I do one legged deadlifts, I find that with my lower back problems those actually are better for me. I have really tight hamstrings, and the action of taking one leg off the ground (and thus the stress on that hamstring) seems to work for me. Upper bodyweight alone can be enough when you do them on one leg- you should start out that way if you want to try it, since you'll need to get your balance down.
I do one leg deadlifts as well. Not because of back or hamstrings problems but my trainer has me do it. I use a 25 pound kettlebell. It's great because it works the core and balance. And I really need to work on balance.
Deadlifted and squatted 95 lbs yesterday (including the bar). It felt really great to finally put some weight on there, but I'm sure I can add even more next week.
A question: I'm trying to lose weight while also weight lifting, and the scale just isn't budging. I know this makes sense because muscle weighs more than fat, but it's very hard for me to tell whether or not I'm eating the right number of calories or not :/ I've been measuring myself every week and I'm down a half inch in my waist, thighs, and calves, and down an inch off my hips, so I must be doing something right. But the scale not moving makes it difficult for me to tell if I'm eating too many calories. Any advice?
From what I read, women put on up to 1 pound of muscle a month, depending on the effort, how heavy they lift, body type, etc. So it's not really a lot.
I think at your current weight/height, you still have some pounds of fat to lose. I would say take a look at your calorie intake, how much protein you are getting, etc.
I can tell you about my experience with lifting. I lift for an average 6 times a week for an average 80 minutes a session. On weekends, I can lift up to 2 hours, on weekdays around 1 hour. I also do cardio, and play tennis.
I don't count calories, so I have no idea how many calories I am eating. Don't follow me as an example, I wish I had more control on that.
But I know for sure my body fat is decreasing, and my muscle mass is growing. I can tell when I measure my body fat, and I can also tell that my stomach is getting harder, my biceps are getting bigger, my leg muscles more defined, etc. And I get good comments from people almost every day about it.
I have been lifting for about a year, and my body fat went from 28% to 21%, and 9 pounds of weight lost. I actually weighted less in September, but bulked up some, and with it, came a little fat back. My guess is I put on about 8-10 pounds of muscle in the past year.
I don't worry about the scale anymore. My weight is not changing much now. But I am replacing fat with muscle, and that's a good thing. I am also in no hurry to lose all that body fat. Sure, the more definition the better, but I am enjoying the process, and working on my habits.
I don't know how heavy or how many days a week you work out, but the more effort you put on, the more muscle you will get, and the more toned you will look. I would also look at your food intake, because it's very important that you are eating the right nutrients and the right amount of calories so you can see a loss and at the same time grow muscle.
Forgot to add something to my goals. I've ALWAYS strived to be leaner. I think I'm at a good leanness right now. I'm estimated to be around 20% body fat which is the top of the athletic range for women. That's pretty damn lean especially considering my age (45).
I just don't think "chasing leanness" is one of my fitness goals anymore. I can appreciate those who have achieved that elite level of leanness but I don't think it's for me. I like my hourglass shape (36-26-37) and so does my hubby. Lol.
I'm okay with being this body fat percentage. I'm over comparing myself to other gals especially younger ones. It's just not a productive use of my time. I'd rather focus on other health and fitness goals.
^You are looking amazing, fitmom and inspiring (I'm 44)!
I'd like to join this amazing group of lifters! I do weights at least four times a week and have lifted most of my life. The more lean muscle we have on us, the faster we will burn calories, even at rest. I'm noticing that the scale isn't moving much, but my clothes are fitting better. I was out of it for awhile, but joined a gym/spa in November and have went pretty regularly. I do chest/back twice a week and legs/arms twice a week. I started the couch to 5km program recently and am on day 3 week 1. I did this program a long time ago and was running 5km. I feel like running will help me slim down faster. I usually do either bike/elliptical for cardio (aim for 40-45 minutes) four or five days a week. I also have started adding HIIT twice a week. I figure what I'm doing with the couch to 5km is HIIT as I'm varying between walking and jogging.
I have bad knees, so I don't do squats/lunges and I miss doing those. Any tips on other leg exercises I can do instead?
I think diet and exercise definitely go hand and hand. I'm trying to sustain 1,400 calories five days a week, and a bit more on the weekends. According to some calories calculators, I could lose 2 pounds a week doing that with cardio. I haven't stepped on a scale in three months and at this point, I don't think I will. I do want to get a fat caliper and other fitness assessment soon enough though. It is always good to see our progress.
Happy Lifting!
Last edited by Jojo381972; 02-11-2017 at 06:31 AM.
^Nice one! I was wondering what type of reps and sets that you do for most exercises? Do you life to failure?
I'm experimenting on what works best and wanting to gain muscle as I know it is great for getting leaner and burning more calories at rest.
Cheers
Today I did 30 minute interval training on the bike and weights for chest/back.
Thanks for sharing your goals and progress fitmom! What kind of progressive overload do you typically program?
Hey Jojo, welcome to the party; just as a heads up, what you're describing sounds like a LOT of physical activity, and possibly slightly low calories. You may find as time goes on that you'll feel better with more food (focusing on whole foods, lots of protein, and extra veggies) and maybe a bit less exercise. It's all individual though, so we'll look forward to seeing how things go for you!
Hey everyone.
Nice to see some activity on this thread. Just did an upper body workout today. Feeling great. However I have not been doing as much running as I wish. Life has been busy and running disappeared from the radar. I miss that high feeling that we get when we run.
I am going to try to go back to doing it asap because I think its the best thing that works for me for burning fat.
I have been lifting for 15 months now and have made quite good progress. I took a progress pic today. Will upload later.
My lifting strategy is simple. I usually do same weights for all sets and when I get comfortable doing 5 sets of 12 I raise the weight by 5 or 10 lbs. After I raise the weight sometimes I have to do 8 or 10 reps before I get used to 12. When I am doing comfortably 5 sets of 12 I raise again.
The barbell chest press I only do it with my trainer because I trust her to spot me.
Also pretty much everything I do is a superset of 2 or more exercises. So I mix chest press with back flies. Leg press with lying leg curls. Squats with deadlifts. Etc... To change up my routine and save time by working on 2 opposite or different muscles at a time.
I will write more advice tomorrow. Im on my phone and its hard to type.
Defining, I work with a trainer and have for a couple of years now. He discusses what my goals are then he puts together a program suited to that. I just obey. Haha
I switch on/off working with the barbell because I get bored easily. I incorporate kettlebells often into my training (which I'm doing for the next few months) so I like to switch things up. Also, I hate regular cardio so I have made it my business to do sports-oriented cardio like skiing, ice skating, etc.
Forgot to mention I can do 6 chin-ups in a row, and 3 pull-ups in a row too.
Lots of great lifting in this thread...I'm definitely in awe, to say the least.
I lift twice weekly, cardio twice weekly, and yoga once a week. I normally take the weekends off. It's what works with my schedule and lifestyle.
I was nervous dropping a lifting day because I thought I'd cease to make progress but I was wrong. I'm still progressing nicely, my recovery is better and yoga is helping to complement my overall training.
UPDATE: @stronggal: viewed your progress photo and you have done very well thus far! Great progress.
