So if my legs are wavering badly during a workout...

[COtuner]

Did I not take enough time off in between sets, am I super setting with the wrong combination of exercises, or am I just too darned tired and risking injury for working out too late in the day?

 

Ran into this on a weird one. Doing a super set of seated cable rows using a wide grip, then jumping straight into pushups off the cable row bench... 3 sets of 15, no stopping in between.

 

My legs were wobbling, not my arms?? I'd just come off a super set of dumbbell rows and bench hopping with about 3 minutes rest. The legs did not wobble again the rest of the 40 minutes afterwards, not even in squats.

 

(I super set through my weight workouts right now because my trainer wants me keeping my heartrate in zone 3)

[Sunny1607307996]

I'm no weight lifting expert, but I find that I'm a lot more "wobbly" if I havent worked out in a while, especially my legs.

 

Do you stretch before and after your workout? Do you warm up your muscles with some cardio before weightlifting?

 

Maybe it's a vitamin thing?

[VTR-RC51]

That's odd...I usually get the wobbles when I've over exerted myself and those particular muscles that I'm working on are done for the day!

 

During your cable rows, are you using your legs to push off the platform? That could be the cause, try keeping your legs stationary.

[itsallgrand]

Bench hopping? As in, hopping from one side of the bench to the other as though it were a low pummel horse?

 

Maybe an ignorant question but not sure what exercise that is. Wondering if involves leg work.

 

I've had my legs wobble either when I've gone past my limit or are hitting it, or if I've just not gotten enough sleep, food or recovery time (sleep is a bugger). Other times, legs will a-wobble if I've pushed myself too far (even if it's not a lot of leg work going on); but usually that comes with dizziness and stars for me too.

 

Super setting is what I've been doing too - and it's some damn hard work. I find sometimes my heart has some trouble keeping up with the muscles - easy to get the wobblies or dizzies when I push too hard and fast.

 

anyways, if you figure it out - would be interested to hear.

[lost1607307474]

I wobble all the time when I'm weight training. I think it's a good sign, because it means you are exerting yourself and your muscles are struggling - but these means they can grow stronger. If you start wavering so much that you think it's a hazard and that you might injure yourself, maybe take more time off between sets.

[COtuner]

I work out 4-5 days a week and keep changing up my routine every month as my trainer assigns. Alternating cardio and resistance, days off in between varies depending on intensity of workout. Sometimes it's every 3rd day, sometimes every 4th day.

 

Sunny - I warm up on a stationary bike beforehand (10 minutes at around 85-90 rpms average, light resistance setting), I'm hydrated, fed, and don't need to stretch too much due to working out midday during a break from the office. I'm pretty limber by 2pm. (trainer signed off on this) On a nutriton plan that's about as pure as you can get - my doctor can find no deficiencies or fault other than a natural iron deficiency that rears its head at least once a year. Maybe that's part of it... but it's still weird that it's only for those 45 pushups that it happens.

 

As for bench hopping.... it's what I call it. Stepping up on the bench and down the other side, leaving the first foot planted, then changing. Doing this rapidly to boost the cardio rate before jumping back to the dumbbell row.

 

Maybe I am pushing on the foot rests during the cable row... that's a good idea to look into, VTR. I just increased the resistance by 5 pounds and switched to the wide grip handle, which is really causing me to struggle by the 13th rep. Second set I'm tiring by 10 and 3rd set by 8 so maybe I am using my legs unconsciously to offset the added weight. I'll try knocking off 2.5 pounds on Friday and see if that makes any difference. Thanks!

[shikashika]

I do a lot of weight training as well and am well aware of the 'wobbling' after weight training.

 

Do you drink a whey protein drink after your weights workout?

 

That really helps to stabalise me. I ALWAYS have some protein after a weights workout.. VERY important.

 

I usually do a cardio workout.. try and do some high intensity workout in the morning.. and then do the weights in the PM after work. I think if you want to get some gains, then you need to separate your workouts.

 

SOMETIMES I do a swim after my weights workout, as there is a pool at the gym I go to, but I still make sure I have a protein drink after my weights, before i swim.

 

I find that when I feel light headed or sick after a workout, it's usually because of not eating the right thing at the right time.

[catfeeder]

Sounds a though your legs take on most stress and need more recovery time. This may sound counter-intuitive, but going lighter on the upper body could help this--it's about the spine and central nervous system. For instance, if you damage your neck area you may never know the problem is the neck without an MRI. So when your body speaks a caution, just pull back and reintroduce elements of your routine slowly enough to get feedback.

[COtuner]

Thanks for the thoughts and input. I'll try to respond:

 

Protein is not a problem - I eat an extremely well balanced 5 meals a day. No one I meet can believe how healthy I eat - even my doctor is handing out sheets with a sample set of my meals to his patients. I can't really handle many shakes as I have a sensitivity to something that's in most prepackaged foods. But I get a lot of protein trust me (40-70 grams a day)

 

I do separate my workouts - cardio one day, weights the next, per my trainers recommendation. (he specializes in injured athlete rehab - that's his grad degree). I used to be a pretty elite caliber athlete so had a lot of good training and experience in my past.

 

This wobbling is within the first 15 minutes of my workout and never reappears no matter what I do the last 45 minutes (well, unless I overdo my lunges and try to do 4 laps of the studio floor). Only the one combination. I also wonder if I'm pushing off my feet too much and not putting enough weight on my arms during these particular pushups - being at an incline on the bench might switch my weight bearing too much towards my feet. I do this when driving stick in my car on long trips too - press my leg hard against the dead pedal and then my leg starts to kill me after an hour of this.

[COtuner]

Sounds a though your legs take on most stress and need more recovery time. This may sound counter-intuitive, but going lighter on the upper body could help this--it's about the spine and central nervous system. For instance, if you damage your neck area you may never know the problem is the neck without an MRI. So when your body speaks a caution, just pull back and reintroduce elements of your routine slowly enough to get feedback.

 

This would back up what was said earlier by another member, that I might be pressing too much with my legs while doing the seated cable row. Or the other one that I am putting too much pressure on my feet while doing these pushups.

 

Given that I am doing my workout mid afternoon, after being on my feet since 5 am and constantly moving between meeting rooms, climbing stairs and walking between buildings at work all day long, my legs do get a lot of work.

[shikashika]

well real food is better than a shake.. i use a shake as a last resrot, but often after my weights workout it's still a 45 minute bike ride home.. so i need to get something in there. sometimes i'll just have a boiled egg or tuna... or SOMETHINg protein right after my weights workout.

 

 

hmnn.. i don't know.. are you wearing the wrong shoes?

 

I noticed that when I do squats/ lunges / deadlifts I wobble.. but that's just because i have poor balance and bad shoes!

 

Also if it is just muscle twitching, magnesium can help.

[shikashika]

As most people here aren't weightlifting experts, why not try asking a weightlifing forum.. ie link removed

 

They have a lot of good advice on that one.

[COtuner]

Good points shika, both posts. I'm using volleyball shoes for my weight workouts, or sometimes old running shoes that I can't bring myself to throw out yet. Magnesium... hmmm. I work pretty hard on my electrolytes during the day..... it's the "only that one exercise" part that confuses me. I would think if it happened throughout the workout it might be traceable to electrolytes or something like that.

 

I can check out that forum, thanks. Maybe someone will know - I've always trained for sports in the past. I'm new to training for the sake of shape and fitness (getting old sucks, LOL)

[shikashika]

Good points shika, both posts. I'm using volleyball shoes for my weight workouts, or sometimes old running shoes that I can't bring myself to throw out yet. Magnesium... hmmm. I work pretty hard on my electrolytes during the day..... it's the "only that one exercise" part that confuses me. I would think if it happened throughout the workout it might be traceable to electrolytes or something like that.

 

I can check out that forum, thanks. Maybe someone will know - I've always trained for sports in the past. I'm new to training for the sake of shape and fitness (getting old sucks, LOL)

 

 

yeah I used to compete a lot in triathlons and running.. and have now put a lot of weightlifiting back into my training.

 

The forum I mentioned has a women's section..and there are a lot of sections on that forum that are not for me at all.. like steroids and elite training...but there are a LOT of good tips on weightlifting, which although I will never enter a bodybuilding or weightlifing competition, it's good to have a read about the weightlifitn stuff.

[sti_2004]

Do you have a decent leg workout within your week? Did you just start weight training?

 

If i had to give you an answer I'd say

your lower body's not as strong/ developed as your upper body and cant keep up (starting at 5am).

 

or

 

Your over working your body which is stressing your body out...(atleast drop the super sets and take your time more)

 

you understand the importance of rest right?

 

gl

[COtuner]

Do you have a decent leg workout within your week? Did you just start weight training?

 

If i had to give you an answer I'd say

your lower body's not as strong/ developed as your upper body and cant keep up (starting at 5am).

 

or

 

Your over working your body which is stressing your body out...(atleast drop the super sets and take your time more)

 

you understand the importance of rest right?

 

gl

 

 

Nope, not new to this, and am in good shape - I've been training for 20 years (at least for sports), although I just came back from 2 years off for injury last August. I've been working with a trainer for the past 6 months. He put me onto super sets about a month ago as my VO2Max and other measurements clearly showed I have progressed very quickly. Plus I'm dedicated (my club trains athletes, the clientele is somewhat advanced in their goals)

 

Yes I understand rest, as I said, I was an elite athlete (national team caliber) so I was brought up knowing how to treat my body. Kind of funny - my lower body is actually MORE developed than my upper body due to all the post-surgery knee rehab and constantly running around work during the day toting 40 pounds worth of laptop and stuff around with me from meeting to meeting all day long. Plus I have always played sports that kept my legs going - hockey, racquetball, swimming.

 

I don't sleep well, though, due to stress.

[ghost69]

sounds to me like you were malnourished at that point in time. or did you have caffeine or something similar? locking your legs during your sets? did you take any weight loss pills of any sort?

[COtuner]

sounds to me like you were malnourished at that point in time. or did you have caffeine or something similar? locking your legs during your sets? did you take any weight loss pills of any sort?

 

Ticking through the list:

 

I don't need weight loss pills - I weigh 112 and am a size 0 with like 16% body fat or whathaveyou, LOL Wouldn't ever take them anyway, even if I suddenly became fat.

 

Don't drink caffeine - I've been caffeine free for 6 years now.

 

Locking legs during sets is possible. I think I might have been up too far on the balls of my feet during these incline pushups. I know I was not locking during the cable row as my knees are bent. I had lunch 3 hours beforehand (mix of protein, fat and carbs)

 

It's definitely related to something I am doing during this specific super set, as I went right into some intense lunges and squats afterwards and never ever wavered. I think I'll try and grab my trainer today and ask him to watch.

[arak]

i think it has soemthing to do with your core balance maybe

if its during your workout

you shouldnt be wobbling

your body should be in a aposition where you have core stability

this is in your tummy back hips and shoulders

which should always be aligned to prevent wobbling

wobbling could cause an accident

and not mainting core balance during a workout can cause injury

[ghost69]

i like arak's core idea. you work your core enough?

 

also, you ate 3 hours before working out? i know i get shakey if i eat 2 hours before. my workouts are intense too so i can get shakey at times. not really wobbly though.

 

you don't smoke do you?

[COtuner]

No, I have never smoked in my life. Plus again, it's only during ONE SINGLE EXERCISE out of 60-90 minutes of working out.

 

Yes, I have a very slow digestive system (food takes forever to leave my stomach) so if I eat any closer to my workout time, I would be unable to do core work. That's why I eat 5 times a day - smaller meals, easier to digest.

 

I do Pilates for my core along with BOSU work. True, it is my weakest area right now after the 2 years off I had to take, but it's not terrible. I think my weakest part of the body is my left shoulder and arm - still have injuries and weakness up there.

[COtuner]

Ill describe better what's happening.

 

I do 15 reps on the cable row. I turn around immediately, get into push up position on the cable row bench, legs on the floor, hands on bench. I go into my push ups. By 8 or 9, my legs are shaking like I'm having an orgasm, LOL. I don't have weakness, just uncontrolled shaking.

 

And it all goes away when back on the cable row, comes back with the pushups. When I finish the super set (3 sets of reps of each) the shaking goes away and I can move right into the next set of activities.

 

Does that help?

[ghost69]

hmmm, i'm thinking it's a blood flow issue.

[ghost69]

Ill describe better what's happening.

 

I do 15 reps on the cable row. I turn around immediately, get into push up position on the cable row bench, legs on the floor, hands on bench. I go into my push ups. By 8 or 9, my legs are shaking like I'm having an orgasm, LOL. I don't have weakness, just uncontrolled shaking.

 

And it all goes away when back on the cable row, comes back with the pushups. When I finish the super set (3 sets of reps of each) the shaking goes away and I can move right into the next set of activities.

 

Does that help?

 

that's probably because your abs are stressed from holding that position.

[arak]

i dont think its about how strong your core is

its about mainting the balance during a workout

a sligh unalignement of shoulders hips abdomen and back can cause wobbling

nothing to do with the strenght of your core