[MrsJim]

Forgiven - are you on your first Challenge? If so - go by the book 'cos that's pretty much what Pam did.

The following is from her document on the L&S Training Library (BTW the whole document is worth a peek):

Cardio
For the first 3 challenges I followed the Body for Life program to the letter except I bumped up my cardio to 30 minutes per session after a few weeks. I still made sure I hit the 9's and 10's every workout (that is SO important). I used the recumbent bike for the first 6 months and then added the treadmill and elliptical trainer to my workouts. As I got in better shape and needed more challenging cardio, I started using the stepmill (where the stair rotate like an escalator). It wasn’t until my fourth challenge when I was preparing for a bodybuilding contest that I started doing cardio 6 days per week. I found that when I was doing cardio 6 days per week, it became MUCH harder to stick to the nutrition plan.

Weight Training
I work out at World Gym. They have a great selection of free weights and cables there. I try to stick to the basics. I push myself extremely hard. If my muscles aren't sore the next day, then I feel like I didn't work hard enough. I literally take my muscle to “muscle failure” where I physically cannot do another rep. I visualize Bill Phillips or one of my buddies from LEANandSTRONG standing there daring me to do another rep. I visualize them holding $1000. They tell me they will give it to me if I do another rep. If I still REALLY can’t do the rep, I know that I have hit a level 10. I change my routine every 4 weeks by changing the exercises per bodypart, # reps, poundage used, etc…
During my first 3 challenges I did the rep scheme and bodyparts as laid out in the BFL book.

Nutrition
In the first 3 challenges I followed the BFL nutrition plan to the letter except I ate an occasional egg yolk and if I wasn't hungry for my last meal of the day, sometimes I would skip it.

Basically, I'd say for at least your first 12 weeks, to go by the book. When you're just starting out, this is your prime time to build muscle. It gets progressively more difficult with time to build muscle - and you need it to burn fat, right?


I'm saying that because most newbies want to add more cardio to the program - and that can SO easily backfire on you (it did for me - set me back a bit). Check out this webpage - new from the Krista Smash! website - called "Kardio Kween" for more info. http://www.stumptuous.com/cardio.html

Heather - olive oil IS a healthy fat - however, I believe to get the most benefit out of it, you should not heat it (same with flax and Udos). Instead of using it in cooking, try mixing it with balsamic vinegar and using it as a salad dressing!

Steel Cut Oats - I like Quaker myself. I think that 'steel cut' refers to oats like McCanns which take FOREVER to cook!!!

[carps]

Hi everyone - that pancake recipe sounds delicous - I too find breakfast quite difficult as I sometimes get a stomach ache from omelets In fact I've got some raspberries in the freezers which me and the kids picked one afternoon - so I might give it a go. - I don't think we get that wheat pancake mix here (NZ is not into pancakes as much as you guys) - any ideas on how I could replace it?

Question...
Is anyone using/used betalean HP or Phen-free and able to give me an opinion? - how do they compare are they worth it - side effects? etc. I'm really keen to give this fat loss a boost, but with the price of things here, you have to really know what you want.

Slowly reducing the amount of milk I use in my protein shakes and adding water instead - I tried it with water but yuck! and the reason I use that instead of Myoplex is because a 20 packet box of Myoplex here retails for $129.95. Which makes them $6.00 yes $6.00 each, I think you can understand why my husband and I don't drink them 3 times a day. In fact why we don't drink them all.

If any one is interested I was recommended a place in Iowa on another message board which has EAS products really really cheap and they only charge $7.00 to ship in the USA . The site is:
http://www.jesupgym.com/ and the prices truly are amazing.

Anyway - got to run - I have a colour in my hair which needs to be washed out before it goes black!!!!

catch you later - Carly

[Mel]

Well here it is Wednesday and I'm totally burn't out. Did a great LBWO on Monday and added weight to everything, so I was really sore for the first time in a long time . Did my 20MAS yesterday on the recumbent bike, and doggie walking with friends. Today I did chest, tris and bis, and really pushed with added weight. On my way to the locker room, I stuck my head inside the "aerobics room" at the gym where there was a spinning class scheduled to start. I thought I'd just look and see what the heck spinning was- but a perky YOUNG instructor came trotting over to me. "hi, I'm Connie, are you new here? you're gonna love it! Great workout! Here let me help you set up your bike, here's how you adjust tension OK hop on up, yeah that looks great, seat's perfect" ba-boom the music starts! Connie's got a mike on- Hi mel, how you doing? Everyone say hi to mel, she's new and she's doing great! (OMG, my biceps hurt and they aren't even moving) OK everyone, we're gonna climb some hills- mel? how you doing? This is Maria (maria waves and smiles). OK crank up that resistance....and on and on. Why didn't I get off? I don't know. She's right, it was a great workout, I was drenched, my legs burned, but I wasn't planning on cardio today. And MY BUTT HURTS!
So- do I do cardio tomorrow and just pretend I dreamed I was racing Lance Armstrong thru the Alps? or should I skip cardio tomorrow? What do the experts say?

Heather- I love steel cut oats and detest the pastey Quaker oatmeal stuff. They cook up really quick in the microwave. Use a BIG bowl( otherwise it'll be all over the place) and boil 1 cup water. Add 1/4c. steel cut oats (I use Bob's Red Mill). Cook on high for 1.5 minutes. Stir. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Enjoy plain or with a few berries or a tiny drizzle of sf syrup. I eat it at least twice a day and can't swallow the other stuff.

mel

[carriej]

I can just imagine getting trapped in one on a non-cardio day!

I know Mrs. Jim used to do a spinning class before BFL, so I hope she will give you more expert advice, but it sounds like pretty intense cardio. Especially since you are feeling burned out, I would skip cardio tomorrow.

This is based on my experience from last week -- I use Tae Kwon Do classes for some of my cardio, and did extra classes to prepare for my first test to advance from white to orange belt. By Friday, my UBWO was a disaster -- not from upper body soreness, but just general weakness from overtraining. Workouts this week went much better after a rest.

Sounds like a friendly spinning class, though!

Carrie