Can I have some help with KB's?

Hi Fitness People!

I used to do Pilates and walk every night, but I stopped because I got
a new job and didn't have time for that anymore. Six months later, I
had gained almost 25 pounds so I sort of desperately ended up buying
an 18 pound kettlebell and a girly workout tape because of the
advertised killer results in record time. I've been doing this tape
three times a week for the past month.

Girly workout tape as follows: Turkish Getups, one, two, alternate arm
swings, clean and press, snatch, deadlift, deck squats. Swings are
twenty apiece x 3 circuits with thirty second rests. At the end of
the circuits -- abs.

I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,
and two inches off my waist and hips, but the rest of me seems sort of
puffy and huge. My butt is enormous. My arms got bigger and I am
carrying ALOT of water. My bra cup is getting fuller, not lighter.
Puffy fingers. I'm not really cutting calories but I dropped my carbs
to under 50, so I'm weirded out by the water. I guess I'm leaner? but
I feel *fatter*.

I want to lose the rest of the weight I gained and look fabulous, but
I'm starting to wonder if this is the right way to go. Something seems
wrong here.Am I just not swinging enough -- should I increase my
weekly workouts to four or five times a week? Or am I overtraining,
like they say in all the KB literature because it's apparently so
insidiously intense? Do more straight cardio, go for a walk twice a
week?

These things have me confused. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

rodeodeo27@yahoo.com writes:

> Hi Fitness People!
>
> I used to do Pilates and walk every night, but I stopped because I got
> a new job and didn't have time for that anymore. Six months later, I
> had gained almost 25 pounds so I sort of desperately ended up buying
> an 18 pound kettlebell and a girly workout tape because of the
> advertised killer results in record time. I've been doing this tape
> three times a week for the past month.
>
> Girly workout tape as follows: Turkish Getups, one, two, alternate arm
> swings, clean and press, snatch, deadlift, deck squats. Swings are
> twenty apiece x 3 circuits with thirty second rests. At the end of
> the circuits -- abs.
>
> I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,
> and two inches off my waist and hips, but the rest of me seems sort of
> puffy and huge. My butt is enormous. My arms got bigger and I am
> carrying ALOT of water. My bra cup is getting fuller, not lighter.
> Puffy fingers. I'm not really cutting calories but I dropped my carbs
> to under 50, so I'm weirded out by the water. I guess I'm leaner? but
> I feel *fatter*.
>
> I want to lose the rest of the weight I gained and look fabulous, but
> I'm starting to wonder if this is the right way to go. Something seems
> wrong here.Am I just not swinging enough -- should I increase my
> weekly workouts to four or five times a week? Or am I overtraining,
> like they say in all the KB literature because it's apparently so
> insidiously intense? Do more straight cardio, go for a walk twice a
> week?
>
> These things have me confused. Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks!

First, the advice I'm sure is good: don't think and guess and feel
about your size. Get a tape, measure everything you care about, and
write the numbers down. Do this on a regular basis and you'll know
what's going on.

Everything else I have to say is guesswork, and to let you know where
I'm coming from, I'm male, 48 years old, 140 pounds, and have never
had to worry about getting fat. I bought a 36 pound kettlebell in
January and started with Turkish getups and swings. It was only about
a month ago that I finally got strong enough to attempt a clean and
press with any kind of confidence and I don't even think about trying
snatches.

Based solely on that, I think you're trying to do too much too soon.
Ballistic moves like swings and snatches put a lot of stress on the
connective tissue, and the body needs time to adapt to that. Puffy
fingers in particular suggest this to me. In your place, I would
stick to two-handed swings for the moment, especially if your goal is
to lose fat. One-handed swings are great for the obliques but don't
do any more for fat loss, and they put more stress on the connective
tissue. And I would probably stick to working out twice a week and
try to be patient. Losing ten pounds in a month is very fast by any
sensible standard, and you need to give your body time to recover.

--
Jim Janney

. Thanks for your answer.

You're talking about exactly what I'm not sure about. What I'm doing
really does not seem that tough to me -- I mean I'm out of breath and
stuff and it's not *easy* but I'm not debilitated the next day either.
I am not sure if I am doing too much or not enough. I bought the Pavel
Tsatsouline book -- he seems to say, do not be a big female baby
comrade! You must kettlebell every day or you will never be a sinewy
goddess! But other things I've read seem to suggest that I'm beating
the hell out of myself whenever I use these things.

About six years ago I was doing this free weight program plus cardio .
I was on a support board for this workout, and I kept saying, you
know, nothing is happening here - and these people kept telling me to
stick it out. So six months later I had lost about five pounds from my
starting weight and looked like a burly version of the same me. I
couldn't figure out the problem back then either. I quit weight
training and just did cardio and pilates and *really* cut my calories,
the thing they tell us girls not to ever do.

I should mention that when I am not doing this workout, I am doing
*nothing*. I have a desk job and barely walk five steps to my car. Two
days a week doesn't seem like enough...maybe just add cardio on
another three days?

rodeodeo27@yahoo.com writes:

> . Thanks for your answer.

My leg hurts and I can't sleep, so you get the full benefit of my
dubious expertise.

> You're talking about exactly what I'm not sure about. What I'm doing
> really does not seem that tough to me -- I mean I'm out of breath and
> stuff and it's not *easy* but I'm not debilitated the next day either.
> I am not sure if I am doing too much or not enough. I bought the Pavel
> Tsatsouline book -- he seems to say, do not be a big female baby
> comrade! You must kettlebell every day or you will never be a sinewy
> goddess! But other things I've read seem to suggest that I'm beating
> the hell out of myself whenever I use these things.

You have to work hard, yes, but you also have take some time at first
to prepare your body for it. Muscles recover quickly, often within
hours, but joints and tendons can take weeks or months to repair
themselves, so it's important not to stress them too much too soon.
If the book you have is Enter the Kettlebell, check out page 22 where
Pavel writes

7. Build up the training load gradually, using common sense, and
listen to your body.

On the other hand, I don't *know* that this applies to you. Puffy
fingers seem like a sign of something, probably bad and inflammatory,
but I don't know what. Do you notice any pain other than normal
muscle soreness?

After a good swing workout I just want to lie on the floor and marvel
at how soft and comfortable it is :-) And I would feel it for a day or
two afterwards. But I would usually do five sets of twenty, all
two-handed, because one-handed swings made my wrists sore. It may be
that 18 pounds is simply not heavy enough for you. If you can clean
and press and snatch it easily, I'm almost certain of it.

> About six years ago I was doing this free weight program plus cardio .
> I was on a support board for this workout, and I kept saying, you
> know, nothing is happening here - and these people kept telling me to
> stick it out. So six months later I had lost about five pounds from my
> starting weight and looked like a burly version of the same me. I
> couldn't figure out the problem back then either. I quit weight
> training and just did cardio and pilates and *really* cut my calories,
> the thing they tell us girls not to ever do.
>
> I should mention that when I am not doing this workout, I am doing
> *nothing*. I have a desk job and barely walk five steps to my car. Two
> days a week doesn't seem like enough...maybe just add cardio on
> another three days?

That makes a difference. Light exercise should help you recover
faster. Either some kind of cardio, whatever works for you, or some
light work with the kettlebell. If you're short of time, a jump rope
will get your heart rate up in no time...

--
Jim Janney

Dnia 2008-07-06 rodeodeo27@yahoo.com napisa³(a):
> Hi Fitness People!
>
> I used to do Pilates and walk every night, but I stopped because I got
> a new job and didn't have time for that anymore. Six months later, I
> had gained almost 25 pounds so I sort of desperately ended up buying
> an 18 pound kettlebell and a girly workout tape because of the
> advertised killer results in record time. I've been doing this tape
> three times a week for the past month.
>
> Girly workout tape as follows: Turkish Getups, one, two, alternate arm
> swings, clean and press, snatch, deadlift, deck squats. Swings are
> twenty apiece x 3 circuits with thirty second rests. At the end of
> the circuits -- abs.
>
> I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,

If you lost weight on a lifting based program, you lost plenty of fat.
There is no other possible explanation.

> and two inches off my waist and hips,

If you lost those two inches, you lost plenty of fat. There is no other
possible explanation.

> but the rest of me seems sort of puffy and huge.

I'm guessing, that "seems" is a key word here. It can be a problem with
self image. You started caring how you look, so you see yourself in a
different light, so to speak. But results are results, and they are
real.

> My butt is enormous.

After you lost two inches off your hips? I had to be even bigger
before. There is no other possible explanation.

> My arms got bigger and I am
> carrying ALOT of water. My bra cup is getting fuller, not lighter.

This "water" thingy and fuller bra is a part of normal response to
workout. If you are very worried, stop training for a week and it will
go back to "normal". You use your muscles, you stress them with
training, so they swell a little. Most guys like this effect, as it
makes our muscles more prominent, but several days of layoff typically
make it disappear.

> Puffy fingers. I'm not really cutting calories but I dropped my carbs
> to under 50, so I'm weirded out by the water. I guess I'm leaner? but
> I feel *fatter*.

How you feel about yourself mainly depends on your self image. It can
be a trickster, especially for women, so rely more on measurements than
on it. You seem to be doing a good job. Keep on keeping on.

> I want to lose the rest of the weight I gained

Maybe you do, but you should want to lose fat. Too much fat makes you
look bad. The amount of muscles you built is only making you look
better, and they weight some too. Think in terms of fat loss, not
weight loss.

> and look fabulous, but
> I'm starting to wonder if this is the right way to go. Something seems
> wrong here.Am I just not swinging enough -- should I increase my
> weekly workouts to four or five times a week? Or am I overtraining,

You could be overdoing things a little. Taking a lighter week and
seeing what difference it will make may be a good idea now. After a month
of hard training light week is generally a good idea.

> like they say in all the KB literature because it's apparently so
> insidiously intense? Do more straight cardio, go for a walk twice a
> week?
>
> These things have me confused. Any thoughts?

Judging from what you wrote, you are doing just fine. Maybe you overdid
things a little bit, maybe not yet. A bit of rest may help you recover,
and after that you can start building up your training load again. Your
body should take a clue and adapt better this time around. Most people
who train fairly hard use some sort of load cycling, because it's
impossible to train very hard all year round.

Anyway, if you lost 10lbs of weight, you most probably lost at least 15
lbs of fat. 5lbs of muscles gained the first month is nothing
unexpected and there are studies showing that it happens to people
starting a lifting based program. Next 5lbs of muscle gains will take
at least several months, next 5lbs may take a year or two. Next 5lbs
may never happen, so do not worry about getting "huge". Muscles in your
legs, butt, shoulders and back will only make you look (and feel) better.
After all, that is where adding some foam to people makes plastic
surgeons rich, but I can't imagine how butt implants can rival the feel
of the real deal!

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

Dnia 2008-07-06 rodeodeo27@yahoo.com napisa³(a):
> . Thanks for your answer.
>
> You're talking about exactly what I'm not sure about. What I'm doing
> really does not seem that tough to me -- I mean I'm out of breath and
> stuff and it's not *easy* but I'm not debilitated the next day either.
> I am not sure if I am doing too much or not enough. I bought the Pavel
> Tsatsouline book -- he seems to say, do not be a big female baby
> comrade! You must kettlebell every day or you will never be a sinewy
> goddess! But other things I've read seem to suggest that I'm beating
> the hell out of myself whenever I use these things.
>
> About six years ago I was doing this free weight program plus cardio .
> I was on a support board for this workout, and I kept saying, you
> know, nothing is happening here - and these people kept telling me to
> stick it out. So six months later I had lost about five pounds from my
> starting weight and looked like a burly version of the same me. I
> couldn't figure out the problem back then either. I quit weight
> training and just did cardio and pilates and *really* cut my calories,
> the thing they tell us girls not to ever do.

Who says that girls shouldn't cut calories? Are you pregnant?
Otherwise cutting calories will slim you down. Most of those "starvation
mode" ramblings are pure BS. You don't eat, you lose weight. Basal
metabolic rate doesn't change with restrictive diets any more than with
moderate ones. It's been shown over and over again, so there is not
even a controversy about it.

> I should mention that when I am not doing this workout, I am doing
> *nothing*. I have a desk job and barely walk five steps to my car. Two
> days a week doesn't seem like enough...maybe just add cardio on
> another three days?

Up to you, but I'd rather advise a diet. Diets always work, cardio
works sometimes. Feel free to skip a meal too, if you are thus
inclined. It works just as well as cutting a small amount of food out
of every other meal.

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

On Sat, 5 Jul 2008, rodeodeo27@yahoo.com wrote:

> I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,
> and two inches off my waist and hips, but the rest of me seems sort of
> puffy and huge. My butt is enormous. My arms got bigger and I am
> carrying ALOT of water. My bra cup is getting fuller, not lighter. Puffy
> fingers. I'm not really cutting calories but I dropped my carbs to under
> 50, so I'm weirded out by the water. I guess I'm leaner? but I feel
> *fatter*.

Hang on: you've lost weight, got a smaller waist and hips, and a bigger
bum and breasts, and you're *unhappy*?

Okay, the puffy fingers sound bad, and i can understand that you might not
want bigger arms. But, as Andrzej said, i suspect a lot of this is all in
your mind - what do other people think of the changes in your appearance?

tom

--
Everything looks kind of OK

<rodeodeo27@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e3a47cba-41a2-4511-aa00-8eac70bba999@m44g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> Hi Fitness People!
>
> I used to do Pilates and walk every night, but I stopped because I got
> a new job and didn't have time for that anymore. Six months later, I
> had gained almost 25 pounds so I sort of desperately ended up buying
> an 18 pound kettlebell and a girly workout tape because of the
> advertised killer results in record time. I've been doing this tape
> three times a week for the past month.

Which tape, please?

> Girly workout tape as follows: Turkish Getups, one, two, alternate arm
> swings, clean and press, snatch, deadlift, deck squats. Swings are
> twenty apiece x 3 circuits with thirty second rests. At the end of
> the circuits -- abs.
>
> I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,
> and two inches off my waist and hips, but the rest of me seems sort of
> puffy and huge. My butt is enormous. My arms got bigger and I am
> carrying ALOT of water. My bra cup is getting fuller, not lighter.
> Puffy fingers. I'm not really cutting calories but I dropped my carbs
> to under 50, so I'm weirded out by the water. I guess I'm leaner? but
> I feel *fatter*.

I doubt you are fatter. If you have any doubts about that, compare your
current bodyfat percentage to one recorded by the same methods prior to
starting your current workout schedule. If you don't have a previously
recorded bodyfat percentage, get one taken now for future reference. In
the meantime, ask your friends and coworkers if you appearance has
improved or not.

Diet is highly personal in my experience. You may not do well on a
low-carb diet, or you may have misconceptions about exactly what is and
isn't a carb, e.g., all that nonsense about sugar alcohol. Reducing
calories is a fine idea - please don't rule it out.

> I want to lose the rest of the weight I gained and look fabulous, but
> I'm starting to wonder if this is the right way to go. Something seems
> wrong here.Am I just not swinging enough -- should I increase my
> weekly workouts to four or five times a week? Or am I overtraining,
> like they say in all the KB literature because it's apparently so
> insidiously intense? Do more straight cardio, go for a walk twice a
> week?

Walking is great, training intelligently is a must. Back off for one
week out of each month, vary what you do for the other three in terms of
intensity and volume. Walk as often as you like for as long as you,
within reason and building up gradually, of course.

> These things have me confused. Any thoughts?

If you're into working with kettlebells, you might consider finding a
certified kettlebell instructor in your area.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com


> Thanks!

On Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:40:39 -0700, rodeodeo27 wrote:

> . Thanks for your answer.
>
> You're talking about exactly what I'm not sure about. What I'm doing
> really does not seem that tough to me -- I mean I'm out of breath and
> stuff and it's not *easy* but I'm not debilitated the next day either. I
> am not sure if I am doing too much or not enough. I bought the Pavel
> Tsatsouline book -- he seems to say, do not be a big female baby
> comrade! You must kettlebell every day or you will never be a sinewy
> goddess! But other things I've read seem to suggest that I'm beating the
> hell out of myself whenever I use these things.
>
> About six years ago I was doing this free weight program plus cardio . I
> was on a support board for this workout, and I kept saying, you know,
> nothing is happening here - and these people kept telling me to stick it
> out. So six months later I had lost about five pounds from my starting
> weight and looked like a burly version of the same me. I couldn't figure
> out the problem back then either. I quit weight training and just did
> cardio and pilates and *really* cut my calories, the thing they tell us
> girls not to ever do.
>
> I should mention that when I am not doing this workout, I am doing
> *nothing*. I have a desk job and barely walk five steps to my car. Two
> days a week doesn't seem like enough...maybe just add cardio on another
> three days?


Check Wal-Mart or any sports shop for a mini-cycle, the ones that are
just the pedals. Try sticking that under Your desk and peddling during
the day. If will increase the number of calories You burn throughout the
day. Many gamers claim to have lost a lot of weight with that (all while
playing video games). Peddling while trying to do other things (work,
Final Fantasy, what ever...) doesn't work well for everyone, but if You
can peddle and work at the same time, it might work for You.
Alternatively You could try peddling while watching TV, reading, almost
anything done while sitting.

Hey! Thanks for all replies!
On Jul 6, 3:32�am, Jim Janney <jjan...@xmission.xmission.com> wrote:
> rodeode...@yahoo.com writes:
> > �. Thanks for your answer.
> You have to work hard, yes, but you also have take some time at first
> to prepare your body for it. �Muscles recover quickly, often within
> hours, but joints and tendons can take weeks or months to repair
> themselves, so it's important not to stress them too much too soon.
> If the book you have is Enter the Kettlebell, check out page 22 where
> Pavel writes
>
> � �7. �Build up the training load gradually, using common sense, and
> � � � �listen to your body.
>
> On the other hand, I don't *know* that this applies to you. �Puffy
> fingers seem like a sign of something, probably bad and inflammatory,
> but I don't know what. �Do you notice any pain other than normal
> muscle soreness?

Joints and tendons? I've been a pretty committed yoga/pilates girl and
I was always flexible. However: also very lazy, hate running, never
banged up my knees and quit basketball my junior year because I had to
get sweaty. I doubt I have an inch of cartiledge that hasn't been
coddled like an infant. Joints and tendons are a concern on this
program really?

The soreness is sort of interesting. I notice some tolerable soreness
the next day and the day after that I'll get lactic burns in my legs
from walking around. It's not soreness, but I notice it. That's never
happened to me before. Does that burn mean I'm still recovering?
>
> That makes a difference. �Light exercise should help you recover
> faster. �Either some kind of cardio, whatever works for you, or some
> light work with the kettlebell. � If you're short of time, a jumprope
> will get your heart rate up in no time...
>
> --

That's an idea. I've heard jump rope is a time saver too. Thanks!
> Jim Janney

> I'm guessing, that "seems" is a key word here. �It can be a problem with
> self image. �You started caring how you look, so you see yourselfin a
> different light, so to speak. �But results are results, and they are
> real.
>

Yeah, I thought about that. When you go from denial to measuring your
waist with a measuring tape, there are bound to be some gaps in
reality. I do look different; my body looks more like a girls and less
like some cranky old guy's. I feel sorta weirdly swollen all over,
though. And I have noticed that if I have a good two day rest the
puffy extremities aren't as distracting.

> > My butt is enormous.
>
> After you lost two inches off your hips? �I had to be even bigger
> before. �There is no other possible explanation.
>

Sigh. It's certainly possible.


> Judging from what you wrote, you are doing just fine. �Maybe you overdid
> things a little bit, maybe not yet. �A bit of rest may help you recover,
> and after that you can start building up your training load again. �Your
> body should take a clue and adapt better this time around. �Most people
> who train fairly hard use some sort of load cycling, because it's
> impossible to train very hard all year round. �

Okay, I see now. I guess more rest is the strategy.
>
Muscles in your
> legs, butt, shoulders and back will only make you look (and feel) better.
> After all, that is where adding some foam to people makes plastic
> surgeons rich, but I can't imagine how butt implants can rival the feel
> of the real deal!
>

My feeling: girls who'd pay for bigger butts obviously have not been
to my family's house for dinner. We could fix these people up in no
time at all.

Thanks!

> Who says that girls shouldn't cut calories? �Are you pregnant?
> Otherwise cutting calories will slim you down. �Most of those "starvation
> mode" ramblings �are pure BS. �You don't eat, you lose weight. �Basal
> metabolic rate doesn't change with restrictive diets any more than with
> moderate ones. �It's been shown over and over again, so there is not
> even a controversy about it.

Well, you're right. In fact every time I've done the "don't diet"
thing to lose weight I end up mad at whoever said that. Why would you
tell a person this? To sell books, that's why. But I keep getting
older, too -- seems like more trainers say women over 35 should eat
"normally" and build muscle.

But I've also noticed that if I cut calories first when I'm out of
shape, it's a lot harder to start working out, and when I do I've got
a lot more work to do. Also, for some reason after a month or two of
working out I'm a lot less hungry when I limit the food. Blood sugar,
insulin, something. 1300 calories a day from a dead stop makes me too
hungry to want to hit the gym. It makes me want to hit others, and
have a pizza if that doesn't work. Eventually, though,yeah, I don't
think it's coming off without less calories.

But, as Andrzej said, i suspect a lot of this is all in
> your mind - what do other people think of the changes in your appearance?

Eh, the only person who would notice is my elderly mother, who
would think I was an embarassment even if I looked like Charlize
Theron. Everything is fitting better according to my estimate, but at
this moment this means I can zip up my fat pants.

So we're not at an identifiable Progress Point, I don't think. Good
point, though.

. Hi Steve. I've visited your website before. You have some really
useful articles there.

> Which tape, please?
>

Iron Core Fitness, Sarah Lurie. She also has a Kettlebell Express
video I don't know anything about. I bought the Tough Love book, but
I'm better with a tape than a book.

> I doubt you are fatter. �If you have any doubts about that, compare your
> current bodyfat percentage to one recorded by the same methods prior to
> starting your current workout schedule. �If you don't have a previously
> recorded bodyfat percentage, get one taken now for future reference. �In
> the meantime, ask your friends and coworkers if you appearance has
> improved or not.Validation: For verification purposes please type the characters you see in the picture below or the numbers you hear by clicking the accessibility icon.


Yeah...I guess I'm not fatter. Thing is I have the kind of genetics
that makes me worry about getting bigger.

>
> Diet is highly personal in my experience. �You may not do well ona
> low-carb diet, or you may have misconceptions about exactly what is and
> isn't a carb, e.g., all that nonsense about sugar alcohol. �Reducing
> calories is a fine idea - please don't rule it out.

I never really understood all this replacing fat with muscle business
and preserving muscle and so forth. I really get confused. The reason
I cut carbs is because I eat less when I do this but usually, unless I
specifically cut calories, not enough to lose weight on the scale.
Even if I'm burning an extra 600 to 1000 calories a day, I can *very*
easily eat enough to make up the difference, no problem. So then I get
lost about what's happening. I'm not smaller. I look the same. I look
like a more muscular version of the same sort of beefy scandinavian-
fish-gutter type.

> Walking is great, training intelligently is a must. �Back off forone
> week out of each month, vary what you do for the other three in terms of
> intensity and volume. �Walk as often as you like for as long as you,
> within reason and building up gradually, of course.
>
> > These things have me confused. Any thoughts?
>
> If you're into working with kettlebells, you might consider finding a
> certified kettlebell instructor in your area.
>
> -S-http://www.kbnj.com

Yeah. I love these things. The first week blew my mind and I kept
checking myself for like, signs of sudden cardiac arrest, and then
after a couple weeks I realized I hadn't felt that good after a
workout in about a thousand years. Part of the reason I'm asking
about this is because this workout seems to be lighting up the rat
brain and there's the offchance I'll kb myself into the hospital. If
overtraining is real, then I guess the answer is that I can't indulge
the rat more than a couple times a week.

Thanks!

<rodeodeo27@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f767010c-5a88-47e4-b7a9-a1932f4159c1@z66g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
. Hi Steve. I've visited your website before. You have some really
useful articles there.

> Which tape, please?
>

>! Iron Core Fitness, Sarah Lurie. She also has a Kettlebell Express
>! video I don't know anything about. I bought the Tough Love book, but
>! I'm better with a tape than a book.

Ah, that's one I've meant to have a look at but haven't yet. A good
choice on your part from everything I've heard, though.

> I doubt you are fatter. ?If you have any doubts about that, compare
> your
> current bodyfat percentage to one recorded by the same methods prior
> to
> starting your current workout schedule. ?If you don't have a
> previously
> recorded bodyfat percentage, get one taken now for future reference.
> ?In
> the meantime, ask your friends and coworkers if you appearance has
> improved or not.Validation: For verification purposes please type the
> characters you see in the picture below or the numbers you hear by
> clicking the accessibility icon.


>! Yeah...I guess I'm not fatter. Thing is I have the kind of genetics
>! that makes me worry about getting bigger.

Good to be concerned about that for just about everyone.

> Diet is highly personal in my experience. ?You may not do well on a
> low-carb diet, or you may have misconceptions about exactly what is
> and
> isn't a carb, e.g., all that nonsense about sugar alcohol. ?Reducing
> calories is a fine idea - please don't rule it out.

>! I never really understood all this replacing fat with muscle business
>! and preserving muscle and so forth. I really get confused.

It's not terribly confusing if you think about it in simple terms - take
in fewer calories than you use and you'll lose weight, and it works in
the opposite direction as well. Don't be worried about muscle
preserving and the like, just exercise, eat intelligently, and things
will likely take care of themselves.

>! The reason
>! I cut carbs is because I eat less when I do this but usually, unless
>I
>! specifically cut calories, not enough to lose weight on the scale.
>! Even if I'm burning an extra 600 to 1000 calories a day, I can *very*
>! easily eat enough to make up the difference, no problem. So then I
>get
>! lost about what's happening. I'm not smaller. I look the same. I look
>! like a more muscular version of the same sort of beefy scandinavian-
>! fish-gutter type.

You can't change your genetics, but you can eat less. In a nutshell,
it's about learning to eat what you need, not what you want, and
allowing yourself to stick with your plan through times of being hungry
for long enough to allow yourself to get used to eating less. No one
says it's easy, but as I read somewhere recently, nothing tastes as good
as being lean feels.

> Walking is great, training intelligently is a must. ?Back off for one
> week out of each month, vary what you do for the other three in terms
> of
> intensity and volume. ?Walk as often as you like for as long as you,
> within reason and building up gradually, of course.
>
> > These things have me confused. Any thoughts?
>
> If you're into working with kettlebells, you might consider finding a
> certified kettlebell instructor in your area.
>
> -S-http://www.kbnj.com

>! Yeah. I love these things. The first week blew my mind and I kept
>! checking myself for like, signs of sudden cardiac arrest, and then
>! after a couple weeks I realized I hadn't felt that good after a
>! workout in about a thousand years. Part of the reason I'm asking
>! about this is because this workout seems to be lighting up the rat
>! brain and there's the offchance I'll kb myself into the hospital. If
>! overtraining is real, then I guess the answer is that I can't indulge
>! the rat more than a couple times a week.

It really does sound to me like you'd benefit from some in-person
training. There are plenty of both good and bad trainers out there, but
I have a lot of confidence in the people who certified me, and some of
them even work with people long-distance. If you follow any of the
links on my web site to the DragonDoor web site, there is an instructor
database and you can find someone near you. You shouldn't have to
reduce your training to a couple of times a week - I train almost every
day and I'm 53 years old with my share of injuries in the past. If I
can do it, so can you.

>! Thanks!

Glad to be of some small assistance. Let us know how it all works out
for you.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

rodeodeo27@yahoo.com writes:

> Hey! Thanks for all replies!
> On Jul 6, 3:32�am, Jim Janney <jjan...@xmission.xmission.com> wrote:
>> rodeode...@yahoo.com writes:
>> > �. Thanks for your answer.
>> You have to work hard, yes, but you also have take some time at first
>> to prepare your body for it. �Muscles recover quickly, often within
>> hours, but joints and tendons can take weeks or months to repair
>> themselves, so it's important not to stress them too much too soon.
>> If the book you have is Enter the Kettlebell, check out page 22 where
>> Pavel writes
>>
>> � �7. �Build up the training load gradually, using common sense, and
>> � � � �listen to your body.
>>
>> On the other hand, I don't *know* that this applies to you. �Puffy
>> fingers seem like a sign of something, probably bad and inflammatory,
>> but I don't know what. �Do you notice any pain other than normal
>> muscle soreness?
>
> Joints and tendons? I've been a pretty committed yoga/pilates girl and
> I was always flexible. However: also very lazy, hate running, never
> banged up my knees and quit basketball my junior year because I had to
> get sweaty. I doubt I have an inch of cartiledge that hasn't been
> coddled like an infant. Joints and tendons are a concern on this
> program really?

Beginners always worry about getting big, which is very unlikely, and
almost never about getting hurt, which is more of a realistic
possibility. The danger is not sudden damage so much as accumulated
damage from repeated stress over a long period. Moving heavy weights
can put a lot of stress on joints and tendons; so can ballistic moves
like swings and snatches, and as I said, these take much longer to
repair themselves. The good news is that the connective tissue
eventually responds by growing stronger. The trick is not to exceed
your body's capacity to repair itself over an extended period. That's
one benefit of cycling your training load as Steve suggests: it gives
the rest of your body a chance to catch up with your muscles.

Pilates is good in that you probably already have the flexibility and
core strength to do swings without hurting your back, but babying your
joints doesn't prepare them for heavier work. For that you need a
gradually increasing training load.

--
Jim Janney

Dnia 2008-07-06 rodeodeo27@yahoo.com napisa³(a):
>> I'm guessing, that "seems" is a key word here. ?It can be a problem with
>> self image. ?You started caring how you look, so you see yourself in a
>> different light, so to speak. ?But results are results, and they are
>> real.
>>
>
> Yeah, I thought about that. When you go from denial to measuring your
> waist with a measuring tape, there are bound to be some gaps in
> reality. I do look different; my body looks more like a girls and less
> like some cranky old guy's. I feel sorta weirdly swollen all over,
> though. And I have noticed that if I have a good two day rest the
> puffy extremities aren't as distracting.

Does anybody beside you see this "puffiness"? I suspect that no-one
noticed it. Besides, I've an auntie who is in her late fifties, but
lean and with noticeable muscles. I've heard comments from other women
who said that they would want to have this kind of muscles. I
understand that it means, that visible muscles on a woman aren't
unwanted, just that too much overall size looks bad. I personally much
prefer when a woman who is even too fat has some underlying muscular
structure under all the padding. Nothing looks worse than a "water
balloon" type of body.

I mean, do not worry about this swelling and puffiness. It most
probably looks just fine.

[...]
>> legs, butt, shoulders and back will only make you look (and feel) better.
>> After all, that is where adding some foam to people makes plastic
>> surgeons rich, but I can't imagine how butt implants can rival the feel
>> of the real deal!
>>
>
> My feeling: girls who'd pay for bigger butts obviously have not been
> to my family's house for dinner. We could fix these people up in no
> time at all.

They pay not for increase in size but for a better shape to whatever
size they already have. I've seen once a series of before and after
pictures, and most women there had rather ample bottoms. But all the
same, adding artificial muscles improved overall appearance. Usually
surgeons added padding up high on the cheeks, where you take
intramuscular injections. You can have this kind of improvement for
free, simply training with weights.

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

In article <cb5e1dfe-7e97-4ece-a861-5b47aa4d84c3@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
<rodeodeo27@yahoo.com> wrote:

>The soreness is sort of interesting. I notice some tolerable soreness
>the next day and the day after that I'll get lactic burns in my legs
>from walking around. It's not soreness, but I notice it. That's never
>happened to me before. Does that burn mean I'm still recovering?

For your goals, that suggests you're doing too much.

Try half the workout every day. After a week or so, you should feel
no soreness the next day.

Seth
--
Sometimes we have to forget studies and theories and just lift like a
fucker! -- George UK

In article <e3a47cba-41a2-4511-aa00-8eac70bba999@m44g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>,
<rodeodeo27@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I do not know what to make of my results. I've lost about ten pounds,
>and two inches off my waist and hips, but the rest of me seems sort of
>puffy and huge. My butt is enormous.

That's relative to your smaller waist, right? Or did you use water
displacement to measure actual volume?

Seth
--
"There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate" -- Will Brink
Except sushi rice, seaweed, and wasabi.