Sore muscles

Man, I love doing random workout moves while watching TV and movies. :D

But I really should do the yoga-stretching first because I now seem to forget the stretching all together thus very sore muscles after just two days of workout. I tried starting easy so the soreness wouldn't come but when I start doing the work out, I like it so much I'll do it too much for my own good. Today I added 2kg hand weights. My arms and chest-muscles are on fire, or so it feels. I'm actually loving it. I think it's official: I've finally gone completely insane. xD

Even though I forgot the stretching at the beginning and didn't remember enough stretching moves to make it count in the end, I didn't forget to warm up first. I'm telling you some of my moves if you want to use them. Some I've learned from various workout videos, some I've found by trying and listening to my body what feels good and right.

First, take a stance, legs spread at shoulder wide; and start bending the knees. Music helps to give some rhythm for it. Start it slow and rise the pace as you warm up. Go deeper down as you warm up, until your knees are at 90 degree angle. Then change the movement a little. Stand straight in good posture, tense your abs and keep your legs loosely next to each other. Continue the the knee bending and start taking sidesteps to each side as you bend your knees. You can take your arms in the movement too. Every time you take a step to right, swing your left arm as far right as you can. The higher your arm is, the more the movement burns calories. You can also take hand weights for this and make the burn even stronger.

You can also do the drumming-move I learned from Core rhythm. Starting with the shoulder-wide stance, bending your knees. Then start drumming your arms to the air, on each side at their turn. First do 4-6 drumming as high as you can, each side. Then shoulder level, then hip level and then as low as you can. Repeat as many times as feels good.

Every time you do a workout move, you should remember to tense your abs right before doing any movement. Get your bellybutton as close to your spine as you can, while you can still breath deeply without difficulty. Breath in every time you use your muscles, breath out when you relax the muscles. Any muscles, any move, this is what helps your muscles get oxygen and work right. If you don't breath right, you might do your muscles more harm than good. Also, always keep you spine straight, keep a good posture. Every movement possible, try to add some rotation, so your spine warms up and even the side-belly muscles get a good workout.

I like to do sit ups by lying on the floor next to a sofa, and lifting my legs on the sofa. Everything from below the knee is on the sofa. So there's 90 degree angle on the knees again. Then I cross my arms on my chest and start lifting my shoulders (upper back) off the floor. It doesn't matter how far up you can lift your self, even the slightest lift will do good for your belly- and back muscles and in time you'll be able to go higher. After doing some sit ups straight, add a little rotation. Every time you go up, lift one of the shoulders higher than the other and try to rotate your whole upper body as much as you can or at least until you can feel your side-abs working. Breath in everytime you go up, out when you go back down.

Lately I've added this movement right after the sit ups. Remain lying there, your feet on the sofa. Start lifting your butt off the ground. Put you feet in such manner, base (sole) of your feet are only ones in the sofa, not the caps anymore. Rise your butt as high as you can. Keep your shoulders in t he floor. Does wonders to butt and thighs! Repeat as many times as feels good. Remember to tense your abs too, and remember the breathing.

Push ups are much more fun when you do it with hand weights. It's easier on the fingers and there's a better angle in the elbows. Set the weights at shoulder wide, grasp them and start pushing up and down. Remember to tense your belly muscles, keep you back straight as a board and remember to breath in deeply as you go up. You can do the push ups in the traditional style: legs straight, knees not touching the ground, weight on your toes. Or you can put your weight on your knees and remain atilt = do it the "lady-style". Or if you're in really in as crappy state as I am, you can start by going on all fours and keep your legs like that as you do the movement so only your arms are really working and only your upper body weight is on the arms. Try to keep the weights and your hands at shoulder-wide. Try not to pull your shoulders to your ears. That can lead to neck/shoulder pain.

That's a nice basic work out to start with. At the end do all the frigging stretching moves you can remember. Stretching is good for the muscles and eases the soreness in advance. And afterwards, if you do feel soreness, stretching helps. If there comes a day that you are so sore, you can't do the workout, at least do the stretching. It's good for you. And daily stretching is better than massage in the long run. This is getting so long, I won't post any stretching moves now, but one of these days I'm going to post the instructions to that awesome yoga-stretching programme I've got saved in the box(TiVo).