Well, I'm still reading through NROL ... and am hoping to start the Fat Loss programme this week. Hopefully, I'll finish reading it later today, and will draft the first workout for tomorrow.




I would put her at around 5ft 5. I did some rough calculations (which may be totally wrong) based on comparing her stats with mine - I'm 5ft 10 and at a weight of 163lbs, my bf% should be 20. Of course, I could be totally wrong!




That is the best news

I must admit that I'm beginning to feel a little jealous of those of you who currently have personal trainers. I know that I could book a session with the gym instructor at our company gym, but to be honest, I don't think it would be of much benefit to me, as she is the reigning Cardio Queen, and most of her workouts consist of cardio with very little resistance work.

Plus, I also think that I need to find a better gym, if I'm to make the sort of progress that I'm looking for ... reading NROL is definitely endorsing that view.

My gym is very tiny, consisting of two treadmills, two stairmasters, two bikes, a leg extension/leg curl machine, a bench press, a lat pull down and a pec deck. There are plenty of dumbbells, with a good range of weights, but no barbells, or squat racks for example.

As I said in an earlier post here, I am currently setting up a space at home to use as a 'gym' ... I think that I may seriously have to look at adding in a squat rack. It may be a far better investment for my body is I go for the squat rack and forget the elliptical.

Galatia, what sort of equipment do you have in your home gym?

Lisa, good for you and the trainer time. I look forward to hearing updates.

Judy how are you liking your trainer? Is yours a man or woman?
Well let's see....I have a power cage squat rack with cables, a Marcy universal, bench press, 2 other benches, seated leg curl/extension machine, high chair with heavy bag, etc., hyper-extension, hexagon dumbbells ranging from 2 to 50 pounds. Lots of plates for my Olympic bars and easy curl bar. Some other odds and ends stuff. Then for cardio I have an elliptical, rebounder, treadmill, and Nordic skier. Now....this is stuff I've collected over years. On gift giving occasions I always ask for weights and stuff. My seated leg curl is this years anniversary gift.

Thanks for asking!!

He's a guy and we're calling him McHottie!! Hes a hard body and has the looks of Vin Diesel ....only nicer looking. Hes a good trainer and I'm learning from him......

Then I went to my local Pilate's studio for a machine class and the difference in Pilate's Instructors to the trainers in my gym is shocking. It appears that Pilate's people really are very intensely trained to teach it and are also very, very professional whenever they teach a class. I'm impressed with them.

My plan to start is to workout with the trainer once a week, do a Pilate's class once a week and find time to do some cardio on the treadmill in between. I'm starting out slowly as I know that I'll burn myself out if I do too much too soon.

WOW, you're far better equipped than I am even in my company gym. Colour me jealous

DH is beginning to take an interest in WT, so I'm hoping that we'll be able to start putting together a much better equipped 'gym' at home.



OK, I've finished reading New Rules of Lifting ... for me, I found it to be an interesting read, and one that has given me a lot to think about.



So, I'm starting the Break-In Workout today. Having read the criteria, I'm going in at the Intermediate Level, which means that I'll be following the WO three times a week for the next 3 weeks, working out once on the 4th week, and then beginning the Fat Loss program on the 5th week.

I'll be posting more about the program, and full workout details in my log as I complete them, in my gym log, as I feel that it is more appropriate to put them there.

I found it very interesting to note that Schuler's chapter on diet, aka Clean Eating is more or less what I'm eating now on South Beach. So this should be a very do-able 'program' for me

I also very much like the fact that he advocates an indulgence now and again ... especially as his 'indulgence-of-choice' matches my own ... ice cream



Hope everyone has a great week

McHottie!! Oh yeah! Sounds good to me. I think Vin Diesel is VERY good looking, and McHottie looks even better huh? How do you concentrate!!?

Judy said: Good.

Demi said: Good.
Sounds like this is going to be a pretty easy transition for you since you're already doing so much of what he suggests. Ice cream....I don't even wanna think about it!!
I hope your DH joins you in this. That will be great. You're right about having a better home gym with him involved.

* smacks self on forehead *

Having got so excited about starting my new workout program, I totally forgot to bring my gym bag with me today

I meticulously packed it last night and left it by the door to grab on my way out this morning. Obviously, I swept straight past, oblivious to it sitting there.

So, I'll now be starting my new program tomorrow.





To be honest, I didn't want to change my current woe as I really like eating the South beach way, so it was nice to see that I don't have to

I hear you on the ice cream ... it has actually been a major trigger in the past for me to start bingeing. But I feel that I have learned enough by now for it not to be too much of a problem. Plus, I don't intend to do it until I move into maintenance mode on SB, and even then, it will only be an occasional occurrence.

DH and I are planning to have a look at some equipment tomorrow. Not sure if we'll be buying anything just yet ... but at least we're looking

Good morning ladies!!! I would love to join your little group.

I have been lifting for sometime now but have decided to step it up a notch because I can see muscles peaking thru especially on my arms and I am so stoked about it that I am making myself do a more intense workout. I do both UB and LBWO on Monday and Thursday. I do my intense cardio on Tues, Wed. Friday and Saturday with my day of rest being Sunday. I also walk my two dogs everyday..a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening in addition to all of my regular routine.

I will be 55 in April and in 1996 went from 230lbs. and size 20 to 145 lbs. and size 6/8 which was a little too gauntly for my body frame. I am large framed and because I had so many people telling me I looked sickly I decided to put on more weight. The steady workout routine started when I turned 50 and bought a treadmill. Then I bought dumbbells, resistance bands and a bun and thigh rocker.

Now after almost 5 years of working out I added last August a Total Gym and an elliptical. I will be adding hopefully a recumbent bike to my home gym soon.

I was inspired to be more attentive to my health when my mom was diagnosed with COPD, emphyzema and osteoporosis. About 7 years ago she decided to fight all of the effects of these conditions by buying a treadmill and a bowflex and at soon to be 75 years old she is strong and healthy even with her conditions. As she knows she will never recover from emphyzema she knows by doing cardio (for her breathing exercises) on the treadmill and doing weight training (for her osteoporosis) she can keep herself from deteriorating faster then she needs to. She is my hero and my inspiration to be the healthiest and strongest that I can be for me and my family.

I was training my 23 year old daughter yesterday on lifting weights in my home gym and was amazed that she can only do bicep curls with 4 lbs. and only managed 1 rep of 10. All she has ever really done is jog and did not realize that she is very weak in the UB. She was very impressed that I can do 3 sets of 10 bicep curls with 20lb. dumbbells. Now she has been inspired to do more weight training because of me and because she is a nursing student and now knows the importance of keeping the muscles strong.

Sorry for going on and on.....I am very pationate about health....and can talk up a blue streak about it.

I am very impressed by all of you and your committment to strength training and want to join your group.

HN

Hiya HerbNurse!!

Sounds like your doing great!! Glad that you're joinging us here, the more the merrier!!

How do I concentrate? I close my eyes and breath!!

I'm working out with McHottie tonight and am looking forward to it.

At my last session, he had me use a balance ball for some ab work and squats against the wall. I liked using the ball as it was my first time doing it.

Demi, your new routine sounds like it going to be challenging!!

Me too! Me too!

I have an on-again, off-again relationship with lifting. I love doing it, and over the years I'd get into it and then taper off eventually when I got PO'd that I wasn't getting results (some, but notthe fat loss I wanted). I'd do tons of cardio as well as either a full-body or a two-day split routine and I'd get some definition, and definite strength gains, but no fat loss. This was before low carb though, and also before I knew I'm intolerant of dairy and gluten grains - and both of those keep fat on me as well as keep me extremely bloated and puffy all over. No wonder I never looked any leaner!

I don't enjoy cardio at the gym, and won't be doing any For now, anyway. I am back as of today doing a full-body squat-push-pull type of routine, mainly compound movements (squats, deadlifts etc). I'm excited because my shoulders and legs tend to tighten up and reshape fairly quickly, and with my improved diet in place I think I'll be on the road to Linda Hamiltonville (I loved her physique too!!!) in no time.

My goals are: to perform an unassisted pull-up (that'll take awhile, but I will work towards it); to squat half my body weight (and then my full body weight, and then...); to get STRONG; to weight train for the rest of my life, so I'm a hot, healthy 90-yr-old with strong bones and killer glutes! Oh, and to look as good as Galatia

Great thread Demi!

Hi ladies! I just got back from a visit with my Mom. I posted my latest work-out routine in my journal as an FYI for you or anyone else that might care. I knew I'd only be home this afternoon so my weekly trainer meeting is tomorrow. Today I'm off to the gym just to do cardio and stretching mostly for the endorphins (also in my journal is mention of my tough transition with my Mom and I took a lot of negative energy on the last couple of days). I'll post more again hopefully tomorrow. Glad to see more people joining us...welcome HerbNurse and Waywardsis. Judy, WTG on bagging a hot trainer. I gotta say mine isn't (though he's certainly cute and likable) but he's the nicest guy and so generous with his time, I can't be anything but grateful!

Take care and have a strong week!!

Truth? I'd rather have one like yours...time is big and I know mine watches the clock(and his cell phone ) very carefully.

Sorry about your mom....I'll check your journal later.

Hi HN and WWSis .

I just thought I'd drop by with a little inspiration:

Hotness! Man, she looked gooood! I'm thinking about what Gostryder said it took to get to that (well, he didn't explain what, exactly, except that the women he was advising said they didn't want to work that much LOL). All I know is I loved what she looked like in that flick and I'd love to look that good too.

Galatia, that was primo inspiration...I'm SO ready to go see my trainer tomorrow.

Judy, I hear ya. I'm so happy I don't have a clockwatcher! Thankfully you're really bright and focused and you'll be able to get the most out of what he offers. But do remember that like with any other consultant, you can choose to fire him and move on if he's not working for you!

I'll post more tomorrow ladies (after my training session). G'night!

I just came home from my session and it was very good!!

I'm very, very sore!! He really made me work!! I've got really good upper body strength...its my lower that needs the most work and I hate that part...but he's see what I need to do and he focuses on that aspect....good man!!

Tonight we did:
chest press
dumbell curls
squats on smith machine
leg raises
crunches
laterla side delt with dumbells
lateral pulldowns
side rip abductor lifts (ouch!)
butt kicks back

twice each exercise.

I also just bought another 10 sessions.....I can see this as my new addiction.

Ahhh I'm feeling sucked in,

I haven't lifted in about 3 weeks....been feeling tired out. But reading this thread is inspiring me to kick my own butt and get going again.

Deb!