Train hard & love food? Be my friend! I'll buy you a pony.

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Help a lady out! I am looking for more friends who are into strength/resistance training, and also recommendations on some good resistance training groups to join.

I have been browsing the groups looking for some good, active strength training groups, but have been getting kind of overwhelmed by all the groups out there. Some of my awesome friends suggested a few to join, but I'm always looking for more recommendations.

So what are YOUR favorite weight lifting groups that you'd recommend to someone? I'm not new to lifting, though I would still consider myself a novice.

I'm also looking for more friends whose interests are geared more toward fitness than weight loss. I'm still working on losing, but it's no longer my primary goal.

A little bit about me - I've been on MFP for going on three years (holy crap...!) more-or-less consistently, though there are a few months-long gaps in there. I've never been more than maybe 20lb overweight, but I was definitely unhealthy. When I started I couldn't jog for 5 minutes, and I sure as s*!&# couldn't lift anything heavy. For a good year or two I focused almost exclusively on cardio, but for the past year or more I've been increasingly interested in a progressive lifting routine.

I do casework and community support with people who struggle with mental illness and who have felony records/NGRI status, so exercise is a pretty crucial stress reliever and coping mechanism for me.

I have an inappropriate sense of humor (kinda goes with the job) and a foul mouth. I'm into nerdy TV, movies, and video games, and I love to read and hike. I love cooking, baking and eating, and can't imagine life without coffee, beer, butter, and bacon. I log the good, the bad, and the ugly, as my diary for the past month or two evidences.

I'm looking for more friends who aren't afraid to lift and eat. I also need friends who will be understanding if my communication and feedback is kind of inconsistent - I'm on MFP every. single. day., but I don't have internet access at home right now so I don't always get as much time to keep up with my friends and news feed as I would like. But I do my best not to lose touch with people.

p.s. Pony not included.

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Aww, you guys, where's the love?

MostlyWater

OK, I'm in.

Jenky85

In for a pony!!

Jokes aside, hello! I eat and lift heavy and always on the look out for like minded friends

1PatientBear

You live in CoMo and yet have no pictures of anything Mizzou related on your profile. This is unacceptable.

mikedenali

I'm in. I'm on every day yet inconsistent with my posts and looking to add lifting to my program

sullrico18

I love food, am working on beginning to lift heavy, and I'm on daily. Oh, and I like ponies too. :-)

madhatter2013

In for hepony. Try Strong Lifts 5X5 for women.

JustSomeEm

I was all in for the pony, but then saw it wasn't included.

I don't lift, but run instead. And I love to eat. I'm more interested in being 'healthy' than 'skinny', but I'm still determined to get into 'normal' BMI range (and I'm SOOOO CLOSE!)

Good luck with your lifting. You rock. (and no, I'm not calling you names.)

odddrums

I do these things! I'll add you!

I've been doing a 3 day adaptation of 5/3/1 for whole body work outs, adding 5 sets of 10 reps so I can do more hypertrophy. That's been okay but I haven't been following their weight increasing plan and I just started insanity because I want to cut my excess fat before I start really lifting harder this fall [I know, I know, but the workouts are what I need right now].

I'd suggest Starting Strength because the book has SO MUCH information that is really, really helpful if you're getting started. The program is better thought out that Stronglifts in my opinion.

This is what I've been doing, it's and okay beginner one because it's super simple:

Workout A - Bench and Squat:
2 sets of 10-20 warm up weight [just the bar usually, full range of motion with stops, slowly]
3 sets of 10 light weight [whatever you can do 10 of and feel like maybe 1-2 more]
3 sets of 5 heavy weight [like, I can barely do the 5th one]
2 sets of 10 light weight [whatever you can do 10 of and feel like maybe 1-2 more]

Workout B - Overhead Press and Deadlift:
2 sets of 10-20 warm up weight [just the bar usually, full range of motion with stops, slowly]
3 sets of 10 light weight [whatever you can do 10 of and feel like maybe 1-2 more]
3 sets of 5 heavy weight [like, I can barely do the 5th one]
2 sets of 10 light weight [whatever you can do 10 of and feel like maybe 1-2 more]

I'll throw in abs between the last few sets, or between exercises. Try to do 2-3 sets of leg lifts, crunches, ab roller, planks, back extension, that sort of thing. After the big ones you can add in curls or anything smaller, I just do the big ones and it takes about an hour with the abs thrown in. This is similar to Starting Strength, but not exactly.

Enjoy your lifting and let me know what you end up doing!

Also, anyone reading this feel free to friend me! Always looking for new friends that kick *kitten*!

CaffeinatedConfectionist

You live in CoMo and yet have no pictures of anything Mizzou related on your profile. This is unacceptable.

True story, but I suppose it's because I'm a transplant from Wisconsin. Black & red > black & gold.

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Also, you all are awesome.

warriorprincessdi

p.s. Pony not included.

This was the only part I came in for LOL

whitebalance

In! I've been maintaining for about ten months. I tried Starting Strength for a while, got overzealous, injured my back, rested and recovered, and am now working All Pro's routine - and whatever my trainer tells me to do tonight. I love lifting and Krav Maga, and I eat, um, kind of a lot. I'm not good at "nice burn" and other daily responses, but I do try to check in on my friends at least quasi-regularly. Oh, but I don't have room in the backyard for a pony.

SuperC_85

I'm in!!
Always good to surround yourself with similar people!

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Ok, ok, for everyone who wanted a pony, is this an acceptable substitute?



I am loving hearing what everyone does for training. I should clarify that I do lift currently, and have for about 18 months. I started with SL 5x5, but right now I'm doing a 4x week upper/lower split.

SugaryLynx

You can add me! I like ponies and barbells...and gifs...food...what were we talking about again?

kjo9692

In for the pony, was left disappointed.

ChasingMyBliss

I LOVE THE STEPHEN COLBERT FUNNY CLIPS! That guy hits my funny bone just right! I want to learn to put more weights into my workouts, but I am afraid to get bulky! I gain muscle just by looking at it!!! I am trying to learn how to build it lean!

gsager

I strength train and love food. Not into groups. Don't need a pony.

superfox12082

I'd like a pony! I just recently (6 or 7 months) got into strength training. I've gained a ton of muscle! I definitely need to lose weight, but being healthy and fit is more important to me. Add me!