Lena1967 Member

Great job! Congrats on meeting your goal -- you look amazing!

"But DC is located in the state of Maryland (though we consider it its own area) so it is included in there." No, I'm afraid not. The District of Columbia is its own territory. It borders the states of Maryland and Virginia. It is an independent political entity, although ultimately under the control of Congress. (I hope…

You've made such great progress! My advice would be, don't undo that progress by giving up because you're having a rough patch. Just tell yourself, "I had a bad few days, but tomorrow I'll be back to my usual healthy self." I say this from experience, unfortunately. Too many times, I have a low-motivation phase, and then I…

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting.

How very sensible! :-) BTW, congrats on your success so far -- very impressive.

Thanks, everyone. I won't feel bad about my brief warm-ups then. I'm like you, Irridia, I would rather spend more time stretching. And I'd rather not spend too long on the whole thing -- that was part of the appeal of SL5x5 in the first place!

Jaime, so sorry for the frustration! SL is a hard work-out and to feel it's not helping is frustrating. I think your stomach looks smaller in both the side view and the front view. For the back view, we can't see your hips/thighs in the "after" photo so it's hard to tell - there may have been progress there. I think your…

Okay, I'm confused, because the way I read that link "5 Rules to Find Your Perfect Warm Up Weight" is that you should be doing at least 4 and as many as 7 warm-up sets, although the last 2 sets are only 3 and then 2 reps. So that's a lot more than one warm-up set. I have been doing 2 warm-up sets, because I somehow got the…

Helpful photos, thanks! I didn't realize there was a choice in SL5x5 -- I was getting high and low mixed up with front and back. I now see that i am doing low bar squats too.

Is it unmanly to use a barbell pad?

I have the red Weight Watchers one that was about $25. It has been very consistent for me. Plus it makes the bathroom look more cheerful. :-) http://www.target.com/p/Weight-Watchers-Glass-Scale-Red/-/A-13438765?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=%7C13438765&CPNG=home&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13438765

Lisa, I don't have an Olympic bar either and it's a good thing because I've already dented the basement ceiling with the end of the one I have (oops!) I had to look up the Steinborn lift, but it looks totally workable to begin with. If you have access to a stairwell, you can make it easier by standing at the bottom and…

Great job! Thanks for sharing that info. I have been lifting heavy for about 2 weeks now. I'd be very excited to see my belly tighten up like yours!

I also am doing this at home. I got a barbell (6-foot, not Olympic) and 150 lbs of weights, and a bench, off of Craigslist. Now I need some sort of rack to use for benching and squats. My birthday is this weekend and my husband has agreed that can be my present. That way he won't have to come down to the basement to spot…

I second the Yogaglo recommendation. No, it's not as good as being in the studio. But classes just don't fit into my schedule right now, unfortunately. Since you've been practicing for so long, Yogaglo might work well for you. I've been practicing for years also, so I know the alignment principles and feel that I can keep…

Tameko, this is awesome!!! Thank you so much. (Although I will miss reading about how Mehdi was soooo embarrassed when a girl beat him at arm-wrestling and how he changed his workout to make sure that will never happen again . . . I think he only mentioned that story 5 times or so.)

Glad I'm not the only one who has math problems! :laugh:

Irridia, thank you! I will try that next time. Yesterday when I was benching (alone) , all I could think of was this guy I dated long ago whose brother died benching alone because the barbell fell on his neck. It started freaking me out. This is a good backup plan. Oh, and I do already have a bench. It came with the…

Irridia, would you mind describing that "roll of shame"? I work out at home too and could see needing this soon. :blushing: My hope is to get some racks like these http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3013848 that I could use for bench press and squats both.

Thanks guys! I'll work on the form tips. It's feeling almost completely better now but my next workout is tomorrow so we'll see.

Fuzzybunny: That's awesome! Congrats!

Irridia: Ouch!!! sorry to hear that. Did you skin your knee or bruise it? Either way is no fun! Sorry you've been feeling a bit depressed. I know the feeling! Lifting tomorrow sounds like a good plan. I will if you will! ;)

I am planning to do 30-45 minutes of elliptical or other cardio (maybe Zumba dvd) on my off days. I really enjoy the mood boost I get from cardio, plus I'm still looking to lose some more weight so I want to burn calories.

Thank you so much! That was just the info I needed on the squat. I just practiced with my empty bar (which is only 15 lbs) and I was able to keep the bar in the right spot -- just one more thing to focus on! Re the forearms -- I should have clarified that they are not getting sore from the squats -- it was the bench press…

Gemi: You're awesome! :laugh: I agree w/ Fuzzybunny. - who cares what the chart says. Doreen, I had the same realization today about the need for a stand or rack. I am doing this at home -- tried to get out from under the bar after my squats today and it wasn't pretty! Okay, I've done the complete program (A & B) once now.…

I agree with the advice to not let yourself go hungry. If you do, your primal urge to keep yourself alive will override your willpower eventually and you will end up disenchanted with MFP and ready to inhale everything in sight. Well, that's what has and would happen to me, anyway. :laugh: Like you, I have less to lose and…

Hi all, I'm so glad this group exists! I was thinking I would post an "Anyone starting SL 5x5" - type post, but then found this group. :) I just finished my first workout (A). It took quite awhile as I had to keep stopping to watch videos on Youtube. And I also found out that it takes a while to change weights on my bar…

I've been a vegetarian for 21 years, and I don't find this disturbing at all. I think it would be a great innovation that that could end up preventing a lot of animal suffering. My husband, who loves meat but doesn't eat it because of ethical reasons, would be delighted. Not to mention the potential human medical benefits,…

Bump.

First, I just have to clarify something: Enchiladas in our house = steamed corn tortillas filled with spinach and black beans, with a moderate amount of cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. :smile: I agree, except it's seems like it's weekly with us. I haven't bought candy for my kids since Christmas. But their preschool…