Never been serious about body-building, til now ;)

(Denise) #61

I walked/hiked over the weekend.

I’m going to try my workout (dumbell) this a.m. before my brunch at 11 ish, or when I get hungry which can be as late as 2 o’clock. That really amazes me but it also feels good to get that much of a fast in for the day.

I’ll get back here after my workout and let you all know how I did :wink: denise

Edit: I wanted to add this I was watching, although I wasn’t really into the lady at first, I really liked this part of the video. Especially the part where she talks about progressive overload, but also about her comments on having to be careful because of an injury, or Lumbar Fusion she had. She’s also been working out since her 50s so she looks great, but she encouraged me to not hit the weight-thing.

Work-out smart in other words, is the message I got from the video. I’ll start at the part I really appreciated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYzF-evHGwY&t=1168s

Oh yuck, I really don’t like her nutrition, I know, take what I need from videos and leave the rest, LOL!!

#62

Good luck! I am curious how your workout will go!

My muscle soreness is still here but smaller, I should be fine tomorrow, right? I am more motivated than almost ever now! I only took a smaller walk, it was hot, we were busy with other things and my injured feet is more aching than before. No cycling for me yet :frowning: But I can do my workout, that’s something. Cool weather comes tomorrow, yay! Rain too but I just tentatively believe anything at this point… Well, not at all but I think rain is quite likely in the near future. Even our big tall silver birches have sorry looking branches now :frowning: This drought is very, very serious.

Oh, nutrition… I can’t help getting curious sometimes but it’s so annoying to read articles sometimes… And IDK… You in other countries… You have this no-fat dairy BS all the time? I couldn’t even handle the existence of low-fat dairy some years ago but I read “no fat cottage cheese” and whatnot everywhere now. In foreign sites, I mean, we don’t do that here. Some too enthusiastic (probably in the wrong direction but maybe I should be more tolerant with different tastes :smiley: normally I am I guess but dairy must be proper if you ask me…) people talk about low-fat dairy but non-fat? I can’t even interpret that.
My readings are tolerant enough with low-carb as an option but full-fat dairy must be the work of Satan, at least one gets that idea…

#63

It’s not actually a thing, it a word/term invented by marketing. It refers to muscle definition, but in reality is simple losing bodyfat, and building muscle. “Toning” was a made up thing to convince people that it was some middle thing that can happen outside the other two.

(KM) #64

I always thought of it as strengthening / firming up the muscle you do have, as opposed to focusing on muscle building. It used to be touted as a thing for women, to assure us we weren’t going to bulk up like The Hulk if we got up off the couch on occasion.

#65

How in the hell did I miss this? Apologies @Goldengirl52! Apparently I’ve been more distracted the last 2 weeks than even I realized! (Suck time at work, mgmt changes etc).

How’s everything going? Still feeling the drive I hope!

I wouldn’t worry about the noise, it’s a gym! But don’t feel that you need to go to true failure either. When I started lifing in the 90’s we (thought) that lifting to failure was the only way to put it on (Thank’s Dorian!) but that’s very thoroughly debunked at this point, and most people don’t lift that way anymore. In the lifting world “failure” has more or less been re-defined to not mean true mechanical as it used to, but to when you can no longer complete a rep with proper form. Once you can’t perform it right, you’re done with that rep. Rest and if you have more you can try, or drop the weight and finish out your sets that way. As long as you’re muscles / brain get that signal that they’ve “failed” the signal to build is delivered. Failure training (mechanical failure) is now pretty much only used as a way to break through muscle gain plateaus and sometimes part of very specific training programs.

EASIEST way to gauge it, if you’re doing a set, regardless of the rep count (once you’re warmed up) if the last couple are really hard, and you can’t add more reps to that set because then you will physically fail, you’ve done what you need to do.

Also remember to periodize your programs. That’ll help stop plateaus from happening. ie: one week lift in the 12-15 rep range, next week the 8-10, next week the 5-8, next week 3-5. Each week you drop the weight can get heavier because you don’t have to do as much. Then when you come back to the high rep range, you’ll notice your weights will come up. You also don’t have to include all 4 ranges, it’s recommended because then you’re getting the best of both worlds, and doing both strength and hypertrophy training. I personally like the lower/heavier ones myself, but can’t always do that as my joints aren’t 25 anymore :disappointed: However, I’m really good at sleeping in MRI machines so when it comes to that, at least I get a nap out of the deal :rofl:

Just make sure you really prioritize your protein! Need it for health, need it to build muscle, need it for the recovery!

On the plus side, if you had any left over Insulin resistance issues, those will be gone soon enough, muscle is the best glucose sink there is!

(Bob M) #66

They really need to take a look at this, because unless you’re a young man with the proper genetics (and probably some PEDs), you’re not going to get anywhere near The Hulk (Lou Ferrigno).

#67

Exactly, that’s basically why that marketing ploy happened when women thought lifting would make them “bulky” Nobody had an issue with the burning fat part, but when “building muscle” got mentioned all hell broke lose, so “Toning” was born :grinning:

My father was a bodybuilder, I can remember him always telling my mother she should lift weights, and the responses to that, she was that yoga mat, head band, head to tow glow in the dark spandex 80’s stereotype, good ol’ 80’s! Lunatic kicked me in the face once as I came around a corner (TV show workouts). I still drop that one sometimes! I mean, it’s only 35yrs later, it’s still fair game :rofl:

(Denise) #68

This is exactly how I just ended up working out, just using the machines, and pulley types I like. I haven’t started using the Smith machine yet, but plan to use it as I really like it. I’m mixing up my workouts now with some “hikes”, and also, still like the routines I follow on youtube. Full-body types for just 20 minutes plus hand weights, dumbells if I’m at the gym :wink:

I doing a different type of exercise on my non-lifting days as we have a couple of classes I really like, like the water-aerobics just because they are fun and I’m noticing it sort helps my balance, especially when the water gets real wavy :wink:

Yesterday was probably my best workout so far, full-body weight-training, pushing and pulling, and felt longer than an hour but I was done in an hour. I’m doing 12 reps of each, 3 sets, just like I did for 3 years before I moved here. This time, I am pushing enough that my last two reps I’m grunting to make them. I’ll move up a notch when that get’s easy, optimistic aren’t I, so glad you came by @lfod14 PS I’ll look into trying the periodized workout! Also, I am already getting more energy after my workouts, and also can really feel the muscles have been working.

(KM) #69

Yeah. I don’t know that this Toning business is as much of a thing as it once was, I’d like to think we’ve gotten a lot more accepting of different body types and it’s not The Horror it once was to see a woman with muscles. And you’re right, it’s not a very common occurrence even if we want it!

#70

Isn’t that the same? Strengthening the muscle is training it, making it bigger and stronger… We have muscle, fat, skin, we can change these, toning is some meaningless girl word to me, never know what women talked about when mentioning it. Still don’t know. The word suggests something gets better but it’s either muscle gain or fat loss or skin tightening as there isn’t really any other way… As far as I know.
I like using the right words if possible… But I understand if it simply means something else, maybe it IS muscle gain just with another, girly word, IDK.

By the way, HOW on earth started women think that they will be anywhere really muscular? Or as muscular as the most muscular natural women without putting in the work? Weird fear.
And delusion when dieting women with lowish-cal and lowish protein and close to no exercise think maybe they don’t see a change on a sale because they suddenly gained 5kg muscle in a month… But these infos are so available, why don’t they research - or at the mentioned level, just use common sense? It is for the version where they fear they get too muscular, going beyond their goals. What, they fear they SUDDENLY get too muscular? Or they just train as always and the muscles just grow bigger and bigger without extra load?
Well people aren’t all smart and knowledgeable… I still can’t wrap my head around these common, obviously baseless beliefs…

(KM) #71

That question actually occurred to me when typing this. Can muscle cells get stronger, or is becoming a stronger person simply a matter of having more muscle cells?

#72

Good question, I’m interested to know the answer to this too!

#73

I feel very much not knowledgeable now… Oh and what happens to people who looks thin but have strength? Strength is an interesting thing. Eventually as one gets stronger, it must be visible but there are those construction workers who doesn’t seem strong but they are. What happens there? :thinking:

(Denise) #74

I’d really like to keep the topic on muscle “building” if we could do that? There’s so many places to put questions on different things, it was just my hope this would be on the specific topic, I would so appreciate it, Denise :grin::muscle:

And on that topic, I have gone back to my regular weight-training exercises, but plan to pay close attention to my reps and weights. This is to give me the best chance of building muscles to protect my bones, and strength. It wouldn’t be bad if I look a bit better in my skinny jeans either.

Keto has been wonderful for losing fat-stores, but I’m too thin, and I do think, unknowingly, I lost some lean muscle mass, but it’s already improving my strength to do weight-training more intentionally :wink: Thanks all, have a great day!

(Denise) #75

Hows it going for all of you that are working out? I haven’t read every post, so apologies if I missed anyone’s. I feel so spoiled to have so many opportunities at my new gym. I love this sort of “freestyle” workout I saw a video of, but also, a gal at the gym doing it. We have a ton of space, with nice large mats to do something like these types on, and I plan to try it again. This one I’ll post was done a little different with the arms, but you get the idea, and also, great for my balance!!

Hope this comes out on the right section, Rear Lunges is where I want it to be :wink:
Rear Lunges

#76

I am solar powered (my energy and my mood, both partially but it’s a big part), my sleep isn’t the best either (but it will be better now, it was total awful in hot weather) and we have cold rainy/gloomy days so I can’t try even remotely hard sometimes (it’s not my style anyway unless it gives me the most joy. I am excited lately so if I feel fine, I can push myself a bit)… But I did what I could. Yesterday was only a half workout (upper body) and today I can’t do anything besides cooking… I need my sunshine.
My workouts went well this week and I plan to raise my weight next week! For back, biceps and I need to do something with my triceps exercise as it’s either too easy or feels unsafe, I have just googled, it seems I do the overhead dumbbells triceps extension. If I really tire out my muscles, it’s hard to put down the weight… Maybe I should go back to my one arm version where the weight is much smaller…
Monday is my next workout day, I try to do my full body workout (minus legs, of course, I don’t do legs yet) but I don’t know if that ever happened in my life. This week I needed Monday and Tuesday for it and 5 hours in total. I do it while cooking :smiley: though I realized I should start way earlier. I still get distracted but it wasn’t so much this week and even my resting periods got smaller! Still not where I want to be but it will get better and better if I keep my passion.

(Denise) #77

Yes, I can only work-out some days, I’ve had a good run this time but one day at a time. You’re doing great, trying is everything for me. I’ve noticed once I do one, single exercise, I just want to do another, and another.

I spent 1 hour on just upper body as I realize if I can go again the next day, it is an excellent way to get me out of myself. I met 3 more people today, and it’s just nice to get to know names/or just faces at least, and be known too. I live alone, no family, so this is it for me besides my humongous church where I haven’t met near as many people.

I think today was the best upper body since I started at the gym, and I found a new way to do the triceps you mentioned @Shinita. You can sit or stand, I like to stand, a pull straight-armed from about shoulder level, down to my sides. That one I really felt in my triceps. You can do one at arm at a time, or both.

I was puffin pretty hard on every machine/pulley, and I didn’t go on to any free-weights today, I knew when I needed to give it a rest :wink:

(Bob M) #78

This might help to answer this question, but I’m not sure it provides a totally adequate description:

#79

Was the bone loss confirmed with a DEXA scan? If so, re-test after 4 months and see the improvements. Weight-lifting and loan-bearing exercises can help with this big time. It’s never too late to start. My neighbor started going to the gym 4x per week with his grandson. He started at 76. Yesterday, he turned 80 and spent the morning chopping wood.

#80

My workout went well :slight_smile: I did my full body workout (minus legs though I did some squats. I can do 9 empty now :stuck_out_tongue: hey, it was 3 empty the day before :smiley: my record - I only tried once and it was the most weight I could get - was 10-12 reps with 28kg. I can do a similar number empty, it’s harder with weights but not worse. I don’t like squats but I surely can get used to them a bit).

Chest press. This time I had some help (and I can put down the barbell by myself, it’s just uncomfortable) and finally, after such a long time, I used my normal weight again. 21.5kg. I am a beginner at chess press for reasons but now I restart and hopefully won’t stop. I think my very last weight was 22.5kg and I barely could do 12 with 21.5. And now 12 was EASY.

Finally, I can raise the weight for my shoulder exercise too.
As I postponed raising the weights for some of my other exercises, next time I will raise the weight for multiple ones. Biceps, shoulder, chest… Back should be the next!

It’s strange that I don’t sleep so well, I feel not ready for a proper workout but I do it now… And it goes surprisingly well, even better than ever for some exercises… Yeah, my brain, mood and muscles are different things. And my new-found motivation helps me to actually do the workout and wanting to do it well. Just a few seconds of effort at a time, why would I give it up early?