punkin_p

Ahh. You won't make anywhere near that kind of progress on 5/3/1. since that program is intended for advanced lifters and only has you increasing the weight once a month. I followed a linear progression (Starting Strength) for about six months and have been on a weekly progression (Texas Method) since.

What kind of weight are you using? Frankly you might just not be lifting heavy enough to see much change. I don't love NROLFW, I know it is highly recommended but frankly it's not going to be nearly as effective as a simple linear progression such as Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. I saw visible progress about a…

I'm 5'2" and I'm about 155 lb right now. I started at 200 lb, so I'm still losing, but slowly now that most of the excess is gone. I compete in the 72 kg (under ~159 lb) weight class right now but would like to get down to the 63 kg (~139 lb) class where I'd be more competitive; that's my main motivation for cutting weight…

Not all weight training routines are created equally. You will see completely different results from a routine that uses primarily machines versus barbell training, for example. Look up a program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts. These are very effective programs for lifters who are just starting out.

I'd say that a chart like this is more helpful: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-journal/WLSTANDARDS.pdf since it looks at bodyweight as well, and doesn't try to provide some sort of upper limit to what is possible. I'd also say that, although there is nothing unreasonable with the bench press number provided in your article, it…

Join a gym. If you're a student, your school should have one you can use for free. Use the free weights, do large compound movements: squats, presses, deadlifts. This is the program I follow: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738 I've been lifting for less than 5 weeks, have added 70 lbs…

It's hard for me to say what would be causing you to binge and therefore what would help you stop. For me personally, if I tell myself I can't have something (no cookies ever!) then that's all I think about, and I end up eating a lot of them (eat the whole bag of cookies). So I have dispensed with the idea of off limits…

You appear to be what we call "skinny-fat". You mention you worked hard to lose weight, and it's great that you were able to do that. But the problem is that as you lost weight, you lost an equal amount of fat and muscle mass, with the result being that your body composition hasn't changed. That's why even though you've…

Hmmm, once a week is fairly frequent to be cycling weight, so I'm not sure if that will be appropriate in the long term. You could at least try it once or twice and decide if it's sustainable or at least a good interim solution. I don't know that much about it, but I know it often involves water loading and then temporary…

Do you need to maintain that weight over a period of time or just hit it occasionally for competition? If it's the latter, you could look into all the tricks that powerlifters, wrestlers, and others who need to make a weight class use.

I'm studying mechanical engineering, so I have a bit of insight into this topic. As part of the design process, the engineers would have to develop a set of specifications for their product to meet. This would include the maximum force the product will be subjected to. This would most likely be determined by the customer…

I've never understood gendered bathrooms and change rooms. I am no more comfortable changing in front of a bunch of women than I am in front of a bunch of men. Being surrounded by your own gender doesn't protect you from being the subject of scrutiny or even arousal - the world we live in includes homosexual as well as…

1200 calories/day is pretty much the lowest level of calorie restriction recommended, and if you're very tall or very big, it isn't recommended at all. Do you know your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)? If not, calculate it here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ BMR is the number of calories your body will use in a…

Down 1.2 pounds this week :) Unfortunately I've been exhausted lately and need to try eating at maintenance next week (because of lifting) so I don't expect this to continue next week.

I don't understand - how can mayonnaise be fat free and still be mayonnaise? Mayonnaise is egg yolk and oil by definition... I can imagine substitutions for the egg, but the oil? When you substitute everything in the original recipe, at what point do you stop calling it mayonnaise? I seriously am not able to understand…

You're right - slow steady-state cardio (going for a 5 mile run, for example) is very detrimental to strength gains. Take a look at marathon runners then take a look at sprinters. Completely different bodies, right? If you're running for a long time at low intensity, it is beneficial to lose any and all mass, so slow…

I don't bother tracking my lifting here. I do that on fitocracy. I don't eat back my exercise calories anyways, since it's easy to overestimate how many you've burned, so I don't mind.

There is no point in lifting weights lighter than your handbag.

No, I actually find my weight loss has been more rapid. I started Starting Strength four weeks ago and have already lost 7 pounds and added 50 pounds to my squat. In September last year, I started C25K, a running program if you don't know it. I lost 8 pounds in 8-10 weeks before I dropped out due to injuries. So clearly,…

Try lifting heavy and then try telling me that lifting isn't cardio in and of itself. I have to take a knee between squat sets to catch my breath. Slow, steady state cardio is very detrimental to strength building, and it is usually not recommended to do both if you are serious about gaining strength and recompositioning…

I'm watching how much I eat and lifting heavy three times a week, and I have no complaints thus far! I eat between 1650-1800 calories most days, and I don't eat back my calories from exercise because it's too easy to overestimate how many I've burned. I eat whatever I want, though I have been trying to prioritize getting…

I lost 1.6 pounds this week :)

I'm doing Starting Strength and it's what I would personally recommend, but I know StrongLifts and NROLFW are all highly recommended.

Down 2.4 lbs this week. This is in spite of the multiple birthdays in January (including my own) and the resulting multiple cakes in my house :)

Height: 5'2" Starting weight: 190 lb To lose: ~40 lb Goal weight: ~150 lb I think that's a reasonable ball park of where I need to be without compromising my lifting. I should try to get my body fat percentage measured, that would likely give me a more concrete goal.

Hi everyone, I hope this is where I introduce myself. I'm new to myfitnesspal and I've just started lifting heavy three days a week (I'm doing Starting Strength and loving it). I have around 40 lbs to lose, maybe more, maybe less. Being new to lifting, my goal is to increase my strength and muscle mass while losing fat if…

I'm 5'2". I was 120-140 in high school, and I was fairly happy with that weight. However, I've taken up lifting, so I'm not really sure what a new goal weight will look like. I'm thinking I'll shoot for 150 lb to start and see what it's like. That might even be too light. I'm really anxious to get strong, and if I can lose…

Definitely try one before buying if you haven't already. I avoid them at all costs as I find the gait long and awkward, possibly because I'm on the short side. I was never able to get an intense workout because if I went too fast I felt like I was going to go flying off and hurt myself. I'm focusing on lifting right now,…

I'll throw my hat in too, just in case there is still a spot available. I'm 5'2" and have about 50 lb to lose. I'm new to the site and just started lifting heavy, so the next thing I need to work on is diet! I think this would help me to stay accountable to tracking what I eat.