My honeymoon phase was over before I ever got to the gym - I spent 8 months at Curves (starting February 2004) before joining 24 Hour. Curves does include a weight training componant. At 24 Hour I did maybe 20 minutes of weights and mostly focussed on cardio. Since the beginning of this year (January) that I threw myself into it and really starting trying to build muscle. I do this by hitting the weights for 45 minutes first, and then doing cardio. As I cool down from my cardio I sip a protein shake.

Going heavy, as they say, is the way to go. What is considered to be heavy varies according to the individual and his/her personal fitness goals. Heavy weights will not make a woman bulky in the absence of steroid use. You will be more tightly built with smaller clothing sizes at a higher (scale) weight.

Lots of good reading here: http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php

I lived in Baton Rouge a long time ago. At the gym I used there was a guy who won regional body-building contests. He was huge with no body fat. He did all of his lifting using light weights. His technique was to take 30-60 seconds for each repetition with 5-10 sets of 50-100 reps. Also he was careful that each rep went though a full range of motion.

I've always wondered about the difference between heavy and light lifting. Bench pressing 300 pounds 15 reps would be lifting heavy for me. That adds up to 4500 pounds total, moved 22 inches, the distance from my chest to wrist. Lifting 75 pounds 60 reps total would be the same amount of work, therefore same calorie expenditure. But without the potential damage to ligaments and tendons.

It's not impossible to gain muscle on a low carb diet provided your protein intake is high enough. With the rep range your working now, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy will be greater than increased strength at some point. If strength and increased muscle size via greater muscle density (myofibril hypertrophy) is your goal, then reverse your current rep/set structure.

Google Vince Gironda,low carb,high rep,old school and it works

Do some reading on CKD, which is a very useful method of combing heavy lifting with enough carbs to maintain energy and increase muscle mass while losing fat.

I really like your routines. Just a couple of things: why no deadlifts, and are you sure you can't do heavier bentover bb rows? Most people can go way heavier on rows than on curls, for instance.

TWL, I would suggest you look into in lifting heavy weights, very heavy weights, with very low volume. And getting lots of rest.

I've been having good results with Fred Hahn's Slow Burn methods (go to www.seriousstrength.com for more info). He wrote a book on it with the Drs. Eades of Protein Power fame. I do two workouts a week, 6 - 8 exercises, only 1 set per exercise, 4 - 6 reps very slowly to absolute muscle failure - ie, I cannot move the weight any more no matter how hard I try. The goal is to have the weight heavy enough that you can manage to lift for 40 - 90 seconds before failure sets in.

I've been doing this for about four or five months, and I am still making big gains. I keep close records, and I almost always add 2.5 pounds per exercise each session. And of course I can see a big difference in the size and definition in my arms, legs, etc.

The best thing is that each workout takes about 25 minutes. That's it, that's all you need, 25 minutes, 2x week. Or even 1x per week, if you prefer.

Of course, my results could just be the honeymoon effect someone described above... I'll re-evaluate in a year or so...

oh yeah, about the "hurt a lot" issue... I usually feel some soreness, but it's pretty minor. nothing like the intense stiffness and soreness I've felt after standard issue weight training workouts.

Hmm thanks for all the advice! I think what I might to do is change my workout routine every 2 months..So I might start with slow burn, then go try high weight/low reps and then try vince girondas 8x8 method. It might mix things up a bit!

I have read thru CKD...It seems like you have got to go in and out of ketosis each week, doesnt that make you feel kind of sick? I was thinking of using the idea of putting 20 grams of dextrose in my post workout shake to refill muscle glycogen and maybe a high carb meal twice a month...Im not sure if this will work tho...

TWL

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Hmm thanks for all the advice! I think what I might to do is change my workout routine every 2 months..So I might start with slow burn, then go try high weight/low reps and then try vince girondas 8x8 method. It might mix things up a bit!


8x8 is real intense,start with 6x6,remember almost no rest between sets. This is the kind of workouts and diet from the pre-roid days---Jim

Nah, you get used to it very quickly, and get back to ketosis usually within a day of your carb-up. But a whey and dextrose shake after lifting is an excellent idea, and you'll probably find it makes a big difference right away.

[QUOTE=kaypeeoh]His technique was to take 30-60 seconds for each repetition with 5-10 sets of 50-100 reps. QUOTE]

Run that by me again.....