

I've been wearing a Heart Rate Monitor... and the first couple of weeks, I was burning 200ish calories in 25 mins (I run in place for 5 mins while the DVD is running thru the "Biggest Loser DVD" ads). Now I'm burning 150ish calories.

The strength? I thought it was pretty challenging... but not over the top HARD. But I could do 6-8 guy push ups before I even started the 30 day shred.

Although my arms were like rubber bands after the first 2-3 days of doing it. We have these bins of music stands that weigh about 90 pounds each. Somebody asked me to drive around and shlep 3 bins to the jr high on day 2 of the 30 Day Shred and it was HARD to lift those bins in and out of my car with my rubber band arms! And usually, I just sort of throw the bins around.

And I've been doing these Core exercises for about 3 years.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/heal...ore-strength/SM00047

Doing a Superman for a min doesn't exactly kill me.

I have some 1, 2, 5, and 8 lb weights here and mostly use the 5 or 8 ones.

I do like that it isn’t dancing. I like that she is practically sour and morose and isn’t all cheerful and perky. I’d rather hear, “I want you gargling your throat right now! I want you to feel like you are going to DIE!!!” vs. hearing happy, cute, dance step instructions.

Can't do those double jump ropes for anything!I can do every other one… like a little jump and a big one.

I can’t do the “Rock Stars”… mostly because I’m terrified that I will just come down to the ground and drop 2 feet on my knees.

Have you tried the “Metabolism Boost”? It is free on Comcast On Demand right now. I like that also… goes 50 mins. I kind of like the 20 min 30 Day Shreds, since 20 mins is excuse proof. And you turn it on, do it and that is it.

I’m curious about next ski season… I think that the 30 Day Shred and the “Metabolism Boost” will be very good for my skiing… I hope.

Also, based on my 8 lb gain… don’t know about the Metabolism Boosting properties of the DVD and MANY, MANY people on the WW’ers boards report a 5-10 lb gain from the 30 Day Shred DVD.

I’ve always believed in the past that you need extra calories to build tissue… be it fat or muscle or a baby… if you are going to build tissue… you need to eat more than you burn. However, my belief in “Calories in and Calories out” and you want to make muscle, or fat or a baby, and you need to eat about 100 calories extra is being tested.

Are you gaining from doing it?