Training - Leg strength

[primalchaos]

One suggestion I have is that you should check that you are well hydrated between exercises and that you get enough sleep and eat good carbohydates ie pasta, beans,wholemeal bread, fruit such as apples and good protein like bananas and brazil nuts.

Before diving I wouldn't exercise - in fact given your current routine, can you be sure that you are giving your body sufficient rest before diving?

I do make sure to get lots of water and gatorade before and during, since I do get dry from tank air. The rest part may be a piece of it, since we had an 8 hour road trip there and back. I did sleep well, but being a in car for 8 hours does kind of pound you a little.

 

[primalchaos]

However, the best advice I can give you is to SLOW DOWN when you dive. It's NOT a race. Most of us do a modified frog kick/glide combo to conserve energy while we sightsee.

If you are still having cramping problems, you might want to consider bananas (potassium) or milk (calcium). They seem to help fight off cramps, as does stretching before & after the exertion of diving.

DSDO!

I was pushing it a bit to keep up on two of the dives, and could feel it after. That is something I should know better about, but I got caught up in the experience.

 

[MosheDyan]

A lot of people who get cramps or pull muscles (those who are often very sporty) forget whilst they are doing all their weights and cardio to stretch before and after.....
...in contracting can put those muscles you are working at more risk of cramping up or worse..... However, i have heard that stretching in the morning is pretty bad as you body isnt warmed up, so after a bit of light exercise and particularly in the evening would help........
...Its not impossible to get cramps diving, but doing something with your muscles that they havent done in a while will often strain them somewhat.
....Ps. I know that i dont stretch nearly as often as i should do, but i know people who hardly ever do.

As a side commentary the whole business of "stretching" has come under a significant amount of fire. The most recent research suggests that there is little benefit and possibly some risk attached to pre-exercise stretching. What I have tended to recommend to patients/clients is a 2 minute active warmup before exercise (consisting of non-ballistic..i.e. bouncy..movements that sort of initialize the prime muscle groups for action. Arm raises, side bends, shrugs, squats, and stepbacks performed for 12-15 reps each. I have done this prior to diving just to loosen up and I don't believe there would be any nitrogen loading risk associated with this. Post exercise PNF stretching has some excellent benefits. I also incorporate a couple of Tai Chi and Yoga movements which help overall muscle relaxation and may improve flexibility if performed properly over time.

"Since I have gotten the bowflex, I don't use free weights anymore, I know, some purists still tout them, but I'm going more for strength than sculpting"

Regardless of method any resistance training combined with a cardio will significantly boost overall fitness. I have to add that you are misinformed in believing the bowflex unit (or any machine) is more ideal than free weights...ESPECIALLY for strength training. It is the inherent nature of machines to isolate specific muscle groups....free wieghts will always be superior for strength as they not only target the specific muscle group (agonist) but will always hit the fixators that stabilize whatever movement is being performed. It not a question of "purists"....just the physiology and kinetics of exercise. The Bowflex is a great home gym system so don't take offense here OK?

<edit>
And kudos to you for using it. I think industry estimates that up to 90% of home fitness equipment is rusting away in the garage within 6 months of purchase. Thats why working with your local fitness professional and center is a better investment for the 90%+ out there!

 

[primalchaos]

Ps. I know that i dont stretch nearly as often as i should do, but i know people who hardly ever do.

I rarely have to stretch before or after, as I start and end slow in both the walking and lifting. It is a different experience for me, so I think it may take a bit of trying different ideas

 

[primalchaos]

Hey! I wasn't your guide was I? Sorry about that.

Our guide cruised pretty good in the water, we were guessing he might have been hiding gills.

 

[MosheDyan]

"Those are all good exercises I can add into my go on the bowflex. It does have a nice setup for reverse curls, maybe I need to shift from strength to repitition on the reverse curls."

Ummm...if you find your muscles fatiguing quickly you should not be fooling around with pyramid or any other strength training. You need to concentrate on endurance which means 15-20 reps with you straining to get in the last 5 with good form. Sure...it's not as sexy as chucking up a bunch of wieght...but you will get realistic results you can build on as opposed to a lot of frustration. Even though you seem to be a home fitness user it seems to me that you could benefit from a one-on-one with a pro fitness trainer....just my opinion.

 

[primalchaos]

"Since I have gotten the bowflex, I don't use free weights anymore, I know, some purists still tout them, but I'm going more for strength than sculpting"

Regardless of method any resistance training combined with a cardio will significantly boost overall fitness. I have to add that you are misinformed in believing the bowflex unit (or any machine) is more ideal than free weights...ESPECIALLY for strength training. <excerpt>The Bowflex is a great home gym system so don't take offense here OK?

<edit>
And kudos to you for using it. I think industry estimates that up to 90% of home fitness equipment is rusting away in the garage within 6 months of purchase. Thats why working with your local fitness professional and center is a better investment for the 90%+ out there!

No offense taken. I am asking for opinions, so I expect them My wife and I really like it, especially since it is easy to use and doesn't have any heavy parts the kids could get into. I don't think especially that it is any better, but it fits us better, if you know what I mean.

The one response about the mt biking made sense too, and since I do have one, I should spend some more time on it (lots of hills in my neighborhood).

 

[primalchaos]

Even though you seem to be a home fitness user it seems to me that you could benefit from a one-on-one with a pro fitness trainer....just my opinion.

Hmmm... I could probably find one of those

 

[scubasean]

It is the inherent nature of machines to isolate specific muscle groups....free wieghts will always be superior for strength as they not only target the specific muscle group (agonist) but will always hit the fixators that stabilize whatever movement is being performed.

I learned this quite quickly after my wife bought me a couple of hours with a trainer as a christmas present...Free weights made alot of difference...the ability to stabilize the weight and not just lift it...was key.

 

[ElectricZombie]

I do leg presses, leg extensions and weighted calf raises to keep my legs in shape. I keep the weight extremely heavy and do low reps. I also add deadlifts to the mix because they work everything really.