History of the body...

I, like trainers do, ask all my new clients about their injury history.  Yes, I really do want to know about that time someone broke their arm on the monkey bars in third grade.  I want to know about the car crash, the back surgery, the sprained ankles, and that thing with the shoulder.

I also ask about exercise history.   Ballet?  Football?  Both?  Tennis?  Weights?  Curling?  Track team?  Champion couch sitter?

This is because bodies remember.

That third grade broken arm or sprained ankle changed movement, caused adjustments in posture and gait, altered the sense of where the body is in the world.  Even after something has healed, the changes can linger on, manifesting in balance being easier on one side, or form causing more of a problem on another.  That early experience with sport or movement (or lack thereof) has also left motor memories in the tissues.  Some muscles will be more developed, some movements will come easier because of that training.

I need to work with the body in front of me.  I will observe closely, of course, but knowing the background helps.

It also means that what we do today will remain in the body in the future.  That’s good news!

Rhythm (not blues)

Each of us has our own rhythm.  This is what makes our global drum circle so fun.  It’s also why I tend not to tell people when to work out.  Science may have stuff to say about when the best time is, but here’s the thing:  the best workouts are the ones we actually do, not the ones we mean to do but skip for whatever reason.  Trying to make a morning person work out in the afternoon, or a night-owl work out at 7 in the morning is a thankless task.

I am the kind of person who, if something important needs doing, needs to do it first thing.  That means I start to work out pretty much as soon as I roll out of bed.  (I have a dog who helps me do this.)  During April, I committed to doing a writing thing first thing in the morning.  Not only has it made my dog grumpy, it has made my workouts significantly harder to start and finish.  Workouts keep me sane, so as soon as it is May, I’m back to my healthier schedule.  For me.  For some people, the idea of going to the gym first thing is enough to make them turn over and put a pillow over their heads.

Then there are the people who seem to come alive only after dark.  They’re probably not vampires because when they work out they breathe heavily and sweat.  Those folks are strongest when others are ready to curl up with a book or a teddy.

We can do this, but it’s smart to do it at the best time for us.

Monday Workout: Heavy!

We are switching it up a little this week.  Our goal is to choose weights that are heavy enough that we can barely complete that tenth rep.  We get in our cardio interval between sets, but when the weights are heavier, our heart rates might get up during the lifting, too.  Four rounds!

1 min jump rope/Xiser
squats	10
bench press	10
deadlifts	10
flies	10
lunges	10
rows	10
roll out abs	10