I'm built like a grizzly bear. My family members are bottom heavy. I am likewise but when I am active my lower extremeties gain muscle at a very hight rate so that even though I am trim, I still look bottomheavy! The more muscle I have the more fat I can burn but I try to stretch my lower body more than build muscle because of this. My upper body is powerful and stocky as well so I quickly build large musckes in my shoulders, chest and arms. I want to drop about 6 inches in my waiste and gain muscle. I am not too worried about my weight as I am still quite muscular from my last training program 3 years ago. I want to butch up, get toned and be healthier again.
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I'm built like a grizzly bear. My family members are bottom heavy. I am likewise but when I am active my lower extremeties gain muscle at a very hight rate so that even though I am trim, I still look bottomheavy! The more muscle I have the more fat I can burn but I try to stretch my lower body more than build muscle because of this. My upper body is powerful and stocky as well so I quickly build large musckes in my shoulders, chest and arms. I want to drop about 6 inches in my waiste and gain muscle. I am not too worried about my weight as I am still quite muscular from my last training program 3 years ago. I want to butch up, get toned and be healthier again.
keep up the good work.
I got a heart rate monitor (that works well) yesterday and although I am not for sure how it works, it appears I am in normal operating condition for somebody my age. I pushed the red zone a bit too while lifting. I had no idea that I pushed it that much when lifting. Now I realize why it is a good idea to rest between sets. I am interested in this thing and excited to figure it out. I think it will make my workouts way more productive from now on.
Feels good. = )
(feel free to comment or skip over this if you are not interested)
I feel like I'm back on the wagon now. On an empty stomach with 64 oz of water first thing in the morning, I shoveled snow for 20 minutes, walk/jogged on the treadmill for 30 minutes (tried sprinting for 1/4 mile then walking fast for a quarter- 3 times) and then did both days worth of my "break in routine" from the "Body Sculpting Bible For Men" (By James Villepeig and Hugo Rivera) instead of just one. I did:
Squats, lunges, ballet squats, stiff legged dead lifts and calf raises- in that order, 20 reps each- one set only- no weights.
Dumbbell presses, back rows, (one then both arms) shoulder flys, flys, military presses, tricep extensions, bicep curls, overhead triceps extensions, hammer curls- in that order, 20 reps each, 2 sets - 5 each.
Last time I did it with 10 each upper and lower body and I was sore for 3 days after each. It doesn't seem like much weight but with the high reps it gets to ya. 5 was not enough this time though I think... The low weight is to get the muscles ready for the big weights so that I am less sore and they respond better, the blood flows and all that. I was getting used to the movements again and making sure I do the exercises correctly. I made sure I kept my spine centered and my lower back close to the mat. I sometimes do pilates (Although I hate it) I try to do my breathing correctly and "imprint" while lifting. This way I use muscles I didn't even know I had!
I followed this up with a handful of raisins, a bananna (potassium so my joints don't hurt sugars) then 9 ounces of tuna fish. (condiments are wonderful things- Grey Poupon or hot sauce=duct tape) Now I'm going to go shower and have some eggs later in the afternoon. Maybe with some basmati rice later tonight. (basmati rice, when rinsed thoroughly, will be converted to protein by the body)
In any case in 2 weeks I will start with 25 for everything and then go from there while only doing 8 reps, go higher for 2 weeks then drop down to 25 again and do new exercises in different order. After doing this for a month, before changing to the first program again, I am to do a superset (or whatever it's called) where I max out everything at 6 reps each till I can't move and then take a week off. Then I go back to easy weights for another 2 weeks.
I think by doing what I did today I can avoid using the same muscle groups over and over and exercise every other day. I can still do cardio every day and work out my torso on the off days if I have time to work out. I plan on doing this 3 days a week. Not a bad trade off and it should be twice as productive as doing upper body one day-day off- legs- day off then abdomen- day off like the book suggests.
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