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| Fitness | When to up the weight... | Jan 18 2009 19:49 (UTC) |
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this is a helpful article for figuring out when and how to increase your workout's intensity. good luck |
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| Fitness | How Do We Dispell the "Pink Dumbell Theory"? | Jan 18 2009 19:44 (UTC) |
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Original Post by jprt325: lauri, like spirochete, i'm also thoroughly impressed. 55lb dumbbells for the bench press is mad heavy, as is your overhead press. i've never attempted a deadlift over 200lb, that must have been so exciting. i noticed on your page that you were considering being a fitness instructor. i do hope that worked out, bec you'd be quite inspirational to your students! |
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| Fitness | What exercise for High Blood Pressure? | Dec 11 2008 19:47 (UTC) |
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the national academy of sports medicine claims that "low to moderate cardiorespiratory exercise has been shown to be just as effective as high-intensity activity in reducing blood pressure." nasm also recommends "lighter weight" and "higher repetitions" (like circuit training), erring on the side of caution when it comes to blood pressure spikes. i'm not saying i agree, but i'm also not an expert. nasm is an organization that has a lot more clout w/in the sports industry that i do. i wish you much luck. |
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| Fitness | my muscles are turning into fat | Dec 10 2008 20:43 (UTC) |
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i find this post hilarious, bec i truly find weight lifting heartwarming. the other day i got to the gym freezing cold and not wanting to take off a single layer, not even my hat. i cleaned the rack and set up the bar fully winter-clothed. i shed layers and got right to lifting and w/in 20 seconds, i was warm. in a couple minutes, i was literally sweating. i kept thinking how awesome lifting is and how much love i have for it. i definitely understand seasonal affective disorder. it's pouring outside and gray and miserable. and yet, i had no doubts about heading to the gym this morning and enjoyed every last minute of it. good luck to your muscle resisting the fat transformation. |
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| Vegetarian | "you don't like salad? what's wrong with you?" | Dec 09 2008 20:59 (UTC) |
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Original Post by jkswimming: wow, jkswimming, that's just brimming w/goodness. that's why it's critical to have an open mind. you end up deepening your understanding of your identity. and look how creative you got w/the sweet and sour dressing! ppl who don't have their own versions of things are missing out on an opportunity for variety and stimulation. your salad sounds colorful, nutritious, crunchy and fulfilling (chicpeas are awesome). i'll have to give this recipe a go sometime (if you like spicy, maybe add some sriracha sauce to the dressing). |
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| Vegetarian | "you don't like salad? what's wrong with you?" | Dec 04 2008 21:45 (UTC) |
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jkswimming, sounds like you're looking for a sweet salad. how about shredded carrot w/raisins and walnuts and tuna/tofu? you could make your own "dressing" by mixing stuff together: soy sauce/cream cheese (lite), pineapple cottage cheese, sesame oil/rice vinegar, hummus thinned out w/lime juice, orange juice/soy sauce, orange juice/balsamic vinegar. for a sweeter green, try mache. also, as a transition, you can mix cooked and raw ingredients. you can steam bok choy and add cubes of baked tofu or warm chicken. or you could carmelize onions before adding them, if you don't like raw onions (have you ever had raw scallions? they're a nice alternative). good luck! |
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| Weight Loss | Find your twin on CC! | Dec 02 2008 20:48 (UTC) |
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Original Post by boha0034: i'm also somewhat close. 5'7, started cc at 147, down to 137, now up to 151! 28yrs old female. |
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| Fitness | Dumbell Chest Press | Nov 28 2008 19:57 (UTC) |
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linden, you're right that the db's range of motion will be less during that lift. you might try setting something up for yourself w/a ironing board (stick some boxes under it?) or something. but just fyi, your "floor presses" as they're called are suggested variations for chest presses bec they take the legs out of the lift and emphasize the chest. check out this article, "the big bad bench." |
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| Fitness | Dumbell Chest Press | Nov 27 2008 19:03 (UTC) |
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if what you want is a superhero body, then do your dumbbell bench presses like ronnie coleman does and keep the trajectory straight up. but most articles and videos i've ever seen have the triangular trajectory that you're referring to. here's an exercise variation that maximizes demand on the pectorals during the dumbbell bench: dumbbell squeeze, listed first in this article. |
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| Fitness | Freaked by the rowing machine | Nov 25 2008 21:52 (UTC) |
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trayceebee, congratulations. as long as you're sitting tall (not slouching), then you're doing your body tremendous good on the erg/indoor rower. i'm pasting a link to concept2's guide for using the indoor rower. concept2 is the manufacturer for the models most athletes use (and the models most gyms have). one of the tips its gives is to be sure not to grip the handle too tightly. you're using leg muscle, back muscles, ab muscles--but certainly, you don't need to waste your energy exerting finger muscles. hold on to the handle gently. truthfully, i never got blisters from using the machine. then again, i already have calluses from weight lifting. but if you decrease your grip and STILL find that it hurts, then i'd say either tape or gloves is the best bet. and if you're using proper technique 15 minutes is a long time to stay on the erg. awesome. |
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| Fitness | Freaked by the rowing machine | Nov 19 2008 20:23 (UTC) |
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afoneleri writes, "I row competitively and I know the technique I use is not the same as the one that trainers would suggest to most people." however, that's actually not the case. competitive rowers who use the erg should be employing the same technique as a casual gym-goer. it's like if you were going to teach proper form to someone learning how to do a deadlift: though nonprofessionals will surely lift less, the essential technique is the same. obviously, if you have extreme hamstring flexibility you may compress more or something along those lines. but overall, erg form is universal. |
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| Fitness | Freaked by the rowing machine | Nov 19 2008 01:29 (UTC) |
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when i first started rowing, a cc friend sent me this link to a video on erg (an erg is what you call the rowing maching) form. it's going to seem complicated. the most important things are to sit tall (no rounded back), drive back w/your legs until they're almost fully extended (arms straight) and only then bend at your elbows and pull w/your arms, and keep the handle as level as possible (you're not digging down or making a circular motion at all). actually, you're right on to be questioning the form. ppl who do it wrong end up w/pained backs. the erg is awesome bec you won't hurt your knees at all, but it's a total body workout. best of luck.
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| Fitness | help me with Cardio! Please. | Nov 15 2008 23:29 (UTC) |
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a few things. you don't need to do cardio to decrease your body fat percentage. you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight; you can do that be eating less or exercising more. you can exercise more by doing any combination of things: weight lifting, treadmill, body pump class, spin, outdoor biking. cardio burns more overall calories than strength training, and you can do it for a longer period of time. but strength training raises your metabolism for hours afterward; and the muscle you gain and maintain while strength training = lotsa calorie burn. so it's a matter of what you want to do. if you're already involved in triathlon training, you probably don't need any more cardio. you do sound quite skinny for your height. i don't think a bulking program would be uncalled for--you can go on a shredding program afterward to lose most of the fat you gain. so i'd suggest eating a whole lotta food, as healthy as you can manage (throw in nuts and whey powder and peanut butter and cheese and regular milk and butter and pasta and avocado for calories) and starting a serious weight lifting program. you can definitely gain mad muscle and look awesome w/in months. 8lbs of muscle is a lot. but i started lifting about this time last year, and i'd say i've gained just about 8lbs of muscle. by gaining weight (muscle+fat) first and then losing the fat, you're building the strongest, healthiest body you can. by beating it up w/cardio and losing weight when it's already underweight, you may end up injured or sick. best of luck. |
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| Fitness | Sweating causing acne? | Nov 04 2008 00:16 (UTC) |
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i wash my face mid-cardio w/the cheap soap in the bathroom at the gym. this has helped keep my skin clear. for a while, i washed w/proactiv at night. now, i just use oil of olay for active ppl at night and then apply astringent afterward. if you bike outdoors, i would suggest sunblock. blemishes go away, but wrinkles don't. :) |
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| Motivation | I fell off the wagon--for FOUR MONTHS | Nov 04 2008 00:04 (UTC) |
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supersized, thanks for sharing. i also went to your profile and read it through. you're quite an inspiration. |
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| Fitness | I just did a chin up! | Oct 28 2008 23:33 (UTC) |
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i did negatives every day for weeks, and on the 22nd day, i did a full pullup, wide grip, palms away. now i can do sets of 5, sometimes 6. it feels awesome. it's an unbeatable upper body workout. i mean, you're lifting over a hundred pounds w/each rep. doing the negatives gave me incredible back definition. congratulations, ankow, i know how happy you must be. |
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| Fitness | Arc trainers | Oct 23 2008 18:43 (UTC) |
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my heart rate monitor always measures about 30% fewer calories burned than the arc trainer says (so if the machine read 900, my monitor would tell me just under 600). |
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| Fitness | Having difficulty figuring out how much I burn | Oct 20 2008 21:53 (UTC) |
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chugra, you are practically my twin. i'm 5'7, 146lbs, 28yrs old. the major difference between us is that i've never had balkan style yogurt :) it IS annoying and difficult to figure out how many calories to eat, etc. but the content of your food's not a factor in weight loss. calories are the major factor in weight loss, assisted by the speed of your metabolism (based mostly on muscle mass), frequency of eating, stress level and hormonal fluctuations. at your height, you're surely burning more than 1200/day. i'd guess you burn about 2000 on a normally active day, without exercise. on an exercise day i'd guess you burn about 2450. those are my estimates, anyway. i WOULD strongly suggest not wasting 30-40minutes on the strength training machines. if you could spend that time weight lifting w/free weights, (see the top of the fitness forum for some great threads w/links to good workout plans) you'd see much much better results in terms of fat loss and muscle tone. if you can't lift weights for 40 minutes, do it for TEN minutes three times a week and you'll STILL see much much better results than you would w/the machines. |
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| Fitness | What would happen if i just STOPPED exercising? | Oct 19 2008 00:15 (UTC) |
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i would like to reiterate that you shouldn't be weight lifting or engaging in formal cardiovascular exercise at this time. it's bad for you. the reason your dad doesn't want you counting calories is that he wants you happy, healthy and alive. please tell your doctor about any exercise regimen you decide on. you might also consider exercise alternatives that coordinate mind and body w/o necessarily burning calories or building muscle: yoga, volunteering at a shelter/food bank/library/senior center, playing w/little cousins. again, good luck. |
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| The Lounge | This is so gay! | Oct 19 2008 00:00 (UTC) |
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those are cool. thanks for the links. i don't think it matters whether or not gay ppl are offended by it. the point is, the phrase is offensive in that it equates w/bad. and it doesn't matter if "people are never going to stop using that expression." i definitely know what starcrossdlovex is saying, but it's just not important. i'm glad that SOMEONE'S saying something about an injustice (esp since i'm sitting on my butt and not saying it). |
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| Fitness | What would happen if i just STOPPED exercising? | Oct 18 2008 02:14 (UTC) |
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if you need to gain weight for health reasons, it's a very serious issue. abstaining from exercise for a few months is NOT at all a serious issue. your priority is getting your hormones, muscles, bones, heart, metabolism, back in gear. most ppl recovering from eating disorders, overexercise or malnutrition are advised to stay away from any exercise. this is because the exercise makes it complicated to figure out what/how much to eat. the safest thing to do in your situation is to focus on getting in enough calories (it's not significant to waste time calculating vitamin/macronutrient percentages, just eat balanced and normal). when you get to a healthy weight, your body will be in a position to pick up a strength routine or start running again. but at this point, it would do more damage than good. it's NOT true that when you gain weight, it'll be all fat. if you were to lift heavy weights, you would gain more muscle than if you didn't. but in all liklihood, you'll gain just like everyone else: some fat and some muscle. usually underweight ppl tend to gain a little more around the middle at the beginning; but it evens out over the course of a couple months, and then you look healthy and fab. i wish you best of luck. |
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| Foods | OK who follows a 40/30/30 plan successfully? HOW? | Oct 15 2008 02:15 (UTC) |
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dunno if you're a whole foods person. if so, imitation crab meat and fat free processed cheese slices are prob out. but they have lots of protein. also fat free greek yogurt, oatmeal, beans. have you ever had seitan? one thing you could do if you have a burger craving is make burgers and freeze them: mix the chopped meat w/mashed lentils, mushrooms, onions--that way you don't have as much fat in it. |
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| Fitness | Metabolism/Sweating question | Oct 10 2008 20:08 (UTC) |
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sweat is a product of several factors, including genes and metabolism. ppl w/really low metabolisms don't sweat a lot bec their "fires" are not fueled enough to burn, so to speak. however, cardiovascularly fit ppl WILL sweat more and more easily than someone who isn't cardiovascularly fit. this is bec their bodies are programmed to start cooling themselves off as soon as they predict they'll need to. so as you get more fit, you'll also be making yourself more sweat-prone. the good thing about this is that in the winter when you're cold, a set of pushups will warm you up in a jiffy. |
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| Fitness | Polar HRM - Dodgy Calories Burnt? | Oct 08 2008 22:10 (UTC) |
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good to hear, singing_girl. let us know what happens and if you learn anything new. and when all's frustrating, the important thing to keep in mind is that you're engaging in such fun, healthy activity. keep it up. |
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| Fitness | Polar HRM - Dodgy Calories Burnt? | Oct 06 2008 23:57 (UTC) |
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the monitor bases your calories burned on the vo2max, so you definitely want to try to get as accurate a number as possible. it's bad enough that the (overpriced) watch's calculation is an estimate as it is; work w/it to try to get it as un-zaney as possible (i'm not disrespecting your f11, i have one too). try to do the fitness test in the morning when you wake up and are all relaxed. once you're up and about, as you've noticed yourself, your heart rate increases a lot and your vo2max'll be off. i agree that 64 calories in 10 minutes at your weight seems wrong. |
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| Health & Support | compulsive eating- resources? | Sep 30 2008 00:33 (UTC) |
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you should check out overeaters' anonymous. perhaps there's a group in your area. best of luck. |
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| Foods | "i can't eat another.." | Sep 28 2008 22:01 (UTC) |
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that's really funny, fitnessmodel130, did you just write that? well put. |
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| Weight Gain | any type of food to gain weight? | Sep 28 2008 18:48 (UTC) |
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that's awesome, gi-jane. vitamins and minerals are essential and important. but EDs are born from an obsession w/perfection and denying yourself certain items/combinations/caloric totals/flavors/etc. so designing a food plan that's not too crazy, but still pushes you to try new things, is a good idea. burgers are okay, cookies are good, nuts are awesome--but make an effort to also getting your fiber and nutrients, you know? if you're underweight, the #1 priority is to gain weight. and when you're at a healthy weight, the #1 priority is to maintain your weight. and then try to be balanced and healthy. best of luck! |
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| Foods | How to teach yourself to eat less, when it is what keeps you awake? | Sep 27 2008 20:29 (UTC) |
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i used to babysit kids during high school and have trouble staying awake between the time i put them to bed and the parents came home. i've found that doing a set of pushups every 10 minutes or so was a big help. or stretches, such as lunges or toe touches or yoga positions like the cat pose or pigeon pose. |
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| Fitness | I'm back after being injured & need advice | Sep 15 2008 00:24 (UTC) |
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since you can't rely on your muscle memory anymore, how about laying a new, strong foundation for your running dreams? "no business running" is a strength training program geared to prepare ppl for the demands that running places on the body, prevent injuries and overall make you a stronger healthier person. i think esp since you don't have the endurance to run 7miles a day right now, it might be helpful to weight lift--you get to rest every minute or so! but i do think you will bounce back quickly. i know this must be a less-than-pleasant time for you, but i encourage you to focus on the fact that your body's in a much better place now than when it was running too much for its caloric intake. best of luck to you. |
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Here's what I do at 5' tall, 27 yrs, 140 lbs:
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gemini021 added x17star17x as a friend |
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New journal post This morning was a horrible morning by sebastian999 07:23 |
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New journal post happy thanksgiving.. going over to ma's by lonestarpenny 07:04 |