Promoting Adaptation with Coordination, Skill, and Balance
It's not always about intensity
One of the most beautiful things about the Human condition is our ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This ability is one of the reasons why we have been in existence for the last 300,000 years! So, when we are training for overall fitness and longevity, we need to keep changing things up to keep our muscles, bones, and nervous system in a constant state of dynamic change and adaptation.
We sometimes experience the flip side of adaptation that causes frustration, and that is the fitness plateau. We have all been in that situation when we are working hard on a fitness program that used to work, but no longer does. Once we have done the troubleshooting and ruled out things like fueling imbalances and inadequate sleep and recovery, the next place to look is the program itself, and the last time you made any significant changes.
You may have noticed that in the Athletic Aging Weekly Workout Series, we don’t repeat workouts very often, unless it is a strength or performance retest of a “benchmark workout”. This is deliberate, keeping consistent with the principle of maintaining a constant state of adaptation. Not only is there variation in movements and energy systems (heavier lifts vs cardiovascular stimulation), but there is variation in intensity as well.
This week’s workout mixes it up in all directions! There are movements that may be new to you, like the plank pull-through and the sit-through (a.k.a the hip escape in the Les Mills BodyCombat world), a full body focus, and a lower “zone 2” or “conversational intensity”.
Today’s session is a modification of an awesome workout from Train FTW. As always, if these movements are not accessible to you, there are modifications for every fitness level. Enjoy!
Warm-Up and Movement Practice
Cardio movement options include bike, row, and run. If these options are not accessible to you, substitute an easy stair climb/step-up or another cardio machine (i.e arc trainer, elliptical, etc.). Ideally, select two different options for the workout, however, it is fine to select just one option for all three rounds. These cardio segments are to be done at a lower intensity (zone 2) level that is “conversational”.
To warm up, select one cardio option and go for 50 seconds at an easy pace and 10 seconds at a hard pace for a total of 5 minutes.
Watch the movement demo videos below and select your movement options for the workout. Take 5-10 minutes to practice each movement and select weights as appropriate.
Plank pull-through or Plank Shoulder tap (Knees or toes for both options)
Oblique twist (Option: no weight)
Duck walk - body weight (Advanced option: Duck walk holding a light to medium kettlebell) or Inchworm
Workout
3 rounds
3:00 Bike
1:00 Plank pull-through (Alternative: Plank shoulder tap)
100 ft double dumbbell front rack walk
1:00 rest
3 rounds
3:00 row
1:00 sit-through (Alternative: 100 ft bear crawl)
50 ft / 50 ft over-under carry
1:00 rest
3 rounds
3:00 bike
30-second weighted oblique-twist
50 ft duck walk (Alternative: 50 ft inchworm)
Cool Down
This is a really nice, gentle full-body stretch sequence to round out today’s workout. Even though it was a lower-intensity day, effective tissue care ends with a good stretch! #dontskiptheyoga
A Hot Topic that Keeps Heating Up…..
When women come to see me struggling with performance in perimenopause and menopause, they are often concerned about their fluctuating or absent reproductive hormones and the chaos this creates.
But often it is not the reproductive hormone pathways that are creating the chaos - it’s the hormone pathways of the stress response system. Check out this podcast appearance with the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager, where we discuss how fueling and recovering are your best defense against a stress response system gone rogue!
NOW TAKING NEW CLIENTS!
If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!
It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.
Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!
You will find all my service offerings on my website including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule!