v70t5m Member

Ladies, Does Cathe have any whole body lift workouts ... preferably under 1 hour? I'm deciding what to cycle through after Meso3, and I like whole body routines as an option. Tomorrow is my last Meso2 before 1 week break, I think today will be Tabatacise or another interval workout. Kira

Thelma, I finally started the 1RM testing on the weekend, after my workouts. This way, I was mostly prepared during the week. I've found my 1RM is fairly accurate for the entire 4 week period. I might need to re-test before moving to Meso3 - I've been keeping notes on Cathe's printouts. It has not been as time consumed as…

Thelma, I think laziness and time constraints cover why I didn't calculate 1RM for the first time through. :ohwell: I've been lifting for years and got serious about 3 years ago? I figured I knew what my "working" weight was for most of the lifts. I started on the legs that first day, and I was sore for an entire week.…

Thanks for the congrats everyone, the upper body is where I feel greatest effort for littlest gain, so you can imagine my smile after those push-ups! Tami, This is my second time through STS2 ... I had such great results when I didn't calculate 1RM, I decided I should do it again, the right way! I'm amazed at how much I…

I kept up with all the pushups in Cardio Core Circuit today (first time ever). I can't say my form was great through them all :noway: ... buuut, the pecs were working! Thanks Mesocycle 2 ... starting Meso 3 in a month. :bigsmile:

I would suggest Cathe's Mesocycle STS program. I'm on the second cycle and I have seen better results from this than any other program I've tried.

Dreena Burton has written 4 cookbooks, and is raising three children on her recipes. While I don't have kids myself, my niece and hubby (who eats like a kid) both enjoy the recipes I've listed below. I recommend Dreena's last two cookbooks: let them eat vegan! and eat drink and be vegan. No, you do not have to be vegan to…

I'd be a lot more concerned with how her arteries look ...

You are right, a lot of diseases have contributing genetic factors. I've been really fascinated by how much research indicates that diet and exercise tends to outweigh a good many of those genetic factors. One of the big problems with encouraging health is that pharmaceutical companies and doctors don't make much money by…

Not erase disease, but certainly drop your chances of developing some of them for a long time. A healthy diet, low or absent of animal protein and animal fat, and high in vegetables, does have a great impact on the body. Blood pressure and cholesterol tend to be low (though not always). High blood pressure and high…

Weighted hip thrusts ... http://bretcontreras.com/a-strong-booty-is-a-healthy-booty/ I've been doing them for about a month, and I'm already up to 130 pounds, 3 sets of 15 reps. That is heavier than my squats and deadlifts. And I'm seeing changes in my pear shaped body. Try it.

David, No, you do not have to worry ... yet. Your friend is healthy, and either: already in good shape, or has the genetics to get in shape easily. That is not a problem at all (perhaps creating a bit of envy for those who have to work hard to get half that good, but not a problem). You want to encourage a healthy, well…

If you are continuing to gain weight, you have too many calories going in. This is what I have come to realize. I can't go by calculated TDEE, it puts me at too high a calorie intake. My BMR must be lower than the average person my size and shape. Slowly cut your calories (maybe by 50 cal or so per day) every couple of…

Many of your organs, including your stomach, re-size depending on body demands. If you eat a lot, the stomach stretches to accommodate. If you eat smaller portions, your stomach shrinks to keep from having to maintain a larger than needed size. What you need to do is combine bulky fibrous foods with healthy carbs and…

I'm with you on the chest size tjthegreatone ... those are the exact sizes I cycle through! :) And I've never gotten the breast love that I read about, I usually describe them as bags of fat. :laugh: Yeeeeaah, that doesn't go over very well. As far a tops go, even indecent tops look pretty "safe" on us, there's just no…

Your body is fairly good at adapting to your changes and telling you when you have dropped too low. You get chilled extra-ordinarily easily, you might develop skin and hair issues, and you won't have energy. BUT, you have to be willing to listen to your body. Start keeping a very thorough diary ... log how you feel, what…

Are you using a mixed grip? I had to start doing that with deadlifts. I deadlift and squat similar weights. I find my strongest lift is the hip thrust ... apparently, glutes are the strongest muscles in *my* body, by at least 30%. This finally helped me recognize why deadlifts and squats weren't hitting my posterior chain…

Incorporate a weighted hip thrust and stiff-legged or Romanian Deadlift into your routines to focus on the glutes and hamstrings. Women are notoriously weak in this area, and we don't have a gorgeous set of muscles unless we work 'em. For myself, I can currently hip thrust much heavier (30% heavier) than I can squat or…

I've got a standard set that came with my old bench. When I tossed the bench and bought a squat rack, I lived with the short bar on the rack for half a year. I recently bought a 6' standard bar with collars that rest outside the squat rack, hurray! Much easier to use and maneuver. Standard weights are smaller, taking up…

I'd look at the "New Rules of Lifting" series of books. I started with the Abs title and have moved on to modified "Supercharged" routines. NROL recommends compounds lifts that work your whole body with few isolation lifts. I am stronger after working with NROL routines for about a year now. For myself, I have added hip…

I'd be cautious about taking your doctor's advice. Very few of them have a strong nutritional background ... and even fewer will admit they don't have the training to properly advise you on certain health concerns. You would be better off with a dietitian, one who is trained in the most current nutrition knowledge.

As you cut your calories, your BMR and TDEE will drop in an attempt to compensate, i.e. metabolism slows. The body is fairly adaptable. Cut calories until you are losing at a safe rate, stick with it until you reach your healthy weight. Add in heavy weight lifting to maintain the muscle you have.

The uterus does not, itself, produce any hormones. Unless your ovaries were removed at the same time, I don't think you can blame surgery in the long-term. However, in the short-term, reduced activity will certainly have an impact. And, as we all hit our mid twenties, our metabolism begins to decrease and our muscle mass…

This is scientifically inaccurate. Very little is broken down in the stomach ... the only active digestive enzyme in the stomach is pepsinogen which breaks down protein. All the carbohydrate digestion started in the mouth is stopped at the stomach as hydrochloric acid destroys the amylase enzymes. The stomach is more of a…

Yoga. I've read that it is a great middle ground between doing nothing, and "working" out. It does seem to help me, especially with extensive stretching that I don't get in after most of my workouts.

Have you run it through a strong blender, or have you mixed it with a whisk? I find my Blendtec takes most of the grittiness out of the protein powders, especially when mixed with ice.

I do find the flavor of the all-in-one Chocolate and Vanilla Chai a little strong per the manufacturer's suggested volume, so I cut it with Pea Protein and Garden of Life RAW Protein Powder (no flavor). Additionally, I tend to add just a bit more powdered cocoa to the Chocolate flavor. I mix them with almond milk, water,…

Check out the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women." Weight lifted is going to be very specific to each individual, and rep/set count is also individualized based on what you want to accomplish: endurance 15 reps/set, build 8 reps/set, ranging from 3 to 10 sets, AND a large mixed variety for other plans and goals. I'd…

sivapc, I am not a former athlete, unless you count an early ballet dancing career cut short by height and a broken ankle! But I can understand your dilemma. You will find your way ... it is trial and error for all of us.

Emyroo, They are good for some and terrible for others. I run barefoot on my treadmill ... when I run in VFFs, the sensation is not the same. It is more like running in a slipper, there is some attenuation of ground feel, but you still get a lot of feedback via the nerves. Do you like walking around barefoot? If so, you…