The Final Stretch

HEY! I'm back!

Starting with a BIG thanks to Beth for my shirt! I won that sweet shirt from Beth for tracking my exercise and diet! WOO! I love it. 

SO, here's where I am with life. I'm still in law school and struggling through my FINAL semester. Go figure, this is the absolute worst semester I've had in three years. It is BRUTAL. I'm relying on exercise more than ever to keep me sane. Add in the fact that we are moving in a little over two months (and I still don't have a JOB) and my brain goes completely haywire.

I've been pretty consistent - 4-5 days a week, which isn't bad. I've found myself getting bored with my workouts, so I've been trying to mix it up, but more on that in a minute.

I went to the doctor last week for a check-up and had to jump on the scale. I had a minor panic because the number is a bit higher than what I'm used to. REALITY CHECK! I jumped on my scale when I got home and again the following day, and I think I was having an off day, but even so, it was a scale punch in the face. 

My exercise has been solid, but my eating habits have slipped. I've found myself turning to food during this stressful period (read: gluten free pasta, cheese, frozen yogurt) and that's not great. I will be refining my food habits over the next few weeks, so I'll let you know how that goes.

In the meantime, I've returned to Jillian Michaels Body Revolution for her strength videos. I LOVE this program - it's worth the money.

I started with weeks 5/6 and have been going to the next level every 2 weeks (or after 4 times with each video). I'm now on 9/10 and I'm feeling good! Her strength videos are a HUGE challenge, but I love them. I never loved the cardio videos, so I've been mixing it up with my cardio.

For cardio, I have been using a Chris Freytag tabata dvd that I mentioned in a previous post. I also rediscovered my TurboFire dvds. 

I like Chalene Johnson and I like the TurboFire program, but I never made it all the way through for a couple reasons. It's all plyometric (jump) training, which means (1) it's pretty much all cardio, which is NOT what you want for weight loss - you need some strength; and (2) plyometric hurts my shins after awhile. BUT, every so often? This is a great way to mix it up. She has a 30 minute HIIT workout (high intensity interval training) that I LOVE. 

Some mornings, I'll just go for a run. It's one of the few things that really clears my mind. I love my Running for Weight Loss app. It has intervals for jogging, walking, and sprinting. It is really awesome.

And that's it! I'm working hard, trying to stay motivated, and most of all, trying to stay positive. I'm in a little rut right now with how I feel about my body, but it's SO important to give yourself credit. I'm working my ass off, and while I may not have the exact results I want, I should still feel proud (and I do!). Give yourself credit. It doesn't do you any good to be down on yourself.

SMILE! Be happy and healthy! I will talk to you all soon!

From Beth:

Just to add to what Madeline is saying above, in a time of life change and turmoil, just moving your body is a win.  Be volcano eruption level proud of yourself for that.  Madeline exercises for health and mental health, although often put in it's own category, is just as key to optimal living as low blood pressure and other health markers.

Thanks for sharing this Madeline!  Good luck in these next few months!

Also check out her foodie blog!

JANNY TO FEBBY SUPERSTARS!

Two winners!

Christelle and Madeline were my two entrants and winners…I have two prizes rocking and I know Madeline is a DVD user and Christelle has a mild sock fetish so I am distributing prizes as such!

Tomorrow you will get a nice update on Madeline's progress and focus as she is in one of those transitiony times of life.

Here is her log…
Madeline's food and working' it log

The format got a little squishy ( my bad! )…but it's up there!

Prize?
Rodney plus a strap!

Christelle has been training for a half marathon using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program.  This will be her third half. I love Hal, super solid programs! I used this program too for my first half and felt perfectly prepared (It was still a plenty tough race but I finished feeling challenged, not ruined.).  We are gonna want some pics of that run, Christelle!

Christelle is on week 11, check out this plan.

YEA! Christelle has been dedicated and religious minus a day or two off for Northern Michigan adventures and managing a back ouch or two.

She is running the ROCK CF half marathon in Gross Ile, MI on March 30th!  Fast feet, I wish you friend!

Two questions for Christelle, a Michigander, and generally nice person,

1) How much of this has been outside running? 

'Cause it's been a particularly snowy and cold winter in the Mitten.

2) What is your favorite song to run to?

THIS Month's PRIZE for logs from February 15-March 15 is…Portland hat…aka. FLIPSIDE HAT!  Check out the website for stock and pics!

I have two and love to put them on my workout head.

So email me you log, and get in the running! Anyone who has started working out or working out steady and who has tracked or can remember the exercise they have done. Take a pic with for phone, write it down, scan it, get it to me at beth@gotrainingwithbeth.com.

Flipside action!

Build some MUSKLE!

Resistance training is so key to quality of life.  The official stance of the American College of Sports Medicine is for human beings to be lifting weights or doing some type of resistance training 2 times a week to build up muscle-ee parts.  If you are doing a specific sport, a coach or guide or program that is sport specific may really pay off to be sure you are focusing on the right moves!

However, for those of us just being humans, and living life, resistance training is about doing activities of daily living, like unloading groceries and climbing up the stairs, with less effort, more skill and stability.  In addition to shifting your body mass to more muscle, and increasing your metabolism, lifting also helps to protect against obesity, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Even if you are not shooting to make the power lifting team in the next Olympics, lifting weights will help you be a better runner, swimmer, triathlete, parent, etc!

Here is a what-how much-when for those looking to lift weights!

HARD AND FAST RULES

• 2-3 times a week of resistance exercise required to build muscle. 
• 1 time a week is sufficient frequency once you are satisfied with your gains.  Studies show you  will maintain your muscle mass as long as resistance, repetitions, and muscles group targeted stay the same.
• You MUST wait 48 hours between sessions before addressing a muscle group again.  For example, if you did bench press (chest region) on Monday, wait until Wednesday to address that muscle group again.  You could wait longer, and lift on Thursday or Friday but Tuesday would be too soon.  That would not allow the muscle to recover.
• 8-10 moves a session is plenty.
• Good form is essential.  Move slow and controlled.  If you are intimidated or having difficulty assessing yourself, getting professional input on form can be super helpful if you are brand new to this scene.
• Breathing, also good.  One pattern inhale in prep, pull tummy in, and exhale air out with the effort (make sure your tummy stays in!), and inhale as your return to starting position.
• You must be fatigued at the end of a set, not to muscle failure. Like you could do two more with good form. Note: going to failure is not a major no-no, but it is very wise to have a solid base of strength because it will create a lot more inflammation to take a muscle to failure.
• You need to do 8-12 reps to make it count, lighter resistance and 15 reps is better for older adults is better in the initial stages of lifting.
• If you want your muscles to keep developing, you need to keep challenging yourself by progressively making it harder over time by adding to resistance.
• Don't go nuts your first time, or first few weeks in the gym! It's better to get a moderate workout that causes a little inflammation, then to overly fatigue each and every muscle group resulting in you begging for an oil can like the Tin Man to get out of bed the next day.  
• Crunches are not the best way to train your core, try planks, deadbugs, or just isometrically drawing your tummy in first to make sure you using the right muscles.

WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF OPTIONS

• You can perform 1-3 sets to build muscle. As a beginner, 1-2 sets will demonstrate strength gains.  Beginners, you could do just one set for a few months!  Some research and studies point to really building slowly into a program, to maximize your stick-to-it-tive-ness and minimize the time required to advance your cause. You can rock out 2-3 sets as you get stronger.  The research on 4 sets doesn't indicate that your gain will be that much more than 3 sets. 
• You can complete those sets by targeting the same muscle group, but it does not necessarily have to be the exact same exercise.  Example: 1 set of 12 reps with the bench press targets the chest, and the triceps.  Then your second set could be push ups (which also targets both the triceps and chest), or a dumbbell bench fly (which targets the chest). 
• You can do a split program.  You could lift your Arm and Back muscle groups on Tuesday and Thursday, and Legs and Core Monday and Wednesday.  This was you can lift consecutive days targeting different muscle groups!    
• You can do bigger, multi- group dynamic moves like squat with a bicep curl.  Be sure you have spent some time squatting and bicep curling alone before you put 'em together.
• You can use body weight, free weights, kettle bells, bricks (seriously...one of my clients does this right now...), just be sure to be careful!

FINAL THINKING NUGGET

• Your an individual.  You may take longer to heal, or be really quick to recover.  SO within these guidelines, be mindful of your response to the stress of lifting weights.

I also love lamp…but you should love the lifting too!

As we age, we lose muscle.  Every year after the age of 30, you lose 1% of muscle mass.  So if you maintain your weight, and do no exercise, your fat mass percentage is slowly increasing over time.  That's some intense news!  It's so much more than bathing suit confidence, think down the road. Think about being a mobile and strong senior citizen, not needing a wheel chair to see your grandkids graduation, and being able to walk to tolerate travel when you retire.

Over time, without weight training, you lose your mobility and gusto!  This is also the big add that has made massive changes for Cathy, the author of The Good Year series these last months.

I want every reader feel like that can start a program, read this "am I ready?" post  to help navigate starting.  There is also an awesome walking program on there too if weights are not where you want to start.

I have another thought to put in your noggin, especially if you are on a weight loss journey.  Your body does not cherry pick fat tissue.  When you create a calorie deficit, it pulls from muscle and fat, possibly decreasing your current fat free body mass.  This is why doing resistance type training is especially key for those losing weight, to help you maintain your muscle as you lose weight.

In my in home and online programs I use moves appropriate for your current state of fitness.  For some working on a squat is plenty. For others, a squat plus a medicine ball chop is the right amount of challenge.

When adding weight for ye arms, be careful with your arm moves, a one pound increment may be plenty.  Arm muscles are smaller in size, thickness, and length compared to the legs.  The shoulder is way more flexible than the hip joint, so the potential for injury is higher and takes more stability from muscles who don't get a lot of press, like your lower and middle trapezius, serratus anterior, and rotator cuff muscles.  And the status of your lower half, and tummy will effect the flexibility and strength of your shoulders too.

Lastly, I have a trainer too.  I like to get some feedback and have someone check my form.  I lift independently as well and check my form from multiple angles, AND I like outside opinions.  Even Bob Harper has a personal trainer, for motivation and getting that extra little bit of every workout.  My take home point being, a little help can go a real long way!

Pump some iron, friends, it's your body medicine.

SOURCES:

 ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription / American College of Sports Medicine ; [senior editor,  Walter R. Thompson ; associate editors, Neil F. Gordon, Linda S. Pescatello ; contributors, Kelli Allen . . . [et al.]]. — 8th ed.
 (Medicine iv)

Wolfe BL, LeMura LM, Cole PJ (2004). Quantitative analysis of single- vs. multiple-set programs in resistance training. J Strength Cond Res.18(1):35-47.

A GOOD YEAR: Hello baby guess who back!

Yesterday, Cathy wrapped up her 8th month of workouts!  Way to go, Cathy!

Behold Month Eight! Read on and hear about Cathy's recap of her eighth month and in her next post Cathy will show off month 9.  Cathy has opened up her weight loss journey on this guest blog called The Good Year.  All her previous posts have "The Good Year" in the title if you want to check out archives! Starting July of 2013 Cathy began an exercise program to get healthy versus a mad dash to be thin.  She has navigated divorce, and finding herself these last few months. 

In the last 2 months, we increased the amount of weight lifting Cathy does to four days a week, essentially shifting the focus to building muscle and keeping up our cardio focus on intervals.

As always, Cathy does the occasional recovery cardio where there are no intervals, but most of her cardiovascular workouts include a period where she kicks it into a higher gear followed by a recovery. 

Also every fourth week, we take it down a notch, and really focus on flexibility.

Here are her updates below!

From Cathy:

Hello world, know it's been a minute

Hello world, made it out the city

Hello world, been all around the map saying "Hello baby, guess who back? I know you missed me. 

- Kid Ink (Hello World)

So yeah, Kid Ink is kind of my theme song at the moment. 

Sorry I fell off the face of the earth briefly. I think I needed a moment. But, while I was on hiatus I finalized the divorce, survived a major system migration at work, and paid down a big chunk of debt. On top of that, I've been at 100% participation with my workouts! 

It would be untrue to say the last few months have been smooth sailing. I'm still haunted by anxiety-inducing memories and I'm trying to come to terms with some not so awesome choices I've made in my life and frankly, I can be pretty mean to myself about it all. I'm focused on working through that and am so grateful to have such a great support system around me.

The thing that has amazed me though, is what a huge component exercise has become in keeping me in a good place mentally. During some craziness at work I missed a couple of workouts and noticed such a difference in my perspective. I was negative, cynical, judgey of other people, and just super sad in general.

Needless to say, joining a gym has been such a boost for me. Looking back, I got bored with my walking routine at the end of the year and really needed to change things up. Beth came through with a plan that challenges me using the cardio equipment, free weights, and my body weight/balance so I don't burn out. 

Having said that, I think that this time around, my quest for health (mental and physical) has really kicked in and I don't force myself to go to the gym so I can be thin. My motivation is that I know I will feel so good by the end. On the weekends I work out with a friend and we have both commented on how great it is to just have time to listen to music and be in your own head for a while. The endorphins make that one of the happiest parts of my day. 

So what about weight-wise, has it been effective? Um, yes. I've lost 16 pounds since I last weighed in on this blog. That puts my total weight loss at 27 pounds since July 2013! 27 pounds lost without forced marches to the gym, without starving myself, and all while really enjoying it! Madness, I tell you.

For years I have read that strength training is the key to losing weight but didn't know where to start. Fortunately, Beth was visiting in early January and we got to go to the gym together so she could work with me through the routine she designed. That was really helpful because the weights area is usually pretty crowded and everyone seems to know what they are doing so I can end up feeling intimidated. At least for me, it has helped a lot to start my new routine with some confidence having already worked through it with a pro. 

Anyhow, if you're not lifting, start. If you don't know where to start, schedule time with a trainer to set you up with a basic routine and help you use the proper form. Without much improvement in my eating I have managed to lose more weight in the last two months than in the six months prior, combined. 

I've had some food ups and downs in that period as well but I can share those in my next post. 

Okay back to Kid Ink:

Trying to bring the trophy back, to the city

Whole team going "rah rah rah", representing

We on, everything is a go, never take a T.O. 

I know you missed me...

Hello baby guess who back? 

Yeah I know you missed me

Made it out the city and the rest is all history