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I am just the opposite. I hate hate HATE the heat...I cannot stand the summer! My perfect day? Cold, dreary-looking, heavy cumulonimbus clouds in the sky and very rainy...aahhh...that is heaven indeed!! :drinker:I don't know what it is.... winter? I hate the cold. And yes, I am all out of enthusiasm with study.... exams looming. Many stressful months have ground my determination and motivation down to a mere shred. I am trying to build enthusiasm for the 12km run they do here in Sept.... but I only want to do it if I can beat my previous PB and that seems highly unlikely given my lack of practice and lack of any 'get up and go'. The house is a state - dirty, dusty, needs decorating in areas still. Don't even mention the garden. Sigh. Lifting is still fun, but not managing to get there as much as I would like. And need to actually read the next stage. Strength and Power..... hmmm maybe that is exactly what I need right now. In all aspects of life!!0 -
I am just the opposite. I hate hate HATE the heat...I cannot stand the summer! My perfect day? Cold, dreary-looking, heavy cumulonimbus clouds in the sky and very rainy...aahhh...that is heaven indeed!! :drinker:I don't know what it is.... winter? I hate the cold. And yes, I am all out of enthusiasm with study.... exams looming. Many stressful months have ground my determination and motivation down to a mere shred. I am trying to build enthusiasm for the 12km run they do here in Sept.... but I only want to do it if I can beat my previous PB and that seems highly unlikely given my lack of practice and lack of any 'get up and go'. The house is a state - dirty, dusty, needs decorating in areas still. Don't even mention the garden. Sigh. Lifting is still fun, but not managing to get there as much as I would like. And need to actually read the next stage. Strength and Power..... hmmm maybe that is exactly what I need right now. In all aspects of life!!
You should go live in England. LOL0 -
OMG, I just looked at Strength & Power (stage 3 of supercharged). If you thought NROL was complicated..... :noway:
All I really got out of the intro was "maximum lifts" and "fatigue". I'm fatigued just thinking about it LOL0 -
I am just the opposite. I hate hate HATE the heat...I cannot stand the summer! My perfect day? Cold, dreary-looking, heavy cumulonimbus clouds in the sky and very rainy...aahhh...that is heaven indeed!! :drinker:I don't know what it is.... winter? I hate the cold. And yes, I am all out of enthusiasm with study.... exams looming. Many stressful months have ground my determination and motivation down to a mere shred. I am trying to build enthusiasm for the 12km run they do here in Sept.... but I only want to do it if I can beat my previous PB and that seems highly unlikely given my lack of practice and lack of any 'get up and go'. The house is a state - dirty, dusty, needs decorating in areas still. Don't even mention the garden. Sigh. Lifting is still fun, but not managing to get there as much as I would like. And need to actually read the next stage. Strength and Power..... hmmm maybe that is exactly what I need right now. In all aspects of life!!
lol you should move to my neck of the woods then - its like that 6 months out of the year and the summers aren't that hot!0 -
In Texas, we have summer for 10 months out of the year :noway:0
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Okay, so I am in week two of Stage 1, ie just getting started, and I am just coming to the point where I'm thinking that maybe **I** am that one person who is the exception to all the stuff the NROL4W author writes in this book. Help me out here! Because I know I cannot be the only new person who goes through worrying about this or thinking this.
My goals are to look more defined and firm and the be stronger. Reality is sinking in that menopause is actually here even though I'm a little young for it (I am 44.) I've always been athletic and naturally slim, and I have been noticing past several months that things are kind of softening a bit, not quite as toned, and also my waist looks less defined.
I am starting out with a very low weight, and probably even a few pounds under ideal weight for being and feeling strong. I don't want to be a frail little old lady! So my starting position on day one is 100# and 15% bodyfat according to the Tanita scale.
So now I'm thinking okay, I don't want to hulk out, and that probably is not going to happen. BUT.....what I also don't want to happen is to look like a ropy or gaunt freak. I don't want to look masculine. I also really don't want to lose any shape to my face and neck since I can tend to look very angular and also a little "ropy" or "tendon-y" in my neck.
So what is it that I even want to do goal-wise? I mean, for 5'2" tall I would be thrilled to be more like 108-110#. If I add it in all muscle what is that going to do to my BF percentage, and then how will I look at that point? I am thinking BF more like 18-20% is better.
So help me out here, ladies! I am assuming one key is going to be eating more. I currently eat about 1800-2000 cals per day. I don't measure calories usually but sometimes I'll just do it randomly to do a check on what I'm actually eating. Now that I am post-menopausal I am assuming I may not always be eating that much but so far that hasn't really changed for me.
Info? Ideas? Thoughts? Thanks ladies!0 -
So now I'm thinking okay, I don't want to hulk out, and that probably is not going to happen. BUT.....what I also don't want to happen is to look like a ropy or gaunt freak. I don't want to look masculine. I also really don't want to lose any shape to my face and neck since I can tend to look very angular and also a little "ropy" or "tendon-y" in my neck.
The short answer is that NONE of this will happen to you.
You won't look ropy. You won't look like a gaunt freak. You won't look masculine. You won't lose shape in your face and neck (since you tend to already look angular).
*If* you need to lose bodyfat (don't know if this is true or false), you will lose it from all over your body, but most likely wherever there is a GREATER percentage of bodyfat on you (let's say your middle), there is a greater possibility THAT is where you will lose it - not from a face/neck that already is at 4% bodyfat, for example.
*When* you put on muscle, it takes a LONG F*CKING TIME. Anytime during that period, if you want a 'softer' look, just EAT MORE.
There ya go!
My total $0.02 is to work the 6 months of NROL4W and at the end of THAT, you will have 100% a better appreciation for how YOUR body works and where YOUR trouble areas are or are not.
You are GOING to do GREAT! Being menopausal can actually be very helpful in strength-building!! Get in your protein. Watch your calories (i.e. you NEED a calorie-deficit if you want to LOSE bodyfat). And lift heavy things 3 x per week.
BOOM!0 -
Today, I lift!
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jdgro, can't remember if i said this before or not, but i went into menopause at 48 and noticed softening, loss of muscles, and middle aged spread pretty quickly. i went on HRT to help pack on the muscle along with NROL4W. it's helping to firm things up. my rationale: do HRT in my 50's then taper off. spend the 50's decade adding as much muscle and bone as i can. HRT has been shown to negatively affect a very small minority of those in their 50's but the risks go up once the 60's are reached.
i don't think you're going to get big. and even if you do add some centimeters it will help fluff out underneath your skin. skinny doesn't look good on us as we age....neither does fat, so what i'm striving for is a smooth muscular look and if i can fit a size 6 most of the time i'm good to go! :-)0 -
Thanks, ladies. I guess my question is if I start with a bodyfat of 15% and gain 8% of muscle will I end up with a scary-low bodyfat like 8-10# or something? Or will "gaining 8# of muscle" work out to where I go from weighing 100# now to weighing 108# at the end but my overall BF# is the same 15#?
I am doing a "natural" HRT that my naturopath gave me. She moved out of the area though so unfortunately I need to find someone else when it comes time to refill my RX since one of the things she has me on requires a doctor RX and she has to actually see me in person (currently we Skype.) I take vaginal estriol cream (topical, this is like the plant-derived "bioidentical hormones" you hear about) then also plant-derived liquids (like tinctures, they are drops suspended in alcohol) of DHEA and a blend that contains pregnenolone and I think something else?? Also I have a progesterone in oil that I rub on my arms for the first 2 weeks of every month. I also take daily liquid vit D and get monthly B12 shots since I'm vegetarian. I feel good on this routine so hopefully I can get MD approval that it's safe and healthy for me and I can continue.
I used to take NOTHING daily so this is a huge switch for me. But in a good way. I feel like everything is working really well.
Anyways.....lifted today and felt really good. I am already seeing some strength increase only halfway through my second week. I did step-ups today and moved from holding 15# in each hand to holding 20#. This is an exercise where I was noticing SO much wrist and hand fatigue at first but I am getting stronger.
I am doing a weird pattern this week of Sun/Thurs/Sat and it's weird. I like M/W/F so I'm going back to that.0 -
Man, I am in a total funk! I should be in elation! I received GREAT news. I had my TEN year Ct scan. I am cancer free for ten years now.
I haven't had an appetite this week. I've lost almost 2 pounds. It's not TOM. That was last week.......
Keep lifting , ladies. I'll be back in the groove soon. Summer is a busy time .0 -
jdgro - have you had a DXA scan done?!??!?! Until you have that exact data in your hand, I would question what your bodyfat is....you might be surprised!! I could go into some long-winded explanation that some people, genetically, have more lean body mass to begin with, some don't,e tc., etc. and none of it would MATTER when comparing you-to-you.
Get a DXA scan done.
You will be fine.
Weight-lifting is ALWAYS the answer.
And, let's face it, if you really do NOT like "the look" you end up with....you can always go back to cardio, cardio, cardio.0 -
Man, I am in a total funk! I should be in elation! I received GREAT news. I had my TEN year Ct scan. I am cancer free for ten years now.
Manic that is excellent news!!
jdgro, even with this programme and eating at a surplus you are unlikely to put on 8lbs of muscle. I can't remember what the numbers are but it is incredibly difficult to put on muscle. Even if you do, if you are eating at a surplus you will also put on fat. As far as i understand it the greater your surplus the more fat you will put on, therefore, if you do feel that you are getting too 'hard' looking you can always eat more to put on more fat.
I definitely think you should keep at the programme and monitor your results. and look at some of the success posts on the forums here for women who lift to see how amazing their bodies are. If you really want expert advice I'd check out the 'eat, train' progress' group. They are amazingly helpful and have lots and lots of information about almost everything fitness and nutrition related.0 -
Thanks so much for the info, ladies. I think I need to just do it and see what happens! Beeps, what is a DXA scan? (I have heard of a DEXA bone density scan but I am thinking you are talking about something more related to body fat?)0
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Thanks, ladies. I guess my question is if I start with a bodyfat of 15% and gain 8% of muscle will I end up with a scary-low bodyfat like 8-10# or something? Or will "gaining 8# of muscle" work out to where I go from weighing 100# now to weighing 108# at the end but my overall BF# is the same 15#?
Gain 8% muscle? Highly unlikely. How are you gaining muscle without body fat gains? Kinda impossible0 -
The DEXA bone density scan will also calculate your bodyfat %.
Below is my measurements and photos from end-of-October, 2013 (I am not much different now...although I do WEIGH more, which i am trying to remove those extra 5 lbs....). Take a GOOD LOOK at those photos. I had a DEXA done that same day!
(I am 5'9" - and on the cusp of my 45th birthday right then - end-of-October, 2013)
^^^ That, right there, is 32.8% bodyfat. ^^^
32.8%
*kitten* I HATED that DEXA scan! Because, i felt like I had trimmed down my body to a decently lower-20's bodyfat %. FOR SURE below 25. Hopefully below 22.
Nada.
That is nearly 35% bodyf*ckingfat RIGHT THERE.
So, yes, the QUEST continues, FOR ME, to remove BODYFAT and build (even a teeny, tiny bit of) muscle.0 -
What?? thats 32%??? I looked at the photos and thought 'wow, that is the body I want'! I had a similar experience when I got a DXA scan, i thought I was at around 32% and it turned out I was 38%. 38% body fat!! I was disgusted. That was last November but I don't think i have gone down much. I will lose it but I have no desire to get down into the teens for bf%. that just seems completely undoable for me!0
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Jdgro-- the number is 2 lbs of muscle per year. So you would have to do everything right for four years to gain 8 lbs of muscle.
I have a similar weight height and even neck . You will like your results but it will take time keep lifting. My husband says I look different--and he can't say how. My back and arms are more defined- but if I focus on my hips and waist I can get discouraged.
If you are at a healthy weight give lifting at least three months before you decide. Take measurements and pictures.
Congrats manic- why the bad mood?0 -
Thanks ladies. I am not at a healthy weight now. I am underweight by about 8-10#. That's part of why I wanted to get more into serious weight lifting. My weight was lower than it is now and I was able to gain a bit over the past several months. (I had some health issues last year that contributed.) But I want to gain "good" weight rather than just adding on pounds but not being mindful of what form those pounds take.
When I was in my 20s and early 30s a good, healthy weight for me was about 108-110. I felt and looked really strong. so that is what I am aiming for once again.
Beeps, I did have DEXA a few years ago after my mom's osteoporosis diagnosis. She was diagnosed with osteoporosis at a very advanced level at a pretty young age (early 50s) so my ob/gyn referred me out for testing. I don't remember anyone telling me anything about BF though, just bone density results.
I think I am going to mostly go off of how my clothes fit, how my body is looking, and how I feel. It is summer in So Cal now which means bikini several times a week -- it's that time of year .0 -
Suffering from Winter procrastination here... but not about exercise LOL
I've done my 3x lifting this week as we were meant to have several lots of tradespeople floating around today. Only one lot turned up and they were finished by 9.30am... I have work to do, it's almost tax time here and I have so much to organise before school holidays. But my mind is like... you could go work out you know...
Am I the only one who would use lifting as a procrastination tool?
But I shall be good and get work done (why am I on here again? LOL)
Did I also mention I'm cold? Pfftt stupid cold, rainy winter weather. Is it lunch time yet?0
