It's been awhile and I've spent the better part of February, TRYING to get my head around adding strength training to my fitness routine. In this past month, I have dipped my toe into the Bike Bootcamp classes, but I have only completed 6 classes in total. They are really good in terms of offering a combination of cardio and strength. I think it's because I have been ALL IN with the Power Zone Challenge, completing four rides a week, where most of them are 60-minute rides. As a result, "mama tired"!!
Yet, I know that my body has grown complacent to what I am doing now and it has adapted to the work I have been doing. While I do see steady changes with my body, I know that I'm at a "standstill" because my weight has remained constant. I can be much stronger than I m right now if I made a solid commitment to focus on adding strength training to my weekly routine. I know that I should skip days between workouts or work on different areas at a time. I also know that for women over 50, strength training is vital to their overall health.
Knowing all these things, I STILL have not been "all in" like I am with yoga and cycling.
Cycling has been energizing: I know I am a lot stronger on the bike than I was in the beginning. Where in the beginning I would only be able to get my cadence average in the mid to high 70s, I now, because of Power Zone training, can keep it above 80. A 20 minute ride used to take me out, I can now complete a 60 minute ride even though I'm breathless at the end. I still cannot ride well out of the saddle, my cadence slows to around 40-50, so I have work to do with that. In a few weeks I am going to take a new FTP test and I am certain I will see improvement. I also want to ride more strategically on the fun rides so I can keep up on those.
Yoga is therapeutic. While is does add strength work and balance, it's most calming for the mind and body. A new favorite is restorative yoga, so much so I definitely want to invest in a good bolster. I even have no problem doing a 60-minute yoga class! Why don't I have the strength to do strength training??
I think it's more of a MENTAL block I have than anything else. I need to make a commitment and a plan to step it up. That said, by March 30th my goal is to complete at least 15 Bike Bootcamp or strength classes. Tuesdays will be lower body, Wednesday upper body, and Friday will be full body. That sounds like a good "plan", huh? Now, I need to put ACTION behind these words. I will check in on March 15th with my progress towards this goal. Marking my calendar now. I know I can do this....GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!