deekaydee Member

That's a good program also. I thoroughly enjoyed the first stage, the later stages got to be a bit much for me, but still a good program. The book is a great read and is also helpful with form.

That's one of the great things about Stronglifts, you start off light so you can focus on form, but QUICKLY advance. I've seen amazing results in the two months I've been doing it and really love the program. It's very simple in concept (only five lifts) but gets the job done. In the beginning, I added some isolation…

Stronglifts 5x5. A free download from the internet. The manual and the website are a bit 'gimmicky' but the program is terrific. Also, the iPhone/iPod free Stronglifts tracker app is awesome. Get yourself comfortable with form -- Google reputable form information, watch YouTube videos, seek input from a trainer, etc.

I'm oftentimes the only female in the free weight section. It makes me feel like a bad@ss. (And if you don't know yet what you're doing, maybe get a few sessions with a personal trainer at the gym to familiarize yourself with it, and get pointers on form? Then look up some workouts and go to town.)

I am also doing Stronglifts. I do more than a little cardio, because I have some races coming up that I'm still training for. I've backed off from what I used to do. My schedule is: M Stronglifts (e.g. squat, overhead press, deadlift) T 15s / 45 s interval running -- 10 minutes of this knocks me out -- then 20 minutes of…

Here I fixed it for you, you have to change the "IMG" to "img" :smile:

Agree with the poster above....do way less cardio. Also, if you are 15 lbs away from goal, keep a very small deficit -- 250 or so. And realize that the scale may not move as quickly but the results will be better! My scale weight has dropped verrrrry slowly since I've started heavy lifting, but I've seen insane amounts of…

I'm not one for videos so can't comment on those. When I dove into strength training I went with the heavy lifting programs, squats/deadlifts, etc. Yes, you can do it at home with the right equipment. I am currently doing the Stronglifts 5X5 program, which I think is a great one for beginners -- only five lifts to learn.…

Yes, some loose skin, and yes, appearance has improved but I do still have some. This is my main problem area and I think it's just gonna take a little more time (I hope!!). I don't know that I credit the lifting for that as much as the calorie deficit and overall bodyfat reduction -- and loose skin is kind of a different…

Yes I did! I saw a couple lb increase in the beginning, but that quickly came off. I actually lost a couple pounds while in maintenance mode, and then afterwards went back to a small deficit (250-300 cal per day) and kept losing.

It has varied depending on what I'm doing. I had a few sessions with a trainer that were 45 min long. That got me used to the free weight section of the gym, and helped me with some form. I then started New Rules of Lifting for Women -- that workout started at about 25 minutes, but quickly progressed to taking 45 or…

Thank you. I lift in a gym. With Stronglifts, I'm doing 5 basic lifts - squat, bench, overhead press, deadlift, barbell row. Right now I'm at 115 squat, 130 deadlift.

What is your running schedule like? I've been running for a while now (2 yrs), and just in the last four months added weight-lifting. I'll be honest, it didn't take long for me to really feel like I wasn't able to really excel at either one while focusing on both. I'm actually more interested in focusing on the lifting at…

Just posted my success story a few minutes ago and then saw this thread. No starvation here, started at 1500 calories but usually eat 1700-2000. Eat my exercise calories too.

ha! in that picture I was actually dressed in character for a murder mystery party, it's not my usual attire. :smile:

If that's the case, time to find a new gym.

Yes that is exactly right. I've asked that same question, and from the research I've done, soreness just means you've exposed your muscles to something different....it is not a measure of how hard you've worked.

Just wanted to add to this, didn't read all the responses but..... I am 5'7", started at 182, and just hit 149 this week. I've never eaten at 1200 net the entire time during my journey. When I was in the 170s, I was eating between 1500-1600 NET (eating back exercise calories, because I work out most days and goshdarnit,…

It really all depends on what your goals are. To create a larger calorie deficit, cardio is more efficient (burns more calories quicker). But you certainly don't have to do cardio to lose weight...you only have to eat at a deficit. If you're eating at a calorie deficit, weight training helps you to retain muscle. I…

Can you remove the bar from the rack? If so, it's probably a squat rack. If not, and the bar moves up and down along a track within the machine, it's a smith machine.

A) The author really recommends against using the smith machine, does your gym have a squat rack or power cage? B) For step-ups, can you use a bench (like for bench presses) instead of a stair? C) I think you could do reverse crunches in place of the prone jackknife, maybe do some additional research on that. Do you have…

That's kind of what I'd found in my own research, perhaps I should have been more specific in my original post. Up until now I've been using my old running shoes but I'm gathering that's just not the right choice and can feel some instability now that I'm doing some heavier squats. I checked out the wlshoes.com website,…

You're not gaining muscle. Doesn't happen that way. If you're eating in a calorie deficit, it's most likely water retention and not fat (or muscle) gain. Give it time. (Also, monthly cycle may have something to do with it.)

Yes.

I don't think you are doing it right. You should be at the same weight for each set during a workout.

Echoing this sentiment. I'm in the same boat (only I made it to Stage 3 of NROLFW before I finally decided I needed to give it up!!) and have been doing Stronglifts for 2 months. I started out with the bar -- which was a step backwards from where I'd been with NR -- and I'm amazed at how quickly I've progressed. Also the…

I agree with this. I was training for races when I started lifting. It wasn't too long into it that I really felt like I was not able to achieve the gains I was looking for while doing both. If you're serious, pick one or the other. If you're okay with doing mediocre at both, you can probably get away with it. For me, I'm…

Why is your goal 122? Is it because you have your heart set on a number, or is it because you're not *quite* happy with the way you look? The mirror is a much better indicator of where you should be than the scale. If you're not happy with the way you look, feel like you have a bit of flab you'd like to lose, search these…

What he said. Also, if your appetite is the strongest in the evening, you might find it easier to plan your day accordingly, and save up calories for the evening -- then plan what you're going to eat in the evenings and stick to that. If not eating after 5 stops you from binging, that's terrific.....but if it just makes…

Did you set your activity level to NOT include exercise? (That's the way MFP intends.) If so, then yes. Eat your exercise calories.