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Old 07-12-2007, 10:48 PM   #1  
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I often come over to read the Maintainers threads because I want to know what it is like..and imagine myself at this point eventually. One thing most of you guys have in common is weight training. What exactly is considered weight training? When should I start doing it? How do I get started? Can I do it at home?

Just curious!
Mary
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:45 AM   #2  
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That'd be lifting weights, either on machines or with free weights. You can do it at home, in a way, if you have a little equipment (dumbbells...) or simply with basic 'tools' such as lifting filled water bottles. But while this is good at the starting level, when muscles are just strong enough to help you carry your weight and perform regular moves, I'm afraid it will then demand more specific equipment, because you'll need to lift heavy for it to be really efficient. So that'd involve either buying a specific bench with adequate equipment, or going to the gym if you can. (Personally, living in a 20m² apartment, going to the campus gym is a better solution for me than piling up plates at home. )
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:48 AM   #3  
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Hi Sock and welcome to Maintainers!

You're talking about a subject near and dear to my heart. I give weight training a ton of credit for me losing the weight, keeping it off, AND fitting into little clothes! And I discovered lots of unexpected benefits, like mental toughness, perserverance, and being strong, which is one of the coolest feelings in the world.

First things first - what is weight training? Weight training = weightlifting = strength training = resistance training = toning. They're all the same thing = building muscle. We build muscle by stressing the muscle, using weight. The weight can be a dumbbell, barbell, resistance band, machine at the gym, ordinary objects at home, or even body weight.

When should you start? How about yesterday? I consider weights to be a key piece of the weight loss puzzle (the other two pieces being nutrition and cardio exercise). If you lose weight through diet alone, studies show that up to 40% of the weight you lose will be muscle, not fat. That's a bad thing because muscle is what burns calories in your body. The less muscle mass you have, the slower your metabolism is and you're forced to eat less in order to lose and maintain your weight. So it's imperative to sustain and build your muscle mass with weightlifting while you're losing weight to keep your metabolism running as high as possible.

Also, muscle takes up much less room than fat:



You can see how five pounds of muscle is about 1/3 of the size of five pounds of fat. So the more muscle you have on your body, the smaller you are. And muscle is firm and tight, as opposed to squishy, flabby fat.

How to start? I started in a gym, but there are plenty of 3FC members who work out at home. There are also weightlifting DVDs, but I'm clueless about them -- you could check in the Fitness Videos forum for recommendations. There are stickys in the Ladies Who Lift forum about getting started with weights -- I especially recommend Krista's site -- there's a whole "getting started" section.

At the risk of boring you to tears, I want to copy something I wrote about weights that was lost in the Great Server Crash of a few years ago. I had posted this during the weeks that disappeared forever back in 2004-2005 (I think that's when it was?) but saved it as a Word document on my computer because -- well, because it's from my heart.

Happy lifting!

Why I Love Weights

I know that this is going to sound really weird coming from a 49-year old woman, but my magic pill is weightlifting. OK, pick yourself off from the floor and stop laughing and I’ll explain what I mean.

My story is down in the Maintainers Forum and I won’t rehash most of it. When I walked into a gym for the first time in my life at age 46 and 257 pounds, I was beaten down by all my years of failing at weight loss. I never gave up trying but each failure was killing my spirit a little further. Realizing that I was beyond clueless at what to do in the gym, I was fortunate enough to meet a personal trainer who taught me everything that I know today about nutrition, cardio, and lifting weights. But the true gift that he gave me — by teaching me how to lift weights — was the knowledge that I had the strength within me to succeed at weight loss.

What’s the connection between lifting weights and losing weight (besides building muscle)? See, I always thought that I was a wimp — that I was physically and psychologically weak and weak-willed (after all, I was fat, wasn’t I?) Weightlifting showed me that I was physically strong (when you’ve been obese for most of your life, you build some strong bones and muscles by just hauling yourself around!) As I kept working in the gym, it was so cool to have baby muscles start sprouting under all the fat — I’d lie in bed at night and feel at these strange changes in my body (and it was fun to discover bones too — ribs! collarbones! hipbones!). And it’s a cliché, I know, but being strong is a very empowering feeling.

But far more important than the physical changes, weightlifting showed me that I was mentally tough and could persevere. That I could pick a goal and achieve it. That I could push myself far, far harder than I ever had imagined. That I was capable of so much more than I thought. That I could push through discomfort and even pain and end up floating high as a kite on the other side. It’s hard to put the feeling into words but it’s the best feeling in the world. And I’ll bet any of you who lift weights know exactly what I mean.

I guess the bottom line is that I learned that the power to change my life lies within me. I had the strength to do what it took to lose the weight all along, though I didn’t realize it. Most of weight loss is head stuff, not the nuts and bolts of what to eat etc. You have to believe that you can do it — that you're the one making the decisions and choices. Weightlifting has shown me that I don’t have to take the easy road that most of the world does — it’s so much more rewarding to be physically and mentally strong.
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Old 07-13-2007, 12:45 PM   #4  
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Meg - you've got to gather up all your marvelous posts and turn them into a book, go on a national tour, and make a ton of money from your 'life's work'!
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Old 07-13-2007, 12:47 PM   #5  
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Ha! Only if you'll do the art design, cover, and layout for me.
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Old 07-13-2007, 02:32 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Meg View Post
Ha! Only if you'll do the art design, cover, and layout for me.
Hey I could do that for you!

Thanks for the wonderful tips, and motivation. Your weight loss story is so inspiring to me.

I worry about getting too muscley (is that a word? ) though.. Will weight training to be toned be as beneficial as training for well defined rock hard muscles?
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Old 07-13-2007, 02:35 PM   #7  
I have less blubber!
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Originally Posted by Kery View Post
That'd be lifting weights, either on machines or with free weights. You can do it at home, in a way, if you have a little equipment (dumbbells...) or simply with basic 'tools' such as lifting filled water bottles. But while this is good at the starting level, when muscles are just strong enough to help you carry your weight and perform regular moves, I'm afraid it will then demand more specific equipment, because you'll need to lift heavy for it to be really efficient. So that'd involve either buying a specific bench with adequate equipment, or going to the gym if you can. (Personally, living in a 20m² apartment, going to the campus gym is a better solution for me than piling up plates at home. )
We have a nice campus gym but all of the weight equipment is in one room, and there are always these bulked up guys or totally hot girls working out on it..I am just too intimidated right now. I only do my cardio there because there is a track upstairs, with a little cardio section nobody knows about..and the best ellipticals are up there hehe.
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Old 07-13-2007, 02:51 PM   #8  
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Meg - that's a deal! Get writing.
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Old 07-13-2007, 03:08 PM   #9  
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Quote:
I worry about getting too muscley (is that a word? ) though.. Will weight training to be toned be as beneficial as training for well defined rock hard muscles?
sockmonkey -- I wouldn't worry about "bulking up" too much. It's a big myth that weightlifting bulks women up. First and foremost, you're not a guy and they have more testosterone which helps them build muscle much better than us.

Second, the people who build a lot of muscle really have to work at it, both in how they lift AND how and when they eat! You won't just stumble into a weightlifter's diet!

I've also found amazing benefits from weight lifting! I'm stronger, look better, fit into smaller clothes, burn more calories... it's all good!!!!
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Old 07-13-2007, 03:12 PM   #10  
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I agree with Heather (of course! ) Weightlifting will give you sleek, firm muscles. Nothing at all like rock-hard, guy muscles. You'll get rid of the jiggles and flub, and end up with feminine curves. I love the look of pretty, shapely, toned arms on a woman and that comes from weights.
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Old 07-13-2007, 03:57 PM   #11  
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I've recently started a (loooong) series of workouts that you can do almost exclusively at home, though some of them require gym machines. Most of THOSE are able to be replaced by other at-home exercises or make-shift improvised materials at home - at least until you're completely slim and fit and wanting to focus on very specific muscles. By then, you'll be happy to go to the gym to show off!

And when I say "looong," I mean that the creator suggests you change your routine every 4 weeks or so to keep your body from adapting to the routine, and to make sure you work every part of your body. To that effect, he includes a LOT of routines. And let me tell you, even doing the most basic of basic bodyweight circuits in this program, it really kicks my butt! Even if you're already stronger and leaner than I am (most of you are) there are literally dozens of higher-intensity workouts he's designed, up to body-builder fitness levels.

Unfortunately, the program does cost money and the website looks a little gimicky, so I'm not certain if I should mention it here. I will say it's nothing you couldn't put together on your own, for free, but the creator not only saves you the (days, weeks, months of) time of researching, but has years of experience putting together just the right exercises to "get it done" without a gym.

Lemme know if you're curious and I can PM you the link, or post it here if the mods are a-OK with it. In my opinion, this particular workout program has no downsides, but obviously it's important for you to decide if it's for you.
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:27 PM   #12  
I have less blubber!
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For now I will probably just have to suck up my pride and goto the free gym membership being a student affords me. Who cares if the hotties laugh at the fat girl
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:37 PM   #13  
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Sock, sweetie, please go! I really understand how you feel because I've been there too. One of the hardest things I've ever done is walk into the gym when I was 257 pounds. I came so close to running out the door!

But everyone there was always kind and supportive. I was terribly self-conscious, of course, but no one ever said anything rude to me. Honestly, the people in the gym were my biggest supporters while I was losing weight because they saw how hard I was working and they respect anyone who works toward a goal.

Go and come back and tell us about it! And remember ... one of those "hotties" may have been a fat chick herself not long ago -- you never know. So give them a chance.
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Old 07-13-2007, 04:54 PM   #14  
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Meg is right! Go into the weight training area and start lifting some weights. You might be the only overweight person in there, but at least you're an overweight person who's trying to improve her body. You never know--you might find the other people helpful and friendly, especially after they start seeing you in there several days a week.
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Old 07-13-2007, 05:15 PM   #15  
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Go Mary Go ! It's Free !
You can do this.There are people who will answer your questions here. You can read pages and pages of back posts to get an answers. You might even hook up with someone who will help you at the gym !
Don't be shy about it- it's your chance.You are at a point where you can do this- your down low enough that some of this will be easier to do than you think.It's hard work- but if you have a chance to get to the gym go !
Beats sweating with the oldies and Richard Simmons !
It can and will change your life !
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