[Vilandra485]

Hi Ladies - I was thinking of doing the exercises in the BFL For Women book...what results should I expect? I know everyone is different, but I'm just looking to hear what other people have lost - in inches and pounds - to compare. I'm assuming it might take me longer to see size loss and such since I've got so much extra body weight - I'm 335lbs - but I need to start toning. Do any of you reccommend BFL For Women for someone over 300lbs?? When did *you* first see results (on any strength training regime)? Is there alot of inch loss with strength training? ...I've done it before, but never stuck with it to see a nice change. At the moment I've just started adding upperbody strength moves to my walking (20-60 minutes 3-5 days a week of walking on average). The moves I'm doing are: shoulder presses, bicep curls, alternating shoulder raises, tricep extensions, crunches on an exercise ball, and chest flys - little 3lb weights - 2 sets of 10 reps each. What changes should I make to that *before* I get the BFL book? Also, I'm a calorie counter and will be sticking with that for my food intake. TIA!

Melissa

[nelie]

Melissa,
I'm glad you are looking into BFL. I've read both books BFL and BFL for women. I think they are both excellent. The original BFL has a much structured lay out on exercising and eating and why. Protein is key when rebuilding muscle BFL women is good and is definitely geared toward women. It provides general guidelines like get some exercise in every day. You might want to check them out at a library before buying if you aren't sure about them.

I do highly highly recommend the original BFL for a structured exercise and eating plan but I recommend BFL for women for motivational factors.

I know we talked before but I don't think I told you the fact that I lost around 50 lbs in a couple months with only doing weight lifting as my exercise. I didn't do any cardio and I could barely walk at the time (busted knee). At that time, I really wish I had been using BFL but I wasn't. Everyone is different though so results may vary I am heavily biased towards weight training.

You do need heavier weights though, 3 lb dumbbells aren't sufficient to work your muscles. What makes weight training so effective is that it makes tiny tears in your muscle fibers, then rebuilds them stronger and more hungry (higher metabolism). The more weight you can use correctly to work the muscle to muscle failure, the more muscle fibers that will tear. Also different muscles need different weights. Your chest and back muscles are much stronger than your biceps, triceps and shoulders.

Anyway, I'm glad you are looking into it. Building muscle will help you raise your metabolism and thus burn more fat.

[sportmom]

Melissa, I'm doing BFL for women and am using 5, 8, and 10 lb weights. You'll find in their advice, they want you to do 3 sets and start out with low weight hi reps and move to the highest weight and lowest reps in your 3rd set. So for example, my bicep exercise would be 15 reps on 5 lbs, 12 reps on 8 lbs, and 10 reps on 10 lbs. There is something unique to doing it this way that gets optimum results. You probably will also need to buy a 15 or 20 lbs weight because you will soon see that 10 lb on biceps is too easy and 5 lb as your low weight becomes a feather after about a week!

Also, the big deal is HIIT aerobic exercise. Not doing a steady workout for x minutes, but alternating between high and low. Maybe walk stead for 10 minutes and then 5 minutes of break a sweat power walking, then back to 10 mins brisk, another 5 power, etc. They say this is more effective than walking for 30 minutes every nite the normal way.

What will you see and how fast? Well, I can guarantee you won't see muscle shape. The ladies here will tell you that won't happen until you've achieved significant body fat loss with very clean eating, so that shouldn't be your goal. What you will see very quickly, is a rapidly loosening waist band which feels amazing! Moreover, you will "feel" more than you see. It will feel dramatically easier to get up out of a chair or the couch or your car, when you've been working on your quads (front of thighs). Stairs will become not as annoying to you , stuff like that.

The stuff you are doing now with biceps and shoulders is great. But the real work comes in working the large muscles of your thighs, legs, and bottom. Those are the super muscles in our bodies and do the most for us. Walking alone doesn't work them enough. In fact, in the BFL book, you should likely start with no weights to do plies and squats. For people over 200 starting out, our body weight is quite often good enough resistance for us.

Good luck & welcome to BFL!

[Vilandra485]

Wow - there are alot of "rules" for exercise in BFL...I think (considering I'm on my own for exercise) I'm going to "tweak" the BFL for women exercises....all I'm looking for is inch/weight loss...not defined muscles. I will try the changing weights though, but I might keep to my 2 sets only...or do 3 mini-sets....right now I have 3, 5.5, and 8lb weights...maybe I can start small and use those for my 3 different weights. Every other time I did cardio with weights I felt the weights were too much on top of cardio, and I stopped...so even though I won't be doing it "right" I don't want to comprimise falling off the exercise wagon just to get more tone...I want a small amount of both in my plan. What does everyone think of me: upping my weights, and adding non-weighted lower body moves? Would that help?
I just don't want to get overwhelmed with it again. I cannot give up my walking to do double strength training...my walking has helped so much.

Melissa

P.S. I just walked to the library and signed out BFL For Women.

[WaterRat]

Melissa, you're off to a good start! I think you can easily start with the weights you have - but really, in a week or two you'll want bigger ones. Wal-Mart has them reasonably priced, or if you have a Play-It-Again sports store you can get used ones. Think of the fact that you're building little engines - muscles are more metabolically active than other tissues - and will aid in your weight loss. Believe me you'll not bulk up, it takes testosterone to do that. But you will look good, those muscles will be waiting under the fat.

I agree you don't want to get overwhelmed. You didn't say how often you were walking, and I can't remember how often BFL says you should do cardio. You might consider 2-3 days of strength training, then walking like 5 days and doing HIIT cardio the other 2. (This is assuming you're walking every day now.) But whatever you decide, any amount you "kick up" your exercise is good! And welcome to LWL!