2014 Official Chaz Fitness Challenge

Just think, you did so well last time! So you KNOW you can do it!! You just have to do it (which I know is so much easier said than done!)

Workout question:

Originally I was doing cardio one day, then weights the next. Switched it up and started doing both on both days (run and some weights one day, crosstrainer and weights the other day), and now I am having a really hard time with getting lightheaded/nauseous while working out.

I start with cardio and do fine, then I stretch for probably 10 minutes, do my planks, still feel fine. As soon as I start to do weights, I start feeling lightheaded. It is REALLY annoying, and I've ended up leaving the gym multiple times now because I feel like I'm going to pass out.

I am going to try warming up on the treadmill tonight, then doing weights, then doing my long run. See if that helps. But really, I'd like to know WHY, cause if there is an easy fix, I really do enjoy running first, then doing weights.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: In case food has anything to do with it. Generally I eat rice/lots of veggies/some meat in stir fry form about 2-3 hours before going to the gym. If I feel hungry I will eat a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts as I am leaving work to head to the gym. The stir fry is roughly 500 calories.

Personally I have never been able to run first and then do weights without feeling like crap. I have theories as to why but no real solid answers. Nutrition might be part of it (I certainly know plenty of people who think if any part of your workout sucks, your nutrition is to blame) or it might be a question of heart rate and how long the body needs to "cool down" from a run. I also know that I have existing issues with my sodium levels and feeling dizzy when they dip too low, and a run makes those worse because of the sweat, so that might be part of it too - I suppose you can technically file that under "nutrition." =P

I don't know for sure why it happens, I just know it doesn't work for me, so I don't do it. I am safely able to strength train and then go on to cardio, and sometimes it's even like BEAST MODE ACTIVATED by the time I get to cardio, which is pretty frickin' awesome. So I would try doing that, do your strength training first and then hit your cardio and see how you feel!

I need to get back into shape. I'm 130 pounds which doesn't sound like much until you factor in the fact that I might as well be a midget. Lack of cardio + Lack of self control = Overweight BMI. The only exercise I've been doing lately is Weight lifting 3x a week, and that isn't keeping me at the weight I should be at.

I'm hoping to be anywhere from 100-110 by Jan 1st, so that I can start the New Year at a healthy weight and healthy mindset.

I'm planning to go on a 30 minute run with Crystal when the sun begins to set, and that'll mark the start of me trying to get to, well, the new me.

Tips on muscle soreness? I met with a personal trainer for the first time yesterday and I can't move today. I've taken weight lifting classes in the past and holy hell those had nothing on this, it hurts so bad. I was going to go to the gym and do something, but I'm not sure if I should now. Help? The only part of my body that doesn't hurt is my triceps, so I guess I could do something with that.

I really wanted to do some cardio today but good lord I can barely walk.

Hot bath, epsom salt soaks, if it's REALLY bad as in you're having trouble functioning, Ibuprofen. You can also try ice, foam rollers are pretty snazzy too depending on where the pain is. Try not to go to the Ibuprofen if you don't have to, because Ibuprofen can impede muscle repair and growth, but if you're really having trouble, it's worth it to be able to function. I've had a few of those days where I just cannot function and I have to hit the drugs, but unless I'm really dying, I just tough it out.

If you can manage some light cardio like a walk, that can help loosen everything up again, but otherwise, don't worry too much about cardio today. Some of the more hardcore people believe cardio on your off days can actually impede your recovery time. Personally I enjoy cardio so I do it because I like it, but if I'm straight up broken, I definitely won't be taken my sore butt to the gym. There's always the risk of you moving differently or wrong because of the pain you're in, which can lead to more severe injury. Better to let your muscles heal than try and push it and get injured.

Last Friday, Michael's battalion had a family PT morning.

As of yesterday, I am finally able to walk again normally. LOL My legs still feel a little sore. It's quite rediculous.

What is the best way to increase stamina during cardio? I am...really out of shape. Typically when I go to the gym, I work on muscle groups and throw cardio in to the mid somewhere. I feel like I'm going to keel over and die after a tenth of a mile of slow jogging. I walk, then jog, then walk, then jog, but for the life of me I haven't been able to increase my jogging time. Do I just need to push through the discomfort? Work on breathing? It's actually getting rather discouraging.

Caveat that of course you should always proceed into working out after checking with a doctor to make sure nothing is wrong that's going to physically harm you:

Go slow and go more often. But other than that - yes, there's an element where you just have to push through. Running in particular is a mental game at LEAST as much, if not more, than a physical game. Your brain will try and defeat you long before your body is actually ready to quit. "But I'm so tired. My feet hurt. My legs hurt. I just want to stop. I just want to walk." If you knuckle down and do not ALLOW yourself to quit, more often than not, you will find you can do amazing things.

I'll be honest, after that last half marathon, I've been reconsidering my whole "YEAH I'M RUNNIN' A FULL!" idea. But I know that I can do it, no matter how much thoughts creep in that tell me I can't. Because my grit is much stronger than my doubt. I'm not saying you need to go out and do a marathon, LOL - but if you put your mind to something and do not allow yourself to quit, great things happen. Don't. Quit. Don't. Quit. Don't. Quit. One word for each step of the foot. I still remember, running that stupid half, I was so hot, sweat was dripping off me with every step, I was thirsty, I thought for sure I was going to die a dry desert death in the middle of the Midwest, I was running up a long hill, I hated running, I couldn't figure out why for the life of me I decided to do this (again), I wanted to walk more than anything in the world, I thought if I just walk, if I can just stop here and walk... "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WALK," I started screaming in my head. And on nothing but sheer force of will I kept running. It wasn't fast, but it was running. It was like that for almost four straight minutes. Having a screaming match with myself inside my head. Refusing to let myself quit.

Even outside of running... I can pretty clearly remember some endurance tracks in RIPPED where I start wondering "Why am I here?? I'M GOING TO DIE." The last release of Body Combat had this horrible long track which was practically nothing but five minutes of jump knees. But since I'm in the middle of a class, my stupid pride won't even let me quit, so I keep going. And surprisingly I've never failed to make it through yet.

Strength training will also help you increase your stamina in surprising ways, but you have to push there too. A friend of mine did a lot of cross fit type exercises and last year ran her first 10K without doing a lot of actual running training, and she was like "it was a lot easier than I expected!" because of the gains she made with strength training. Lifting weights makes me a better runner, cycling too.


Final word - if it hurts, stop. But you have to become better at knowing what "hurts" is versus "this is uncomfortable and I would prefer to not be doing this." The former means stop. The latter means buckle down and keep going.

ETA: Forgot, with running of course it's run slower, other types of cardio you can also do modifications. Like instead of jump knees, we were always welcome to just do a high knee. Modify and make it easier if you have to so long as you just don't quit!

ETA2: and now I have that god awful BodyCombat track stuck in my head and it's making me hate myself OH GOD.

Planning a 5 mile run for when the sun begins to set and it gets a little cooler outside, no matter how long it takes.

I was moody and being jerkwadish the other day, so I went to the gym in an attempt to work it out. Ended up running double what I had planned on running. Did nothing for my mood, but it felt great to blow my goal out of the water like that!

How important is it to have a rest day. I've been going 6 days a week for between 1-2 hours a day. Is there a certain rule of thumb about how you feel to know that it's time for a rest day? Or is 6 days in a row fine?

I think it depends on what you do. I walk or cycle every day for 1-2 hour pretty much, I only take a rest day when my legs are really starting to hate me. And I might still do some lifting that day.

From the standpoint of physiology: incredibly important. A workout places stress on your muscular system and your nervous system. A rest day allows those systems to recover - and in the case of muscles, to repair themselves and grow. Rest days are just as important to building strength as the actual strength training itself. Here's a nice article from Behar on the subject: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/behar2.htm

Went to Body Pump today and liked it a lot. I'm wobbly and can tell I worked out but I'm not painfully slow like I was when I went to the last class.

Is it the same track/music every time or is it different each time?

Whenever a new release comes out, instructors are supposed to use all of the tracks from that release for a little bit. Usually 3-4 weeks. After that, they can start mixing it up. Sometimes an instructor will go back and use an old release and work through all the songs from that release... more often, though, they'll pick a few songs here and a few songs there and mix it up.

Today at the gym I ran 2 miles straight in 20 minutes. I'm pretty proud of myself

You rock, Lauren!

My results came back as normal. There are other things it could be, but honestly, I don't have the time, money, or energy to continue pursuing an answer that may not exist right now. I'm on a lower hormone birth control, which so far hasn't done anything other than dramatically shortening/lightening my period. I'm slightly less emotional, but that could also be me adjusting to being home and getting back into the routine. I've been on it for about five weeks and have another three left before I make the decision to keep trying it or to switch back.

I'm thinking about getting another gym membership, since I'm driving (and if all goes well, will have a car in a week or two ) and can get there when it is convenient for me, rather than trying to work it around my schedule AND everyone else's. I was getting stuck there for 6+ hours at a time previously, and I'm just... not able to do that. The closest gym (the one we were going to) is 20 miles away, so it's not like I could easily walk or bike there.

I feel like I'm rambling and making excuses. Bleh.

I told DH he has to help push me to go to the gym on my days off, and he's done a wonderful job. I'll be sitting at home going, "Meh, my legs and feet hurt from being on my feet for 8 hours yesterday, I'll just take a day off..." and then he'll text me, "Gym. Go. NOW." And I do, because when he gets home he asks me if I've gone, and I'll feel like crap if I say no. Lol

I did a half hour if cardio yesterday and actually jogged for 2/3 of it. I was proud of myself. A 13 minute mile may not be good...but it's a huge improvement for me. I just focused on my breathing and listened to my music instead of concentrating on my body going "I hate you so much!" and the actual distance I was running. That really helped.

Yay!!! A mile is a mile, no matter how slow. Pushing yourself just to keep moving is a big deal.

I went about a mile and a half total, and besides the two minutes of slow walking I gave myself after the first mile, I jogged for most of it. Averaged about...6.5 minutes per half mile, for a total of 1.5 miles. Then I said, "Okay, I'm done." LOL