murtle Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I thought I would start a gym and fitness thread so if anyone wants to keep track and boast about there recent abilities we can!! So I have two key goals for exercising: 1. Running, more specifically 1/2 marathons, the first being the evil Reading half that beat me last year! I aim to finish it in either a faster time or without feeling so crappy at the end of it! 2. Develop specific muscles...starting with the lower abs! I struggle with the belly dancing partially as I can't isolate my muscles... What are you doing and why? What do you struggle with or love? Please share!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Half Marathon thats impressive , I joined a gym for the first time ever 4 months ago I am trying to tone up , increased fitness overall and strength One of my goals is to be able to do proper military style press ups ( I can do box press ups only which are for wimps ) I am proud that I can do planks , side planks and succeed planks I have got bloody amazing biceps , shite triceps ( can't see them if they even exist ) but I do now have obliques for the first time in my life ( at 40 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have lost 7 pounds in 4 months and gained 3 or 4 pounds in muscle I am also proud I can now run for 15 minutes , could bearly walk fast for 1 minute when I started Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Wow that is brilliant Sam! I am with you on the triceps, but after a year I managed to go up a weight on triceps in the body pump class...I fear I will have dropped back due to not being able to make it to the gym! Very Impressive weight loss, am I the only one who has isn't loosing weight regardless of exercise?! I weigh a constant 9 stone 6 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 I have no idea why I even wandered into this thread, all seems very scary stuff in a foreign language! That'll teach me to be nosy lol. Shuffles back out again..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 well done Sam. I still can't run on the treadmill I joined the gym in September, shortly after booking my Egypt holiday. Have always hated exercise, but since joining the gym, am absolutely loving it now I want to get down to 8 and a half stone and tone up my bum and abs. In an ideal dream world, I would love a body like Jessica Ennis, but I think am built a bit differently to her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Wow that is brilliant Sam! I am with you on the triceps, but after a year I managed to go up a weight on triceps in the body pump class...I fear I will have dropped back due to not being able to make it to the gym! Very Impressive weight loss, am I the only one who has isn't loosing weight regardless of exercise?! I weigh a constant 9 stone 6 pounds. The 2 questions I would ask are do you actually need to lose weight are you losing body fat and replacing it with muscle so staying the same weight on the scales I have no idea why I even wandered into this thread, all seems very scary stuff in a foreign language! That'll teach me to be nosy lol. Shuffles back out again..... It was all a foriegn language to me 4 months ago Eve , its not scary though once you get the knack of it well done Sam. I still can't run on the treadmill I joined the gym in September, shortly after booking my Egypt holiday. Have always hated exercise, but since joining the gym, am absolutely loving it now I want to get down to 8 and a half stone and tone up my bum and abs. In an ideal dream world, I would love a body like Jessica Ennis, but I think am built a bit differently to her I want a body like Jillian Micheals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Ha ha ha I would love a figure like hers too! Sadly not a chance :-( Do feel free to stay Eve :-) I think I had to learn to run on the treadmill as I have always been training (in th loosest sense of the term) for running a half marathon when exercising! Now I exercise more I can actually run (not fast) without fear of getting stuck somewhere (yes i always thought i would be stuck miles from home and unable to get back...the fact I couldn't run that far from home never occurred to me) but I now understand why it is liberating! My old fitness trainer also got me doing speed intervals and hill intervals on the tread mill. I love the speed ones and hate the hills! Actually I hate them both when doing them, but have more success on the speed ones which is odd as I can make it up hills in real life, but can't run fast!!! Today I have done 3.3 mile loop and 12 minutes of body blast...this was made up today of wall push ups, lunges, squats ( and squat jumps) and the plank! 45 secs exercise, 15 second rest...3 rounds. 15 minutes is really good Sam, and a great achievement from the first minute! For anyone wanting to run but struggling; google "couch to 5k" for a training plan designed for couch people to be able to get to running 5k, it slowly increase the distance in a sustainable manner. I wish I had known about it when I started as I think it would have saved a lot of tears and tantrums!!! Now I need to get a wiggle on to catch up with all today's chores! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Just googled her Sam, yes her figure would be good too!! I know some of the weight has turned to muscle but I also seem to have developed a bit of excess fat round my middle :-( I know I just need to persevere and continue! Just very frustrating. I now take a 10 in many clothes due to muscle mass which is ok, but my legs need to slim down at some point!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 I would settle for a body like Jillian Michaels too I was brave last night on the treadmill. I usually walk at 3.9mph on a changing gradient from 4.8% to 6.3%. Last night on one of the 4.8% gradients, I decided to see if I could run for a minute. I did it I then went back to walking, then when I got back to the 4.8% gradient again, I ran for another minute The gym was really busy last night, ended up tucking myself in the corner by the firedoor when I was going my work on the ball. Managed to get to the area where the step boxes were though and do some split squats - I WILL get to the point when I can get my knee on the floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 I am off to Gym tonight as its cardo night so cross trainer , running machine , bike, rowing and core exercises ( evil planks ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Yay for running on the treadmill! Good luck Sam, beat the planks into submission. I ran 3.2 miles today and plan to do similar tomorrow. I am running down lots of different roads which is helping my enthusiasm. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonny Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Hi all Hope you don't mind me joining in I have lost nearly three stone in the last two years and am trying to get fitter,I am around the right weight now but would like to try and tone up the flabby bits but I guess that I am a lot older than you all.I am 57. I have an exercise bike,a gym ball and some kettle bells at home but need some suggestions for suitable things using them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Hope you enjoyed the gym Sam Well done with the running Murtle Course we don't mind you joining in Vonny I love using the gym ball, and they are good for toning and improving your core. When I am using the ball outside of the class, I usually start off sitting on the ball with hand weights and 'press' the weights above my head. I usually do this 20 times, then move onto tricep curls (I think that is what they are called - I hold the weights in my hand and then bend my elbows so the weights are by my shoulders - probs not describing this very well), then go back to the first exercise. Once you are confident doing this, do it with one leg off the floor I usually do 3 sets and then move onto the next set of exercises. I then lie on the ball, with just my head and shoulders on the ball, kind of making a bridge position. Then I old the weights close together and bend them behind my head and then straight up again. Again 20 in a set, followed by pressing the weights into the air again. 3 sets of those, before moving onto the next exercise. This one involves lying on the ball so you are central on the ball - hold one weight above your head kind of behind your ears, then sit up slightly, lifting the weight into the air just a couple of inches, don't move it forward, just up. This one really gets your abs, so aim for 10, before progressing more. I can do 2 sets of 20 now That is the last one on the ball - next one involves lying on your back with your feet on the ball, put your hands on your legs, and then reach up past your knees. Do this 20 times, before gripping the ball with your feet and then doing 20 heel touches. I tend to do 2 sets of these. Another thing you can do is to stand with the ball against the wall and use it to help you do squats - try normal squats and narrow squats. With the narrow ones, try and touch your bum on the floor, but you can work towards that These are just some of the exercises we do in tone and shape - only done a couple of things with kettle bells, that is just 5 squats with the kettle bell against your chest, followed by swinging the bell between your legs to chest height, with knees bent and using your hips to help swing the bell. Do that 5 times, then go back and do 4 squats, 4 swings, 3 squats, 3 swings etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonny Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks Gooster I will try later x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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