All-around update. 1. I officially joined the gym I’ve been trying out last night. There was a Thanksgiving deal that a trainer called me about yesterday: 0 down. $69.99/month. Payments are month-month. This saves me about $600/year at this specific gym, and I’ll be able to go to any of the 15 opening up in NYC. I’m also locked in at that price, I can suspend my membership for 3-6 months once a year, and cancellation fees are 30-Days notice, which I will pay for.
2. Today will be my 7th day at the gym in 10 consecutive days. I will be bringing my running shoes for morning jogs while I’m away for the next few days. Call me a bragger. Call me proud. It just feels awesome and I can’t believe I’ve committed so much so fast. But it’s like the old athlete in my is coming out!
3. Since working out and not smoking, I haven’t had many TMJ issues/symptoms. Yay for that!
4. I feel HUGE because it’s my TOM. But I’m glad I’m “small” enough now to notice the bloat at all. Before, well… I didn’t think I got bloated because I was always big! Now it feels like a water sack and I’m seriously adding about 6lbs to the scale. No worries… It’ll be gone, hopefully PLUS some, in a week! =)
5. I’m looking into all the regular dishes my family and my boyfriend’s family makes so I know which ones to eat more or less of while with family this weekend.
6. I LOVE SPINNING! Last night was week two of my Tuesday night class and I feel like I’ve progressed SO much since last week. Something clicked last night and I was keeping up the entire time and pushing myself to the max! It’s official: I’m addicted!
7. I NEED to learn more about lifting. I’m not sore at all! I’m mostly using machines for the first few weeks save for some squats and calf raises with free weights. Cardio’s no problem. I just really want to be stronger…
Yay, that’s great!
. I love reading your posts because you’re so enthusiastic!! Congrats on the working out!
I SOOO need to try spin out again – for some reason I never got hooked to it like everyone else. I’m missing out or something.
Yea for thinking of youself as an athlete! §.
I’ll cross my fingers that you get it!. If you don’t, it is totally worth the money to get it yourself.
Hey, check your anon email account §.
sent you a real one §.
and you thought you hated the gym!. congrats, Ur.
I now love the gym =) I’m a believer! §.
^^ that made me really happy!!
I read about what those symptoms were & they sounded awful.
I am really glad that treating your body as well as you can — has made you feel better! I am sure that will keep you inspired to continue exercising & eating well!
it’s one of many ways to work. and you’ll find that you have to try one for a few months, then try anohter, and then another, etc.
Hey Ur!. NROLFW is a great book for lifting info!
It sounds like you’re doing great! Keep it up!
It’s on my Xmas list. that I gave to my mother… who got mad about me asking for no sweets/candy/greasiness in my Xmas stocking this year..
I may be buying the book on my own come the 26th of December!
in her defense…. are the 3 reps max effort? she could be doing a really heavy day and supposed to be working in that rep range (and in that case, 5 min rest isn’t totally totally unreasonable….)
but yeah, the jumping in front of you is annoying.
is this. pretty much a blanket statement for all muscle groups? Sorry to but in.
3 sets is usually average? first one 10 isnt too hard, second 8 is getting tough and 3rd set really push? I havent lifted since high school
Alright cool §.
I suppose. But she doesn’t have much weight on there.. 1 weight?
I half expected her to at least do 5 reps of 20 to “tone-up.”
That’s sarcasm, all… =)
it is something you’ll likely experience more often with the men in the gym. so be prepared. you’ll be able to tell though when they’re taking 5 minutes between sets to chat versus 5 minutes to recover.
Yeah, then you need to lower the weight. to where you can get the fist 10 ok, but then the next set of 8-10 is closer to 8 and the last set is a REAL struggle to get to 8.
i hate that!. we have these 4 Italian dudes who come in with their Starbucks drinks and sit on the machines and talk.
Irritating! Hello!
there are like at least 3 or 4 of us waiting around while these clowns sit there and talk to each other, drink coffee, and maybe do 1 set on half the machines.
how much rest are you taking between sets? §.
90 second when lifting really heavy.. I make faces like my I.Q. is less than 73 and I sweat like a weakling.. so I take a decent break. haha =)
some options…. if you’re really maxing out, you can take more rest than that.
i think you’re better off given your rep range, to lower the weight like bob described.
also, if you have the ability at your gym (aka it isn’t swamped) you can always do your workout circuit style. This will keep your HR up and give each muscle group more time to recover.
It’s usually pretty empty. There’s this one woman who comes in who lifts light, does like 3 reps, and then sits for five minutes rocking out to her iPod.
Makes me angry.
She jumps around, and even though she sees me running down the line, she’ll jump to the one in front of me and I’ll have to bounce around because of her retardation.
Idiots…
sometimes. with weights if i don’t feel mentally like i’m going to be able to make it through 3 sets of equal weight/repetitions, i’ll do reverse pyramids instead. then i start with the set of highest weight, lowest number of reps, then drop the weight and go up in reps for round 2, and then drop the weight and go up in reps again for round 3. a pyramid is the same concept, only you start with lowest weight/most reps on the first set and then work your way to the highest weight/fewest reps.
You’re doing great!. Youtube would be a great resource for demo and technique videos for the exercises you are doing.
expertvillage.com has a lot of great demos.
Awesome! Thanks!. Yeah.. I want to get into the compound movement strength training once I get these first baby steps down.
Like the pull through video you linked me to.
With the kettle bell workouts I had been doing a lot in the beginning of my weight loss, I DID notice a different type of feeling after “lifting” than these specific, muscle group-targeted machines.
You should add an extra set to all the exercises. 3 sets x 8-10 reps.
Alright .. maybe bring down the weight then?. If I’m struggling by the 8-10th rep of the FIRST set, it’s nearly impossible to get to a second count of 8.
I really need to log this stuff.
So….. you do 2 sets of 8-10 reps for all the upper body machines? Bench, row, tricep, bicep, shoulder press, pulldown, chest fly….
any other machines I’m leaving out?
All but bench and chest fly, I believe. Not leaving anything out.
Like I said…. I have NO clue what I’m doing… other than pushing myself in what I do.
I’m SLIGHTLY achy today from Monday’s full-body.
I was going to to full body again tonight because I will be away tomorrow and Friday for the holidays
Don’t you mean apple cider vinegar? =). No Splenda for THIS lady! haha!
Upper body I’m doing all machines targeting the upper body in the full body circuit that I do one Mondays (I do this on Wednesdays and leave lower body for Friday because Tuesday nights is spin).
I have yet to add to these machines because, well… I’m researching still.
Would you like a break down of muscles targeted?
For all weights, I’m lifting as heavy as I can, focusing on form, so that I’m struggling by the 8-10th rep of my first set. Then I’m lifting til failure, trying to reach an 8th rep for my second set.
Dumb, but I haven’t logged what weight I’m lifting per muscle group yet. Thinking of starting tonight.
Remember back to when coaches would get us in the weight room for softball, I’m trying to explode with the lift, and let back to position one slowly… staying away from using momentum to my advantage and making my start position to finish movement just as valuable as my finish back to start position.
Does that even make sense? haha! It kinda does to me…
Much MUCH better. Thank you! =) §.
Good for you! You’ve sure made some. positive changes!
Re: #7 — Let’s start with upper body day. What exercises are you doing, in what order and what sets x reps.
We’ll figure out how to make you so sore you won’t be able to stir splenda into your tea!
awesome ur,. awesome awesome awesome. I am so proud of you.
*\o/*
very inspiring
§.
Woo-hoo!! Good 4 u UrJust!!. Sounds like things are going in the right direction!! & I’m glad to hear you are doing better!
Yay! You must feel awesome!!!! §.
An hour.. The teacher was super enthusiastic, and you can tell the regulars love him (they all seemed to know each other because they always take his classes together). Actually the only reason I tried it is because my friend loves him and wanted my to try out his class.
I was probably just grumpy because it was 9-10am on Saturdays. I thought it was too loud, and my butt hurt (and I may or may not have been hungover). I’m definitely more of an after-work exerciser, so I may like it better if I’m in a better mood when I go.
I’ll definitely give it another shot
I am SOOOO shocked. that I actually like it…
It is TOUGH! And the woman who runs my class does triathlons and is a personal trainer at the gym. She does NOT go light on us! She’s 40ish with the body of a 20year old. Truly an inspiration!
By fifteen minutes in, I’m dizzy and focusing HARD on my center of balance. It takes 20 minutes of struggle and focus to get my second wind.. but when that second wind kicks in, it makes the whole class worth it! It’s the best natural high ever!
How long were the classes you tried?