[Mel]

Hi Qadira Welcome to LWL! I'm glad you found us and BFL It sounds like you are doing great and it is the right plan for you at the right time. Amazing how sometimes things just click, even when we've known all the components all along, just haven't been able to put it all together previously. Congratulations for the first 5 weeks Are you doing a "by the book" challenge?

Pat-Good for you for showing up I think some of my best workouts started with a bad attitude and just "showing up". Somehow the gym environment always changes that.

Either I need a gym break, or I've had really great workouts this week (with arms still to do tomorrow)! Every inch of me is sore My chest is sore to the touch from "fun with bench pressing", my abs are screaming because we've been inventing new ab tortures at the gym in a spirit of sadistically competitive fitness (try hanging in the "up" position on a pull-up bar and bring your knees up to your elbows for a variation on a hanging crunch ), my back is remembering muscles it used to have from doing real unassisted pull-ups for the first time in 8 months, and my arms are already sore from all the chest and back exercises. Oh good- tomorrow is arm day

On the relationship between weight and strength: For true powerlifters, bodyweight really does matter. That's why when you watch Olympic lifting, the athletes are not ripped, lean bodybuilders, but kind of hefty. They train completely differently, doing sets of usually 4-6 reps MAX and resting 2-3 minutes between sets. That's what I'm trying to force myself to do now, but only on bench presses and certain tricep exercises. It's really boring, and doesn't do anything for leaning you out. Powerlifters do not do cardio.
On the other hand, a workout designed to build muscle (hypertrophy) and strength keeps reps in the 8-15 range, using either a pyramid scheme (like BFL), even weight sets, drop sets or combinations. That's how most bodybuilders train. That's how I've been training continuously for the last 4 years, and on and off for about 25. You will get strong training that way. Currently I weigh 127 pounds and here are the weights that I currently use on my "heavy" set of 8-10 reps:
Curls: 25 pound dumbbells (I got hurt using 30's)
Flat Back Deadlifts: 185 lbs (including the bar)
Squats: 225 (including the bar) I used to squat heavier, but am babying my knee.
Bench Press: 115 ( I really want to get that up to at least my body weight!)
Unassisted pull-ups: I can do 8 nice ones before they get really ugly.
Pushups: Never just done pushups to failure, but I've done 50 continuously.

I'm not trying to brag here. If Luv2Lift or Nelie were still posting, they'd probably blow me away. So might Karen or Meg. My point is that what makes you strong is consistent training. Yes, I lost a little muscle when I lost bodyweight. It's really hard not to, but I'm still VERY strong for a 127 pound 50 year old woman. Which is why we are all on this forum and in the gym: we don't want to lose muscle when we lose weight!

If you are still reading, Happy New Year!

Mel

[4rabbit]

Hi Mel, & the other LWL,

Wow, I get very encouraged by reading your post. I am 46, just started with the whole fitness thing about 6 months ago and restarted 3 months ago after the summer holidays. Basically I started working out to release endorphines so my burnout and depression would get better without medicines of which I am sort of scared.
Then when I noticed this really worked I wanted to get the 26 pound off that I gained during the last 10 years of getting 2 children, with a demanding desk type job, burnout gain of 6 pounds etc. So far I have lost the 6 pounds, and I want to loose the next 6 pounds inn the first 3 months of 2005.
Unfortunately I have injured my elbow ligaments (?), so I have to be very carefull in lifting. I used to think that I was too old to get well, but just reading here really lifts my spirits and you are really an example to me that I am not too old and that it is possible to look great, be strong and work out.

[artmaker]

4rabbit, you can never be too old. I'm 62, and just getting consistent with my lifting, fighting a bad back and knee, and various age-related aches and pains....and lifting/cardio is making all the difference. I am finding even my back and knee are doing better as I build up strength in the surrounding muscles.

Qadira, welcome to the thread! Glad you are joining us.

Question for everyone....what are your 2005 goals? Do you have any? Are you going to make any?

Mine are to continue lifting/cardio, slow and steady, and get my weight under control. To eat healthy. to nurture my family, family relationships, and the friendships that are really important. To take each day one at a time, and to be mindful to life. To realize how lucky I am to have choices.

A very happy new year to you all!!!!

[Qadira]

Hi everyone and thanks for the welcome. It's great to be here!

I added cardio on a weight day today and feel great! We have hills around here so I get a great power walk almost every morning.

My 2005 goals are to continue with BFL and tweak it as necessary, upping the cardio to continue to lose weight in a healthy way and become stronger and healthier as the year goes by.

artmaker, I want to steal your goals because they sound really great!

Mel, you're an inspiration! Something to shoot for, for sure! Oh, to do a single pull-up! Maybe that can be my goal for 2005! To do a pull-up!

[srmb60]

Goals? ... hmmm. My arms just need to get stronger. A dip or two would be nice. I want my stomach to look flat no matter what day it is nor what I'm wearing. And I'd like to turn two more people on to resistance training. A 25 lb curl ... hmmm.

[Qadira]

Originally Posted by SusanB

And I'd like to turn two more people on to resistance training.

I'm all ears!

[srmb60]

Qadira? I think you're well on your way already! But if you ever need any prodding, come on back here. We'll give you a boost


Hey, I'm 44! What's old? I once knew a 92 y o who cut her own lawn.

[Ilene]

Hello Gang Just a quick hello to all and the newbie Qadira "WE LUVS NEWBIES HERE!!" ...

My 2005 goal would be to run a 10K in less than an hour, either in a race or on my own... To join the gym's running group, who keep asking me to join them, I feel intimidated by them, I have no idea why ... I just want to put my stoopid insecurity asside and "do it" ... Keep working out, of course, and eating healthy and posting here ...

Gotta go, expecting a couple of friends in a few minutes... Oh, and BTW I'm almost 48! So we're a bunch of pretty healthy older wimin folk aren't we??

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! TTFN

[LKTS]

Hi all,
Just a quick message to say welcome to Qadira and happy new year to everyone. I'm still on vacation until tomorrow, checking my messages @ a cybercafe I have no idea how the scale will turn out, probably not so great, but tomorrow's another year. See y'all in 2005.

[mette]

Welcome Qadira and 4rabbit!

Mel, thank you for your explanation around weight and strength – and on the difference between building strength (powerlifting) and building muscle & strength.
I’m so impressed with your stats – and you truly are an inspiration – seeing how strong you are: it makes me want to become that strong too! So thanks for posting it!

artmaker – writing down weightlifting goals for 2005 is a great idea. I do have goals for 2005, and I think I’ll even put them in my signature so that I can see them every day!
Just like Qadira, I’m adding that I want to do a single pull-up too!

My 2005 Weightlifting Goals are:
1) Lift weights 3 times every week in 2005
2) Squat my body weight
3) Do one perfect unassisted pull-up

As for the last week of 2004, I did: 110lbs at squats, 75lbs at bench press, 25lbs dumbbells at biceps curls, and nowhere close to an unassisted pull-up.
I want to bench press my body weight too – but I think that will be a goal for 2006!

Wish you all a happy and strong 2005!

[srmb60]

Good morning '05 everyone!

I'm not understanding the pull-up thing. How low do you have to start? How high do you have to go? Maybe I'll go visit Krista.

Mornin' Ilene. Intimidation must be a relative thing. I'm intimidated by folks who run at all

[srmb60]

I have another question, it's about Beth Horns. What's the backward motion? Shoulder blades together?

I researched pull-ups yesterday. I had my husband hang me up there and he was going to count. I read that you start with 30 seconds then lower and begin again. No 30 seconds here. Maybe 2 ... Guess I'll have to work on that.

On a happier note ... I can do 3 'real' push ups! I live with men who can do several with ease. They giggle while I do knees ones. So I tried, and was very happy with my three.

[4rabbit]

Hi ,

Just checking in as a part of my new years resolution. I'm not lifting this week because of the tennis elbow, but I want to increase the cardio to get rid of the 1 pound I gained at christmas & new year.

I did 15 mins of rowing, 40 mins stationary bike & 5 mins stretching and jogging in place.
Maybe I can up the jogging in place a bit to get some more endurance and gradually get into running.

God luck to all the LWL with the new years resolutions,

4rabbit