Butt Project Report

M

mars

Member
I am now in week 7 of my new weekly routine incorporating MIS 2x/week. The good news is I love it, the bad news is that I have gained 4 pounds. That might not seem like much but I have a small frame and have weighed 122# since age 14 (except for a couple of bad years at 150# in my early 20s). At 42, I have always been able to keep my weight at 122#. My clothes feel snug so it isn't just muscle. My body fat goal is to stay under 20%, when I started it was 22%, last night on the scale it showed 20%, that's good.

My cardio has remained at 4 days per week of running for 45-60 minutes or biking. So the bottom line is that I haven't weighed 126# for 20 years and it is really scaring me. My diet hasn't changed either.

Has anyone experienced something like this when they first started a strict weight lifting routine? Seems the muscle is growing and the fat isn't coming off. I am also not seeing any change in my flabby butt, my legs/arms feel alot stronger though. I'm using about 20# of weight, not alot.

I was planning to keep this routine up until the end of April if I don't bail out. Is there some weird thing that happens and you go up before you go down?
 
This is *exactly& what's happening to me right now. I'm up 4 pounds on the scale. I started getting serious with the weights on February 2. Did PS for 5 weeks, each tape twice a week. Now I'm doing CTX. In May I'm going to S&H. The butt has definitely raised, but the pants are snug. On the plus side, the arms & shoulders are getting definition and looking leaner.

I'm trying to look at this as a long term project. I initially wanted to give the serious weights 12 weeks, but I know if I go back to mostly cardio I won't get the results I want (based on past experience.) I figure Rome wasn't built in a day, so I'm trying to look at this as a year long or so transformation.

I hope someone will tell us the fat will eventually start burning away from the new muscle before I split the seams out on all my pants. I'm 44, and the battle with the scale is definitely UPhill at this age! I know a lot of people say just not to weigh one's self, but if I don't weigh everyday then I start eating too much.
 
I hope the following helps with you both in this situation in that you are weight training and gaining weight you don't want.

I have a book by Rachel McLish that is several years old but she addresses this very problem. I will quote it for you now.

Question: If my clothes start getting tighter, that means I am getting too muscular.

Answer: If you pant legs get tighter after working our for a month or two, you should thank God rather than panic. You're lucky - one of those genetically gifted people who respond rapidly to weight training. What is happening is that your muscle is developing a little faster than the fat is melting away. Continue to diet and exercise and soon the extra fat will be gone and you will have a perfectly formed muscle. Your pant legs may not be any more tight over the long run, but if they are you won't care because in the nude, in the mirror, you will see the most perfectly formed legs you could ever have imagined. So don't panic as soon as you see a muscle developing. That's what it's all about. How do you expect to reshape your body without building up muscles? Muscles are what give shape to your body. You have to have something to put on your bones. Is it going to be soft, flabby fat or firm, shapely muscles? The decision is yours.

I am sending this excerpt to you because you are dismayed that in spite of working out you feel you are losing ground.

According to Rachel, this is good. This is progress. Don't get discouraged and do not stop weight training.

Marlene
 
Marlene -

You are the best. This is exactly the information that I was looking for and what makes these forums so good. I have long respected Rachel and would believe what she says. The bottom line is to be patient. I may look at extended my Butt Project to 6 months instead of 3 and see what happens over the long haul.

Lisa - Keep me posted on your progress, good luck.
 
After a 6 wk muscle endurance rotation, a 6wk strength roation , and now another endurance rotation. My pants fit well, even loose in the butt, but my abs are flabby.

Also my arms and upper body are kinda defined. The number on the scale is higher than I like, but I have no idea what my body fat is.

I haven't eaten as clean as I should, but I have had an in creased appetite.

BTW any have a body fat monitor that they would recommend for home use?


Take time to enjoy those who matter most to you & do all things in moderation :)
 
Thanks so much to you both for taking the time to share the McLish info and personal experience. Just the kick in the toosh I needed to keep with on the current experiment!
 
likes2bfit -

What tapes are you using for your rotations?
How much cardio do you get in each week? More cardio may make a difference with the ab flab.

I have a Tanita body fat scale and like it, just make sure you are well hydrated when using it for body fat, before bed is best but not after a workout.
 
RE:thanks Mars..

To answer your question about what videos I am using:
PH 2x week
Circuit Max 1x week
Cardio kicks 1x week
then bike or treadmill 50" 1x week
Step Heat or Body Max first(two parts) 1x week

thanks for the question :), any suggestions?

Judy

Take time to enjoy those who matter most to you & do all things in moderation :)
 
Hi Mars,

Yes I have had that same experience. Right now, I am rotating weights and yoga for strength training. I'll do power yoga and cardio for 6 weeks, then I'll switch and do weights and cardio for 6 weeks. I have most definitly noticed that when I switch back to yoga I immediately drop a couple pounds. I'm still not sure why this is. Maybe I eat less. I do notice that I have more energy when I do my cardio when on the yoga rotation so maybe that's part of it. Whatever it is, I like it when I lose the weight. I'm down to 120-121 pounds, which I haven't been at for 3 years so I'm happy!

I also noticed that on my last weight rotation, which was with PH, I decided to try doing 3 days of weights instead of 2 (4 cardio) and after about 4 weeks I started noticing that I was getting much more toned than I did with 2 days in the past.

I know that you mainly are focusing on your butt, so maybe yoga is not exactly the thing for you, but maybe you would consider trying 3 days of weights instead of 2. Do you have PH? I personally think it works my butt out quite a bit better than MIS.

Let me know what you think.

Kristie Schultz
 
Kristie -

That is a good idea. Unfortunately cycling season is starting and getting in a 3rd weight day might be tough. I can get good leg workouts on my bike and will do that.

This week on my yoga/pilates/whatever day, I did a Karen Voight Pilates tape with the ring and really felt it afterwards. Another new thing I'm trying is the bridge, when you lay on your back with bent knees and lift your butt and lower. This also seems to target the backside.

I only have MIS, for Cathe tapes, and just bought the Firm Standing Legs but haven't done it yet.
 
I forgot one more piece of info. Was looking through Oxygen on the newstand and there is a woman featured in this issue that says she rotates light/heavy weight every other week. So she does light weight high reps one week, then heavy weight low reps the next week. She does it to keep her body challenged. Might be worth trying.
 
Hey Mars..
I have Standing Legs and am currently doing it twice a week...it is an awesome tape and should really lift your butt if you use enough weight. It has done wonders for mine...my husband says I have a butt just like Chynna..the wrestler..that is good, I think!!! Good Luck!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top