New from PA

Greetings,

Just stopping in to check things out.

I'm not much of a fitness buff nor do I count calories.... back in January I started going to a fitness club 3x a week working on the weight lifting equipment. My only goal at this point, is to make this a habit and continue to go 3X a week. I don't want to over-do it and/or push myself too hard and then find myself not wanting to go ..... I don't necessarily need to lose weight - just don't want to gain any. I'm 5'6" 145lbs and totally happy with myself. :D (that sounded weird).

This is a BIG step for me - that I'm still going regularly after 6 months. The last time I tried this (20 years ago), well.....it didn't last.

So, after 6 months...I've come here to see what's new - to keep me refreshed and gain more enthusiasm from you folks here (I hope atleast). I can certainly feel a difference in my muscles....and other things. I'm hoping this will aide in my cholesterol levels (I'm currently 210) and other health related positives.

Cheers!!! Looking forward to cruising arond there!
Thanks!
 
Welcome man!!!

So what is your main goal? To gain more muscle mass?

Post your workout so we can all critisize :p

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you .....I'm only doing this by the seat of my pants (or muslces). :D No real goals...just to create a habit that I will stick with and to overall be healthier.
I actually started doing this because I was on a certain medication for acid reflux. At the time, I was feeling *weak* and that's what prompted me to get a membership. Come to find out - the medication I was taking was starving my body and why I was feeling weak. It was a 4 month long period of taking these meds. Never again will I take PPI's!

But anyway... the club has 15 pieces of lifting equipment. Various legs, arms, abs, etc. Lately, I've been doing 3 sets of 15 reps on each - weight amounts vary. My legs & abs are the strongest (per weight amount) and my arms (biceps, etc) are the weakest. Over the past 6 months, I worked up to 15 reps and gradually increased the weight amounts. For the past couple months, I've kept the same amounts - so right now..it's consistancy.

Is it better to do more reps with less weight?
Or fewer reps with more weight?
Or is that the difference between toning mass versus building mass?

I can definately tell my muscles are toned. My arms haven't felt this hard since....gawd knows when. So - atleast I'm seeing the positives that'll keep me going. I honestly can't say that I can commit to this more...or even commit to a healther lifestyle (per say - eating). At this point, it's one day at a time towards betterness. :azzangel:
 
Toned = losing fat so your muscles are visible ;)

It depends what your goal is. its good to do a mixture of both heavy weight, low reps and high reps, lower weight.

The trend is though, lifting heavy with lower reps if for strength and more reps (eg 10) is for optimal muscle gains (hypertrophy).

Main thing is your diet, and you wanting to gain lean muscle mass?
 
Toned = losing fat so your muscles are visible ;)

It depends what your goal is. its good to do a mixture of both heavy weight, low reps and high reps, lower weight.

The trend is though, lifting heavy with lower reps if for strength and more reps (eg 10) is for optimal muscle gains (hypertrophy).

Main thing is your diet, and you wanting to gain lean muscle mass?

I'd like to be able to lose the fat - cuz I don't think you can see my muscles with the fat in the way. (laugh).

Muscle weighs more than fat?
If you're working out (so to speak) and you're watching your weight...how do you really know if you're losing weight? (other than your clothes fitting differently).

Don't you gain weight due to muscle mass from working out?

Wow..I got a lot of work to do and stuff to learn.
Thanks for the responses!
 
I'd like to be able to lose the fat - cuz I don't think you can see my muscles with the fat in the way. (laugh).

Muscle weighs more than fat?
If you're working out (so to speak) and you're watching your weight...how do you really know if you're losing weight? (other than your clothes fitting differently).

Don't you gain weight due to muscle mass from working out?

Wow..I got a lot of work to do and stuff to learn.
Thanks for the responses!

To know your losing 'fat', just measure you bodyfat % so you know how much your losing.

Also when weight training and losing weight, your going to gain muscle MUCH slower than losing fat. So you will know if your losing the fat just by weighing yourself ;)
 
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