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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Jan-14-09, 23:43
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default Do it. Do it now. Right Now.

Well this is a new journal, exercise log or whatever, so I guess I should introduce myself and why I'm logging this information in front of others.

My name is PJ and I've had a journal on this forum for a few years now. I'm 43 currently (1/2009), I live in the Ozarks, and for most of a decade I've been single mom to a daughter who is now 12.

My high weight is over 500#. I came to this forum at 482 a few days after my birthday in 2006 (9/18 I think was the day I decided to save myself). I couldn't stand for more than 30 seconds without back pain. I couldn't walk to the car without exhaustion. I had horrible acid reflux, brain fog, and other medical issues which lowcarb (which was gluten-free by side-effect) solved within 10 days.

I didn't become obese until adulthood. It was a terrible adjustment. My child struggles with her weight and I try to understand. She is currently on lowcarb with me. Today I weigh 382. That's about 25# heavier than several months ago. I think it will reduce as my LC continues and more water weight falls off.

I initially ate very low carb (>12, with variance) and lost a good deal of weight, though not so much in 'supersize' terms. I'm not fond of vegetables, I'm gluten-intolerant, and possibly caseine as well, which I didn't learn until LC got me off them for awhile. Eventually my body changed, and I felt really bad on minimal carbs and had to up it a bit. I now eat VLC by default (my big problem is remembering to eat or being hungry for it), but I eat 'controlled carb' (~60/day) when I'm paying attention. Mostly adding in berries, legumes, and the rare corn tortilla. My biggest 'danger food' for too-much is hard cheese.

I've lost enough weight that it's important I begin exercising.

Around mid-2007 I began exercising suddenly. I started a blog for it, and the post I feel best describes my state of mind at the time and how good it was for me is this one: In the dark of night I love that post because it reminds me of how profoundly exercise improved my life the minute I got serious about it.

Alas, I did poorly with my eating which gave me insufficient energy, and I now see I instantly overtrained (I was chronically exhausted in the torso-muscles) and I completely flaked out I am sorry to admit. A couple brief flirts with walking after that hasn't yet gone far.

I work from home. I was in business management for a decade, then shifted to internet coding and graphic design, then programming, then management in that area, and now I am back to a very simplified form of project management on IT products in publishing. I SIT all day and work on a laptop computer. I work to make food for us 3-6 times a day, mostly burgers, finger steaks, chicken, eggs, and many kinds of meat-stews.

I used to drink some low-carb slimfast until I discovered that if I did, I didn't lose any weight, even in a period where I was losing otherwise. Maybe it's because it's 20g protein are all from caseine which I may have some issue with.

My kid is homeschooled and a computer addict, though she likes to read and do sketching as well. We've had some real trials related to lowcarb but at least for the moment she is on the same page as me and I'm really trying to make sure everything is food she likes. I don't try to get her to lift weights since I hear it's not good for kids. She is 5'4 and adult-sized. She is in karate.


I love lifting weights. I hate cardio, unless it's part of the weights. (Even when I was young and athletic I was that way.)

My goal is to begin weight lifting even if it's one stupid dumbbell one rep at a time. To just DO SOMETHING consistently and be accountable to myself enough to bother keeping a log like this. Anything, at this point, would be good.


I have a little info about my status and knowns to start off.

1. I'm way weaker than I thought. 8# on arm dumbbells is fine; 10# on a couple moves, 5# on another couple. Pitiful, I know.

2. Isolated exercises can be compound for me because of my weight. For example in the bent-over row, where you put one knee on the weight bench, other knee slightly bent standing onn floor, hand on bench, other hand with weight lifting from floor to shoulder: for me that is a compound exercise, because of the effort to hold my weight up with my arm and my bent leg. It's more work on my slightly bent leg than on the arm I'm supposed to be working out LOL.

3. My "knees are scared" and this prevents me doing the things I'd really like to: namely squats. I'm sure this is good since trashing my knees trying to squat at nearly 400# is probably nuts. Previously, I tried to make up for it with deadlifts -- the one "core body" exercise I read about that did not require the knees involvement -- and I think slightly hurt myself in overdoing it.

4. I think it's possible that I have difficulty with "form" in some exercises just because of the interference of bodyfat. My bench is nice in that it reclines as a seat (Tri-Bench) but it's far too short for me to do much on it, or it might be that I'm just too large.


I don't have a barbell. I could get one.

I do have a cheap (Weider) cage that I got mostly so I could try to do squats and have something real to hang on to. That was before my knees put in their vote to delay that kind of exercise for awhile. Currently it's in the back room that used to be my weights room before I abandoned that great effort and is now used for, well, everything else. If I need it I will dismantle it partly and move it into the living room where there is more room.

I have a kettle-bell that lets you put small plates on it for adjustable weight.

I have pair dumbbells in 3#, 5#, 8#, 10#. I have fractional metal plates but alas all my dumbbells are coated. (Much as I'd like to be cooler by having metal everywhere. At least they aren't pink! ) I've tried to find 12# dumbbells in my town but need to drive an hour for a store with anything real.

I don't have much room. But I pay the rent so I can make some.


As for exercises, I've read so much about weightlifting online I believe I'm more confused than when I began. Aside from the intriguing sociology aspect of bodybuilding forums (the people are so charming...must be the testosterone ), apparently there's at least 3 different answers and thou-musts for any given thing you can imagine.

In the past I've been given good advice by a couple people I admire (Mistress Krista and Amory Blaine) which I can no longer find now that I'm again interested in trying to follow it. I'm trying to find a nifty sheet I made myself that has detail on the muscle and exercise and steal of an anigif that I used for ideas of what kind of exercise to do.

I find the discussion related to muscle bulk vs. strength confusing. I mean I understand the concept I just haven't figured out how one is supposed to plan one vs. the other.

I don't yet have a plan. I'm working on one right now.

What I DO have is a determination that I'm going to do SOMETHING, I'm not going to spend another two years (like the last two) accomplishing very little despite some good if brief starts. I want 2009 to be the year of my accomplishment on many levels.

I don't have a car, I live in a small nowhere town, and it's way below freezing, so right now all I'm looking at doing is some kind of weight lifting, no matter how small. Hopefully I won't overdo this time!

Onward.

PJ
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, Jan-15-09, 08:13
galatia's Avatar
galatia galatia is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 13,640
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 173/135.8/130 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 87%
Location: Mississippi
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Hi PJ. I hope you find weight training very rewarding. My thoughts on your situation are, don't worry about what weights you use, just go through the motions of the exercises that do not cause joint pain. As you know, your body is adding to any weights you use. I wouldn't worry about squats or lunges for a while.

I would suggest more along the lines of:
*Sitting in a chair leg extensions, no added weight, for quads. Together or singles, whichever feels best.
*Standing, holding onto your power rack and bending your knee lifting your heel towards your behind for hamstrings.
*While in the "holding on" hamstring position do some side leg raises, then leg crossovers. Those work abductors and adductors.


Now if I've misjudged your abilities then please disregard those suggestions. My point is for you to start off with useful exercises that shouldn't be hurtful ones for you. If you feel any pain in your joints, stop. Do not try to push through pain. NOT helpful.
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, Jan-15-09, 18:33
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

Thanks very much!

I'm waiting for my housekeeping helper to leave so I can go do "something". Not sure what -- your ideas are a good place to start!
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Jan-16-09, 17:29
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

I thought it would be interesting, instead of starting with weights like I did last time, to start with nothing but body weight -- even my arms are pretty damn heavy -- and do some basic exercises without dumbbells and see if, for example, I felt nothing and could do 100 or what. To my surprise, all the exercises I tried definitely I could "feel it" in the muscles, and although I could do ten (fairly slowly) easily, it was just starting to affect my heart rate and breathe when I stopped.

That is boring trivia that could only entertain myself, I know. But last time I got into this I think I dived too fast into heavier weights and too many deadlifts and suffered some overtraining, so I think since I am dedicated to this right now, I should trust that "I have time" to do this at whatever pace I need to. If that means very gradually working through weights I consider too easy for me, even the process of the motion -- and to me the big deal being 'the consistency of paying attention and DOING something like this' is the big deal -- is useful, and the harder stuff will come.

I'm less likely to avoid hard stuff, than not to when I should and hurt myself, so I'm pleased at this unlike-me sudden interest in going really slow through it just to see how my body "feels" while doing something.
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  #5   ^
Old Sat, Jan-17-09, 00:02
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

So tonight I did the whole cycle of exercises I have set up from the past (forgot to make a note of the ones put here in my journal to add, will do those tomorrow).

I was hoping to find 1# weights, and literally work my way up a pound a day, but the lightest dumbbells I cold find around here are 3#. That's fine. I am mostly just working to get the motion, familiarity, focus-on-exercise-time, in place at first, as opposed to doing mega lifting or anything.

I did just 10, slow reps of each, to see how it felt, to see how easy or hard ten at that weight was. Last night's "body-weight only" went ok but it's obvious that although I'm not strong, I need to be doing more than bodyweight on the upper body stuff.

This is the list:

Quote:
SHOULDERS 1
(standing) lateral raise [lateral deltoid] {iso}
(standing) front raise [anterior deltoid] {iso}
(standing) shrug [upper trapezius] {iso}
(standing) external rotation [teres minor] {iso}
SHOULDERS 2
(standing) upright row [lateral deltoid] {cmpd}
(standing) rear lateral raise [anteriod deltoid] {iso}
(seated) arnold press [posterior deltoid] {cmpd}
ARMS 1
(standing) curl [biceps brachii] {iso}
(kneeling) kickback [triceps brachii] {iso}
(standing) hammer curl [brachioradialis] {iso}
(seated) wrist curl [wrist flexors] {iso}
ARMS 2
(seated) triceps extension [triceps brachii] {iso}
(seated) concentration curl [brachialis] {iso}
(seated) reverse wrist curl [wrist extensors] {iso}
(incline) triceps extension [triceps brachii] {iso}
TORSO 1
(kneeling) bent over row [back, general] {cmpd}
(lying) fly [pectoralis major, sternal] {iso}
(incline) shoulder raise [serratus anterior] {iso}
(lying) bench press [pectoralis major, sternal] {cmpd}
TORSO 2
(standing) straight leg deadlift [erector spinae] {cmpd}
(standing) side bend [obliques] {iso}
(lying) pullover [pectoralis major, sternal] {iso}
LOWER BODY 1
(standing) split squat [glut max & quads] {cmpd} <-- can't do this yet (knees)
(standing) calf raise [gastrocnemius] {iso}
(standing) full squat [glut max] {cmpd} <-- can't do this yet (knees)
LOWER BODY 2
(standing) lunge [glut max & quads] {cmpd} <-- can't do this yet (knees)
(standing) reverse calf raise [tibialis anterior] {iso}
(standing) hack squat [glut max] {cmpd} <-- can't do this yet (knees)


I forgot to do the arnold press tonight (weird as that's my favorite one) and didn't do the reverse calf raise (couldn't find a place to do it actually). I noted the ones I can't do at all yet 'cause of my knees, waiting till I am much lighter as they scream in terror inside me when I even start to slowly try one. Sissies.

So for the 3#, none were really hard, but it's clear my triceps are not very strong compared to everything else. For the calf raise I just used body weight (seriously, how much more can I need), lifted, held for a count of 3, then released. Ten of those was enough I think. I need to do that daily I think. It hardly seems like it falls into the weight lifting/ training/ rest-period category for some reason.

I don't have 4# weights and unfortunately one of my two 3# weights is coated so I can't use my fractionals that are magnetic. So tomorrow I will have to do 5#. Whatever weight I reach where I think that's where I need to stay and work, then I will begin sets.
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Jan-17-09, 11:12
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

I have more physical energy today than I have in awhile. I attribute this to several days consistent of a decent amount of protein. I do think that ANY exercise, even my 3# weights, is helping though.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Jan-17-09, 11:19
poindexter's Avatar
poindexter poindexter is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 387
 
Plan: meat 'n water
Stats: 221/181/150 Female 5' 6.5"
BF:
Progress: 56%
Location: Northeastern PA
Default

You go, girl...you are doing more than I!
I am still in the reviewing stage...you know, where you get the book or dvd from the library and return it unread or un viewed!
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  #8   ^
Old Sat, Jan-17-09, 15:21
Kittenann's Avatar
Kittenann Kittenann is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,851
 
Plan: Optimal Ketogenic Living
Stats: 214.8/167.4/170 Female 5ft 6in
BF:restart 4/14-215
Progress: 106%
Location: MI
Default

Hi PJ

I just wanted to congratulate you on taking the first steps to being more active. Great job!

It will be amazing in just a few months to compare how far you have come by comparing your logs.
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Jan-18-09, 14:07
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

My bench is not remotely big enough for me to do the kind of abs exercises as warmups that have been recommended in weight lifting areas.

So I've been practicing in bed. Can I go from lying flat on my back to sitting up without using my hands? So far I can.

So I think I could take this to the floor, maybe. (Exercise on the floor... then getting UP off the floor is a whole 'nuther exercise LOL.)

A couple of years ago I bought this book "SLOW BURN" that the Drs. Eades co-authored. It recommended weight lifting at an unusually slow pace, to force the muscle to failure much sooner. It also recommended some basic exercises, done verrrrry slowly. For example, sit ups.

I put on exercise clothes back then, hyped up for the effort. I was tired by the time I got them on LOL. Then I set out to see how many of each major exercise I could actually do.

Zero.

I could not do a single situp, as the main example.

When young I used to do 100 at a time so that was more than a little demoralizing.

I think I may have gotten to the point where I can do at least one situp though. Must find something I can hook my feet under so I can try them on the floor instead of the mattress.

I actually "feel" the muscles from waist to shoulders, all around my body, right now. Just from 'going through the motions' in a 10x1 set with 3# weights, now how pitiful is that! I'm not really sore, so much as 'aware' (so, sore, but not very).

Tonight I'm going to do some warmup exercises and stretching first. I didn't do that last time I was weight lifting and we know how well THAT went, so maybe doing it more intelligently this time will help.

I've decided for this effort the next few months/weeks I'm going to reduce the number of different exercises I'm doing and focus on three things:

1) a few core/compound exercises, and

2) some warmup exercises/stretching, and

3) making up some kind of "weight lifting kata" where I take weights a bit lighter than I need and come up with a motion that covers a variety of different exercises I am mostly NOT doing. When I was a teen we used to do this. Combine lots of exercises into something a little like a cheer-drill-dance and do them to music. I think that will help me get motion that my main exercises aren't covering, in a fun (I know: PAY ATTENTION) way, with weights that are not super challenging as my main goal is to get a LITTLE bit in for those not a lot. In part because of the crossover on muscles I'm using hard in the core. And in part because this will by default have some unusual motions, like diagonal and turns in the holds, that might risk injury if done with real heavy weights.
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  #10   ^
Old Sun, Jan-18-09, 14:42
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

As for the base, I've had several days to work on a plan for this, and have decided on the following.

(Bearing in mind I only have dumbbells, and not a formal gym)


Warm-up and down exercises:
* Basic light stretching
* Leg lifts (side)
* Situps and reverse sit ups over a bench
* Custom kata (multiple lift moves) with light weights

Lower Body. Pseudo-Squats. I can't do squats because I'm too heavy for my knees. But I can:
a) stand up from a sitting position on the edge of my couch.
b) squat to whatever degree and just hold that long as possible.
c) do partial-squats, far down as I can go.
Hope to get to the point of doing real ones eventually. And Calf Raises.

Back/Sides. Good mornings. Seated, if my energy isn't high, standing otherwise. Bent-over Rows and Deadlifts 1 and 2. Sumo style by default, to help build leg adductor strength too, stiff-legged at a slightly lighter weight (as good form is difficult for me on these maybe due to my size). Shrugs and Side-Bends, Shoulder Raise.

Upper body. Presses. Military press (standing), Incline press (incline), Arnold Press (sitting), and Bench Press (lying). And Pullovers.


I'll be doing 5x5 (5 sets of 5 reps ea) to begin with on the weight stuff. Some things, like the squat variants, I'm just going to do "as much as I can" without sharp pain or collapsing-exhaustion, and we'll see how it goes. I may 'switch off' press-styles within those 5 sets, rather than doing 25 of each kind each time.


I still don't know what weight is ideal or even possible for me on these various exercises. Tonight's workout is using 5# so I'm just going to record what I do and how hard it seems to get to the last reps. If it's not very hard then I'll move it to 8#. For calf raises I'm using body weight because I have to hold onto something for balance, and because my body weight seems sufficient at this time. I expect that as I'm just starting out, after a few weeks my weight should increase just from familiarity and the supportive muscles getting woken up.

I need to drive an hour to the city and find some dumbbells that are (a) metal, so my fractional magnetic plates can be used with them, and (b) I'm thinking 12# and 15# which (with the fractionals) would be the next steps from the dumbbells I have (3/5/8/10).

I'm a snob -- weights that aren't metal embarrass me. My coated dumbbells (all that was available when I first bought some) are so uncool.

Last edited by rightnow : Sun, Jan-18-09 at 14:55.
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  #11   ^
Old Mon, Jan-19-09, 14:08
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

Forget all that. I've revised it to 2 days a week only, with each specific muscle having one exercise (six sets), and so each focus-muscle only being used once per week.

I made a workout log in googledocs (spreadsheet) since I have my laptop with me when I workout in the living room so I can review form on everything (or I forget the details, still too new to me). This way I can basically do "as much as I can, feasibly" in each set, and record it, and after a couple weeks I think I'll be able to clearly see what's needing more vs. less weight or reps. I record each set's weight and reps and it calculates the total load for that exercise that day, the average for intensity, so I can more easily compare one day to another, plus have a list so I remember what I'm supposed to be doing.



Shrunk so it wouldn't exceed the browser screen in this display of course.

To make it simpler for me (since computer work is a breeze for me), I've also made a page for each major exercise. Later, once I'm back to my computer again (and not working out), I'll just copy and paste the lines from the exercises of that day, to their individual sheets. This way I hope to focus real clearly on what I'm accomplishing for each exercise.



That's only sample data above, just to example what info goes in there (mostly using 5/8/10# weights).
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Jan-19-09, 15:36
msdbobby's Avatar
msdbobby msdbobby is offline
~ JUST DO IT!!! ~
Posts: 3,104
 
Plan: 5% Carbs/75% Fat/20% Prot
Stats: 191/175/150 Female 5'2"
BF:Getting lower
Progress: 39%
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Hi PJ,
I was happy to see your post. It's been awhile since I last posted. My last few words of the post in my gym log were, Right Now. I thought of you when I typed that, lol.
I don't think I've ever had a visit in my gym log before. Thank you for the encouragement.
I really liked your introduction here. I was encouraged by the 'In the Dark of Night' post. I know I can do it, I just need to get excited about it again.
I know you can do it too. I'm always amazed at how detailed you are. The spreadsheet looks awesome!
I know this is your gym log but because I don't have much time, I just wanted to say how sorry I am about Rene. I'll pray for her comfort and that you are peaceful with any decision you make.
Have a great day PJ!
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  #13   ^
Old Mon, Jan-19-09, 21:54
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

Hmmn. Well, I did the Arnold Press, Incline Curl, and Calf Raises, and was pretty much out of energy and an hour had passed. Don't ask me how. I was doing everything slowly, basically just as many reps as I could up to 12 in each set (six sets), resting until I felt rested between them (probably 1-2 minutes max).

I really feel it already in my obliques and low-center of my back. That's actually where I feel damn near EVERY exercise no matter what muscle it is "supposed" to be focusing on. In the Arnold Press, that is mostly what I felt: my obliques, and all the way down my back. Yes of course I felt my arms too, but it was like it was using my body in a big way.

I guess it's just a matter of not having any real muscle developed or often used body-wide, so even if your arm has some muscle, that doesn't mean the rest of the body does, especially all the connective tissues and lesser-used muscle groups.

I think I'll wait and do more of the exercises tomorrow. I guess technically there is no reason for rush and I'd rather move into it gradually than overdo it.

I added a little weight to my calf raises. I don't have anything to stand on, so I just have to stand on my tiptoes for two seconds. Needless to say, standing on my tiptoes is not something I do often at this weight let alone while holding a dumbbell in one hand (at center of body) and a hand on something for balance with the other. But it works I guess.

The incline curl suffers what many exercises do; you're supposed to bring the weights up right next to your body and turn your hands (palms facing you) with the forearms straight up. (Easy to keep going and have them leaning toward you, but apparently that shifts the burden to different muscles and isn't desired.) But the size of my body means that my arms have to be considerably further 'out' from my body than would be expected, to clear my hips/thighs. No big deal hopefully. More tomorrow.

If it takes me a week to do the first workout in total I guess I'm willing to do that... whatever it takes. I'm sure I'll work into it just fine before long.
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  #14   ^
Old Wed, Jan-21-09, 04:38
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

I guess it's true I haven't been eating even half the protein I should the last few days. I was so tired last night I just went to bed early, without any major exercise.
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  #15   ^
Old Wed, Jan-21-09, 07:37
Hairballz's Avatar
Hairballz Hairballz is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 601
 
Plan: Atkins / M&E
Stats: 000/000/000 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress:
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Hey Right Now, I also have occasional problems with my knees that stopped me from doing squats, lunges for the longest time. I finally broke down and bought a generic version of the "total gym" and it has made a HUGE difference!! I can do squats on that JUST FINE (and I was never able to do more than one at the gym), as well as other leg work. And because it's so adjustable, I can do all kinds of upper/lower body work without having to have a gym full of free weights. I bought mine because I got to the point where a) I was lifting free weights that were heavy enough for me to consider "is this the brightest thing for me to be lifting above my head when I'm ALONE?!!" and b) free weights were getting too expensive! At about a buck a pound, once you get up past about 35 pound dumbbells they become cost prohibitive.

The "total gym" knockoff I bought was from Walmart.com, here's the link, it was only $145.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...duct_id=1818473
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