Strength Challenge!

[zoebird]

Recently, i was at the Y doing my usual deal when i noticed on one of the announcement boards there was a strength challenge coming up. THere were three age ranges, basic exercises, and then how to sign up. I went to sign up and was told that it was only for boys and men! So, i talked to the really cool director, and he said that i could do it, but they'd adjust the weight for me based on my size/sex and all that. Which is cool.

But then, i thought--why not just have a women's competition as well? He mentioned that most women don't work out the way that i do, but i thought itwould be a great way to sell personal training sessions and get women interested in real, honest-to-goodness functional training. They're thinking about it.

In the mean time, i thought it might be fun if we set up a 'strength challenge' for women and men here. I think it would be a really great way to show how vegetarians and vegans can be fit and strong, and it's a new challenge for some of us. Of course, it would require some dedication--but i also think it would be fun and motivational!

So, here's what i was thinking, pick a date in the next three months, then three months after that to have a 'compitition.' Another online friend has run such a 'competition' and can help me set it up so that it makes sense. Then, perhaps we can have a winner and maybe a prize.

anyway, what do you think of this idea? any of you gals up for a 'strength challenge' where we'll test our strength with squats, deadlifts, bench press, row, overhead press, and chin ups?

i'll set it up for guys too, if you want it. let me know! :guitar:

[rainbowmoon]

I think it sounds good...but can we be exempt from certain exercises? I can't do squats because its too hard on my knees- I do leg press instead.

[zoebird]

right, i was going to put that in--leg press instead of squats--and if there are exercises that you can't or don't do, or don't want to compete in, that's fine too.

my mom's going to do it as well--and she leg presses, but doesn't dead lift, so she'll definately compete in the leg press competition.

[rainbowmoon]

sounds really cool- but we gotta get more VBers to join!

[Jinga]

I'm a little weakling, but I can try :P ... My complex has a gym with the basic weight machines: Leg press, hamstring curl, leg extension, lat pull, a bench press machine ... and a few others, plus free weights.

[zoebird]

the point is mostly for the functional training. a good functional work out would be leg press, dead lift, bench press, row, overhead press and chin ups/pull downs.

you may also want to do weighted back extensions and weighted crunches.

using free weights as often as possible is best, you get the best 'weight' reading--that is, sometimes machines don't have the actual amounts of weight that you're lifting, whereas with free weights, you know exactly the numbers that you're lifting.

but, i'll set it up anyway, since there are a few interested.

[Kiz]

What about people with no equipment? I can do squats ok, but no leg presses. I'm just not fortunate enough to own that kind of gear.

[Kiz]

We should have a section for using the body's own weight.

[rainbowmoon]

The problem with that is there is no way to measure an increase in abillity, unless you gain body weight.
Maybe we could post this in the Hamster's thread. I think it sounds fun and there should be more VBers interested in it, since there are a lot of us that work out.

[pseudo_vegan]

WOW. That's total crap that those challenges are/were only for Y-Chromosomes... :grr:

BUT alas I'd be up for a challenge of the sort...keep me posted with details :up:

:nigel: Cheers!

[Jinga]

So how is this thing going to start? Should I just go to the gym this week and take a record? I guess we are maxing out. Hmmm.

[zoebird]

i'm talking with the guy who set up the last one on another board. he's helping me figure out the best way to approach it. it may be a maxing out thing.


and kiz, i don't know how to do one for body weight or what to use as any sort of measuring stick, you know? so, i don't think it's possible. But, if you set goals and want to share them, sort of within the competition, then that's fine.

i don't own any of this equipment, BTW. my mother does, but i don't. I just have gym access. lots of gyms are inexpensive, if you shop around for just the 'bare necessities.' there's a functional training gym that has a month-to-month membership for only as often as you plan to use the equipment. My price, should i choose to trian there, would be $17/month (because i would be weight training 2x per week). so, that's an option, if you shop around and find a place.

[CaptainSwab]

Hmmm. I have wanted to add waits (haha, I mean weights) to my weekly regimine for awhile now. The problem is is that my next marathon is 5 weeks away so I'm afraid to add anything new now. I suppose I could always do upper body and leave lower body to later.

I also don't have access to a gym. I own a pair of hand weights though. Thats pretty much it.

[zoebird]

i think that you would want to wait until after the marathon.