Training as a new dad

Joog · 03-03-2009, 07:43 PM

My wife is due to give birth to our first child in September.(Yeahhh)
I'm starting to wonder how the lack of sleep/stress etc everyone is warning me about, will affect my training.

So any parents on the forum-how did you handle it when your children arrived, in regards to your training.

Any hints or stratigies???

sytennison · 03-03-2009, 08:34 PM

I found that you can do half-decent bicep curls with an occupied baby carrier.

JupiterAK · 03-03-2009, 09:19 PM

I took about four weeks off when our last kid was born and my wife had a c-section. It kinda returned to normal after that. Remember to try to take a nap while your baby sleeps during the day. It helps alot.

GuyJin · 03-03-2009, 10:12 PM

I've been working out between 5 and 5:30 in the mornings for years, so getting by on less sleep is a norm for me. When our first baby came along, it was just a matter of training myself to get up at 1 or 2 in the a.m. and help my wife out. At first, I felt a bit ragged out, but I soon adjusted, and it doesn't last forever. If you can, try early a.m. workouts, and if you have the day off, try napping along with your baby.

Congrats on the forthcoming addition.

dmtc73 · 03-04-2009, 06:50 AM

To be honest, it is not such a big change at the start for the man, if the mother is breast-feeding, there is only so much you can do..

Also babies don't do a lot at the start.

Have fun, my wife is having our second in the summer and the first is only 16 months old at the moment, so we are expecting a challenge...

It seems that being a parent of a young child/baby you have to fit in as much as possible in the quiet times....

Good Luck...

fozzy151 · 03-04-2009, 06:57 AM

I didn't workout etc with the new baby, and 2 other kids already. I resigned at the gym, and gained weight very easily. I can tell you that much. Stress returned and I nearly lost my sanity and marriage.

With that said, congratulations on becoming a father. I do not think your child will care that you were toned, or what your measurements are.

PS: Be sure and take care of mommy, it will pay dividends later

rockey20 · 03-04-2009, 06:59 AM

I took two weeks off when we had our first child. After a few weeks your body will adjust to getting up in the middle of the night, it's amazing what the body can get used to. That's not to say it won't effect your workout. Grab a nap when you can and pay special attention to your nutrition.

Try to enjoy it, they're only young once. Before you know it they'll be teenagers.

Capt_Lou · 03-04-2009, 08:00 AM

Congrats on the new baby!

yea sleep sucks and you are always running around, but you have to take a bit of time for you also. I find that my energy levels are way up due to working out, when I was a couch potatoe I was always tired.

Plus like someone else said baby carriors are awesome for curling. Now that my daughter is older (6 in June) she loves it when I press her from the floor or do front raises with her. Kids are like a walking gym.

frommd · 03-04-2009, 08:06 AM

First of all congrats on the baby!! I just had my second daughter in January. The older girl is in daycare during the day. I took a week off, then got back to it.

Like others have said, if your wife if breastfeeding, there isn't much you can do besides changing a diaper and swaddling. I try and lift and then I shower and offer to hold the baby for my wife to get a nap.

bodyhard · 03-04-2009, 08:09 AM

My wife had five the workouts helped with the added stress. I think I would have lost my mind if I didn't worked out during all 5 pregnancies and births.

bayou_piper · 03-04-2009, 08:37 AM

I quite for about 10 months with my first. I had convinced myself that there was just not a lot of time and that I was being selfish going off by myself to workout.

The biggest challenge for me, was that since my wife was breastfeeding, she was burning an extra 2,000+ calories a day, just sitting around. She dropped her pregnancy weight in no time. Meanwhile I am not doing anything and still eating like she is. I have a picture of myself and my 10 month old son at the beach and I am the shape of a pear. That got me back to the gym.

Uber_Dad · 03-04-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sytennison

I found that you can do half-decent bicep curls with an occupied baby carrier.

LMAO

LyingSac · 03-04-2009, 10:15 AM

don't worry about....that's the womans problem

pbxtechguru · 03-04-2009, 12:17 PM

Just allocate time for the workout and it shouldn't make a difference. You will have more motivation once you become dad.

03-04-2009, 12:17 PM

I quit when my kids were young. I dont regret doing it.

jellodirt · 03-04-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joog

My wife is due to give birth to our first child in September.(Yeahhh)
I'm starting to wonder how the lack of sleep/stress etc everyone is warning me about, will affect my training.

So any parents on the forum-how did you handle it when your children arrived, in regards to your training.

Any hints or stratigies???

When your kid is crying at night pretend you're sleeping.

asksmith · 03-04-2009, 05:32 PM

Congratulations! But...

If you don't find the time for "yourself", it will bring alot of added stress. Raising kids is hard work!

I workout early in the morning. Alarm goes off at 4am, I'm at they gym by 5. I wear headphones, and go at it. I just realize that is the only time in the day, I get to do what I want to do, w/o any distractions. After that, I have to answer to everybody else. My wife is fine with my schedule, but I help out as much as possible. Throughout the week, she is home by herself in the morning maybe twice a week. On the days I don't go to they gym, I'm home to help out before I go to work, and I have days off where I can go workout after the kids are taken care off. On the days I do the early AM workout, I make sure everything is done--lunches, bookbags, clothes, etc, the night before.

My wife and I have a deal...I go the gym in the morning, she takes the kids. She goes to the gym in the evening, I get the kids. Works for us...

LFOD · 03-04-2009, 05:39 PM

Congratulations!

From my experience, it definitely messes up the workouts and the progress. Recovery is a bitch when you're being woken up 6 times a night. But it's temporary and in the end your marriage and kids are more important.

Our little monster is 16 months old and I only now feel like we're getting back to "normal."

Joog · 03-04-2009, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sytennison

I found that you can do half-decent bicep curls with an occupied baby carrier.

Now if I could just modify one to add plates...........hmmmm

Joog · 03-04-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jellodirt

When your kid is crying at night pretend you're sleeping.

Yeah, I do that with the alarm clock in the mornings!

Joog · 03-04-2009, 08:52 PM

Plenty of great advice here, thanks!!

Taking plenty of cat-naps is definately on my list of must do's.
I'll endeavour to keep up the training, as it's a great stress reliever (apart from practising to make babies!)
My wife is great support as well, we have discussed ways to keep our training on track, although hers is limited at the moment.

Most of you have just taken having to look after young kids in your stride.........maybe I'm just freaking out about losing my hard earned gains!!

Edit: I AM freaking out about losing hard earned gains.........LOL

halogenic · 03-05-2009, 12:39 AM

Hey congratulations. My wife's also pregnant with our first, and also due in mid September.

frommd · 03-05-2009, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joog

I'll endeavour to keep up the training, as it's a great stress reliever (apart from practising to make babies!)

Sadly, you will have a six week break from that "practice" after she gives birth. Mine is ending this coming Tuesday.

IronCamp · 03-05-2009, 09:10 AM

I came in late on this thread...haven't read all the posts.

I am and was a single mother when my daughter was born...I started working out from 1 week after giving birth (yes, dr was ok with it). It was tough getting used to the lack of sleep, but eventually I got a routine down with my daughter and she was sleeping through the night. At that point I was able to really kick my training into high gear. Prior to that, I was doing mostly cardio and light weight to get back into the groove of things.

At first, while you're trying to establish a routine, it may be tough...but after the routine is down...you will be fine. I also suggest that you and your wife take turns on who gets up in the middle of the night with baby. Perhaps you do it 1 night and she does it the other. This way you will at least have a few nights a week with uninterrupted sleep (although I think you forgo that altogether, when you become a parent!

)

Joog · 03-05-2009, 03:35 PM

Hey, congratulations to frommd, halogenic, LFOD and the other parents. I've never been much of a "kid" person, or got excited when a friend announced that they were expecting...but now that my wife is pregnant, it's like WOW!!!

Ironcamp, did you have to modify your training when you were pregnant? My wifes personal trainer has removed many exercises from her routine now that she's expecting, and has advised she keep her heart rate under 130bpm (my wife is 32yo)