The Weight Room

[NJCher]

I have just now completed my 14th week of going to the gym twice a week and working out with weights. I took a course in it last summer and learned all about how to do it right--for example, the physical education instructor advised us to leave at least a 48-hour window between workouts because the muscles need time to recover and build their strength. He had written a big two-inch thick book with material on all the muscle groups with diagrams, illustrations, etc. That was our text.

Anyway, my university has a new gym with state of the art equipment. These machines are fabulous to work on. I find myself looking forward to my workouts and I actually enjoy them very much!

It wasn't a pain-free psychological experience, though. As you probably all know, resistance training is the province of young men. I didn't like seeing my muscle-bound young male students at the gym. I had to buck it up and work out right alongside them. I swear, at about every workout at least two or three of my young male students was there. To get through it, I would visualize the clumsy paragraphs they would write in their classroom papers. I might be clumsy on the equipment, but we're all clumsy starting out on a new endeavor. That was the line of thinking that got me through it.

After 14 weeks, my muscles are rock-hard all over! It sure feels nice to put my hands on my hips and feel solid muscle! The other night my kitty tried to do her kneading thing on my stomach while I was seated here at the computer. She walked off disgusted! I guess it just wasn't soft and spongy enough for her anymore! :)

I feel much better. All these oddball aches and pains I used to have are now gone. I used to feel horrible when a stormfront came in and now I don't even notice it. It's pretty easy to schlep around 40-pound bags of compost, too.

No weight loss to speak of yet but I anticipate losing some this summer as I continue my gardening outdoors.

Now, my fellow astrological and new age buddies, why did I post this here? Well, I thought it would nice to have an "atta' girl!" Or a hug or a bouncy. :)

Just celebratin'.



Cher

[I Have A Dream]

1. Oh, yes! You definitely deserve an atta-girl, Cher!

You're an inspiration to me. I exercise every weekday, but I haven't been doing any weight training. That's the one thing that's currently missing. Even twice a week makes a really big difference. I may just go check out a gym! :)

:woohoo:

:bounce:

:yourock:


(On edit: changed "every day" to "every weekday". I'm lazy on the weekends! :))

[midnight]

2. I go to the gym and use the elliptical. Not sure I want to lift weights

but do want a stronger body. Do you recommend a specific piece of equipment that I can use for tummy? I have taken a medicine ball and started doing sit-ups on that.

[Love Bug]

3. Heh. For me, just walking around is a weight-bearing exercise

but good on you for your efforts and discipline! :headbang:

[Cleita]

4. Good for you Cher. May you keep loving doing it.

Your post comes at a time that I was trying to psyche myself into going to the gym again after a six months absence. I was looking at XM radio online and trying to decide whether I want to subscribe to it or not. One of the reasons I hated going to the gym is Fox News on all the TV's all the times. I complained to the management, but it turns out that I'm out voted because the majority of the clients like it. I need something to block it out. (Many conservative kool-aid drinkers where I live.) The other reason is that I really hate doing that kind of exercise. LOL! Weights are something I'm supposed to do per doctor's orders, but my hatred of gym goes back to high school.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Atta girl!!

You go, girl.
I never got into weights. I enjoy aerobic exercises. I've changed them over the years because I've gotten bored. I guess I like aerobic type exercise because I am forced to do real heavy breathing and it clears my mind.
I think more clearly after exercise. Do you feel that way after lifting weights?

[nuxvomica]

6. Good for you

Weight training is one of those forms of exercise that can still be done as you grow older and can prevent some of the health consequences of aging. I'm just starting to get back into it after a period of downtime. Is your instructor's book available for purchase?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Way to go!

I'm exercising on a home gym and I can feel the difference, but I've not had the results you have had! Congrats! Realize that muscle weighs more than fat, so don't worry if you don't lose as much as you hope to--it's now "good" weight!

[LaurenG]

8. I love your success story!

Congratulations on your perseverance and thank goodness you had what it took to get through so you could tell us what we could all look like in 14 weeks if we just start now! :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast:

[rosesaylavee]

9. That's awesome

I have tried that oh so many times... and the other svelte bodies in the area are hard to ignore and not compare against my own less-than svelte. You go girl. Glad you made it!

[Shallah Kali]

10. Congratulations for facing your fear and accomplishing so much!

You body is the temple of your soul so congrats on your home improvements :)

:hug::hug::hug:

I have recently taken up light weight lifting again after giving up on it a few years ago. I am thrilled to feel the muscles growing firmer under the shrinking flab. I had been loosing excess weight through healthier diet but that has stalled for the moment due to building muscles. Even with the small weights I use I am already standing taller with much better posture. Next for me is to excavate my beginners pilates tape I bought years ago and finally do it a few times a week :)


Have you had your body fat percentage checked yet? That is a more accurate measure of your health than weight especially after weeks of weight lifting. I have one of those battery operated gizmos I picked up from a clearance pile at a drugstore for $15 that was previously $60 or more. Anyhoo it is fun to see the body fat percentage creep down as my exercising continues.

BTW did you know that muscle burns more calories than other tissues includinf fat not just during exercise but during sleep? Admittedly not a huge amount but I get a kick out of knowing that i am burning more fat when I sleep than before no matter how tiny :)

[Why Syzygy]

11. Fantstic!

Great dedication to get 'er done. And what a pay off!

Personally, I would enjoy the scenery of the young men
:evilgrin: I can tell that's a Leo thing, though.

So, was 14 weeks a target for you? I am surprised to hear that it cured aches. You promise?
What comes next? Maintenance? Where did you take the class?

Very proud of you :bounce:

[japple]

12. Good for you, Cher! I'm impressed. Since Dec. 1st, I've been

lifting weights and doing toning & balance, but can't report the same dramatic results you have. I do have an advantage in that my fitness center is for people 40+ years, so most folks are all trying to get back into shape. There is the same drawback that Cleita mentioned: FOX news playing most of the time, so I just take my MP3 player.

[Brewman_Jax]

13. Well done!

Workouts do a body good!

[NJCher]

14. Thanks everybody!!!!

I am soaking those "'atta girls" up like sun after a long winter!

I have some answers to questions and some comments, too. First,
IHAD, did you know that there is a book out that says a 2x a week resistance training routine is the way to go for weight loss? It is written by the same trainer who helped Diane Sawyer lose weight. I saw the book at the library but didn't read it. The author contends that cardio- just makes one hungrier and the person eats up the calories they worked off aerobically. His approach is to build a muscular framework and he has some type of diet to follow, too.

I don't know if I buy it or not but regardless, what I'm doing is the 2x a week workout and then I garden plus walk a lot on campus to my classes.

Midnight, I recommend the Hammer Strength abdominal cruncher. You can find what one looks like by googling an image using that search term. At first I hated that machine! I liked all the other ones but hated that one. Then I started doing it first to get it out of the way and my workouts became easier. Then I grew to like it! Now I'm starting to think I'm in love :)

Cleita, have I got the solution for you!! Get yourself an iPod or mp3 player and also a noise-cancellation technology headset. I picked up the latter for only $20. Subscribe to Coast to Coast--it's only $6.95 a month and you will always have interesting stuff to listen to. I swear, C2C and my iPod is one of the best things to ever happen to me because the reason I never did this stuff before is because it was boring. Now with all these shows, I always have something to listen to and something that I WANT to listen to. I am often in awe after listening to these shows. This is the best show because you will learn stuff there that you can't find out anyplace else. Even if you don't want to subscribe every month, start a subcription and just build up a library of enough shows to entertain yourself for awhile and then stop your subscription. For the $6.95 you spend in one month, you could get 30 shows plus however many you want to download from the classics and the 90-day supply they give you access to. It's a ton of shows--way more than you'll ever have time to listen to. There are no commercials, either.

The noise cancellation technology headset blocks out the sounds and you can hear way better than with earbuds. At my gym, they play loud rock music and also heavy metal. It's excruciating but with my headset I don't even notice it.

In Search of Sanity, I do feel my mind works much more clearly after a good workout. Above and beyond all, however, it lifts my spirits, much like gardening does. I go around in the greatest mood all the time now! I dive into those machines like an aerobic exerciser might take on a run or a bike! I grab 'em and say, "I'm gonna' show you a thing or two!" I do my reps and then on to the next one, where I say, "C'mon you, let's TANGO!" Sometimes I really feel like the machine and me are one because the movements are so smooth and the pull on my muscles feels so good.

Shallah, I'm happy to hear you're experiencing similar results. I'm skeered to check my body fat percentage checked, though! I can so identify with what you said about standing taller. I feel like a well-oiled machine!

Votesomemore, I'm a Leo, too, but I hadn't thought of thinking of the young male bodies as eye candy. That is a great idea and I thank you very much for that! There is one there whose body is absolutely perfect. He always wears tight black stretch workout clothes. I get a chuckle out of watching these guys who are so into it. Sometimes they even wear workout gloves.

Occasionally women come in, too, but not regularly and not consistently. I see some of the women basketball and softball players come in once in awhile and put everybody to shame! They are very impressive.

Fourteen weeks wasn't a target for me. I just happened to notice one day that my muscles had transformed and so I went back in my emails to see when I had my very first workout in this 14-week saga. It was Feb 8, to my brother, and I remarked to him that I wondered how long I could keep it up. Consistency is not my forte', so I when I realized I'd actually done this every week, I thought I could use a little pat on the back so that's why I posted this.

Anyway, once again, everyone, thanks for the 'atta girls. It really means a lot to read all your comments and experiences.



Cher

[crikkett]

15. I'm late to the party

NJCher congratulations! You're lucky to have access to a good gym.

When I was in sports we were taught to space out weight training for the same reasons you gave. We also were told to switch off w/ aerobic exercise though because the motion helps to clear out lactic acid (= sore muscles) and keep metabolism high. I was young then, I don't think I'd try to manage that pace of activity now.

The reason that you're not losing weight at first is because muscle is replacing fat. Muscle is more dense than fat. You're 'body sculpting'.

And you're getting much healthier. Muscles burn calories. Make more muscles, burn more calories... sleep better... live longer...

[Shallah Kali]

16. Believe me if you are feeling growing mucles your bodyfat % is going down!

Also as you probably already know your bone density is increasing which helps prevent osteoporosis :) Just in case you don't know make sure to get a healthy amount of magnesium and trace minerals as well as calcium and vitamin d. So many doctors forget that the body needs enough magnesium or it cannot use the calcium. I know a woman who was getting calcium deposits in her eye so her eye doctor told her to stop talking calcium. Instead when she read that too little magnesium can cause calcium deposits in soft tissues she added magnesium and the calcium deposits went away.

re: hunger from exercise - I remember back when I tried going to one of those circit mini-gyms that I would be absolutely ravenous after exercising. I gained a few pounds and not just muscle. Then my knees got hurt and I gave up on exercise. Now that I have started again my excessive appetite is back. I am now trying to communicate to my body that just because I am doing more I do not need to eat more. Here's hoping my systems and cells listen to me!

[Cleita]

17. Thanks for the tip Cher.

I'm looking into it. I wasn't happy with the XM set-up.

[rosesaylavee]

18. Ever hear of Morjorie Newlin?

This is a picture of her taken at 78.


http://www.fitbygeno.com/morjorie_newlin-getting_older.htm


"...She began lifting weights to become strong enough to handle everyday tasks, like keeping her cat supplied with kitty litter. A few years ago, her supermarket had a sale on 50-pound bags, but Newlin couldn't find anyone to lift them off the shelf. That's no longer a problem. Nor is the upkeep of her two-story home, "I always felt I could do whatever I want to," she said, "and now I know I can". Newlin shovels snow, cuts grass and hauls a 50-pound fan up from the basement every spring. "I couldn't do all this before without being worn out." Newlin always enjoyed exercising. After finishing her workday as a registered nurse, she'd often stop into a health club for a stint on the treadmill or stationary bike. But after retiring in 1987 to care for her terminally ill husband, Newlin decided to take up weight training. She knew resistance training with free weights and machines builds strength, stamina and endurance, and it prevents osteoporosis.

One day Newlin entered Rivers Gym, a Mecca for serious bodybuilders, then owned by Bob Rivers. It wasn't long before Rivers spotted her commitment and potential. "Rain, shine, cold weather - - I'd look up and she'd be there," he recalled."

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