The third in a series by Scot Willingham.

@##=#<1,R>@##=#Training diary!

Soapbox lecture: The one piece of equipment that you should always use when you are working out is a training diary. It can be as elaborate as those versions that they sell in all the cycling catalogues, or it can be a couple of sheets of paper that you tore out of your friend’s composition book. You can download all the information into one of those software programs or you can staple those sheets onto a piece of cardboard that you cut out of the mail order package from Colorado Cyclist.
Whatever. You MUST keep a diary. How will you know how wonderful you’ve become if you don’t know how awful you were before (or something like that)?

I’m not making a comment on your memory, it’s just that a training diary makes it easy to look back over your workouts. And it is a valuable tool when evaluating your overall year.

If you are not already using one, get in the habit. It will be your best friend for life and when you are sitting on the Bench at the Boathouse and relating those amazing stories of your youth, you can whip that puppy out and give the cynical crowd the written word. They’ll be amazed. (If for nothing else, that you actually carry that thing around with you)

Equipment (cont.)

an uncluttered 10’ x10’ space
comfortable workout shoes
comfortable workout clothes
1 mat or comfortable rug
1 3 ‘ long x 6” in diameter Styrofoam roller
1 1’ long x 6” in diameter Styrofoam 1/2 roller
1 Swiss ball (for your height)
1 6” in diameter medicine ball
3 3’ long Therabands or Exertubes

(Bands and tubing come in different strengths. Unless you have recently injured yourself I would suggest that you get the 3 strongest. Manufacturers use different colors to designate strength so it will depend on who you order from. If you can do more than 15 repetitions of an exercise without fatigue then go to the next strongest. You can also double up to get more resistance)

Safety tip: Bands and tubing are a great compact form of resistance. They can however break and snap. Be sure to inspect them each time for small holes or cuts and replace them if you suspect wear.

1 riser or step or box (can be a part of a staircase or a STEP or a curb. It should be high enough that when you put one foot on it your knee will be bent at 90 degrees)

Optional Equipment
small towel
balance board
weight vest
dumbbells
economically challenged person’s dumbbell: a plastic water jug full of water. Can also double as a hydration device (meaning you can drink from it)
broomstick or BodyBar

Quick thought about variations: If you don’t want to buy Styrofoam rollers you can make do with some home remedies. The main reason for the roller is to give you an unstable surface to put your support foot or feet on. This can also be achieved by folding up your mat and standing on that. There is a rubberized, inflatable disc (13” to 15” in diameter) that is fairly easy to store. It gives you a VERY unstable surface and is challenging. Or by standing on the very edge of your box or STEP or stair. (If it’s a box, make sure that it won’t tip over when you put weight on the extreme edge) Some gyms have a calf raise bar that is a 2×4 on edge that you could stand on for the one legged exercises, like a balance beam.
Look around. There is plenty of stuff to workout with. Just make sure that it can handle you before you use it. And if it belongs to your neighbor you might want to ask before you start jumping all over it.

One Leg Exercises

I love these. They are soooooo cool and like they say on the cereal commercials, “Good for ya”. But they are challenging and can be frustrating because you think that you should be able to stand on one leg since you are an adult and have been standing for many years. Well, guess again. There will be the few of you out there who can do this stuff blindfolded, but the majority will find this tough. Swallow your ego and jump right in, but only on one leg.

Rule One: You will find that this is a very difficult and frustrating way of training.

Rule Two: Reread Rule One.

Really important item: When you first start doing one legged work, pay attention to which leg seems weaker. Then in your subsequent workouts, start with your weaker side. Do the exercise til it fatigues and then do the same number on the other side, even if it does not fatigue. This will let the weaker leg catch up. Later, when you’ve evened out, you can fatigue both sides. (Something we all look forward to.)

2 Ski Tuck

Muscles worked:
Primary: Gluteus maximus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings
Secondary: Gluteus medius and minimus, Adductor Magnus
Tertiary: Lateral muscles of the hip, lower leg compartment, ankle
Equipment: None

Stand near a stabilizer if necessary. Stand on 2 feet about hip width apart. Tuck your chin into your chest and continue to drop your upper body over until your shoulders and hips are on the same level. Your back should be rounded, not flat. This position is the tuck you would get into for a fast downhill.

Lift up one foot by bending the knee more so that you are balanced on the other foot. Without changing your upper body, simply bend and straighten your supporting leg. Be sure to completely straighten the leg. When you bend your leg, go only as low as you can without lifting the heel. The foot should stay flat. Do 15 repetitions or until fatigue. Repeat on the other side.

Stud Muffin version: Stand on a 1’ x 6” 1/2 roller with the flat side up and do the exercise.

Xena, Warrior princess version: You can go up to 20 or 25 reps with this exercise in the later weeks of your workout.