Week 2 of 10 (Strength and Muscle Building)

The second week of the challenge saw one of the girls on Holiday and the other two working their socks off in the gym! ( No pressure next week Amy). I will say though that each of the girls are giving their all in training sessions. Their strength has increased already and more importantly their bodies have adapted to recovering quicker from the tough sessions.
For these first 4 weeks we are trying to increase strength across the board by lifting heavy weights for a max of 8 reps and using mostly compound exercises. Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once, and include movement around two or more joints. For example, in the back Squat, movement occurs(But is not limited to) around the hip, knee and ankle joints. This exercise is primarily used to develop the quadriceps, but it also involves the hamstrings, glutes and calves. Compound exercises are generally similar to the ways that people naturally push, pull and lift objects. When it comes to isolation exercises we are opting for 3 or 4 sets of 10 -12 reps depending on the muscle group being worked and only using 2 -3 isolation exercises per day. The weeks training split is:

1. Chest and Triceps
   

1. Back and Biceps
   

1. Legs
   

1. Shoulders, Traps and Abs
   

This gives the girls 4 days per week in the gym with plenty of time to recover for the next session for that body part. Recovery is essential for adaptation to occur and this should be the aim of any gym or sports program! What doesn't challenge you doesn't change you!
Anyway that's enough rambling from me, Lets hear from the girls:


Amy:
This week is gonna be short and sweet! I was away on holidays and had a ball! I have however no photographic evidence of being at the gym because ....... I didn't go oops! In my defense it was a good trek from where we were staying and I did go for jogs/walks as it suited me better with my son etc. I'm full of excuses I know! I'm back at it anyway and I'm going to go hell for leather!


Sinead:
The weeks are absolutely flying by! I’m sure you’ll all be glad to know the pains have decided to
no longer make walking/eating/sitting/lying down a torturous task. Knowing and feeling you are 
getting stronger, even just a little, is the best motivation and reward. 
Another thing I have discovered, and Anthony can definitely back me up here, is that me and 
weights means SWEAT!!! I mean I actually made what was referred to as a sweat angel the 
other day!! So must be doing something right!
Going into next week I really want to work on getting my form right when lifting...if you’re gonna 
do something might as well do it like a pro. So at the end of week 2 I’m actually starting to 
enjoy the sessions (even managing to laugh once or twice, even if it was at my involuntary arm 
shaking) 
Here goes week 3!!


Sarah:
After completing week 1 I thought "Great! that's the sore bit over with! I can look forward to getting nice and toned without the pain" I was wrong! Now to be fair I am seeing a difference in my muscle tone already which I am delighted with but week 2 hurts almost as much as week 1! But the weights increased this week and I was pleasantly surprised that I could lift them! I struggled with some but I persisted , just to wipe the smile off Anthony's face! I don't do cute Anthony!
Nutrition has been more of a challenge for me this week. It's hard to get the balance right and making sure I eat enough of the right foods.My protein intake had to increase to help my body recover from the hard workouts and carbs reduced a little but not taken out completely. I am also trying to get in more good fats and fiber too.What I have realized is that it is very important to eat properly to fuel yourself, or else you'll end up taking an afternoon nap on a Saturday afternoon like I did.
This challenge is not for the fainthearted. You need commitment and determination. Just as we all studied hard to get good exam results in school you need to work hard in the gym to get the body you want. So don't forget to bring your commitment, determination and a good dose of encouragement! The latter of which Anthony and Mikey provide!


So there it is, a few thought's and insight from our hard working girls. You might be think my god they are going through torture and they sound like they are in agony all the time!! What the girls are experiencing is a condition known as DOMS(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). 

The soreness is perceived as a dull, aching pain in the affected muscle, often combined with tenderness and stiffness. The pain is typically felt only when the muscle is stretched, contracted or put under pressure, not when it is at rest. This tenderness, a characteristic symptom of DOMS, is also referred to as "muscular mechanical hyperalgesia".
Although there is variance among exercises and individuals, the soreness usually increases in intensity in the first 24 hours after exercise. It peaks from 24 to 72 hours, then subsides and disappears up to seven days after exercise. 

The soreness is caused by eccentric exercise, that is, exercise consisting of eccentric (lengthening) contractions of the muscle. Isometric (static) exercise causes much less soreness, and concentric (shortening) exercise causes none. It does happen and it is painful at times but it is a sign of adaptation, a sign of progress.

Onward and upwards ladies. only a couple of weeks of heavy lifting left and then we focus on tempo and the mind muscle connection for every rep! Fun times ahead!!