Jambalady Member

Thank you. This is exactly what I am looking to do. I guess I should try to communicate this better to the trainer and be as specific as you were kind enough to take the time to type in this post. Maybe "give me something to do on my off days" wasn't specific enough instruction and if I laid out exactly what I was looking…

You're very lucky to have that type of personalized situation. I'm in a big commercial chain gym. I know it's not ideal but he is good on the days he trains with me. I've worked with a few trainers before, all from the gym (not exactly this gym but other commercial gyms) and none have actually wanted to give "homework" or…

I did ask him and he gave me homework but it felt a little half baked. I actually love working out and going to the gym so it's not at all miserable to me. It's actually my form of therapy. I love the results of weights and I do try to go for walk walks/play dance games with my kids etc., but I'm a girl that needs…

I have always had thick legs. What has worked the best for me has been lifting. Once I started using heavier weights, my legs look much leaner due to the higher muscle mass. Everything looks much more pulled in, whereas I used to weigh a good 10 lbs less than I did now, but fat seemed to distribute itself mostly to my…

Thank you for your essay!!! And no offense taken to it all. I truly appreciate the insight and advice and will continue to focus on prioritizing the values that matter to me (being a kind person, intelligence, independence, health, emotional well being, compassion, etc.). I think this post really hit home because as I read…

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. Everything you wrote is spot on to how I feel. I think you are right in continuing to focus on nutrition and foods that make me feel better. There's definitely a correlation between certain foods that make me feel bloated or tired. That's a great suggestion!

I use MFP loosely to get a sense of where my calories are for the day. It's not set at any target other than I try to stay around the 1600 to 1800 range. But yes, it is when I try to reduce to a lower calorie range that I'm miserable.

I actually have found working out at home really enjoyable and found some great programs but I think the problem with at home videos is that the instructors are always typically perfect whereas the female instructors in the gym I went to were both inspiring and athletic and beasts at what they did, but had more "normal" or…

That's wonderful! That's the exact mental state I need to get to.

That's the place I'm trying to get to mentally. I know that 46 year old me is way stronger, faster, athletic and healthier than 26 year old me and most of the time I'm fine but more often than I'd like I'm beating myself up to be skinnier. but when I start to diet I'm miserable. Part of it is my gym closing down. When I…

Update: I tried the cardio/abs workout from MBFA. It was good but not nearly as advanced as I thought it would be. If you've done P90X or even the Body Beast cardio, MBFA is definitely easier. I didn't feel like I was doing enough. Will give some of the other leg/upper body days a try, but as of right now, I may stick to…

I'm about a week and a half from finishing and loved it. I'm trying to decide if I should start another round or do something different. I've gotten great results in terms of overall strength and find it a lot easier than the more cardio based programs.

unassisted pull-ups are my goal too. Right now, I can only do a few chin-ups! You look fantastic! Would you recommend buying the book? I only have access to dumbbells, so would I be able to supplement or do alternate exercises to anything requiring a barbell?

I updated my profile pic to show where I am now. I can try posting in here if it's easier to see. I'm mostly concerned with my arms and lats. Stomach and legs are where I want them to be, so I suppose I can try to reduce upper body and increase lower body days?

Definitely considering a bench. Any recommendations of brand/type would be appreciated! Do you think there's enough of different uses for kettlebells since I have dumbbells already? I used to do KB swings and turkish get-ups with them at the gym but I've been able to pretty much replace those exercises with the dumbbells.

Thanks. I've never done sissy squats. I'll research this a bit more. Would this piece of equipment be easy to learn how to use? I like that it seems pretty compact.

Thanks. I tried Lift4 and didn't like it. Joel Freeman's a bit on the dry and boring side. I was looking at Hammer and Chisel, and the schedule looked overwhelming in terms of the number of different workouts. I found Body Beast to be easy bc it was predictable and I can easily see my progress in weights and know exactly…

Target reps wss 5 reps/5 sets last time. I think the issue is frequency and consistency (or predictability) Like I said, we may only do barbell back squats probably 2x a month bc I only train legs with him 1x a week , and one week we may be doing front squats (don't remember the last weight), another week kettlebell goblet…

When I travel for work, I'm usually going to a single location, so I find the closest hotel with a decent gym to eliminate travel time. At home, I have an hour long commute, so by picking a hotel a few blocks from where I have to be, I have extra time in the AM to work out where I would otherwise be commuting. Or, when I…

We do work in a squat rack. When I say I can’t get past 95lbs I mean, my trainer will try to throw 10 more lbs on and I’ll be lucky if I get 2 reps in with good form and I’ve been stuck there for about 2-3 months now. So, maybe that’s my max? I’ll google how to fail and maybe give it a shot.

Thanks. I’m nervous about doing a program on my own. Especially with squats. The weight intimidates me. I can’t get past 95lbs for my working sets. I go to the gym when I have a break from work so I don’t have a workout buddy. Maybe I’ll ask my trainer to stick to the main lifts on the barbell until I’m more confident and…

oh, and I've been trying to lose those last 6 pounds for almost a year now and I can't there. The margin of error is too small.

My BMR is a measly 1226 but I work out 4-5 days a week for an hour, so my extra calories to 1600 come from that and general NEAT activity. I tried 1400 and I got through lunch. lol. I'm ok with sticking to that level of activity to get the extra maintenance calories.

This was a very enlightening thread. I never realized there was so little difference in maintenance calories when we're talking about the last 5-10 pounds. I think the sustainability question really boils down to the reduced calories you have to sustain to actually get down those last 5-10 pounds, and not once you are…

I have no clue. I’ve tried inputting my info into those calculators and it gives me a BMR of roughly 1200-1300 calories. I have a sedentary job but work out 3-4x a week. I’ve seen some sites that recommend eating 1400/day, others that give me 1600/1700. I’m not the most accurate tracker but I would say I was in the…

Thanks. I’ll keep my germs to myself next time and ask for a reschedule if the trainer is sick. For the record, I did not know he was sick until I got to the session.

Just a hair under 5' and I'm currently 116. Looking to get to 110 but those last 5 lbs have been nearly impossible for me since there's such little room for error and I haven't been willing to be strict enough with myself. I'm happy enough where I am now. The last 5-6 are truly vanity pounds.

I love it!! You rock the sweatband and tiara and you are in envious shape!! I think I'll give it a try.

Do they really work in absorbing sweat? I'm constantly dripping in sweat. I don't care about hair in my eyes, but I look like I went through a car wash by the time I finish my workout. Also, if you are placing it on your forehead, and not just to hold back hair, do you find that you break out? I have acne prone skin and…