Back to basics

I guess there'll be no posts for week 27... We went travelling over the Christmas vacation and came back to a weekend of company, so it's been about 9 days since I hit the gym.

Also, I am on the cusp of the 3rd trimester, and I've been experiencing some physical changes about the joints (especially hips and pelvis) that have made some movement -- particularly walking (and variations thereof) -- uncomfortable. Squatting seemed to be ok, but I wasn't sure how it would be with weight. I also wasn't sure how if other joints were affected.

So I started back with some basics, with slightly lighter weight than I'd been doing. And I stayed away from the treadmill.

Warm-up row: 1000m/5 minutes

Inclined chest press: 55 x 12, 9, 8
Calf press: 230 x 8, 8, 8 (a little more weight, but no joints involved!)
Squats: 45 x 12, 65 x 12, 10, 10
Press: 40 x 12, 8, 9

Rowing: 2500m/13 min (alternating easy/hard every 250 m)

Weigh-in: 150 (at last!) But not a shade more! (It was an afternoon weigh-in.)

I did some reading on symphysis pubis pain, and discovered a study published in the Physical Therapy Journal that indicated that ab/pelvic stability exercises were as effective as pelvic belts + same exercises for reducing the discomfort and functional disability caused by the pain. (Ie: pelvic belts did not further increase the benefit of exercises.) Handily, the study provided a description of the exercises (to be done x3/day) which help alleviate the pain.