QUESTION ABOUT WEIGHTLIFTING(VANITY)

ME | 9-1-06 | ME

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

I need to ask a question about excercising and weightlifting.

I have been hitting the treadmill for about two months. I have just started light workouts involving lifting weights trying to tone up. I lost about 110 pounds and I want to keep it off.

I have not changed my diet. I am very careful about what I eat.

My question is why am I gaining weight? It is not very much and I could stand to gain a couple of pounds anyway.

[CaptainK]

Try the elliptical walker instead of the treadmill.

[theFIRMbss]

>A pound of fat weights the same as a pound of muscle

It's a physics thing -- If you spend one full minute kissing Hillary and one full minute kissing Anna, BOTH kisses take sixty seconds but the universe itself contracts or expands depending on which . . .

[bert]

I am a fan of light repetition.

The source is a wellness newsletter by UC Berkley...... (I Know) The repetitions allow gradual increase in the stress exerted on the muscles.

I bought an 8 pound weight at Walmart and lift it and twist it and generally just use it many times with each arm. I lift it 30 times, swap arms and later repeat untill I have done it 9o times. I have 3 exercises for 90 cycles each.

This is couch potato exercise but is quite effective.

I have recently been lifting it with my gut muscles....200 times.

[wally-balls]

Avoid weights. Go with body weight exercises. Check out www.mattfurey.com He's a body-weight exercise guru AND a damn-fine patriot, too

I've gone from weight lifting to doing his brand of push ups (hindu style) and squats, etc.

Toning has increased dramatically as has my endurance and overall sense of well-being

[evets]

You've been photoshopped!

[Dark Skies]

...why do I work to feel like a whipped puppy?

Because you still feel guilty about being a teenage bedwetter? ;-)

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Do you drink a lot of Jack Daniels?

I don't know enough about your total exercise routine and diet to give you an answer. Sometimes weightlifting will add muscle and add weight.
How much time do you spend on the treadmill? How much time do you weightlift per week?
Give us a synopsis of your diet. Do you eat sweets? Minimize your fat intake?

I have been active physically for over thirty years. I was up to 247 lbs at 6'2" and lost down to 213 lbs. I generally kept it off by keeping down sugar and fat intake and running, playing tennis.
About 5 years ago (I am 58) I my weight was back up to 220, right after the Christmas holidays. I had a physical exam and my cholesterol was 233. I went on another diet got down to 205, and cholesterol of 160. Then about 2 years ago, I started biking.
I highly recommend biking (cycling, no motor). It is great aerobic activity and burns calories at the rate of 750 per hour. I have lost more weight and eat well (I do stay away from sugar and most fat).

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

I stay away from sweets fat fried foods etc. My diet consists mainly of veggies chicken fish. I do try to watch my carb intake (but dammnit I am not giving up rice). My cholestorol is 180. I eat very healthy.

[RightOnline]

For a given volume, muscle weighs more than fat. Now that you're joining the ranks of weightlifters, know this: stop focusing on weight, and focus instead on how your clothes fit.

When I started weightlifting, I first lost.....then gained weight (a fair amount of it) while losing inches in my waist and adding them elsewhere. Stick with it; you'll love it (even though it can be painful at times). I recommend a workout called MaxOT that can be found at www.ast-ss.com. AST is a sports supplement company; I buy their whey protein, creatine, etc......and that workout regimen can be downloaded (free) and if you stick to it, you'll be very happy with the results.

Good luck to you.

[MadelineZapeezda]

Could it be the empty calories you are consuming in your Jack Daniels?????

I mean, it's your moniker, for gosh sakes!!

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Good diet. I have stopped eating desserts. I do eat beef a few times a week. Carbs are not bad, especially if you eat whole grains, wild rice instead of white, and don't pig out.
Good luck. On the exercise routine, once you get a routine and stick to it, you will start to look forward to it.

Another thing, with weightlifting, be careful, there are things that you can do while lifting heavy weights that can do damage to you body (example, if you are pressing heavy weight, look straight ahead, don't turn your head).

[Mr Rogers]

THAT was an awesome reply!

I humbly bow to your knowledge & eloquence.

[Bon mots]

Excellent!
You are probably putting on muscle. I was over 180 when I was lifting heavily and I'm only 5'8". I've taken a bit off since then. My body fat was low and I was taking a lot of protein to pack on extra muscle mass... it still doesn't come easy.

Someone else on this thread gave you a great idea... get a bathroom scale that measures your percentage of body fat. If you can get your body fat below 10% (don't try starving yourself to get there!), you will begin to see "six-pack abs" (abdominal muscles galore...). All the situps in the world won't do this without using cardio exercise to burn off the body fat - which comes off pretty evenly from your whole body over time.

Good luck. Keep up the good work, oh, and remember... if you are training and don't feel good... put down the weight and hit the showers. STOP. You made a big change in your body in a short time, don't push too hard. Know your limits.

:-)

[BlueMango]

Yes muscle weighs more than fat. I think I remember hearing that the same volume of muscle weighs 22% more than fat.

I found this research really interesting: best exercise to burn fat

[MissEdie]

Thanks for the link, I'm going to try that!