Extremely STRANGE question about your "look"!!

RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

I am 5'2,almost 38, and most of my adult life I've weighed around 118-122ish (sometimes alot more like when I had my child and for like a year afterwards). I've always had kind of a muscular type build, especially in the upper body. I started Cathe workouts about 3 1/2 years ago and got really fit and cut after about 2 years, I got down to about 116/117. Looking good but never really cleaned up my diet all the way. About 2 months ago I decided to give cleaner eating a try. P90x kind of helped me do it because it has the nutrition plan so I just kind of used that as a guide but do not follow it directly. I just cannot follow something like that to a T. Anyhow I am down to 112/113 and boy do I have a 6 pack and bicep veins. I am cut,lean and look fantastic. It only have a little, I mean little, bit of fat on my thighs but I looks normal and needs to be there because YOU KNOW we do need a little fat on our bodies. People make comments to me all the time like, do you lift weight and "wow you're buff", stuff like that. Guys never know how to say it nice, I think they get a little intimidated by muscles on girls but that's ok. I guess people started saying stuff like that after I'd been doing Cathe a couple years and was down to about 117, with some nicely developed muscles.

SOOOO, my take it that I think how you are going to look does have alot to do with your genetics, your body shape, and your diet, as well as the workouts that you do. AND, I have NEVER lifted heavy. I only lift about what Cathe lifts, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less but never very HEAVY. But then again I am a small person. I think that in order to gain alot of muscle(like if you want to compete or get really muscular looking) you should lift heavier but I don't think it is necessary to lift HEAVY to get "buff" looking and lean if your body type permits it(like Madonna or Linda Hamilton in terminator). Does that make sense?

Good luck.
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Hi Jackie! I've been doing Cathe's workouts for 12 years & never had anybody comment on my body. Since I've been doing P90X for 7 weeks now I've definitely put on more muscle on my upper body & I've definitely come down in my BF. For my body it was a culmination of eliminating brown rice/white & sweet potatoes from my diet 5 days a week & intensifying my workouts. The other 2 days I incorporate these back into my diet. As far as getting cut, I don't know if genetically I'll ever look like the models in the magazines but I'm pleased so far w/my results. I took pictures at the 30 day mark w/P90X & will be taking more pictures again at the 60 day mark to compare & see what needs to be tweaked. I used to think it was just going by the clothes you wear but realized pictures tell a thousand words instead!:eek: So to answer your question I needed to up the intensity of my workouts as well as tweak the diet. HTH, Kathy:D
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

I think what Cathe lifts is heavy! LOL! I usually am not even close to her when she mentions what weights she is using!

As a "skinny chick" trying desperately to add muscle....I do think it depends on your genetics to some degree (but did you SEE Madonna before she got cut?! She looked like one of those body types that would never get cut and lean...she was so ....round looking....I mean early early Madonna...voluptuous...never in a million years would I have thought she could develop her current buff look) but I also think diet is huge...

Somewhere I read an article that said thin people just don't have the appetite many others do...they insist they eat like a horse but not what other people would define as a lot. There was some switch in their body that enabled them to be satisfied with less.

The last time I saw someone with awesome arms I mentioned my goals and she cocked an eyebrow and said "Lift heavy. Eat a LOT." and went back about her business.

I think to get the cut look you want you need more muscle mass, period. Think about a sculptor with a teeny tiny piece of clay and trying to carve a figurine. Then picture her doing the same with a huge piece of clay...more depth, etc etc etc.

www.femalemuscle.com
good articles there.

Esp if you are lifting heavy or actively trying to build muscle I think adding more protein between meals (10 am and 2 pm) is important.

Go and eat something!!

:)

Jen
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Jackie:

This is a great post and tons of wonderful useful information as usual. Thank you for posting it.

I was wondering what your workout schedule is like? And eating regime?

I'm trying to eat more protein and use weights more, but I'm a cardio girl and can't get past that endorphin feeling from it. :) But, I'm trying to incorporate weights because I know that will help me lose the 50 pounds that I need to. :)

Thanks again, I look forward to hearing from you or anybody else.

Marcia.
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Marcia,

CURRENTLY, I am doing my workouts with the Slow and Heavy series, doing one body part per day and then on the weekends (saturday) I am using the Pyramid Upper Body or Power Hour, something that works it all.

During the week I do the one body part (about 30-40 minutes ) and 30-40 minutes of cardio, per day. I really love Cathe's cardio. I just mix it up with Step Blast and SJP right now.

I eat oatmeal in the a.m. It is something I eat to get and keep my blood sugar stable. It is the ONLY food that works for me in the a.m. Even egg whites don't do me so well. I am an OB nurse, so my "eating on schedule" doesn't work. That's why I need the a.m. oatmeal.

I try and eat string cheese or turkey around 10-11 a.m.

Lunch is chicken, a vegetable, sometimes a sugar free jello.

I NEVER get an afternoon break, hardly EVER so I am starved by supper. Tonite it is baked chicken and before bed I eat Total Protein cereal.

I admit that I need to clean up my weekend eating, because I seem to eat more carbs then.

I just hope that I am on the right road....I want to do the right workouts even if it takes a while to show the results.

You are ALL so great! Thanks.
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Sounds like you might need an afternoon snack just so you're not so hungry at dinner, cuz then you might overeat at dinner. Try some type of snack that you can just stick in your pocket and munch down quickly between patients. AN apple, a stick of fruit leather, an energy bar, a cheese stick, whatever. Just try not to let yourself get hungry. SOunds like your eating is pretty good though. If you feel like you eat too many carbs on weekends, just try to keep track a little and so if you know you have lots of bad type carbs for breakfast, just don't them again at lunch and dinner. This has worked for me, hope it helps you.

Kristie
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Oh, another thing about lifting heavy.... I have seen alot of people say on this site that the heavier lifting made them bulky. SOOO really I think it just depends on your body type. If you have some extra fat and you add a bunch of muscle you are gunna look more bulky, that makes sense to me. But then if you lose that fat you'll probably look more cut and buff. BUT my personal experience has been that I look buff and cut with lifting no heavier than Cathe, so I don't think it is necessary (for me anyway) to lift heavy to be muscly looking. I don't even own slow and heavy. I personally think that doing pull-ups and pushups, like in P90x will make a person buff and muscly looking and that is not heavy lifting.

Kristie
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Kristie...

It is not heavy lifting, but really push ups and pull ups are in that you are working with your total body weight. If I told you I was curling 55 pounds with each bicep, would you call that lifting heavy? Yes, and that is essentially what a pull up is if you weigh 110 pounds. P90X Chest/Back is great for packing on the muscle base (push ups and pull ups) and P90X Shoulders/Arms is great for defining that packed on muscle.


And, yes, it will make you buff and muscley looking. Thank Goodness.(I knew I was pushing through that series for somethin')
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

The first time I had someone make a comment about my muscles was about 11 years ago. Maybe a little longer as I had the first two Firm tapes. I had been doing Firms with pretty heavy weights. A neighbor made comment about my arms. Now I get comments all of the time. I know that sounds like I am bragging. Not meaning to though, just answering your question. It has taken a lot of years. After Cathe I did get much more cut. It has been in the last 5 years that I have had more people ask if I compete. Just the other day I was in the store shopping and a woman came up and asked my husband what gym I worked out because I had great triceps. She said she has competed before and wondered if I did. My husband told her that I had never been to a gym in my life and worked out for myself at home. It really does take a lot of paying attention to what works and changing it up. I can tell if I start getting in a rut doing the same type of thing over and over so have to think of a way to make it different. At one time I realized I was doing the same thing all of the time because my granddaughter would tell me what I was going to do next. I am finding lately I have actually been able to increase some of my weights on workouts I have not done for awhile so I look back and see what I was doing that lead up to the strength increases if that makes since. And I know I could get even more cut if I followed a really clean diet. I am not the best at that. I have done it for about 6 weeks before and was extremely cut. But I did not want to keep up that way of eating to maintain that look. I don't even think it would have been healthy as it was more of a competition type of diet. I just wanted to see if I could do it.
Diane Sue
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Diane Sue...

YOU don't follow a really clean diet?????:eek:



Girl, I want your genetics then!!!



PS. Diane Sue is bonafidedly not bragging. She is really cut, as you can plainly see in her pictures!:)
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Diana Sue, you deserve to brag! Brag on!! (it wasn't bragging though, it's just the facts!)
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

This may be wayyyy to obvious an answer...but I've always been curious. I just started Cathe workouts, and right now am addicted to and seeing results from PUB and PLB. However, at the end of each set -I'm almost - but not quite - at 100% muscle failure. I'm okay with that for now as I get comfortable using free-weights. I used machines for 95% of my workouts for years.

Once I get my form down, I plan to lift heavy enough so the last rep is almost impossible because it's my understanding that muscle grows in response to damage as it builds new tissue for repair. I would think that lifting to failure definitely speeds up the building process and gets you closer to your goals more quickly.

So - I guess I'm answering a question with a question - do you guys lift to failure with each set?

Thanks -

Joni
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Yes Joni I do. And remember that it's the resting between weight days that does the rebuilding.
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

I figured that everyone who's been at this for a long time knows that "rule" of weight lifting.

Well you look gorgeous in your photo! The others have given all of us great advice on this thread, and I too am grateful to have access to such a knowlegeable and supportive community! Whether or not we all reach our ultimate fitness goals, the important thing is that we take care of ourselves far more than many people, and that definitely puts us ahead of the game.

And you may not feel cut - but, at least you don't have a ton of fat to lose. I stopped working out for 4 years - and with the help of antidepressants gained 140 pounds!!! Thankfully I returned to working out hard 2.5 years ago and I've lost 100 of the pounds- but the scale is not budging no matter what I do. I've been at a fat loss plateau for more than a year. It's sssoooo frustrating to eat clean, work out hard, and the only result is the beautiful muscle hidden beneath the remaining fat. Oh sure, I have a six pack -- but you can't see it
;-)

All we can do is keep working at it, and changing up the variables, and eventually we'll all get there.

Great post by the way - I'm glad you didn't delete it.

Joni
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Joni,

What an inspiring post! You're doing so great and have an awesome attitude!

Gina
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Well I may confuse your issue Jackie b/c when I looked at your list of what you are eating on the average day, it looked to me like you are not eating enough! LOL. But I guess it just depends. I have been reading Tom Venuto's articles at http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/tom.html
especially the part about "gaining lean" and they make a lot of sense. It may sound silly, but it came as a surprise to me that when you want to add muscle, you technically need to eat a calorie surplus (of very clean calories of course). Might wanna take some time to track your calories and take a look at his formulas and see how it goes. I think you sound frustrated enough to look at it that closely! :) I am thinking of cycling myself...clean calorie surplus with heavy weights...then a rotation of lower calorie days with more cardio. Just an idea. Don't have a personal testimony just yet.

I think Dianasue looks great, shout it from the rooftops, women need to know they can look that great as they age!

Also...wanted to add another comment, an article I recently read (can't remember where) said that diet is extremely important for beginners/intermediate....like 80 percent diet, 20 percent exercise....and as you get more advanced/advanced physique (like Dianasue's)it becomes decreasingly important....like those numbers, but reversed.

Jen
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

I second Tom Venuto's advice. I bought his e-book "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" and it's full of great advice for leaning out and building muscle. It makes perfect sense and is not based on anything "faddish" at all - just common sense. I highly recommend his website too - it's full of information on anything from losing the last 10 to how to stay motivated. http://www.fitren.com.
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Interesting conversation. Jackie, I have a question for you. What is your body type? http://bodybuildingpro.com/bodytypeinformation.html

I am defintely an ecto so while I have been working out for years, I have never really made the transition from fit to cut even when I lift the heaviest weights I can. I have long, thin arms and legs and no hips, butt or breasts to speak of. I do have "cuts" and I look slim, buff, toned, but I am stuck with the lean and hungry look. LOL!

I would LOVE to look like Diane Sue or Cathe but I don't aspire to because I can't, since I inherited my father's lanky build. My legs are slim but all muscle. I usually squat about 65 pounds which is the most I can get onto my shoulders safely. I'll go 75 when the hubby's around for a spot. I have really good arm and shoulder definition (He once told me I have Supermodel arms) but after matching the weights Cathe uses for back, chest and biceps just to see that I could, I have settled into lower weight for upper body because heavier weights didn't make me bigger and and made feel me at risk for injury. The idea of my lifting a 35 pound babrbell for triceps makes me laugh! My arms would fall off! Shoulders, particularly rear delts, and triceps have always been my most resistant parts when putting down muscle but I have gotten into yoga at a studio and viola, that was what they needed when added to my strength workouts.

Being that I am not genetically blessed, it's obvious I work out and at 42, I am one of the strongest, most energetic broads I know. I might as well be happy being small-muscled since, short of doping, this is it! :D

And running is my first love and I get alot of "You have a runner's body," which I love to hear. Add to that that I relish my 65% carbohydrate diet and I have been known to impress people with how much I can put away. For a 5' 7", 115 pound woman, it's all good!


Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Speaking of diet mine has been really not good here lately. My husband bought home carmels because he know I liked them;my poor grandchildren keep getting offered Candy. Now I am going to the lake for a couple of days with the family and there will be chips and lots of things I try and avoid. I know I will eat them but will come back next week and try and clean it up a little. As far as genetics I don't know what mine are. My mother and grandmother both had round bodies with really skinny legs, arms, and necks. My Dad has massive hands and arms that cause people to make comments on. My hands are pretty large for a female. I can almost wear my DH ring comfortably. It is true at the start of my weight training I could see definition even in my abs some but not like now. Then I ate a lot of everything and drank weight gainer powder. I just thought I was supposed to eat a lot of calories to build muscle and did not pay attention to fats or sugars etc.. I also went on the extremely low fat thing for quite awhile. Loads of cereal and pasta. That leaned me out some, but ab cuts still did not show as much with all of those starches. Now I eat them once in awhile. I hardly ever eat bread though. I have lost my taste for a lot of it. But I cannot do without my sugar once in awhile. I love icecream so I try not to keep it around either.
Diane Sue
 
RE: Extremely STRANGE question about your

Your abs are gorgeous, Diane Sue, and those veins in your arms! Wow! I tend to buy treats that don't tempt me when I get goodies for the kids. I don't add sugar to anything and I read labels carefully to avoid added sugar and trans fats. I favor a little honey when I sweeten. I eat sat fat moderately but never say no to strong cheeses to add flavor. I never buy fat free or even light. I just use small portions. I find it very interesting that the more clean my diet is, the less appeal the junk has. And these days that includes my PMSy week. Yay! I love compelx carbs and buy whole wheat and whole wheat and corn tortillas and whole wheat, whole wheat with ground flax pasta as well as quinoa and spelt pasta, both of which yield a fair amount of vegeterian protein. I have found that eating complex, mostly organic carbs, and making sure I eat a little protein and fat with them, keeps my diet very low calorie. I can't remember the last time I was hungry that was not directly related to expending a lot of energy working out. After a workout I am famous for a ravenous appetite and ready to eat! I eat lacto-ovo vegetarian until dinner when we try to eat as a family and the carnivores rule. I find I (and I alone around here!) am opting for veggie substitutions alot of the time. I buy organic most of the time too. I think I will eventually be a most of the time vegetarian who eats fish and seafood. Here in Tucson, we have Wild Oats and Trader Joes and it helps to get great complex carbs and very lean animal and vegetarian sources of protein. I like to cook and am fairly good at preparing lean, flavorful food but I do have a couple of rather decadent recipes which keep my family happy about eating healthily most of the time. It is so true that it takes making fitness a lifestyle to make it work!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
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