Saturday 6 April 2013

My 30 day squat challenge aka SMAO-Day 30-WHOOOHOOO :)

So I found this on Facebook and I thought...WOW doesn't this look like fun!  Well not really but I did recall that when I was getting in shape to bike my butt to work (15 km one way) and back one summer while in University that squats were a quick way to shape up my legs, butt and core so I thought why not.

Today April 4/13 - is my Day 1 and I have done my 50. One knee was making some creaky noises but there was no pain so I just did it.  I actually did it in the kitchen while watching the dogs from the window...and here I am a few hours later and still feeling fine.  I felt a small amount of "burning" in the last 5 squats in my Quads but nothing that would keep me from finishing.

The thing to remember with squats it to slow down the movement, and that it's like sitting into a chair...make sure you knees don't go over you toes.  For a great video on perfect squat form... check out Lindsay Vastola's YouTube Video on the "Perfect Squat Form" http://youtu.be/7I_wn_G56aU

Day 2: did my 55 - absolutely no creaky noises today - guess my knee just needed a little use to get the grease flowing again - LOL.  There was also no burning at any point in my muscles...yes I felt them being engaged but ...dare I say it it really didn't feel like a challenge. I am thinking tomorrow I will try it on my BOSU ball - ball side up not platform up...I don't think I am ready to attempt that...for those of you unfamiliar with BOSU ball - check this out - but remember the lesson from Day 1 about form still counts - gonna try it anyway - I'll let you know tomorrow what that change does....


Day 3: Today's goal was 60 squats and to up the difficulty since yesterday was pretty easy I decided to do them on the BOSU ball like the video above but without the weights.  Now if you have never been on a BOSU it is a challenge to stand still on it. It forces your core to engage and because it is so unstable the squats were slower to accomplish.  Both my knees were creaking throughout the 60 squats, but no pain in my knees.  However once I hit 40 the outside muscles from the hip-flexor group were starting to burn which was a little odd, and by the time 60 came around they were starting to quiver. So tonight some hardcore, slow deep yoga stretching will be needed.  I know from experience when any part of my hip-flexors get tight my low back will get pulled out and then it will be an appointment with the chiropractor and acupuncturist to set things right again...I'd rather not get any needles in my face if I can avoid it...




Day 4:  Admittedly this morning my butt and hip (glutes and hip flexors) hurt...I rolled over when the alarm went off and it was like  "oh...yeah...almost forgot you were there."  So stretching before even getting out of bed was the first order of the day.  The thing to remember about stretching, that is if I have learned anything in yoga, is to breath.  In a stretch you want gentle...and to be able to breathe.  If you are holding your breathe or there is pain then you have pushed to far into the stretch...ease into it, listen to your body, feel your breathe.  When you feel your breathe shortening, ease off a bit and hold, after holding you may be able to push a little deeper into the stretch, but again pay attention to your breathe.  My favorite yoga pose for opening the hips, releasing low back tension and stretching the glutes goes by a couple of names...supine pigeon (which is what I know it by), dead pigion or thread the needle...but basically this is the how to do it and the source for the insert information below is http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/2313

Thread the Needle

One of the best ways to open the hips and prepare for Pigeon is through a supine modification called Eye of the Needle (sometimes called Dead Pigeon). I teach this pose to first timers and practice it myself on a regular basis. As you move through this and the next variation, and then toward the final pose, make sure that you alternate sides so that your body can unfold evenly and progressively.
To begin, come onto your back with your knees bent and your thighs parallel and hip-distance apart. Next, cross your left ankle over your right thigh, making sure that your anklebone clears your thigh. Actively flex your front foot by pulling your toes back. When you do this, the center of your foot will line up with your kneecap rather than curving into a sickle shape, which can stress the ligaments of the ankle and the knee.
Maintaining this alignment, pull your right knee in toward your chest, thread your left arm through the triangle between your legs and clasp your hands around the back of your right leg. If you can hold in front of your shin without lifting your shoulders off the floor or rounding the upper back, do so; otherwise, keep your hands clasped around your hamstring or use a strap. The goal is to avoid creating tension in the neck and shoulders as you open the hips, so choose a position that keeps your upper body relaxed. As you draw your right leg in toward you (making sure to aim it toward your right shoulder and not the center of your chest), simultaneously press your left knee away from you. This combination of actions should provide ample sensation, but if you don't feel much, try releasing your pubic bone down away from your navel toward the floor. This will bring a bit more curve into your lumbar and should deepen the hip stretch.


I hope your day of rest is filled with good stretches.

Day 5: I rushed home from work just to do squats...well not really...but I did do them...all 70 on the BOSU ball. Almost lost my balance and fell into the wall shortly after starting so really slowed down the movement and focused on what I was doing.  Huge pop from one ankle - but no pain, knees a little less creaky but still creaking but again no pain.  Slowing down the movement really helped me to feel what muscles were being engaged.  With the motion you should be aiming for having your quads parallel to the floor when you lower your body (remember push hips back like you are going to sit in a chair), you should be engaging your core to protect you lower back as this motion will engage it as well.  In addition your glutes, your quads and your hamstrings and everything to your toes will all go to work while you are performing this motion both to get you in it and to get you out of it. If you don't have a BOSU ball and want to up the challenge choose an increment to hold the lowered pose at Eg. at the 35 squat mark hold the squat for 30 seconds, or whatever feels right for you. The image below is from http://commonsensehealth.com/Healthy-Living/How_to_Do_Squats_with_Proper_Squat_Technique.shtml



Day 7: Decided to get it over and done with first thing this morning.  I have yoga tonight and am usually very relaxed after it and thought that doing squats after would just be counter intuitive. To be honest more likely then not if I waited I would not do them after yoga. So I did 75 + 5 for good measure...actually I didn't check the numbers I just went with what I remembered and well I was wrong - did tomorrows today...no worries though I will get it right tomorrow at 80 (again LOL).

This morning I found my hamstrings to be a little tight so I spent some time in a Standing Forward Bend...if you try this just remember to BREATHE...it helps to signal the body that it is okay to release the tension. Below is instructions from http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/478 on how to correctly perform the Standing Forward Bend also known as Uttanasana.  This pose is great for stretching your spinal column as well as the back of the legs (hamstrings for sure) and the muscles of the back.  Often in this pose. if I relax fully and breathe deeply, I can get my back to realign without having to see a chiropractor - especially if my upper thoracic spine is out (think between the shoulder blades). But you should avoid this pose if you have sciatica, are pregnant or have recent/chronic problems with you hips, legs, shoulders or back.


HP_209_Uttanasana_248.jpg
(OOT-tan-AHS-ahna)
ut = intense
tan = to stretch or extend 
Step by Step
Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips. Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist. As you descend draw the front torso out of the groins and open the space between the pubis and top sternum. As in all the forward bends, the emphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully into the position.
If possible, with your knees straight, bring your palms or finger tips to the floor slightly in front of or beside your feet, or bring your palms to the backs of your ankles. If this isn't possible, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. Press the heels firmly into the floor and lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling. Turn the top thighs slightly inward.
With each inhalation in the pose, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend. In this way the torso oscillates almost imperceptibly with the breath. Let your head hang from the root of the neck, which is deep in the upper back, between the shoulder blades.
Uttanasana can be used as a resting position between the standing poses. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. It can also be practiced as a pose in itself.
Don't roll the spine to come up. Instead bring your hands back onto your hips and reaffirm the length of the front torso. Then press your tailbone down and into the pelvis and come up on an inhalation with a long front torso.


Day 7:  So Day 7 (technically yesterday) was a crazy day - up early and on the road at 6 am - didn't get back home till 1130 - but did my 80 squats when I got home and was finished at 11:45ish pm - so technically I still had 15 min left in Day 7 - LOL.  I was so tired when I got home that I decided the extra challenge of balancing on the BOSU ball was going to be more than I could handle,,,so for personal safety sake I just went with a regular squat.  Did some light stretches and hopped into bed.

Day 8: Yes I am doing the Day 7 and Day 8 together - sorry I have a life - I am about to head out the door for a 3 hour yoga roots class that will focus on hip and lower back...this is the second and final day of the Yoga Roots program - for more on the first day check the post specific to it.  To day is technically a rest day for squats which is good - 3 hrs of yoga will be enough for today - especially since I am still feeling a little off from my extra long day yesterday and will winter rearing it's ugly head again here (I am so sick of snow) I really just want to curl up under a blanket with a book...oh well - off into the great white yonder I go.  Have a great rest day.

Day 9: Did my 100 squats - no BOSU as I am feeling a little light headed and my stomach has been off since yesterday, so I was not willing to add to the instability...highly likely I would land flat on my ass or smack into the wall.  So just did them on them barefoot on the floor. Since 100 seemed like a large number I broke it down in to 5 sets of 20. Psychologically so much easier to do that than 100...maybe next time I'll try reverse counting...like 100 bottles of beer on the wall...but with squats...100 squats on the BOSU ball, 100 squats to do - up and down hold this round...99 squats...LOL  Anyway it is done - onward and upward tomorrow.

Day 10 - This day took a bit of an unexpected turn.  With there being two explosions/bombs set off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon I like most of the world was horrified at the news.  I felt a call to run tonight (see blog on "Running tonight...for Boston" http://ambers2012challenge.blogspot.ca/2013/04/running-tonightfor-boston.html?spref=fb)  anyway with 5 k under my belt, my first run in 3 years, I returned home ate supper and then stretched a little before beginning my 105 squats.  Same approach as yesterday but this time 1 set of 25 and 4 sets of 20.

Okay I am not going to pretend that doing this post first run in a while didn't totally suck ass,,,'cause it did...my quads were burning from #1.  But I did it.  I took a small stretch break between sets and held the stretch from Day 7 for a 30 count between each...then stood for about another 30 second count to rev myself up for the next set...nothing fancy about today.  No BOSU ball, no holding at the low part to make it more difficult it already was...all 105 finished...stretched the quads and hamstrings and before bed I am going to do some serious time in the supine pigeon pose - see day 4.  More than likely I'll spend some time in that pose before I get out of bed tomorrow too.  But if nothing else today has proven to me that I CAN DO IT,  that I AM READY to move beyond the mono and back into HEALTHFULNESS...watch out world 'cause HERE I COME!  LOL

Day 11 - Feeling very proud of myself! 110 squats done (as 3 sets of 30 and 1 set of 20).  It was also an arms/abs/back day at the gym after work and a short coffee break walk today...feeling really good about all this activity.  I did notice however that my shins are feeling a little tight...not sure if it was the run, the squats or a combination of the two... I think it was the run - sort of neglected to stretch my shins yesterday and I know from previous experience that I have to stretch them...regardless now they need to be stretched.

So how do you stretch you shins and where exactly is it that I am I talking about. First the where...basically the front of your lower leg from the ankle to about a hand width from the bottom of your knee cap...mine is feeling light in the middle and lower part of my lower leg.  Image from http://www.the-fitness-motivator.com/shin-splints.html#sthash.SV6J3zFK.dpbs

Now for how to stretch it - this link http://foothealth.about.com/od/exercisefeet/ss/ShinSplintExerc.htm actually has 9 special stretches for the shins but I only post the pics for my favorite two...but I do highly recommend that you try each them yourself.   To really loosen this area though you do have to balance stretches for the front and back of the leg.

Standing Ankle Dorisflexion Stretch
Stand facing a wall, keep your knee straight and your heel on the floor and place the front, bottom part of your foot against the wall. You will feel a stretch in your calf muscles. You could also use an inclined platform for this stretch. Start with 3 sets of 10 exercises and then increase to 3 sets of 30 exercises. Do this 3 times per day.

Straight Knee Calf Wall Stretch
Stand facing a wall with your body square to the wall. Outstretch your arms and hands and lean against the wall. Keep one knee straight with your heel and foot firmly on the floor and gently lean forward until you feel a pull in the back of your leg (calf). When your knee is straight  this stretches the gastrocnemius (superficial calf muscle). Start with 3 sets of 10 exercises and then increase to 3 sets of 30 exercises. Do this 3 times per day.

Well off to shower, stretch then hit the hay.

Day12/13 at the same time -and on Day 14 - will post Day 14 later tonight after I do them...

Day 12 - a rest day...even though I pondered the idea of going for another 5 k run - I didn't - I just took it easy...my spring allergies are ramping up so my head feels a bit like there is a small vice grip going on behind and under my eyes - stupid sinuses. 

Day 13 - did the 130 squats - again no BOSU ball but did hold beteween sets for 20 seconds.  Did 2 sets of 30 and 2 sets of 35.  I am feeling more of my muscles - in a good way - even when doing other things so this challenge is totally working that area and building up those muscles.  Popping "Reactine" daily now to deal with the allergies, noticed some weezing too so using an inhaler for the next little bit...basically only while all the snow mold is still hanging around - a good rainfall and I will be fine - but we keep just getting more snow - so nothing is getting washed away and well my back yard is still covered in snow...might be a long allergy season this year :(

Day 14 - 135 squats done - I did 3 sets of 35 and 1 set of 30 - today I didn't hold at any point - so just 135 straight squats  -nothing fancy...tomorrow is the halfway mark and other than my allergy head I am feeling pretty good about all this...but I gotta get back to doing these in the morning - getting all sweaty before bed...well at least this kind of sweaty ;) is really not my kinda thing.

Day 15 - confession time - I did no...I repeat "NO" squats on Day 15 - that is 0/140.  Why you might asks...well that will probably boarder on TMI (Too Much Information)...but lets just chalk it up to feeling very icky and achy - especially my lower back...on the first day of a regular visitor and if you can't read between those lines I'm sorry but I won't be spelling it out "." LOL


Day 16 - It was supposed to be a rest day, but as per my Day 15 post this morning which really was about yesterday...today is a makeup day instead...so this will be a 4 day stretch - 140 squats down - 4 sets of 35 - yeah my back still hurts a bit and I feel icky, but I dug deep and found some motivation.  NO it wasn't chocolate but that could of worked too. It was wanting to go to bed early that did it.  I told myself I could not begin to get ready for bed till my squats were done.  They are now done, and I am off to get ready for bed, earlier then my norm for sure but I need it, feeling very tired, ichy and achy...hopefully tomorrow is better

Day 17 - I choose sleep over squats this morning, but I still managed to get them done...like a crazy person after my run class.  I did 5 sets of 25 for 150 total...felt okay to do them but I don't want that to be my normal thing.  Knees were creaking again at the beginning but no pain and it did go away - seems to be an on and off kinda thing - but as long as there is no pain I am okay with that.

The run class was a bit of a challenge. We started at 3 min running and 1 min walking (3:1) and only went about 2 km. It's not that I felt bad doing the 3:1 but it was a quick step up from the 1:2 run:walk I had started back with last week. I'm worried the transition is too quick as near the end I was more winded than I should have been - allergies probably aren't helping.

Not sure if I will continue with this class or drop to the learning to run class-both occur at the same time.  The learn to run 5 km class holds each increment of running for 2 weeks then moves up, finishing at the end of the 7 weeks at 5 km and 6:1 run:walk where as the learn to run holds each increment for 1 week ends at 6 km total and 5:1 run:walk...so basically the end result after 7 weeks is about the same but the learning to run has slower transitions, but doesn't hold them as long...pros and cons to both of course. I'll have to think on it. Anyway it will likely depend on my run on Wednesday...Gonna do 3:1 again for at least 2 km and see how I feel...gonna take Max with me - though he doesn't know it know - but when the leash comes out he'll know - LOL

Day 18 - did the 155 before bed last night - felt awful doing it but that is more just given the timing - staying off the BOSU ball still but got it done as 4 sets of 25 and 1 set of 30. Stretched and went to bed.

Day 19 - My right hamstring has a knot in it and it hurts. I just can't seem to work it out - I have been stretching on and off all day - going to take a long hot shower, stretch and then stretch some more - thinking I will lay off tonight - no squats or running - the last thing I want is to hurt myself this early in the game.  Anyway will update tomorrow on how things are - in the mean time found an interesting article on the "3 Squatting Myths That Refuse to Die"...maybe I need to change things up a bit - please read and decide for yourself.   http://www.biomechfit.com/2012/02/09/3-squatting-myths-that-refuse-to-die.  And just so you know my 30 day challenge has now turned into 31 days - next day will be at 160, regardless of it is today Day 19 or tomorrow.

Day 20(aka Day 19 part Duex) - done like dinner - after my 5 km run 2:1 (run:walk) I did my 160. I tried the "ass to the grass" technique described in the squatting myths link from yesterday. Both my knees were really creaky for the first set of 35 - but no pain - wow could totally feel it in my glutes and got my heart rate up fast - wow.  Couldn't do them for the full time did 2 full sets of 35 that way and then the remaining 90 (3 sets of 30) I did the usual way - again no BOSU - not sure I would even attempt a full ass to the grass (LOL I just like to say it) squat on a BOSU - I think I would end up ass over tea kettle...lol - just had a flash of that in my head - OUCH!  Did some light stretching before sitting back down at the computer to try and figure out why my Garmin is not syncing to my computer - stupid tech - love it when it works- hate it when it doesn't

Day 21  - I was going to work through the rest day to get caught up - but with that "Ass to the grass" from yesterday - gotta say gotta some pain in my glutes today - so taking the rest day - did a chair version of the supine pigeon pose quite a bit at work today - bring ankle over opposite knee, fold forward from the hips and hold, also spent some time stretching my quads and hamstrings, hopefully this pain in my ass will be better tomorrow

Day 22  - pain in my glutes/ass is gone - still feeling a little tight so I decided to run/walk it out - 9 sets of 2:1 (run:walk) but the last set was interrupted by a crazy wind/hail storm...huge thanks from me and Max for the ride home from my sister - Love ya - thanks for saving us from the hail!  My normal cool down would have been the 10 min walk I had left to get home - so ended up doing an odd variation at home called vacuuming LOL and then some stretches.  After lunch had settled I did my 180 - did it as 5 sets of 36.  Now time to hit the shower so I can get ready for a night out on the town - headed with a bunch of friends to a drag show - and I don't mean cars - I'm talking about QUEENS - LOL it is a fundraiser for a local organization and I have never been to a drag queen show so it should be lots of fun.  Take care and squat on - LMAO or should it be SMAO (Squat My Ass Off)  I like it!!!

Day 23.  190 squats - completed as 4 sets of 40 plus one set of 30...right knee was clicking like crazy - but again no pain so kept going - calves are tight from wearing heels out last night - I so hate heels @ 5'10" I don't where them often and even when I do they are a small heel - this one was like an inch, but they pinched the toes so after spending the evening standing around on concrete floors my feet were sore and like I said today my calves were tight...I should have taken 5 min earlier to stretched them but I didn't so going to do some solid, quiet, calming stretching before bed.

Day 24 - rest day - crappy weather, crappy day at work - decided to hide under a rock and watch last weeks episode of Game of Thrones - good episode!

Day 25 - 220 squats does that sound crazy to anyone else...well crazy or not it is done - 4 sets of 50 and  then a final 20 - holy CRAP quads and calves were burning for the last 35 so I doubled my stretching time and will do more before bed tonight - love the supine pigeon pose while laying in bed - great stretch and very relaxing.  Oh yeah I should mention I also did this after my run - up to 3:1 (run walk) 6 sets with a warm up and cool down of just walking - 5.2 km in total...C-R-A-Z-Y!!!!

Day 26 - 225 squats - 4 sets of 50 and 1 set of 25 - lots of creaking in my ankles and knees through the whole thing - no pain so kept going.  Quads and hamstrings are feeling pretty tight so will have to do some more stretching.  Also started a 30 day Ab Challenge - but I will create another post for that one since it is specific for May.

Day 27 - 230 more squats in the books - 4 sets of 50 and one set of 30 and yes I am sore!  Did some stretching first thing this morning in bed, then after the squats, going to do more periodically throughout the day at work - also have a run to do and a yoga class - this is what I get for skipping my run on Monday due to the weather - an insane Thursday - oh well.  I think I am going to spend some time at coffee break working out the kinks in my feet - see blog on Yoga for Roots from Feb for info.

Day 28 - REST DAY!!!  All I did was raking the yard and getting my hands dirty in the flower beds - took the day off work to do it - so a total rest day for sure - ya right - LOL

Day 29 - 240 squats - OUCH!!!!!  So spent yesterday raking leaves, pulling weeds and just general clean up in the yard. This was a lot of squatting and bending...felt fine yesterday so the squats paid off in that was I didn't have any issues doing any of it in the moment, or in the shortly there after, not even the long held squats picking weeds. I did some light stretching yesterday too...but nothingmajor I figures "ya I got this"...

Wow different story this morning. Oh the first 50 squats, yeah muscles are tight, soreness is there for sure.  The next 50 a little better, but knees started creaking again, the 50 after were fine at first then at 40 started getting tough then that the last 5 or so were damn hard.  Took a 5 min break - basically went and brushed my teeth and brushed my hair...back at it that final full set of 50. WOW feeling every muscle from my ankles to my glutes engaging with each squat... that was an interesting feeling...but this time got hard at 35. Pushed the 15 to complete that 50...another 5 min break, doing some light stretching and walking while breaking this time...then finally the last 40 of the day...finished strong pushing all the way to the end - OMG my thighs were burning.  Promptly sat my ass down on my yoga mat and did some serious stretched for the hamstrings - spent a few minutes in supine pigeon pose and then got up and did some more stretches.  Legs are feeling strong, tired but strong - now breakfast, more yard work and a run before evening comes...I am so looking forward to this squat challenge being done!

Day 30 - OMG I can't believe it I'm DONE!!!! 250 squats today - 5 sets of 50, did the Ab challenge and brushed my teeth in between sets.  Looking back was it easy - NO, was it worth it YES - my legs feel stronger, much stronger...this is making my running better.  Overall I feel stronger, more capable, more determined...I think I will keep up some squats - like 50 every other day - I pick 50 because right now in every set of 50 the last 5 are a struggle and since I don't loose what I have gained I will do that...if it gets easy, actually I should say when it gets easy, I'll add a little extra with some hand weights - or get back on the BOSU ball...the point is while this challenge is over I recognize the huge level of benefits I have gotten and I am committing to myself to keep that up...I hope your challenge, your journey brings as as mine in the last month has brought me.

Don't get me wrong I am really glad this challenge is over, 250 is freaking hard - just added up the total for the past 30 days and it is a whopping 3295 squats . On day 1 I wondered if I would be able to do 250 and here I am and its done. Now to focus on the Ab challenge, hopefully Day 30 of that challenge finished with the same feeling... satisfaction, gratitude and a "HELL YEAH - I did it!!!"

Thank-you for sharing this with me - Namaste

Love and Laughter (LL)

Amber


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