JenL13 - Love your arms!

M

mnglamourgirl

Cathlete
They look like where I want to be! I'm not quite there yet, still need to work on the shoulders. If you'd care to share, what workouts are you doing? And your diet?

Thank you!
Terri
 
You read my mind, Terri. I was just reading another thread by JenL13, her arms look great, don't they?

JenL13, What body type would you say you are? I tend to have a hard time building any type of muscle. I would love to get a toned look (like you have), instead of bulky muscles. Please, Please share with us what you do ...

Do you use any of the Jari Love Dvd's?

TIA ~ Have a great weekend!! :)

Today is a Gift, Live it to the fullest ~
~Jennifer~
 
Hello there Terri and Jennifer -

Well so this reply doesn't seem too long, I'll copy my diet below and an idea of my workout schedule / what workouts I do in right after. I had posted what I'm copying below in another thread as a response to someone asking me what my diet looked like, I watch calories and fat the most-try to get lots of fiber but I eat WAY too much packaged food, something I'm trying to reduce but in this world now-a-days it is hard-plus I am single so I'm buying for one.

I don't really eat "clean" - I wish I had more time too but with working outside the house it is hard to... I should try harder but I figure baby steps! I do eat low fat/low calorie and never "stuff" myself so I do have that down just need to eat more fresh foods-I'm BAD about eating packaged foods, which are FULL of sodium! However, since you asked, here is a typical weekday for me!

7:00 - 1/2 wrap (LaTortilla Factory-low carb/high fiber) w/ a little Peanut Wonder AKA Better n Peanut Butter -about 80 cal/3 fat/8fiber
9-9:30 - Snicker Marathan Low Carb PB bar 170 cal/6 fat/16 protein/8 fiber
12-12:30 - Kraft South Beach Diet Wraps (sesame chicken & southwest chicken are my favs) average: 230cal/8-10 fat/21 protein/15 fiber
2:00 - Vitatop or small Vitamuffing (banana fudge top & bannana walnut muffin is awesome)75-100 cal/1-2 fat/5 fiber
4:00 (pre-workout)- depends, either wrap w/ pb or 1/2 protien bar, I like detour brand the best - the small ones are about 160 cal/4.5 fat/15 protein
6:30-7:30 salad - I love spinach salad w/ fat free dressing but I don't use much dressing & usually either chicken "taco" wraps, boneless/skinless chicken baked in oven (I marinade in KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki w/ sesame overnight the night before I cook)or a lean cusine roasted garlic chicken brick oven pizza - they are AWESOME in my opinion!
Snack - I do single serving of No pudge brownies made w/ yogurt-i make individual serving so I don't eat the whole pan, you can microwave one at time, no "truly" brownie but tastes the same

On weekends I will eat oatmeal instead of protein bars b/c I love oatmeal & have more time to make it than during the week.
I use McCann's Irish Oatmeal (quick cooking), add some cinanmon and splenda & toss in microwave - yum!

Hope this helps - as I said I eat WAY too much packaged food but considering all the fast food/high fat food around I figure I am doing better than a lot of people and I do workout 1-2 hours 6 days a week!
 
Okay, now for my workouts, I workout 1-2 hours a day (more towards 1 hour during week & 2 on weekends), I always take one rest day a week -usually either Thursday or Friday.

I carry my weight in my lower half-my upper body & ABS respond very quick but I REALLY have to work to keep my lower half in shape. I never lift heavy for my upper body, lighter weights/more reps.

I do not belong to a gym & only workout to DVD's/tapes. I would say the first series of workouts I bought that helped to start toning my body is Slim Series by Beach Body-these workouts seem boring now to me but I still mix into my rotation b/c the mix of cardio w/ weights really does work. I don't follow any schedule, just try to always mix things up. The list below are the workouts I use in my rotations now:

Slim Series by Beach Body - i use all but Cool It Off

Power 90 Master Series - Sweat 5-6, Cardio Intervals, Core Cardio, UML, & PLYO Legs

Power Half Hour- Bun Shaper & Thigh Trimmer


Tamilee Webb's - Cardio Blast, when I want a quick cardio with 30-45 minutes of lower body work

Cindy Whitmarsh Ultimate Fat Burner - 45min good for days when I don't have much time (www.ultrafitnutrition.com)

Powerstrike 2 & #1 is on it's way to me!

Cathe - B&G, Drill Max, Cardio Fusion, Kick Max, KPC & L&G, Boot Camp+Muscle Endurance, Cardio Kicks & Circuit Max, Cross Train Express, HSC, HST, HSC, and I have the following on the way: LIC, BM2, Gym Style Legs, and Interval Max(the DVD w/ 3 workouts on it)

I really don't do the high step focused workouts too much as they tend to bulk my lower body too much as I gain muscle quickly.

Well, I am off to do Drill Max Leg Premix now... I'll be back in a bit.

I hope this helps & sorry for the long reply, let me know if I missed answering something!
:)
 
Thanks, JenL13 for the info. What body type would you consider yourself? If you don't mind my asking such a personal question, but what is your BF%? I saw your pictures you posted and you look like you may be naturally muscular?

Regarding the workouts, you said you lift with lighter weights/reps. Is there any particular workout you like the best to develop the upper body? I have GS Chest, Shoulders & Back, but I have issues with my back and have to be very careful not to go too heavy or too many reps. Otherwise, I do BM2, LIC, ME, etc. I do not own KPC and it seems to be a favorite among many.

My goal is to be 13-16% BF and I'm 5'7" with 20% BF. I'm currently doing the November 06 rotation, only 1 week into it. In your opinion, if you were me and wanted to lose body fat, would you continue to lift?

Thank you again for letting me pry into your workout/diet!
Terri
 
As for my BF%, I have no clue really- most people that know me think it's very low just by looking at me but to be honest I've never had it checked. I also don't own a scale, never have-I get weighed once a year at my yearly & that is it! I go by how I feel & how my clothes fit. My body type is heavier on the bottom & smaller on the top. I've always struggled with having big hips, thigs, and butt - I still think my butt is too big!

I am 29 now & been working out for about 3 years, I smoked-I know kill me now-for 10 years & quit 3 years ago, yeah me! :) That is when I started really watching what I ate and working out more(I always did like 30 minute hip, thigh, butt floor work). I went from a size 10-11 jean to now 4-6 depending on brand-although to tell you the truth jeans make me so mad, my waist is so small compared to my thighs so it is VERY hard to find jeans that fit right.

As for getting my arms "cut" like they are now, I think part of it is eating healthy and to be honest my arms looked like this before doing Cathe workouts-they used to be way to hard for me, the first one I bought was kick max & it almost killed me, now I can do any of them as long as I have a couple towels nearby to keep me from becoming one big sweat bag! That being said, the workouts that I attribute to getting my arms like they are would be:

Slim Series by Debbie (beach body) she uses 5-8 lbs. hand weights in all her workouts but you do light cardio with them and it really works. I never use over 12 lbs. hand weights as I tend to get too bulky, even when Cathe uses 30lbs. I either use 2-10's or 2-12's. I also think Ultimate Fat Burner by Cindy is good. Both of these seem so much easier now with doing Cathe but they still did get me the upper body results I have now. Not sure if you want to purchase any more workouts but I would recommed them. Debbie also does lots of punches in her workouts and that really tones arms too, KPC is good for this also and so is Kick Max. I also did Powerstrike 2 for the first time last Saturday and it is good for the arms if you are looking to slim & get cut, not big.

Hopefully that helps but as I said if not, let me know what else I can tell you to help, I know I have struggled with trying to figure out what works & what doesn't & it can be frustrating. I've hit a plateau now though & that is why I keep getting new workouts & trying to mix things up so much. I also made the mistake of doing too much high step & now trying to counter balance my thighs out with lots of cardio.

:)
 
Hey Terri- I was thinking while doing some cleaning & the one move that I would say works my shoulders the most would be flyes with either 5 or 8 lbs. weights.

Also, if you aren't wanting to spend much money on new workouts I would maybe try Sculpt 5-6 from Beach Body, I am almost positive you can buy just it for like $20. I don't have it but do have Sculpt 3-4 and it is good for upper body toning. Then I would also purchase either Powerstrike 2 or KPC, the punching in those plus the higher reps with lighter weigts in sculpt 5-6 would probably help... I do like sculpt 3-4 but not sure you can buy it by itself....

anyway, sorry for being so longwinded! x(
 
It's been a quite a journey to figure out what's working and what's not, that's for sure. When I do the upper body workouts, using the lighter weights, I'm not sore the next day. So I wonder if they're doing anything for me. On the other hand, I don't want to get bigger arms by going heavier either. Do you still feel you are making gains even if you experience no muscle soreness? And I'm curious to know how big your arms are if you'd care to share? If you've been lifting like you have and your arms are 10" (for example), then I need to slim my arms. If, however, your arms are 12", then I need to add more muscle. Do you know what I mean? I'm not sure if I should do more cardio or more weights to get the body I want. I guess it's just trial and error? That's why I appreciate your advice. I tend to carry my weight in my lower half (I have very strong legs); my upper body is definately smaller, but also weaker. And my core strength is horrible. I had great abs/waist line when I was younger (25")but 3 kids later and never working the abs since childbirth (waist now 27 1/2") I realize I shouldn't neglect any body parts. I could have great abs if I worked them! So I decided to work them and it was pathetic! The obliques are pretty good, but upper & lower are truly pathetic. Anyways, I feel like I just need to get on the right track, fat loss or muscle building.

A friend of mine loaned me Kick Max which was just okay. I read an awful lot about KPC and am curious to try it for the arms. However, I'm prone to muscle spasms in my back and have to be very careful as I've hurt myself doing kickboxing in the past (pre-Cathe era). I'm a little relectunt to purchase it. I do think, however, it would make a nice addition to my growing workout DVD's.

Thanks again!
Terri
 
I almost forgot - your jean comment sounds exactly like me! A girlfriend of mine who also struggles to find jeans that fit, sent me a link to this website: www.zafu.com. It's supposed to help you find jeans that fit. I haven't tried on any of the jeans it suggested, but it was fun anyways.
Terri
 
Yes, I know I am making gains even though I am not sore. I don't think I ever had really sore arms, shoulders, triceps, etc... anytime while getting to where I am today. The higher rep/light weight probably won't make you sore but it will give you the lean cut look if you keep up with it. Also, I think kickboxing & just doing punches really is important for the arms. I know you said your AB area needs some help right now and the kickboxing & punches really works your core so you get the benefit of an upper body workout and core work. To tell you the truth, I don't work my ABS that often and I have a 4, almost 6 pack. Doing workout that you have to use core muscules to balance has helped my midsection more than any AB workout. It really is trial & error though depending on your body but sounds like you are close to my body type.

As for what type of workouts you should be doing, I say focus on kickboxing that is cardio (Powerstrike2,KPC,Drill Max,Sculpt3-4 or 5-6)and then also do more reps with lighter weights, either 5 or 8 lbs. you don't need a video for that if you can just make yourself do weights, I tend to need the DVD-once it's in the player there is no option of not finishing!

OK, measured my right arm for you... it's a little under 10 with a straight arm, when flexed it is about 11.

Regarding Kick Max, I did that today and did the warm up, then blast challenge, the kickboxing drills, leg conditioning, and then cool down. As is the drills are before the blast and I much prefer the blasts first. I had read it in another thread this morning so gave it a go & loved it. KPC is still my favorite & I think you should for sure get it. Also, the Powerstrike videos are great for your arms, I was actually sore after doing PS2 in the arms and in my back-I haven't been sore like that in I can't remember when. Check out the thread in open forum labeled Powerstrike 1 & 2-I posted the information there on how you can obtain them!

Probably more info than you wanted but as I said, I'm happy to share anything I can that may help others as I myself have learned so much from these forums from others! Let me know if I can do anything else to help!

Good luck! :)
 
You are fabulous in giving me so much advice. And a big THANK you for measuring your arms! :) You've given me a baseline from which to base myself. For instance, my biceps with a straight arm are 11". Now, I know that it would be great to lose an inch off my arm. Which tells me that I should really focus on toning, just like you said, vs. building muscle. (My DH keeps telling me I need to lift heavy - that's a man for you!)

Okay, now looking at your picture, your legs don't seem that big to me. Actually, you look like you could compete in a Figure competition! Soooooo.....what are your leg measurements if I dare ask? :7 I usually measure my thickest part of my thigh, which is the inner and that's a whopping 23"! And I don't have long legs, either!

I have read the posts re: Powerstrike and P90X or something like that. I'm curious in the P90X after checking out the website; however, I think my husband would have a bona fide COW if he saw more workout DVD's! Not that he's not supportive in my quest for physical fitness, he's just a frugal kind of guy. But the P90X has piqued my curiosity. (In a strange way, I almost feel like I'd be cheating on Cathe!) It just looks like a lot of fun. I don't know if I'd follow the nutrition plan because I'm very happy with BFFM (Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle) program.

I'm currently doing the Nov 06 rotation and love the different DVD's. Like you, I need CONSTANT change in my workouts because I get bored very easily. In fact, I may change the Nov. rotation because I may have to rethink how I'm going to reach my goal.

You've been a HUGE help and can't thank you enough.

Terri
 
Hey Adina -Too funny, my mom tells me that all the time & I tell her she is crazy, Jennifer Aniston is way prettier than I am. I think she has that "girl next door" look to her, which is maybe why my mom thinks that, who knows but thank you. She is so much prettier though, maybe if I ever convinced myself to wear makeup I'd look better-don't think I've worn the stuff in like 4 years, LOL!

Terri-

Okay, just for you I measured my thighs...ugh, you know I try to avoid being weighed and measured...lol! Really though, I never have owned a scale, just a number! So, my right thigh -upper part where inner thigh seems to be the largest is 21 inches. See, your thighs are really close to mine! I have really short legs, I "thank" my mom for them all the time...in a very loving way of course. I so wish I could have longer legs b/c I feel like mine are too big even though I don't have much fat on them I think they look stumpy b/c of how muscular & short they are. I am also very hard on myself if you can't tell...need to work on that!

I have been really considering getting BFFM... how long have you had it and do you really like it? I had e-mailed them & they will send you a three ring binder with it printed out & hole punched in it so I'm thinking about doing that as I always seem to get side tracked when downloading/printing large documents like that...


As for P90X-I know a LOT of people love it but I would guess that they are trying to get bigger upper bodies, just my opinion but you may want to post that question to see... I don't have it & won't order as I like my arms the way they are so I just keep up with the light weights & punches and that is good enough for maintenance. If you are going to invest in another workout, I would say spend $25 & order Powerstrike 2, it will work your arms good!

Sounds like your DH is trying to help & very supportive, that is great! Keep in touch & as I've said feel free to keep asking questions. :)
 
You are crackin' me UP and ease up on yourself! I feel so lucky that you broke your tradition of NOT measuring and weighing yourself. I wish I could do that, but I'm so obsessed with being smaller, the scale, the numbers, etc. it's really quite ridiculous. Your 21" thighs seem small to me!! I'd love to be that small. I thank my mom all the time, too for the lower body. All the women on her side of the family have been "blessed" with strong legs. Whatever. I do love her too and she knows it. While we're talking about it, you don't like to do a lot of step because it builds your thighs...I'm wondering if that's where I should change direction. Do you do any running? What do you do or have done to lean out the legs? High reps and light weights? What do you consider light? 30 lbs for lunges or squats?

I really like BFFM; a very no-nonsense approach to fitness and nutrition. You said that you eat a lot of boxed foods - OMG, just imagine what you'd look like if your diet was super clean - you'd be ripped!! Then for sure you'd have to compete!!...?? I download the ebook several years ago at a job that I absolutely hated. Whenever there was down time, I'd print a few pages. I've referenced it so many times, it's dog-eared. It's totally worth it to have them send you a bound copy. There's a ton of information in there.

I'll check out Powerstrike 2. I really want to focus on getting lean so I don't know if lifting heavy is really the route to go, hence probably not purchase P90X.

Thanks a bunch!
Terri
P.S. Your almost like the personal trainer I've never had...:)
 
Hey Mariah -

I am not sure if you can just buy Sculpt 3-4, but I would suggest doing the instant chat with the customer service people on www.beachbody.com-click on customer service on top, then click contact by e-mail, on the page that pops up, look at the heading above where you can type in question, there is a tab that says live assistance. They are very helpful & you could ask them if you can purchase just that one.
Chat support is available:
Monday - Friday: 05:30 AM - 09:30 PM PST
Saturday - Sunday: 05:00 AM - 08:00 PM PST

I am thinking they would let you...I'd assume that someone who has the whole package may have broken a DVD and needed a replacement for just it. If not, I would ask them about sculpt 5-6, which I know you can buy seperate, if it is just a step up from 3-4 I would say go with it!

Hope that helps!
 
Well, high step really builds my thigh muscles and I don't do workouts that are all high step or mostly high step very often, maybe once/twice a month. Regular step doesn't build it as much but I still don't do all step workouts really at all, just Cathes that incorporate a step but I don't have any of her all step workouts. For my legs & butt, I really like the 30 minute Thigh Trimmer & Bun Shaper from beach body-part of Power Half hour and can be purchased as individual dvds. I also just ordered GS Legs and B&G is awesome. Firm it Up from beachbody I do quite a bit(part of slim series but can be purchased by itself)it is higher rep/light weight focused... kind of boring but does work. Kickboxing is also great for the legs if trying to trim so I do KPC a lot. I also love Drill Max. As for what weight I use when doing lunges/squats-I always use hand weights and typically either use 2-8lbs or 2-10s. Sometimes to change it up I will use 2-12lbs. but never heavier than that. Also in Cathes workouts where she uses 30-35 for deadlifts, etc... I always do 2-12lbs. When she uses 2-5lbs. for walking lunges or anything else I use what she uses.

As for running, no I don't ever run-I wish I could make myself but I've never been much of a runner. I think it's too boring for me, I know people who run love it and say it's great for relaxing but I just can't do it. When I first started working out after I quit smoking I couldn't do much cardio b/c of lungs. I've really worked on it (how to breathe during workouts, etc...) and now don't have problem at all with cardio! :)

I think I will order the bound verison of BFFM, thanks! Yes, I do eat a lot of boxed items & need to do better but I figure it is better than fast food but I know it's still not healthy. I do look at ingrediants though & stay away from foods that say...partially hydrogenated in the ingrediant list! I've been told before that I should compete but I've seen the women that compete & they are WAY more ripped than me & actually I wouldn't want to be that buff! I'd love to look like Cathe or Cindy Whitmarsh-check her out on www.ultrafitnutrition.com. Her 45 minute workout I do almost once a week for sure, it's great when short on time and is great if you are looking to slim. I love that workout! :)

So, what else? :p I by no means know everything or even close to knowing what is best but just from trial & error and what I do I'm glad I am able to help! I would love to get into a fitness type job, like personal trainer but with being single and only having one income it is a scary thought, especially when I have a very good paying job now. Also, being in Springfield,IL there isn't much of a market for it so I'd for sure have to move somewhere where being in shape/working out is more a part of the majority of peoples' lives!

:)
 
"One more thing...KPC or Powerstrike 2? Which do you prefer?"

Sorry didn't see this until I had replied to the other post...wow, that is a tough call but I would say KPC if you can only get one. It also has leg & glutes as part of the DVD which is a good workout too for legs thighs and there are tons of premixes on this dvd that are good! Legs & glutes uses a high step but a lot of times when doing KPC, I'll do it as is then go to the chapter menu for Legs & glutes and basically start it from the first move in the right hand column and do through the stretch. The left hand side is where the high step is used mainly so I only do the whole leg & glute workout once in a great while.

Also, KPC has a premix of cardio only-which is basically the warm up, low intensity drills & high intensity drills. I use this quite a bit for a 30 min. cardio (actually 36min. I believe) and then pair it up with like Bun Shaper from Beach Body! Or it would also be good to do along with the right hand column of legs & glutes, depending on how much time you have... ;)
 
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