Posts by despinamb

Original Post by clampers:

NROLFW, Stage 1 Workout A Day 5

 

Now it is increasing to 3 sets of 10 reps, which is waaaaay more difficult than 2 sets of 12 or whatever. I was huffing and puffing by the end of my workout!

That's good - you're getting a good workout!  Are you increasing your weights? 

I prefer the increased sets of lower reps because I like lifting the heavier weight fewer times.  I am doing NROL, Fat loss II, not quite half way through. 

Original Post by solid555:

Original Post by despinamb:

Thanks everybody for the helpful responses, I will try working on my grip.  The fat gripz look great, but I am a cheapskate - will have to look around. Maybe some farmers walks, or hanging from the pull up bar, which I can do at home.

I own Tyler Grips. I had an interesting feeling when I got them in the mail. As I opened the box I felt like I was being ripped off, while simultaneously realizing that they were going to work perfectly. That basically sums them up. I paid $40 for two pieces of rubber, which is outrageous. But at the same time they are really good. They are small and light, easily fit in a gym bag, and slip right on an Olympic bar. And they quickly solved my deadlift grip problems.

OK, so I might have to rethink being such a cheapskate.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

A quick google search tells me that post menopausal women also see drops in their testosterone levels.

That is my experience, having had my hormone levels measured several times over the last year or so.  Testosterone decreases along with estrogen.

Hormone (testosterone) supplementation probably helped me gain some muscle and strength, but now that I am using herbal supplements only I have not really seen any decrease in strength or muscle size.

I am guessing that my hormone supplementation did increase my ability to lose some body fat over the last year. 

Weight lifting 3x week including Squat and deadlift heavy and do hip mobility exercises/stretches before every lifting session, as well as foam rolling after exercise 6 days/wk. 

I had periodic episodes of back spasms and pain down both legs, with immobility for about 30 years.  The last time I had an episode - one of those sudden "oh Sh**, I moved wrong trying to pick up a shoe off the floor" things was about 3+ years ago before I started weight lifting.  Weight lifting has been the one thing that has kept me symptom-free.  

Thanks Kevin,  What a great link!  Have been practicing firing my glutes when I squat - what a difference. Can't believe it's taken me this long to figure out the glute thing, think I was using my quads way too much. 

Original Post by Marlene1968:

I think you need to lesson the amount of weight you are lifting, minus your glut work, lol. You only want to tone, not build your muscles. Also always do at least 25 minutes cardio, with sprints spaced in between daily, or 5-6 days per week. That's my two cents I hope it helps you. If you stick to this with a balanced diet you will get results quickly.

Not this. /\  See http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/fitness/ toning-bad-word-only-people-use

You may have built some muscle, but with those weights it's unlikely that you have built enough to increase your clothing size, especially within a week or two.  It's much more likely that your jeans shrunk in the washer/dryer, and/or you are retaining water due to salt intake or the time of the month, or that you are bloated for any other reason.  Increase your water consumption, decrease sodas, juices, etc.  It helps to keep things running smoothly. 

I agree with the other posters who said that you have to have some objective measurement either of your weight using a scale or your size using a measuring tape. 

You also need to think about what you are eating - it sounds like you are pretty hapazard about your nutrition and that you don't really know how many calories you ingest in a day and whether that is the right amount for you.  How many drinks a day are you having and why do you think that exercise the next day is compensating for that alcohol intake?  What kinds of drinks are you drinking.  There's a big calorie difference between a 6 oz glass of wine and a couple of frozen margaritas.  You also should look at your food choices again.  Chickpeas are great, but they have a lot of calories; how much peanut butter are you eating; where's the meat/chicken/fish/eggs/beans.  Gluten-free is only beneficial to those with celiac disease, otherwise it's pointless.  If you are going wheat-free and substituting other grains (Quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, oats), that would be a different story. 

Start measuring and logging your foods and pay attention to the percentages of your nutrients.  Consistency is the key.  You should eat enough to fuel your workouts. 

Kevin - In your experience with NROL, have you taken off the week in between phases? What do you think are the benefits - or negatives and what did you do during that week in between?  Is it more appropriate to take a little time off in between certain phases than others? 

I am just finishing up the break in and going on to Fat Loss II.  If I took a week off from lifting I would probably do some metabolic circuits (like the book recommends) and continue boxing training twice a week.  Or should I save the week off for after FLII.  My last break from lifting was at the end of Aug (vacation) for several days since the hotel gym sucked royally. 

What sayeth Ye?

Original Post by clampers:

Original Post by kevinatthebrook:

Original Post by clampers:

Did NROLFW last night.

 Increased my weight so now I am doing shoulder presses at 30 lbs and lat pull-downs at 50 lbs. Fun! Feels so good. 

I can definitely see a change by my elbows, knees and under my rib cage. That feels good too.  

Do you find yourself feeling your midsection? I do. Every once in awhile I reach down, flex my abs and go "Oh Yea!"

Hahahaha I'm gonna have to start doing this!

Let me get on this bandwagon.

After my workout last night with boxing trainer - we spent the whole session doing conditioning exercises, he offered to do my BF measurements.  This is what we came up with and boy, was I shocked,

Weight 144 lbs (I think their scale is a couple lbs low)

hand held Bioelectrical Impedance method - yielded 27 % BF and 24 bmi

Then he measured me with Calipers on 7 sites and put the numbers in the ERYX website and it came up - 18 % BF (shock and disbelief)

While he was doing the calipers, he kept saying that he couldn't pinch anything on my tricep, upper back, thigh, and he kept telling me to stop flexing, but I wasn't flexing.  One thing that we agree on is that I don't have a lot of fat in those areas, and that my BF is concentrated in my middle - waist and belly. 

I figure that a more accurate BF number is somewhere between the two measurements - I would be happy with 25 - 24% - not because that is my goal but because the last time I had any BF measurements using both those same methods about 18 months or so ago, the result was a BF% of about 33%, so even 25% BF is a gigantic win for me. 

Another nice thing worth blowing my horn on is that my trainer was really surprised when I told him how old I am - I don't look that old and he was surprised that I work so hard.

Needless to say, I felt great afterwards - having some objective measurement that shows improvement is really motivational. 

After hearing about the Wheat Belly book from OGR and reading some information about it, I am planning on getting the book and embarking on that wheat elimination experiment.  I am definitely addicted to wheat, but after buying a case of low carb wheat tortillas for my daily lunch, I am going to wait until they are almost gone because I just can't justify wasting that much money.  That will help me get rid of some of the wheat products in the house and find some alternatives. 

But what is even more important to me is whether it is having a negative effect on my son.  I notice that there are days when he is less focused and more hyper than others. He eats a lot of grains and much of that is wheat (whole wheat bread, wheat squares cereal, whole wheat pancake mix).  I think I am going to keep a food diary for him and see whether his behavior can be linked in any way to what he is eating. 

My workout for Tuesday night was:

alternating 5 sets of each 100 jump ropes and 20 squat presses with 25 lb bar (no rest) 

200 sit ups with punches at top - trainer sat on my feet and we broke the sit ups up into 4  sets of 50 (30-60 sec rest). 

5 sets of 20 leg raises while trainer hit me in the stomach with my boxing glove or the side of his hand (30-60 sec rest).  Sounds worse than it is.

I really love training with this trainer. 

excellent!

Original Post by oldguysrule:

Original Post by despinamb:

Original Post by oldguysrule:

Thursday:

Hiked the highest peak in AZ (Humphrey's Peak is 12,633 feet). 4.8 miles each way (3500 ft elevation change). This evening, I hardly feel like I did anything. That is good, because DW's b'day weekend is coming up and she wants to do a hike that is twice as hard (and I have to keep up with her). We are going to a motel Sat. night so that we don't have to shower outdoors, under a tree. There might be a hot tub. It will be totally decadent!

Oct. 13th is the "biggie." 50 miles, with 11,000 feet of ascents, in 20 hours or less.

Have a great time on your DW's decadent birthday celebration.  Will you eat cake?

The Oct. 13th date - is that a race/climbing event?  (stupid way to ask a question).

I don't think that I can stay awake for 20 straight hours. 

Ha, ha. Definitely no cake on this birthday. DW's been on this "no-wheat" experiment for a couple weeks now, and I'm doing it too. It has actually been a fascinating experiment.

We might have ice cream though!!!

The Oct. 13th thing is an unofficial "event" in the Grand Canyon (more organized activities would require a permit, and the park doesn't allow races down in the canyon). We go from the south rim (Bright Angel Lodge) down to the bottom of the canyon, up the north side to the N. Rim, along that rim to the North Rim Lodge, and then repeat the journey back across. The AZ mountain club dubbed this thing the "Death March" about 25 years ago, and the only requirement for an official finish is that you do it in less than 24 hours. There are shorter, more popular versions of "double crossings" that aren't as far, and don't take as long.

Last year, I kept track of calories: I ate/drank 6000 and burned 10,5000. One of the other people was totally geeked out with HRM, footpod, GPS etc. and got similar results (he is heavier, so burned 11,300 in 24 hours). Sleep deprivation isn't much of a problem until it is time to drive home.

A wheat experiment - sounds interesting.  What is the motivation for the experiment and how long is it expected to go on? 

I was reading something about wheat this morning and alternatives.  The article claims that the genetic changes we have made to wheat have occurred over a period of time not long enough to allow the human digestive system to adapt to them.  As a result, even if one is not gluten sensitive, digesting wheat may be problematic for some.  http://www.naturalnews.com/036845_wheat_belly _weight_gain_gluten.html?goback=%2Egde_184315 0_member_166505635

I don't think you can go wrong with eating ice cream!

It must be an incredible experience.  I am hoping to make a trip out there in the next couple of years - we have to bring our son out there, I know he would love it. 

That is just a huge number of calories to burn.  So you are carrying some really calorie dense foods/drinks with you.  How heavy is your pack? How early do you start out?