Oh Nelie. That is so sad. That kitty is so lucky you happened to come along. Who knows how long it would have been there if you had not stopped. You get many points for going into the gym on top of that experience. It would have been too much for me. Triaging kittens in the middle of the road and then walking into a gym for the first time in over a year. Enough for one day ~whew~
Nelie - You should be proud of yourself for stopping and doing what you could for the kitty and also for continuing on to the gym.
I think I've got the blues or something. Maybe it's a bit of a post vacation thing or maybe it's the winter but I've just been eating so much the past few days. How is it that I managed to make it through the Bahamas without too much damage and then I come home and can't stop eating? I haven't done this in a while but I'm just sick of myself. Blech. I think (maybe) if I stay off the scale, I can reverse the damage soon enough but sometimes I get on the scale anyway and then I get sooo upset.
I guess I'll just chalk it up to a bad week and know that I have lots of good, healthy groceries in the house. Hopefully I can refocus for tomorrow (even with the work breakfast that I know awaits me).
That very sad Nelie: I can understand why you're so upset about it! OTOH, it is heartening that so many people were willing to stop and help a wounded kitten. That restores some of my faith in humanity.
I've decided that I'm not allowed to complain about my post-quitting weight gain until I actually give myself a giant kick in the butt and get my eating back under control. I shall be completely silent on the subject until then.
Elisa, back b4kids when I used to take those kinds of vacations, coming back to the cold was very depressing for me as well. I found the only way I could tolerate it was to immediately go and book my next tropical vacation - even if it was a year out, as soon as I got back. Then I had a new brochure to look at to get me thru til spring. It worked!!
Cherries. Rats, forgot to mention. Allergic to them too.
Good work on the kitten AND on continuing to the gym.
I can relate to hugging your cats when you came home, but I do not see why they should keep you from going to the gym ? They are inside the house I would think ?
Hi to all the other LWL.
I did NRWL 1B, 4th week this morning. Full deadlifts are much harder than stifflegged deadlifts I have discovered. And DB overhead press appears also much harder than BB overhead press. In the last year I have done BB exercises much more than DB exercises because i found them easier on the arms. Now i wonder, could that be because with DBs you use the arms more??
It is kind of who I spend my time with and I am such a kitty/puppy mama that it is hard to be away from my babies.
Although, I'm exhausted from a sleepless night last night. I'm rethinking the gym. I can't tell you how nice it was to do assisted pullups and work on various machines. I also discovered I'm stronger doing a closed grip pullup, palms facing me than a wide grip pullup. The gym is nice and one nice thing is they have a sign that says "no cell phones on the gym floor". They have tons of classes along with a pool. It does cost more money that I would ever think of paying for a gym but then again if I use it, it is probably well worth the money. I don't know, I'm conflicted. My other option is checking out the even more expensive gym that is also close to my home but I imagine that place is much more of a meat market.
I did NRWL 1B, 4th week this morning. Full deadlifts are much harder than stifflegged deadlifts I have discovered. And DB overhead press appears also much harder than BB overhead press. In the last year I have done BB exercises much more than DB exercises because i found them easier on the arms. Now i wonder, could that be because with DBs you use the arms more??
You are using all of the stabilizing muscles more with the dumbells. The two hands on the barbell give a much wider base of support so it requires less stabilization especially for anti-rotation. So, it should be harder. For most people, on exercises where the BB and DB variations use the exact same motion and place the loads in similar areas, such as overhead press and bench press, your DB RM will be about 80-85% of your BB RM.
Now, if you are feeling it's harder because you are failing on one side earlier than the other and failing overall before you normally would with a BB even with the % adjustment taken into account, then you have an imbalance which the dumbell work will help to alleviate as long as you remember to base your loads and total work performed on what you can do on your weaker side. The BB allows the strong side to compensate for the weaker side and sometimes, it compensates so well that you don't notice it until you do some unilateral work.
Oh and I do have something else to report. The TSA does consider a 15 lb kettlebell a weapon DH wanted to take a kettlebell on his trip but didn't want to take too heavy of one. He tried to take it on a carryon but they stopped him at security and told him he'd need to check it because it is a potential weapon.
Hello everyone! I wanted to introduce myself. I hope to be a regular to this forum. I will be 41 years old in a little more than a week. And I have been on a calorie counting, 25-30% fat, low sodium, eat close(r) to the ground diet for two months tomorrow. I feel fantastic! I have always been very strong. Even as an old fatty, I put my 20 year old employees to shame when we have to move around 150 lb espresso machine (I own an espresso catering business. No I dont move these beasts on my own - I love my back ) But even when I was a skinny minny, I never had the definition I wanted. But the idea of weight lifting for woman was just not something women did. I have been intrigued lately but after reading some books sharonrr1 recommended I am on fire for free weight lifting. We are hoping to buy a weight set off craigslist this week. I am also planning on seeing a personal trainer at our local Park & Rec center.
My whole family has been behind me 100%. My DH is completely following the diet to try to reduce his cholesteral, lose weight (man he loses so much faster than me) and get off his meds. My 10 year old is very interested in weight training. I was a bit leary, especially because, like weight training for women, weight resistance for children was also discouraged in my day. But my DH, who is in nursing school said there is significant evidence that weight resistance helps build stronger bones (no barbells, bodybuilding or strenuous stuff - all supervised).
It does make sense to me. A driver took a left in front of me while driving a motorcycle when I was in my 20's. (Yes I was fearless back then! But that accident and natural childbirth has given me a strong dose of aversion to pain now!) My left arm was very banged up and required surgery. The doctor told me later that he had doubts he could fix my arm, but when he opened me up he found large, strong bones!! With what my DH says about weight resistance and bone mass it makes sense. I grew up on a horse ranch and stacked tons and tons of hay as well as shoveled more s*** than I want to think about. hehe. We are now urbanites and our son does not get the kind of weight resistance we did as kids (My DH grew up in rural Ireland and used to pick stones out of the fields for farmers. From what he tells me I will take shoveling manure over picking stones any day!) I have some resources like http://www.strongkid.com but I am always open to advice.
I am so very excited to be trying weight training. I am even more thrilled to be finally be doing something for me! And, to my overwhelming joy, my family is cheering and joining right in! I look forward to getting to know everyone better! I have been on 3FC for a little over a month (I lurked for awhile) and I just love this place. What wonderful information and support! ~ Gretchen
Personally, I think a 10 year old belongs more on the playground than in the weight room and the best investment in weight training for a 10 year old is a good jungle gym where he can various pullups, dips, climbs, etc. Try googling and searching YouTube for "Playground Workout" you should get plenty of ideas. I sincerely believe it is better for kids (and actually most adults too) to learn to handle their own body weight before loading them up with external resistance. Not because I believe weight training will stunt their growth (it won't) but because I think it is best to build up a solid foundation first and bodyweight stuff is the way to do that IMHO.
That said, if he is really excited about being able to do something with mom and dad and really wants to train with you, then if he is given a program specifically tailored to his young, growing, body, then he should be fine. I think you need to have someone who is certified to do so, come up with a program for him. Many YMCAs have programs to teach Kids proper resistance training (not sure what age they start at though). Perhaps your local rep center has similar programs with qualified personnel.
There are some comments on weights and kids attached to this video.
I would basically second what Depalma said. I'm not a mother, I have no clue about how to be a mother etc but I do have some concerns about kids and weight lifting. Obviously it is good for kids to get exercise but as kids are growing, I think weight lifting should not be anything remotely rigorous.
As for women, go for a good rigorous workout
It does look like you are doing your homework about such things so at least you are aware of some of the concerns with children and weight lifting.
Welcome Mama Louie! Glad to have you join us It sounds like a perfect situation with your entire family in this together. Yep, men lose faster and build muscle faster, so don't get caught in the comparison trap. If It's any consolation, women tend to have better endurance!
There are all sorts of great bodyweight and plyometric exercises your son can do. Do you have anywhere you can securely attach ropes to a high beam in a basement or garage? rope climbing, doing low pull ups with his feet against a wall and holding a rope in each hand are fun exercises for kids. There a loads of ways to train other than heavy weights.
Glad you found us!
Elisa- My sympathies...I hope you get over the post-vacation blues soon.
I had one of those goofy , just before you wake up type dreams this morning that I was fighting off a crowd of people in my family room all trying to do their workout on MY elliptical this morning No one there when I got downstairs
Nelie, as I finished reading CHarlotte's Web to my kids last night, I was reminded that one of CHarlotte's grandchildren was named Nellie. Is that related to your name? I know it's not your real name - just to assure others here I wouldn't ask if your mother named you after a spider! But it's a cute story and perhaps you named yourself after one!
That kitty is so lucky you happened to come along. Who knows how long it would have been there if you had not stopped. You get many points for going into the gym on top of that experience. It would have been too much for me. Triaging kittens in the middle of the road and then walking into a gym for the first time in over a year. Enough for one day ~whew~
DH wanted to take a kettlebell on his trip but didn't want to take too heavy of one. He tried to take it on a carryon but they stopped him at security and told him he'd need to check it because it is a potential weapon.
No one there when I got downstairs 
