Desperately seeking muscle.... HELP!

Hi do you lift heavy? Free weights or machines?
From all I have read on her you need to be lifting heavy, and preferably free weights as they incorporate more muscles. Check out Jaimie Easons program on bodybuilding.com or New rules of lifting for women - Lou Schuler, or for your core New rules of lifting for abs - also Lou Schuler.

Good luck

www.bodyrecomposition.com

Have you been getting enough protein? Lifting weights won't help much if there is not enough protein in your body to generate the new muscle with. You might look there.

Get Protein and Multivitamins! Also, my mom had joint problems as well and I recommended her to take "Flex Support" and it worked for her Also had a client that had the same thing happen to her

It has glucosamine and other good stuff for the joints and such

I am 36 yrs old and currently weigh 135. My goal now is to build muscle and found this blog one of my MFP peeps posted very helpful.. Here it is..


Overtraining
Posted on 02/16/2012 by TuDominicano
I'm doing my best to kill it in the gym, but I'm not getting the results I want and I feel tired and sore all the time. What do you think Obi: Am I overtraining?
You probably are. When I first started working out, I thought training 6-to-7 days per week for 3 hours per day would get me ripped way faster than the dude who trains only 3 times per week. It took me years to figure out that I was overtraining and I wasn't giving my body enough time to recover. You don't build muscles when you're training; you build them when you're resting. So if you don't rest, you can't build.

Sometimes, it's difficult to tell if you're overtraining, but there's a difference between being sore from a tough lifting session and being sore from overtraining. If you are feeling consistent pain in your muscles and joints or have headaches, insomnia, and uninspired gym sessions - you might be overtraining. You need to give your body a break. If you feel really sore, it's not just okay, but necessary to take a day or two off. Resting a day or two does not mean you won't reach your fitness goals: it means you'll probably help yourself achieve them.

More generally, here are some keys to healthy training - as opposed to overtraining:

1/
Be Efficient
There is no mathematical equation that makes the length of time you spend in the gym equal to the awesomeness of your physique. My body always recovers best when I train 4 days per week. On this schedule, my body aches less and I can power through my workouts with strength and energy.




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If I train my chest every day, it will be seven
times bigger than the other guys. Right?
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2/
Sleep
Sufficiently
Your muscles grow when you sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, it's almost impossible for muscles to recover and repair at their optimal level. A lack of sleep prevents your body from being fully functional for the next workout. Sleep at least 8 hours each night.

3/
Listen To
Your Body
If you aren't tuned in, you have a much greater chance of injury. You'll also struggle to lose fat because you won't know when to take down the duration and intensity. Objectively assess your training routine and adjust before injuring yourself.

4/
Remember Reaching
Goals Take Time
Take it from me. I used to train 6-or-7 days per week for 3 hours per day. Anyone spending that much time in the gym is overtraining (not to mention in serious need of an intervention). And I can promise that training that often for that long will not help you achieve your fat-loss goals any faster. It's a hard pill to swallow. But when you recognize that your goals aren't going to materialize overnight, you'll see that it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the gym. Keep in mind, however, you actually have to go to the gym to build muscle.



Splitsville
My split works great for me, my goals and my lifestyle. Adopt one that works to fit you.

Obi's Training Split
Monday- Chest/Biceps- 30 minutes of high intensity cardio
Tuesday- Legs/Triceps/Abs- 30 minutes of high intensity cardio
Wednesday- Shoulders/Back- 30 minutes of high intensity cardio
Thursday- Light Chest/Biceps/Abs
Friday- Off
Saturday- Off
Sunday- Off

Nothing is working – I need to make changes -  I’m 36 – I weigh 122lb. I quit smoking a year ago – I gained 6lb in the year since I stopped and no matter what I do I cannot shift it.

I go to the gym 5-7 days per week. I do Half hour CV and around 20 minutes weight lifting each visit and 400 crunches style exercises – I’m no the strongest - bar bell I can curl is about 15kg. I really need to lift a lot heavier to gain muscle.

I recently got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis – and so really need to boost my muscles to give less pressure on the joints – I’m way to old to let arthritis slow me down.

Daily I eat around 1300 calories per day – this tends to creep up one night at the weekend when I let my hair down a little – I have tried eating more – but it just stays as fat… As of this week 175 of them calories will come from protein drinks (SCI MX) - I have changed my diet targets to gain 25% of my calorie intake from Protein, 55% from carbs and 20% from fat. I’m by no means a nutrition expert- I just used protein calculators from body building sites to find the right needs for the amount of exercise I do. And I hope I;m not too far off the mark.

I’m really hoping these changes I have made help me to build lean muscle and burn a bit more fat off – both to slow the crippling effect of my disease and to improve my general health and appearance. At present I have a 29.5inch waist, and 37inch hips - most of my chubbiness is around my core… Bit pear shaped I guess. I have a tiny frame in there somewhere as my arms and legs are really skinny… I think my waste aught to be around 24 :-/

… Any one got any other tips on how I can reach my goals?

You quite possibly might be doing to much cardio. Also try to go as heavy as you can in an 8-10 rep range.