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Hi guys, I'm Jen, I'm 23, 5'9" from Melbourne Australia. Here's my crazy story!
I was a little overweight (80kgs) from the age of 18-21. I got into cardio at Fernwood women's gyms and got down to a healthy weight of 65kg.
Unfortunately from the age of 21-22 had an abusive ex boyfriend and I got into the drug scene.
By Dec 2010 I was seriously underweight at 53.5kg. I'm 5"9 so I looked like a junkie. I developed depression & anxiety and knew I was sick.
I decided to quit drugs (very heavy marijuana use, occasional speed & acid use). I took myself to the doctor for medication.
Thankfully, Ive always been a self motivator and have been able to realize where I'm at & what I need to do.
I dug myself out of that hole and sorted my life out. I worked in a nursing home for a few months and realized how important health is.
If you don't have your health, you have nothing.
Now, about 14 months after quitting drugs, I am the happiest & healthiest I have ever been!
I'm engaged to my high school love and getting married this November.
He is an ex strongman & power lifter and trains me at our gym.
I've been back into fitness since Jan 2011 and have recently switched from Fernwood to a weights gym, Apollo. It's basically a warehouse full of weights
1 month ago I switched from bodybuilder to strength style training. Amazing results! Now my fiancé is training me, my max weights have gone up drastically. (max for one rep)
I am currently using the 5/3/1 program as a template.
Squats: prev max 35kg, current max 65kg
Bench press: prev max 15kg, current max 35kg
I am more motivated than ever and am weight training min 4 times a week for 1-2hrs. I throw in cardio after weights, and walk our dogs for 30min every day. I am currently 68.5 kg and am looking more buff each week
I use a pre workout shake, follow my workouts with whey protein isolate mixed with waxy maize starch. At night I drink a milk protein concentrate for slow release.
My goals for this year are to increase my cardio and drop my body fat level a little. I want to squat 80kg by mid year and bench 50kg.
My motto, "Balls up and get it done"
STRONG IS THE NEW SEXY
I hope my story inspires some of you ladies to lift heavy 0 -
hello every body , the name is del im 37 from ireland
been lifting for best part of 20 years ,never cared about diets or my weight. the job i had was very physical so that kept my weight down ,moved jobs 5 years ago and spend most of my time sitting now .between moving jobs ,house going on to shift hours and having a new baby in the house the training slowed right down and the belly right out .
now its time to shift the belly .
I HATE CARDIO AND DIETING so have found this site very helpful in watching what i eat .
looking for a few friends to help along the way .to share info and advice with .
please feel free to me add me as a friend0 -
Hi. I'm a 40 yo mom of two who loves to lift weights. I was a previous cardio junkie but as I got a little older, my body wasn't responding the way it used to. Cardio started to backfire and left me underweight and feeling faint most of the time. I decided to pick up the weights in September '11 and haven't looked back since.
I'm happier, healthier and look the best I've ever looked in my adult life. Strength training has also helped my self-confidence as well as energy levels. I'm sorry I didn't start sooner.
And no, I didn't "bulk" up. Hardly... :laugh:0 -
welcome all of you who have joined in the recent weeks (and months!) glad to have you here.
i'll have to update my info:
i'm off the 6 days a week cycles. now i lift 3 days a week and do LISS 3-4 times a week, mostly for the dog's sake. I've also been on the leangains/intermittant fasting protocol for a few weeks and really REALLY ike it!0 -
Hi everyone ~ I'm Heather, 38, mom of 2 very active daughters, and 70lbs overweight.
I did some strength training for about 3 months a year and a half ago, but that was in a gym with a personal trainer. Have had many obstacles since then and no longer have the gym membership. I have a very weak lumbar region, herniated discs and hypertrophied facets from L3-S1. Even walking hurts for days afterwards. :grumble: I am looking for tips on how to lift at home, safely! I need to strengthen my back, that is my main priority, but without injuring it more. I have been sedentary for over a year waiting for it to heal and its not, so I am trying something new!
I have a yoga mat, large balance ball, and hand weights and resistance bands, but am willing to purchase more to get this started. I also hang upside down a few times a week on my inversion table, which helps with the pressure and pain in my back.
Taking any suggestions! Thanks ~ :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi! Have you ever thought of doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women routine? Very easy to do from home. I did that from September '11 - April '12 and made some nice progress. Also, the other book The New Rules of Lifting for Abs focuses on core and back strength. I have the book but haven't done the program yet. Hope that helps.0
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get a pilates dvd for home ,i had a back injury which was stopping my lifting .did a course of pilates and found it very helpful.got me back lifting and now when i feel a tweak i add it back to my routine0
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Hi,
My name is Bob, I started my Journey to Health on January 3rd, 2011 at the weight of 437 lbs. Over 16 months I lost over 200 lbs. At the encouragement of a co-worker (who is an amature Body builder) I started lifiting in October 2011 under the care of a PT. While my scale has been jumping around, I am seeing great results from lifting and I am still moving forward in my program no matter WHAT the scale says.
My goal is to keep lifting to hold on the muscle I have (currently at 18% Body Fat) and looking to reduce my fat to under 10%. So I am MORE focused on Body Comp than I am on the scale.
It is great to be reading through all the comments and posts, I am trying to get my hands around the proper nutrition that I should be eating to reach my goal, but I keep reading and studying.
Thanks!
Bob0 -
I am 46 weighing at 158.3. Just lost close to 20 lbs. I have always been a casual exerciser, off and on again. I am really looking to get into shape and start toning. I own a bowflex and have access to many free gym membership with my job. Just looking for guidance to get started and get fairly serious about this before I get any older!0
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I'm Mike, 38 years old. I struggled with my weight as a kid, but lost most of it when I became very active in sports. I was fortunate enough to play baseball beyond high school. That kept the weight off, but didn't do well for teaching me how to control what I ate. After my playing days were ended by a shoulder injury my junior year in college, I ballooned up quickly. Pizza and beer will do that to you.
After college, I was able to join a gym and played basketball regularly. Dropped all the college weight and kept it off for several years. I was living on the Mississippi gulf coast when Hurricane Katrina hit. I didn't lose everything like many other folks. However, I was left without a place to live or work. My company offered temporary housing in Baton Rouge and an office to work out of. I wasn't working out during this time and, again, ballooned very quickly. During this time, I got up to my highest weight of somewhere around 250 lbs at 5'8". I lost a little of this weight throughout the next few years, but never really made any major changes.
Finally, in November of 2010, I decided enough was enough. We joined the gym, again, and I started the C25k program. I mostly did cardio with some weights at the beginning. I wasn't logging food then. I did well at dropping the weight and was able to complete the C25k program. Still, I wasn't looking like I thought I would. I found out about MFP and started using it June 2011. I began reading the forums and was able to filter out good vs. bad advice. I finally started strength training program and understand the importance of macros.
I'm currently at 205 lbs and 19% body fat. I don't have a goal weight, but my body fat goal is 12%.0 -
Hi everyone - I've lost 64 pounds mostly through use of MFP food journal, walking and occasional use of dumbbells. Yesterday I joined a gym and completed my first cardio/weight class. This morning I am a "wee bit" stiff but it feels great!
I am retired and want to live long enough to spend and enjoy every penny of my pension. That means I would like a firmer body since I am starting to sag as the weight comes off.
I have never focused on strength training in the past and am counting on the inspiration and knowledge of my fellow MFP'ers on this board. I want to :bigsmile: :bigsmile: lose a total of 155 pounds so I have 91 to go. I will use the gym membership to expand my social circle and to attend classes until I become a regular. I also want to start using some of the circuits that the gym has set up for those focusing on strength training.
Thanks for any input you'd like to offier. Here's a virtual toast (of water of course) to success for all!0 -
Hi all, I'm chams.
I'm a 51 year old, 5'-7" male from Ontario Canada.
I started out about 200 lbs. and I'm down to 173 lbs. My goal is 165.
Background, and why I joined this group:
I worked construction most of my life and basically destroyed my joints. I suffer pretty badly from arthritis, both from wear and tear and genetically. I also had an ankle rebuilt at about age 22 due to bad ligaments and constantly rolling it.
The last 15 years I've worked in an office behind a desk most of the day and I still retained a healthy appetite from my early years.
That said, I've still been doing about 3 miles per day on the treadmill at 5 degree incline and 3mph.
I want to add strength training to my routine to burn the last fat and just tone my muscles not bulk like crazy.
The main thing for me is I want to learn a way to strength train either sitting or lying on a bench so that I don't put further strain
on already poorly abused ankles and knees.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.0 -
Hi, my name is Kim. I am 47 years old and the mother of two teenage boys (17 & 19) and I live in the Boston area. I am a newbie to MFP and I am looking for some motivation as well as information on strenght training. Although I go to the gym often to do my cardio, it's becoming evident to me, that's not enough! I am just trying to get my courage up to give weight training a try. I don't have the foggiest idea of where to begin, that's why I joined this group. Hoping to pick up some tips on picking up the weights and dropping a few pounds!0
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Hello everyone!! My name is Tracy and I am a gym rat from Montana. :-) I have been lifting for two years now, and I am getting ready for my second season of figure competing. I started lifting in an attempt to strengthen my legs while I was training for a half marathon, but quickly fell in love with lifting, and now only run if something horrible is chasing me, or if I have to test for my Army fitness test.
I am currently in my seventh month of bulking, and am getting ready to start cutting again at the first of the year. I have added 15 pounds, and increased body fat from 9-10% on stage, to 15-16% now. I am huge on nutritious and nutrient timing. I contribute all my success to that. I consider myself to be a hard gainer, and struggle to keep muscle once I work my *kitten* off to gain it.
I lift four days on, with one rest day. On my rest day, I do sprint hill intervals. When I cut, I basically, just add cardio. I keep my calories high.
My routine looks like this: (compound movements are priority...isolation second)
Day 1: Legs -
Day 2: Shoulders/Abs
Day 3: Back/Biceps
Day 4: Chest/Triceps
Legs are my favorite, although they used to be my least favorite. I believe in making your weakness your strengths over time. :-) Lifting has changed my life for the positive. I only surround myself with like minded, positive people, that support and understand my lifestyle. I have never been happier. :-)0 -
Jake,
You sound very similar to me.
I am 53 years old and live in Seattle
I have done a lot of cardio, but never have been able to stick with doing weight training , but really want to .
I really just want to look toned , especially my upper body .
Any hints and tips to keep me on track would be great.
Is three days of weights for 30 minutes enough or should I be doing more ?
Thanks
Mark0 -
Hi! I know a Jake Jacobson in my town but hes 67. my name is Katie. I am 38 years old. I am the atheltetic type and want to build muscles and look tone as well as lose weight. I am starting tomorrow with the Jorge Cruise strength training work out I have.0
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New to this group...so stopping by to say hello.
My name is Jessica, and I'm here to learn about strength training. After so many years, I finally feel I have my diet figured out. I know exercise is important for me to get fit and stay healthy, but there's still a lot I don't know!!
I've had gym memberships in the past and would usually incorporate cardio with some mild lifting. I do enjoy working out...when I'm actually doing it.
About a year ago, I quit my big city job and moved from New Jersey to a small town in Portugal. By design, I am unemployed and living my life like the adventure it should be.
I recently regained control over my weight and health, and have lost ~30 pounds by eating clean food and working out at home. I just completed the 30DS and am pleased with the results...loss in inches, a gain in strength and confidence. This workout made me realize I want to focus on strength training to reach my goals....
Fun part is to find creative ways to incorporate lifting into my routine without spending money! Even for the 30DS, I made my own weights by filling water bottles with sand and cat litter...painted them a nice blue and they worked just fine.
I do own a beginner's resistance band set to see if I'd use them...so far, I haven't. Not really sure what to do with them, lol.
I'm hoping to use this group as a resource, and I welcome any tips, advice, feedback, etc...from anyone!0 -
Hi!
I've been using MFP for a few weeks to track my nutrition, and now just starting to participate in the forum. I'm glad to have found this group because strength training is my primary activity these days.
About 4 years ago (age 38) I began lifting weights for the first time since my teenage years. As a youth, I wrecked my shoulders doing too-heavy bench press with bad form. When I discovered the Starting Strength book 4 yrs ago, I was excited to learn that I could, with good technique, lift without wrecking myself.
So my goal was to get strong, and getting strong required lifting heavy and eating heavy. Yeah, I got stronger...and fatter. I was willing to put up with the fatness because I was having a lot of fun with my newfound strength! (Stronger is relative here...I will never be a very strong guy).
After a couple of years, I had an accident and was immobilized for a few months, and while my strength slowly declined while I sat on my *kitten*, the fat stuck around. For whatever reason, I haven't been able to train consistently since recovering from the accident. I make the easy strength gains then lose them. I still really enjoy lifting heavy, but I want to lose the fat more than be strong now.
My motivation is to start with Olympic Weightlifting, where strength-to-weight ratio matters. So, I'm training with that in mind.
I hope to be active on this board...please tell me to stfu if I get too annoying 8 ))
scott0 -
Hi my names shelley I am 27. I live in NZ and have just joined fitness pal. My starting weight was 358 pounds or 165kilos. I am now down to 255 pounds or 116 Kilos. I still have a long way to go I started walking last year in July and then about 3 months ago joined a gym and am having a personal training session once a week and doing 4-5 workouts on my own. I am now doing strength training. I am worried about loose skin my skin is already getting wrinkly on my arms when I move them in a certain way. Has strength training helped other with loose skin. I am going to have a look through all the other posts because I am trying to work out a good strength training programme for myself. I did a hard work out last night on my upper body and dam my arms are sore today woohoo. lol...Am looking forward to read more and learn more about strength training.0
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hi my name is Amanda,
I've yo-yoed for a couple years now with my weight never understanding what it really takes to be fit. I'm not sure what my heaviest was but I was at 240 last year. I started doing a lot of research around Feb of this year and stopped making excuses. I made meal plans and prepped food and learned that was my weakness. ive been going steady in the gym since Feb with no real issues on staying motivated. Even though my weight is still a large number I have learned there is more to it than a number. Once I started lifting heavy I knew the scale would never tell me what I wanted to see. However my body is so different and the feeling I get during and after lifting is amazing. I still do my cardio classes but I know those are not key to the body I want. I go Friday for another session to see where I stand and what I have accomplished these past 6 weeks. My goal is 165ish with a bf% of 15-18 by the end of the year. But if it takes longer I am ok with that. I no longer beat myself up over my health because I actually feel like I make an effort every day to change it.0
