ATLMel Member

I have been doing hot yoga on an almost-weekly basis for about 5 years now. I think it is an excellent part of a workout program. I generally prefer my other kinds of yoga to Bikram. (My daily practice is more of an Ashtanga Vinyasa style.) I find it energizing and that it decreases muscle soreness after a tough…

I noticed this. I'm ending Phase 1 now and intend to make some modifications to the next phase. I will credit them for getting me to get educated about strength training though! It's awesome for reforming cardio junkies.

I'll agree that it ups your heart rate and increases demand on your lungs. In this sense, it is most definitely cardio. Especially for those beginners at any form of hot yoga. Over time, you become a much more efficient calorie burner in the class. I should have said I don't count it as my cardio-specific workout. I think…

This is hard to assess. For my Bikram-like classes (same thing, no trademark) I usually put around 4-500 cals for a 90 min session. I don't really count Bikram as cardio. I know a lot of people do and think they burn up to 1000 calories. IMO/E it is much more beneficial for strength & flexibility. Plus, it's generally…

Going low-carb isn't necessary to lose body fat.

First, I say go ahead and sign up. If you have to walk some, who cares? Second, you'll find that some runs the stars align and you have a fabulous run. Other days are the exact opposite. I remember the first 20 miler i set out to do. At 6 miles I turned around and went home. A week later, I knocked out 22 no problem. A lot…

This is simply not true.

Deadlifts, squats, lunges. In the span of 7 weeks I've seen marked differences in both my backside and my legs and I have these to thank.

What do you mean by "too toned"? If you mean look like a competitive bodybuilder, you won't. That isn't something that is easy to do.

I generally avoid giving unsolicited advice.

You can totally do it. But don't procrastinate starting. Google Couch to 5K. It works well. If you feel it is too hard/too easy its more than okay to tweak the intervals to work for you.

Any suggestions on those exercises?

See, this is where my questioning really comes in. I do feel that I could max out a bit higher on DL and a few other exercises that right now I'm still having trouble holding on to. If the rest of my strength increases faster than my grip strength, which is the best to focus on? As a heavy weight beginner I want to make…

3lbs weighs less than a half gallon of milk. I think you'd get better results if you went up to 8 pound weights with 20 reps total. ETA: If you are doing just bicep curls you'll also get better results with compound lifts IME.

I try not to think about "sucking it in". That messing with my breath, personally. Rather, when doing core/yoga work I think about my belly button being attached to my spine. This helps me keep my core tight and stabilized while working out. Maybe this will help?

I would drastically up the level of weights you are lifting and shoot more for 8-10 reps. That's about the range I'm in and I've seen some pretty awesome measurable results over the past 6 weeks. Also, mix up your cardio. Continual steady state cardio has its advantages (more efficient running/metabolism, etc) but you need…

Thanks for the input, y'all. I'll stick with just manning-up then...I like that answer :).

You won't bulk up. lift heavy.

I think you might have nailed part of my problem. I've been so focused on other aspects of form I haven't really thought a lot about my grip.

Unfortunately I don't think my gym looks kindly on using chalk.

Right now you run a max of 24 miles a month. I think your max goal should be about 30. Try to follow a general rule of not increasing mileage more than 10% per week.

I would shoot for 45 mins early. Then you can easily find parking, get your number, and wait in your car until time to line up.

I think p90X is too intense (time and effort) for a 50+ mpw runner. I would look more into pure strength training like Stronglifts or Starting Strength.

^this too Also, I've used HRMs in the past and can't think of one that wouldn't make me crazy in a yoga class (not to mention be distracting). Assuming you're talking a Bikram/Iyengar/Forrest style yoga I usually assume around 400 calories for that 90 min session. I've seen some people put it at 800-1000, but I think that…

New Rules of Lifting for Women. I'm a runner turned lifter and this has been an awesome intro to lifting and still insanely challenging. I'm almost done with Stage 1. I've already noticed a good number of changes in my body (I've got the hip/thigh V!! WOO!) . Inches are still coming off and I can see differences in how I…

I usually err on the side of not counting things like that. Any bonus calorie burn is, well, a bonus.

You can't convert fat to muscle.....2 different things. Unless there are advances in alchemy I'm not aware of. Start slow! Too many people decide they want to be runners and immediately start training for a marathon. That's ridiculous and unnecessary. Start with something like Couch 2 5K. Oh, and don't be afraid to get off…

Nope. You've gotta lose fat overall.

I'm curious about this as well. I'm a distance runner-turning-lifter and have loved the results so far. I know that I'm building strength and I never feel weak or tired so I'm thinking I can cut back the calories just a smidge to try to get a little extra fat loss. The pounds have stopped coming off, but the inches sure…

I think you should always eat back those calories. I think MFP pretty consistently underestimates nutrition needs for those that want to work out and become more fit in general. If you burn 500 calories, you need to give your body the fuel to appropriately recover and make you stronger.