sionkali

This was mentioned in another thread (sticky). I wasn't sure if it was alright to ask questions in the sticky thread so I decided to ask here. "Routine for beginners Here is a strength routine for beginners. Most people will benefit from it. It requires not much time, focuses on the main movements and on getting stronger. Day 1 Warm-up: 10min cardio. 2 sets each: - Dips - Pullups - Squats 1 set each: - Crunches - Calves Day 2 Warm-up: 10min cardio. 2 sets each: - Barbell row - Barbell press - Deadlift 1 set each: - Crunches - Calves Alternate Day 1 and Day 2, with 1-2 rest days in between. After cardio warm up, do easy sets of each exercise until you feel warm. Do 2 sets of every exercise , concentrate on perfect form and use a weight you can do for at least 10 clean reps without reaching muscle failure. Try to increase the number of reps each workout, but don't go to muscle failure (except for abs and calves)! When you reach 15 reps in both sets (20 for squats), increase the weight a bit. " My trainer had me doing an entire body routine about three times a week. I did see some differences, especially in my arms (least amount of extra "stuff" there), but not too much elsewhere. It seems that whenever I do weights regularly it causes me to gain weight (the kind that makes my clothes no longer fit, not necessarily the "I'm gaining muscle weight" kind of weight that would be good). Could that just be because of my diet? Anyway, I would like to try a new program and see if doing something different will help, but I'm not entirely sure how to do some of the exercises described in this routine. If there's a website or something with visual aids or descriptions that would be most helpful! If it helps I'm female, 5' 5", about 160. I would like to be more lean muscular (I plan on riding my bike as my main mode of transportation; I'm sure that makes a difference when it comes to weights). I think I tend to get bigger on the lower half of my body, especially my thighs, but I also seem to gain fat there first as well. Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it!! And if there is anything else that would be good advice for me (nutrition, cardio, etc) please do not hesitate to let me know, I'm here to learn!! Jen )

Thanks for this info! I've been doing squats and one compound exercise that works the legs (I can't remember what it was called) so far, but I really haven't seen much of a difference. I definitely don't think I'm putting enough effort into the cardio side of exercise though, which could account for why I'm gaining weight instead of losing it. I guess it's just because I can't stand cardio, and to have your trainer tell you "oh, I never do cardio because I lose weight too fast when I do" is not at all motivating. So, what do I do in my next session when he shows me all kinds of compound movements? Should I ask him to just give me a regular program instead?

Now that I've cooled down a bit... I've decided to use one of the two remaining training sessions I have to revamp my program. So, what should I be asking the trainer? I have a feeling that the last program he gave me was pretty general (I'm sure I see other women doing the same program in the gym every once in a while). I'd like to learn some compound movements (I've heard those are good things to do). I've been doing machines for my legs (five machines, I can't remember what all their names are though); should I move on to other things or should I stick with machines? At first my main goal was to lose weight, but now that I'm seeing some definition in my upper body (I started with less fat/weight on top, so naturally I would assume definition would show up there first) my focus has changed. Should I tell the trainer that? I'm afraid he just assumes that all women only want to lose weight, so he doesn't even ask (although I'm sure he should be asking, regardless). Maybe I should tell him I want to lose body fat/inches instead of just saying "weight"? I think I need a new tricep exercise too. And I need to start doing more cardio. I hate cardio, because it tends to feel long and monotonous, but I realize it's necessary to see the (hopefully) pretty muscles under the fat. The nice weather is making me want to do the Couch-to-5k program. Thanks everybody, I really appreciate the help. I know answering "newbie" questions can be frustrating at times, but it pays off in the end. Jen

Thanks for the link!! Some very compelling arguments for both sides. I guess I have much to consider. I am going to look into another gym in my area, one that is a bit less crowded around the times I usually go. I think that is my main complaint with going to a gym. I like to be by myself, especially when doing free weights (I think I look goofy, so being alone means I can look goofy all I want). Perhaps that is why I was looking to a home gym; I understand the "getting motivated at home" argument though. There is a gym here that is owned by two vegans that I am going to look into. That may be even better, since they would understand the lifestyle, nutrition, etc. better than just a regular gym. We'll see what happens. I'm definitely still interested in learning about "compound exercises". Is there something I could read or, better yet, watch that would help me learn this kind of movement? I'm a stickler for form, so reading about it and then trying to do it might not fare so well with me. Would that be the kind of question I could go to a trainer and ask? Do you think most trainers would be able to show me something along those lines? Thanks again for putting up with my newbie questions!! I really appreciate it!! Jen

Just thought I'd add my two cents while I was floating around.....I've been the proud owner of a (tabless) Keeper for about six years now. And ya know what? I agree with everything you're saying!!! This thing is totally the most awesome thing ever created for women!! I also agree with the whole "shouting it from the rooftops" thing that was mentioned. Once, while I was in college, I wanted to try becoming some kind of rep for the Keeper, but I was afraid it would gross a lot of women out. I tried to share it with one of the girls I knew, but she wasn't so sure about having to go up inside herself or something along those lines. Not only are we not contributing to the ever growing waste dumps in our country, but we have happier vaginas now that no chemically bleached cotton is shoved up them and they can "breathe" freely (sorry, I've done the Vagina Monologues a few times; the openness about vagina talk is actually quite liberating and addictive, if I might say). And I definitely don't miss the feeling of a half-dry tampon...blech!...still makes me shudder just to think about it. To those women who are still contemplating it, please do give it a try. And if you've tried that Instead crap that they had out a while ago, it is NOTHING like the Keeper/Diva/Moon cup. I had the worst experience trying that Instead thing!! I second the spinning thing too. It took me a while to figure out where my Keeper "sat" up there, but when it suctions itself to your insides you definitely know it. If anyone would like to talk more about experiences with these things or if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask!! Like I said before, I'm pretty open about that sort of thing (I believe all women should be so proud of what their bodies can do, but like someone else has already said, we seem to be conditioned to think of our period as dirty and secret), so don't be shy!! Jen

Thank you so much for the reply!! As much as I would love to get my workout out of the way right in the morning, I'm afraid it would stretch me even further than I already am. My commute is rather extensive (I leave my house at 5:30am); I'm not even sure if most gyms are open that early in the morning. Now I'm wondering if it was a bad idea for me to cancel my membership. Hmmmm...I guess I could always look into another one that isn't so popular. I do still have 60 days left of my current membership that I can play around with. I could try going different days, but I'm sure wednesday would be just as busy as tuesday or thursday (friday, saturday, and sunday are never busy, but I can't exactly do three days of weights and three days of cardio in a weekend). Jen

So, I've been a gym member since August and I have to admit that I am very disappointed. Maybe it's because I joined a "popular" gym. I signed on for three training sessions and was only able to get one in (this frustrates me, since I really wanted to do all three and see three totally different programs). I cannot stand how people hog things anymore. I've waited a number of times for areas and benches to clear, which totally screws up my program. I'm not talking about five minutes here either, I'm talking about sitting their butts on the flat bench for 20 minutes while I have to jerry-rig a bench out of a cardio step so I could get some kind of chest press thing done (that was ridiculous in my opinion, but I was desperate). Needless to say, I'm scared. I'm just learning how to do most of my weight lifting with free weights. Is it possible to do everything at home, including legs, with just free weights or barbells? I know this may sound like a stupid question, but I've never done weights at home, so I'm new to it all. I have done resistance band training at home, which was kind of interesting, but I'm not sure if I would get the same results with resistance bands that I would with free weights. On the upside, resistance bands are much easier to travel with. Help?!!? Please?!? I'm dumb when it comes to knowing what muscles I should be working on. I've read a lot about "compound exercises" but have no idea how to implement them into a workable, relatively quick program. Any input would be most welcome!! In case it might be important, I am mainly weight training to lose weight and create a more shapely me, but I also love how it makes me feel, so weight loss (aka loss of body fat) would be a fantastic bonus. I also tend to increase in size when I weight train for some reason, especially in my lower area(female here, in case I didn't mention that). Is that just muscle building under the fat I already have? Or could it just be some kind of water weight? Looking forward to lots of new, encouraging (hopefully) information!! Thanks so much!! Jen

Thank you so much Daywalker and SeaSiren for the awesome info!! I guess I could look into scheduling a training session to get a more streamlined weights workout (I think a session costs about $50, which is a lot for me, but I suppose it will be worth it in the long run). I've been attempting the Couch to 5k program, but it has been slow going since it started to get dark earlier. I actually do some excercises with free weights right now; I do two sets of 15 reps, unless I can't make it, then I do only 12 reps instead of the 15. I do five machines for legs, five for arms (that includes the free weight stuff), one for abs and one for back. It feels like it shouldn't take so long, but it always takes at least two hours, which is why I never want to go (I have to go at night, around 6:30pm, because of my schedule, which means I eat dinner late too). I've been pretty good at doing this schedule at least three times per week, but I have been slacking off lately. I kind of understand the "only moving one joint in an excercise, then stop doing it" idea, but not 100%. Would something like the Leg Press machine only move one joint (I'm guessing the knee joint)? The cola shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of, it's just been my go-to thing lately when I'm having a bad day, and the last two weeks haven't been that great. I'm not sure if the training is increasing my appetite or not - I guess I could take a week where I'm consistently training and see if I eat more or not. That may be a good idea anyway, just to see what I'm really eating. Fruit is definitely my staple, especially in the morning (I tend to eat a lot of bananas - that's not bad, is it?). Once I eat something that is not a fruit or veggie, I don't eat fruit anymore during that day. Veggies I always eat at the beginning of my meal (something I read about transit times in the stomach). Thanks again!! Jen

Hey all, I probably have some obvious questions, but I needed someone to ask since I have no idea what to do anymore. I think I'm doing something wrong when it comes to going to the gym. This is the second time this year that I've started going (first time was from January to around April/May, second time was late August until now) and I still haven't seen any major changes. In fact, every time I start going I gain a bunch of weight. Right now I'm around 154 - at 5' 6", that is definitely not good (being female). My waist size has even gone up, which is even worse. Before I started going to the gym I hovered around 142-145. I don't know if it's muscle tucked under all the fat or not (I do feel like I'm a lot flabbier than usual). My question is, should I go to one of the trainers at the gym and ask for a new program? The program the trainer gave me at the last gym is getting really boring, and it takes way too long (almost 2 hours for weights and stretching). I probably don't do as much cardio as I should, but I do try to get in at least a 50min walk 3 times per week. The weight training I do now is rather long, combining lower body and upper body all on the same day, which is probably the wrong thing to do (I would list all the machines I do, but I can't remember the names of all of them). Do I change around my diet (I stick to fruit for breakfast, sometimes salad for lunch, cereal, and then dinner is usually soup or something like that with veggies)? I don't eat a ton of junk food, but I do drink Blue Sky Cola, a habit I am desperately trying to get rid of. A few years ago I weighed around 170, before I became vegan, and I'm so scared that I'm going to hit that mark again. All I want to do is be healthy, fit, tone, and be able to feel good about myself. I don't want to be some stick thin girl who can hardly hold up her own body weight, I want to be strong. I'm going on my honeymoon in less than a year and I want to be able to look great for my new husband, so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!! Jen

Interesting...I'm beginning to think that most everything I've learned in the past about cardio excercise has been either a bit misunderstood or a bit off entirely. Just to make sure I understand correctly, I'll ask - what exactly should I be doing if I'm going to do cardio to burn fat more efficiently? I like doing the elliptical trainer (good on my toe, which I broke recently), so let's use that as an example of what I would be doing regularly - instead of getting my heart rate relatively high for a given period of time (like they told me to do) I should be excercising at 60%-70% of my maximum heart rate (is that the maximum they told me when they gave me a range I should be shooting for?) for a specified amount of time (let's say 30-45 minutes) at least every day. I would guess that this would still give me the cardiovascular benefit as well as the fat burning benefit (my resting heart rate is higher than I would like, so I need to work on getting it down). If anything is confusing let me know and I'll be more than happy to clarify. Excercise has gotten me so frustrated lately, I have no clue what I should or shouldn't be doing. After 12+ weeks of going to the gym at least 3 times a week I have yet to lose a single pound and I think my measurements have actually gone up a smidge; I think I've gained about 4 or 5 pounds total (which isn't a lot, I guess, but it's still a gain instead of a loss). Also, about the sugary drink to use during the first part of a workout (which is something I've never heard of, but might consider trying) - what would be recommended to use? Thanks to anyone who offers information!! Anything at all is greatly appreciated!! Jen

Hmmmm...now I'm totally confused; I shouldn't be keeping my heart rate so high while doing cardio (usually between 157-177; I have a high resting heart rate)? Does that mean my projected range is not correct? I've also been told not to drink sugary sports drinks while working out because of the number of calories it adds, so I've always just stuck to water - is this idea wrong too? I'm sorry if there's an obvious answer to these questions - gym stuff has me all flustered and confused lately, so I'm probably more likely to ask the "stupid/obvious" questions. Any help would really be appreciated; I have no idea what I should be doing when it comes to the gym anymore. Thanks in advance. Jen

I think I might have been doing the Interval Training incorrectly on the Elliptical machine last night. I was unsure if I was supposed to keep my heartrate up on the lower/easier portions or let it go down a bit and then have it go back up on the higher resistance/ramp portion. I ended up doing 15 minutes with a 5 minute cool-down; my legs definitely were humming afterward, but I was concerned about how many calories I was burning (according to the machine). Should I even believe the machine? Or does something else go on when you do Interval Training as compared to just straight cardio? Jen

The link you sent helped so much!! I do remember hearing about this kind of cardio excercise, but I didn't know it was called Interval Training (although, now that I think about it, the name makes perfect sense). I frequent the Elliptical trainer, which I believe has an Interval program; I'll check that out tonight when I do my cardio. Should I be starting with 20 minutes and working my way up? Thanks again offense74!! Jen

Hey offense74!! Thanks for the added info!! Lift heavy enough that I'm blue in the face after each set? Really? I would think that would be setting myself up for injury, especially since I'm new to training (only seven weeks in). I was wondering what you meant by "High Intensity Interval Training"; I could take a wild guess, but I might be wrong, so it's probably better for me to ask. I definitely fall into the category of heavily disliking cardio; most of the time I suffer through it. Two years ago I only did cardio 45 minutes a day for at least 6 days a week and I don't think my weight budged much at all - it was such a lack of motivation for me. I wish I could be one of those people who just do a bit of cardio a few times a week and drop bodyfat - stupid genetics!! That and I think I might have messed up my metabolism when I was in high school. I'm hoping to either fix that or make it better by weight training (crossing fingers, toes, eyes, etc.). To the gym I go tonight, lets hope something happens soon. Also, if it would help, I would definitely offer up my stats (height, weight, RHR, measurements, body fat percentage, etc.). I wouldn't have those things from this moment in time, but one of the trainers at the gym I go to did take all these things before I started my whole routine. Thanks again everyone for all the great info!! I'm so scared that I'm not doing something the correct way; it helps to have a group of knowledgeable people to come to and ask questions!! Jen

Hey Daywalker!! Hiya _raVen_!! Thanks for replying to my post! I really appreciate the help. My usual excercise schedule begins with 30 minutes of cardio (almost always the elliptical trainer) with 5 minutes of cool-down; I wear a heart monitor, and I usually keep an average heartrate of about 160-170 (I have a high resting heartrate). When you say "increasing the intensity" do you mean making my sessions longer or just mixing it up a bit? My strength training is as follows; usually in this order, unless someone is hogging the machine, then I have to change things about a bit: Leg Press Leg Curl Hip Adduction Hip Abduction Chest Press Row Overhead Press Ab Crunch Back Extension I do 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions, most of the time I can only do up to 15; if I can do more I either wait until the next time I train to see if I should move up 5lbs or I move up 5lbs at the second set. Most of the time it's a bit exhausting for me. I am new to it all, so I'm trying not to hurt myself early on (my right shoulder acts up sometimes, so I pay attention to what it feels like each time), but maybe I should be more exhausted at the end of my sessions. I have been moving the weight on each machine up, so something good is happening. I do go to the gym in the evening, but I don't know if that would make any huge difference, and a lot of times I eat some kind of dinner after the gym, which usually ends up being after 9pm (I'm guessing that might be working against me). My diet is difficult to pinpoint; I hate counting calories, so I rarely write down what I'm eating every day (I'm sure I should be doing that, but it drives me crazy sometimes). I try to stick to fruits and veggies during the day, but sometimes I have a sandwich when I'm feeling especially hungry. Dinner is usually something I make from a book I have, or just whip together (tomorrow night will be salad with mushroom risotto and steamed cauliflower). I'm not a huge sweets fan, and I don't eat a whole lot of pasta or pizza (although I do make a mean broccoli pizza), however, I am a victim of caffeine (I know, bad bad bad, I'm trying to get myself off of it but it helps when I have really late nights). I apologize for being vague and possibly indecisive, especially when it comes to what I eat, but I really do dislike calorie counting and writing down what I eat all the time. I've been dabbling in the Raw Food world, trying to make the majority of my daytime meals raw and whole (usually salads, fruit, etc.; I borrowed a juicer, so I might start trying to use that too). If any other information is needed please let me know. I'm eager to start seeing all the good things that have been happening under my layer of bodyfat. Thanks so much!! Jen