Getting In Shape for 2016/17

[dancingspark]

Holy cow! I had no idea.

 

[Gloria]

This ties into the article above, re: the importance of strong glutes.
https://gokhalemethod.com/blog/62310

Interesting. I've seen a lot written about the difference in glute strength between Sprinters and distance runners but never a walking one. Cute the way they wrote it too.

 

[marzNC]

My boyfriend tore his ACL and didn't get it reconstructed for a year. I'm not even sure how he was able to walk on it. But the surgery was so expensive that he couldn't afford to go until then. :/ I wish they had those sorts of clinical trials at more hospitals...

Really depends on how much collateral damage there was when the ACL popped. Good news is that it doesn't really matter that he waited to have surgery, as long as he was careful enough to avoid another injury incident. There are more people skiing without an ACL than you might imagine.

For more about what's possible without an ACL, check out my experience:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ry-no-problem-my-new-normal-as-a-coper.15049/

 

[va_deb]

@W8N2SKI I'm not even all the way through this thread yet, but thanks for starting it. (I know there's a whole section, but pretty cool to see organic recent stuff, too). There are some great nuggets here. And I'm getting inspired and excited. Thanks, everyone!

 

[Gloria]

Really depends on how much collateral damage there was when the ACL popped. Good news is that it doesn't really matter that he waited to have surgery, as long as he was careful enough to avoid another injury incident. There are more people skiing without an ACL than you might imagine.

For more about what's possible without an ACL, check out my experience:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ry-no-problem-my-new-normal-as-a-coper.15049/

Have you ever read Rippetoe's STARTING STRENGTH? I think you would like it. It does pertain to barbell training but anything you can do with a barbell you can still do with bodyweight, kettlebell etc. I know in the squatting chapter he has a section on modification for people without ACL's. He is really clear on body positions that strengthen the posterior chain to protect the knee as opposed to form that may isolate just the hamstring or the glute etc to protect the knee as well as for those with past knee injuries. I think you would like it. It's on kindle for $9.99.

 

[marzNC]

Have you ever read Rippetoe's STARTING STRENGTH? I think you would like it. It does pertain to barbell training but anything you can do with a barbell you can still do with bodyweight, kettlebell etc. I know in the squatting chapter he has a section on modification for people without ACL's. He is really clear on body positions that strengthen the posterior chain to protect the knee as opposed to form that may isolate just the hamstring or the glute etc to protect the knee as well as for those with past knee injuries. I think you would like it. It's on kindle for $9.99.

Sounds interesting but I tend not to get that much out of reading about exercises in general. Not enough patience and static pictures aren't enough to understand correct form.

For me, having a personal trainer who does the research to come up with stuff that's relevant to an advanced skier missing one ACL has worked out well. She also happens to an older woman (retired school teacher), so is well aware of what helps for bone building. Been working with her since knee rehab in 2012 weekly from mid-April thru June, then Sept-Nov. Have built up a variety of ways of exercising so I don't get bored.

 

[Gloria]

Sounds interesting but I tend not to get that much out of reading about exercises in general. Not enough patience and static pictures aren't enough to understand correct form.

For me, having a personal trainer who does the research to come up with stuff that's relevant to an advanced skier missing one ACL has worked out well. She also happens to an older woman (retired school teacher), so is well aware of what helps for bone building. Been working with her since knee rehab in 2012 weekly from mid-April thru June, then Sept-Nov. Have built up a variety of ways of exercising so I don't get bored.

Well that's good then. I wouldn't call it a general exercise book, it speaks alot to many of the articles you have posted with practical application to the exercise. Which is why I like it. It's great to read an article or study about these things and know about them, but I like having it all under one umbrella.

 

[LadyCaladium]

I have to read through this on the laptop later...

Does anyone jump rope to get ready? I walk for exercise, ride my bike around since I don't drive where I live, and have a job that keeps me on my feet.

I'd love to swim (I did all the time in the US) but between my working hours and the fact I have a tattoo (experimenting with covering it since that's what a friend with a larger tattoo does) but haven't been. Joint a gym is a bit difficult. But I thought, maybe jump rope is a good workout?

 

[VickiK]

Are tattoos stigmatized in Japan? Oh dear that's way off topic.

I'm on a retreat weekend. It's been an active day. Walk before Pilates class, then a hike before lunch. Swimming later on, before barre class, followed by more swimming. I'm pooped.

 

[LadyCaladium]

Are tattoos stigmatized in Japan?

Yes. There are places you can't go if you have a tattoo. There are laws and rules against it.

Despite the fact that tattoo is quite old in Japan, it slowly changed to be associated with criminals, outlawed ( from what I heard), and then associated with the Yakuza. It is starting to change, but many private facilities ban tattoos if they can (although some let you cover them). So sentos (public baths) are usually no problem, but private onsens usually are s problem.

In my friend's case he always covers his so it's never seen, but everyone can pretty much guess he has one.

 

[Gloria]

I have to read through this on the laptop later...

Does anyone jump rope to get ready? I walk for exercise, ride my bike around since I don't drive where I live, and have a job that keeps me on my feet.

I'd love to swim (I did all the time in the US) but between my working hours and the fact I have a tattoo (experimenting with covering it since that's what a friend with a larger tattoo does) but haven't been. Joint a gym is a bit difficult. But I thought, maybe jump rope is a good workout?

Yes. It is great for ski prep, better than running or swimming. A great way to incorporate it is to use it in rounds:
60 jumps rope
6 push ups/burpees
6 sl Romanian deadlifts each leg/lunges
10 air squats

Then repeat like 3 -6 times.

 

[LadyCaladium]

Yes. It is great for ski prep, better than running or swimming. A great way to incorporate it is to use it in rounds:
60 jumps rope
6 push ups/burpees
6 sl Romanian deadlifts each leg/lunges
10 air squats

Then repeat like 3 -6 times.

Thanks!

 

[altagirl]

It's pretty common to go quite a while on a torn ACL. The rush with my knee was that I also had damage to the meniscus. I have friends who even skied - even raced! - for a few years with no ACL and a knee brace.

I went for way over a year on a fully torn ACL. Believe it or not, running (in a straight line) felt like the best thing for it at the time. And I did a lot of skiing in a brace, though in retrospect, I wouldn't advise that. Technically, I wasn't diagnosed yet, but I knew that it had to be because it gave out while skiing on a somewhat regular basis.

Also, not everyone has exactly the same structure and some can do quite well without an ACL, even on a permanent basis. Others can't.

My situation was that I was in the Army and it took close to a year just to get it diagnosed (waiting list for MRIs), and then they wouldn't allow me to have surgery while I was in a training course, so had to wait another 6 months to finish that.

 

[Gloria]

I went for close to 20 years, I think. I had HMO insurance and you had to go through a series of hoops. I had to go to a general practicioner to get a referral to an orthopedist. The Dr I saw had a partner whose wife had just graduated from PT school and had literally just started her practice. That is where I got sent. I was 19 at the time and really didn't know any better. Dealt with all kinds of crazy knee issues in that knee for years and when I finally found out, insurance wouldn't cover it. It's been good to me for the past several years now so hopefully I can keep that up.

 

[KatyPerrey]

I cracked my Tibia Plateau in 96 and was lucky that my ACL was intact! Had grade two tears in the MCL and LCL. The Dr described my meniscus as "ground beef". Asked what we should do, he said let the bones heal and leave the meniscus alone. He said if I have trouble down the road with the meniscus then maybe he would think of doing something but he was totally against doing anything at that time. When talking to many PT's over the years I've always been told to never let anyone touch my meniscus. I've been told to just get my legs nice and strong. Now that I've lost 61lbs I'm even stronger! It's looking like I might have many more ski seasons to enjoy! and injury free!!

 

[VickiK]

Sounds like you've definitely stacked the cards in your favor for plenty of great skiing--not an easy thing to do! That's great to read, Ms. @KatyPerrey .

 

[santacruz skier]

I've been going to a personal trainer (considered an elite master trainer) once a week to get in shape for ski season as have bulging discs, etc and now (this is new) some knee issues. We were talking yesterday about the fact that I am quite thin but have what I call fat around the middle (some of you will laugh b/c I am around 102 and 5'1). The PT was telling me that when someone only has "fat" around the middle, it is usually due to Cortisol (which is stress related.) Okay I am retired and work 10-15 hours per week and live at the beach in SC. Not a lot of stress. What is your opinion? Is it old age (60+) .... what exactly is cortisol and what's its effect on the body? Paging @Gloria ? or any other divas with an opinion on this?
Thanks!

 

[Gloria]

I've been going to a personal trainer (considered an elite master trainer) once a week to get in shape for ski season as have bulging discs, etc and now (this is new) some knee issues. We were talking yesterday about the fact that I am quite thin but have what I call fat around the middle (some of you will laugh b/c I am around 102 and 5'1). The PT was telling me that when someone only has "fat" around the middle, it is usually due to Cortisol (which is stress related.) Okay I am retired and work 10-15 hours per week and live at the beach in SC. Not a lot of stress. What is your opinion? Is it old age (60+) .... what exactly is cortisol and what's its effect on the body? Paging @Gloria ? or any other divas with an opinion on this?
Thanks!

Cortisol IS a major player in weight loss/gain but not the only conclusion to storing fat in the abdomen. It IS also the new buzzword in PT so high cortisol is sort of "going around" right now. High cortisol is due to stress, but can also be related to physical stress, all exercise raises cortisol levels to a point. It is also a double edged sword, there are benefits to raising cortisol because it also causes fat loss, hypertrophy and strength gains, once cortisol levels exceed this positive point in exercise they can make it difficult to lose weight. This is ussually seen in people who do long excessive bouts of steady state cardio training with very little to no resistance or shorter bouts of higher intesity cardio training. That being said, there is a whole chemical equation that goes on from high or low cortisol which is generally inclusive of insulin and other hormones as well. Other causes of abdominal fat are, genetics, insulin resistance and high testosterone. Generally though with all of these the markers are both abdominal and fatty layer over the triceps in the arms. Another scenario would be menopause - when estrogen drops the body works to store fat to maintain estrogen levels. Alot of times this is more deposited in hips but genetics can also play a huge role, it really isn't uncommon to see fit women of your age with a belly. The only way to really know is to have blood work done.

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/two-faces-of-cortisol

 

[VickiK]

fwiw an article I read recently described health like a six-spoked wheel: diet, exercise, rest, genetics, environment, and the mind. The center hub would be the balance of these 6.

But getting back to getting in shape, these days I'm following an online wellness coach/personal trainer, Jessica Smith. I've been doing her Fall challenge, a nice blend of cardio and weights. Each day calls for 30 min of exercise, and it's 6 days/week with one active rest day (meaning walk the dog, or something easy like that). This dovetails nicely with the Younger Next Year approach that @marzNC turned me on to in one of these threads. There's one week to go for this challenge, but I'm going to continue along the same lines through the fall and winter. I bought new, heavier weights on Amazon, and they arrived today, so I'm kinda excited.

You all are inspiring to me and I appreciate it.

 

[santacruz skier]

Cortisol IS a major player in weight loss/gain but not the only conclusion to storing fat in the abdomen. It IS also the new buzzword in PT so high cortisol is sort of "going around" right now. High cortisol is due to stress, but can also be related to physical stress, all exercise raises cortisol levels to a point. It is also a double edged sword, there are benefits to raising cortisol because it also causes fat loss, hypertrophy and strength gains, once cortisol levels exceed this positive point in exercise they can make it difficult to lose weight. This is ussually seen in people who do long excessive bouts of steady state cardio training with very little to no resistance or shorter bouts of higher intesity cardio training. That being said, there is a whole chemical equation that goes on from high or low cortisol which is generally inclusive of insulin and other hormones as well. Other causes of abdominal fat are, genetics, insulin resistance and high testosterone. Generally though with all of these the markers are both abdominal and fatty layer over the triceps in the arms. Another scenario would be menopause - when estrogen drops the body works to store fat to maintain estrogen levels. Alot of times this is more deposited in hips but genetics can also play a huge role, it really isn't uncommon to see fit women of your age with a belly. The only way to really know is to have blood work done.

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/two-faces-of-cortisol

Thank you @Gloria .. Excellent article