Dieting Alone May Not Help Stave Off Type 2 Diabetes; Muscle Mass, Strength Important

I really need to start doing some resistance exercises.

Bernstein says that muscle mass is important. (sorry I don't have the reference now.)

OTOH, too much muscle mass is associated with bad things, like cardiovascular disease. It seems that the ideal is the middle, which is achieved by moderate resistance training and moderate (about 30 minutes most days) aerobic exercise.

We're learning that thinness/BMI doesn't mean as much as we've been told.

I doubt I'll ever have an issue with too much muscle mass!

Yeah, me neither.

A girl can dream.

res Too much muscle mass. Just about no women, and very few men are going to get excess muscle mass from lifting, unless to choose 'better living through chemical"

Weight lifting is easiest for most of us at a gym, I know it is for me even with a fair amount of equipment at home. A number of the group sessions at gyms are really good, I gained a LOT of muscle in the Rep Reeboks classes. Free weights, as they use, are better for your body than most of the machines, which can force your body to move in bad ways.

An alternative is bands, really just giant rubber bands. You can duplicate almost anything in a gym with them, 3 pair are just a hundred dollars or so. Adding several pounds of muscle also adds a lot of well being. And few of us weight people find it puts appetite out of control. My hunger is almost never related in an unhealthy way to my exercise.

I'd like to try Kettle bells, it looks like it could be fun. I just need to find a class.

too much or too little of anything is bad...

If there are two things I did to cause my diabetes; I'd say, it's an improper diet and exercise and I'd say that both are probably equal in the scale of things.... So, to hope for control by diet alone would be ignoring half the problem....

Kettle bells are great. I don't use them, but after a class you could buy a pair if you don't like the gym.

Kettlebells are my favorite way to train Have fun, Nancy.

One of our local gyms started offering kettlebell classes....but they are $60/month!!! How insane is that?

I just need to buy some.

My suspicion is that gyms like many other businesses are needing to bring in more money, and customers have a lot of resistance. Which is why I would take the class, and if I liked them buy a set or two. They run over $1 a pound, so you want to be sure and get the right size, and the class will answer that question as well.

Hmmm... maybe I could find a personal trainer for a session or two, then go on my own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrXfqjJWGXo

besides the video, look to the right at the related videos on kettlebell training and mostly for women... There are also other links on youtube for training for men....

Some Wal-Mart Stores sell kettlebells

I took a workshop for kettlebells two years ago, bought an 18 pounder and it sets in my room. I think the reason I never got into doing them at home is because it's hard to find a good video that isn't outrageous in price. I do other things for weight training though. I have fairly good muscle tone although at 56 it's getting more difficult to to do the workouts due to achey joints.

I still do weightlifting though I found that I had to
decrease the regimen to avoid weight gain.Muscle weighs
considerably more than fat.
And so it goes...
Eddie