Alternative cardio to running?

[wannalift]

Complexes with dumbbells or barbells:

Good call - I'm gonna try this today

Yeah, they are intense and very effective for conditioning. The Javorek complex above is a little heavy on the upper body. It would be good to add in some RDLs and/or squat jumps if possible to tax your lower body a little more. The idea is to:

1. Use compound movements (overhead press, rows, squats, deadlift variation, swings, push ups, pull ups, etc.);
2. Hit as many muscle groups as possible with as few exercises as possible (re: this isn't circuit training);
3. Add weight or reps and or decrease time to complete every session.

[Superflor]

Ok, so I tried the rowing machine. Went well so will continue with that. Tried the eliptical machine/cross trainer and it was really sore on the knee so won't be going there again.

Not gonna go anywhere near Jovorek's complex, sorry, but still looking for something to make my legs feel as good as they did running (minus the tendonitis).

Am I really gonna have to try and get a swim cap on?

[xrodolfox]

Am I really gonna have to try and get a swim cap on?

You don't need to swim if you don't have to. With rowing, and circuit weights, you might be settled.

If you do swim, you will have to get a swim cap. Not all swim caps are created equal (expensive silicone don't work on many heads, mine included), and you have to actually put it on correctly. Ugh. So many people put them on all wrong.

To actually get a good workout in the pool, you need to actually go a reasonable speed. Floating around from end to end is nice and relaxing. You'll just get just as much cardio by treading water with your head out of the water. It's pretty low impact, but so low impact that you won't get much cardio for the time spent.

Unless you are willing to put the time in, you might as well stick to the other fitness regimes.

If, however, you are willing to put your head/hair and time in to the pool with a proper coach, well, then you're likely to see really awesome benefits. Swimming is like cardio and weights and yes, even your bones maintain some hardness without the impact, and most of all, it is FUN. But there's a learning curve, and it's a lot longer than with dry land fitness.

[Superflor]

Thanks Rodolfo. Pretty sure my swimming cap is silicone I will go to the sports shop and get some advice. I'm used to only washing my hair every 5 days. I have visions of major dray as strawness going down. I liked running cos it made my legs sleek. I hope swimming will do the same. I am also thinking about aquarobics.

I don't usually do a big circuit. I did bout 1/2 hour treadmill, 3 machines for arms (or 1/2 hour bike and 3 machines for legs) then my physio exercises to maintain my hip and some stretches So about an hour and a 1/4 3-4 times a week. I might look at free weights again but tend to feel self conscious and pressured by time and space in that male-dominated area of my particular gym. Having said that I used to do more free weights so could just get over myself and try again, maybe.

[xrodolfox]

ProTip: Don't ask the sports shop for advice on swim gear/strategies. Most of those folks just know what people buy, and most people buy crap swim gear for a lot of money. Real swimmers spend it on quality gear that also happens to be really cheap.

Ask a swimmer. Preferably one that's fast. Fast = lots of time in the water. It's generally better to ask a coach than a swimmer. If you see a fast swimmer who coaches who has the same type hair as you, then you're golden.

[Rach]

Even with my lovely new Brooks, I have narrowed it down that running on the treadmill is what has been behind my recurring knee tendonitis and I am looking for a replacement cardio activity to alternate with the static bike I already do. Swimming is non hair-compatible. Thinking about cross-trainers...

Any suggestions?

Agree that a weights complex is a good move; I have been doing a dumbbell circuit as a cardio alt, if you have a look at my training log for today it is written down.My trainer gave me it as an alternative to trad cardio for fat loss . It' s good fun too.

[Superflor]

I guess the other down side to replacing running with swimming as my cardio would be that I'd have to go, get changed, swim, shower, get changed, do my machines and my physio, shower and then get changed again which is hassley and time consuming.

But i won't know until i do a run through

[xrodolfox]

when I do i lift-swim routine, or a run-swim routine, I tend to put the swimming last. I know. Sometimes that's not an ideal workout order. But I *love* long showers. This allows that. Also, taking the time to really scrub myself after a swim makes it so that I rarely have chlorine residue on my skin. That doesn't happen when I hurry to go running or lifting. Then I can smell the chlorine on my skin when I run or lift. Ugh. Not so good.

There's always trying! I'm sure there'll be issue for you that you never knew about.

[Superflor]

Thanks again Rodolfo. I usually used running and bike as my warm-up though. Maybe I should just do say at least 10 minutes of bike every time (more if I'm using that as my cardio for the day), throw in a bit of rowing, do my machines and stretches and hit the pool at the end, as you suggest, as a cardio sesh.

Ok, this new plan is slowly coming together!

[Superflor]

K, so I took the plunge. I managed to get the silicone cap I have on by wetting hair in the shower first and I asked a female attendant about where to get the right cap and she just directed me to where I was gonna go in the first place; the sports shop.

I didn't do any crawl this time (for future reference, anyone wanna tell me about when you're meant to breath with that stroke- is it big gasp to the side and then blow out as you do the stroke with your head submerged?) but did have the head fairly submerged in the backstroke and with washing the hair through with water after I am not noting any chlorine smell so far so maybe I don't need a different cap after all?

I did some breast stroke and some backstroke and that was enough for me for a first go in ages. Wasn't as bad as I thought. It did add on more time to my work-out but the tip for ending with the swim was a good 'un and I just started with 15 mins of bike in the gym, my arms machines and physio exercises and stretches and then bopped down to the pool.

Will alternate this with a heavier bike session and some rowing machine and see how the body gets on with that.

Thanks for the info.

[xrodolfox]

^ awesome.

I can tell you what to do with breathing for the crawl, but frankly, a coach (or a friend) on deck can usually help a lot more.

Congrats on not letting your knee get in the way of training!