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I am getting back to the gym after being out of commission for a year due to my health issues and overcoming a bone marrow transplant...
I lost alot of my muscle mass and want to get back into shape and really tone my body.
I don't want big muscles whatsoever but I want definition that is noticable on my arms, chest, back, shoulders, and legs.
I started out on the treadmill on a steep incline and went for about 20 minutes.
Then I did some arm curls amongst other excersizes but I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. And I feel like everyone is watching me so I need to get over that and look like I'm a pro!
How many reps do you start off with?
What is a good routine to follow?
Do I go every day? every other day? every two days?
How much weight do I lift in order to get me to my goal?
Also, I am very sore and can barely go up and down the stairs!!!! Seriously it hurts! I also feel the soreness in my middle back so I guess I'm doing alright?!!
Is there anything I can do to help with the pain? I hear alot about eating protien and stuff like that but don't want to start mixing powder drinks - I prefer eating things naturally, not bottled or packaged.
What's your height and weight? Age? Bodyfat (roughly)?
You have the muscle there, you likely just need to get your BF low enough to show. In addition, you will also want to build muscle in those areas.
Diet is key. Not drinking shakes is fine but you likely need to eat more protein and less carbs to get the goals you want. I can't say for sure, but I can say that probably about 90% of the US eats way too much carbs and not enough protein, as it's much easier to do such. That's why protein shakes are good for convenience when you don't have time to cook some fish or chicken, etc.
As for a workout program, they are all over the internet. What are you doing now? Are you experienced? You may want to try and find a trainer if you aren't familiar with proper form to help prevent injury and make the most of your workouts. You don't need one permanently, however, just to get the ball rolling and learn some things.
Contrary to the common belief, you will not build big muscles. They don't just appear, and because women have such low testosterone, they don't build it. Most the "big" girls you see, are on steroids and lift all the time and do it for a living. Most women could never even get that far if they wanted to and took steroids, as it's also genetics.
It will tell you what rep range to use, what weight to use, when to add weight, how many days to work out etc. You should also check the nutriton forum on that website because nutriton is half the battle.
I am getting back to the gym after being out of commission for a year due to my health issues and overcoming a bone marrow transplant...
I lost alot of my muscle mass and want to get back into shape and really tone my body.
Any advice/tips would be greatly appreciated.
thanks!!
The smart thing to do is to seek advice from your doctor first to make sure that whatever ailment you have/had that required bone marrow transplant surgery allows for you to get to the gym.
Also, you said "....want to get back into shape" and ".......getting back to the gym...", so it seems that you already have experience, why seek advice from strangers on the internet?
Finally, it really would be foolish for anyone here to tell you what to do in terms of "Oh, do x sets of this, for xx amount of reps, then do this.....etc. etc. etc." because we dont know your medical condition. My advice to you is:
1. Seek approval from your doctor on what you can and cannot do.
2. Seek out a qualified, experienced, certified personal trainer, sit with him/her and go over what your doctors said about your condition and your limitations, then prepare a plan of action to get you back to where you were before.
3. Pay no attention to specific resistance/cardio exercise advice (i.e., sets, weights, exercise, etc.) given here until AFTER you have consulted with both your physician and your trainer.
Dont worry about costs of having a personal trainer, because you really only need to have maybe 5-6 sessions to get you started, and from your personal experience with health, you probably now understand that your health is NOT something that you should be skimping on because its really all youve got. I am confused though because one part of your post makes it seem like you have experience working out, but then another where you say "I dont want big muscles....." makes it seem like you have absolutely zero knowledge and experience in working out. Which is it really?
Lastly, I have personally trained people with conditions like yours so I do have experience. But, I ONLY trained them in Tai Chi, and ONLY after both they and I had conversations with their physicians. This includes people with non-hodgkins lymphoma, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc. so I know what Im talking about.
Last edited by Kings Gambit; 10-03-2014 at 09:54 AM..
The smart thing to do is to seek advice from your doctor first to make sure that whatever ailment you have/had that required bone marrow transplant surgery allows for you to get to the gym.
Also, you said "....want to get back into shape" and ".......getting back to the gym...", so it seems that you already have experience, why seek advice from strangers on the internet?
Finally, it really would be foolish for anyone here to tell you what to do in terms of "Oh, do x sets of this, for xx amount of reps, then do this.....etc. etc. etc." because we dont know your medical condition. My advice to you is:
1. Seek approval from your doctor on what you can and cannot do.
2. Seek out a qualified, experienced, certified personal trainer, sit with him/her and go over what your doctors said about your condition and your limitations, then prepare a plan of action to get you back to where you were before.
3. Pay no attention to specific resistance/cardio exercise advice (i.e., sets, weights, exercise, etc.) given here until AFTER you have consulted with both your physician and your trainer.
Dont worry about costs of having a personal trainer, because you really only need to have maybe 5-6 sessions to get you started, and from your personal experience with health, you probably now understand that your health is NOT something that you should be skimping on because its really all youve got. I am confused though because one part of your post makes it seem like you have experience working out, but then another where you say "I dont want big muscles....." makes it seem like you have absolutely zero knowledge and experience in working out. Which is it really?
Lastly, I have personally trained people with conditions like yours so I do have experience. But, I ONLY trained them in Tai Chi, and ONLY after both they and I had conversations with their physicians. This includes people with non-hodgkins lymphoma, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc. so I know what Im talking about.
1) unless you have unusually high testosterone as a woman you never have to worry about becoming bulky/super muscular no matter how often nor how much weight you move. It just won't and cannot happen; there are about 1000 posts on this forum alone covering this "myth" that was used as an excuse for woman to not work out with weights for the entire 70s and 80s... it's about time this myth was just left behind. It just won't happen... I'd bet you a million dollars if I had it... it is a fact! It's sad that so many woman still think this is a potential problem as it shows a serious lack of "health" education in our educational system.
2) Stick to compound and core exercises. Compound exercises are "push or pull" exercises which don't isolate single muscle groups... they are numerous: squats, rows, bench presses, dips, pull-ups, dead lifts, dumbbell presses etc, lunges, etc... focus on those as tiring yourself out on muscle isolating bicep curls is really a waste of your time by comparison. Core exercises are also great because strengthening your core will allow you to move more weight and to do more exercises without injuring yourself (there's a ton of core exercises out there - check the Internet). Additionally, Core Exercises definitely increase performance for any athletic movements.
3) In terms of what exercises to do what days and how many reps and sets each workout- most of what people/trainers advise is well published online. Honestly, most of what you see done is simply made up... everyone likes to do 3 sets of whatever and do a weight that can comfortably be handled 7-10 times (reps). "Arnold" recommended this 40 years ago in his Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding book and the truth is that what he advised was based upon observations and experience, not scientific data. Scientific data today is all over the place in the conclusions you can draw depending upon what your goal is and how your body reacts to specific workouts. The 7-10 rep idea is way over simplified but works for me (but it might not work for you). Ever thought about getting a trainer to get started properly? I have done this recently myself; consider getting one that specializes in what you are looking to do.
4) adjust your diet to your new workout routine... eat healthy/good food (no fast food, no soda, no bread/pasta, etc)... You might as well do this so you really can see positive changes quickly in your energy/body/immune system. It all fits together, if you exercise but eat like crap, expect crappy results.
Also, I am very sore and can barely go up and down the stairs!!!! Seriously it hurts! I also feel the soreness in my middle back so I guess I'm doing alright?!!
Is there anything I can do to help with the pain?
NOT alright, considering your history of serious health issues.
In your situation, I'd consult a certified physical therapist even though it likely means you'll have to pay out of pocket.
DH had rotator cuff surgery, after an accident resulted in a severe tear. Insurance paid for 6 physical therapy sessions. DH decided to pay for 6 more out-of-pocket and it was money well spent. He told the PT his goal, made sure he completely understood the PT's instructions, followed them to the letter and had a 100% recovery within about 6 months, never had a problem since. That's rare enough for young guys but DH was 60 YO at the time.
There is what's called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which is completely normal when new to working out (or when getting back to it after a lengthy break). It's a muscular and joint pain you feel a day or two after working out. As we all know pain is a subjective concept, there's DOMS and then there's injury pain. You need to be able to tell the difference in your own body. The great thing about DOMS is that it goes away in 3-5 days completely as your muscles rebuild to be stronger/better than before. The bad thing is that you have 3-5 days of soreness/stiff feeling which can make moving around hurt. If you cannot tell the difference then biscuitmom's post is a good prescription. It is very easy to actually strain your lower back when working out... that's one of those things that sucks if you are completely out of shape or don't know what you are doing in the gym... muscle strains can be debilitative for a week or more... research back strain treatment online and make certain you follow the stated advice.
I'd start out with body weight exercises! They will improve your strength immensely and in a healthy, safe way. Pushups, squats, lunges, dips, and planks are main types of exercises you can focus on but there are tons of variations you can include. 10-20 reps of these and doing a routine about 3 times should be good for beginning stages...you can always increase but don't want to do too much too soon. Slowly start building up cardio by taking brisk walks and build up to a jog/run. Jumping jacks, burpees, tuck jumps, and more plyo type of carido can be worked into routines as well.
For soreness, be sure to drink LOTSS of water. You need a lot more than you think since you are starting up exercising again...your muscles need it. Use a foam roller to help with muscle pain and if it hurts to much to do a regular workout, go for a walk to get your muscles moving and do yoga type stretches so they don't continue to get tight.
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NOT alright, considering your history of serious health issues.
