Need help with supplements

[needtoexercise]

Hi everyone, I train horses for a living which means I'm riding horses for up to 4 hours a day, plus doing weights and cardio workouts. You would think I'm pretty fit and that's what I thought until I had a chance to ride this olympic caliber horse and realized it took more muscle than I ever thought necessary and I can only hold him together for 10 minutes at a time before I have to walk. Even before I started riding him, I'd get tired after riding two of my own for 30 minutes each. I try to eat healthy, but end up eating protein bars after every 2 rides. That's 3 protein bars between breakfast and lunch and then I eat dinner. I'm usually done working the horses and finishing up any barn work by 12 pm. I started my weights and cardio in March and have been going good, but this past month or so, I've been exhausted and have had to cut back on riding and exercise, which doesn't help the job much. Horses don't train themselves.
My question is are there any supplements that you guys recommend to give me a boost. I'm 5'8; weigh 150lbs; my BMI according to my Tanita scale is 25%. Since I started weights and cardio in March, my BMI has dropped over 5%, but is steady at 25%. I'd like to be at 15% one day. I am on a healthy diet of fruits, veg and meats with very little processed foods due to migraines if I eat certain foods. Any type of artificial sweetner will lay me up with a migraine for 1 or 2 days. I have looked at Creatine, Nitric Oxide, and L-Glutamine, but am overwhelmed with what's out there and how many have artificial sweetners. I have tried some protein powders, but haven't found any good tasting natural ones, except hemp protein powder. Thanks for any advice!!!!!!!

[Miranda]

you don't need 'help with supplements' as no supplement will boost you into more muscle/strength at less bodyfat.

if you want to spend money on supps, try fish oils, calcium, multivitamin and maybe creatine. you don't need protein powder if your diet provides sufficient amounts. anything else and above is unnecessary and won't replace years of consistent training and a good diet.

[Revmachine21]

I would like to know more about your weight training routines. Are you doing mostly machines? Or free weights?

How about the exercises themselves? Are you making sure to include squats and deadlifts?

When you do cardio, is it all low intensity steady state? Or are you including high intensity interval as well?

Jockeys, pound for pound, are really some of the best athletes in the world. If you are on top an Olympian, you need to step your training game.

[gbg]

I would like to know more about your weight training routines. Are you doing mostly machines? Or free weights?

How about the exercises themselves? Are you making sure to include squats and deadlifts?

When you do cardio, is it all low intensity steady state? Or are you including high intensity interval as well?

Jockeys, pound for pound, are really some of the best athletes in the world. If you are on top an Olympian, you need to step your training game.

I agree with Rev.

Also need more info on what your eating and when, could not be consuming enough or the the correct things for what your doing.
I would replace a protein drink for that bar any day, there are a number of great protein drinks out there.

[viridian]

I would like to know more about your weight training routines. Are you doing mostly machines? Or free weights?

How about the exercises themselves? Are you making sure to include squats and deadlifts?

When you do cardio, is it all low intensity steady state? Or are you including high intensity interval as well?

Jockeys, pound for pound, are really some of the best athletes in the world. If you are on top an Olympian, you need to step your training game.

This persons NOT a jockey... Olympic-caliber is probably speaking of Dressage, Jumping of some sort, possibly eventing.

WORLD of difference between that and a jockey! A jockey rides for a few minutes (yes, grueling...), but other Olympic-type rides last much longer and training can last hours on one horse alone.

I would guess youre probably overtraining (between working out and riding your horses) and by far not eating nearly enough.

Hop over to the nutrition and post your diet.

And the protein bars are definitely NOT a good idea. You need real food to keep that strength for rides, a bar is not gonna cut it.

ETA: Sleep is also super-important. If youre like any of the trainers I know, youre not getting enough of it. 8 hours for the work you do (and considering your age) is a pretty good idea.

[Revmachine21]

This persons NOT a jockey... Olympic-caliber is probably speaking of Dressage, Jumping of some sort, possibly eventing.

WORLD of difference between that and a jockey! A jockey rides for a few minutes (yes, grueling...), but other Olympic-type rides last much longer and training can last hours on one horse alone.

I actually know the difference. Grandfather, cattle rancher. Personally rode herd most summers when I was a kid. Uncle, cutter. Auntie, breeder. Cousin, barrel racer. Other cousin, national quarterhorse reigning champion.

OP might not be a jockey, but the physical requirements for what she's doing is going to be closer to a jockey's, rather than a javelin thrower.

[needtoexercise]

I used to do eventing until I hit a tree. I never broke anything (had a protective vest on), but years later found out that a bone in my hand died probably due to hitting the tree so hard. I wore a brace for three years and stopped last winter. The bone is still trying to heal, which is really cool that your body does that. Anyway, with none of my current horses wanting to jump or any good at it, I have gone strictly to dressage and am now getting a chance to ride this horse that represented Ireland in the 2004 Olympics. He's what you call a schoolmaster. He's 17 and knows how to get out of work and can be lazy so moving this 18.2 hand horse around is probably harder than going around the racetrack with a nice forward moving Thoroughbred, which is my favorite type of horse.
My diet was consisting of a fistful size of a protein, carb and vegetable like suggested in the Body For Life book. I did 5 or 6 meals like that. I would have something like an egg and lowfat American cheese, broccoli omelet on a pita type wrap at about 5:30-6 AM and then around 9 or 10 I would have some lowfat cottage cheese and a reg. yogurt (no artificial sweeteners) Sometimes an apple if the horses hadn't gotten them all. Lunch 12 or 1 PM: one boneless, skinless chicken breast or 3 chicken tenderloins with a veg. and either a potato or fruit. Snack at 3 or 4 PM was a fruit smoothie sometimes with protein powder and dinner at 8 PM lettuce with 2 hard boiled eggs and carrots. I was finding it hard to eat all the food and the last batch of cottage cheese was bad so I just bought a new thing, but haven't been brave enough to try it yet.
My exercise is doing my upper body on a machine, 3 sets of 5 and cardio is either the elliptical or treadmill. I change it up and do some sprints outside if it's cool. I don't handle the heat so well. I change the intensity a lot on both machines. On the other day I do my legs, but only 3 sets of 5 for quads and hamstrings on the machine and then I have these dance exercises for my hips, butt and thighs which are a combo of pilates and yoga moves (great for riding)I do 24 each of the 9 different moves, then I do the 8 min. abs, buns and legs off of You Tube. Time is hard to find most days so sometimes I have to break up what I do throughout the day and don't get to do my legs all at once. I also drink around 80 to 100 oz of water a day.

[Revmachine21]

First of all... so jealous! You are having a tough time, but it sounds like a blast.

You can probably tell us more about how dressage as a sport differs from other types of riding. I will make some assumptions based on my anecdotal family experience. My barrel racer cousin told me one time, that you take the same large barrel racer horse, and put a man and woman on it, the man will score a lower time because he's stronger. This is a little counter-intuitive because you'd assume that a lighter woman would mean faster horse, but in actuality the man's muscles "set" the horse and enable it to make quicker sharper movements. It's a real partnership.

My guess, dressage requires high degree of delicate physical, but yet forceful, control of the horse to get it to do what you want. And you are doing this at relatively low speeds, making for a really bumpy unsettled ride. How would you describe if I got it wrong, or missed something? Assuming I'm more right than wrong...

First, for the lazy horse, go old school and get a switch or spurs. [ Joking ]

Second, get off the machines and go free weights. Free weights will strengthen small stabilizer muscles, improving overall strength and making you more able to power through delicate movements. Machines really isolate you into one movement pattern. Riding a horse is anything but... This is my strongest recommendation. Lift as heavy as you can, while maintaining form without injuring yourself.

Third, add free weight squats and deadlifts, then go from there into lunges and semi-stiff deadlifts. From my rather basic attempts at riding, the legs, and back are important for getting a horse to move without spending the entire day wailing on it with your heels. And from what little I know of dressage, you are communicating to your horse with the legs /a lot/.

Fourth, I would guess you are under-eating but it's hard to tell without numbers. Have you tried logging your typical diet to see how many calories, grams protein, etc you are getting a day? With what I'm assuming are long physical days, what you describe just doesn't sound right... If you do this in www.fitday.com, you can also book the hours of physical activity, to get an idea of calories ingested versus spent.

Fifth, I would try something called High Intensity Interval Training for your cardio. Basically running a series of sprints over a short period of time. I find that if I need to kick into high gear for something, this has really helped.

Hope this helps!

[viridian]

For the riding part... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RF2_BiTHlM Its comparable to reining, definitely not barrels.

Alot, alot of seat and core work. Core work is definitely something you want to work on, it will probably help you the most.

I agree with Rev for the most part. Youre on the mark using 5 reps (make them as heavy as you can manage... if you can do 10 reps with the weight youre using for 5, its too light!) but add a few more sets. 5 sets of 4-5 reps would be a good start.

Id also toss in some unilateral exercises, one-legged squats, single leg deadlifts, step ups. Youre probably pretty balanced as a rider, but these exercises never hurt and will only help.

HIIT is definitely a good idea, my riding (obviously Im not olympic level, I do have one of those awesome Thoroughbreds you like so much though [perhaps not though, 6yo OTTB] :P How bout we trade??) got so much better once I started incorporating sprints into my cardio.


If I ever start coming up with extra somes of money, Im going to get into Eventing. I cant afford the physical risk right now unfortunately! Definitely jealous!

[needtoexercise]

Alot, alot of seat and core work. Core work is definitely something you want to work on, it will probably help you the most.

I agree with Rev for the most part. Youre on the mark using 5 reps (make them as heavy as you can manage... if you can do 10 reps with the weight youre using for 5, its too light!) but add a few more sets. 5 sets of 4-5 reps would be a good start.

Id also toss in some unilateral exercises, one-legged squats, single leg deadlifts, step ups. Youre probably pretty balanced as a rider, but these exercises never hurt and will only help.

HIIT is definitely a good idea, my riding (obviously Im not olympic level, I do have one of those awesome Thoroughbreds you like so much though [perhaps not though, 6yo OTTB] :P How bout we trade??) got so much better once I started incorporating sprints into my cardio.


If I ever start coming up with extra somes of money, Im going to get into Eventing. I cant afford the physical risk right now unfortunately! Definitely jealous!

When I can do more than 5 reps, I bump up the weight. I will definitely bump up the sets. I also have been dabbling in the HIIT, but since you and REV both think it's a benefit, I'll focus more on that.
I'm going to go back to more "real" food than eating the quick fix protein bar and save those for competitions when you usually don't want to eat anyway due to nervousness.
I'll also add in some free wights like Rev suggested and the one legged squats Viridian mentioned.
I'm by far Olympic caliber, it's the horse that went to the Olympics. He's teaching me so I can teach my younger horses. The highest level horse I have right now is First level so this is a privilege to ride this horse. I don't event anymore, but maybe one day. Hitting that tree really knocked some sense into me.
All thoroughbreds are perfect, they try so hard to please.
Thank you all so much for all your input and ideas, now if you could just come poke me with a stick to keep me on track, I think I'll make it, LOL
I'm excited to change my workout and see how I do!