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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Mar-04-13, 12:31
CallmeAnn's Avatar
CallmeAnn CallmeAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,728
 
Plan: HFLC/IF
Stats: 218/176/140 Female 5'4"
BF:27%
Progress: 54%
Location: Houston area
Default A female, non-athlete's gym log and(at first)more

This first installment is long, because I am including my thoughts on this subject and how I got to this point. I have been very torn, regarding exercise since so many LC followers have posted about opinions from experts that cardio (especially), and exercise in general is not necessary for weight loss. The diet is supposed to be able to do the whole job since adequate protein intake is supposed to be muscle sparing, and indeed seems to build muscle to the degree necessary for good results. With all the rejection of this WOE, I wanted to prove that it could do the job alone. I didn't want anyone I know to say, "Well sure, any diet will work if you go to the gym enough." However, since the LC doctors do, of course, agree with the practice of resistance exercise, especially for older, sedentary women, I decided to go along with my husband when he decided to join the no-frills gym nearby. I am in my fifties (52) and not particularly active, especially in the winter and I want faster results. This gym is a budget-type place, with no locker room, sauna, hot tub or pool. We have our own hot tub at home and their restrooms are big enough to serve as a personal changing area. You can get personal training but I don't usually like those guys. They are usually about as limited as registered dietitians in their attitudes toward our choice of diet. I also don't respond well to being pushed by another person when I am already trying something really difficult. I tend to push back.

I'm on PP and use the 'Slow Burn' method endorsed by Dr. Eades. It is the technique described in the book The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution" by Fred Hahn. I like it because it doesn't involve lots of reps with low weights, which bore me to tears and don't make me feel like I'm really doing any good. This method has you use the heaviest weight you can safely lift. For example, you are supposed to take three full seconds simply to engage the weight and make it move at all. If you can't move it with that level of effort, it's too heavy. You are never to jerk it or force it with any other motion except the proper form and speed so as not to injure yourself. The correct weight to lift is one that allows you to perform three to five reps over a span of sixty to ninety seconds before utter failure. If you can do another rep after ninety seconds, it's too light. He instructs to go super slowly, like about thirty seconds minimum for the up as well as down directions. Many lifters go faster on the 'up' or higher exertion part of the rep and very slowly on the release or 'down' part. He says to do them the same speed. It really makes it hard, to go slowly the whole time. Of course, the part that is hardest for me is the part about only stopping when you simply can NOT lift it another second. He says that you are not done with the weight until you physically fail to move the weight with proper form. This is good for me because I get discouraged when there is no sharply defined end to my activity. I always say I never know when I'm finished. With this, I do.

I would recommend Fred Hahn's blog but I found it boring. If you write a book and then start a related blog, you should make the questions from readers a big part of your interaction. So far, not so much. Still, I believe in the method for the reasons outlined in the book. Also, I feel like my body has responded well. Not everyone has people skills, I guess.
SO! Here is the start of my exercise journal.

I do a minimum of cardio but I am under doctor's orders to do at least some, to aid in proper healing of my chest wall after a surgery in November. No heart attack/heart disease but a surgery anyway. I walk on a treadmill for a mile. They have a good selection of machines and some free weights. Steve likes the free weights but I don't have enough control so I use the machines. When we started, a few weeks ago, I would kind of wander around and see which machines I could do based on the diagrams and on whether they worked large muscle groups. Dr. Eades said, in the original PP book, that you should maximize your efforts by setting up a burn in large muscles. Then, I started imagining loose upper arms in my otherwise slim at-goal self and added some arm work as well. I have now streamlined my routine by the use of a list I made in a small notebook, of the machines I use and the weight settings/reps done. I also note what setting for the seat or other part of the machine I need to use. Way less futzing around, that way. I have only recorded two sessions this way and I will now cite those here, as my first workout entries:

2/25/2013:
LEG PRESS...................4 reps ~150#
BACK EXTENSION.........wt. and no. of reps not settled. 70# is light but 90# made my back hurt.
TORSO ROTATION..........3 reps ~15# each side (this one started out really hard for me)
HIP ABDUCTION (pushing out with knees to lift the wt.).............4 reps ~55#
HIP ADDUCTION (squeezing in with your knees to lift the wt.).....4 reps ~40#
ROWER..........................4 ~50# (try more next time)
ARM EXTENSION.............4 ~25# Went super slow to make the 25# work. 30# seemed too heavy. Not sure how many reps because I tried both weight settings.
CURLS............................1 ~30# I felt very weak and puzzled as to why that would be
CHEST PRESS.................3 ~35#
OVERHEAD PRESS...........2 ~50#

My arms felt very weak. I do know that I am weak in that area, so I decided to do those exercises first at my next workout.

03/01/13:
OVERHEAD PRESS............3 ~50#
CURL................................3 ~25# (feel like I could do more next time)
ARM EXTENSION...............4 ~25# (try 30 next time)
CHEST PRESS...................3 ~35#
ROWER.............................4 ~55#
BACK EXTENSION..............4 ~ 80#
TORSO ROTATION..............4 ~15#
HIP ABDUCTION.............could not do this exercise. Left leg/hip very weak
HIP ADDUCTION................4 ~#40 - squeezing weight in (try 5 more)
LEG PRESS........................4 ~150#
AB EXTENSION (? not sure of the name)...4 ~40# (add 10 next time)

Last edited by CallmeAnn : Mon, Mar-04-13 at 15:14.
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, Mar-04-13, 21:26
melodyrose's Avatar
melodyrose melodyrose is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 307
 
Plan: CAD/Gluten-free
Stats: 263/211/125 Female 62 inches (5'2")
BF:
Progress: 38%
Location: Idaho
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Ann, just stopping in to give you some support! I know how you feel about the trainer thing- my little secret is that I have a fake diet journal I give him. I know that sounds horrible but I am non-confrontational so it works for me- he sees loss on the scale and inches so he's happy, I'm happy. I like having someone who will push me harder than I would myself, but everyone is so different! I think you will do great- and for me personally I tend to think that exercise is also about the only benefits, not losing weight. I know the diet alone could carry me to goal but I want to feel good, get more energy, improve my muscles, etc! I think your reasons are great!
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, Mar-04-13, 22:57
CallmeAnn's Avatar
CallmeAnn CallmeAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,728
 
Plan: HFLC/IF
Stats: 218/176/140 Female 5'4"
BF:27%
Progress: 54%
Location: Houston area
Default

Thanks for slogging through that ramble of a journal post.
I don't think you're awful at all for the fake diet journal. They bring it on themselves. After you're all done, then show him your real food logs as well as your lipid panels.
I appreciate the support. My sister is going to join this gym so we can work out together. I hope I'm going to like that. We'll see. So much for Mr. Hahn's statement that you should do this just once a week. I'll post my new entry for tonight's workout, tomorrow.

Last edited by CallmeAnn : Tue, Mar-05-13 at 13:39.
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, Mar-05-13, 13:22
BlueDress's Avatar
BlueDress BlueDress is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,051
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 234/180/150 Female 5'6
BF:
Progress: 64%
Location: Chicagoland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CallmeAnn
That's what I like about this method. It pushes you to your extreme exertion but you don't get hot and sweaty.

Hi Ann! I definitely sweat & end up utterly flushed after a work out. I absolutely hate cardio but I have a lot of weight around my middle and I know the only way I can change my shape is to work it in. I'd be happy just building muscle but then I'd just be a round muscley thing, kind of like I was when I was younger. lol I hope once I slim it down, I can focus less on cardio.

Your gym sounds nice. The less frills & less expensive the better! Keep up the good fight!
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  #5   ^
Old Tue, Mar-05-13, 13:28
CallmeAnn's Avatar
CallmeAnn CallmeAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,728
 
Plan: HFLC/IF
Stats: 218/176/140 Female 5'4"
BF:27%
Progress: 54%
Location: Houston area
Default 03/04/13

03/04/13
OVERHEAD PRESS............3 ~45#
CURL................................3 ~30# (up by 5#)
ARM EXTENSION...............3 ~40# (up by 15#)
CHEST PRESS...................3 ~35#
ROWER.............................4 ~40# (not sure this is right ?)
BACK EXTENSION..............4 ~ 80#
TORSO ROTATION..............4 ~20# (up by 5#)
HIP ABDUCTION................5 ~25# (couldn't do at all, last time)
HIP ADDUCTION................3 ~#40 - squeezing weight in (try 5 more)
LEG PRESS........................3 ~160# (DH got me to do another set on different mach. w/weight plates. only 140# but added toe-point to work calves)
AB MACHINE.....................4 ~55# (Up by 15#)

No cardio tonight. Made the mistake of eating immediately before the gym. Was having burger guts at Wendy's when my sister called to meet me at the gym so she could talk to the guy about joining. I think that's why I had a really rocky start. The overhead press is no sweat for me, usually but I could hardly lift it. I hope I will like having her w/o with me. I love her to death but sometimes we get on each others' nerves.

Last edited by CallmeAnn : Tue, Mar-05-13 at 13:40.
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, Mar-05-13, 13:34
CallmeAnn's Avatar
CallmeAnn CallmeAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,728
 
Plan: HFLC/IF
Stats: 218/176/140 Female 5'4"
BF:27%
Progress: 54%
Location: Houston area
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueDress
Hi Ann! I definitely sweat & end up utterly flushed after a work out. I absolutely hate cardio but I have a lot of weight around my middle and I know the only way I can change my shape is to work it in. I'd be happy just building muscle but then I'd just be a round muscley thing, kind of like I was when I was younger. lol I hope once I slim it down, I can focus less on cardio.

Your gym sounds nice. The less frills & less expensive the better! Keep up the good fight!


It sounds like you get an odd kind of satisfaction from the sweating it out. Honestly, as crazy as it sounds, plenty of people on this forum will tell you that cardio does not slim you down. The diet supposedly does it on its own. I don't know how you test for that. How do you prove a negative? You can compare yourself to others but that is not really useful. I have to do it on my doc's orders but for a different purpose.
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Mar-07-13, 15:25
melodyrose's Avatar
melodyrose melodyrose is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 307
 
Plan: CAD/Gluten-free
Stats: 263/211/125 Female 62 inches (5'2")
BF:
Progress: 38%
Location: Idaho
Default

Hope you're doing well today, Ann!! Sometimes a gym partner can be the saving grace, so I hope that's what she is for you! My sister and I drive each other nuts sometimes too, haha! I think that is part of being a sister right
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Mar-22-13, 10:44
CallmeAnn's Avatar
CallmeAnn CallmeAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,728
 
Plan: HFLC/IF
Stats: 218/176/140 Female 5'4"
BF:27%
Progress: 54%
Location: Houston area
Default 03-22-13

I have allowed Spring Break to interfere with my workouts. My daughter was home and I wanted to be with her. I should have gone back this week, but I was out of town Sunday and Monday. Monday is usually our day to work out so that was bad. I think we'll go tonight if Steve is feeling okay. I also don't remember if I have entered my results from the last time we went, so the dates may skip around a bit. The good news is, I'm into my misses(not womens) 16 jeans, albeit with super tight support undies. The important thing is, I couldn't wear them before, even with that bit of help. So, I haven't gained, even with an out of town trip and a visiting daughter.
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Mar-24-13, 20:18
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mviesprite mviesprite is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 14,936
 
Plan: Suzanne Somers; LC
Stats: 182.5/158/105 Female 5'
BF:Melting!
Progress: 32%
Location: NE Ohio
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Hi Ann, was wondering where you were! Glad you had time with your daughter and are into your misses size jeans! Good job!
Kat
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