Hi all - I am in my 10th week of my 1st BFL challenge. I started it after 3 very unsatisfying months of working out hard 5 times a week - I had only lost 8 pounds and my body fat percentage was only down 2%. I had some inches loss, but overall I think was doing things wrong - starting every workout with 30 min. of cardio, then going from machine to machine - lower body one day, upper body the next, but I was bone tired and sore all the time. I had a 12 week re-test as part of my gym membership - we get retested every 12 weeks - and the trainer told me I need to work out 2 hours a day and that I should buy some personal training sessions. Although I realized that their job is to sell the personal training I was really upset - after all that hard work, their answer was to work harder.

That's when I found BFL and realized it was exactly what I needed. I booked one personal training session so that I could have someone show me the proper way to use the free weights for BFL, rather than machines. That's when I realized that my gym doesn't approve of BFL - the trainer told me I needed to do high reps at a lighter weight to tone rather than build muscle, then she gave me examples of people she knows that did BFL and barely lost any weight or body fat - that the program is meant for men. I have disagreed with her and love BFL but...I'm feeling a little discouraged right now.

My weight has hovered between 200-205, and I was 210 when I started. I know I've lost inches, but I have a retest coming up on May 9 - the day after I finish my challenge - what if my body fat hasn't come down more than 1 or 2 percent again? I really feel like my body is changing but I sense so much negativity - the trainer came up to me yesterday and said, "When are you finished this thing?" and then asked if I had booked my retest yet. She then said, remember how upset you were last time - oh well, you say you can see results this time...And when she asked how I was doing a couple of weeks ago, I said I had lost just a few pounds but more inches and she said "I told you so" - she said I should be melting because I still have so much weight to lose. Yet, other women at the gym have commented that I look like I'm really losing weight.

Has anyone else come across this negative view of BFL? If so, how do you handle it? I am trying to stay positive but when I step on the scales and see a 5 pound gain, it's a little frustrating...

AJ, I've only been doing BFL for a week and a half, but I can FEEL the results already. Not in inches lost or pounds on a scale, but in how much stronger I feel and how much my stamina has increased. So hang in there despite what the guys at your gym are saying! I've also worked with a trainer, and she had me doing many reps at low weight for 8 months, and it did work, but too slowly for my tastes. I see nothing wrong with women trying to build muscle, at least at first. If eventually you think you're building too much muscle mass, you can always revert to the low weight/high rep routine.

As for the attitude of your gym, well, it's a shame, but I think you have a couple of alternatives. You can ignore them--unfortunately a lot of trainers are set in their ways and not conducive to new ways of thinking--or you can join a new gym where people are more flexible, or at least find a different, more open-minded trainer at your gym. At the gym I use, the trainer I worked with didn't much like BFL, but several other trainers think it's a wonderful program and have been giving me a lot of encouragement. So I've been working more with them.

Just one thing I want to mention--I don't think you'll necessarily see a lot of change over the course of a month or two. The people BFL highlights in their ads--the "champions"--are the real cream of the crop (and may be taking all sorts of supplements ), and their results don't necessarily reflect everyone's. I'm on a couple of BFL boards, and people really do vary in their level of change even when they follow the program religiously. But as Hussman says, this is the very best program, in combining weights, cardio, and WOE. What else is there? It's GOT to work.

I also want to add that if you've lost 2 percent BF, you're doing great! No one's fat comes melting off--at least, if they want to maintain a permanent loss. Sure, a person can go on a crash diet and lose 50 pounds, but it will come back in spades. My trainer said that it took her a solid year of working out and eating right to see substantial results. And she's a young, fit woman. So whoever told you that you should be melting away is full of it, IMHO!

Good luck and I hope you stick with it. I intend to, because at this point I don't think there's an alternative. Please keep in touch.

That's when I realized that my gym doesn't approve of BFL - the trainer told me I needed to do high reps at a lighter weight to tone rather than build muscle, then she gave me examples of people she knows that did BFL and barely lost any weight or body fat - that the program is meant for men. I have disagreed with her and love BFL but...I'm feeling a little discouraged right now.

What your trainer said is absolute crap!

_Everbody who has some knowledge will tell you that high reps with lighter weight is much less efficient. This is a training for 'wimps', who sit on the legg press machine reading the latest fashion ads and fear of damaging their make up.
_toning rather than building muscles is a myth by the gyms to keep fitness orientated mummies in the gym who don't want to work out hard. There is no special training program for women which is better than training for men (except that some women are sometimes interested in training different muscles). Contrary to men women don't built large muscles as long they don't take drugs. Which means you will look much better with hard, heavy training, but you will never look like a female body building 'monster'. This won't happen! But you will replace fat with muscles which means your body will burn much more calories and of course your physique will look much better after some time.
_Everbody who has some knowledge will confirm, that free weights are much more effective than any machine, but using machines is preferred by almost all studios since they need better schooled and more trainers for free weights, who of course will cost more money.
_Everbody who has some knowledge is against training longer than 60 minutes! Training for two hours is absolutely stupid and extremely counterproductive. Only BB's on steroids are able to train long hours. One of the main rules of weight training is: more is NOT more, concering training hours. Some of the best natural BBs even follow the HIT program: only 30 minutes max. 1-3 times a week.
_Everybody who has some knowlege recommends shorter, but more intense cardio sessions. HIIT (like BFL) or IV (Interval Training) is the best training for burning fat. And it is not recommended to combine an intense workout with intense cardio.

Finally: If others in your studio say that you look much better, trust them and take this as a proof that BFL works for you! Don't trust scales or electric tools to measure bodyfat - trust the mirror, a tape measure and your trousers!

Maybe you should think about changing the gym on the long run, or at least the trainer....

Yeah, what RT and Superflat said! The whole low weight/high reps thing is a myth, as is "toning". "Toned" women are just moderately muscular women with low body fat. How many women with really GREAT looking bodies do you see using the teeny tiny dumbbells? It's just a waste of time. I've worked out on and off for over 10 years now, but I never saw this good of results until I changed a few things:

-increased my protein intake
-decreased my length of workouts
-increased my intensity of training

I do better exercising each body part 1-1/2 times per week as BFL recommends than I did doing a whole body workout 3x/week or a split routine where I trained each body part 2x/week. After this challenge I may split up the routine further and train each body part 1x/week like a lot of the body builders do.

Anyway... sounds as if you are doing great! Hope to hear some kick-a$s results from you so you can throw it in the trainer's face!

edit: BTW, make sure you check out Friday's pics if you haven't already. Perfect example of someone who didn't lose much weight by the scale but made awesome progress on her body shape and performance.

Jen

Thanks for the comments, all - and Jen, I hope to show some awesome results too, like the rest of you who have recently completed your challenges. I have thrown myself into this and have not missed a workout - I am SO determined. I cannot afford personal trainers but isn't it funny how they feel free to offer unsolicited advice - and I really did believe, even with my rather limited knowledge, that if you start out with minimal muscle, then how on earth can you possibly build too much in a matter of 12 weeks? Seriously, take a 220 pound flabby woman - am I going to manage to convert myself into a muscle machine almost overnight? Isn't muscle, well, muscle? Is there a different kind of muscle I could or should be building? Thank you for reminding me what a load of CR~P that is!!!! I'm VERY proud of being able to push 235 lbs for my set of 6 seated leg press! And I've lost 2" on each thigh...I think I'll stay away from the scales for a while.

BTW - I will keep learning - my goal is to become a trainer myself and to work with baby-boomer aged women - I will be my sales tool - and I will have the pictures to prove it, even if it takes me another 2 years to do it!

Thanks again, everyone.
Laura

AJ, I don't have much to add to what has already been said but I had to post here because our dogs look alot alike!

Go for it Laura. What the world needs is some PT's that have personal experience back by real knowledge. I swear, most PT's got their certificates from mail order houses (and the mail order houses get them from Cracker Jack boxes). I hope I'm not offending anyone I know there are some good PT's. Of the four that work at my gym, one is great and the other three are awfull. I always feel sorry for the bad ones clients, but I love to watch the clients of the good one turn into lean workout machines. He works them hard. He does a group of 4 guys at lunch time and he really puts them through the mill for that hour, and often he does the stuff with them. These four guys have gotten into such good shape, they've been doing this for at least a year now.

So go for it Laura! The world needs more good PT's.

Oh, gawd. The higher reps, lower weight thing is a total MYTH. It gets told to women because most women are afraid of 'bulking up'. Eventually, it gets said so much that people believe it. Check with TrainerDan if you like. It simply isn't true.

That being said, I think it's up to you what you want to do. If it's BFL, do it and ignore the trainer. If it's their program, cool. Just as a caution, however, my trainer tried to seel me nutrition bard where three of the first 5 ingredients were forms of sugar. Even if you're not LC, that bar was crap.

As for BFL working for women, have you seen my pics? And are you tracking your BF percentage? Gaining, and/or not losing, can be *really* frustrating, disheartening and downright depressing. If you keep track of your body fat percentage, you'll know if those lbs are muscle and water (very likely and good) or fat (time for diet tweaking).

Look for my post called "Link to C1 pics." I most certainly female, and this program definitely worked for me. I dod not do higher reps, lower weights. I lifted, forgive the stereotyping, like a man.

I'm hard to catch for the next few weeks, but if you have any more questions, I'll do my best to help.

Cheers,

Friday

P.S. working out 2 hrs a day for how many days a week? Sounds like catabolic over-training to me.

Not only is the "bulking up" thing a myth for women it is for a lot of men too. Geeze, I wish I would "bulk up". But I'm genetically not a muscular guy and espscially while eating to loose weight, I'm not gaining a whole lot of muscle.

So taking into consideration that I'm 46 years old, eating to loose fat, genetics, not taking anabolic steroids, etc, if anyone knows a PT that can get me to "bulk up" like a bodybuilder, please send me their name asap.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the results I'm getting, my body is changing and I am gaining some muscle, but I'm not expecting to be looking like the guys in the magazines any time soon.

Arnie

Lol - my AJ makes me happy and loves me no matter how depressed, fat and dragged-out I feel! He also gets me up off of my butt the minute he just thinks of the "W" word, let alone hears it! One of these days I'll put my pic up there but until then I'll just have to share with you all my adorable doggy!!!!!

Thanks everyone for making me feel better,

Laura

I have to agree with what everyone else has said. And I do understand where you can get frustrated. I'm on week 11 and haven't missed a workout. I've lost a whopping 1/2 inch in my waist and maybe 3/4 inch in my hips. No weight loss. I can't see much difference. And to top it off my asthma is getting worse! (What a rip off!) I've lowered my carbs, upped my carbs and yesterday I ate so much sugar I was flying and didn't need my broom.

But I also know my own history regarding weight loss and working out. I'll go along and all of a sudden, my pants get loose. :rollleyes: I have to remind myself of the progress I've made. I'm stronger, I feel better and I'm sticking to this workout program. So why I don't see any difference, I feel different. I feel better about me. And you know...that's all that really counts. To heck with the scales and tape measure.

2 hours a day to work out? I won't do it. I believe I'd tell that personal trainer that if she can't offer encouragement she can go annoy someone else. You show them it works! I know you can do it.

Oooh, I like that - that should take care of things rather nicely!

Radar

AJ...I will just tell you that my gym (Old Iron Gym in Wareham) has produced many many body building champions...male and female. They are in love with bfl. Most of the personal trainers are on and teach bfl. Our gym isn't fancy. It is exactly what the name says. Old Iron. Old school. The men have worked out in their underwear (though not since a lot of women come now) just to get a better stretch for squats. There is no fancy equipment (except some new treadmills and ellipticals) but everyone who is in there is serious about their workouts. The women are inspiring. One who comes to mind lives on bfl and is 5'7" and 145lbs and wears a size 4. She has a six pack and fabulously cut arms and legs and completely looks feminine. You are on the right path. Your body fat will surely have lowered and you are feeding your body what it needs and working your muscles hard. Keep up the good work and keep us posted with your success!!!! Don't forget to take pictures.

Kristen