From flab to Fab!

[Lube]

OK, so we have 2 threads of hot young twinks (muscle twinks?!) who work out and are showing great progress.

But what about us older fuddy-duddies?

We need our own thread. I just started working out last month (so it's not a New Year's resolution or anything), and I had my first meeting with a personal trainer yesterday. I was so jazzed afterwards!

I'll never be a muscle bear, nor as lean as those two young whippersnappers, but I do want to be healthier and a little buffer.

Feel free to tell stories of success or post photos/stats of progress.

I'm pretty unspectacular myself. Some stats from my first session (this is from a Polar assessment program at LifeTime Fitness):

Height: 5' 8". Average body size.
Weight: 186 lbs (that's fully clothed; naked I'm closer to 180)
Body Fat: 21.9% ["Moderate"]
Max VO2: 36.2 ml/kg*mn (whatever that means!) ["Moderate"]
Strength: 62 lbs. (bicep pull) ["Fair"]
Flexibility: 6.6 inches (not my dick size!) ["Poor"]

It calculates my "BodyAge" to be 48, even though my chronological age is 45. Ouch.

 

[KaraBulut]

Good for you!

What these numbers are telling you is that you have two issues that you need to work on- aerobic capacity (your Max VO2) and your core strength.

Where a lot of people get frustrated when they first start working out is that they either injure themselves (core strength) or they get light-headed/nauseous during the workouts (low V02).

Your trainer is going to work on getting the muscles in your legs and spine into shape so that you have a solid base of support for your workout.

He's also going to get you on an aerobics program with treadmill, elliptical or maybe cardio classes. This is to work on your V02. V02 is the rate at which your heart and lungs can deliver oxygen to your body. Cardio gets your heart pumping more efficiently and tweaks your lung capacity so that you exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide more efficiently. It also gets rid of that fatigue and queaziness that you will sometimes get when you first start working out.

You trainer probably also got measurements of your waist, arms, legs, etc. to help chart your progress.

I'll never be a muscle bear,

Never say never. Besides we could use some muscle bear picture threads in this forum!

 

[chatolandia]

I started using the Wii Fit I got on Dec 31st


the thing is, I usually lose weight in summer, and gain it in winter.


I am hoping this changes that


so far, so good


Good luck lube!!.


I used to have a personal trainer, but frankly I cannot afford him right now


And, considering how far I need to go, I better go slow and steady.

 

[HornyBiGuy]

How did they do the bicep pull test?

 

[Lube]

What these numbers are telling you is that you have two issues

Oh, I have more than just 2 issues, Kara.

Your trainer probably also got measurements of your waist, arms, legs, etc. to help chart your progress.

Never say never. Besides we could use some muscle bear picture threads in this forum!

Thanks for all the info, Kara. My trainer (she, by the way--this super-peppy and friendly woman in her 20's) just did the basics because for now I'm just taking advantage of the 2-free-sessions-when-you-join thingy. But believe me, I may need more help! Muscle bear? Yeah, in leather!

the thing is, I usually lose weight in summer, and gain it in winter.

Good luck lube!!.


I used to have a personal trainer, but frankly I cannot afford him right now


And, considering how far I need to go, I better go slow and steady.

Thanks, Chat! Yep, slow and steady as she goes. That's what I've heard. I also gain weight in the winter--I bike all summer and there usually isn't enough snow (consistently) to cross-country ski in the winter, so I gain pounds. Slowly, but surely, every year.

How did they do the bicep pull test?

You stand on this thing, and pull this bar (like you're lifting a barbell) attached to a cord which is attached to the thing you're standing on.

Was that scientific enough for you?

 

[Jory]

Me

Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 175.8
Body Fat: 18 %
Max VO2: unknown
Strength: unknown
Flexibility: Unknown

Age:45

 

[Lube]

^ Oh, sure, Jory, make me look bad.

Actually, that's awesome.

 

[Lube]

^ Thanks for the encouragment, FWear! No, I don't really do fast food, soda, or snacks.

Well, except for 70% cocoa chocolate bars, and Chunky Monkey ice cream.

Actually, I just got done with my introductory workout with a personal trainer. It was excellent!

I can't, however, move.

 

[UnderBiCover]

I'll never be a muscle bear, nor as lean as those two young whippersnappers, but I do want to be healthier and a little buffer.

Feel free to tell stories of success or post photos/stats of progress.

Lube buddy, you most definitely can be a muscle bear - the guy in the picture below is a year older than you - 10 mos. before this picture was taken, he weighed 55 lbs more than he does in that picture & had a 25-30% bodyfat ratio - when that picture was taken he was down to about 7% bf - he started off way behind you & look where he ended up in less than a year

I've seen guys in their late 50s make phenomenal transformations like this

you can do it dood! - keep at it & in a year you'll be fighting off your stalkers

 

[Lube]

Thanks for the encouragement UBC, but I'll pass on the body builder physique*. I used to tell myself stuff like that, and get disappointed when it didn't happen soon enough.

No, I'm just taking it slow. Telling myself it's all about feeling better and looking better. Better, not perfect.

Better is good enough for me.

*--In fact, the guy I'm dating now (off & on) started power lifting when he was my age and now has an amazing body. So, yes, I see first hand what's possible. Just not for me. I'm not that into it.

 

[Jory]

I just want a body where every one in the room gets a hard on

 

[Lube]

OK, I weighed myself naked at the gym today and was 182. So that's my true weight.

Got to the gym by 6:30, and trying to remember what the trainer showed me yesterday. Hopefully the sessions will get faster as I get a pattern down for the different days of the week. I'm gonna shoot for every day, M-F. Take weekends off. Get to the gym by 6 am. Maybe I'll take pictures every 2-3 weeks to see progress.

Felt great again after the workout today. Starting slowly.

 

[UnderBiCover]

I'm gonna shoot for every day, M-F. Take weekends off.

you may want to consider taking off a day sometime in the middle of the week & going a weekend day, like...

Mon-Wed, Fri+Sat

taking 2 days off in a row may make things tougher 4 you

my $0.02 ymmv

 

[codeerror]

Hey Lube,
Guess I'm one of those twinks huh? Ouch..
It's great that you're taking these important steps towards getting in better shape. If you are willing to change your life, your focus and stay diciplined you can be all you want to.

I'll never be a muscle bear

Demand perfection of your body and you will achieve it, no matter what age you are. If one of any age challenges his body, the body recovers and develops the ability next time to lift heavier, run further or whatever your goal might be.

Just start out slow, warm up, focus on form , keep hydrated and eat right.

Another fitness thread in my favorites!

ps: thread needs pictures.

 

[Lube]

Hey Lube,
Guess I'm one of those twinks huh? Ouch..

Demand perfection of your body and you will achieve it, no matter what age you are. If one of any age challenges his body, the body recovers and develops the ability next time to lift heavier, run further or whatever your goal might be.

Another fitness thread in my favorites!

ps: thread needs pictures.

I've fallen off the wagon already. Not through any fault of my own. Deadline on a project, and I was shipped off across the country for a few days. I'm back in town and will resume tomorrow morning.

Photos? Ugh. You mean now that I've already admitted to the world I'm fat, now I have to show them?! I hope to have time this weekend.

 

[Lube]

180.3 lbs. So I lost 1.7 lbs. since last week.

Will workout tomorrow to make up for lost time this week.

 

[chatolandia]

I lost .5 pound total

but I am glad


I know I lose weight slowly, but I lose weight

 

[luminum]

Well, I'm certainly not "an old fuddy duddy" but I do have weight I can lose and muscle I can tone. I've come to realize that in the past, all my exercise has come from activity that I greatly enjoyed. For example, I had a high cardiovascular workout about 2 hours every day during undergrad through fencing, which I attended regularly because it was fun when I did it with my friends. Now that I'm in grad school in another state and the fencers suck, I don't have that kind of workout any more and my body has declined. And I know myself well enough to know that I can't exercise for the sake of exercising by itself.

What I've decided to do is a lot of dance choreography for an active 30 minute workout as often as possible during the week. I managed to learn the choreography to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, which is about 3 minutes long. Playing the song on repeat 10 times ensures a good work out. However, it's boring and mind numbing to listen to it 10 times in one sitting, so I'm slowly learning more and more dances to my favorite songs until I can have a 30 minute dance workout of songs I love. In time, I can probably up the time and make the moves a bit more dynamic to challenge myself.

That's my plan. Good luck with yours, Lube!

 

[treanir]

I jumped into this thread hoping to see a few pics...

You too, eh?

I may be a young 'un, but I'm not going to become a muscle twink, ever. Partly 'cause I'm not getting rid of the fur. Anyway... I know a massive two stats: height and weight. I'm 6'3", 200lbs. Two years ago I was 246lbs and I lost my weight with cardio, making better choices in food and by going to Australia (especially farm work!).

I'm looking to build a bit more muscle (not to become huge, but to fill out a bit), but I have *no* idea how to go about that. And my gym is a budget one that doesn't really feature fancy-schmancy stuff like 'trainers' or 'guidance' (other than: how do you work *this* thing?). I've had a look on the net, but there are so many different opinions on what is the best way of building muscle that I'm starting to think everything works, and nothing works at the same time.

I don't even know the basics, like: which is better, high sets, low reps or low sets, high reps? And weight intensity? Yar...

Didn't mean to turn this into a rant.

I'm rooting for you all! Keep at it. If work sends you to the other side of the country, pick it up as soon as you come home. And post some pics, damnit!

 

[Lube]

Hey, thanks Luminum & Treanir. Hope you guys have made progress.

Me? Well, it's a long, sad, story. But with a hopeful ending.

I took pictures with the expectation of publishing them here. I was doing really well up through May. My bf/partner and I went several times a week and I was making great progress. Not really losing weight, but certainly being able to lift a lot more (fat-->muscle, I assumed).

Then... well, then all hell broke loose.

I broke a limb and couldn't really work out for 2-3 months. Then we started again for about a month in the summer, and then he had knee replacement surgery. Needless to say, he didn't really want to go to the gym anytime soon after that.

But, 3 weeks ago, we turned everything around:

• He felt good enough to at least venture into the gym and do some light stuff.
• My broken arm is now healed and now feels as if nothing ever happened to it, so I was ready to work out in earnest again.
• We ditched our $$$$ old gym and joined a newer, closer, much cheaper gym.
• The money we saved I put towards a once-a-week 30-minute training session with a personal trainer. Wow, those personal trainers really work you hard!

Alas, a lot of damage was done in the meantime. I'd gained 10 lbs. since last winter. My body fat is through the roof (see those chubby cheeks in my avatar?!). I'm at my highest weight ever.

But I'm now paying for a weekly training session, and the gym in about a mile from our house, and I'm totally motivated (barring any limb breaking in the future).

The first couple weeks with the trainers, I was sore for days afterward. The longer I do this, though, the easier it gets.

By New Year's, I hope to post pictures of some progress.