Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Home Gym

One of the things I was super excited about when I moved is having more time so that I didn't have to pick between riding and working out.

I would say that the single difference that bothers me the most between riding Rico and riding TC is my fitness level. My coordination is not as good as it used to be and my strength is absolutely not there. Both of these things are better when I'm fitter, and life is a lot more fun when I'm fit, so I love cross training.
Gotta stay fit so I can fit in that shadbelly again
When I was riding Rico, I did CrossFit and while I love it, my wrist is still a problem. I will hopefully be addressing it again this year but I'm pretty disillusioned by my last attempt at figuring out what was wrong. Especially because I am on a high deductible plan (work pays all of that but I have to pay monthly if I want anything other than that). I love weight lifting and CrossFit and the idea of being able to do it again makes me really happy. But for now, I can't. I did find that TRX is fun, hard enough to make me sore, and not at all bothersome for my wrist.

I tried to find a gym with TRX classes but I decided to just buy some straps. At a hundred dollars, if I could work out from home for a couple of months, they'd more than pay for themselves. And so far, it's been working!

I have them hanging between my couch and my tv, so I leave them down during the day and only hang them up out of the way after I've done something with them. I kind of have to earn my unblocked television time (which doesn't always work, for example, as I'm writing this post, they are down and I'm just peering around them, but it does annoy me).

That time I climbed up this mountain (it's not just that rock lol 
it was a 6 mile hike) in Big Sur. Now I would not be able 
to do that without wheezing.
There are a ton of youtube videos of various workouts anywhere from 10 minutes long to over an hour. I've been doing the 25-35 minute workouts so far and they've been good. The nice thing about TRX is I can make it harder by going steeper, so I don't need additional weights and the workouts don't feel like they get all that easier as I go on.

Sometimes I really don't feel like it, and I'm not obsessively keeping track of how often I work out or anything, but I try to at least do a few rows and squats every day. I doubt it will get me even half as fit as CrossFit did, but at least it's something that can keep me a bit fitter than my baseline! And maybe one day I'll be able to do CrossFit again...
Posted by at
Labels: ,

10 comments:

  1. Amy MMay 23, 2018 at 8:13 AM

    I've always wanted to try something like that! Where did you get your system? How do you attach it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MeganMay 23, 2018 at 8:20 AM

      It's super fun! It's been the only thing aside from CrossFit that I actually enjoy doing. I got it on amazon (ths is hte one I have: https://www.amazon.com/TRX-Training-Suspension-Lightest-Outdoors/dp/B01LXL27XI but there are others too).

      I luckily have a giant beam going across my loft that is part of the structure, so I've been using it on that. You can put it in a door frame which felt stable too. They also have official attachments that you can like, bolt into the wall, but I don't own my place so I opted to just hang it from the beam.

      Delete
    2. Amy MMay 23, 2018 at 8:40 AM

      Thanks! I'll talk to the hubs and see if it's in the budget with our recent expenses. He'd likely be down for something like this and we could attach it to the swingset in the backyard... Hmmm.

      Delete
  2. Tracy - The Printable PonyMay 23, 2018 at 9:52 AM

    My personal trainer has me use the TRX all the time! I love them for rowing type workouts, and upping the difficulty on core exercises. Even a simple plank is WAY HARDER on the TRX!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MeganMay 23, 2018 at 11:15 AM

      I know the planks are killer! When I used to take classes I was always glad to start floor work because sitting down was nice but the second we started the actual work down there I regretted the feeling of relief, it's tough!

      Delete
  3. JenMay 23, 2018 at 11:13 AM

    Diet and exercise are both the same way, you gotta find what works for you, even if what works for you now isn't what worked for you six months ago and may not be what works for you later on. Just doing anything at all and getting into the habit is the most important part, so high five to you!! I love the straps hanging in front of the TV idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MeganMay 23, 2018 at 11:18 AM

      Definitely! I miss lifting weights and feeling really strong/fit like I did doing CrossFit, but anything with a front rack or push up position will eventually make my entire right arm tingle all day long. So for now, this totally works and I'll stick with it until I get my wrist fixed!

      Delete
  4. L.WilliamsMay 23, 2018 at 1:56 PM

    TRX is neat and I've enjoyed what I've done at the gym with them but I am sad I have nowhere to hang such things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MeganMay 23, 2018 at 1:58 PM

      When you guys buy a house you can have TRX straps AND dogs and it will be amazing.

      Delete
  5. LizMay 24, 2018 at 11:34 AM

    I love the block-the-TV approach. We've got beams all over the house and basement and have thrown around the idea of some TRX straps for a year now. If we ever get them, I'm definitely taking a page out of your book and putting them in an obnoxious place so I have to use them.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)