Alternative Sit Ups

Today Larry had me working on exercises that I could feel along the side of my belly, and in my core. It felt good to do them. Some even felt easy. THEN, he asked me to curl my wrists in while pulling a rope attached to weight machine. I knew it was too good to be true. Instead of being able to pull the rope all the way down for 15 reps, as I had been only seconds before, I was now only able to do about eight reps.  And. It. Hurt.

Damn, now I have to put a quarter in the 'I Can't' jar.

The good news is, all these exercises feel exactly like doing sit ups, except they are infinitely easier. Well, most of them are. I can feel them in my obliques (the muscles along the side) and the solar plexus and lower abdomen. And boy howdy, these are FAR more preferable than the traditional sit ups (which are bad for you by the way) with which you may all be familiar. You know the ones, the 1970s 3rd grade gym class kind that have bad gym outfits to go along with the wanna-be militaristic gym teacher who thinks they can 'straighten out' these little whipper snappers. Wait, are we still talking about sit ups?? Why yes, Virginia, there is a real sit up. But no, Virginia, you no longer have to do them. It's a good thing too. Because  this article leads with 'Consult your doctor' as the number one step to doing sit ups.

So, just see Trainer Larry and he'll fix you right up with a much more difficult version. But you can wear whatever you want. And he doesn't bark.

Hand and Footwork. A Pictorial.

Apparently this is the direction my feet go when I'm not looking.

Trainer Larry's torture machine.
I mean, crutches strengthening machine.

I had a choice of ellipticals. It was overwhelming.

Pulling my weight. Well, hopefully not MY weight. 

So Hip it Hurts

This doesn't work.

This helps, temporarily.

One minute I'm scowling and grunting as I do the exercises Larry instructs me to do. The next minute I'm limping. One day I'm on the elliptical, burning calories away (I hope), then next minute I cannot find a comfortable way to sit, stand or sleep.

I push myself harder on most everything I do. So it's no surprise to me that I do that at the gym. I've been focusing on the 'game day' (surgery) and trying to meet goals. Like losing weight (not happening). Like getting stronger (I'm getting more sore). But I know crutches are looming ahead, and I really have no idea how the pain level will be. I have heard recovery from this surgery is horrible. but it is short-lived. So I have that going for me.

This machine like it will chew me up for breakfast.
Fortunately the exercise was to pull away from it.