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@JBanx256. Thanks! To answer your question - I’ didn’t gain 10lbs on 12 weeks but now want to lose 10 lbs - I’m about two pounds heavier than I was 12 weeks ago - daggumit!
You’re right - between my husband’s birthday (pasta and and wine and ice cream), the World Cup, and going all out for the last workout of the program (I’m soooo sore), I may have some water weight.
I like the idea of going to maintenance. It’s already making me less stressed!
If you get this (know you’re heading out) do you totally “deload”? No lifting at all or just light exercise?
Have a great trip - as much as you’re able!0 -
Just dropping in to say I'm following along with this chat, learning and weighing my options (sorry, scale pun). I'm makng some fitness changes soon as I need to shake things up.
@CeeBeeSlim it sounds like you're doing all the right things including wine and ice cream in moderation!1 -
@JBanx256 - Thank you SOOOO much for the response. 100% appreciated.
I agree with @K8richly I'm loving the convo.
@ceebeslim I don't know how long you deload but, I used to do a 1 week of Light to no weights: 2 days of 45-60mins yoga. 2 days of Kickboxing. 1 day of core. 2 days of general cardio. Always had myself and friends doing the program say they lost the most weight that week - probably because of the cortisol returning to normal and the muscles being able to recover completely.1 -
Ugh! Been soooo busy unpacking from my move in March! I’m deloading for the week but haven’t picked up a weight. Mostly getting my steps in and up and down steps lugging stuff - so in no way idle.
@k8richly - so far so okay. Could do better!
@SherryRueter - in keeping my fingers crossed the weight goes down a bit!0 -
Well done to those that have managed to lose. I am following.0
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@CeeBeeSlim
If you get this (know you’re heading out) do you totally “deload”? No lifting at all or just light exercise?
Sorry for delay in response - WiFi was absolute garbage where I was staying so didn't come onto the forums at all.
I still lift during deload week, but greatly reduced volume. Depending on the "big picture," I reduce load (ballpark of 60-65%), cut sets to normally 2 per movement, and cut back on reps as well (sometimes it's just flipping back in my log to the 1st week of the mesocycle (which is at 3RIR for me) and referencing those reps, or for my "big/heavy" movements like bench and squat, I may just do something like 3-5 reps).
It dissipates a ton of fatigue but the movements don't get rusty (and my sad joints don't get so freakin' stiff but also are getting a huge break).
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@JBanx256: seriously ???!!! Wow, you look great! I'm already glad I have a little line around my biceps, haha! When flexing only of course
I'm in awe!
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@Antiopelle Yeah - @JBanx256 is next level!
Q for you @JBanx256. Soooo post my 12week training program I’m getting comments like “wow”, “bam” “ooh a shape” - all due to a more pronounced bum. Clothes are more filled out.
The thing is that I would’ve preferred to have gotten more “toned” but with less size - to keep my smaller frame but tighter - now I feel tight but more filled out. During this 12 week period (unlike others) I added a day of training to three times a week, progressively overloaded, did little to no cardio, and if anything ate in maintenance or slight surplus.
If I want to “shrink” but keep the muscle - what should I do?
Is this a nutrition fix (deficit)?
Training change (back to 2 days a week, or only Jane Fonda-ish type exercises (no squats, deadlift stuff - just leg lifts and hydrants type stuff - no weights?)
other? Either way I may lose the strength right - in exchange for trimmer looking muscle?
Hope this makes some sense!0 -
I propose we start a new thread called "ask JBanx anything" since we seem to have hijacked this one. 😆 🤣 I have some basic startup questions about strength training....
Here we go: whenever I go beyond free weights and increase my load, my lower back acts up. It acts up, I have to ease off and then I'm back to square one. I know it's because I have weak glutes. Physios have been warning me for years. But how do I strengthen my glutes without hurting my low back? Do I need a personal trainer to get over this hump? I've never needed a trainer before and as a long time fitness/gym rat ive always considered myself savvy enough to create my own plans but old age or something means I can't seem to get over this hurdle. Do i just need to be super slow and incremental and my back will catch up? Thoughts?
@CeeBeeSlim the moment people tell you that you look amazing, you should rejoice! Enjoy the moment as you have really earned it. Trimmer muscles - ha! this is a good "problem" to have! ("Problem" is in air quotes because that's NOT a problem in my books). Congratulations on your filled out muscles, seriously! Very inspiring.....
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I love this thread!!! Learning from it all and so nice to know I am not alone! @k8richly I wonder if maybe your form is off? What exercises specifically cause your back to hurt? I would suggest trying to do bodyweight glute bridges a few days a week to start activating your glutes and getting them primed. You could then try progressing to light weight DB Romanian Dead Lifts and if you have access to a Smith Machine, I love doing hip thrusts on the Smith Machine. You don't need to go heavy on them. Just get the motion and start to feel your glutes firing.
@CeeBeeSlim I experience, and hope, for the same thing! I want to tighten up not round out. My booty is already bootylicious and is the last place, along with my hips, to lose fat. I am slender in my midsection, my arms are fairly cut, but my hips and thighs and booty hold it all!
@JBanx256 you are a goddess! And thank you for sharing your expertise with all of us!!!0 -
@k8richly Agree with @nay0m3. Could it be your form. My lower back aches - only when I sleep though - never during any exercise. It started giving me problems years ago and I figured it was due to a trainer’s improper coaching.
When squatting and deadlifting she told me to imagine myself flirting! So here I was lifting very heavy with a very VERY pronounced anterior pelvic tilt. Don’t even wanna think about the damage it did.
Im actually - hence the post to @JBanx256 - considering dropping deadlifts and squats altogether. My doc told me to but didn’t think it was necessary. But I ain’t no spring chicken so something is telling me to consider his advice.
Is there a certain move where you can feel the ache?0 -
@CeeBeeSlim
Just to make sure I'm reading your post correctly - you want keep muscle mass to the extent possible, but generally be smaller overall? Yes, achieving that will mean dropping bodyfat is necessary. When I cut, my jeans get to be too big, I have to crank down on my lifting belt to another notch, etc.
To maintain the muscle mass you have to the greatest extent possible (especially if you cut pretty hard, losing SOME is just about as inevitable as gaining some fat when you're in a massing phase, sure you want to minimize fat gain but just fact of life, if you're in a surplus, you're gonna gain SOME (assuming you're not on PED's, duh)). To preserve the muscle you have, definitely keep protein high & continue to lift. If you go to strictly bodyweight movements, you're going to risk losing a greater proportion of lean tissue because your body simply won't be getting the requisite stimulus.
As far as strength goes...a lot there is going to depend on how much of a deficit you're in; I'm assuming you're not doing a bunch of 1RM (or otherwise super low-rep) stuff, but you may lose a bit of top-end strength and fatigue faster (meaning able to get fewer reps just due to being worn out from low calories etc). More than when you're in maintenance or a surplus, you're going to need to listen to your body; if you need to drop weight a bit to stay in your targeted rep range (and keep good form!), do it! In some cases, a loss of significant fat mass (or, on the other end - gaining) can actually change your movement patterns/leverages a bit too, because the body's actual shape has changed enough to make a difference.0 -
@k8richly
Clarifying question - you say whenever you "go beyond free weights and increase load" - is it ANY free weight squats/deads/etc, or is it just when you bump up the weight you're using? Also, do you wear a belt when you squat and/or pull?
Regardless, squats & deads, tho I love them (love/hate, really), aren't necessary for hypertrophy. I mean unless you're gonna compete in powerlifting where they are literally required...well, they're not required. If you get a good workout sticking to machines, I mean yeah free weights are good because stabilizing muscles etc etc, but when it comes to significant pain and/or risking injury, I'd think the trade-off is worth it. FWIW, the last time I hurt my back, I had to go with zero axial loading because of the pain - so went with quad extensions, hamstring curls, seated calves, etc for awhile. Yeah, it sucked, but better than no training at all right?
THAT SAID, I would be interested to know if your back bothers you when you do some variations on the movements. Eg, trap bar deadlifts, front squats or using a specialty bar like safety squat bar? It may be worth trying a variation with either very low, or no, weight on the bar, just to see how it feels? If it feels good, add just a little bit of weight, don't push it, and then see how your back feels about it and go from there?
RE: glute strength, you could do some stuff like Bulgarian Split Squats (warning: they suuuuuuuuuuck), hip thrusts, pull-throughs etc. Not sure if you're familiar with Bret Contreras but his nickname is, "the glute guy." I WANT to say JPS put out a few freebie templates awhile back with a glute emphasis; I am pretty sure I have them saved so if you want just shoot me a message with your email & I'll send them once I dig them up.0 -
@JBanx256 - Thank you so much. You are a gifted explainer. Yes, I want to keep muscle mass just be a bit smaller. So - I really have to get my head in the nutrition game and be consistent with my calorie intake. It’s clearer to me that although I may have been trying to be in a calorie deficit - I was not consistent.
After reading so much on fitness, there’s one thing I can never ever understand. What exactly are the differences between hypertrophy, strength training, and resistance training? My goal is mostly aesthetic - wanted to get “toned” - to go from flabby-ish or little muscle definition to seeing some biceps, hamstrings etc.
While doing the advanced program in Strong Curves - (funny you mentioned Bret), I did indeed gain muscle definition (baby got back!🤣🤣) and got stronger (able to lift more and more). I used bands, I got stronger, I got
some definition - aka tone.
Did I do all three - resistance training, strength training and hypertrophy?
Happy Holidays!❤️
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CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
Did I do all three - resistance training, strength training and hypertrophy?
Happy Holidays!❤️
Yes ma'am you did. I'm not going on any textbook definitions here, this is kinda a ramble through my brain at 0130 hours as I sit in my patrol truck and I'm sure someone who wanted to be super-pedantic about it could rip this to shreds, but in my mind:
-hypertrophy: building muscle (my mind has it the opposite of atrophy, which when I hear/think, I am imagining a limb that is not being used for a long period of time (in a cast perhaps) or person is in a hospital bed, and so their muscle mass decreases, wasting away), chasing dem gainzzzzzzzzzzzz
-resistance training: literally any training that utilizes resistance, whether that be barbells, machines, bands, kettlebells, sandbags, whatever
-strength training: any training/exercise done with the purpose of increasing strength to any degree. So like powerlifting training is not hypertrophy training (although powerlifters will often run a hypertrophy block because, "a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle") but both powerlifting and training for hypertrophy would be strength training
So to me there's a lot of overlap there & especially strength/resistance can/are used interchangeably (once again, I'm sure someone, somewhere would read that and go, "BUT...." and to that person I'd simply say, "good day sir may you one day get a life." When I go to the gym later today, I'll be doing all 3.
Happy holidays to you too! Hope Santa treats you well
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Wow @JBanx256 - didn’t expect such a speedy reply! Thanks so much. Again you impress me with your explanations. Why I never connected hyper-trophy with a-trophy I will never know.
You explained what was confusing me. I always figured a stronger muscle IS a bigger muscle and a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle so never got why there was a distinction between strength training/power lifting and hypertrophy.
Simply put, i wanted my muscles to show. Wear something sleeveless - see a bicep or tricep. Wear something off the shoulder - see a muscle. Lol. A fitted shirt - see at least an outline of some six pack. In the beginning I couldn’t care less whether I bench press, squat, deadlift whatever pounds - so I guess strength training wasn’t my goal - but it was getting addicting to see how I was progressing workout to workout!
You’re my Fitness Santa!! ❤️2 -
CeeBeeSlim wrote: »but it was getting addicting to see how I was progressing workout to workout!
You’re my Fitness Santa!! ❤️
YOU CALLIN' ME A HO?!? JK JK
But yes, it absolutely IS addictive, isn't it?!?
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Girl! You must know me! But I figured I needed a few more posts to be calling you a ho’, Ho! 🤣🤣🤣
Was it just me? Couldn’t get into my groups for the last day!😡0 -
@jbanx256 Does the body really change after 50yr? Is my overwhelming need for sugar really just a mental thing? What can I do to motivate/discipline myself to eat lunch and then not eat until 6pm?
I'm SOOOO feeling like i'm struggling with sugar and I eat a balanced lunch, and I just want another snack 30mins later. and then I want another hit an hour later and.... well by the time I get to 5pm I'm not hungry for dinner but, I have to have something with the family. and I keep trying to break out of the cycle. I get out of it a day or 2 but, then wham..... back in it. I've really been trying to figure it out on my own but I just ain't making the progress.
How can I get out of this repeated pattern? I knwo a LOT of ladies and men struggle with this time of day.
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@JBanx256 is totally Fitness Santa. hee hee 😜.
@CeeBeeSlim I was blocked from Groups for a couple days too. Frigging MFP.
@SherryReuter - the afternoon slump is hard for me too. I especially notice if I haven't had enough protein at lunch. Have you tried topping up whatever macro is low instead of going for sugar? Your body may be needing something else and isn't getting what it needs from the sugar hits.
Thanks to you all that chimed in about my *kitten*... sorry, GLUTES. I've had a bad right lower back/hip since my varsity days (played ice and field hockey, so lots of bending over, mostly on one side). It acts up if I run too much or if I'm lifting too heavy or too often. It isn't one move that hurts it during the workout. Rather it's afterwards, the next day, it can be painful to the point that i cant sit or walk (but I rarely let it get that bad, don't worry). My physio tells me my quads and hamstrings are so strong they are doing all the work while my glutes are snoozing. Which has all sorts of things pulling and tugging my back/hip wrong.
I'm under orders to strengthen my glutes. They gave me hip thrusts, bridges, clamshells and all that nonsense to do. I hate doing physio exercises. They are like medicine -I know its good for me but it's BORING.
So....what's a fun quick fix for my weak butt? Just kidding, but not really. I need to kick it. What's the name of that butt guy again? Because once it's stronger then I will be able to really challenge myself.1
