[Nailah]

Originally Posted by Variable

Because you can injure yourself. Stretching makes you a lot less prone to chronic pain too (from what I hear). I hurt my back years ago, and consitently stretching has reduced any pain from that to 0.

So do it!

Well, actually there are LOTS of divergent opinions on that matter... many speciallists don`t recommend stretching AFTER, only before exercising...

[foozball]

Originally Posted by Nailah

Well, actually there are LOTS of divergent opinions on that matter... many speciallists don`t recommend stretching AFTER, only before exercising...

are you sure? i've read the opposite, especially when weight lifting.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by Nailah

Well, actually there are LOTS of divergent opinions on that matter... many speciallists don`t recommend stretching AFTER, only before exercising...

Yeh I've heard people adamant about before/after, before and after etc.... I don't know which is best, but I will say that the way I've done it has helped me a lot.

[sally]

I always stretch afterwards.. anytime I've stretched before a work-out I've felt like crap

Plus you build strength challenging warm muscles anyway.. over stretching or injury from improper posture is possible but not if you know what you're doing

After a while it's damn near impossible to hurt yourself stretching

[sona]

i'm sure this topic has already been discussed, but quick question:

for weight loss, is it better to do strength training (ab crunches, etc) before or after cardio?

[Timbit]

See, I can't work out if I don't stretch beforehand. But afterwards, I feel fine without stretching. I try to do it after too, but a lot of the times, I just get too lazy.

[amina9183]

I started working out again today. Alhamdulillah. I went after Fajr because the gym is pretty empty at that time. I used to go to lucille roberts since its all women but I have a few issues with them now:

1- they open late and close early
2- the only good thing about them is that its all women--but then they have giant glass windows and the whole world can see you when they walk by, so the "all women" thing really doesnt count for anything

So...after much deliberation, I joined LA Fitness and hired a personal trainer(3 times a month)--its co-ed but humungous and they open at 5 am. Nobody is there at time and they said they'll find a female trainer for me thats available at 530 am. I have to work out in hijab and abayah but it really wasnt that bad. I liked it a lot better than lucille roberts..even if there are 10 other people in the gym with you, its so big that half of them arent even in your field of vision. The plan is to work out after fajr every morning. Insha Allah I dont get lazy!!

[Nailah]

Originally Posted by foozball

are you sure? i've read the opposite, especially when weight lifting.

Yeah... some of them believe that the stretching of the muscle fibers right after an intense weight lifting can damage your muscle, since it`s "an opposite work" to what you were previously doing....

I dont know...i always stretch bf and after, and since i started doing it i`ve never felt sore the next day again... or weakness, or involuntary muscle contractions...wich were pretty common for me before...

[Variable]

Originally Posted by Nailah

Yeah... some of them believe that the stretching of the muscle fibers right after an intense weight lifting can damage your muscle, since it`s "an opposite work" to what you were previously doing....

I dont know...i always stretch bf and after, and since i started doing it i`ve never felt sore the next day again... or weakness, or involuntary muscle contractions...wich were pretty common for me before...

I always make sure I get some cardio in there between lifting and stretching. I used to stretch before, and the only reason I don't is because everyone told me to put cardio after weights.

Does anyone else here share the rage for shin splints?

[PhDGirl]

Originally Posted by amina9183

I started working out again today. Alhamdulillah. I went after Fajr because the gym is pretty empty at that time. I used to go to lucille roberts since its all women but I have a few issues with them now:

1- they open late and close early
2- the only good thing about them is that its all women--but then they have giant glass windows and the whole world can see you when they walk by, so the "all women" thing really doesnt count for anything

So...after much deliberation, I joined LA Fitness and hired a personal trainer(3 times a month)--its co-ed but humungous and they open at 5 am. Nobody is there at time and they said they'll find a female trainer for me thats available at 530 am. I have to work out in hijab and abayah but it really wasnt that bad. I liked it a lot better than lucille roberts..even if there are 10 other people in the gym with you, its so big that half of them arent even in your field of vision. The plan is to work out after fajr every morning. Insha Allah I dont get lazy!!

That's great! I also go to a co-ed gym and it's fine. The ladies' gyms around here are kind of lame (like Curves and stuff). I think working out in the morning is a good idea because then you have it done for the whole day. Good luck!

Originally Posted by sona

i'm sure this topic has already been discussed, but quick question:

for weight loss, is it better to do strength training (ab crunches, etc) before or after cardio?

Sona, there are differing opinions on this, but I think you should do your strength training whenever you are the most likely to be consistent. For me, that's before because after cardio I'm often wiped and don't feel like lifting weights and doing crunches.

[the_only_one]

salaams,

so ive officially set my goals now.. i think they're quite reasonable.

inshaAllah, its gonna be

by december: minimun 7 lbs or max 10 lbs
waist: atleast 3 inches

by june: minimun 14 lbs or max 20 lbs
waist:atleast 5 inches

my diet is under control, (i didnt eat anything last night b/f going to bed, wooooooohoooo). lol.

and im aiming for working out 3 times a week, as suggest by br. revert.
either circuit training orrrrrrrrrr at some personal cost of working out at the gym during my study sessions, thus ive to dress up like a slob for three times a week. i guess, thats not a big sacrifice. and who cares how i look, right?..

oh, i forgot to add that, im 'quite physically active' despite of my super horrible diet. on daily basis, i walk atleast 40 minutes. al ham for that. so far, that's what kept me from becoming morbidly obese. but the only thing is when i get on the treadmill..my body goes on the 'walking mode'..not so on the running mode...i often catch myself walking most of my 'cardio time'..not running. i need to work on that..iA

i'll keep updating on my progress. iA, probably need some hardcore dua and guidance through out.....

[amina9183]

Originally Posted by PhDGirl

That's great! I also go to a co-ed gym and it's fine. The ladies' gyms around here are kind of lame (like Curves and stuff). I think working out in the morning is a good idea because then you have it done for the whole day. Good luck!

omg, I joined curves for like, 25 seconds and I hated it. Its like grandma-exercises. I used to go around the stupid circuit 4 times to feel like I did anything. And the entire time, they would harass me to not let my heart rate get too fast. It was SO annoying.

yeah and the other good thing about morning is that it keeps me from eating junk the rest of the day. I'm more likely to not eat garbage if I killed myself at the gym in the morning, cuz then it's like "one bite of that cookie is going to waste EVERYTHING" Makes it harder to be a heffer haha.

the_only_one: good luck w ur goals insha allah! I recommend writing everything down, it keeps you motivated. I was really chubby(ok fine, obese) when I was younger and when I hit my teen years and got really self-conscious, I lost 60 pounds. Granted a lot of what I did was totally unhealthy, but of the few good things I did is keeping a list of everything I ate in the day--once you start adding the calories up its like a giant smack in the face. We consume SO many more calories than we think, especially if we're drinking juice, coffee, etc. Its insane.

[iSHi]

I feel like going on a walk. But I don't like my neighborhood. Okay I'll shut up with the excuses and go.

I know I haven't been consistently posting my meals, but I already know I have HORRIBLE eating habits and this week was just not good and the cupcakes were the only thing that helped. *sigh* Okay I'm going walking before it gets to dark. iA my parents let me.

[frosama]

Somehow with lots of dua I was able to pull off a mile in 7:07 and get a passing grade... I hadn't formally ran the mile for like four years. I was also pretty out of shape and pretty much died after I finished.