AngelsFan91106 Member

3x a week. All compound exercises.

Love at first lift for me. You wrote you dread it every day. Does that mean you lift every day? If so, that may be why you hate it. If you're doing heavy compound lifting, you really should only lift every OTHER day. Your muscles need the time to recover, which may be key in helping you with the soreness.

Bourbon.

Nope. And I like vegetables and tofu. I also happily eat out at vegetarian and vegan restaurants on occasion when veggie friends requests such meals. But what I love to eat is meat. Preferably red, and rare.

Absolutely. If you've exercised "vigorously" or "moderately," that's what you've done--whether it's cardio or weight lifting. And I know the calculators don't show weight lifting as burning as many calories as cardio, but trust me, your body knows it has done the work. :- ) I, for one, barely do any cardio.

This is ~exactly~ how I describe lifting.

I used to exercise because I didn't want to be fat. Now that I've discovered lifting, I exercise because I love it.

This.

Insanely awesome story! The only downside is that now I ~really~ want to go deadlift and I'm not scheduled to until next Wednesday. :- P A million congratulations! Thanks for sharing such a phenomenal experience.

I love this last part. I wish more people would have your attitude about food. And yes, compliments about your squats are the best compliments. Congrats on your success!

That is a fantastic fitness goal! (And I would bet good money you would easily surpass your goal if you start training now.) I just kept replaying these videos. That's how I learned to deadlift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N9hAuxNs I also looked for videos of women…

You have to see what works for you. It looks like a lot of people here workout on an empty stomach. Personally, I NEED food, especially carbs, before I lift or do cardio. If I don't, I don't perform as well. And I've gotten downright dizzy on occasion.

Your bicep looks awesome! I'm jealous. Don't be discouraged, your body is only going to get better with strength training.

I always lift first and do cardio only if I have time. My lifting program is a mix of StrongLifts 5x5 and Madcow. I do a maximum of 1-1/2 hours of cardio per week, usually much less. The "nice toned look" you're looking for is achieved through strength training and calorie deficit. You do not have to kill yourself on…

OMG. So informative. And you deserve a thank you, right now. <-- As you can probably tell, I implemented some of his tips right here.

Moderation is key. I always have steel cut oats on mornings I work out. It gives me energy that last. On days I don't work out, I skip the extra carbs and have a protein shake with fruit.

Man, what I'd give to be able to read, snack, or just lie down between sets. Alas, I have to work out with people at a gym. Huge sigh.

Great article. I'm yet another girl who'd love to have Jessica Biel's body so I definitely lift. But I also have questions about the 8-15 reps. I do sets of 5 with longish rest periods, and I like it fine. No tears at all.

When a dude (or gal) squats ATG, I look. Otherwise, nah.

Same reason as most of the others--it's simple and free. :- )

I just did. This is awesome. Thank you!

I also like the nod/ smile/ thumbs up. You get the point across without anyone questioning your intentions.

As my lifts have gotten heavier, I would periodically experience a sore back. My chiro advised me to work on my core--not at ALL for the purposes of "toning up" or anything like that, but the stronger your core is, the less pressure you put on your back. And sure enough, the weeks that I work on my core also seems to be…

Well put. If you're the only one that's waiting now, even if it develops into a relationship, you will be waiting again later.

This. I squat 140 lbs for reps--that's 113% of my body weight.

I like to fill myself up, say 85% with veggies/fruit and lean proteins. Then I "eat whatever I want," but by then, I only want a couple of bites of treats. But I always have treats. Depriving yourself only ruins your goals in the long run. And do lots of sightseeing and walk a bunch. Have fun!

Nice reply! Another vote for soy here, but of course, also in moderation.

Just wanted to contribute my experience on how shocked I was that squats didn't make my thighs bigger. I'd always had proportionally bigger legs even when I was thin. I'd wear a size 2 top, but a size 6 jeans. (I know size 6 isn't big, the point is I was two sizes bigger on the bottom.) So I NEVER strength trained my legs…

:heart: I don't buy milk from the supermarket, but love raw milk--absolutely delicious. I can only get it in fancy farmers' market where they know the lineage of every cow and tomato vine, so it's pricey, but worth it.

What I need to do is learn to rechannel my grunt into a cuss.