"This weightlifting thing"

**Kathybird** · 02-09-2010, 08:23 PM

OK so I think I've got some of the jargon down, at least macronutrients and intervals and compound exercises.

So I'll actually start a thread on what I'm doing. Or what I think I'm doing. I think.

Let's start off with stats, or at least pertinent info, as "stats" to y'all might mean something different than what I'm thinking of.

I'm 38, going to be 39 in March, 163 lbs. roughly, gained about 40 of it through pregnancy. The kid is going to be 6.

As of 2 days of that FitDay site, my diet is 50% carbs, 32% fat and 19% protein. Which adds up to 101% but why argue with the computer? So I need to up the protein and slide back the carbs. Maybe the fat a bit too.

Exercise up until now .... let me switch direction on that. High school, I became anorexic. 80 lbs., and that was a weigh-in at the docs I had put on a few lbs. for. (I'm 5"1 BTW.) So I kinda drifted out of that late HS early college but really started exercising a lot. This was in the Jane Fonda days, lots of aerobics. But I also, looking back, unwittingly had a fairly good weight regimen going. Lots of made-up compound exercises with weights -- situps with a dumbbell swung behind my head to over my knees, weird aerobic-inspired squats and lunges with dumbbells, stuff like that. My real love was cycling. I'd go out for whole days and just get lost. I enjoyed powering up hills, then keeping up with traffic on the way back down.

So then we hit post-college (which was a slow transition because I didn't do it all full-time) and the working world, which we all know makes one more sedentary. Although I still never gave up working out. Tried jogging for a while, that was OK but I didn't know anything about it except putting on sneaks and a decent bra. That transitioned into stationary bikes and ellipticals and stairmasters at the gym for a few years, with a bit of nautilus equipment thrown in once in a while.

Weight in college: 108. Weight at marriage: 120. Weight when I got pregnant: 130. Max weight at pregnancy: 180. Weight after pregnancy: 160. And here I sit 6 years later.

So I've read more and more about "this weightlifting thing" as my mother calls it, and with a brother we've nicknamed the red-headed hulk, I've gotten a few glimpses into heavy weight lifting since he got into it when he was in college. ... but not nearly enough to just start picking up dumbbells apparently. There's more information than I can process in just a few days or weeks.

I picked up a book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler, I'd heard the name somewhere before and I saw some of the stuff discussed in forums here, so I picked it up. It has what I'm looking for -- "do this, lift that, eat this, and read about why you're doing this" kind of format. I need someone to tell me where to start!!

So this is where I'm starting: a bunch of compound exercises, nothing isolated yet. For how long? No idea. How heavy weights? Dunno. I have weights, max 8 lbs. dumbbells, which I've found right now do that get-fatigued-at-12-or-15-reps thing, I have a bench and plates (maybe 100 lbs. worth) and I picked up a barbell today. It's one of those curved ones, like to fit your grip, not a straight basic bar, does that matter?

Tomorrow starts my basic routine, which will be somewhere like 8 reps of compound exercises.

Squats
Bench Presses
Bent-Over Rows
Overhead Barbell Presses
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
Barbell Curls
Calf Raises

Three days a week. I want to continue doing my general running and walking and elliptical other days. I'm going to stick to the weights on the 3 days and see how I need to rearrange the cardio stuff as I go.

OK I'm tired of typing now. Any input greatly appreciated!!

**Kathybird** · 02-09-2010, 08:45 PM

OK, thanks. Can I use dumbbells for a while for bench pressing?

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 07:28 AM

I have a bunch at fixed weights, up to 8 lbs. which will do me for a week or two. I have enough plate weights that I just have to pick up a couple of dumbbell handles. Or I can go searching in the basement for the hubby's old ones, although I'm sure they're corroded and rusty by now.

... I'm reading about the plus of quickly-adjustable ones. Those ones where you just insert the handle and click on more weights look nifty.

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 07:28 PM

OK, I guess technically this is the first day of working out with the info I've gathered thus far.

Today:
Squats: 25 lbs plus bar (how much is the bar?), 4 sets of 10. I could finish all reps, probably a few more, but it felt awkward.
Bench presses: 25 lbs plus bar, 4 sets of 10, again, not crazy difficult but awkward.
Bent over rows: 20 lbs plus bar, 4 sets of 10. This felt about right with the weight, struggled on last rep on last 2 sets.
Overhead barbell presses: 15 lbs. plus bar, 4 sets of 7, this was hard.
Stiff legged deadlifts: 20 lbs plus bar, 4 sets of 10, I like this exercise. Everything felt "right" - form, muscles working, amt of weight, etc.
Calf raises: 20 lbs plus bar, didn't know I was supposed to have bar on my shoulders. I just held it. 4 sets of 15.
Crunches: 200.

I think I'm chucking the barbell curls on the "compound" workout. I'll do it like I've done it so far, in combo with 30 mins of cardio then some time on the weight bench, I'll record that.

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 07:47 PM

I should clarify crunches. I do about 150 with my 6 lb med ball under my chin, the other 50 with it between my knees and I do reverse crunches.

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 08:08 PM

Dammit. I have a headache.

**Spaullba** · 02-10-2010, 08:14 PM

The bar weighs 45 lbs by the way

.

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Spaullba

The bar weighs 45 lbs by the way

.

THAT'S why I have a headache....

**Spaullba** · 02-10-2010, 08:42 PM

Haha, oops sorry didnt see that in your first post you said it is a curved bar. I assume by this you mean an EZ curl bar, like this: A Beginners Guide To Gym Equipment And Workout Accessories

If it is an EZ bar then its probably more like 25 lbs.

**Kathybird** · 02-10-2010, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Geared Jesus

did you drop the bar on your head during overhead presses?

No but I did fall over a coupla times trying to figure out how much weight I could get over my head.

Originally Posted by Spaullba

Haha, oops sorry didnt see that in your first post you said it is a curved bar. I assume by this you mean an EZ curl bar, like this: (link removed because apparently I can't post links yet)

If it is an EZ bar then its probably more like 25 lbs.

Nah, thanks... found the package. 10.7 lbs. I assume the .7 is the box.

**Spaullba** · 02-10-2010, 11:19 PM

Haha I see, must be a teeny bar, I just assumed it was in the 25 lb range since that is "standard" with the EZ bars.

Anyways, goodluck with your training.

**katt** · 02-11-2010, 08:21 AM

Hi!

I'm going to be reading this journal

I think you'll be amazed with the transformation of your body using weights. And they are always awkward at the beginning.. that's the way I feel when I try a new exercise.

**Kathybird** · 02-11-2010, 09:49 AM

Thanks! Is that you in your avatar? I'm going to have to go find your journal

**Kathybird** · 02-11-2010, 09:54 AM

Supplements! Um... this whey crap sucks. I'm going to try those shake recipes stickied somewhere here. I got hungry but eating so that I'm satisfied stretched my stomach out! I'm going to try a bunch of fruit in those shakes. From what I'm reading, I should drink one of those right after working out. But yesterday I was still ... well, not FULL, but overly satisfied from dinner. Had meat a little later.

I take 2 flintstones gummi vites a day, which way back when me and the doc figured out equals a prenatal vitamin, roughly, without the higher levels of iron, which makes me sick. I do actually take a half an iron pill but I have to take it after food or I might barf it back up.

**katt** · 02-11-2010, 10:12 AM

Try mixing your choc. whey in with a bowl of oatmeal.. it makes it go down easier for me

or throw a banana and a bit of natural peanut butter/almond butter in with your shake to make it creamier

**Kathybird** · 02-11-2010, 12:11 PM

My 5 year old is putting 2.5 lb weights on the bar to work out with.

**Kathybird** · 02-12-2010, 08:19 PM

OK today's workout:

30 minutes on elliptical, levels 5 and 6

Squats: 35 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Bench presses: 35 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Bent over rows: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Overhead barbell presses: 20 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Stiff legged deadlifts: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Calf raises: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 20.
Crunches: 120.

Definitely less awkward this time, although the overhead presses are not making my ... what's the back of the neck/high back area? ... happy.

**JerseyDevil** · 02-14-2010, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Kathybird

OK today's workout:

30 minutes on elliptical, levels 5 and 6

Squats: 35 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Bench presses: 35 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Bent over rows: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Overhead barbell presses: 20 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Stiff legged deadlifts: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 10.
Calf raises: 30 lbs. 4 sets of 20.
Crunches: 120.

Definitely less awkward this time, although the overhead presses are not making my ... what's the back of the neck/high back area? ... happy.

Great start Kathy

**Kathybird** · 02-15-2010, 03:15 PM

OK Saturday and Sunday were off.

Today:

30 mins elliptical, levels 6 thru 9

SQ - 40 lbs. (10 reps x 4 sets)
BP - 40(10, 6); 35(10x2)
BOR - 35(10); 40(10); 45(10, 12)

leg ext - 50(10x2); 55(10); 60(10)
hamstrings - 30(10x4)

tried to add in overhead presses and stiff leg deadlifts but I was done.

**katt** · 02-16-2010, 08:34 AM

looks like the workouts are moving right along... how's the diet part coming? That's the hardest part for me... I'm good when I'm at work because I pack everything,, it's just after work and on the weekends that everything goes to shit...

**Kathybird** · 02-16-2010, 05:11 PM

eh, diet sucks. Not as bad as, say, two weeks ago, but I can't seem to get the carbs down and the protein up. rrrr.

**katt** · 02-17-2010, 07:44 AM

did you happen to check out the stickies in the diet section? They really help, and there are some great recipes in there too

**Kathybird** · 02-17-2010, 11:10 AM

I really do know how to eat well. It's just I don't WANNA. (whining)

Plus I'm gonna have my period. (more whining.)

Seriously, I hate to cook. I go nuts about one day a week after shopping, I cook up all the meat, so that I don't have to again all week. (Yes hamburgers last a week in the fridge.) And I'm the queen of minimeals. Having a 5-year-old in the house isn't great for trying to cut out junk.

I'm finding that whey stuff ain't bad in OJ.

**CowPimp** · 02-17-2010, 12:38 PM

Keep on truckin' madame. I'm not big on frequenting journals due to lack of time, but I pop in occasionally. It looks to me like you're willing to put in some effort to learn and educate yourself to do things the right way. It also seems as though you're willing to put in the time and effort, though I realize diet can be the trickiest of all.

If that book is anything like the one for men, it's a good start for sure. I read the other one for men, which was also co-authored by Alwyn Cosgrove.

If you are ever feeling like you're not making the progress you deserve, just shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to help. Happy training.

**Kathybird** · 02-17-2010, 12:50 PM

Thanks CP. I keep reading and am sticking to the compound stuff for now. I will say, some of the info about not having to do 10 million crunches shocks my long-held beliefs on abs.

**nadirmg** · 02-17-2010, 01:01 PM

One thing I've found that helps with the diet is, if you're doing whey for a protein source, is to do smoothies.

Whip it up nice and fluffy with ice, fat free whipped cream, and some frozen berries - maybe even a little fat free cottage cheese.

It's very filling and way better than eating your way through another can of tuna.

**Built** · 02-17-2010, 01:24 PM

Just getting caught up here.

What macros are you running for your diet, Kathybird? Link in my sig might help you there.

Also - and this might just be the way you're writing this up - if you do cardio, do it AFTER your weights, not before. You'll be too tired for the weights if you do it first.

Good job on getting this started - and very cute about your little one with the dumbbells!

**Kathybird** · 02-17-2010, 01:47 PM

Ah, macros. I don't know what order they're supposed to be in -- carbs 50%, fat 30% and protein 20%.

nadirmg, I just picked up some nice organic strawberries

Gonna try that tonight.

**Kathybird** · 02-17-2010, 05:43 PM

OK, I was hardly able to do this tonight! Felt weak, tired.

Bent-over rows - 35(10x4)
Stiff-legged deadlifts - 40(10); 45(10x2); 40(10)
Squats - 40 (10x3); 35(10)
Calf raises - 35(20x4)
Crunches - 65 plus some leg raises

The elliptical was just NOT gonna happen after that. Why was this so hard tonight?

**Kathybird** · 02-18-2010, 08:13 AM

OK I think I pulled a little something in my back. Back of right hip. Not bad, just a little pulling sensation. I'm going to have to put on my big girl sneaks and go to the gym and ask one of the meatheads to show me what I'm doing wrong. ... no offense to the meatheads here.

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