//// The first month of training

Posted on | February 1, 2010 | 21 Comments

This month has been actually pretty good. I have accomplished my goal to set up a regular training routine — and have not slipped from that. oh, actually I had one longer break than I had planned, my knee got quite swollen and I had to wait it to calm down for three day instead of the planned one.

On February I will continue with the routine, progressing slowly with weights and making my cardio sessions gradually more demanding by adding some more interval cycles (all my cardio training is interval training — and there is not that much of it). But the main focus for the beginning month will be on diet — and I’m expecting to see some visible changes in the end of February.

I have been on my lowest adult weight with relatively low carb diet — and because controlling the intake of both sugar and starch is pretty hard for me (it feels like my natural sense of feeling full and satiated vanishes with high carb diet) that’s the way to go again. Beverages are not huge problem for me, I drink water, coffee and wine — but the wine consumption should be kept in control. One glass in a day is perfectly fine, though!

Image is from GI Jane, not the ultimate accomplishment in the field of movie artistry — but I find training imagery of it quite inspiring, both aesthetically and in the sense that I have never been the dancing-in-nice-clothes –kind of girl, it’s a relief to see options for that, once and then.

I wish I could have my sessions in pared down space where natural light plays with concrete and steel surfaces, worn down barbell plates giving the only color. But no, my gym is on cellar. I really, really like it, though!

Tags: exercise

Discussion

kurarin
February 1st, 2010 @ 11:14 am

i wish i had the discipline you have. transiting to a vegetarian diet and picking up training is driving me slightly insane.
annika
February 1st, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

Training in this weather is pretty hard for me, I love running, but not in ankle deep snow… So it has been the treadmill and the spinning classes at the gym. There is nothing that beats working my pulse up to 85% controlling it and then keeping it at that rate throughout my working session. Running and spinning classes are my life saviour as, with two small children, I no longer have time for getting on my road bycicle for those 100km training sessions.
I wish I liked weight training as it is good for the body, but it is to slow for my taste.

I have during January changed the way I eat to and now I have my old pre-motherhood body back. It was surprisingly easy. I simply stop eating when I feel that 2 – 3 mouthfuls more is all I need to get full. My body then starts to digest the food and within 5 – 10 minutes I am full for real. This have gradually shrinked my portion sizes and I am now eating a ‘normal’ portion with each meal. This has been working wonderfully, I am still eating the same food as before. As my food level intake is balanced I no longer crave sweets, chocolate, bread and sweet drinks.
May
February 1st, 2010 @ 1:24 pm

Thanks for the reminder, I’ll have to start doing something soon too. I am not very good at sticking to plans, but I do tend to practice extremes. Either I eat extremely lot or I exercise extremely lot. This is why it’s difficult to maintain a balance in the long term.
Lisa
February 1st, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

i also do the interval training, i think it actually improved my health quite a lot compared to dancing. you actually learn to control your breathing. muscle pumping is pure suffering for me but i do it to keep fit once a week.

eating has never been my problem really. grown up in the medical doctors family i have always been eating just what a stomach can digest: portion sized like my 2 feasts.never more. basically i cant even process more. i eat very often and really small. and recommend it to all. i think thay might be the reasoning i actually never had a problem with my weight.

i problem i really have and i wish someone would help me understand how to get rid of it is my leg muscles just develop too much when i train and arms dont…i really can not lift more with my arm, so that wouldnt help…noone has managed to actually give me a proper advice in this one…

but good luck to you, very positive and inspiring initiative!
Kamicha
February 1st, 2010 @ 7:17 pm

Haha, let’s not talk about discipline, yet!

Unfortunately I’m not a runner — and never probably will be. The repeating impact to joints is something that activates the inflammation on my knees and hips with 100% certainty.

I have never been into big portions and I hate the feeling of being too full. For me the problem are the extra treats, I guess that I have the bad habit of treating all kinds of feelings — good and bad — with food, especially with sugar and starch. So a major thing this time will be a re-programming my mind, as an adult it is all vain to point fingers to others, I guess that I just have to take the responsibility of my own behaviour. I know from previous experience that staying in relatively low carbs will help me, at least a bit.

Lisa: if you have proportion problems just target heavily to the areas that seem not to develop at all. You can go as far as stopping the leg training alltogether (especially when you are doing intervals, your leg muscles will not be in total rest) until you reach the balance you are after. I would build the upper body workout around decent back and chest movements — those give a great strain for arms, too — and just finish with targeted arm exercises. And I would probably cycle 2 different workouts, the first one with relatively low repeats. The second one would be done with more reps, fewer sets and less weight.

I don’t know your starting strength levels but it could be as simple as this:

5 sets of 6 reps of all these
1) Dumbbell bent over row http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html
2) Push-up, start from knees on the floor if you are very weak, advance to using bench underneath your hands (but straight body), something lower under your hands (like a stair) and then on the floor knees up. After you do 5 x 6 relatively easily start to bench press.
3) Barbell Curl http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/BBCurl.html
4) (assisted) Triceps Dip http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/ASTriDip.html

The weight should be really heavy, you shold be near failure with last reps. It is not a catastrophe if you fail in the last one. These movements are all relatively safe to work near the failure zone — only with bench press you will need some assistance (or security bars on the bench) if you get that far.

And the second one:

4 x 12 of all of these
1) Cable pulldown http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBFrontPulldown.html
2) Military press http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/BBMilitaryPress.html
3) Concentration Curl http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Brachialis/DBConcentrationCurl.html
4) Triceps extension
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBTriExt.html

This should not be too light, either, but naturally you have relatively lighter weights with longer sets.

The contraction phase of all movements can be relatively fast paced — but well controlled. On the other hand when you are getting back to the starting position aim for 2 – 4 x slower movement than with the contraction — especially emphasizing this in the 4 x 12 workout.

Add some ab work but forget the legs for a while, just do your intervals. Have 2 days rest between the workouts (occasionally even 3). Have a protein rich small meal(or recovery drink) instantly after the workout. You should progress with weights gradually, but don’t try to lift more weight with every movement every time — add weight to one or two excercises. You should definitely see some muscle development within one month.

Move to more balanced maintenance workout plan when you get the upper body definition you are after.
annika
February 1st, 2010 @ 7:36 pm

I have never treated my self to munchies, but with shopping. As pick me ups if I have been feeling down or as a gift to myself when I have been feeling up and in between ofcourse. But as from January first (inspired by your new years resolution) I have shopped zero, nada, inget, nothing. Not one single piece of clothing, footwear, expensive cosmetics or accesory. It feels good, I am on my way of breaking a very bad and expensive habit. I can thank the very bad weather too as I don’t like to go outside when the streets is covered in deep snow and the temperature is –12c.
Good luck with your new health regime. And as you say, the most difficult thing is to breake those habits.

ps.
Thank for those workout suggestions, I also have hefty thighs. A remnant from my road cycling days.
May
February 1st, 2010 @ 8:52 pm

Annika’s tip might just work (shopping instead of sugary/salty treats), but then again I just really need my usual potato chips fix every now and then!
Lisa
February 2nd, 2010 @ 10:13 am

i dont know about this low carb thingy, people talk about it, i just dont believe in it. human being needs potatoes! they are actually healthy! and bananas too! and sometimes i eat 2 bananas in a day. i really dont get this low carb thing, especially because i dont eat either meat, nor beans.

sugar sugar…i had so many candies in my childhood years that i dont want it anymore. i do have 2 sins: i love dark chocolate and i love blueberry pie. i eat both and i cant change it. i also like lusikkaleivät (i know, all grannies do) but i do like them!

thanks for exercise tips. pushups is the thing i hate most. i do push up rather well from a sitting position, supporting myself from a stepboard from behind though. that works ok, but those legs actually get quite loaded in that one…my arms are fit, yes, but i dont want them bigger, i want legs smaller, on the top part. i think i would be a really good speedskater, cause i look like one.
Kamicha
February 2nd, 2010 @ 3:43 pm

Haha, there might be a mighty bunch of women wanting smaller thighs!

But athletic build is totally ok for women, too — why worry about a good pair of strong thighs? I understand the concern if those large thighs are built mainly from fat…

I was very sceptic about the low carb issue before I tried it myself — and it worked for me. For moderate approach it is good to remember that nothing is actually prohibited. I get all the benefits when I stay under 100 g of carbs a day: better hunger suppression, less blood sugar level swings, higher experienced energy level, higher body temperature — I’m freezing when I have negative energy balance with high carbs. And that allows even some potatoes, if I really want them. Personally I do favor sweet potatoes, though; less carbs, more micronutrients, better taste (I was over-exposed to potato based food in my childhood). And fruits — berries are not problem at all. Ha– I can even have a bite or two dark chocolate, if I want to — and sometimes I do, I’m not a person of extremities! I’m just not able to build meals around very starchy items and I don’t eat grains or refined sugar practically at all (ok just a little bit of sugar with that dark chocolate fix)… …but that’s it. Wheat and rye make my stomach hurt anyway, so that’s not even a negative for me considering the overall well being. I definitely do get my half kilo of veggies every day, usually more.

In human physiology carbohydrates are the only macronutrient that is not necessary to get from diet — our bodies can make enough for those organs that are dependent on them. I guess that especially people with sedentary lifestyles would feel much better with lower carbs than are recommended right now (to go even further: people who have adult type diabetes in their family — oh great, there will soon be a nutrition police knocking on my door, this is definitely not politically correct ) — but on the other hand for people who have aerobic exercise as regular part of their lives high carbs are probably totally ok. I will never be one of those people. I hate cardio — and high impact sports don’t really mix well with my condition — so that is probably not just a liking-issue!

And May, don’t you tempt me to get back to my reckless shopping habits!
dust
February 2nd, 2010 @ 9:30 pm

Now I must jump in, as a person with carb issues. I’m diabetic I type, got it late in my mid twenties. This basically means: insulin for every bite. So, there is no way I can eat often. Proportion of 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat is not easy to maintain, specially if one must stay away from potato, rice, pasta and fruits. So, I don’t even bother to eat them. I eat 3 times a day, some brown bread for lunch and breakfast, salad, coffee with milk. Dinner is my moment to fill myself, round 800 grams of vegetables, couple of bites of fish or similar, herbs and teaspoon of oil. Like you, I nibble on dark chocolate too, I don’t buy “sugarfree” one cos it upsets my bowels. This diet can make me too skinny and my cholesterol can be too low, so I try to indulge myself with some ice cream or pastry, which I love. It can be hard and it requires constant discipline, so I must suggest you, healthy people to take it easy on yourselves and enjoy every piece of fruit and similar indulgent treats. I’d give my size 34 wardrobe and thin thighs away this second just to be able to take this apple that is staring at me right now on the plate, in my hand and just bite in it, without previous preparation. Ideally diabetics should be 5% under their optimum weight, it is easier to control glucose when you are slightly underfed. If I exercise, I can eat more, in advance.
That is why I have a “model” figure…At age of (almost) 36, I look 10 years younger, but more as a side product of diabetes and not my conscious attempt to do so.
My point is, as long as you are healthy, little bit of roundness is sooo pretty. As long as it’s all muscle, ha,ha,ha .….…
No pain, no gain.
Good luck everybody, be the best you can possibly be!
stellagee
February 3rd, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

wow, i really do admire your determination. i have barely kept up with my routine which is 1) easy and 2) only twice a week. my body hasn’t actually ached once which is probably i bad sign… and since my problem area are the thighs, built mainly from fat, i really should get my act together. anyways, now i’m too sick to work out.

i have seen low-carb work although i don’t feel i benefit from it. i did lose weight, but felt weak.
murphy
February 3rd, 2010 @ 6:05 pm

Heido,

liittymättä tähän postaukseen utelisin että mitähän kokoa ne sun aiemmin esittelemät Marjan Pejoski-leggarit on? Tässä arvon että uskaltaisinko tilata koon UK12 (eiks se oo meidän 40?) Käytän housuissa vaihtelevasti kokoja 38 – 42, mut legginseistä ei oo hirveesti kokemusta.. Lörpähtääkö ne miten käytössä? Tattista jo etukäteen, sulla on hieno blogi!
Kamicha
February 3rd, 2010 @ 6:19 pm

Moikka, Murphy! Koko on noissa 12 ja passeli — minulla on housuissa sama kokohaarukka kuin sinulla. Pelkäsin, että materiaali on lörpähtävää, mutta ainakin toistaiseksi on pysynyt kuosissa erinomaisen hyvin! Ehkä sen verran varoituksen sanasta, että leggingsien istuinosa on vähemmän joustava, eli jos peppu on mallia J-Lo niin kannattaa ottaa reilu koko.

Ja kiitos!

Oh, Dust, that sounds so ascetic, and that was a good reminder. Althoug I have my condition I still consider myself very much healthy. I’m not saying that I’m going to let all loose now, but I will definitely remember your words — this diet has so much of enjoyable stuff in it.

stellagee: which gym to you go to? Should we take a “kimppatreeni” when you get well
stellagee
February 3rd, 2010 @ 10:05 pm

we should! i go to a small, private gym that specializes in physiotherapy and they don’t offer visitor passes. sucks. but how about yours?
dust
February 3rd, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

I have made a resolution: eat more nice stuff and get to the size 36, you know, fill in those cheeks a bit. Something tells me that my new expanded diet will be pretty much similar to your reduced one. We’ll meat in the middle!
Kamicha
February 4th, 2010 @ 9:09 am

^stellagee: yes — my gym is Solana in Hakaniemi — and paying for just one visit is not a problem there! What about your situation, are you ok on a weekend or should we wait to the next?

dust, that’s a nice thought! Actually I have been thinking size 36 as a goal
Lisa
February 4th, 2010 @ 9:59 am

Kamicha, what size are you now? well, i am a size 34 and it has it drawbacks. my boobs…well, they are very small. you can actually see my ribs. not too attractive? no, its not. another thing: it hurts to see when people stop eating to lose weight. i easily lose appetite (from stress, lack of time, from cooking actually too) so i have these periods of time when i eat very very small and weight drops. right now i am approaching the 50kg border due to stomach disease (my normal weight is 53-54kg). it drives me totally mad, 2 weeks — only oatmeal and some toast. i would love to eat but i cant. if i could choose i would be size 36 and eat like other people right now.
UnoCosa
February 4th, 2010 @ 11:14 am

Kamicha — i wish you all the best — this is something i really can not get into on a comment section as it’s one of topics that i think there are just so much to say … if anything, just take it slow and be modest with expectation. a true die with regular exercise is a life-time commitment and will take long time both physically and mentally for one to really develop a strong habit. i’ve been struggling this all my adult life — after, probably 10 years yo-yo diet and irregular exercise, about 2 years ago, i finally and slowly got into what i would call now fairly “healthy life style” —

btw: should you wish the topic, feel free to drop me an email — as you know, i don’t get around to hop over often enough — i probably would not catch your reply, if any!

much love, and keep going .… xx
UnoCosa
February 4th, 2010 @ 11:15 am

oops — i mean “true diet”, haha! xx
Kamicha
February 4th, 2010 @ 12:13 pm

Lisa, in my case the size issue is not that simple. My build is somehow weird, my bones are relatively small (small ankles and wrists, tiny ribcage) except for broad shoulders. I have heavy bust and my fat accumulation pattern reminds me from seals, thinner on the body peripherals and gets thicker on the middle (but is definitely subcutaneous fat). So currently I’m finding fitting clothes from size range 38 – 42, depending on the garment and the cut. (On the other hand I’m not always after the “perfect fit”, I like both oversized and tightly fitting garments for certain purposes, but that’s naturally a different thing). I would take tiny boobs in a heartbeat — they allow so much variety! But I’m definitely not stopping eating for that — I like food!
Lisa
February 4th, 2010 @ 1:08 pm

i have also a little bit “special body”, my hands and feet are really small, even for my height (35/36 shoes and size 6 gloves, better smaller). i buy kids shoes and gloves too. also tops. but bottoms — thats a separate story. i have really wide hips. my fat accumulates right there, on my bum. nowhere else. + those skater’s thighs. so here you go — noone is perfect. enjoy the food, enjoy your shapes and the taste for clothes and for food that you have, it is so important!

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