CJ_Holmes Member

Up about 5 lbs and now 3 lb above my target range. I'm tightening up tracking and I'll weigh in again in 3 weeks when I generally de-bloat after my menstrual cycle.

What an accomplishment! You look lovely and happy. I hope you feel great!

<<< my booty. I have a before and after somewhere but a couple of years after starting CrossFit and lifting it looks like a different person. My spouse believes its was magic. And I am not consistent with training. If I ever want nice arms I'll have to be scientific and perfect.

Make sure your tires are full and your bike is fitted properly. Do sprints and hills. And it helps me to monitor my heart rate- sometimes it feels like I'm going pretty hard but I have a long way to go before I'm in my upper ranges. I could go a lot harder!

I had a similar pain and I found a chiropractor who specializes in soft tissue work for sports injuries. He said I had a little muscle hernia. The regular doctors never found anything but he pushed it back and gave me a regimen that works and it healed. I’ve had lower back/glute pain and spasms in and off for years and the…

Logging works for me and many people. There's a narrative that if we are successful we shouldn't "need" things like logging, or scales, or accountability. But in a busy and complex world, it seems to me the most successful people use all sorts of tools for time management, health, housekeeping... you name it. I think using…

5'7" here too. Everyone carries it differently and loses it differently. For me, the difference between 155 and 145 is remarkable. 155 I have a belly and love handles poking out of my dress or waistband, 145 I don't. At 140 lb I have abs. I think those last pounds will probably make a difference.

Wow, that smile says it all! You must feel so different! Awesome work.

I used to have a goal of not logging anymore. I changed my mindset instead. It's not that much work to log, and it's so useful to figure out what's going on when I see changes. Almost nothing in our modern lives is "natural." If I lived on a farm commune and was able to sleep as much as I want, maybe. Logging/tracking and…

YAY! So glad you had a good experience. Great work!

Have fun!!! Its the best kind of terror. The biggest thing I wish I had done was go lighter on my first squat attempt. My knees were actually shaking and the worry that I'd miss the squat really sapped a lot of my energy.

Look for a local track club that you can work out with. In my experience, speed workouts and sprints made my 5k and mile paces faster really quickly, and I also benefited from the coaching and trying to race other people. You might also want to just add pickups to your run, like every 2 minutes run harder/faster for 30…

I actually took a running clinic and the coach gave us a lot of feedback on form. It was helpful because we all do things weird things, like I was rotating my torso a lot with every step, which is inefficient and hard on my back. There are other tweaks like your head position, how you lift your feet vs. shuffling, etc. If…

You need support. Go to your care team, and maybe don't think of it as "going back." Your healing is likely be a life-long project and there is not a single thing wrong with needing outside perspectives and help. We all need it in some area of our lives, and knowing when to ask for help is a sign of health.

Congrats on all your hard work! People will always have an opinion on a woman's body. CrossFit idealizes a high level of muscularity. Your family is used to you looking like you used to, or like them. Fashion changes and your butt is either going to be too big or small depending on the decade. Ask yourself "Do I have…

What kind of lifting are we talking? like max effort, full body lifts? My thoughts- could be breathing, adrenaline, blood sugar. But "sleepiness" seems strange compared to regular fatigue. Are you hydrated? Is your blood pressure normal? Thyroid ok? Probably good to have the basic stuff checked by a doctor, in case you…

Same as Sophie. I have a remarkable ability to eat more calories than I need, especially if there are macadamia nuts within 50 feet of me... It seems I can maintain pretty well without calorie counting but if I'm trying to lose at all, I have count.

Def not too old! You can do it! If you are able to start with a trainer, find one who has experience working with older lifters- my mom has run into some issues with trainers who have pushed her to go way too fast for her joints. Learn good form, and enjoy the gains to your skeletal health, balance, confidence, and more!…

Wow, incredible success! You look fantastic and fit, and I love how happy you look! CONGRATS!

The program I just started includes the Kang Squat.

I didn't know what "Woo" was until reading this thread. I thought that button was "Whoo Hoo!" or something similar. I apologize to anyone I have insulted in the past... :D

Hell no on a treadmill! I would definitely end up on YouTube and in the ER.

Yes! When I do pickups and sprints. It makes me feel like a happy kid running. I totally agree!

Hi Laura, I see a weight drop when I take a few rest days as well. Stick with your doctor checkups! I just want to echo what others have said- 2300 is not a lot of food for an active female your age and height. We get really warped not just from our own issues, but from all the 1200 and 1500 calorie diet crap. Keep getting…

Hi miwwertz, you might want to check out the "gaining weight" forum as well- most of the serious lifters discuss programming and progress in there, and you will get excellent advice from the very amazing lady lifters.

You look amazing. It might be interesting to really question him about where that comment came from. "What would it mean to you if my muscles got bigger?" "What do you think "average is?" "Why do you want me to look average?" He may have no idea why these opinions came up and you two could explore all the gender baggage…

Don't know where you live, but there are weightlifting gyms that coach starting strength, powerlifting, olympic lifting... you'll progress better with coaching as well as enjoy the class aspect! Some Crossfit gyms do also have separate lifting tracks, but quality will vary greatly depending on the coaches.

Patience is key, especially with upper body. You need to be able to do movements with good form or you can end up with injuries in your connective tissue, which get strong more slowly than your muscles. One thing that really makes you feel strong is to be able to do things like push-ups and pull-ups. You can start with…

5"7" 148 lb, most recent 1RM 205 lb. I'm injured so I am sadly doing boring accessory work and rehab right now.

I have a callous shaver that is a bit different than a regular razor. I use to for my hand callouses as well as my feet callouses and it works great to keep the hand ones from getting too thick and tearing while still being protective. You can get it in the nail care section at the drug store.