Hola. I need some advice on starting my fitness routine over. I had a baby 3.5 months ago. Prior to getting pregnant, I was working out 6 days a week, doing a three-day split on ST, and 3 days of cardio. I was eating clean. I was feeling good and lookin good. Then I got knocked up and made excuses to not work out, got gestational diabetes and gained a whopping 56 lbs. The kicker? Only 22 of it has “magically” melted off as everyone promised it would. I was 20 lbs overweight to start. So my goal now is 55 lbs lighter than my current weight.
So I’m training to run a 12K May 18, and a half-marathon in October. I started a walk/run program last week, which consists of 30-40 mins of intervals 2x a week, then 40-50 mins on the weekend, gradually increasing the amount of time you run vs. walk. I started last week and am astonished with how out of shape I am. The good news is I’m feeling great about getting back into it.
So here’s my actual question: when do I start S(trength) T(raining) again? I’m nervous about jumping into my old routine because well, it was a little insane, and obviously I’m not at the level I used to be. Should I just start with basics, i.e. squats, lunges, deadlifts, bicep curls, tricep dips, etc. ? Should I wait until I have two weeks of 3x cardio, or should I get back in asap?
Thanks in advance!
Heather
Got “knocked up.” I love it. Ive never had a kid, and am not sure I even want to, but the fact a mom doesn’t refer to their child as a blessing every other second makes me believe there is hope for me.
Anyways- you want to clear it with your doctor before you start strength training again (and hopefully you did about the running as well) but as long as you get the go ahead, you should start strength training again! Everyone needs to strength train, so as long as a medical professional doesn’t tell you not to, you are fine.
I wouldn’t jump right back into the same routine. As beautiful of an experience as having a baby is (how can anything that involves a placenta be beautiful?) it wreaks havoc on your body. You might find that you are working with a body you don’t even know anymore, so taking int through a rough workout right off that bat isnt a good idea. You know how sore you get the first workout back from a week long vacation? Well, imagine that, times however many weeks its been since you worked out. You want to start slow and listen to your body. I owuld start with the basics, and if you feel fine, progress from there.
A big issue with having the baby, is sometimes your abs pull apart. I cant for the life of me remember what its called and am too lazy to google it (dias-something abdominus? recti? something like that- if you know, let me know) but its important to specifically train to build the abs back together. Most of the time it can be done by physically holding the abs together with your hands while you do crunches, but check with your doctor to be sure.
Oh, and Im supposed to say congrats, too, huh? Or is 3.5 months too old for a congrats. I don’t know the etiquette. I know 16 is too old. “How old is your boy? 16? Congratulations.”
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