 Poster: A snowHead
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I was on the dreaded Denise Austin Bodyglide tonight - got to get fitter than I was (not fit at all!) for Feb. I've been doing stuff since mid Dec on it gradually increasing the duration - now up to about 1/2 hour of combined exercises each night. Many of the exercises are a horizontal leg press - the seat slides back and there upto 4 large resistance cords that you press back against - I use 3 of them (it is for men or ladies). If you turn the toes out you can use different muscles. There is also a vertical row with the legs in a sitting position. Tonight the muscles in the tops of my thighs were burning as I worked - though not knowing either way I persevered. Is this a sign that I ought to ease back on the exercise or if I work through it, will it go away to good final effect?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No that's normal, now get back to it 
At long as there's no sharp pain then don't worry about, it's likely to be the accumulation of lactate in the muscle, you've reached the point where your body can't supply the energy you need from its prefered energy sources. The fitter you get the threshold for this will increase and you'd have to work harder for the burn to happen.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When you're doing resistance training, unless you get to the stage where you start to feel that discomfort, then you're probably not using enough resistance. Once it starts, continue until you get to the point of failure, that is, when you can no longer complete the exercise with good form.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Megamum, are you stretching after excersing? If not, do so, and I am sure you will notice a difference? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks folks, that's the sort of info I needed. One of the things about not going to a gym is that you don't have a trainer around to ask this sort of thing to. I'll keep going. I think all the leg pushing exercises must be good in some way for skiing. I might add that I am actually feeling quite pleased with myself for keeping the exercises going each night - I'm a natural sloth, I just really want to get EVERYTHING out of this trip and realise that if I am bit fitter that must be helpful. I'm going to treat myself to those boots as I'm being good too. Oh, yes, and I think I will say - as no-one else seems interested in the fact at home, I have also lost 8lb since mid Dec 06 (and over Crimbo too) and want to do in best part of another stone before I go if possible (Don't know if it will be) Off out for a 1/2hr brisk walk at lunchtime time - the rain has finally stopped and we have a bit of sunshine for the moment.
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Megamum, sounds good and you're dead right with getting fit to make the most out of your trip. Well done with the weight too!! Will you have to change your name to Minimum? 
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go out and sprint up a few hills
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum, keep up the good work, you'll appreciate the benefits when you hit the slopes and are not a quivering mess after half a day, well that's what keeps me motivated to go the gym anyway. A couple of tips for you:
Try to split the resistance training from the endurance training, so when you do the endurance training e.g. rowing, cycling, running, stepping you do at least 20 minutes, but 30 would be better all in one go. So you could do the resistance stuff first, and then the endurance, or if you can workout every day then you could alternate what you do from one day to the next, 3 sessions of each a week would be adequate.
The 1/2 hr walk probably won't be intense enough to have a big impact on your endurance, but is good for burning calories and importantly where the main energy source is fat so this will be good to help with your weight loss plans.
I just got a book on skiing fitness by Mark Hines, it's very good, particularly because for most exercises you don't need any equipment except for a medicine ball or some other form of weight if you need to make things harder and a BOSU for the more advanced exercises. The good thing is that it tries to be very specific to skiing so in all but one of the exercics you have you feet on the floor. If it get a chance I will write up a bit more of a detailed review and perhaps extract some of the key exercies.
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Thanks everyone for the encouragement.
All today I've noticed burning thighs whenever I've sat down, but esp. on the 'throne'  . So Ive just done tonight's 1/2 hr - it still burnt, but I've tried what IncogSkiSno, suggested. When I finished I stood up, and bent each leg in turn up behind me and caught the toe so my heel was against my bottom - I assumed this would have stetched the thigh, and I kept like this for 30 secs each - somewhere I read on here that the 'sitting down on a chair - ski stretch' should be held for this time, so I thought that it would do for other stretches too. I'll report back tomorrow to see if its worked.
I considered the 1/2 hr aerobic and then the 1/2 hr resistance, but my machine makes it difficult to separate the two - to do the aerobic work on my machine, i.e. any of the rowing stances, you have to deploy the legs in the resistance exercise pattern at the same time - you push with the legs against the resistance cords, and row with the arms. The only resistance work you can do without deploying the 'resistance legs' is the upper body work out with the exercise that aren't connected with rowing, i.e. upper arm flexs/biceps etc. Hope that makes sense as an explanation, so again I've just done 1/2 hr mixed tonight. Given this has anyone any other suggestions?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Megamum, when you do that stretch for the quads, do make sure that you have fully extended the hip flexors (the muscles across the front of the hip at the top of the thigh) - the rectus femoris connects to both hip and knee and if the hip is slightly flexed, you won't be getting the full benefit of the stretch. You might need to check in a mirror.
Apologies if you are doing it correctly, it was just when you said you were getting your heel against your bottom it made me think - in my job (Pilates instructor) I don't see many people who can get their heel to their bottom if their hip flexors are fully extended. I see plenty who can do it if they have their leg slightly bent/flexed at the hip. If you find it difficult standing up, do the same exercise lying on your front, making sure that your pelvis is in contact with the floor, bottom stays down and knee comes off the floor.
20-30 seconds is a good length of time to be holding the stretch, you're right.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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clara_jo, Yup, heel totally on bottom! I did it standing up with my hand on a kitchen worksurface for balance, like a ballet dancer at the barre though I couldn't swear what my hips were doing. I'll try lying down tonight - thanks for the tip - btw I haven't looked at it yet, but mum gave me the pilates DVD that was in the Mail last saturday, maybe that will also give me some more tips.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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clara_jo, OK, another 1/2 hour tonight and I've really analysed that stretch - doing it lying down with someone checking my hips on the floor and knees off the floor, I can get heel on bottom no problem - I can even do both together! I've also looked in a mirror doing it standing up and I'd swear I'm square. I did ballet as soon as I could walk until about 14, rode horses from the age of 4, and tap danced in my early twenties - I'm more sedentary now, but sit down on a very low stool twice a day to milk the goats. Could this all explain why I don't find this manoevre a problem. Also, in the past I have tried gyms and they have been surprised by the flexibility me, a fairly unfit individual, has in their upper legs and hips. For the record I'm also almost double jointed in my elbows - that's why they made me give up ballet - my teacher said that there was no point in me continuing as I would never be able to make the right shapes with my arms (I don't think this was a fair thing from a teacher, but there you are). B.t.w. I can get to about 160 degrees in 1st dancing position with flat feet and knees together.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi maggi, I guess it must be all that ballet then. Shame it doesn't help with the skiing - I need all the help I can get! Not even with balance? or maybe having the strength to dig the ski's into the snow? Got to be something we can do with it....... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Megamum, ok, back to the drawing board! If you are working anaerobically, then the burn will come from the result of lactic acid build up in your muscles. But if you feel it the next day, which you've said you do, you are suffering from what is known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). We've been taught in our sports massage course that the soreness results from micro-tears in the muscle, not lactic acid accumulation. Eccentric contractions (when the muscle produces force while lengthening, as in alpine skiing) cause the most DOMS (lucky us  )
I believe your best bet is to carry on doing what you've been doing, but at a lower intensity, as suggested above. And don't forget your stretching (given your flexibility are you actually feeling enough of a stretch, by the way?) And post-event sports massage is helpful too (but then I would say that, wouldn't I  )
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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clara_jo, Okey dokey, I'll do a bit more upper and a bit less lower body for a while, and see if that helps. Thanks
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And remember - you make the gains in the recovery period. always have at least 2 days off a week unless you have a very high level of fitness. And even then....!!!
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FAQ
And if you force it, you are likely to put incredible strain on your knees and ankles. Sorry.
) and do yoga now. I am sorry to tell you though that this does not help one bit with skiing. I'm still rubbish! 