I love the plank move where the foot is brought forward to the outside of the same hand and you drop your hips. It just feels good for some reason.
I cannot do those close arm pushups yet without my knees on the floor - maybe I managed 3 today. I hate the bulgarian squats because I feel awkward and as if I am barely bending my knee.Plus they hurt the toes on the chair. I’m not so fond of some of the side planks, but I know that I need them. I can see that they help, but it is so hard to balance. Today was Int 4A and those leg lifts on high side plank are the devil!
Me too! I do them without shoes (actually, I do the whole STR routine barefoot) and with the top of my foot on the chair. Just can’t do it with my toes there.
Ahoy! Favourite moves are ones I find easier like hip bridges and quadruped where I always think ‘this should be harder’ or side planks seem to suit me too. Least favourite push ups -when will the timer end!- and those that require good balance and coordination like a single leg squat with a raise and get all out of sync.
I never managed those planks properly due to space issues. I’m sure I would like them, too. However, there is not enough space anywhere in my room to do those. Perhaps I have to try outside in a park…
There are indeed some moves which just feel right and some which just feel wrong
It’s the side planks where you only use one leg I hate, like when you raise the other or tap either side. I have weak hip abductors and look forward to a normal side plank. Hips up. Hips down. Don’t care. Just remember to wear shoes. That was a big learning point.
Single legged squats are a favourite, although I’m not very good at them.
Glad to see I’m not the only one that has a hard time with pushups (next session I will try out @Sir_Yotam’s suggestion above). My other nemesis is high plank with knees to elbows. For me this is a double whammy of more high plank, and challenging my hip mobility. And the move that I just don’t get is the kneeling hip drive with hips side to side. Just feels weird.
Perhaps my favourite are the hip hinges. Feels great when I can engage my glutes and get the balance right.
Changing the thread slightly :: what move have you seen the most improvement on? For me, it’s been side planks. I could barely do the 15 second ones when I started Beginner 1A more than a year ago. Today, I can do the 30 second high plank ones with leg raises without problem. That’s probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve experienced with the program is seeing that much needed improvement.
I’ve seen the most improvement with the hip hinge and single leg squat sequences. They can be challenging! But I find the opposite reach work so good for my core leg strength.
Oh yes, Bulgarians. Just feels weird. I never feel as if my feet are in the sweet spot - either too far forwards or backwards. Too much weight on the back foot, or not enough to hold balance. Rolling over the toes or not.
Balance. Due to multiple ankle injuries in my early 20s, I have pretty average proprioception and tend to lose balance easily. I am finding the strength sessions are improving this with so many balance dependent exercises. Next trick is to do them with my eyes closed.
Hi, for me the best improvement are in all the single leg balances and the hip bridge for the glutes. Those are weaknesses that help to less ingury. Almost one year ingury free. Thanks to strength training.
By the way, I hate the planks but feel the improvement on those.
All forms of planks including side planks. And maybe frog crunches. I like that I can make by abs? hurt afterwards now. That implies I might have some.
Most improvement on single leg squats. I no longer fall over and now actually do some with reasonable form. It was a surprise that they were so hard for me because I’ve done heavy and numerous two legged squats for years. I guess balance is not my strong suit.
I’d like to change this discussion a bit. I feel like the strength training is the ignored part of Sufferfest. I’ve been through the entire Intermediate program and now I just loop 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, Recover A & B. There haven’t been any new routines in years and most plans have minimal or no way to include strength training.
Any plans to do updates, or at least make a better effort to integrate Strength Training with plans?
