Don't Be Scared to Pick Up The Weights

Hey guys,

How has your day been?
I achieved quite a bit today and my energy has been up there, which is great! I hit the gym first thing in the morning – before heading off to work and let me tell you, that was a good decision. I am getting more and more convinced that I am actually a morning person. Plus, the bonus for my workout today – Mr. Men’s Health Look of the Year 2007 was training right next to me. How is that for motivation!

My body feels a bit bloated today, but the roots of this are hormonal, more than anything else.

Further, I have just discovered DA BOMB of meal replacements! It’s called Myoplex Lite and it is delectable! I mean it tastes awesome! I am in love…
The bad news, of course, (you knew that was coming, right?) is that it costs about as much as dinner at Beluga, but stay tuned for my next body fat measurements and you will see if it’s worth the cash!

My meals and exercise for today:
Gym @ 6:30a.m.
5 min rowing to warm up
Chest – presses with dumbbells, lying on the Swiss ball – 5 sets of 12 repetitions with 11kg dumbbells
Back – assisted pull up machine – 5 sets of 12 with assistance of 30kg
Shoulders – machine shoulder press – 5 sets of 12 with 22.5kg
Triceps – rope pressdown – 5 set of 12 with 30kg
Biceps – cable curl – 5 sets of 12 with 20kg
Note to girls: Don’t be afraid to lift heavy! I am a tiny person with main focus on losing weight (not building muscles) and pushing heavy weights works! Actually, I think the lower intensity of my weight training while I was away has to do with my lack of progress… just a theory…

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, feta cheese and toast
Snack: Myoplex shake
Lunch: Rye taglietelle bolognaise with feta
Snack: Protein bar
Dinner: Skinless chicken with salad

See yall tomorrow bright and early! Virgin Active awaits!

Mel

Jeni:
Thanks Mel!

You are right to some degree – lack of intensity in weight training may slow down your progress, but temporary “easy days” are unlikely to have a long term negative effect on your physique. In fact, the opposite is true. Your body does need to rest some time and occasional (note – this is the key word here!) easing off is actually good for your muscles. Remember, your muscles are rebuilt while you rest, not while you train.

But on the subject of girls lifting heavy… (here I go… someone stop me please… I am very passionate about this issue!)

FACT: Girls will NOT get big/bulky/masculine/whatever-you-want-to-call-it by lifting heavier weights!

Girls, weights are your best friend when it comes to weight loss. Really!
If you build 1kg of muscle, this muscle will consume on average 25 calories per hour every day without you doing anything about it! This means, you can basically eat an extra meal a day and get away with it (i.e. not put on weight) simply because you have muscle!

And this is the reason why you will not get bulky! Let me explain:
25 calories per hour is a lot of calories! Your body (whose main focus is to conserve energy, be efficient and survive) sees this as a big expense and it’s right. Your heart and lungs consume about that many calories themselves. The body doesn’t want to expand all this energy on simply “maintaining muscle” so it tries to resist it. You know… the same way your heart tells you that you absolutely need the red Louis Viutton heels and your mind tries to convince you that you don’t. Your mind sees the shoes as an unnecessary indulgence that is simply too expensive.
Exactly the same way the body sees excess muscle as “expensive” to maintain (think calories are the body’s currency) and will not cooperate with you when trying to “get big”.

In order to get to look like those ladies (if you can call them that) that you have seen in the bodybuilding websites, it takes a lot more than a few training sessions at the gym, I can assure you. I personally squat twice my body weight (which is in excess of 100kg) all the time and continuously get compliments on how lovely my legs look!

Unless you are going to shoot yourself with growth hormone and anabolic steroids, consume humongous amounts of protein AND train like a dog, chances of you getting bigger than you like are slim to none.

Plus, if it’s going to happen, do you really think it happens overnight? I mean, do you think you can go to the gym today, push these really heavy weights around for an hour, go to sleep tonight and wake up in the morning looking like Lenda Murray? What I am saying is, you will see yourself in the mirror all the time. The moment you see something you don’t like – just stop. It’s as easy as that!

But really, if you don’t believe me, you can ask Mr. Men’s Health Look of the Year tomorrow, Mel?

;)
Jeni