"SEC-S25W2:Strength and Conditioning"

This week's title is fitting for all the programmes listed and the programmes listed are just real life situations most people go through without knowing that they are keeping fit. Let's take it for instance; Carrying a bucket of water on your head with your hands to support the cover, cycling with our legs and thighs feeling the gravity of it, the position women in the labour room ascertain to give birth and those athletics who do barley. Doing this programmes required I program my mind as some of my strengths would be tapped.

The following are the equipment I used for this programme.

• Two dumbbells: This is an equipment that would require that strength from you. It's up to 12kg for each.

• Yoga mat: Yoga mats are needed in any ground activity to prevent the hands and body from brushing through rough surfaces. Since I had the mat already, I didn't see any need to improvise.

These were the equipment I needed for this programmes and the environment was kept in check to avoid slippery surfaces. The ground level was rough which prevents aids friction between the sneaker I was wearing and the ground. There must be a striking balance as walking bare would impair my feet when doing mountain climbers. Before starting the programmes, I did some warm-ups programmes to prepare my mind for the tasks ahead.

I started my warm-up programmes by doing jumping jacks..This is done by jumping with your legs in and out and your hands up and down. It's more as if you're jumping high, but you've attained a certain position that allows your body to be flat, free from muscle contractions and the like. So I didn't do the jumping jacks as if I were doing the main programme. I also did scissors arm stretch which is done by positioning myself in a balanced position and taking my hands alternatively to touch my toes on the other side. Right goes to left and left to right, alternatively.

I did a highlight of the warm-ups for 40 minutes and then switched into doing the main programmes on the list, starting from the hardest to the simplest.

All these programmes were done in one day and like I said earlier, I started from the hardest to the simplest. To me the hardest was Mountain climbing on the ground . It it were on a pavement, it wouldn't have been that difficult as your body would be inclined.

Postioning
This is done by placing your hands and legs as if you want to do plank, though your body would be elevated a bit and your legs inclined to the ground. With your hands on the yoga mat for support, you move your legs and keep it in constant motion till a minute elapse or more. This is how I positioned myself when doing the task. My yoga mat was kept my hands in place to avoid the biting effect of the rough surface. I did 20 seconds for 3 set as it was difficult to propel my body forward. That was my straw.

Challenges and Achievements
The only challenge I faced was my resilience test as I couldn't just keep supporting my hurt arms. I faced this challenge initially but later came to discover that once you're done with the programme, you won't feel it. It is a full body program that requires lots of strength and conditioning to conquer. Did I conquer it? Yes, I did conquer the programme.

Moving on was to the second difficult task, lunges which is a program for lower body conditioning and needs strength to hold one's stamina firm to the ground.

Achievement test
This programme is a full body programme and helps in developing one's stamina in enduring a difficult situation. It also an exercise to improve the legs, thighs and abdomen as when the legs go forward and backwards, more than a running activity is done.

Positioning: I did this programme by positioning myself in a standing position. I took one leg forward and one leg backward. The leg in front would be bent in angle 90 while still upright while my leg behind would be propelled downwards, nearly touching the ground. Doing this for both legs was straining and needed a lot of strength to sustain the movement. At first I didn't understand the sets until I broke it down bit by bit and accomplished the task.

Challenges and Achievement

I didn't have much of a challenge here or challenges so to speak. I just needed enough stamina to prevent falling to my side. Stability was a challenge but I conquered it. I was able to complete 10 reps of 3 sets for each leg. It wasn't easy but attainable. Moving to the less difficult was overhead dumbbell press. I've been used to this type of exercise before. So I didn't have to body about lifts. It was just the stamina to stand that was the issue as the two exercises pressed on my legs.

Achievement test
Doing this programme is quite beneficial for me even though I felt pains around my thighs and ankles. This is suitable in controlling the expansion of bow legs and helps in knee strengthening if one is a type that has problems with his knees. The muscles would be strengthened in the process.

Positioning: This programme is what I call judging a book by its cover. Damn.... You'll enjoy it initially. It's when you're about rounding off that you'll feel the pain and if you're not strong enough to sustain, you'll give up at the finish line. This programme was done by standing with two dumbbells directly above your shoulders, ready to take a lift, vertically upwards. Taking this position was good for me. I raised my dumbbells above my head, vertically upwards and brought it down, suspending it on my shoulders. Doing it 30 times, 10 reps for each set was attainable. I enjoyed the ride initially but faced difficulties when carrying out the 24-25 rounds. Anyways, the good news is that I completed it and it was beneficial for me.

Challenges:
My challenge was in sustaining my arms as those dumbbells placed my arms as a pivot zone for upwards and downward movements.

Achievement test:

I completed this programme with my full chest. I felt pains around my arm levels which served as a pivot zone for movement. The programme built my arm muscles and improved my strength in lifting things. If I can do this consistently for 3 weeks, I may be able to lift up one bag of cement up high.

This is done by lying on a yoga mat with my hands straightened, face vertically upwards and legs bent with your knees separated as pivot point. After positioning it this way, I propelled my body upwards as if I want to divide my body. I raised my abdomen upwards then brought it down simultaneously. I didn't feel pain after doing this programme because it was the simplest of them all. I felt relieved at some point before doing cool down.