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Exercise: stretching and motivation
OK. I normally stretch after most exercises, stretches that are for the muscles I've just exercised, and then at the end of my workout. There's some evidence that stretching after exercise helps, and none that stretching before makes a difference (though it's certainly harmless, so if you like to stretch, stretch.)
This morning, I was grumbling about not wanting to go to the gym. I'm allowed to not want to go to the gym, as long as I go. There are two reasons for this: the exercises work even if I'd rather be sleeping late, and usually, once I start working out, I want to keep going.
This morning, it didn't work. I'd done my cardio, I'd done some weight-lifting, and I decided that enough was enough, it kept getting harder, so I'd stop. "Stop" in this sense is deciding that I'm done weight-lifting, and it's time to go over to the stretching device I like, and do a bunch of stretches.
During the third set of stretches, which are for the hips and gluteals, I started feeling a strong impulse to do crunches.
Okay. The mat is right over there, I can do crunches. I could, in fact, do 80 crunches (my usual number). And then I went back into the weight room, and did more exercises there. Half an hour later, I'd done a proper workout instead of an abbreviated one, and was feeling much more cheerful, which is one of the advantages of weight-lifting. I went back, did the rest of my stretches, and showered.
[cross-posting to my journal and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
irongirls]
Cardio, 33 minutes, top heart rate 147
Calf machine, 70 pounds, 2 sets of 12; 65 pounds, 15
Bench press, 60 pounds, 12, 12, 9+3
Seated leg curl, 95 pounds, 3 sets of 15
Hip adduction, 115 pounds, 13
Back arch with physio ball, 3 sets of 16
Yoga tree, 4 sets of {2 on each leg}, balance not as good as recently
Bicep curls, 40-pound bar, 3 sets of 15
Stre...
Crunches, 25, 25, 30
Tricep pulldown, 50 pounds, 2 sets of 15; a set of {9 at 50 pounds; 6 at 45 pounds}
Wrist curl, 30 pounds, 3 sets of 15
Seated leg press, 240 pounds, 3 sets of 13
Adjustable row, 100 pounds, 5: this is where I ran out of motivation again
...tches
This morning, I was grumbling about not wanting to go to the gym. I'm allowed to not want to go to the gym, as long as I go. There are two reasons for this: the exercises work even if I'd rather be sleeping late, and usually, once I start working out, I want to keep going.
This morning, it didn't work. I'd done my cardio, I'd done some weight-lifting, and I decided that enough was enough, it kept getting harder, so I'd stop. "Stop" in this sense is deciding that I'm done weight-lifting, and it's time to go over to the stretching device I like, and do a bunch of stretches.
During the third set of stretches, which are for the hips and gluteals, I started feeling a strong impulse to do crunches.
Okay. The mat is right over there, I can do crunches. I could, in fact, do 80 crunches (my usual number). And then I went back into the weight room, and did more exercises there. Half an hour later, I'd done a proper workout instead of an abbreviated one, and was feeling much more cheerful, which is one of the advantages of weight-lifting. I went back, did the rest of my stretches, and showered.
[cross-posting to my journal and
irongirls]Cardio, 33 minutes, top heart rate 147
Calf machine, 70 pounds, 2 sets of 12; 65 pounds, 15
Bench press, 60 pounds, 12, 12, 9+3
Seated leg curl, 95 pounds, 3 sets of 15
Hip adduction, 115 pounds, 13
Back arch with physio ball, 3 sets of 16
Yoga tree, 4 sets of {2 on each leg}, balance not as good as recently
Bicep curls, 40-pound bar, 3 sets of 15
Stre...
Crunches, 25, 25, 30
Tricep pulldown, 50 pounds, 2 sets of 15; a set of {9 at 50 pounds; 6 at 45 pounds}
Wrist curl, 30 pounds, 3 sets of 15
Seated leg press, 240 pounds, 3 sets of 13
Adjustable row, 100 pounds, 5: this is where I ran out of motivation again
...tches