An Angry Pregnant Lady Rant

[Jamila Bey]

So I'm just about halfway thru this beautiful process that we call being in a "family way," and I feel awesome.

But for the past 3 months I've totally slacked on working out and slept instead, so today (like the rest of fat America) was my first day back on the wagon. And I forgot that it was the 1st and the idiot sheeple would overrun my gym! Fortunately, there were no curlers on the one O-lifting platform and I set up for some cleans and DLs and had fun. But I forgot my iPod, and that was the trouble.

The tummy isn't big as it has been and I'm carrying really high, so I can bend and squat quite comfortably.

So since I didn't have my ipod, I overheard some idiot get right in kick range and say to me, "If you're pregnant, you shouldn't do leg raises." So I said, "And if you're not my doctor or my coach, you shouldn't be giving me unsolicited workout tips." I really wanted to kick him, but I was actually unhooking my arms from the straps when he came over so I was done anyway.

But now I'm curious... I can't find anything about hanging leg raises while pregnant... My doc says I'm fine to do whatever I had been doing, but to exercise moderation... which I understand and know just how to do. But the idiot in the gym has me curious...

I have an ETS shirt that says "I'm training Don't talk to me." and that's great, but someone should really start a line for pregnant women who haven't abandoned the gym!

[Jay Cohen]

LOL for a Wednesday morning as I head out to shovel two driveways for my GOD produced WOD.
Need to get me one of those shirts.

[Allen Yeh]

I really wanted to kick him, but I was actually unhooking my arms from the straps when he came over so I was done anyway.


You should have said you needed help getting down from the straps....then kicked him in the face when he came closer. :D

[Garrett Smith]

Jamila,
As most American women can't do hanging leg raises (most can't do hanging knee raises for that matter), you're not likely to find much info on it.

Go with your doctor's advice, IMO, erring on the side of caution (excessive moderation) with direct abdominal/hip flexor exercises. Geez, if you're still doing cleans and DLs, you're getting plenty of core work done anyway. No worries.

[Derek Simonds]

That reminds me of what was one of the most memorable moments I ever had in the gym. My wife was nine months pregnant and we were at the local gym working out. There was a guy using one of the towers where you support yourself on your arms and do leg raises. Well my wife was standing there watching the guy as he grinds out a sloppy set of 5 and gets down. She jumps on and does a whole bunch while this guy is looking at her and her belly with this look of total disbelief. The worst part was when she got down she smiled at him and he turned and walked out the door and I never saw him in the gym again.

My wife worked out the day that Derek Jr was born. I kind of think of the workout bug being ingrained into him right from conception. She was very moderate and followed all of her Doctors orders but she was in the gym 3 to 4 days a week.

Jr was a tough delivery and I believe that Tracy's time in the gym made a big difference in her being able tough it out through the process of giving birth.

Be careful but be strong!

[Jamila Bey]

The sad thing is that Americans are so overly risk-averse. Hell, I breathe the air in Washington, DC! A few leg raises are gonna kill my kid?

I'm just sick of reading crap like, "No deep knee bends," "No bending at the waist" and I have to wonder, however will I pick up something I drop? What do mothers pregnant with, say, a toddler as well do when it's time to care for that child?

Then again, I have the luxury of being incredibly strong and healthy and I don't think I should let my temporary condition stop me. Slow me down a bit- okay, but that's it!

It's just so disheartening that the "trained" establishment believes that I'm crippled for about a year... I wonder what would have been the activity advice given to me if I was in my great great grandmother's place about 150 years ago on a cotton plantation.