Yesterday was leg day and it was totally wild. I started out my workout on the power plate. If you’ve never used the power plate, you have no idea what you’re missing. When I say that you get an intense workout, I mean that you will have a freakin sickly amazing workout. Vibrational training is seriously no joke, and I always feel I hit my muscles so much deeper when I incorporate this modality of training. And you see results in a fraction of time because of the intense response neurologically that vibrational training creates. By the time I got to my strength work I was DONE! My glutes are on FIRE ALREADY.
I worked out with a friend and fellow trainer who is just amazing. We’re going to be meeting once or twice a week to train and push my body in a new direction training wise. I’m so excited to work with this guy as he’s so smart and knowledgeable. Every meeting with him is like an advanced lesson in kenesiology. I feel so amazing right now. I did hit a double session today. I headed back to the gym in the evening to rock out deadlifts: now up to 155 lbs! That’s big for me because I’ve been so afraid to DL heavy. Well let me just lay out what I did below:
Workout 1:
Power plate stretching warm up
Explosive Squats on Plate (50hz, 30 secs) 3×20
SL Squat w/hip adduction (40hz, 30sec) 3×8 (left then right)
Box Jump (jump on and off) + 1/2 turn jump + hip adduction jump + 1/2 turn jump 3×8
Superset w/ Full ROM Kettlebell Squat (halo and goblet hold) 3×8
Deep O-bar squat 95# 3×8 2-0-2 tempo
(with training partner)
Circuit
Powerball Medicine Ball (PMB) Torso Rotation 3×16
PMB side lunge + trunk flexion/internal rotation 3×16
PMB Reverse Lunge Alternating 3×16
Power Plate Explosive Squat (1-0-1 tempo) weight in toes 3×20
Bench walk across to deceleration jump off 3×16
At night I wanted to do some isolated work for the glute/ham area
Warm up: Dynamic Hip Mobilizers and squat/lunge matrix. – 2 sets
Smith Machine Bodyweight hanging hamstring curl + full body row (legs straight) 3×8
DB RDL (legs together) 40# 2×8 then 45# 2×8
Superset w/ lying bench SL bodyweight hip bridge
O bar DL 135# 1×8 155# 2×6
Bodyweight bench Quad extension 3×8
Lying Ham Curl Machine 5×8 30#, 50#, 65#, 70#
Leg extension machine 40# 3×8
Big workout! I’m doing a lot more intricate integrated motions as you can see. I literally feel EVERY SINGLE MUSCLE FIBER in my legs. It hurts so good!
After that evening workout, I hit up the studio to stretch and practice mandatories… For fitness. I think…. No, I’m going to take the plunge. I’m going to make the switch in 2012. I have to get my chest/tri strength back up again post surgery. And I need to get various push up combos down too. My splits have gotten just a little tight from not practicing them, but I still have my full side splits and being in dance class for a month or two will get them where they need to be. High kicks, got em, front, side, and back. Straddle hold, working on it can get there, but the strength to hold longer than 2 secs needs to be there.
I did some ballet barre work as well in the studio to get my balance and lines together. Then started playing with some choreography. The person who really influenced me to go for it was Oksana Grishina. After watching her Arnold and Olympia routine I realised that I may actually have a chance in fitness. I’ve been really turned off by it with the idea that you have to be a gymnast to do it. When I see many of the routines, everyone is tumbling and doing more floor work mixed with athletics, and that’s not my background and I have no intentions of seriously starting gymnastics. Plus I’m old, my body is so not going to adapt well to trying to be like Nastia Liukin. But after closely watching Oksana (and Tanji), it was the first time in a very long time that I saw a more artistic side to the routines, and THAT majorly attracts me. Dance has so many amazing jumps, turns, floor work, that a great routine and choreography can be just as spectacular to watch as any gymnastics based one. What I will do is get my ass back in class again. Jazz, jazz funk, and ballet here I go again. I’m going to take an adult gymnastics class to learn basic elements like walk overs, handstands especially coming from off the floor, and basic tumbling passes. But that’s it! Lol. I’m a really strong dancer. It was my life and career for 15 years and I did it at pretty much an elite level. I trained at some of the top schools on scholarship, I have a BFA in dance from a top dance program and college (Fordham University), and I’ve worked with many major choreographers and literally dance legends. I danced in Europe and here in the US. I’ve been blessed and lucky to have the opportunities I have. So I have this freakin talent I’m not using that I totally can if I focus my energy properly. So I’m going to step outside of the box, be myself and my best, MY best and just see how it’s received. The pros keep saying you don’t need to be a gymnast, and it’s about personality. So I’m gonna jump in. I should also add Yenny Polanco to the mix. Although she had trouble at the O, when that girl is ON with that rope, she’s on. She had a shot at the O with a routine that had no major tumbling. Props.
I had an email exchange with Lisa Lowe back in 2000 sometime, and I told her how she inspired me. She encouraged me to do fitness and just dance as I would bringing in the mandatories as she came from the same background as me. She trained at Alvin Ailey (http://www.AlvinAiley.org) and she graduated from Julliard in dance (Julliard was just about across the street from my BFA dance program and they pretty much rival us as far as college dance programs). She warned that I may not be scored as high as the tumblers but to just go for it and be fully committed. But I think times have changed since then, fitness has gone through so many changes. And I think it’s time I fulfill my word to Lisa. Man I wish I could get into contact with her again.