It’s been a really good week, I was introduced to squats, the clean and the Turkish get up. A few more moves on the pads and plenty of foot work.
The squat is light at the moment and that’s because of a number of reasons, the first one is I need to learn the basic movement, to the point it is second nature. It’s all part of the muscle memory that I spoke about before. At the moment I lean forward and this puts pressure on my lower back. Most of that is due to a lack of confidents, something I have always suffered from. That again is something that coach says we will be working on. My knees are weak and so when I push to stand up my knees come in. To counter act this coach has put a red band around my legs, just above my knees. In order to keep the tension on the band I have to force my knees out as I push to stand. It’s very simple and works a treat.
The clean has proved to be a difficult one to learn. Lifting with straight arms is very alien, throw in a shrug at the top and turn the elbows out and grip with your thumb under your fingers, at the top push your elbows high. “What was the first move ? I couldn’t move, what do I do ?
“Lower the bar to just above your knees and drive it up and keep your arms straight until after the shrug” I’m sure that’s what he said. “I don’t understand” after he stopped laughing and calling me a biff we went through it again and again. The next words I heard were “ you’re a natural” now I know he’s at it but I did get there in the end and it was me being a biff. I need loads more practice and I’m sure over the next few months I’ll be getting plenty.
The Turkish get up, I think coach thought this one up and it’s with my best pal the Kettle Bell. What an exercise this is. It wasn’t my best start to an exercise. As coach explained the exercise to me I could see a smile coming. I just knew it was going to be a mare. He showed me the exercise and explained each move as he did it, no problem. That didn’t look so bad and how hard could it be to stand up with a cannonball ?
I lay on the floor on my back and coach passed me my mate. I pressed it so it was now above me in my right hand. My right knee was bent and my left arm was out to the side. “Lift your right shoulder and sit up” I could hear the commands and I knew what to do. Why wasn’t anything happening ? Nothing was moving, it was like I had been pinned to the floor by an invisible force. I knew what was coming, “my daughter is ..............”
Coach took the Kettle Bell from me and I started to stand up “where are you going? You’ve not finished yet.” He passed me a dumb bell and I away I went. I made it to my feet but I was now facing the wrong way. By the time I had done 3 on each side, I had no idea where the door was. Room for improvement, I think is the expression.
Most of the exercises are coming together and it’s like anything you do for the first time it takes time to learn the move and understand the drill.
It’s been a really great week, I’ve had a laugh in the gym and it all seems to be coming together, even the yogurt is getting better. I’ve got a load of home work to do when I’m in my room. Nothing too drastic just a few exercises to do before I go to bed and when I get up in the morning. The wall press to improve my shoulder flexibility, I have a large stick to do some other inward stretches, again to help my shoulders and a few exercises to help regain the muscle strength in my back. My water intake is going well and my eating habits are getting much better. I’m not the fastest eater in town as it has been pointed out to me, but never the less, I’m eating well and my gym sessions are all the better for it. I don’t feel hungry at any stage through the day and I’m really enjoying my tea with no sugar.
All in all, it’s been one of the best things I’ve done, I feel much more alive and I have no aches or pains. It’s been so long now that it totally slipped my mind. The pain in my ankles has gone. I can’t remember when it went or when I started walking without a limp but here I am walking normally and totally pain free. I’m still doing the ankle exercises as they are great for balance and building up the strength in my calves.
An active body is an active brain, mine should start very shortly !! J
You need to stop making me out as a bully, you knob. Why havn't you told these readers how you ran me over in a 6 ton car. Hit me with a straight right on the nose, when there were 2 focus pads that were asking to be hit. Or when you nearly knocked out my brand new £2000 teeth.
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