Hello!! Starting today, so excited!! Although...
maryetamfp
Posts: 70 Member
Hi everyone!
Let me first introduce myself as I have been stalking you all for a while (seeking inspiration and knowledge!) so it's only fair to give you some info about me. WARNING: long message coming...
My name is Maria, I'm 25, originally from Spain but have been living in the UK for about 3 years now. I've always been overweight for as long as I can remember but put on a lot of weight when moving to the UK without even realising... In Spain, I used to dance a lot as I was in a professional ballet and we would go touring and everything and it was a bit more of a mediterranean style (pretty good food with a lot of walking here and there). From that, I went to an office job, not "having time for anything" but working, different country/different food... pounds (or kgs!) started piling up.
On March 17 this year, I woke up and something clicked (yes, it really was like that!) and decided that I had to change. I was short of breath after climbing one floor of steps, could not manage fast walking nor 30 seconds of jogging and so on... come on, I am only 25!! I decided I had to change my lifestyle, I didn't want any fade diets or weird stuff/pills/whatever so I found out about MFP. I read, read, read, researched and then read again. I started simply tracking the calories as accurately as I could so I could be on a deficit and fill my day with wholesome food. I also started with Insanity and completed the 1st month. After that, I gave running a go (me??? running????) and I have recently completed my 5k race in 33min. I can now run for 45 min or so in a row without any problem and will try to train for a 10k later on this year. I have been very very constant, logging every single day, meals out, treats and whatever I ate. I enjoy the way I'm eating now and I completely think I made the right decision, I have not looked back.
In 4 months, I have dropped 16kg/35lbs and while I'm still on the overweight range of my BMI (I started almost at 190 lbs in the "obese" zone), slow and steady wins the race so as long as I keep on losing, whatever it is, or not gaining... it's OK.
I have been reading a lot about heavy lifting, watching a million videos everywhere about form/tricks/to do's and NOT do's etc. and have finally signed up in a new Pool and Fitness Centre. We had our induction last Friday so now we can FINALLY start lifting!! We had some contact with the free weights are as the guy did only showed us the cardio machines... (yawn) and I tried to get one of the Olympic bars which did feel suuuper heavy. I was so excited to finish work today just to get to the gym and give it a try (I know it's going to be hard but I'm completely determined to finish the workout) until I realised that we don't have a power rack on the gym but one of those Smith Machines
I have read how crap these are and how you should just run away from them so I'm feeling down even before getting to the gym!! There are two olympic bars and one is not fixed, and there are weight benches and plenty of fixed weight barbells, etc. so the "problem" is for the squats only. I'm still hoping there was a small squat rack somewhere we did not see but if this is not the case... is the Smith Machine really/absolutely worthless/pointless/waste of time? I think I know the answer but I want to think that it will at least do something more than If I wasn't lifting at all? As I'll be training with my boyfriend to start with, we thought maybe he could help me to get the empty bar on the shoulders and then go from there, but this would not be an option when the weight starts increasing, I suppose...
Anyway, thanks a million for all the valuable information you all provide. I might post some videos at some point for form correction/opinions and I hope to be an active member of this group now
Also, I'd be more than happy to have some heavy lifters on my friends list as I only have a few now. I have an open diary and we eat in a very mediterranean/Spanish way, so you'll see some chorizo here and there :P
Thanks for reading and for any advise you might have for a super newbie!
Let me first introduce myself as I have been stalking you all for a while (seeking inspiration and knowledge!) so it's only fair to give you some info about me. WARNING: long message coming...
My name is Maria, I'm 25, originally from Spain but have been living in the UK for about 3 years now. I've always been overweight for as long as I can remember but put on a lot of weight when moving to the UK without even realising... In Spain, I used to dance a lot as I was in a professional ballet and we would go touring and everything and it was a bit more of a mediterranean style (pretty good food with a lot of walking here and there). From that, I went to an office job, not "having time for anything" but working, different country/different food... pounds (or kgs!) started piling up.
On March 17 this year, I woke up and something clicked (yes, it really was like that!) and decided that I had to change. I was short of breath after climbing one floor of steps, could not manage fast walking nor 30 seconds of jogging and so on... come on, I am only 25!! I decided I had to change my lifestyle, I didn't want any fade diets or weird stuff/pills/whatever so I found out about MFP. I read, read, read, researched and then read again. I started simply tracking the calories as accurately as I could so I could be on a deficit and fill my day with wholesome food. I also started with Insanity and completed the 1st month. After that, I gave running a go (me??? running????) and I have recently completed my 5k race in 33min. I can now run for 45 min or so in a row without any problem and will try to train for a 10k later on this year. I have been very very constant, logging every single day, meals out, treats and whatever I ate. I enjoy the way I'm eating now and I completely think I made the right decision, I have not looked back.
In 4 months, I have dropped 16kg/35lbs and while I'm still on the overweight range of my BMI (I started almost at 190 lbs in the "obese" zone), slow and steady wins the race so as long as I keep on losing, whatever it is, or not gaining... it's OK.
I have been reading a lot about heavy lifting, watching a million videos everywhere about form/tricks/to do's and NOT do's etc. and have finally signed up in a new Pool and Fitness Centre. We had our induction last Friday so now we can FINALLY start lifting!! We had some contact with the free weights are as the guy did only showed us the cardio machines... (yawn) and I tried to get one of the Olympic bars which did feel suuuper heavy. I was so excited to finish work today just to get to the gym and give it a try (I know it's going to be hard but I'm completely determined to finish the workout) until I realised that we don't have a power rack on the gym but one of those Smith Machines
I have read how crap these are and how you should just run away from them so I'm feeling down even before getting to the gym!! There are two olympic bars and one is not fixed, and there are weight benches and plenty of fixed weight barbells, etc. so the "problem" is for the squats only. I'm still hoping there was a small squat rack somewhere we did not see but if this is not the case... is the Smith Machine really/absolutely worthless/pointless/waste of time? I think I know the answer but I want to think that it will at least do something more than If I wasn't lifting at all? As I'll be training with my boyfriend to start with, we thought maybe he could help me to get the empty bar on the shoulders and then go from there, but this would not be an option when the weight starts increasing, I suppose...Anyway, thanks a million for all the valuable information you all provide. I might post some videos at some point for form correction/opinions and I hope to be an active member of this group now
Also, I'd be more than happy to have some heavy lifters on my friends list as I only have a few now. I have an open diary and we eat in a very mediterranean/Spanish way, so you'll see some chorizo here and there :P
Thanks for reading and for any advise you might have for a super newbie!
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Replies
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Hi !! And welcome!
I'm a newbie too, and I love this group of ladies. They are so helpful and fun! They are for sure a great source of inspiration
My gym also only has a smith machine (BOOOOO!!!) and I did that at first but i wasnt liking it AT ALL.. the path was so awkward for me.. so I switched to goblet squats. You can give those a try at first and see. The only thing is that I won't be able to progress THAT much.. try holding a 100 pound dumbell
haha!
Dropping 35 lbs in 4 months is AWESOME!!!!!!! Keep going, you're doing so great.
See you around! You can add me as a friend if you'd like 0 -
Hello and welcome! I just started my Stronglifts journey in May! I'm sorry I don't know about the Smith machine. That's sad that the gym doesn't have a squat rack.
Congrats on the weight lost so far!0 -
Hello and welcome! I just started my Stronglifts journey in May! I'm sorry I don't know about the Smith machine. That's sad that the gym doesn't have a squat rack.
Congrats on the weight lost so far!
Thank you!! 0 -
Hi !! And welcome!
I'm a newbie too, and I love this group of ladies. They are so helpful and fun! They are for sure a great source of inspiration
My gym also only has a smith machine (BOOOOO!!!) and I did that at first but i wasnt liking it AT ALL.. the path was so awkward for me.. so I switched to goblet squats. You can give those a try at first and see. The only thing is that I won't be able to progress THAT much.. try holding a 100 pound dumbell haha!
Dropping 35 lbs in 4 months is AWESOME!!!!!!! Keep going, you're doing so great.
See you around! You can add me as a friend if you'd like
Thanks a lot for your kind comment!! I think I added you yesterday, see you around!!0 -
As someone suggested, goblet squats would be a good substitution for now.
I wouldn't even bother with the Smith machine -- you'll only memorize poor from. I would also consider asking the management to consider getting a power rack or at least a half squat rack.
Welcome and congrats on your success thus far!0 -
As someone suggested, goblet squats would be a good substitution for now.
I wouldn't even bother with the Smith machine -- you'll only memorize poor from. I would also consider asking the management to consider getting a power rack or at least a half squat rack.
Welcome and congrats on your success thus far!
Thanks again I posted a video on the form check post with my "squats" from yesterday, it did take a lot of readjusting and small steps here and there until it felt a bit less awkward but yeah, I was gutted when I find out it was a Smith Machine as when we were showed the gym it was a very brief viewing and all I could spot was a "sort of power/box rack" but only when you got really close you could notice it was the evil Smith Machine. I know a few guys brought an extra Olympic bar yesterday from somewhere as we were using one of them and the other one was in the Smith Machine so I'll ask the gym because maybe they have some more extra equipment in an storage room or something? I HOPE they do have at least a small squat rack! Thanks for the suggestion about the goblet squats, although I do really want to stick with the full SL workout, I might give these a go tomorrow maybe as a warm up with lighter dumbbells. Thanks a lot for the advise! 0 -
Just want to say hi and congratulations on your success so far, weight lifting rocks!0
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Just want to say hi and congratulations on your success so far, weight lifting rocks!
Hell yeah! thanks for the comment, I have to say it sort of felt good to be the only girl in the free weights area surrounded by bros, while all the girls were either on the treadmill, bikes, etc.
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