Monday, October 06, 2008

A Little Disappointed



This is not the picture of a person who you would expect to use...




these 5 pound dumbbells. Does she or is she trying to get women to follow her workout?


I don't regularly read Shape magazine, but for some reason or another it, along with several other magazines, are sent to the gym. So imagine my suprise when I'm flipping through the Novenber issue of Shape and come accross an artcile with a circuit training program that Gina Carano uses.

Score! I can't wait to read this, she is after all, The Female Mixed Martial Artist.

Imagine my disappoint when I read the article. I know, I didn't think it was possible, but here she is an undefeated female mixed martial artist. She spares in the ring for a living, and she's talking about needing strength, endurance, and balance to supplement her technique training, and she's using 5 - 10lb dumbbells in the article! Give me a break!!

I don't know what to believe. Does she really use 5-10lb dumbbells? Or is she softening the size of the weights she regularly uses so more women try the workout?

I don't care! This is absurd. I've said it a million and one times, a woman's purse, or backpack for that matter, weighs more than 5-10lbs. You can't tell me that this undefeated mixed martial artist trains with 5-10lb dumbbells. She punches and kicks her opponents in the face of crying outloud!

She talks about jumping rope and shadow boxing, that's great, perfect movement patterns for active rest (no complaints...seriously,) but afterwards we're supposed to be doing a twisting squat with a 10lb dumbbell, good morning raises (which just has a standing calf raise after the good morning is performed---which isn't necessary) and partial one legged squats. I can't believe what I am reading.

I have more work to do than I thought.

9 comments:

Erica said...

You should write to Shape! Seriously.

AngieDSimplyMe said...

We all have work to do :)

Expecially when clueless ultra rich continue to pay for stupid fitness.
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20080828_tows_paltrow/3

I just love how holly wood elite, blindly follow someone willing to take and waste their money, and people idolize them, and want to work out just like them.

I just love how in this video her "trainer" is saying no woman should ever lift more than 3 lbs, yet Gwyneth is lifting her 30 kid all day long... and she doesn't connect with logic??

Pamela MacElree said...

I should write to shape, maybe I could then have a six page spread on lifting 4lb kettlebells, it would be awesome! In all seriousness though, starting with lighter weights is a progression after that you need to increase the weight (I know you know this) but no one ever sees this happen, so women have the thought that lifting heavy weights is bad.

I wasn't able to open the link to Oprah show, but based on what you said I'm sure I would have agreed. If your kid weighs 30lbs you better be working out with more than 3lb weights.

I used to workout with a good friend of mine on a regular basis, she would never increase her weights, two years later I come to find out she's using the same weight, I finally convinced her to move up the dumbbell rack, and she loves it! She feels better and is seeing a difference.

fawn said...

Pamela,
I have heard of this light dumbbell workout before... Madonna is said to use these little tiny weights, then do a 100 reps... I am a little dumbfounded... what a huge disservice to woman kind.

AngieDSimplyMe said...

I'm sorry the link didn't open up... I don't know about HTML so I don't know how to get it to work. I just highlighted it, copied it, and pasted it into my browser address bar and it worked then.

The same lady who trains G P also trains Madonna. The trainer's phylosophy is that less weight equals less bulk. Which the Hollywood elite want to look like skeletons.

But if less weight equals less bulk, wouldn't a lady get bulky from lifting and toting a 30 lb kid around all day???? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

Yes... PLEASE seriously write to shape and point out the importance of STARTING with light weights until good functional movements are learned, and then the importance of PROGRESSING onto more weight...

And will some one point out the stupidity and illogic that no woman should lift more than 3-4 lbs???

Ok.. off my soap box.

mario said...

Pssst, don't tell her this secret with the heavier weights!! Otherwise she will change to a "monster", that never can be beaten....
I was working on the beginning movements for turkish get-up with the 20 kg kettlebell as I posted in my new Blog.
Todays workout was:
OH-walking , 40 seconds
Hanging leg lift 30 seconds
OH lunges backwards/forwards on place 5x5 each arm
OH walking lunges 2x5 each arm, two times
Floor presses 5x5 each side
half armbar and armbarpresses singles.
Goal was shoullder stabilisation within body movement.

Pamela MacElree said...

Hey Mario

Good workout! Headed in the right direction!!

I know what you mean about not passing along the secrets, but it's one of those things...I feel like I have to, not for her sake but for everyone else's. I'm sure one day a competitor of mine will follow workouts similar to mine and make me work that much harder.

AngieDSimplyMe said...

Ok... now for the challenge... yesterday and today I worked out, posted my workout on my blog, and journaled what I ate on my blog. Today I did so well with my diet untill this evening, and all I had around to eat were sandwhiches, cookies, and chips. No one forced me to eat them. I just gave in.

Thanks for the challenge!

keith fine said...

And now i remember why i stopped reading fitness mags,