Thursday, July 26, 2012

Is this what they call a Plateau


In weight loss or strength training vocabulary?

Below are the differences between the last two Friday Morning measurements.
I have been exercising mostly 4 or 5 days a week for the last 3 weeks, pretty consistent, for me anyway…

Plus I have as much as doubled my reps, and put at least one exercise, if not two, up another level…

However.. not much consistent change or reduction of inches, except perhaps my bust and underbust a bit.

7/13/12: Bust 42    Underbust 32.25   Waist 33   Belly Button 34.5     Gut 39.25     Hips 38
7/20/12: Bust 41.5  Underbust 31.5    Waist 33   Belly Button 35.5,    Gut 39         Hips 38     

Perhaps this is a “Plateau”

I am going to look around and see if I can find anyone I can trust about exercise to ask:
  • So I increase my repetition of these exercises to get continued steady loss of inches?
  • Is a steady loss of inches possible?
  • If so, must one “Diet”?
  • Should I make the move from beginner to intermediate on the exercises where these levels are possible.
Well I did find a Total Gym blog I put in my new Blog List in the right column.
They have this Prevent Fitness Plateaus with Total Gym Training DVD page.

Now all I have to do is fit in the time to read it, and apply what I read!

Monday, July 16, 2012

What I learned, so far, Using My Total Gym for Strength Training


I have been using my Total Gym, first very sporadically, and now with more consistency, to meet my, very general, health and fitness goals.

My main goals are to:
  • To Feel Stronger, more Energetic
  • Develope, or maintain, Bone Density
  • Looking better, as in losing weight, shaping up, would not hurt one bit either
 As the Total Gym is a Strength Training device that uses your own weight, and the incline of its sliding board, by lifting weights.

Here is what I have learned, so far:

1. Consistency is possible!
For me the big breakthrough for achieving consistency in my exercises was:
  • Leave it set up all day or night, whenever you aim to exercise
  • Then do the exercises you plan when ever you have to waist a bit
  • Do not give up if you only get the exercise once or twice on a given week, just do your best to do more the next week.
 2. Never do the same exercises two days in a row. Even if you feel ok when you are doing them, you might well end up like I did, feeling like you had been hit by a truck, by the third day.

Besides, there is no reason to!

I have not counted the numerous exercises this home gym comes with, but I can tell you there are plenty for various parts of your body.

So far, since my above mentioned faux pas, have tried to not only do: 
example Ab exercises, every other day, Back and Chest exercises on days I am not working my Abs.
However:
I have been doing alternating Leg exercises each day I workout
Also, 
tomorrow I will try to do a different Ab Exercise that I have not been doing on Ab Exercise day.

We’ll see how this goes…

3. For Women
If you start doing back, chest, compound as well as possibly arm and shoulder, ( I am not really sure about those two), exercises regularly with a Total Gym:

  • Check your bra band and strap adjustment almost right away, and often!
  • If you bra band starts creeping up your back, during your normal activities, not just exercise, it might be too big already. Try smaller band size bras if you notice this happening.
  • If your straps can go up a bit, try to move them past the part were the hardware of the adjustment slide is out of contact with the bony part of you shoulders as soon as you can. The skin there does not enjoy protracted contact with hardware!
I think that is it. With these simple rules and the exercises I have mentioned in my Friday Inches off Achieve and various posts I have gone from a woman with:
10/5/11 The Starting point:               Waist 39 inches                          Gut 44 inches
To my current
7/13/12 Bust 42  Underbust 32.25 Waist 33  Belly Button 34.5   Gut 39.25  Hips 38

The reason there are these additional Underbust and belly button measurements is that at the beginning, I had nearly no waist to speak of, and as it became longer, I added those. I added the hip measurement out of curiosity.

Anyway, it has taken a while to get any sort of consistency at all, and for me I can be happy with a three day a week workout because it is better than noting and worth the effort.

I think the Total Gym is great because I can just do a few exercises while I am waiting  for a pot of water to boil, a page to load, our security program to do its updates, and soon each days exercises are done!

Then you can always break it down and stow it under the bed at the end of the day, or night!

When you consider you can try the Total Gym for just a buck, it is worth it to:
  • Plan a chunk of time when things will have a steady schedule at home, like after summer vacations
  • And Give it a try!
 Currently this link takes you to discount models you can try for a buck, and yes, the shipping is free.
 Total Gym® Official Store Endorsed by Chuck Norris & Christie Brinkley. Take our 30 Day In-Home Trial for only $1 and get FREE Shipping!
The shipping is fast too, at least it was when I brought mine last spring! Try it and enjoy feeling and looking better soon!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Taking it a little easier this week, a 1.25 inch loss this week


I say that, but believe some of this could just be water weight…
I try to take  care to measure 1st thing Friday am when I awake, before I start drinking water or tea, but today, I forgot it was Friday…

Here is this Friday’s Perspective:

10/5/11 The Starting point:                Waist 39 inches                          Gut 44 inches
7/6/12: Bust 42     Under-bust 32        Waist 33    Belly Button 35.5     Gut 38.5       Hips 38.5
7/13/12 Bust 42  Under-bust 32.25 Waist 33  Belly Button 34.5   Gut 39.25    Hips 38

Just 3 days of exercise, possibly to day and tomorrow, but that remains to be seen.
I am not exercising on the weekends at all lately so…

Even so, it seemed to have lost:
  • 1 inch at the belly button
  • .5 at my hips
  • gaining .25 at the underbust.
Water Weight or not, I have Lost Enough to have to Replace Apparel

My three pairs of light cotton shorts, as they are now falling off me, unless I wear a shapewear style tank top…Which I am not apt to do when it is hot enough to wear shorts.

So far I have turned 2 pairs of jeans I have not been wearing into cutoffs!
However, I will need more…

Also, I have been wearing a 34 inch bra band size. Lately I have been steadily shorting the straps with their adjustments. The adjustment hardware is right up to the top of the cups.

Even with all the sweat, (we do not have central air), my bras are starting to creep up my back..,
Besides, the underbust measurement has been nearer to 32 than 34 for a while now.

Hopefully that will wait until fall…

It is worth it though, just because I feel so much better!

Sure I still get tired, but a feel less dragged down throughout the day, like I am standing all the way up. It also feels like, if I had a chance, I could ice skate or something I really feel like doing, for hours on end. Perhaps that is why it is called Strength Training?

It great to feel more energetic and stronger while doing mostly work and chores!  

Friday, July 6, 2012

Exercised 4+ times this week, bit of fat intake reduction

a bit better results!

This week this post is in lieu of the Friday Inches Off Report, (to your right), becuse I cannot seem to access that page to give it this update today.

7/6/12:   Bust 42      Under bust 32 Waist 33 Belly Button 35.5   Gut 38.5 Hips 38.5
6/29/12: Bust 41.75 Under bust 32 Waist 35 Belly Button 34.75 Gut 39    Hips 38.5

However, I may have dieted sort of, a bit, this week. It being too hot for me to figure out what to eat that was light and cool enough; I took to eating cereal, with skim milk, 2xs a day and chicken chunks for supper, with duck sauce, and pepper!

So perhaps, for me anyway, who was just previously eating bologna and cheese sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, perhaps that is dieting…You can read about my typical diet here if you want to.

I consider the bust fluctuation negligible Getting the waist, belly button, and especially gut measurements down are my main concerns.

I did the Ab and Leg exercises Monday, Wednesday and going through them today, Friday.

I did the other Leg, Back, Chest, Core and Compound ones Tuesday and Thursday.
I finally got the back ones up to 2Xs in one week!
For future health reasons, for me, this is another big concern, or at least could be.
I did add a few more repetitions of some of the exercises, and went up a level setting of my Total Gym on others.

I hope to have this blog more organized in the near future.
However, as it is, I am having quite a time of it fitting everything else in.
I will try!