spazofthedead Member

This, plus weighted squats and deadlifts. Maybe some running or cycling.

I squat back down and set it down as gently as possible. I'd probably get kicked out of the gym for dropping it - we don't have bumper plates. :(

The ones in my gym face the windows to the parking lot. Not sure which is worse. My favorites are barbells, a pullup bar (can't do a full pullup yet but I'm getting closer) and the treadmill/bike for cardio if it's wet or cold outside.

Female, 5'6", 163lbs. Deadlift 200 for 5 rep max. If you want to lift heavier just keep adding weights in 5-10lb increments every session or so every time you successfully lift at a lighter weight. (ex: you pulled 90lbs for 5 reps with good form this workout, so next workout pull 95 with good form, etc). Back off and…

This! Weighted lower body exercises have been amazing for my butt and legs.

I do a lot of things. I just generally like being active. I play recreational sports (dodgeball and softball) two days a week. I'll go cycling for 15-20 miles one or two days. I run a couple of miles one or two days. Three days I do heavy weight lifting via the Stronglifts 5x5 program.

Your best bet if you don't have access to free weights is bodyweight exercises. Things like tricep dips, chin ups and pushups are great for the arms and chest.

My dog is arthritic and can't keep up with me as well anymore. :( She's an 8 year old yellow lab and she loooooves going for walks, but once I actually start jogging for an extended period she has to turn it around and go home.

Since you want muscle definition but not bulk, just lift heavy things and keep your diet in check. Bulk is what happens when you have too high of a body fat percentage over your muscles, so you look bigger than you would if you were leaner. Conversely, some women seem to find the opposite extreme bulky as well - too little…

Lift a weight that you can't lift with good form for more than 5-10 reps. When that gets easy bump it up again.

I eat avocados *because* of the fat! Haha. Love PB too. I'll have a TBSP or so of it before and after a workout. Sometimes with a glass of milk too if I'm short on protein before a workout.

5'6" 163lbs here. I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and I lose about half a pound a week or so.

I would look into Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. Both are beginner strength programs that require gym access for an hour a day, 3 days a week. They're full-body routines that use compound exercises to hit multiple muscle groups at once (ex: squat, deadlift, ohp, bench and row/clean).

I'll be run-walking it with some friends from Sunnyvale. I can do a 5k-ish distance alright but I'm pretty sure a 12k would kill me if I tried to run the entire thing. My friends, however, run half marathons regularly so they'll leave me in their dust.

If your bf% is low enough you won't look bulky. Promise. http://jcdfitness.com/2011/06/i-dont-want-to-get-big-and-bulky-fitness-marketing-and-its-effect-on-women/ http://www.stumptuous.com/strength-without-size-how-to-get-stronger-without-getting-bulky http://www.elitefts.com/documents/female_athletes.htm and...…

Dodgeball today! 30 minutes of sprinting, ducking, dodging and diving. :D

Are you training for strength or endurance? For strength, try and stay below 8 reps (most beginner programs are 5x3 or 5x5). For endurance, 10+ is the way to go. I started in January. These numbers are all for 5x5 (except deadlift, which is 1x5) Squat: 45lbs > 150lbs Bench: 45lbs > 80lbs Deadlift: 90lbs > 200lbs OHP: 30lbs…

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. All it requires is an hour a day, three days a week. I've been doing a modified version of that program (StrongLifts 5x5 with a tiny bit of indulgent cardio thrown in) since mid-January and I've lost 5lbs and a whole pants size on top of putting on muscle (if I hadn't preserved muscle I…

This x100. I love getting a double cheesburger for lunch on a lifting day. Just enough calories to keep me full until after work, plus it's got fat and protein to power my workouts. :) I wouldn't recommend eating there every day, but once in a while isn't that big of a deal. As long as calories and macros are in line you…

I'm having the same problem and for a while I thought I might have pulled a muscle. Yesterday I deloaded my squats (150 > 85) and tweaked my stance a bit (narrower stance with less of an extreme angle for my feet) and it went right away, so I think tameko2 is onto something there. It was sore as hell all night though, and…

It's a strength training program geared toward beginners that follows a 5 rep, 5 set scheme for all the big lifts: squat, deadlift, row, overhead press and bench press.

I agree with most of what you said except "don't skip breakfast" and "don't eat after 8pm". Those are basically metabolism myths. Look into a diet program like Intermittent Fasting and it has you doing BOTH of those things with good results. :) OP, if you want to lose the inches fast, dial in your diet and lift heavy…

I've been following Stronglifts 5x5 since January. My current numbers are: Squat: 150lbs Bench: 85lbs Row: 90lbs OHP: 60lbs Deadlift: 200lbs I've been slacking off lately on deadlifts and squats because of a hip flexor injury. :/